#every booster you take ups your risks

[old1ddude]

Myocarditis was always considered a very serious condition -- until it came out that the COVID vaccines were causing it, that is. Then they started saying, "Myocarditis is a very rare and mild side effect, which resolves quickly." The heart doesn't heal like other tissues, but creates permanent scars resulting in permanent impaired function. It was absolutely inexcusable to push these novel, experimental mRNA vaccines on young, healthy people -- given their vanishingly low risks of severe outcomes from the virus.

This study shows the obvious -- a majority of who got myocarditits from the vaccines have permanent heart damage. (Also, it's extremely rare for the virus to cause myocarditis -- the risk is much higher with the mRNA shots.)

[the-witch-of-one-piece]

Secrets Kept From Him Ran Haitani x Fem Reader Chapter 1: Secrets WC: 3.5K+ Resident: @enchantedforest-networkTW: Past relationship with Ran, Disappearing, Slight Suggestive Themes, Angst, Drinking, Suggestive Language, Secret Child He Doesn't Know About (unedited) MINOR DNI 18+

‘I promised to be by your side’ for years this phrase would haunt Ran in his sleep. His eyes opened up in the darkness of the room. He turned his head to the

side to see the woman he picked up for the night who was fast asleep. It just didn’t feel right no matter how many girls he brought home, nothing felt complete. To be exact no one could replace you. 5 years had passed by without a sign of where you left. He had tried to track you down when you first left. Trying to get a hold of family members, friends even trying to find connections to search for you. But each time there was a lead it was a dead end. ‘Why do I keep doing this to myself… they are not the same’ he sighed. He was doing this to himself, comparing each woman with you. Behind his smile only his brother could see that he wasn’t happy. The following morning Ran was still charming as he called a cab for his late night friend to be picked up. “Thanks for last night, I'll give you a call sometime.” flashing a smile seeing the woman get into the cab as it began to travel down the road. The smile on his face faded, his hands placed in his pockets as he went into his home. 

~~~~~~

“We just got in…no we are heading there right now…” you sat in the back of the private car as you were on the phone, you were looking through the windows, it's been years since you've been in Tokyo. It still looked the same. The bit of nostalgia hitting you as you passed by some familiar buildings. “Hey listen I will call you later tonight and keep you updated.. Okay… okay bye.”  you hung up the phone. “Everything is so big over here!” your daughter looked out from her booster seat. “You used to live here right mommy?”  her violet eyes looked over at you. “Yeah before you were born.” softly smiled as you ran your fingers through her long soft locks. 

You left Tokyo when you found out you were a few weeks pregnant. Ran didn’t know about the baby. It did worry you when finding out about your pregnancy, you were scared shitless. Ran coming home sometimes covered in blood, you had expressed your concerns for his safety many times. He would simply say ‘you don’t need to worry about a thing my love.’ but it worries you every single time. You worried you would get a call about a deal going south and he wouldn’t make it or if someone found out about you or your guy's baby you wouldn’t know what this person might do. You couldn’t take that risk, you needed to protect yourself and your baby. 

It hurt you to leave him  the way you did without any notice nor telling him where you were going. The days passed into months and your daughter was brought into the world. Along with trying to figure out how to be a mother you were dealing with your own anxiety. Looking at her growing each day she inherited Ran’s looks. You had a little piece of Ran with you. You wanted to give your daughter the opportunity to grow up in Tokyo and enjoy it like you did as a child. “We should be arriving at our new home tomorrow sweetheart.” you spoke. You bought a home on the other side of Tokyo avoiding some of the places you and Ran would visit. He was a creature of comfort he would usually stick to the places he was familiar with. The home would have all your belongings by the end of the day today. You were going to stay in one of the Hotels that had great reviews online. It was fairly new as well. Still in the back of your mind wondering what would happen if you would have run into him by accident or his brother… You wouldn’t know what you would do. Your mind would play thousands of possible scenarios from him being happy, to being betrayed and upset with you.

“Mommy we are here!” your daughter exclaimed as the car stopped in front of the Hotel. “Great lets put our stuff in the hotel and do a bit of sightseeing before it gets late.” opening the car door.

~~~~~~~~

“Ran, are you paying attention?” Rindou called out to his brother who was spaced out.

“Hmmm oh yeah, what time do we have to meet up with them again?”  They were in the car going to the destination meeting some possible clients for the club. One being a heiress of a prestigious alcohol company. Ran knew what he exactly had to do to get this contract with her. Even if it meant he had to sleep with her. “Seriously you cannot mess this up. If we can reduce the cost of this we are golden.” Rin looked over at his brother. “I know. Why don’t I just sleep with the bimbo first then you talk to her about contracts, she wouldn’t be able to process the quote we give her without thinking about events that happened before that.”  Ran suggested giving a smirk. His brother let out a deep sigh pinching the bridge of his nose “You have that full confidence in you by all means have at it. Might leave this to you right now then come back later on.” As the car pulled up to the hotel. Ran pulled up a photo of the heiress to make sure he wouldn’t mistake her for anyone else. He studied her features, making him woo her easily. He did look different from the last time you saw him. His hair was styled differently and wear a nice suit. You and your daughter were exiting out to the lobby. Your attention was on your daughter as she was happily talking to you as you held her hand.In this brief moment your paths crossed with his but both were too busy in your own worlds to notice each other at that moment. A faint smell of a familiar cologne hit your nostril for a moment. Looking up for a moment you were passing a group of gentlemen thinking it was one of them wearing the cologne Ran used to wear. You refocused your attention on your daughter.

Ran would be heading to the bar of the hotel where he is greeted by the striking beauty who was waiting for him. “Ms. Yamaguchi, I'm glad you were able to make it on such short notice.” Ran smiled as reaching for her hand kissing the back of it. “You do look lovely tonight. I’m Ran Haitani.” “Lovely to meet you Ran. They told me you were handsome but not so charming as well.” she looked at him with a sultry look. “You have a brother as well Rindou if I remember correctly… where is here tonight?” She looked towards the doorway. “He had to take care of some things at the club. I guess in the meantime while we wait, we can get to know each other? Can I buy you a drink?” the smile that no woman could resist. She gladly accepted his offer. It would only take him an hour to end up in her hotel room. 

Few hours would pass as you made your way back to the hotel with your daughter along with someone you trusted since the day you left. “We are glad you will join us for dinner tonight. I made reservations.” you smiled. Looking over at your aunt who you kept in contact with. 

“I'm glad to be finally seeing you both in a while. For a chance you both get to visit me for once.” she chuckled while walking into the hotel lobby. Your aunt never met Ran before, only had heard about him from the stories you would tell her. She did suggest telling him the minutes you gave birth to your daughter but she respected your choices on why you didn’t. 

When you pressed the elevator button you waited patiently. You saw something on your daughter's face. Kneeling down,facing away from the elevator cleaning her cheek. On the other side of the elevator coming down, Ran was focused on the lovely Ms. Yamaguchi. Her hands draped around his neck. As she playfully talked to him. “I never had a client take such good care of me.” her finger tips touching his lips. “Well there will be more if you like later on.” he was leaning in before the elevator stopped. They were on the lobby floor. When opening the door they saw a mom kneeling down with her back toward them, seeming to be cleaning her daughter's face accompanied by an elderly lady. Ran smiled as he exited the elevator. He noticed the little girl and thought she was adorable. Her eye color was similar to his own; he didn't really pay mind to all the details of the girl but her eyes. They made their way towards the bar where Rindou was. They heard the little girls say “mommy lets get in the elevator!” “Okay okay let's hurry in.” you chuckled. From that distance Ran heard the familiar voice that stopped him for a moment. When his head turned around he was able to get a look of the mom who was standing up. From a side view his heart dropped seeing you.  He watched you holding onto the little girl's hand entering the elevator. “Ran dear everything alright?” Ms. Yamaguchi asked when Ran seemed to pause for a moment.  He couldn’t just move seeing that you were here in the hotel he was at. He needed to talk to you. Ran composing himself quickly he turned his attention back to Ms. Yamaguchi. “Yes of course I thought I knew someone. But shall we meet up with my brother?” he asked, covering his issues with a smile. During the discussion between Ms. Yamaguchi and Rindou , Ran wasn’t paying attention. His mind was focusing on other things. His past love being here and trying to figure out what his next move would be. He could wait in the lobby till you came down again. Rindou would look at his brother's direction seeing he was preoccupied in thoughts. “Ran… Ran.” Rindou called out.

“Hmm I’m sorry what is happening?” he asked. 

“Must be still a little dazed and confused because of our private discussion earlier.” Ms. Yamaguchi smiled. “We were going over the quantity and price range.” Rindou spoke. “We agreed on this number.” Rindou pulls out a small notepad along with a pen jotting down the number and handing it to Ms. Yamaguchi.

She looked at the number. “I think we can make this work. Your brother can be very convincing ya know. I will have the contracts ready by tomorrow for both of you to sign.” She picked up her drink while taking a sip. The next thing she knew she had her phone ring. “Hello yes…Well I'm in the middle of something right now. I left you in charge for one minute and you decided to screw things up.” she sighed she brought the phone away from her ear “I do apologize gentlemen but something needs my attention. I will have my assistant send over the contracts in the morning. If you will excuse me I need to take care of this.” She got up from the seat walking away.  Rindou looked at his brother “What the hell is going on with you?” “What if I told you about someone from the past staying in this hotel right now.” Ran gave his brother a side glance bringing his drink to his lips. “Can you confirm they are here?” Rin leaned back in his chair. “She is here, I saw her. She still looked the same, just like I remember.” Ran spoke. “There is something else too.. She had some company with her” “Company you say? Who’s the guy?” he asked. Rin was already prepared to make something look like an accident waiting for his brother to describe the guy you might be with. “It wasn’t a guy…. It was a little girl and some older woman I’ve never seen before.” Ran began to remember the child feature more. The pretty violet eyes that resembled his, the child that looked no older than 4 or 5. “I need to talk to her more before assuming something… Listen, she will eventually come down. I wanna talk to her.” ~~~~~~ Fixing your daughter's hair you had her in a pretty purple dress. “You look great sweetie.” holding her hands. “You do too mommy.” her small hands cupping your cheeks as she gave your eskimo kisses. “You guys ready?” you asked your daughter and aunt. “Ready!” they both exclaimed. Walking out of the room. Getting into the main lobby you headed to the area where the restaurant was. 

