#hearing aid repair near me

[rediscoverhearing]

Ear Wax Removal Perth Bulk Bill

Ear wax (cerumen) is a natural substance produced in the ears to protect and lubricate the ear canal. However, it is sometimes necessary to have earwax removed by a medical professional if excessive earwax builds up and causes symptoms such as reduced hearing, tinnitus, pain, itching or odour. If left untreated, impacted earwax can lead to a number of health complications including aural blockage and aural perforation.

If you are experiencing a build-up of earwax, it is important to visit a clinic that provides safe and effective earwax removal through microsuction. Choosing the right clinician for this procedure can be difficult, however, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind. These include checking the clinician’s qualifications, experience and reviews from previous patients. It is also important to make sure you are aware of any risks associated with earwax removal before booking your appointment.

Herdsman Medical is a family friendly clinic and our doctors have been trained to perform ear wax removal perth bulk bill by microscope and microsuction. We provide GP Management Plans which can entitle you to subsidised or free allied health visits with Physiotherapists, dieticians and psychologists. This allows you to get the care you need when you need it and helps you stay in control of your chronic disease.

In addition to earwax removal we provide a range of general medical services including women’s, men’s and children’s health, chronic disease management, skin checks, vaccinations, occupational medicine, workers compensation and more. We have a team of highly experienced healthcare professionals who are committed to providing the best possible service and quality care.

Ear Wax Removal Perth Bulk Bill

Earworx is Australia’s first dedicated professional earwax removal clinic, using dry and effective micro-suction technology under direct observation. This is the same method that ENTs use and is quicker, safer and more thorough than the traditional syringing technique. This procedure is now offered by many GPs and Audiologists around Australia.

This service is bulk billed for Pension Card holders and HCF members. Other card holders will be charged at standard consultation rates. Please advise the receptionist that you require a microsuction ear cleaning when you make your appointment.

Dr Maree McLeod is a highly experienced and caring Doctor who is passionate about patient-centred care. She has extensive knowledge of adult and paediatric diagnostic audiology, tinnitus counselling, custom earplug fitting and hearing aids. She holds several qualifications, including a Bachelor of Health Sciences and a Masters in Clinical Audiology. She has a passion for lifelong learning and is continually adding to her knowledge base. She is committed to ensuring her patients receive the best possible care, and enjoys working in a supportive and compassionate team environment.

Rediscover Hearing the Joy of Hearing with Your local & WA owned Independent Audiologists. Your local Hearing Aid and Tinnitus Specialists. Combined experience of 38 years.

[plagueoffools]

" DISSECT ME AND BREAK ME OPEN ALL YOU LIKE CAUSE YOU'D FIND MY HEART IS YOURS."

(REQUESTED) MOON! PHOSPHOPHYLLITE/HUMAN! GN! READER

LAND OF THE LUSTROUS

[FLUFF/SLIGHT ANGST] 2.6K WORDS

⸺A/N // Sorry for disappearing for a long period of time. However, I hope you find yourself enjoying this requested piece. I'd like to hear your thoughts and overall on this piece with my new style of writing. //

⸺INFO // Reader is implied as FEM regarding request but never stated. //

Deprived, that is all you've ever known inside of these walls of whites . In the walls of kumera, you wander far and near with a deadening routine. Wake up, dress, eat, travel through the walls of kumera and isolate yourself in your research room unless you're ever requested by someone

Your existence was only made possible by an astonishing lunarian who had revived your species, even though Barbata was no professional in the more biological stems of science than technology he made work and from a small project was able to restore you. A walking ancient relic of the once populated planet, earth. You remembered your awakening just like how someone would reminisce about their vibrant youthful days.

However, your awakening was one far from vibrant. You awoke alone in a room, on something you presumed was an operating table. You remember looking around the room with curious eyes unlike now, a small table with a tray of various tools, multiple disregarded gloves and masks scattered around the disposable bin. Your curious eyes only squinted abruptly at the bright light shone above you when you turned your head up, feeling overwhelmed you took your eyes off of your surroundings and instead let it wander on your body.

Curious hands of yours experiment on your body, the sensations it brought only stimulate your taste for more. Your finger traces against the stitches across your collarbone to your thighs. Your moment was only abruptly interrupted when a cacophony of gasps and shrieks disrupted at the entrance.

Your case was classified as successful. However, only through the slaughter of both gems and admirabilis alike. You almost remind yourself of a Frankenstein, stealing the body parts of others to bear this body of yours. You feel almost guilty for even bearing a form, a body; bones made from the shattered fragments of tormented gems, soft flesh that stretches out on your entire being covering you from toe to head; courtesy of the skinned admirabilis. Lastly, the only thing that you felt that actually belonged to you throughout your whole consciousness; your soul.

You're not sure where the origination of this soul was from, an information, knowledge that Barbata has asked of the others to withhold from you. Perhaps for the better. The surprising thing was, the soul was estimated to have originated way before the era where lunarians, lustrous, and admirabilis emerged from. With this you inherited and discovered knowledge that came with the soul, interestingly for you the soul seemed to be a doctor of some kind that specialised in the human anatomy, with foggy fragments of their daily life.

Currently you now roam the science facilities of kumera, assigned as a scientist yourself. To further help the lunarians to develop in their goal of achieving the serenity of nothingness while aiding in making their daily life more tolerable.

Even though Barbata specialised in the more technological areas of science, you work along side him, specializing in the more biological roots of science.

Now you're hurriedly putting on your coat as you make way in the narrow yet spacious hallways of the building, your striding steps reverberating across the hall with a pitter patter. You were ordered by lady cairngorm, what he currently goes by now, to oversee the damage made to the infamous gem, or usually referred to as the "hope of the lunarians" and repair his fragmented body.

You abruptly halt at the entrance of the designated room with a perplexed expression as lunarians rush in and out of the room, uttering a small 'Excuse me' and 'Sorry!' here and there. Luckily, it didn't last long and when you found an opening to the crowded entrance you quickly slid through with ease. Your eyebrows furrow together as your eyes squint at the sight of the fallen gem. Broken and shattered into unrecognisable pieces, only the part of his head and his leg is discernible from the rest of the disarray of gleaming fragments. You quickly usher out the remaining lunarians and gems alike outside to begin your operation. With a flick of the wrist you ushered out the unwanted eyes of both worried and curious people.

You eventually find your needed tools and you settle yourself beside the pieces of phosphophyllite and began working on organizing him limb to limb before assembling him. As your gloved hands labour swiftly to piece him by piece back together like a puzzle. You carefully coat each surface with layers of an adhesive substance carefully assembling him from inside out. You spend hours assembling his torso and limbs before you move onto his face.

You let out an exaggerated sigh as you sift through a small portable pouch for your appliances.

For some reason you find that your hand lingers above his face for a short while before proceeding the adhesion, you find yourself somewhat aching to caress his face. You have always found the gems beauty incomparable, words couldnt describe them but if you had to you'd call them seraphic. They had glistening lustrous hair, each with an unique colour to match their even more unique personalities, ones that harmonized perfectly with the rest of their body. However, you found that phosphophyllite was clearly composed of other types of minerals aswell. You were actually shocked to find that the only thing that remained from what he started out as, a phosphophyllite, was only his torso. The rest were undeniably pieces of memories from experiences he picked up in his rather bizarre life.

Though most gems found his mismatched compositions odd, you found it all the more endearing. After all, you noted that most of the gems inclusions aren't as flexible as his to fuse so easily like this.You wondered why his inclusions were so adaptable to such a wide variety of minerals, so accepting to fuse with a completely different mineral in order to function. You found it almost poetic but while you were submerged in your thoughts, your hands gleefully took lead of the task at hand. Subconsciously without knowing you trailed at the cracks of his face for some time before being snapped out of your thoughts and continuing the task.