Rindou wanted to see if Ran really saw the woman from his brother's past. He was casually sitting in the lobby looking at his phone each time the elevator opened and his eyes were on the elevator. His eyes focused on you when you stepped out with your daughter and aunt. He was in a bit of disbelief seeing you. Picking up his phone. “Hey you were right…. She is heading towards the restaurant.. Just one thing don’t act like an idiot just-” the phone was cut off “son of a .” he grit his teeth. He didn’t want his brother to do anything drastic infront of people. Ran was already at the restaurant. He had a seat in the corner where the bar stand was. Just a minute later after hanging up with Rin. He saw the group of three arriving at the check in. The server shows you to your table. The more he watched you the more he wanted to walk up to the table and talk to you. Hearing the small giggles coming from your daughter his heart was breaking. There was no doubt that was his little girl. It was like a little replica of him as a child. He wasn’t a part of yours and her life. He wanted to get a better view of you both. Still questioning who the lady was you were with. He was by the walkway in the corner where it lead to the kitchen he leaned on the rail. Your daughter was looking around the restaurant amazed by how beautiful everything was. “Mommy look at the big fishes in the tank!” she pointed to the large aquarium-like tank behind them. “ I know they are big fishes.” you watched the fish swimming peacefully. Your daughter's  eyes are still roaming around. She happened to glance at a table where she saw a family sitting. She didn’t know who her dad was, she had asked about him but you kept it very short with the answers. Excuses of daddy being very busy with work. She watched as the dad interacted with his children, making them laugh. Ran saw her looking over at the table and her smile disappeared for a moment. You caught onto seeing your daughter frown on her face. “You okay sweetheart?” you asked her. “Mommy, will I ever get to meet my daddy? At my old school I would see daddy’s pick up their kids from school and the kids would do all these things with their daddy’s… I just…” she stopped her sentence and looked down fidgeting with her hands. Your aunt looked over at you, after hearing what your daughter said. She had told you many times and now your daughter was asking about her father. “ I know, baby.” you cupping her face lifting her cheeks up to look at you. Just this statement was killing you so much. She was suffering not knowing who her father was. “You will meet him one day.. I promise.” you smiled, kissing her forehead. “Why do we get something sweet after dinner? I will let you choose something from the menu.” you wanted to see that smile appear on her face. “Really?” her eyes brighten up. “That sounds like a good idea now. Why don’t I help you choose Sweetie?” your aunt suggested to your daughter who happily scooted closer to her as they both looked at the menu.

 Picking up your wine glass you sipped on your wine. You started to realize how many families were in the restaurant.  Your eyes began to wander around the restaurant to see some happy couple and families enjoying their meal. When your eyes reached the corner of the room they didn’t move when they landed on him. His distinct violet eyes appear back at you, even though he had a new hairstyle. He was there looking back at you, the eye contact didn’t break for a second. The moment your eyes looked away was when your daughter caught your attention. “Mommy I want this one!” She brought the menu close to you to show you the item she wanted.

“That does look like a yummy treat, sweetie.” you smile. You took a quick glance back at the corner where Ran was standing and he was gone. “Mommy is gonna go to the bathroom really fast okay? Behave for your aunt for me?” turning your attention back to your daughter. Your daughter nodded promising she would behave for you.

You got up from the booth and made your way to the corner of the restaurant. You couldn’t believe your feet were walking toward his direction. Your heart was pounding against your chest, as you approached closer. When you reached the area you saw an empty hallway. Walking down the empty hallway you saw the different paths to the hotel. You were looking down at the hallway but no sight of him. The quicker you were looking down the aisle when you felt someone grabbing your hand pulling you into an aisle of where rows of doors continue down the long hallway. The smell of his YSL cologne hit your nostrils, the hypnotizing violet eyes were close. It didn’t take long or Ran’s slender arm to wrap around your pulling you closer to his body. His other hand caressing your cheek as he brought you to his chest in a tight embrace. His head is buried in the top of your head taking a deep inhale of your scent. “____.” he whispered your name. It didn’t take much longer until you found yourself holding him. His embrace was just like you remembered, and how much you missed every moment of it. “I missed you…” 

Intersted in joining the taglist please fill out form below to get notification of your favorite character when they are being posted! Link here ->taglist

Chapter two link here ->ch.2

[selfharm-harmreduction]

Reducing The Risk: A Guide To Harm Reduction For Self-Harm

[Pt: Reducing The Risk: A Guide To Harm Reduction For Self-Harm]

Disclaimer: I do not encourage self-harm. I am also not a medical professional.

**Warning! Crisis lines/hotlines/etc. in resources linked below may call the cops or other emergency services on you without permission**

Harm reduction is something everyone does. You probably engage in harm reduction all the time without knowing! Vaccinations are harm reduction, wearing a seat belt is harm reduction, using contraception is harm reduction, and so much more. Harm reduction can be used to reduce damage before it occurs, aka prevention, (i.e. wearing a seat belt), reduce damage as it occurs (i.e. emergency response), and reduce damage after it has occurred (i.e. rehabilitation). How does this apply to self-harm?

Prevention;

[pt: prevention; ]

Prevention dose not always have to mean delaying or stopping self-harming, this is not a possibility for everyone but is the most reliable way to prevent harm. Here are some resources if you want to reduce or stop self-harming:

Calm Harm (link), an app that helps provide alternatives and distraction to help you "ride the wave". Free in the UK, charges may apply else where.

'Delaying Self-Harm' (link) & 'Distractions and Displacement' (link) from Self Injury Support.

'Distraction Techniques & Alternative Coping Strategies' (link) from Cornell University

You may also want to call a crisis line (warning! many crisis lines and hotlines will call the cops or other emergency services on you without your permission (such as 988 in America), this can be very dangerous. You can find lists of crisis lines that do not do this in your country online)

If you don't feel ready too or don't want to stop self-harming that is also ok, and even if you are relapses happen and most people cannot stop 'cold-turkey' so it is always a good idea to be prepared for if/when you self-harm. Here are some ways you can prepare too keep yourself safe:

Prevent infection; make sure you are up to date with you Tetanus vaccination (link), adults need a booster shot every 10 years. Learn the signs of infection (link) and when you need to go to hospital. Make sure your tools are clean.

Prepare to treat wounds; make sure you have a fully equipped first aid kit and basic knowladge of first aid and anatomy. 'Cutting The Risk' (link) has information on a first aid for self harm, as well as other useful information.

Have safe(er) tools; this means, if possible, always have new tools on hand. If you can not access new tools you can disinfect used tools with rubbing alcohol or boiling. Remember to dry well. Always check for rust and dispose of your tool properly if any is found.

Plan for emergencies; Who will you ask for help if you can not care for your injuries alone? Do you know how to get to your local Accident & Emergency`? Do you know how to get there without driving (can you take a bus, can a friend drive you)? What will you do if you get an infection? It can be useful to have this written down, too.

As Damage Occurs;

[Pt: As Damage Occurs; ]

When you self-harm there are things you can do to keep yourself safer;

Keep your phone nearby. This is in case of an emergency and you have to call for help.

Be mindful of where you self-harm; some areas on the body are more dangerous to harm because of arteries, major nerves, and other things you can not see on the surface. This resource (link) has lots of information on how to harm safer, including safer locations and where arteries, veins, and major nerves are located in the body. Generally more fleshy parts of the body are safer, do not cut/burn/etc. your wrists, neck, groin, on or near joints, your face, or palms. Avoid cutting/burning/etc. on scars.

Think about anatomy; because ligaments, connective tissue, and muscle go vertically across the body it is safer to cut vertically instead of horizontally. Vertical cuts are less likely to damage your mobility, nerves, etc. because they go with the grain of muscle and connective tissue.

Try and reduce severity; this means lessening the depth of cut, the degree of burns, etc. and time you spend self-harming. Try making less injuries as well (i.e. 8 burns instead of 10). This makes it easier for your body to heal.

Make sure you can see what you are doing; this means clearing blood out of the way as you go. This is especially important if you multi-swipe.

Tend tend to wounds as you go; for cutters this means stopping the flow of blood by applying pressure before continuing and for burners rinsing the burn in cool water (warm water for a chemical burn). This makes it easier to tell what you are doing and asses damage as you go.

After Damage Occurs;

[pt: After Damage Occurs; ]

After you have self-harmed it is important to tend to your injuries;

Assess the damage: after you are done self-harming assesses the damage (How deep are the cuts? What degree are your burns? Are they clean? Are you bleeding heavily? etc.). If the wound is spurting blood or you go into shock (link), chemicals went into your eyes or mouth, or another emergency that needs immediate medical attention call emergency services (999, 911, 112, etc.). If you cannot stop the bleeding, the injury is on a joint, your face, or palm, something is lodged in the wound, you lose sensation or movement, or you do not think you can take care of the wound by yourself seek immediate medical attention.

First aid; if you have called emergency services follow the operators instructions. This (link) resource and this one (link) have useful information on first aid.

1. Stop the bleeding or burning; For cuts, apply pressure with a clean cloth that is not fuzzy (such as a t-shirt or clean tea towel), if the bleeding does not stop after 10 minutes of applying pressure seek immediate medical attention. For burns, remove any clothing or jewellery near the burn, if they are stuck to the burn do not attempt to remove. rinse with cool water for 10+ minutes. Do not use ice. For chemical burns, remove clothing surrounding the injury, rinse with room temperature saline if available, if not use warm water, for 30+ minutes 2. Clean the wound; For cuts, rinse the wound with clean warm water to remove any derbies. For chemical and heat burns, rinsing the wound will have cleaned it. Do not attempt to remove anything stuck to the wound, this will lead to more injury. 3. Dressing injuries; For cuts, if the cut is gaping you need to get stitches, seek intimidate medical attention. If this is not possible use steri-strips (link) or butterfly bandages (link) to pull the edges of the wound together and then apply a plaster or bandage on top. For wounds that are not gaping, apply a sterile plaster or bandage depending on the size of the injury or injuries. Use of antibiotic ointment is optional. For burns, loosely cover the affected area with cling film or other clean plastic. Using medical tape can help keep it in place. Never use a cotton or cloth bandage on a burn. For chemical burns, loosely apply a sterile dressing that will not stick to the wound after you have washed ALL of the chemical(s) off with warm water. 4. Wound care; For cuts, dressings need to be changed about once a day, change them if they become wet or dirty as well. Check for signs of infection (link) (see below for first aid for infections) when you change dressings. There is no need to clean your cuts again unless they become dirty. Never reuse wound dressings. For burns, dressings need to be changed about once a day, change them if they become wet or dirty as well. Check for signs of infection (link) (see below for first aid for infections) when you change dressings, burns are much more likely to become infected then cuts. There is no need to clean your burns again unless they become dirty. Never reuse wound dressings. For chemical burns, dressings need to be changed about once a day, change them if they become wet or dirty as well. Check for signs of infection (link) (see below for first aid for infections) when you change dressings, burns are much more likely to become infected then cuts. There is no need to clean your burns again unless they become dirty. Never reuse wound dressings.

Infection; if you believe a wound is infected after looking at symptoms of infection (link)...

1. Assess damage; Infections are similar across cuts, burn, and chemical burns. Symptoms of mild infection; spreading redness, heat, or swelling near the injury, increased or new pain, increased fluid leaking from wound. Some redness, pain, and fluid leakage can be normal. Symptoms of serious infection (seek immediate medical attention!); confusion or disorientation, feeling faint or dizzy, irregular heartbeat and/or breathing, cold, clammy, pale skin, fever (body temperature of 38c (100.4 f) or higher), fainting, severe muscle pain, painful muscle spasms, stiff jaw (lockjaw), and more (link). If you are unsure how severe your infection is talk to a medical professional. If you don't think you can tend to your injuries alone seek medical attention. 2. Treat infection; If you have symptoms of a series infection seek intimidate medical attention. If you do not feel able to get to A&E by yourself call an ambulance. If you do not feel that you can tend to your injury alone seek medical attention For mild infections, clean the wound with warm water and unscented soap, then soak in warm water. Apply antibiotic ointment to the infected wound(s) and re-dress the wound. Do not reuse dressings. Repeat 1 to 3 times a day daily until infection subsides. If the infection worsens or does not go away seek medical attention.

Resources;

[Pt: Resources; ]

**Warning! Crisis lines/hotlines/etc. in resources linked below may call the cops or other emergency services on you without permission**

Here is a list of resources for harm reduction, some of these might also be linked above.

Cutting The Risk (link), a (free) book all things self-harm , including lots of information on harm reduction, for any by self-harmer. From The National Self-Harm Network. (this one's my favourite)

Harm Minimisation (link) by Self Injury Support is a short guide to the basics of self-harm harm reduction. PDF version (link), I find this version easier to read.

Self-Harm: Limiting The Damage (link) from the NHS, main focus is on firs-aid.

Calm Harm (link), an app made by a mental health charity designed to help you "surf the wave" of self-harm urges.

Exploring Alternatives (link), by Self Injury Support provides a lists of alternatives to self-harm.

Distractions and Displacement (link), by Self Injury Support provides a list of things to do instead of self-harming.

Delaying Self-Harm (link), by Self Injury Support provides a list of ways to avoid self-harming.

How to tell someone about self-harm (link), from the NHS

Talking To Your GP About Mental Health (link), from Mind (a UK mental health charity)

First aid info;

Signs of infection (link)

Burns first aid (link)

Cuts first aid (link)

Chemical burns first aid (link)

[lunamaraproject]

LUNAMARA: Fragments [5]

💥

If Felix closes his eyes, he can pretend that the distant rumble is merely thunder. That the pattering against the canvas of the tent is just the rain. That the cries of shock and pain are…

Well, his imagination isn’t all that good.

“Why is it that I’m always the one who has to patch you up?” Cas grumbles, Felix’s wrist held delicately in his hands as they glow with magic. The wound isn’t that deep honestly, but you’d think he was about to lose the hand if Cas wasn’t there to heal him.

“You say that like you’d let anyone else do it,” Felix teases, and receives a sharp look for his attempt to lighten the mood.

“It wouldn’t make us very good morale boosters if they saw us getting blown to pieces,” he snaps, before turning his attention back to the gash. Felix’s own crystal has hardened around the wound itself, leaving a large chunk missing, a ravine between his palm and his forearm. Actually, with the right angle, it is possible that someone could chip a little further in, and then he really would lose his hand. The pain is dull, and it tingles as Cas uses his own magic to fill in the gap, glimmering midnight obsidian against garishly bright fire-opal.

Temporary measures secured, Cas closes a gold cuff around Felix’s wrist and sits back to inspect his work. Like this, you can’t even see the injury.

“It’s only a chip,” Felix utters softly. “And we’re more than just morale boosters.”

Cas huffs an unamused snort out of his nose as he stands up, moving back over to the medical supply kit. “I’m not a military grade healer and you’re not a military grade anything, so tell me what exactly we’re here for, Fel.”

“Hey, I resent that! I’ve been really useful!” Felix frowns.

He doesn’t even get a reply to that one, as Cas pulls his armour back on, marking him as a medic. Felix worries about him when he’s walking around with a great big target on his back. The enemy has shown they’re not averse to shooting non-combatants. For all that Cas frets about Felix’s safety, he’s the one who is most at risk here. There’s only 15 years between them, but that’s enough for Cas to assume that Felix doesn’t know how to take care of himself, or what their real purpose is here.

And it’s not for morale. The soldiers that see him and Cas rarely ever smile.

Anger is a great motivator. Poor wretched orphans, we - your starfolk brethren - will avenge your losses for you.

Like Felix even asked.

Another great rumble of not-distant-enough thunder, another chunk of a beautiful world rendered into ash and dirt to rain down on the surface again, wrenching trees from the soil, lakes from their beds, and people from their lives. Felix would rather not have any of it associated with his name, nor with Cas’.

But the Queen said they had to, and what authority have either of them got to say no?

🌗

More from LUNAMARA:

Fragments [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]<-- More every Thursday!

Comic [Prologue]

Art by Luka (http://nousanti.tumblr.com/) Story by Pidge (http://pidgestories.tumblr.com/)

[useless19]

It takes Bowser three tries to find a cupboard with food in it and it's only a measly bag of oats at that. Hopefully, Kamek's just behind on the shopping and they haven't been living like this the whole time Bowser's been away. There's a handful of spice jars in the next cupboard; Bowser swipes the lot and then finds a saucepan hiding under the sink.

Oats, water, and a good dollop of fire flower powder to start with on the stove. Porridge is easy and having food on hand always makes it easier to talk things over with people.

"Dad!"

Little claws scramble up the back of Bowser's shell before he can turn around to greet his son. A moment later, Junior drops his chin on Bowser's shoulder and smiles. Bowser ruffles his hair, unable to stop his own grin.

"Hey, kid. Been keeping Kamek in one piece?"

"Urgh, he doesn't let me go fast anywhere," Junior complains. "I have to go as slow as a snail so his shrivelled old toes can keep up."

Bowser laughs. "Atta boy, Junior."

"Are you back for real this time?" Junior asks.

Bowser winces. Junior catches him and whines.

"Junior, we've talked about this," Bowser says firmly. "I have to stay away for now."

"But I miss you," Junior says.

"I know, buddy." Bowser picks Junior off his shell and stands him on the kitchen counter in front of him. Junior is at eye-level, which hadn't been the case the last time Bowser had spoken to him like this. "This job's important, okay? If I keep it for a while longer we'll be set for life." Theoretically, anyway. "You're always number one, but I can't just do what I want and still have things like food and shelter. Sometimes I've gotta do things that aren't fun so you can get tasty stuff every now and then."

Junior looks away mulishly. Bowser sighs. He's been over this several times, but it's never easy to argue against kid logic.

"I miss you," Junior repeats.

"I know." Bowser risks a hug and is relieved when Junior clutches back. "Speaking of food, did Kamek forget to do the shopping this week? Or have you hidden all the good stuff to keep it away from me?"

"I'm hiding it from Wendy," Junior says, exasperated, frustration at Bowser's absence already forgotten. "She steals my choco-mango nuggets and replaces them with rabbit poop and then tells me I've got a diseased tongue because it tastes funny. But I know she did it! My tongue's normal, isn't it, Dad?"

Bowser barely manages to move his head out of the way before Junior sticks his tongue in his eyeball. He scruffs Junior by the shell and drops him down to the ground.

"Your tongue's fine." Bowser waves the sticky spoon at Junior. "If you want anything tasty in your breakfast, you better get it now. It's nearly ready."

"Be right back!" Junior shouts, sprinting out of the pokey kitchen.

Bowser finds Kamek's fine china in pride of place. It's more magic than china now, given that Bowser wasn't the most careful koopaling growing up and now Junior is following almost exactly in his clawed footsteps.

A thundering of feet announce Junior's reappearance. He's got a paper bag with a mushroom logo on it clutched tight in one hand.

"Who's that guy in your bed?" Junior asks. He wrinkles his snout. "He screamed when I saw him."

"Did you wake him up?" Bowser says.

"No, he was already awake," Junior blatantly lies.

Bowser lets him get away with it this time. He waves a bowl in Junior's direction, it's snatched out of his hand in a second by energetic kid claws. Junior sits at the table (when did he get big enough to not need a booster?) and carefully rations out a small handful of chocolate nuggets into his bowl.

"So who is he? C'mon, c'mon, c'mon."

"It doesn't matter, Junior."

Junior scowls and shoves a spoonful of porridge into his mouth. "He looks like the king, but he's too messy."

"Too messy?" Bowser snorts.

He catches sight of a flash of green at the doorway. Luigi hovers, uncertain, and makes some confusing gestures at Junior. Bowser might have gotten better at reading Luigi's body language and deciphering what he's actually saying behind his fancy words, but this intentional signalling is lost on him. Bowser shrugs.

"Yeah. His hair was all stuck up and he was drooling on your pillow! Eww!" Junior says through full cheeks.

Bowser grins at Luigi, who buries his face in his hands.

"Well, maybe you should introduce yourself and see what he says." Bowser points across the room.

Junior turns and waves. Luigi slinks in, still wrapped in Bowser's blanket. He stands awkwardly by the table until Bowser kicks a chair out for him.

"Hi!" Junior says brightly, cheeks still bulging, "I'm Bowser Junior!"

"Good morning," Luigi says with an awkward wave, "I'm Luigi."