After hours of work, you got up from your chair with a sigh as you stretched your arms and back and was delighted with the response of a crack. You stood up now with your chin resting at the knuckles of your hands while you admire another successful operation, admiring for a bit too long.. but- more importantly, his operation is now done.

You walk out of the room with a satisfied hum as you inform the first lunarian in your sight, that phosphophyllite is now assembled and ready to walk on both legs again but not before a few hours of rest for the adhesive to set in strong.

They respond with a quick nod and a smile as they thank you courteously, you respond back with a nod of your own as you continue travelling back to your research room.

After restless hours of observation, experimentation and groaning at the unwanted results from your new project you recently just started you're startled by a interrupting knock on the door. You answer back with a tired ''come in'. You curiously look at the lunarian who interrupted your project with a knock, explaining that your presence has been requested by phosphophyllite himself.

You're confused at the request but you obediently follow the lunarian leading you to his newfound room where he's rested, on the way there your mind tries to fill in the blanks on why you've been requested.

'Perhaps he's asked for me to get an upgrade?' 'Maybe I've misplaced some parts, I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have..'

'Probably not, logically It must be questions regarding the operation, perhaps he's experiencing a withdrawal?'

You sweat at your doubtful thoughts that you swore had somehow physically manifested because you suddenly feel needles prickling at your skin.

You huff at your thoughts before clearing your head and reprimanding yourself for being so negative. While you were internally scolding yourself, you almost walk into the back of the lunarian leading you, as you halt just right on time and peer from behind her into the room. She utters out something you weren't able to catch as she moves out of your way and stays stationed at the corner of the room instead. The movement seems to catch the attention of the rather dreading gem but he perks up just as quick when he sees you.

You're almost taken aback by the sudden change of mood, as to why his eyes which were so gloomy and solemn turned so curious. You look back to the quiet lunarian and release her of her duty as she's, you assume, no longer needed at the moment. She takes the hint and walks out of the room with no troubles, as your eyes start to leave her disappearing figure you're only slightly startled to meet the gaze of phosphophyllite. With wide eyes and an almost dazed look, he continues looking at you without even an inch of movement.

You awkwardly curl up your hand and cough to catch his attention, only succeeding after 3 tries.

He snaps back and apologizes quickly with a hand rubbing the back of his neck shyly before asking, "I apologize, you should be Dr. [Name] right?" you give a carefree nod as he stares back at you with bewilderment as if he still can't wrap his mind around this situation. "So you're really human? I thought your species was split beyond recovery." he shoots you with one question after another, seemingly just spitting out whatever is running through his head.

"Well, you could say I basically fit all the classifications of a human. However, I wouldnt say I'm all natural." he perks up with a small tilt to gesture for you to continue. You're almost uneased with how immersed he looks but you shake the feeling off and continue " I was artificially made, assembled with the three components the human kind has split into. A soul, bones and flesh."

He doesn't respond after that only silently pondering whatever is going on in his mind.

"Is there any other questions, miss..ter? phosphophyllite." you prolonge the sentence of your formalities, completely unsure of what you're supposed to call him considering gems are genderless. "Miss..ter?" He tilts his head at the name, you've noticed he's been doing that a lot. "What's that?" he questions you with a blank face staring straight ahead at you, you can't help but let out a chuckle at his expression as your hand is lifted up to cover your mouth. He's only furthermore perplexed at your action, his shoulders slightly shrinking down in embarrassment of something; he usually doesn't grow shy to people who have both laughed with him or at him, if anything he's grown quite used to it but he didn't wanna look ridiculous, not Infront of you, no.

He shyly adverts his gaze to other objects in the room and let's out a small confused 'huh?', this only causes you to let out a fit of giggles at his confusion before you force yourself to calm down.

"I apologize that was kind of unprofessional of me. It's nothing to do with you ,just my humour." you quickly apologize for your behaviour with a embarassed look. However he only responds with a small chuckle of his own, "Oh!" he perks up. "Nothing to worry about, I dont mind a laugh here or two." thinking about it, he actually missed the sound of your laughter now. Seeing a person of such high caliber who obviously likes to rather maintain a more serious and professional attitude laugh so freely was relaxing especially in the new environment he's in, surrounded with lunarians who rather go about their day quite robotically.

He adverts his attention back on you, just you. His eyes curiously picks up the texture of your skin, the individual strands of your hair and your own eyes. He thought your eyes could possibly outshine the glow of diamonds entirety himself, contrary to you who didn't pay much to your eyes. The moment of comfortable silence is broken when he speaks up with a tone filled with a twinge of underlying shyness even though he tried to sound confident in his request. "Could I, touch you? I mean, I'm just curious as to how a human feels compared to the rest of us.." he corrects himself with two hands frantically waving Infront of him hoping he didn't make you uncomfortable any how.

You indulge in his curiosities and nod in approval as you walk towards his form, he shifts on the bed he was laid on as he stretches out an arm hesitantly. You roll up the sleeves of your coat as you offer your arm to his hand who only lingers around for a moment as if contemplating before running his aloy arms agaisnt yours.

You slightly shiver at the texture of his hand slowly trailing around your palm, to your wrist, and forearm. You had to admit it felt nice, the feeling of his hard and metallic feeling hands coming in contact with your warm and soft ones. He noted yours was admirably more softer, smoother and warm. He could've sworn the texture of your hand almost reminded him of a strange and comforting touch he felt before. Just hours ago, as he awoke his inclusions managed to remember an unfamiliar touch he never felt before his trip here, almost like a shadowed touch lingering agaisnt his face. He guessed it must've been something that happened while he was unconscious during the operation.

Enthralled, he isn't aware that his own alloy hands are attempting to wrap around your own. You don't say anything to interrupt his entranced state, only curiously staring at his face. His expression is one of a immersed stare as if he's currently working on a puzzle, desperate to search for where the last piece will fit and search he does. He searches the strange touch in your palms, unravelling his alloy hands from yours before gently grabbing your wrist and resting the cheek of his face in your palm. You're startled by the action but you let it sink in and you do nothing to interrupt the moment.

It was you, he figured. It must be you, he corrected. It was your touch his inclusion had remembered when he woke up.

He knew it was awfully wrong of him to bask in your touch without your permission but he's been so starved, so denied of something so small in his whole life. Something so small that ate him inside out and now that your touch has seeped into his cracks, he feels at peace to replace himself with such warmth and softness instead of the usual unfamiliar pieces of others that latch onto his missing limbs heavily.

You'd cut your hand off if it was this pleasure he wanted, you thought. He looked so deprived of such a simple thing and you know how it must've felt for him. Confused, scared, and doubtful. It was just what it was like for you when you awoke aswell, you pondered on how cruelly life has treated phos.

Someone who's still stuck in the past, a past whereas he's still looking at the mirrors that only reflect his past self, refusing to let the future or present seep in. He wishes to demolish that and in order to do that he had demolished himself. Whereas everyone moved on he stood still in the past because he was so wary of a future he couldn't control.

You'd cut your hand off if all he wanted to do was have someone hold him.

He didn't just want your hand however, he'd wanted your warmth and you as a whole. He'd damn himself all again if you ever thought to break pieces of yourself for the sake of others ; just like he once did.

[courtingchaos]

At the End of the World

Kas!Eddie Munson x Fem Reader

A/N: Don’t read too much into this. It struck me late and fast and now we’re here.

Warnings: Blood drinking

18+ NSFW No Minors

Another late night closing with just you and two other employees and all of Hawkins at the doorstep to Melvalds. The deeper fissures in the town still sat open but the government had shown up with all sorts of machines and now things could be delivered again and here you were, at work. At the end of the world.

Your keys jingle against the door and you wave off your coworkers who walk down the sidewalk ahead of you. The lock sticks sometimes and you’re left to struggle until you can yank your key ring free. A curse and a kick at the stack of cardboard you need to toss, you shove your hand into your purse to make sure you didn’t forget your wallet again. The main street stays lit by giant floodlights, the distant sound of road work and construction coming in with the late evening breeze. It’s cold now when the sun sets, October turning the weather and the leaves all the same like the earth hadn’t been split open just 5 months ago. You catch a whiff of a bonfire sprinkled on the back of the wind and for a moment you can pretend that everything is okay, that it’s all normal again.

10 pm and it’s later than anything in town stays open, Melvalds and the grocery store being the exception nowadays. Food and pharmacy to keep everyone afloat and stationary, locked in place by faceless government officials who tell you it’s for your own safety. For everyone’s safety.

You shake your head to clear it though, unwilling to linger on your pessimism any longer tonight. A long day full of half smiles and constant running back and forth to pull apart another pallet of Things Everyone Needs. Your room at your parents house, the one you’d moved back into after everything went to shit, calls to you from the cracked sidewalk and you hustle faster to toss your garbage and get to your car. The water mains have finally been repaired so you know you can actually look forward to a consistent hot shower tonight, can practically feel the beating of the water against your back.

You beeline for the alleyway so you can toss the empty cardboard, no thought given to a darkened path. Hawkins had been under curfew since the feds rolled in and with main street lit up you hadn’t worried about taking out the trash on your own in a while. You have to set the box down to to flip open the lid and that’s when you hear it. A muffled breathing from behind dumpster number two, something wet and ragged, something that makes you still completely. It’s human that’s for sure, heavy and big by the sound of it and you start yelling at yourself silently, cursing your placidity.

You take a single step back when you see a head rock into view near the wheels of the other dumpster. Too dark to make out anything yet, just a mass of hair that hasn’t seen a brush in too long. A rasp of a breath in and weakly, “D-do you work here?”

Frozen in place with your body poised to run, but that voice holds no malice. They stutter on their deep breaths, breaths that sound pained. “Y-yeah.” You don’t relax but you aren’t set to sprint anymore. “Are you okay?”

Neither of you move closer but the figure pulls themselves into view more, a frankly too thin hand wraps around the corner of the dumpster to pull themselves forward and you finally can make out a face covered in grime. Eyes shine in the light that bleeds into the alleyway and he, you can finally tell, looks close to tears. Face pulled into a grimace when he scoots out to sit on questionable concrete.

“I just…I need help.” His other arm hugs his middle where his shirt is torn and your mind goes fast, trying to remember the first aid you’d learned in Girl Scouts a thousand years ago.

“Are you hurt? I can go get someone.” You glance over your shoulder knowing there’s at least a cop or an agent doing rounds at this time. “There’s a patrol-“

That’s your mistake, you’ll own it, turning around for too long. For trusting a stuttering mess. You turn back to face him and are stunned at how quickly he’s standing in front of you, those bright wet eyes boring holes into your head. You’d thought it was the shadows maybe but they really are black, from corner to corner, deep abyss that tracks your jump backwards.

You hadn’t heard him stand or shift or breathe and he’s so god damn close.

“I don’t need a patrol.” His voice sounds like white noise. A tuning to your hearing that makes your ears flex backwards at the sudden foreign noise. You swear you can feel it vibrating against your eardrums and coiling deep inside, words made corporeal to slither into your skull. There’s two voices bouncing between you, a double speak that seems to run cold around your neck. “I just need one of you.”

You couldn’t move if you wanted to. It isn’t fear holding your feet to the stained ground but an invisible grip, ironclad and cold, just like his words. You can move your eyes though and you rake over his appearance and try to keep it in your memory.

Long hair, dark eyes, no shoes, ratty jeans, torn raglan with a devil-

“Eddie?” Barely breathed out, silently uttered. He was dead. Well, at least presumed. You’d seen the flyers his uncle had put up and you’d seen how the town had treated them; crude drawings and torn off of the bulletin boards. “Eddie Munson?” You ask again to the pale face in front of you. Four years of high school seated next to him in drivers ed and home ec and art class. Not friends but acquaintances. You know that face. Even when it splits into a formidable grin you can see the ghost of his warm smile under cracked lips.

“Sort of.” His hands come up slowly to hold your neck, thumbs resting under your chin to tilt your head back. “It’s complicated.”

You expect his hands to tighten around your neck but they remain gentle in their movement, too cold against your skin. Unnaturally cold under your jaw where he starts to turn your head to the side.

“I thought I smelled something familiar around here.” His breath moves over your neck like the cold autumn breeze, carrying the promise of dead things at its end. Your heart beats tirelessly against your ribs and you still can’t move except for when he manipulates you around, his head dipping into the crook of your neck.

Fear should be at the forefront of your mind. You should be screaming and shaking, yelling for the police you know are just outside of the mouth of alley. You should be fighting back at him, fist wailing into his chest to push him back so you can fly out of his grip. However there’s a creeping calm of sorts that weaves through your thoughts. It feels fuzzy almost against your brain and you don’t even flinch when his dry tongue scratches over your skin.

“I do need help.” He keeps a hand pressed to your neck while the other pulls at your work polo, baring your flesh to his mouth. “Thank you.”

You can hear him in that moment, Eddie, not whatever this thing is that’s sinking its teeth into you. It hurts only for a moment, like a prick of a needle, and you can feel your mind going blank. Thoughts slip quick like water over rocks and you catch yourself on his shoulder to stay standing. That invisible force that bound you to the spot has faded as soon he begins to suck and again you should be running but you cling. There’s a peacefulness that comes with absence of thought and worry, enough so that you barely notice him drinking your blood. You barely notice the gore in his hair or the deep scars along his cheek. Your hearing begins to fade to only the single sound of his lips attached to you.

A fade to black for all your senses.

And then you feel it. Black tendrils that sneak into your awareness. They swirl and thrash in their form, long fingers of doom that grow around you. It’s a rushing feeling like a thousand wings brushing by you, pushing air across your face and ruffling your hair.

“Do you hear it?” Eddie whispers against your ear, lips warm and tongue wet where it drags along your lobe. “Monsters in the sky, right under us.” You’ve been lowered at some point, his back resting against the dumpster and you clung to the front of him. “So many they’d blot out the sun.” His hands still hold you but they’re warm now too against your cooling skin. “They’re looking for me.” A drop of something on your nose, something thick that drips onto his filthy shirt. “For us.”

Everything is muffled except for his clear voice. Those black tendrils move steadily along your awareness still, vines creeping in to drag you under into oblivion. Your throat sticks when you swallow and you try to form words before you pass out or die. Eddie’s head tilts in close to your mouth and you can smell the dirt and viscera on him.

“Something’s…around…”

“What is it?” He makes a show of looking around the shadows of the alleyway before letting his eyes drop to your barely open ones. The deep black is gone, replaced again by the familiar brown you know.

“Not here.” You need him to understand. The fingers crawl into your vision now, the few specks of light left that you can see, great red eyes in the middle distance of your mind. “Inside.” A weak motion to your head and you see it dawn on his face.

“You can see him too?” He asks you but doesn’t wait for a response before he digs his teeth into his own wrist. Blood rushes from the corners of his mouth and he shoves the mangled skin at you, your wince doing nothing to get it away from you. He cradles your head now, knees drawn up to help hold you while he feeds you something of himself. The blood pushes past your slack lips, bitter tannin where you expected salt and copper. No fight left in you while the wind rushes in your ears and the dark fist closes over your minds eye.

“I need help.” He intones again when you latch on to his wrist finally. “Will you help me?” No double speak this time, no white noise to warp your thoughts. Eddie asks you for help while you lay in a cold alley on cold concrete and drink from his self inflicted wound. You’ve never been friends, just acquaintances, but the blood is heavy on your tongue. He holds you close and keeps you both hidden in the dark. He sees the same monstrous form you do and there’s fear in those brown eyes, still shining, still wet with tears.