"Like dad's boss, the king?" Junior screws up his snout. "Doesn't that get confusing?"

"I… no?" Luigi says, bewildered. "Why would that be confusing?"

Junior spoons more porridge into his mouth, getting a red smear on his chin in the process. His next protest comes with a spray of oats over the table. Kamek can clean that up later.

"But if you've got the same name as someone it gets confusing!"

"He is the king," Bowser clarifies.

"No way!" Junior says, slamming the end of his spoon on the table in emphasis. "He's too short!"

Bowser laughs as Luigi's bemusement turns into surprised offence. The tip of Junior's topknot barely brushes Luigi's nose. But then, the royal family aren't much for strolling through the castle town without a toad retinue and standing next to toads makes anyone look tall.

"Eat your breakfast," Bowser tells Junior. "If you share your mango-choc bits with the king then maybe he won't have you beheaded for insulting him."

Luigi starts, wide-eyed. "I wouldn't —"

"They're mine!" Junior shouts.

"Right off at the neck," Bowser says. He tweaks Junior's neck with his claws. "And he'd hang your dry shell up as a warning to other cheeky koopalings."

"No way!"

"I really wouldn't," Luigi says, worried.

Junior looks at Luigi suspiciously, and then back to Bowser, calculating.

"He says he's not going to do that," Junior says, testing. He looks between Luigi and Bowser again and then finally takes a nugget out of his bag and pushes it across the table to Luigi. "You can have one. And only because you're nice."

"Thank you," Luigi says, as stiffly polite as if he were meeting a diplomat. "I will reciprocate your generosity when I get the chance."

"Reciprocate?" Junior scrunches up his snout. "Dad, what does that mean?"

"It's just a fancy way of saying he's going to repay you," Bowser says.

"Oh," Junior says. "Why didn't he say that?"

"Because sometimes fancy people have to talk fancily."

"That's stupid."

"Believe me, I know," Luigi says wearily.

"Alright, Junior, off you trot," Bowser says, taking his empty breakfast bowl. "Leave his royal sleepiness alone and go wake up Kamek or something."

Junior hops off his chair, but doesn't run off immediately.

"Will you still be here when Kamek's awake?" Junior asks.

Bowser tugs on his topknot. "You know I don't leave without saying goodbye."

"Okay! Be right back!"

Junior sprints out of the room with his usual hyperactive energy. Has he always been that fast or is Bowser going to regret feeding him chocolate so early?

"He's a nice child," Luigi says.

"He's a brat," Bowser says fondly. "Gets that from me."

"I'm sure if he turned out half as well as you have, the kingdom will be grateful," Luigi says.

His slight smile vanishes when Bowser slams a bowl of porridge down in front of him.

"I don't care what the kingdom wants," Bowser growls. "He'll grow up how he grows up — and that's gonna be awesome. Leave your politicking away from my son."

"I didn't mean…" Luigi slumps. "Sorry. That's just my default response to meeting kids. I should have known better."

"Damn right," Bowser says, less happy with Luigi's misery than he wants to be. "How dare you give a default response to my son."

"I haven't had the chance to get to know him," Luigi says, for once getting Bowser's gist without needing it completely spelled out for him.

"He'll want me to take him down to the river before I go," Bowser says. "You should tag along so I can keep an eye on you too. Don't want you wandering obliviously into danger again."

A wistful longing passes over Luigi's face. Bowser usually sees that when he's thinking about his brother. It only lasts a second, then Luigi shakes his head firmly.

"I have to return to the castle," Luigi says, ignoring his breakfast. "I've been away long enough as it is. I can't — won't — leave the kingdom's fate uncertain for any longer than absolutely necessary."

"Eat your food," Bowser orders.

Luigi makes a wordless noise of frustration. "I can't just —"

"You're not doing anything until you've had breakfast," Bowser says firmly. "Whatever royal planning you want to do can wait five minutes."

Luigi pointedly spoons porridge into his mouth. He coughs, grimaces, then forces himself to swallow. Oh yeah, humans are funny about hot sauce. Delicate constitutions the lot of them.

"I think there's some milk," Bowser says. He opens the cold cupboard to find a handful of potatoes and not much else. "Somewhere."

The last cupboard holds a bottle of milk, spelled to stay fresh. Junior's adamantly against drinking the stuff, so it's not a surprise that there's only a little missing; probably for Kamek's tea. Bowser thumps it on the table in front of Luigi along with a battered tin cup. Luigi gratefully drinks.

"You need a plan," Bowser says. "You always do better with ten minutes to think things through, so take ten minutes."

Luigi looks mutinous, but he continues to eat his breakfast (after mixing in some of the milk). Bowser relaxes by inches.

"Okay." Luigi pushes his mostly empty bowl away. "I'm done. Thank you for breakfast. Can we go to the castle now?"

Bowser gives him a look. Luigi slumps in his chair, looking far more like Junior than royalty. Bowser puts the bowls in the sink and sits down across from Luigi. He taps his claws on the table and Luigi averts his gaze for some reason.

"You need to know what you're going to say to your council before you get there. What do you need to do?" Bowser asks.

"I need to find a way to show the Last Realm that they shouldn't attack," Luigi says. "To do that I have to find the professor, but I don't know where he is right now, so that's going to be a lot of work. And I also need to figure out a polite way of asking the Kongs if they expect the Kremling Empire to attack again soon. They can hold their own, but I have to be able to use our alliance as part of my deterrent methods and I can't do that if they're in open war." He sighs and puts his face in his hands. "Those are just the big two things, and I can't do both at once."

Bowser rolls his eyes. "Of course you can't. That's why you delegate."

"But they're too important to mess up!"

"And you'll mess up both of them if you try to do everything," Bowser says.

"I know…' Luigi's fingers tighten in his hair. It's a wonder he isn't bald from all the tugging. "I realised — yesterday, so it wasn't something I've intentionally been ignoring — I realised that I'm used to doing everything with Mario. We compliment each other really well and since he went missing I… I can't do it on my own."

That makes a lot of sense from what Bowser's observed of Luigi's workload so far. Why everything gets divided into two sets of tasks which Luigi flips between frantically when he remembers that the other exists.

"If I was just half the king Mario was…"

"Stop trying to be Mario, you'll never be Mario," Bowser interrupts. "And you know why?"

"Because I wasn't raised to be king?" Luigi says.

"Because Mario had a Luigi and you don't," Bowser says. "So stop trying to be Mario and figure out how to make being Luigi work for you."

Luigi smiles (Bowser mentally awards himself a point). "I don't suppose you would be interested in being my L—"

"Absolutely not," Bowser snorts. "I'm your knight, not your weedy younger brother. So, how are you going to use the fact that I'm your loyal knight and I have connections that you don't?"

"Loyal," Luigi repeats, amused. He shakes his head to get himself back on track. "Are you saying that you have someone with ties to the Jungle Kingdom?"

"I've got spymasters, pirates, entertainers, and plain old guerrillas." Bowser ticks them off on his fingers as he lists them. "You've got a whole passel of knights who'll do whatever you tell them to and advisors coming out your ears. You're not the best person for every job."

"It still feels like giving up, somehow," Luigi says slowly.

"Come on," Bowser huffs. "You hired me because you knew you weren't awesome enough to be a good deterrent. This is the same thing. Do you want to throw yourself a pity party or do you want to help your kingdom?"

Luigi nods. "I'm sure there are people who will be better than me at searching out the professor. If I write a letter explaining things, that should clear up any confusion he might have. Then I can plan a trip to the Jungle Kingdom to —"

"Not a chance," Bowser says. "Last time you left the castle you walked right into a ninji ambush."

"Which you saved me from," Luigi says. He smiles wryly. "Have I thanked you for that already?"

"At least twice." Bowser crosses his arms. "Give yourself some credit — I've never seen anyone get up a tree that fast."

"Sorry I wasn't more use. I —"

"Nope," Bowser interrupts. "Staying out of danger is your job. Dealing with enemies is mine. I want you up a tree or cowering in a closet at the slightest hint of danger."

Luigi nods. "As long as you're sure you can handle it."

"I can handle anything," Bowser says with confidence. "Don't worry your pretty little head about me."

Luigi chokes a laugh and bats his eyelashes. "Aww, you think I'm pretty?"

"You're the prettiest human I've ever seen," Bowser's mouth spills out before he can hold his tongue.

Luigi's smile freezes. Blood fills his face in that way humans get when they're embarrassed or exerting themselves (in lots of ways, but one particular type of exertion does its best to stick in Bowser's stupid horny head).

"You probably get that all the time," Bowser says, brushing it off. "Now, about —"

"When was the last time you saw someone compliment me?" Luigi interrupts.

"Probably because you spend your time doing less blatant fishing," Bowser says.

Luigi lets the subject drop, but he looks far too pleased with himself. Now he gets Bowser's dropped hints, when they can't do anything because Junior's going to drag Kamek into the kitchen any second now and no doubt Kamek's going to raise a fuss over the food supplies that he hadn't budgeted for and Junior will start asking to go out. Relentlessly.

"Let me fetch a couple of my guys," Bowser says. He thinks Wendy and Lemmy are around somewhere and he's almost certain Wendy has a friend or two amongst the Kremlings. "We'll knock out a plan of action and have you back at the castle in time for lunch."

[reigningqueenofwords]

Dinner

Pairing: Sam x Reader Word count: 1,171

Read on AO3

Part 2 of When Did We Get a Kid?

You’d made room in one of your cupboards, and put a sign on it saying ‘safe for the tyke’. You didn’t want to risk anything getting mixed up with something else. Once you were finished organizing that, you put a pot of water on to boil. Pasta was safe for kids, right? There were all those cute pictures on the internet that every parent seemed to have. Was that a rule or something? You had no idea. Double checking the ingredients on the package for both the pasta and the sauce, you were confident in your choices.

When the timer went off, you drained the pasta and mixed it with the sauce. Serving the plates, you set the table. You moved down the hall to Sam’s room. You couldn’t help but grin at the sight before you once more. “Sammy?” You called out, making sure not to be too loud. He shifted slightly. “Saaaammyyyy.” You laughed as his eyes cracked open, his hair a mess. “I made dinner.” Sam first waking up was always beyond adorable. Once you had a guy stay over and when he saw you giggle at Sam, he accused you of sleeping with him. You’d kicked him out and never spoke to him again. There was no room in your life for idiots. 