Your senses stop whining like a flicked switch, your hands coming up to grasp more fully at his offered arm. You nod and keep drinking and there’s that smile again, the real one, the warm one. “Thank you.”

It’s silent now except for the sounds of your eating and the rush of leathery wings beating underneath your feet.

[mantis-dea]

Father Giorno x Daughter! Reader - Faux Disappointment

Synopsis- Don Giovanna's daughter has been attempting to deal with assassination attempts all by herself. However, after a near death experience, Giorno exchanges a few words with his daughter.

I think this one I will come back to if I remember. I need to stop writing when I am drinking. Feedback will really be appreciated on this one because I forgot about half the things I wrote in here.

Passione, the largest and most powerful mafia in all of Italy, has faced numerous attempts to overthrow the Don, all of which have failed. Recently, rival factions realized that directly targeting Don Giovanna is futile. Instead, they chose to focus on his biggest weakness – his children.

And that’s what leads to your situation. You’ve chosen not to disclose the threats that have been coming after you to your father. Whenever you recognize someone is trailing you, you would steer them to discreet locations where no other Passione member could eavesdrop on. You’ve taken it upon yourself to handle and learn from these assassinations and kidnapping attempts, believing that it is your duty to be strong enough to neutralize them. After all, you are the supposed next-in line Don of Passione.

However, the last attempt nearly cost you your life. If it wasn’t for your family sensing something was amiss that night and rushing to your aid, you would not be here today.

For the first time in a while, you hazily witnessed your normally level-headed family in a state of hysteria. Your younger brother sobbed uncontrollably as he gazed upon you, sprawled on the ground, barely conscious, with bones protruding from your skin. Your crying mother gently stroked your hair and gave words of reassurance, while your father, cool and collected, worked to repair you using his Stand.

After your father successfully mended your injuries, you remained unconscious for the night. When you awoke, your mother was by your side, holding your hand, sobbing once more. You informed your family that you were fully recovered and felt just fine, prompting your father, as stoic as always, to request a meeting in his office.

So here you sat. In your father’s office. Head resting in the palm of your hand, a frown on your face.

After a brief wait, he finally opens the door to his office. He enters, locking the door behind him. He walks to his chair without making eye contact with you.

He takes his seat behind his desk, fingers interlaced. His eyes are closed, presumably deep in thought about how to address last night’s events. You swallow hard as the atmosphere in the room increasingly becomes unbearable.

“Y/n.”

“Padre.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose, “For how long this has been happening?”

You respond with a shrug, a response that he did not like. His frustration boils over, and he slams his fist onto the desk.

“You know I hate repeating myself,” he states sternly.

You scoff and retort, “There’s no need to worry. I would’ve been fine without you there anyways. It always ends like this, and I always live to tell the tale.”

“Would have been fine? Always live?” Your father repeats, disliking your whole hostile and nonchalant attitude about this.

As you hear your father ramble on about the situation, his voice uncharacteristically trembling with emotion, you notice the tears falling down his face. The Don of Passione, the most feared man in Italy, is crying. Uncomfortable by the unexpected display of emotion, you sit there, nervously fiddling with your thumbs.

“Why?” He implores, voice crackling. “I love you. I can’t bear the thought of anything bad happening to you. So why endanger yourself like this? Why have you distanced yourself from me? Why treat me like this? We used to be so close. You would always ask to join me on my travels. Share everything that’s been going on in your day. I’m struggling to comprehend where it went wrong. Is it me? Am I falling short in some way?”

Tears cascade down your face. Ashamed, your head droops down, and your eyes fixate on your fiddling thumbs.

“No, papa,” you begin, voice mirroring his as you attempt to communicate amongst the weeping. “I guess, no, I know it’s because I’m ashamed of letting you down these past few months. I know I embarrassed you at the last few meetings I’ve attended, and I understand why you’ve been taking GioGio place instead. He’s so much more advanced in his studies, despite being three years younger than me. He’s already at my grade level and continues to excel. And my Stand. I acquired one several months back, but it’s not strong… Unlike the rest of the family.”

You hear your father rising from his seat, and you brace yourself for what might come next. To your surprise, you feel his arms wrapping around you, pulling you into a tight, warm hug.

“You are not a disappointment, and you will never disappoint me,” he states firmly. “The last few conferences that I’ve taken you too were difficult, even for me. You exceeded my expectations, keeping a remarkable composure. I took GioGio to the other three meetings because… the Dons have sons your age.

You sniff, “What?”

He lets out a heavy sigh, resting his head on your shoulder as he explains, “The Dons have sons your age, and I didn’t want you to meet them in person because they’ve been eagerly anticipating your introduction.”

“You don’t want me to date them.”

Your father hesitates for a moment before admitting, “…Yes.”

Your whimpering quickly turns into laughter after hearing your father’s confession. You encase your father with your own hug, squeezing tightly. “Papa,” you say in between giggles, “I am not interested in dating at the moment.”

The tension in the room lax as you continue laughing. You feel your father’s gentle pout on your shoulder before giving you a chaste kiss. He quickly changes the subject to avoid your teasing.

“I am also aware of your Stand. Though, there are Stands that truly are not meant for combat, I believe yours can be. It’s all in the matter of how you use it.” He says with a reassuring tone, emphasizing the potential and versatility of your Stand.

“That’s why I haven’t been telling you about the fights I got into. I’ve been using the fights to discover my Stand’s combat potential.” You explain, your words trailing off as you process what your father has just revealed. “Wait, you knew I had a Stand? When did you find out?”

He chuckles, “It’s hard to miss the irritated look on your face when you could finally hear Sex Pistols.” He gives you a chaste kiss on the forehead, “If you would like, I can assist you with discovering your Stand’s potential.”

“That would be great.” You say, pulling him back so you can look him in the eye. "I'm truly sorry for keeping you in the dark about the dangers I've faced lately. I’ll tell you all about my ventures if you don’t ground me.”

[slayfk]

A Letter From Banner Elk

by Chris Davis

An intro from slayfk: Banner Elk is a small municipality in Avery County, North Carolina. It’s right near Boone, Valle Crucius, and Blowing Rock—that whole area. It’s a cute town that is home to a large amount of elderly retirees and many local shops. Hurricane Helene completely cut Banner Elk off from the rest of the world. Residents have no internet, no power, no way to get out. It is only accessible by air. The bridge that connects it to the rest of the world looks like this now:

Banner Elk is a beautiful town full of kind people and they need help. Chris Davis, a resident of Elk River in Banner Elk, wrote a plea to the outside world and managed to get it through. I will paste it below, as it’s incredibly important to read.

“Inside the Elk River community of Banner Elk, we are stranded. No power, no water. All day Saturday we cut trails through the trees fallen over the roads, in hope small vehicles can move around and we can check on each other.

If we reach the bottom of the mountain, we understand that the bridge over the Elk River is out. We are stranded. But, we do not know how stranded everyone else is.

We need intelligence; status of the outside world. Infrastructure. For instance, it would help to know when roads will be repaired so that help can come.

There are 20 horses at the barn. They probably have water for three days. Horses will drink 10 gallons of water a day. Do the math.

There are elderly people on the mountain. One lady has so many trees to her house we cannot see our way to cut through to check on her.

It seems as if a flood washed out the bottom and a tornado took out everything else.

Some homes have generators. That does not mean people whose generators are running are actually here. I hear them running. It is only a matter of time before fuel runs out.

I am able to connect with you because one neighbor, if he stands in the right place on his deck, has use of a telephone that allowed me to reach my wife.

She connected with my out of town neighbor who has a generator who shared her Wi-Fi password that I can at least come to their house charge batteries and send you this note.

We hear rumors of helicopters coming in to rescue people.

It is probably worse somewhere else. We will continue to try to clear the roads in our community to support one another and be ready for an evacuation.

Obviously, the Mountain communities will need all the help they can get. Immediately and later.

In the meantime, basic facts matter a lot. We just need to know what the situation is so that we can make rational decisions.

I’m only getting bits and pieces of information from other people such as Newland is flooded and the National Guard is there; mud slides block the Eagles nest community from getting out; the road to Boone is washed out…”

An outro from slayfk: This is not a unique story. Towns all across Appalachia and the southeast states are cut off from the world or utterly decimated. Asheville is the most notable, but there’s also Chimney Rock NC, Marshall NC, Junaluska NC, Swannanoa NC, Biltmore Village NC, and more. Entire towns are ruined. People are trapped. People are trapped with no way to escape and they don’t know what’s going to happen to them. People are starving, animals are starving, 600 people are missing and 100 people are dead.

Appalachia is suffering. No one in power cares.

Talk about us. Donate to rescuers and aid funds. Don’t let the government sweep us under the rug again. We are here and we need help.

[egrets-not-regrets]

A Chance (Meeting)

This is about how Lenora (OC) and Erriox (Iron Warrior OC) first met.

She wasn't sure how it happened or what happened. Whether it was by fate, by chance, or by some strange magic warpery, it definitely felt like it was luck that she found him when she did. This strange hulking man lying there with his own blood soaking into the dirt, armor seemingly broken beyond repair, with wounds that would be a guaranteed death sentence for any lesser being.

This was an astartes warrior, a space marine. Lenora knew what he was from having met her neighbor's space marine companion, Mithras, one of the Thousand Sons. But what was this one doing with such serious injuries? She did not hear any sort of conflicts between any warbands recently and there were no drag marks, no footprints; it's as if he just teleported to this place.

Regardless, this space marine would die if he didn't receive medical help soon. How much time does he still have? There was nothing that any normal human first aid can do for him. Her hands shook as she frantically looked up the number for local Astartes emergency medical and rescue services.

"Please work, please work, please work,..." Lenora muttered as she dialed the number.

A voice on the other line responded, "Hello? Astartes Emergency medical services."

The tension in her shoulders relaxed slightly as Lenora explained her situation, "I found a space marine on my property. He's injured really bad." She glanced at the prone body lying at her feet nervously, "His armor is all broken and it looks like he's been shot and beaten. I'm not sure what to do. I don't know how much time he has left."

"Ma'am, thank you for calling. We will get a team ready to retrieve him. Can you tell me which company or legion the marine is part of?"

"I don't know." She didn't delve too deeply into know what legions are in existence, "Parts of his armor have what looks like yellow and black hazard stripes? And the rest is grey? Sorry, that's the best I could do."

"Yellow and black hazard stripes... Hm... You may have an Iron Warrior there. Do you see any strange growths, like horns, claws, extra mouths, etc...?" Lenora's brows raised at that. Horns? Extra mouths? What in the world? She did another once-over at the comatose space marine. "No, he looks pretty normal to me."

The voice hummed in acknowledgement then asked for her address, which she gave, with added detail of where she was located on her property, "Okay, thanks. A team is on their way."

"Thank you. Please hurry."

Lenora settled on the ground beside the space marine and sighed, looking at him worriedly, "They're coming big guy. Hope they come in time."

As she waited, a small beetle started to climb onto the marine's face. She reached over to brush it off, but hesitated. Lenora knew it was dangerous to touch him, she's read and heard stories of their toughness and tenacity, and also how they could still fight like none other and react lightning-fast despite near-death injuries. Curiosity won out though, and she gently brushed the bug off his face before flicking it into the grass. Gaining no reaction, Lenora caressed his cheek gently again, as the distant rumble of the emergency vehicles neared. She murmured,

"You’ve come so far already, just hang on only a little while longer. Survive, and if you do, I hope you can make the most of your second chance. Good luck."

************************

Erriox slowly came to. He raised a hand, recognizing he was in a bed, connected to a multitude of tubes. Where was he? How did he get here? He could hear voices, some speaking in strange tongues, others in his familiar language. The scent of anti-septic, blood, and other chemicals invaded his nostrils. There were no clashing sounds of bolter fire and destruction, no people screaming and crying, no city structures crashing down, none of the heat from the blazing fires. There was no more of that acrid stench coming from the corpses piled in the streets or the overwhelming smell of carnage and blood, except perhaps for his own. It was almost too quiet, too strange. 

The last thing he remembered was getting shot and beaten by his own brothers, and a building crashing down onto him. He had disagreed with his genesire's decision to either have Olympia enact decimation upon its own people, or face extermination and enslavement. In the end, he failed; he failed to convince his brothers, failed to preserve his homeworld and its people.

Then something happened, knocking him out in the process. Erriox had a faint recollection of a gentle touch, a warm hand, and murmured words that felt like a gentle balm to his anguished soul. He was not sure who it was or what was said, but he hung onto the voice desperately, anchoring himself from being swept away into dark thoughts and despair. Erriox vowed to find this voice once he gets out of here. Wherever this place was. 

[allys-corner]

Synopsis: Bucky accidentally hurts you and feels really guilty about it.

Bucky’s arm was freezing cold. Usually, he kept to your left side, therefore, avoiding you having to be near his metal arm (the insecure idiot), but tonight was different. Bucky had been messing with his arm all day. Tony had just done some repairs on it yesterday and it tended to be sore for a couple days after. So, as you guys sat down to watch a movie, you took the left side of the couch. Bucky threw a quick sceptic look your way before throwing himself on your side of the couch.

It was Bucky’s turn to pick the movie and he threw on some new sci-fi. Honestly, you didn’t think you or Bucky were going to last the whole movie. You’d both been throwing in extra hours at work this week and it was finally time for some rest. You knew Buck’s arm was extra painful when it was cold, so you took it upon yourself to warm the arm. Which brings us to the iceberg in the room which was your boyfriend’s arm. Given that your pjs consisted of a tank top and some sweats meant direct contact with the metal, but love meant sacrifices and by golly you were going to help in any way you could. Warming up Bucky’s arm was the price you paid for getting to wake up to this amazing guy every day.

Bucky really had walked into your life when you needed him the most and he had never let you down since. He had been there when your mom got sick and when you lost your dog. He was even there when you went through your DIY décor phase. You don’t know what you’d do without this man. That’s why you hated the way that he viewed himself. You know that he still thinks of himself as undeserving because of all of the things he has done, but he has been working through it with a new therapist that Bruce recommended. This is why you leaning up against his left side didn’t make Bucky flinch the way it used to.

A half hour passes, and Buck’s arm feels nice and warmed up. Now that your task was out of the way, you could finally focus on snuggling into your boyfriend. This is when the exhaustion from the day finally hits. You had been running on fumes and your body was ready to drop at any second. Plus, it didn’t help that it was so comfortable in this pocket of space between Bucky and the pillows. The drone of blasts from the tv begin to fade to white noise.

You couldn’t contain the small yelp you gave out. Bucky was instantly out of his seat looking around before examining you.

“Are you okay?” Buck askes and he grabs your arm and scans it. It’s then that he spots a medium sized welp on your bicep. Now, don’t ever let it be said that Bucky Barnes is stupid because that boy picks up on things pretty quickly. He instantly lets go with his metal hand and backs up a bit.

“Baby, it’s fine. It’s not a big deal. I think the arm just shocked me.” You were trying to be soothing, but damn that had really hurt. Buck knows that look on your face and you see his walls come up quick. It’s been a while since you’ve seen those.