“Alright.” He yawned, stretching as much as he dared. “We’ll be right out.” You were half convinced he was going to fall back asleep.

Nodding, you pushed off the door frame and went back to the kitchen, getting everyone a drink. You’d opted for a juice box for Connor, water for Sam, and a soda for yourself.  As you slid into your chair, you finally noticed the booster seat that was already attached to one of the chairs.

When you heard the two of them, you looked up and smiled. Connor gave you a sleepy smile back. “Hi!” He said happily.

“Hi, buddy. You like pasta?” You asked, pointing to his plate. His face lit up and Sam couldn’t buckle him in fast enough. “I’m taking that as a very big yes.”

Sam sat across from you, his eyes glued to the toddler. Finally, he looked at you. That grin that seemed to make the room light up. “I guess we’ll get to the park tomorrow.” He shrugged. “Thanks for dinner.” Taking a bite, he slurped his spaghetti up.

You paused mid-twirl, raising an eyebrow at him. “I hope you know that I’m sure Becky will probably like you to eat like an adult before you have kids…” You teased. Becky was a co-worker of his that didn’t seem to get that he wasn’t into her. There had been more than one occasion that Becky shot daggers at you for hugging Sam.

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” He said sarcastically after he finished his bite. “I swear she gets worse every time I see her.” Sighing, he shook his head.

“Awe, poor baby.” Hearing a giggle come from Connor, the two of you looked over. Your eyes widened. Sure, he’d eaten most of the pasta, but he was also wearing most of the sauce. “Well, look at that, Sammy. You’re getting in your first bath with a toddler. You have fun with that!”

Sam looked at you, a bit scared. “You’re helping, right?” He asked.

Leaning back, you took a bite of your food. After you swallowed, you shook your head. “Sammy, Sammy, Sammy. I’m not gonna be there for you when you have to give your own kids a bath. Time to suck it up and get in that practice. I’m just gonna be the fun one.” There was a smirk on your face. “Besides, I wasn’t asked to watch Connor. You were.”

“Oh, come on! I’d help you with your kids!” He whined.

“…You currently sound like a child.” He rolled his eyes at you and took another bite. “And you’re telling me, that even if you’re married, with your own kids…and I called you up asking you to help bathe my spawn, that you would?” That was hard to believe. Sam was a family man. There was no way that he would just drop everything for you. No way in hell.

He shrugged. “What if I was already there?” He countered, pointing his fork at you with a piece of mushroom on it before popping it in his mouth.

Leaning forward, you nodded. “If you’re in my house at bed time, something is very wrong, Sam.” You pointed out, taking a sip of your soda. “I’d be wondering why you’re in my house, hanging out with my family- and not your own. Because we both know damn well you’ll wind up tying the knot before me.” That wasn’t a bad thing, it’s just how your personalities were.

“Oh, come on. You’ve been my best friend since I moved in. It wouldn’t be that weird. Weird would be following you on your honeymoon.” He joked.  

“Please don’t tell me you think abou–” You cut yourself off, grabbing your nose. “Good Lord!” Waving your hand in front of your face, you looked to Connor.

He had a big grin on his face. “I tooted!” He giggled hysterically. Sam snorted, trying to hold back his laugh.

“Laugh it up, you get to deal with Mr. Toots in the bathroom. Good luck with that.” You grabbed your plate and drink, rushing away from the smell. You’d eat in the kitchen. How could Sam not be bothered by that? Was it a male thing?

Your cell phone vibrated in your pocket, and when you pulled it out, you saw it was a guy from work. “Hello?” You answered.

“Hey, It’s Greg.” He sounded like he was in a good mood.

“Hey, Greg. What’s up?”

You heard him clear his throat. “I was wondering if you’d like to join me for a drink?” It was clear he was nervous. “I don’t mean alcoholic, I mean, unless you’d want that. Coffee would be fine, as well.”

Chuckling, you nodded, even though he couldn’t see you. “Coffee sounds great, Greg. What time would you like to meet up?”

“Oh, uh, say seven? On the corner of Main and Third? There’s a little cafe there.”

“Sounds like a date. I’ll see you then.” Glancing at the clock, you sighed. You had an hour and a half to get ready, and get there.  Looking at your plate, you took one more bite before storing it in tupperware. As you were walking back through the dining room, Sam was getting up. “I have a date tonight, but I don’t think I’ll be back late. We’re just going for coffee. I should be back about nine. Movie tonight?” You asked.

Sam shrugged. “Let’s see how tired this little guy makes me.” He smiled. “Have fun, though.”

You pecked his cheek. “If I’m not back by the time you want to crash, remember, you’re welcome to use my bed.” With that, you walked past Connor, messing with his hair, and down the hall to your room. 

[erin-rosita]

Risk it All

Hey there! this is my first post writing a fanfic about the one and only, Miguel O’Hara. Enjoy! 

Summary: You are Eliza Dela Cruz, Spiderwoman, and Engineer. You are new to the spider society but a crucial member on stopping the multiverse crisis. Miguel O’ Hara seems to like your dedication, but is cautious of the mystery behind your genius. 1 LET'S START AT THE BEGINNING

A universe where you worked so hard on protecting, a lot of sacrifices, but you've earned the recognition, now, everything is at peace. Or is it?

Earth 1012B Spiderwoman 2089

My name, is Eliza Dela Cruz, and I am the one and only spiderwoman, at least I though I was. Some may think I'm latina, but nah, I'm Filipino, Fil-Am to be exact, but I'm sure I have some latino blood somewhere.

I was bitten by a radioactive spider, got affected by the explosion of kingpin's collider, which granted me the power of travelling the multiverse. I'm an engineer/ inventor, a former gymnast and a great masseuse. But most of all, I have a great sense of humor (like every spidermen). I'm not much of a romantic, that's why when someone says they like me, I'm as awkward and clueless as I can get. That's why I'm basically living in my lab most of the days. 

Anyway, protecting a futuristic world fighting futuristic villains is what I signed up for, what more can you ask?

"I cannot believe you did this!" Mary Jane exclaimed.

"Just doing my job. Besides it's all part of my schedule remember?"

"I mean seriously, inventing stuff, saving the world, giving massages, comedy how do you even do it?"

"I don't know, I guess if life keeps giving, that means I gotta keep moving."

"That's a great philosophy, I definitely should add that to my song."

"Great, knock yourself out, and see ya on your next tour ok? Text me!"

"Thanks, I will bye!"

MJ is pretty much the only friend you have in your world, compared to the lot of universes you've been to, or barely even peeked at. It's hard to have friends with the size of my ego, I'm surprised I even have a friend like MJ, she is the complete opposite of me. Sweet, considerate, but also a badass. I may be spiderwoman, but that's just half of who I am which nobody (except MJ) knows about. An incredibly accomplished woman, nerdy, but has one friend is a massive imbalance if you want a stable life. Eitherway, I've always managed, and by that I mean get copped up in my lab for ages inventing stuff that are deemed unnecessary for me yet still get profited by corporations for the sake of market or personal interest. Booster springs, wanna look silly as you walk around new york, but still get to work on time? (what a joke)

Love? why even bother, might as well just invent a robot that will cater to my frequent temper tantrums and breakdowns and questioning of my self worth. 

Ever since then, my eye has been acting up because of the stress I've been through, maybe? Or is it that I foresee something that can either threaten my universe or just another villain who I need to have some heart-to-heart talk to? I mean seriously, I may as well have a blind date with every one of them, and still get some interesting facts about their personality. 

This was different, I've managed to conceal my universe from every other universe but somehow a version of some spiderman persists to breakthrough...Blue-ish Black suit with red markings flashes in my head. Gotta take note of that. He maybe evil or good who knows, but looks more like he's evil, I'll lean on that. 

Eitherway, I don't want to deal with anymore multiverse phenomena ever again. 

Peter made sure of that. It was the day Captain Guerrero (Stepdad) would be sworn in as captain, and I tried to save him from an assassin, but failed to do so, because of some anomaly that wandered in my universe, Peter says the canon is still intact, and I brought justice to the assassin, but that didn't bring my dad back. I told him to never mention my universe again to other spidermen, and I would do everything I can to do so. So I came up with a barrier that shields my world from multiverse phenomena that is immune to spidey sense and unknown entities that try to enter my world. It worked for a while, but I guess it wasn't enough.

"Lyla, what's that empty space?"

"What about it?"

"Every multiverse connects to one another, but this is a huge gap, huh.""I'll go check on it to ease your anxiety sir."

"Don't call me Sir."

"What? Not formal enough for you?"

"Just go check on it Lyla.."

"Okidoke, my main bloke!"

Miguel rolls his eyes.

 "Okay, I've checked, and it seems like a hidden dimension is concealed with some pretty high barrier tech if you ask me."

"Hidden? why?" 

"I don't know, but you're welcome to speculate, didn't do much to ease your anxiousness huh?"

"I have a feeling we can use this tech or whoever invented it to help us on our missions. We just have to figure out how to get past the barriers and enter it.”

"Lyla set a diagnosis on the status of the barrier so we can see if there's a weak link."

"You got it boss."

End of chapter 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------At first I was just considering doing a one shot fic of his character x reader, but  then when I started writing I just kept going making a plot and everything. I’m still not sure if I want to add any smut on this fic, but there will be romance I am sure of that. Anyway, I’ve really enjoyed writing a story about this man, It’s too bad if I don’t share it right? So this is all for y’all. 