“I’m going to go get the first aid kit,” and before you could get a word in, he was stomping off to the bathroom. While he’s gone you take a moment to examine your right arm. The mark doesn’t look to bad, but it might leave a small bruise. You heave a small sigh. Bucky is going to be fretting over this one for a bit. The hard part was comforting him as Bucky had been trained on avoidance for years. If he didn’t want to deal with something, he knew the best ways to sneak away and hide. The only reason you didn’t chase after him to the bathroom was the sole fact that you knew Bucky would make sure you were taken care of before retreating. That was the best time to strike.

You hear a door hinge creak as Bucky emerges with the kit. He makes his way to the coffee table and sits, all the while, avoiding eye contact with you. As Buck places the opened box on the table, you softly grab his chin.

“Babe, you know you can’t control accidents, right?” you speak tenderly as you turn his face to look at you. He reluctantly locks eyes with you before he bursts with frustration.

“I know I can’t, but this is why I try to keep the arm as far away from you as possible! I can’t stand the thought of you getting hurt because of me or this stupid thing!” Buck retreats back to the medicine to try to calm himself. Bucky hated screaming in general, but especially at you. He didn’t want a relationship like so many he’d seen before. You fearing him more than loving him.

Before he could retreat too far, you unconsciously snag him by his metal wrist. Bucky tries to pull back, but you won’t let him.

“Buck, loving you means loving every part of you. I want to be there at your lowest so I can help pull you up. I know you would do the same for me without hesitation, so why is it different when it’s about you?”

“Because I’ve killed people! With both my hands, but especially my left. The first arm they took off me had dents on it from people trying to beat me off them, and stains from when the Winter Soldier got tired of that. I’m not meant to be coddled and comforted. That’s not what I deserve, and I’ve accepted it, so why can’t you?”

You are shocked to say the least. Not only that Buck feels that terrible, but also that you hadn’t noticed. You wanted to be there to help Bucky in any way you could, but you had been letting him down. It was time to do better.

You pull the metal palm to your lips and gently kiss the cool surface. Then you begin to travel upwards, leaving a trail of kisses behind as you went.

“I don’t see any dents,” you place a kiss on the inside of his elbow, “or stains,” and another two on his bicep. This is as far as you get before Buck rips his arm away.

“What the hell are you doing? Of course, there’s no dents or stains on this one, it’s new.”

“Exactly like you. Just because you used to be dented and stained doesn’t mean you haven’t become something newer and better. I judge you from how you treat me right now, Bucky Barnes, not how you would have treated me 30 years ago.”

Bucky pauses for a minute before looking up at you. The look he gave you was like someone had given him something he had been missing for a long time: hope. That he could be the man that he wanted to be despite his past. It would still take years for Buck to start accepting himself, but you made sure you were there for him every step of the way.

-Hope you liked it :) Feedback is greatly appreciated-

[asena-graywolf]

Bad Weekend

You had planned a weekend for yourself. You woke up dreaming of the weekend with your boyfriend, Nishinoya. First you went to the kitchen to prepare your breakfast. Your smile never left your face as you prepared a plate full of fresh bread, cheese and olives. After preparing your coffee, you spent a pleasant morning watching the sunlight streaming in through the window. Just as you were about to sip your coffee, your phone started ringing. When you saw Nishinoya's name on the screen, you picked it up curiously.

“Good morning, Yuu!” you said cheerfully.

“Y/N, you need to come here now! There is an urgent!” Nishinoya's voice sounded alarmed, and you started to worry.

“What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?” you asked.

“The faucet is leaking! The house is filling with water!” At that moment, even the warmth of the coffee felt like it was slipping away. “Okay, I'll be right there!” you hung up the phone and rushed out of the house.

As you ran to Nishinoya's house, you felt uneasy. You wondered what would happen to her if she thought the faucet was leaking. When you knocked quickly on the door, Nishinoya opened it immediately. She was covered in drops of water and her eyes were shining with panic.

“Y/N, hurry up! We need to fix the faucet!” she yelled. Both of you ran to the kitchen sink. Indeed, water was everywhere. The puddle under the sink had merged with the water spreading everywhere.

“Boo, what should we do?” you asked in a panic.

“First we need to turn off the faucet! Start there!” he said. You quickly turned off the faucet, but the water hadn't stopped flowing. Nishinoya came to your aid, picking up the scattered rags.

“We have to be a bit faster! This place is going to turn into a swamp!” she said, laughing, but you could see her worry.

Suddenly, you were both startled to hear one of the pipes under the faucet burst. Water gushed out uncontrollably, splashing over you. You closed your eyes and Nishinoya started laughing. “I didn't expect that!”

“Neither did I! We need to stop having fun and find a solution to this as soon as possible!” you replied. At that moment you slipped on a cloth that had fallen on the floor and lost your balance, falling on top of Nishinoya. You both started laughing at once. As you looked at each other in the water, you knew you were having a funny moment.

“Okay, this is a disaster, but it's also fun!” said Nishinoya, leaning over you and continuing to smile.

“Yes, but we still have to find a solution before your house floods!” you said, unable to stop smiling. Nishinoya,

“Maybe we need to be a bit more careful!” he said and headed for the sink. “We'll have to work as a team to fix this!”

As they tried to fix the faucet together, the water kept splashing. Nishinoya,

“Maybe we should find a way to dance underwater!” he said, laughing. Both of you started laughing more and more, making light of the funny situation. Finally, you managed to fix the faucet and the water stopped flowing. But there was still a puddle of water all around. Nishinoya,

“Now we have to clean this water,” he said.

“I never wanted to do this, but it might be fun if we do it together,” you replied. You both laughed and started cleaning. Nishinoya wiped up the puddle and you helped her.

After a while, the house started to look tidy. “You know, it was so nice having you with me this morning to help me with the repairs,” Nishinoya said as you cleaned up.

“I love you too, Yuu. Everything is more fun with you.” Nishinoya's face lit up even more.

“And it was great dancing under the water this morning,” she added.

“But I might have gotten a little wet,” you said with a smile.

“That's just our story! We'll remember it,” he said, squeezing her hand.

That morning, the time that passed after the flooding incident would remain an unforgettable memory in his heart. You thought how nice it was to be near Nishinoya, to be filled with her warmth and energy.

As time passed, you and Nishinoya stayed in the kitchen for a while after you finished cleaning, enjoying the morning sunshine. You slowly approached each other and suddenly looked into each other's eyes. It was to be one of the most beautiful moments of your life.

“Y/N, I love you so much,” Nishinoya said, taking another step forward and taking your hand.

“I love you too, Yuu. Every moment with you is special,” you replied. Nishinoya held your hand tighter and leaned closer to you, bowing her head.

You both smiled, savoring the moment. This simple but special moment had strengthened the bond between you. The warmth of that morning came not only from the chaos of the flood, but also from your deep love for each other.

[slutforalastor]

Say It With A Smile, Part 4

(I have been hesitant to preface the actual text of these posts in order to let them speak for themselves, but I have to be clear, this is the point where this fic really enters territory not suitable for minors. There's only so much I can do to prevent that from happening, and it's not as though we're jumping straight into the kama sutra, but I refuse to let it go unsaid that this is not intended for minors. From here onward, it's also fair to say this will have nsft and nsfw stuff going on. With that warning, here's what you've come here for)

------

You don't know much about him, but given the prolonged silence between you two, you're getting the impression that Alastor loves to savor all things. After thanking Niffty for fetching tea for the two of you, he'd taken his time letting it cool, then taken measured sips from his "Oh Deer" mug while surveying the skyline of the Pride Ring from his bird's-eye view. You're holding a mug of tea no fuller than when you'd been handed it, the warmth on your hands helping to ground you after your near-death experience. Maybe "near-second-death experience" was more accurate. And you're frightened, but that's not the only emotion; there's a very present, yet repressed, writhing feeling squirming out from under the stifling weight of self-preservation. The sort of feeling that had an entirely separate section of Hell to help put it into practice.

You wouldn't dream of initiating the conversation. You can only wait for him to collect his thoughts, or become bored of teasing you, or whatever is making him drag out the stifling silence.

"So, little fawn. My sincerest apologies for losing my temper. I can't expect you to just forget what you saw back there. Normally, when I feel that someone could be a problem, I just kill them, but killing you hardly seems appropriate. For both of our sakes, I'd hope that you'll put that exchange out of your mind. I try very, very hard to only kill when someone's really done something to deserve it, and luckily, I don't know you well enough to judge your morality. And you may be in Hell, but that doesn't make you a bad person, does it?"

You hope not.

"Wonderful! You have my word that I will exercise the utmost restraint around you from now on. You have nothing to fear if you simply stay on my good side." He pauses, the area around his eyes darkening, like they've lost some of their luminescence. His voice, however, drips with knowing sultriness. "But you want to be on my good side, don't you?"

You do, yes. Although not only to avoid being killed.

"That goes nicely into the next point of discussion." He turns in his chair so that he's looking directly at you, his eyes finding yours no matter where they may drift. Using his cane as a visual aid, he continues. "These ears aren't the only thing that are perfectly tuned. I also have an excellent nose, much more sensitive than your average sinner's. And dear, you reek of pheromones. Just the sort that I'd normally change the station on, but these times are hardly normal. My body, powerful as it is, needs to repair itself, and it's putting a strain on the rest of me. The kind of strain that makes it... difficult, to control oneself. There's nothing worse than not being in control, wouldn't you agree?"

It might depend, honestly. Controlling one's destiny, or living space, or boundaries, those are good. But sometimes, it can be nice for someone else to take the lead.

He chuckles, but his jovial cadence loses a bit of its luster. "An area where we differ, then. I prefer to never give anyone the upper hand against me. This will not be the exception." He stands from his chair, one hand on the middle of his cane and both arms behind his back as he paces the floor, his back to you, his voice back to its usual springiness. "You're in a very unique position, little fawn. I can tell without even hearing you say it that you're interested in me, and I just so happen to be in need of a plaything, and a way to make sure that you keep my secret. Why don't you and I make a deal?"

You're not sure how interested you are in a Faustian bargain.

"Come now, this isn't a handshake, or a paper to sign. It's a promise; I'll give you the attention you're clearly craving, and in return, you never breathe a word to Charlie or Vaggie, or anyone else, about what you saw. Oh, and there'll be no touching me. But we're both adults here, so you're free to stop me at any time, and I'll be frequent with my asking permission. Seem fair?"

You can feel the heat rising in your cheeks, your heart accelerating all over again. He's not wrong; there's an animal magnetism that keeps you from thinking straight around him. As dangerous as he is, there's an intoxicating idea of him bringing you right to the edge, and then pulling you back. The relinquishing of power, giving yourself over to something that could easily kill you, but caresses you instead. But this feels so sudden.

"Well, I'm not going to lay claim to you tonight, my dear. Where's the fun in dessert before dinner? This is an arrangement we're making that you'll honor when the mood is right. I'll have a special phone placed in your room, and should I have need of your company, I'll send for you. As long as you honor the agreement that we've made, you will have a wonderful time, and that's a guarantee."

And this is something he'll enjoy, as well?

"You must understand, the act in most of its forms does nothing at all for me. Even in the Living World I had no use for it. But this isn't about that; it's about the control. Any fool can grab whatever piece of control they can dig their claws into, but when someone gives it you willingly?" He turns, his smile curled sadistically. "Now that's entertainment."

You feel a shiver run through your body, a nervous excitement gathering in you that you're sure he can sense somehow. He crosses the distance between himself and you, with methodical steps that you know he's enjoying. Inches away from you, he takes your chin in his clawed fingers, the points settling on your skin so gently you can only feel their very edge, an eyelash away from cutting your flesh, perfectly restrained. He forces your face up, making you keep your eyes on him. In his eyes, you see the gaze of someone who's just found a new favorite toy. "We're going to have such fun together, you and I."

----

Also on AO3! | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

[lambwoniee]

God will appreciate your charity.🙏❤️

I am kindly asking your kindness to donate to help my family (23 persons) to survive living.

Thank you and God bless you.❤️🍉

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-restore-a-home-filled-with-memories?

PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE

‼️Even if you can’t donate, please at least share! ‼️

The Sharif family’s gfm is currently at $8398, let’s get it to $9000!

Their story:

The Sharif family are trying to get out of Rafah after the continuous threats from the Israelis to invade it.

Bombing everywhere, killing in all areas every single day. Screams and cries are what they hear when it should be laughter.

A home that housed 23 people, (15 kids) not only was it invaded, trashed and graffitied but bombed.

They have tragically become victims of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, which has left their once beautiful home demolished to rubble, broken glass and ashes.

They are currently displaced. Living in tents, a thin white sheet with little means to survive. Including scarce access to food and water and the ongoing threat of being killed. This has been happening since October 7th.

Everything was lost by them, with lots of the kids acquiring hepatitis due to contaminated/unsafe water during the war. They all have lost lots of weight. Any form of assistance is urgently needed and appreciated by them.

Due to intense and heavy bombardment in the north, where my family is, they are having to relocate constantly and items/food continue to be more expensive, now that no aid is coming through the Rafah crossing.

An entire chicken costs $100 when it’s usually $5-$10 and it’s not found.

This has led my family to need extra funds in order to make ends meet, until they are able to evacuate.

It costs $5,000 per adult and $2500 per child to leave Gaza.

In this home, there were three families with five kids each per couple and two grandparents.

It has been my dream ever since I was younger to have my relatives live near me. They deserve the world and more and it breaks my heart to see them struggling and suffering so much.

We kindly request your valuable assistance during this challenging and painful time, as your acts of kindness and generosity can truly make a difference.

Your support, regardless of its size, will serve as a light in our darkest, most painful hours. It means a lot to us, from the bottom of our hearts.

Thank you for extending your hand in solidarity and compassion. With your support, we can begin the journey towards safety, happiness and repair.

We are so blessed for any amount which will be used to help them leave the war zone safely and rebuild them a home once the war is over. And keep them alive and well. A home that 23 people once lived in. A home I have beautiful and happy memories in, as does the rest.

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference has never tried to fall asleep with a mosquito in the room." Christine Todd Whitman

Please help the Sharif family and share. Anything can and will help.

[melissamasakari]

Confessions you didn`t notice

Chapter nine. Ingall`s mine.

After some time I remembered that stupid dream and realized that it was literally prophetic. Mint, the manager of the construction of the road to Sandrock, came running to me in that morning. He said that while drilling the tunnel earthquakes started, and the Civil Corps team was sent there. I was asked to give an expert assessment of what was happening. Mint told me the details and rushed to catch a Dee-Dee, which conveniently just approached the stop near my house.

Naturally, I grabbed the tools, a large first aid kit, and a repair kit, saddled up Shifter and rushed there as quickly as I could. Concern for friends is the best motivation in such matters. Remy met me at the entrance.

“Arlo ordered that no one be allowed in until he and Sam figure out what’s going on.”

“Mint sent me, he said you need my help.”

“You’ll have to wait; I can’t break Arlo’s order.” The walls of the tunnel began to shake and collapse, and workers ran from inside in panic.

“It’s good that I don’t obey his orders. Let's go.”

A significant part of the ceiling of the new tunnel has collapsed. Piles of stones, dust, dirt and clay. The remaining walls and vaults shook slightly. Are my guys trapped inside? How long will it take to clear the rubble? Can they be saved?

“Can anyone hear me? Arlo, Sam? Is there anyone alive?!” Remy shouted. His voice was filled with concern.