[mixelation]

hey do you have any advice for college freshman? i know summer just started but i’m getting anxious about whether i’m going to be prepared or not

sure!

it's totally normal to be nervous! most other people are too, and basically no one feels prepared (and i think anyone bragging about being prepared is probably overestimating themselves). remember you have a WHOLE COHORT of other freshmen in the same boat as you

get involved as much as you can early on! just show up to interest meetings, go to club fairs, sign up for list servs and read any news feeds your school has to find orgs/clubs/events. you're still feeling out what you're about and what the scene is, and it's totally fine to show up to a meeting for free pizza, realize it's not for you, and leave.

branching off of that: if you're in a new town for school, i do recommend trying to find a way to explore the town outside of campus. this could be joining a volunteer group, a hiking club, or a social org that does fun things around town.

it's also totally fine to sign up for whatever classes strike your fancy and then drop them if you don't like it or you think you'll be too overwhelmed that semester for it (assuming it's before the drop deadline/it's a requirement/etc). freshman year is for exploring your academic interests!

i DID make a series of four year plans almost every semester, to make sure i got in all the classes i wanted to and also fulfilled my major requirements (and also my premed requirements.... except i decide my last year it wasn't for me LOL). they were basically just lists of classes and when they'd be offered (sometimes you can't predict this, but sometimes you KNOW this one class is every other year or something), and then I'd slot them into tables. i'd make multiple ones like "pre-med plan" and "study abroad" plan, which was kind of overkill but it helped me stay on top of what i needed to do to achieve whatever goal and also helped me maintain a sense of control. just be aware that any plan you make at this point is extremely likely to change and that's okay

all that being said, also make sure to schedule time into your schedule to rest. i did a lot of all-nighters in university and it was. not a good idea. sleep and taking ~you time~ is vital for both physical and mental wellbeing.

i think entering college is a great time to explore interests or parts of yourself that you might not have felt totally free to in high school, and i want to encourage you to take any risks that you think will make you happy. no one knows you. you can do whatever you want. introduce yourself with a new name. make interesting fashion choices. talk openly about fanfiction in class. get weird. be free

don't be shy about emailing professors and TAs!! you are allowed to ask clarifying questions about the syllabus. it is okay to ask for an extension on an assignment. if you need accommodations, do check out and get in contact with your school's accessibility office ASAP. i guarantee you there is no question or request you can make from professor that they will be surprised by, because there are. some Personalities out there

get your flu shot and covid booster. also shower sandals if you're in a dorm

oh, speaking of dorms: i do recommend keeping some "emergency supplies" like some nonperishable food, cold medicine, painkillers, etc around because university dorms are hotspots of disease and you don't want to get stuck walking to a CVS or dragging yourself to a dining hall when you're sick. also don't do what i did and go to class high out of your mind on cold medicine

[hellsite-plays-house-of-danger]

Basic things y’all need to know:

I will go through the story daily until we reach a choice, then, I will make a poll for one day so y’all can decide what we do, whatever the result of that poll is will be the path we take.

Basic game mechanics:

There’s an inventory, I will list the current items we have below the poll in every post.

Challenges:

Some cards present Challenges. You must undertake Required Challenges, but you choose whether to take on Optional Challenges.

To perform a Challenge, roll the die. To win the Challenge, you must roll a number equal to or greater than the number marked by the Danger Mover on the Danger Meter. If your roll is less, you lose.

Some Clue items are Challenge Boosters, which can add to your die roll during a Challenge. Items that are Challenge Boosters show • or * and feature an icon showing what type of Challenge they can boost.

The challenge types are, Climbing, Fighting, Dexterity, Perception, and Strength.

You may use only one Challenge Booster in a Challenge.

After you roll for the Challenge, add the number on your Challenge Booster to your die roll to determine the final outcome. After the Challenge, return the Challenge Booster to your inventory.

If a one is rolled that challenge is automatically lost even when using a challenge booster, if you used a challenge booster when a one is rolled it is automatically discarded.

The danger meter:

The Danger Meter represents your precarious state. As the danger rises, you are less capable of meeting the perils of your adventure.

The numbers on the Danger Meter indicate the current difficulty of any Challenges you face.

If you are instructed to raise or lower the level on the Danger Meter, move the Danger Mover up or down the indicated number of spaces.

If the Danger Mover reaches the space at the top of the Danger Meter by exact count or more, you must stop and take a penalty. Move the Psychic Mover back two spaces on the Psychic Scale (. Then reset the Danger Mover to the third "3" space on the Danger Meter, as shown by the arrow. You will begin your next Story Card or Challenge with the Danger Mover on the third "3" space.

The current level will be listed in the description.

Psychic scale:

The Psychic Scale represents the level of your extrasensory powers throughout the game. Actions you take during your adventure will raise or lower your Psychic Scale level. Higher levels will yield beneficial rewards!

The current level will be listed in the description.

Premonitions:

The Nightmare you studied at the beginning of the game is one example of the psychic impressions you can receive. If your level on the Psychic Scale is high enough, you may be rewarded with Premonitions.

Premonitions are images that warn of dangers ahead. Keep Premonitions in your inventory. You can examine them as often as you like.

Finishing a chapter and story returns:

When you reach a Story Card indicating that you achieved your Goal, you may move on to the next chapter. Keep any items you've found, and maintain your current positions on the Danger Meter and Psychic Scale.

Return the current Story Card Deck and Clues Deck to the game box and take out the card sets for the next chapter.

If you are planning to play the next chapter another time, place your inventory of items in the storage bag and make note of your Danger Meter and Psychic Scale positions.

At key places in the story, special Story Returns let you go back in the current chapter to pursue alternate experiences. This might result in new items to add to your inventory, but every choice you make comes with a risk. You might climb up the Danger Meter or fall down the Psychic Scale.

If you choose to go back in the Story, two rules apply:

Cards you have already seen (cards that have been discarded and clues in your inventory) cannot be added to your inventory again and cannot lower the Danger Meter or move you forward on the Psychic Scale.

You must make it back to the Story Card with your chapter Goal in order to continue to the next chapter.

[mika-mania]

My unfiltered first reaction to the album (and reading the lyrics)

Bougez:

Great start

Would normally never listen to sth like this but because it‘s Mika I love it?

I am INTO this, it's so stupid

(The bridge about god telling him to move in heaven lol)

Jane Birkin:

This has grown on me

The chorus is permanently stuck in my head

Sweetie Banana:

I… don't know

But the soft "bye bye"s are killing me

What the hell is this about

The only thing I understand is "I know your address" which is very ominous

("Candy in my bath" I'm sorry WHAT)

("All these words of love remain to be peeled" I am WHEEZING)

Apocalypse Calypso:

I do like this, still don't love it though

30 Secondes:

The sound is a bit too cheesy for me I think

The chorus IS nice ok

This is sth I'd listen to on repeat if I was in the right mood but would never admit

("You're like a bomb" um ok)

(He's talking about heaven and hell again uh-oh)

C'est la Vie:

God I hate this

I'd skip but promised myself I'd listen to the whole thing the way it's intended

Ok I don't HATE it, it just does absolutely nothing for me

Moi, Andy et Paris:

The beginning is so romantic WHAT

Oh this is such a vibe

Absolutely adooore ❤️

Every time he says "Andy" I grow stronger

At the end he sings "I love you but not him" WTF Mika (this was a betrayal by google translate, he is actually saying "I love you but he doesn't" phew)

Je sais que je t'aime:

The whisper part is so cringe I'm sorry

The rest is beautiful

The line "I hope life forgives us even if god has abandoned us" is still the saddest thing on the album for me

Ohhh the strings I loovee

(Every time I think a song is about Andy it turns out to be about his mum. This one is very sad though)

Doucement:

Mhm not sure tbh

I do like the chorus

Not obsessed yet though

(Not sure what or who this is about. Possibly depression and suicide)

Touche Touche:

Finally my fave from the teasers let's go

God this gives me energy, is this gonna replace Touches You as the song I listen to on repeat when I need a mood booster

Omg the sound of loading the gun in the second pre-chorus, this guy is insane

(Pure sensual filth. Like Tomorrow, BBB and Ice Cream combined. I love it)

("Prends ma main pour un slow" a slow what?! :O)

Amour Pirate:

I'm soo curious about these lyrics

Whyy did I learn Italian instead of brushing up on my French

Melody is simple but I'm not hooked (yet)

("Stolen treasure is not catholic" what)

(Aw so sweet, I AM an undiscovered treasure)

(I think he's telling us to take more risks in order to find love and he might not be wrong)

Passager:

Again nice but more about the lyrics I think

I wasn't expecting this many ballads

An unusually soft Mika album (not complaining)

I do wonder how that's gonna translate to a gig though since they are usually so high energy

Did he just say "Je parle francais et anglais"?! I'm dead (I found out later he does not, he says "un anglais")

[do-you-have-a-flag]

little covid rant

one thing that’s really odd about getting covid for the first time 3 years into the pandemic is that i was very careful and did limit social interactions and wore masks indoors and literally would not have gotten it now if i didn’t take a once in a lifetime chance to see my favourite band for the first time like it’s a very clear thing to me that i could have caught covid at any time but the risks would have continued to be low if not for this ONE THING i did.

so aside from the hypothetical series of choices where i was very sad but healthy the fact is that it took about 2 years for me to really start to miss normal life and 3 years for me to miss Doing Activities

like after this i am going to go back to my recluse era because the world was not as cautious as i was and i don’t want to tempt increasing health risks from re-occuring infections so i don’t even have the bandaid rip of OH WELL CAUGHT COVID NOW IT’S NOT SCARY like no.... no this does suck and the potential impact of it is scary and i do not want to knowingly contribute to infecting others

and idk i’m just mad the world moved on because the more people act like the pandemic is over the more pressure there is to put your health at risk. I’m literally going to go back to staying home and going for walks and doing 1 (one) indoor activity with more than 2 people every 6 months while masked and getting booster shots when available

and i miss life in a big way, i really personally felt like i got the momentum knocked out from under me by graduating into a pandemic, it's not a unique sentiment but it's just very frustrating to see exactly how clear cut the price is for being a Normal Person right now. Either I can continue to try to get it together from home and struggle but stay healthy, or i can risk infection after infection and all the health issues that could result to work and go to events again.

it's vindicating to know how much my efforts to social distance and mask up DID WORK and frustrating that one of maybe 3 concessions to having fun i participated in over 3 entire years resulted in catching covid

like obviously i'm very fortunate and lucky and so on and so on but i still feel angry with how this pandemic was given up on on such a broad scale. did you know that for a while mid pandemic there was almost zero cases in my state? We managed that but because of all kinds of factors and prioritising profits over people after the second bigger wave people started acting like vaccination was the only thing needed.

I'm such a risk avoidant person generally and when i take on a situation i am not sure of i accept the consequences. I am now experiencing those consequences. I am not oh woe is me-ing the results i am just startled by the realisation that I was right to be so cautious all this time and that continuing to do so means continuing to actively chose to sacrifice opportunities over and over and over. because it feels like the world is not set up for me to thrive in it

maybe it's that i was too preoccupied with unrelated stress when everyone went through the existential terror of early covid, maybe it's because i never went through the stages of though that lead some people to go "everyone's going to get it anyway!" but as i creep towards recovering from this run of sickness and keep my fingers crossed for no long term side effects i have to figure out how to re-arrange what my outlook for the future is for as long as people act like an ongoing pandemic isn't happening

[sunnyranalkar94]

Fuel Your Day with Two Wheels: Why Daily Cycling Should Be Your New Habit

The morning alarm screams, and your motivation hits the snooze button faster than a Tour de France champion. Sound familiar? We all crave healthy habits, but finding something enjoyable and sustainable can be a tricky climb.

But what if the answer was waiting right outside your door, whispering sweet nothings with two wheels and a breeze in its spokes?

Yes, friends, I'm talking about daily cycling. It's not just a nostalgic childhood memory; it's a powerful exercise routine that fuels your body, mind, and even the planet. Still not convinced? Let's crank up the gears and explore why you should consider making cycling your daily companion.

Health Benefits That Leave You Breathless (In a Good Way!)

Cycling isn't just about scenic rides and wind-tousled hair (although those are pretty awesome perks). It's a cardio king, strengthening your heart and lungs with every pedal stroke. This translates to lower blood pressure, reduced risk of diabetes, and even a stronger immune system. Feeling sluggish? A daily cycle invigorates your body, leaving you feeling energized and ready to conquer your day.

More Than Just a Physical Fix: Your Mental Wellness Gets a Tune-Up

Think cycling is just about leg power? Think again! Studies show that pedaling your way to work or enjoying a leisurely afternoon ride can significantly reduce stress and anxiety. The rhythmic motion and fresh air act as natural mood boosters, leaving you feeling calmer and more focused. Say goodbye to that post-work slump and hello to a clear, balanced mind.

Saving the Planet, One Pedal Stroke at a Time

Let's face it, our planet needs heroes, and cyclists are some of the coolest ones around. Ditching the car for your trusty two-wheeler reduces your carbon footprint and air pollution, making a real difference in the fight against climate change. Bonus points if you use your bike for errands or commuting – you'll be surprised how much you can accomplish on two wheels!

Accessibility: The Beauty of Cycling Lies in Its Simplicity

Unlike some forms of exercise, cycling doesn't discriminate. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or a weekend warrior, there's a bike and a pace out there for you. Start with short, leisurely rides and gradually increase distance or intensity as you build your fitness. Plus, it's easy on your joints, making it a perfect option for people of all ages and abilities.

Ready to Get Rolling?

So, are you ready to trade four wheels for two and experience the transformative power of daily cycling? It's an investment in your health, happiness, and the planet. Remember, small steps lead to big changes, so start with a ride around the block and see where the journey takes you. You might just surprise yourself with how much you enjoy the view (and the endorphin rush!).

Join the Movement!

Share your cycling journey in the comments below! What motivates you to ride? What are your favorite routes or tips for beginners? Let's build a community of cycling enthusiasts and inspire each other to keep pedaling towards a healthier, happier planet.

Remember, the road to a healthier you starts with a single pedal stroke. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and ride!

[inscrutable-shadow]

Whumptober 2023 Day 5 - What's the Worst That Could Happen?

@whumptober-archive

No. 5: “You better pray I don’t get up this time around.”

Debris | Pinned Down | “It’s broken.”

also available on ao3!

Jack yanked hard on the Doctor’s lab coat. “Get down, Doc, unless you want to catch one of those bullets in your teeth!”

The Doctor crashed to all fours, panting hard. “Apologies, I am not moving as quickly as in my younger days. I suppose there is no longer any chance of reaching our destination on time?”

“Sure as fuck not. Is the First Quarter always like this? Seems like every other week I’m getting myself caught in a shootout.” He pulled another magazine out of his belt and slid it into his pistol in a practiced motion. The suppressive fire didn’t seem to deter their pursuers any.

“I cannot say it is uncommon, at least in this area. I had hoped my return to the land of my birth would be less… hectic. If only the gangs here had a Queen of Diamonds to unify them.”

Jack scoffed. “Yeah, I think we’re good with just the one.” He poked his head around the concrete barrier and immediately pulled it back. “Mother’s veil, these guys don’t give up…”

“I don’t imagine so. Astra Group would likely send any number of men to ensure my premature demise,” the Doctor said mildly, adjusting their glasses. For someone who had a hit squad out for them, they sure seemed much more concerned with how much exercise they’d been getting than the actual bullets. Standard Doc.

Jack checked his surroundings. Narrow access tunnel, and the pod car was around a corner about thirty meters away. He’d give the Doc a moment to catch their breath and then they’d run for it. They were slower than he was and he’d have to take a few calculated risks if he wanted to keep them intact. Well, if there was one thing the procedure had done, it was make him better at math.

“Okay, Doc, we’re gonna make a break for the pod car. Don’t look back, just keep running.”

The Doctor, still sweating and panting, looked up at him in dismay. “That distance? I cannot keep up with you, Jack, I will be left behind—”

“No, you won’t. I’ll keep pace with you. Just trust me, okay? Keep moving and you won’t get hit.”

“I find that incredibly unlikely—”

“And go!” He hauled them up by the lab coat and pushed them out of the cover of the barrier, but not too far, giving them a chance to right themselves. The Doctor let loose with a colourful stream of curses, but started running anyway, which was the point.

Jack allowed himself a bit of a laugh. The “hitmen” couldn’t aim for shit compared to a Suit’s evasion ability, even protecting another person. He was, for the most part, able to keep his important parts out of the path of the bullets, and he only had to yank the Doctor to the side twice. He clicked the key fob to open the pod car’s hatch as soon as it came into view.

The Doctor was flagging by this point, their pace steadily decreasing despite their best efforts. Jack was going to have to do something about it. “Forgive me for this, Doc, yeah?”

“Eh? Ack!” They flew the last ten feet through the hatch opening, landing with their face on the far seat. Jack dived in after them and scrambled to pull the hatch closed. Glasses hanging askance from their face next to a slowly oozing bullet graze, they rounded on him, furious. “You could have killed me, Jack! I am not a sack of potatoes to be hauled around as—!” They stopped short. “I say, is that blood?”

“Well, yeah. Got hit a couple of times. ‘M fine, just give me a second and I can drive.” It really wasn’t that big of a deal. He needed to get the car in gear so they could get the hell out of here. The electric engine clicked worryingly the first couple of times he began the startup sequence, but eventually it began to hum.

“At least have a booster, Jack, no? You know where we are going, I do not.” Well. At least they had their priorities straight.

general taglist: @athenswrites

fcd taglist: @youareshauni, @arieadil

doc taglist: @i-eat-worlds

[loreholdlesbian]

March of the Machines Draft Booster Challenger

Hello everyone! Every set I like to make a booster pack of custom cards, inspired by a challenge in the GDS3 to which all the links are broken from wotc’s dumb site change so im not gonna bother. But the goal is to match the distribution of cards you could expect to find in a booster of MOM, trying to make cards that wouldn’t feel odd mixed in with those of the set. I try to fit with the ways mechanics were used in the set, while also being innovative and finding new things to do, which can sometimes be conflicting goals. There are also a lot of stipulations I put on myself in addition to being innovative while natural to the set, like trying to have a good spread of card types, colors, and themes while not being too similar to any card in the set (or the booster). Now let’s get into it!

Long post ahead, click at your own risk.

Rare

Thoughtweft Vigilant 2W  

Creature- Kithkin Knight  

Vigilance  

All noncreature spells cost 2 more to cast and have convoke.  

3/3

This is trying to do something new with convoke. Rather than using convoke as a flat bonus, it uses it as a way to alleviate a downside. It affects everyone, but your deck is gonna be better equipped to take advantage. The aggressive stats and relevant typeline encourage a very creatureful deck, so you might even rather 2 extra mana but being able to convoke your noncreature spells, while your opponents probably will not.

Uncommons

Vraska, Heretic’s End 1B P/B  

Legendary Planeswalker- Vraska  

Compleated  

Phyrexians you control have menace.  

-2: Destroy target creature or planeswalker that was dealt damage this turn.  

5 Loyalty

This set is the last time we’ll be seeing phyrexians for a while, so I wanted to give a last hurrah to the compleated mechanic (as well as to some of the characters who had it who died in this story, though vraska isn’t one). This is one member of a 5 card cycle of uncommon planeswalkers that all have a compleated, a static, and a minus ability. I think compleated is a neat mechanic on planeswalkers with no + ability, it’s using it in its simplest form to mean “you can cheap on the mana but you’ll get fewer uses of the ability, full stop”. Vraska tends to be a very removal-centric planeswalker, so her - needed to be removal, and this felt like the least problematic way to have repeatable removal that feels like her. If anything it feels too weak, we’ve seen this effect at one mana with a cantrip, but it synergizes really well with the menace she grants. This probably isn’t something wotc would have included in the set if im being honest, to differentiate it both from WAR and from ONE, but its something i think would be an awesome addition so I did it anyway.

Ikorian Behemoth 3GG  

Creature- Dinosaur Rhino Beast  

Haste  

Trample over everything (This creature can deal excess combat damage to the player, battle, or planeswalker it’s attacking. Excess combat damage to a planeswalker or battle it’s attacking can be dealt to the defending player.)  

5/4

“Trample over battles” felt like a cool bit of text we could have seen in this set but didn’t, which meant it was a perfect opportunity for this project. This went through a few iterations that ended with “Trample, trample over planeswalkers and battles” but i didn’t like how repetitive that sounded (I don’t like how repetitive [[Thrasta]] sounded either) so I came up with “trample over everything” which frankly is just an awesome-sounding bit of rules text, and definitely is a cool new thing to show off, which again, is perfect for this project and the kind of innovation I like to do.

Commons

Infuse with Halo 1W  

Instant  

Untap target creature and put a +1/+1 counter on it. It gains protection from Phyrexians until end of turn. (It can’t be blocked, damaged, or targeted by Phyrexians.)

This was originally a backup creature with protection from phyrexians, and I do think that’s a neat effect for a backup creature but I wanted to increase the number of noncreature cards in the pack plus I had another white backup creature i wanted so I went with this. I think protection from phyrexians would play pretty well in this set though.

Ranks of the Cathars W  

Creature- Human Knight  

Backup X, where X is the number of creatures you control named Ranks of the Cathars.  

3: This creature gains double strike until end of turn.  

0/1

This backup card is more about the +1/+1 counters than the ability, but backing something up turn 4 and then activating the ability is no joke, especially if you got another one down early.

Corrupted Sea  

Land  

~ enters the battlefield tapped.  

T: Add U.  

Cycling 1 P/U

Phyrexian mana cycling costs felt really cool, cause cycling is usually between 1 or 2 mana and isn’t a problem to the color pie, so it doesn’t bump up against phyrexian mana’s problems, plus the 2 life is hopefully gonna stop the ikoria problem of filling your deck with off-color cyclers despite being useable generically, cause all that life will add up fast. I put this on a land cycle, cause there was a cycle of landcycling spells at common i didn’t want this to compete with, plus having a land meant i had every nontribal card type covered in the pack.

Flock’s Protection 2U  

Instant  

Convoke  

Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1 for each creature you control.

Since blue is one of the big convoke colors this set, it wants more of a go-wide strategy than usual so I thought a card like this that rewards that would be a good addition.

Podtender Perfect 3B  

Creature- Phyrexian Elf  

When ~ enters the battlefield, incubate 3. That token becomes a 0/0 Phyrexian artifact creature with haste until end of turn.  

3/3

I had the idea for creating an incubator token and making it a copy of something until end of turn, so you could make use of the token before you transform it, but there was no good upper rarity slot for it but if i did a simpler implementation, I could do it at common, and the simplest was having it become the same thing you’re used to it becoming, a 0/0 Phyrexian.

Stinkcaller Shaman 1R  

Creature- Goblin Shaman  

When ~ enters the battlefield, exile the top card of your library. You may play that card this turn. A spell cast this way has convoke.  

2/1

Here’s another cool new way I found to use convoke, tying it to red’s impulse draw. I put it as an ETB on a creature so you could make use of that creature for the convoke cost.

Repurpose Biomass 1G  

Sorcery  

Incubate 2, then put a +1/+1 counter on an artifact or creature you control.

Nothing too complicated here, it’s basically an incubate 3 that’s more flexible with where you can put the last counter.

Transguild Skytraveller 2  

Artifact Creature- Bird  

~ is all colors.  

Flying, vigilance  

1/1

I thought a [[Transguild Courier]] type card would be a neat addition with convoke in the set, so it can help fix for your convoke cards.

Battle

Invasion of Rabiah 5  

Battle- Siege [rare]  

~ enters the battlefield with one fewer defense counter for each color spent to cast it.  

When ~ enters the battlefield, draw two cards.  

7 defense  

Lamp of Endless Realms  

Artifact  

You have no maximum hand size.  

4, T: Choose a card you own from outside the game and put that card into your hand.

Battles are a whole new card type, and if im trying to show off innovative new things, this was the perfect spot. But wotc was very specific in making all the battles work the same here, so I couldn’t deviate far from that. Making one with a variable number of defense counters felt like the best middle ground I could find. Since I needed the variation to never make it enter with 0 defense, this felt like my best option.

DFC

Furnace Implant R  

Enchantment- Aura [uncommon]  

Enchant creature you control  

Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has first strike.  

4 P/W: Transform ~. Activate only as a sorcery.  

Furnacestoker Firecat  

[RW] Creature- Phyrexian Elemental Cat  

First strike  

4/2

Similarly to battles, the DFCs here all worked similarly which didn’t give me a lot of room to come up with something new. They all turn into phyrexians, but all the dfc cards start as creatures. So I thought doing another card type would be neat (though admittedly there are already incubator tokens in this space)

Bonus Sheet

Lyssa, Ancient Theologian 2RW  

Legendary Creature- Human Cleric [uncommon]  

Whenever Lyssa, Ancient Theologian attacks, mill two cards. Choose a card milled this way. You may play it from your graveyard this turn.  

Whenever one or more cards leave your graveyard, you gain 2 life.  

3/4

Bonus sheets are always hard since they’re all reprints, but ive settled on making new cards for them that wouldn’t have printed in the set they come with. Here, I went with something that could fit in strixhaven a) cause i had the frame for it and b) cause it lets me show off this new mill-based form of impulse draw that i think would be a really useful tool for red in graveyardy sets.

Art links:

Thoughtweft Vigilant

Vraska, Heretics’ End

Ikorian Behemoth

Infuse with Halo

Ranks of Cathars

Corrupted Sea

Flock’s Protection

Podtender Perfect

Stinkcaller Shaman

Repurpose Biomass

Tranguild Skytraveller

Invasion of Rabiah // Lamp of Endless Realms

Furnace Implant // Furnacestoker Firecat

Lyssa, Ancient Theologian

[wolfperson1]

Leftists who’ve given up on covid mitigation are doing the bidding of capital.

If you’re not masking in public spaces, staying home when you’re sick, and taking reasonable precautions to reduce spread, your politics have been sacrificed for your own social comfort.

They literally dropped covid mitigations and shortened isolation times because the CEO of Delta Airlines asked them to. Everyone wants to reduce remote work because they’re worried about corporate landlords.

The white house still has strict testing and isolation guidelines. They also invest heavily in air purification when Biden is speaking anywhere.

Capital does not care that excess deaths are still elevated versus pre-pandemic times.

Capital does not care that millions more people have been disabled by the pandemic.

Capital does not care that 1 in 10 infections leads to a longterm condition.

Capital does not care that deadly cardiovascular events are up 35% in people in their 30’s.

Capital does not care that workers are getting sick repeatedly and it’s only a matter of time before they lose their ability to work.

Capital doesn’t care that there’s evidence of reduced immune response and widespread cardiovascular damage even in people who had mild or asymptomatic covid.

Capital doesn’t care that we’re seeing signs of the kind of dementia AIDS patients get after more than a decade and covid’s only been around for <4 years.

Capital doesn’t care that paxlovid is less affective against current variants.

Capital doesn’t care that rapid tests now miss 90% of asymptomatic cases (versus 20% when released) and the CDC recommends you take 3 tests over 5 days to confirm.

Capital doesn’t care that Evushield (a shot immunocompromised people could take to reduce their risk) stopped working like a year ago.

Capital doesn’t care that the vaccine effectiveness drops significantly at 6 months and most people aren’t eligible for a booster even if their high risk. (On an immunosuppressant, congrats, you only get 3-4 months effectiveness)

Capital doesn’t care we lost all the antibody-based covid treatments with newer variants.

Capital doesn’t care that the damage from infections is cumulative and your risk of long covid goes up with every infection.

Honestly for your own health, you should be doing what you can to reduce the number of covid infections you get.

But if you don’t care about yourself, you should do it because Capital has decided everyone’s life is forfeit and they will let a plague ravage the population as long as they’re making money. If you care about fighting capitalism or leftist politics or worker’s rights, you should be aligned with reducing the spread of COVID as much as possible. Because it won’t be Capital who suffers.

As soon as rich white folks discovered black and brown workers were the most affected they gave up. Do not be tricked into aligning with the interests of capital.

And look, it’s easy to be nihilist. It’s easy to decide we’re all going to die in the next few years from climate change or fascism or covid so nothing matters. But that’s letting capital win too.

So recommit to radical politics. Take reasonable precautions. Tell the people you hang with about your risks. And fight back so we have a future worth living in.

[omoghouls]

Bit of a throwback but the Izzy dip dependant verse is on my mind. Izzy wetting while he’s at Ed and Stede’s house, going to grab his backpack and realising he’s run out of supplies because he hadn’t planned on staying so long. He does the only logical thing and locks himself in the bathroom as he works himself up into a panic about what he’s doing to do. Taking it off and going commando runs the risk of wetting his pants before he gets home, staying in it risks a rash and he can’t be bothered dealing with that. It’s only five or ten minutes but Stede is knocking on the door, insisting he be let in because he’s worried, and it is his house so technically Izzy can’t lock him out. He does open the door and Stede starts listing every possible thing that could’ve happened. Do you feel sick, have you been sick, are your tummy issues acting up, are you anxious, did something happen with Ed or at work, is your mum okay, do you need help with anything? And Izzy has to very reluctantly ask if he can borrow something absorbent until he gets home, thinking Stede would give him an old towel or something to sit on. He’s shocked but he’s not when Bonnet returns with a loudly patterned cloth diaper. He doesn’t even have time to ask when Stede is explaining that it’s Ed’s but they got a size too small so it isn’t very comfortable but it’s very useful for overnight so Izzy shouldn’t find himself leaking. As he’s explaining all of this, Stede is bringing Izzy to their room then into their bathroom, laying him down on the plastic changing pad and cleaning him up thoroughly with wipes that felt expensive and rash cream that soothed any irritation that might have come up. It happens so fast, Izzy barely has time to react before Stede is patting the front of the diaper and telling him he’s good to relax those tense muscles and enjoy his evening.

F7tc7t7rdrc6uvhvihv SENDING YOU LOVE BEAMS ANON BECAUSE OMG I'VE BEEN TJINKING OF THIS AU FOR WEEEEKS BUT COULDN'T FORMULATE WORDS

Aaaaa omg y e s

Izzy expected to stay just a couple minutes, bring Ed his jacket he left at the bar, then leave.

But, he's been at the house for 2ish hours now, somehow sucked into watching some garbage tv show (it's only garbage because Stede likes it, besides that, the show is actually good). However, he's very much due to change, these drugstore ones really aren't the best but like hell Izzy's going to spend more than needed on these things-

So, he's in the washroom (that's probably bigger than his kitchen lbr) and sees he has nothing in his bag- ofc getting into a dizzy is the most logical to Izzy in that moment. He lowkey thinks about just shoving one of those foo-foo towels down his pants, they're probably just as absorbent xD

But, of course, curious Stede ruins those plans when he's knocking on the door, asking Izzy a million questions- so, Izzy sees it easier to admit to what he needs than enduring Stede's barrage of questions.

He's gotten to know (as much as he pleases) Stede a bit so, it's not incredibly shocking when he sees the patterned cloth diaper. He's more shocked that Stede talked circles around him enough to where Stede /changed/ him without Izzy even fully realizing he's changed😂

Izzy gives a small thanks before tugging his pants on- and Stede is probably saying that Izzy can barrow it as long as he wants (even offering boosters but, Izzy already feels poofier than normal so, he declines, enjoying that he still fits in his jeans lol)