It was quiet for about a minute while the dust settled. Then a rustling sound was heard.

“Hey, DAMN RED BLOCKHEAD, if you don’t get out of there, I’ll dig you up personally, understand?! And you will REALLY regret this,” I screamed with all my might.

A cough was heard from somewhere above, behind the rubble.

“Kid, we are alive. Almost intact. Mint was hit in the head with a stone, but was conscious. Arlo swallowed some dust. Alive, but not in the best shape.”

“How can we help?”

“There is some kind of airlock door in front of us. Possibly part of an old mine. Air comes from there, so we are not going to suffocate. Can you try reaching the door controls from the other side?”

“We will try. What are those scary sounds there?”

“We’ve got company. Hurry up, I won't last long.”

Remy and I rushed towards the desert into the mines. On the way Gale intercepted us, listened to the report, and promised to bring help from the city. There was no time to listen to him, I needed to hurry up!

“Remy, let's ride! Lead the way, I don't know where to go.”

Deep wide shaft. Powerful vaults, smells of dampness and dust. While we were running through this labyrinth of winding tunnels, Remy warned me that mutated people might still live here. He gave me a huge sledgehammer with notches, and we continued to scout the area. Some nasty shell worms inhabited every corner here. I tried out the new weapon and smashed couple of especially fast ones. Not bad. Finally we reached a large hall with lattice gates. We scattered the crowd of worms and made our way into a small nook entangled by hanging bridges. At the top I saw something that was to be a generator.

“Remy, can you give me a hand? I need to get over there. This looks like door controls.”

“You'll need power stones.”

“I took some with me.”

Swinging on the rope, I somehow climbed onto the nearest bridge. I got up the rock and grabbed onto another bridge. Phew. My hands were all covered in cuts, scratches and were bleeding and painful so much that, I’ll probably will not be able to work for a week. But that will be later. Now we need to get the guys out before some local horror eats them up. Okay, here's the generator. It's functional. I launched it.

“Check if anything changed.”

“Yes, something is moving. I can hear it from here. Can you go down?”

I cut the ropes of one of the bridges, grabbed onto what looked like a railing and flew down like on a swing. Scary, but fast. Where do we go now?

“Those doors have opened, let’s run.”

Almost every large round hall had its own generator and a brood of monsters. In one of the halls the Mechanism was especially grandiose, but there was also an appropriate security. A huge fat... man attacked us? This thing was very similar to a regular person, only it was big, and it seemed to be very dumb. We made it through without any problems, but it delayed us quite a bit. I just hoped that this was the right way. Behind the one of the doors we found the remains of worms and... a pink boxing glove? They were here! So, they were able to pass. But the last generator turned out to be faulty. I had to tinker a lot to launch it under the current conditions. It’s good that I took with me everything that I could quickly collect and stuff into my pockets.

“Remy, buy me some time, this repair may take a while!”

“Got it, do what you need to do.”

Focus, Melissa. Think. That's it, this contact is here. Press that wire over there. Power it up, check. No. Change a bit. I really do hope we are not late.

“Pull that lever below!” Another gate went up. Behind it was a steep spiral staircase down. Okay. Sam is distracting a...Robot? Most of all, this thing looked like a bunch of telescopic tube legs with stingers, or should I say fingers? Also intelligent, it seems. Definitely smarter than previous enemies. Mint, with his head bandaged, hid behind the trolley. Reasonable. As I descended, I looked for Arlo in vain. Anxiousity drowned me almost completely just in a blink of the eye. Ah, here he is. He bandages his hand, so he is injured but alive. I grabbed the sledgehammer and rushed to help.

“Melissa, Remy, you are just in time! I thought we were dead.”

“Hold on. We'll tear this thing apart and I'll give you a first aid kit. Sam, how are you?”

“Alright, but tired.”

“Tentacle, from behind!”

“Hit the central drill, it looks like it has controls there.”

“Run up, it's spinning!”

“It’s a pity I don’t have a pickaxe with me. It would be convenient. Remy, get down!”

“Kid, left!”

“Cover me, it’s almost dead. The steam has already started. Take cover, it's exploding!” BANG. The fragments scattered throughout the room.

“Soldiers, roll call! Is everyone safe?”

“Fine. Except for the knee.”

“I was just sprinkled with sand, Cap.”

“Better tell me how are YOU? What medications are needed?” I asked Arlo instead of answering his question.

“Blood halt. A couple of bandages. And water, if you have it.”

“I have a plenty. Do you need assistance with all this stuff?”

“Yeah, please. Sam, check that passage there, it seems like there's a draft from there.”

“Looks like this thing caused the earthquake when we woke it up by our drilling. From now on, we will be more careful when working,” Mint said.

Sam returned and invited us to come with her.

And that's the meeting committee. Mayor and doctor, which was logical. Gust and Albert are fine too – this is their project. But why did they bring Higgins?

“We got out, mostly intact, Xu, please take care of the civilian, I’ll come to you later. The earthquake was caused by a relic AI awakened by drilling.”

“Well done! Everyone is free for today,” Gale said. The people began to disperse. The mayor narrowed his eyes suspiciously, looked at our badly beaten team and continued, “Melissa, you and Arlo look so similar! I noticed it just now. Are you brother and sister, by any chance?”

Wow, what a claim! The redhead turned completely pale. Maybe I should blame the blood loss? Sam giggled nervously. But that's not funny to me at all. We need to find out. Not that I mind having a real older brother, especially one this cool. But I had completely different plans for him!

[rediscoverhearing]

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[agentmarymargaretskitz]

A Great Big Phech-niverse Chapter 3

(Post-S3, Phee isn't a fan of storms with some subtle gross fluff)

AO3

Lightning flashed through the window, followed by a thunderous crack. Tech flinched slightly at the volume, but continued to scroll through the text on his datapad. Storms rarely had an effect on Tech. He had grown up on a planet of water and a near constant forecast of rain. The days where the rain abetted had always been ones he and his brothers had relished. When the sun was out and they weren’t in a training room, Hunter would lead them up to the roof to embrace the pleasant weather. Sometimes, nostalgia compelled Tech to look back at the first recording he ever took of the sun shining down on the Tipoca City and re-embrace the memories of how it felt.

Pabu didn’t experience storms with nearly the same frequency as Kamino, but was currently in the start of its own rainy season. Being an island, the locals took full advantage of the freshwater collection the storms offered. However, flooding was also a risk for some areas of the island and preparations had been undertaken. Tech himself had aided in setting up sandbags for some houses in Lower Pabu earlier that day while Phee had ensured the artifacts in the Archium weren’t at risk for water damage.

Another flash of lightning came and went. The thunder was louder this time. Phee suddenly shouted out from the bedroom. Upon hearing it, Tech cast the datapad to the couch and pulled himself up. She’d elected to take a nap earlier while he pursued studies on child development in preparation for the upcoming life changes. When he’d last checked on her half an hour ago, she was sound asleep.

“Phee?” he called out, his prosthetic foot catching on the rug. The clone stumbled before righting himself and hurrying towards their bedroom. “Phee?”

When he made it, he found the liberator of ancient wonders on the bed, blankets clawed in her grip. Her eyes were shut tightly and her mouth pressed in a thin line.

“Phee?” Tech called, stepping over to the bed. “Is everything okay?”

She heaved a sigh and opened her eyes. “I’m fine. We’re fine. The damn storm just woke me up.”

“It has been a more aggressive one than was predicted,” Tech stated, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress close to her feet. “And I know you are not a fan of storms when they become extremely intense.”

“Yeah,” grumbled Phee, looking less than pleased with herself. “And that thunder scared the pee outta me.”

Tech nodded in understanding. While he wanted to offer the explanation for why that had likely happened, he doubted it would do much to elevate her apparent frustration with herself. “Then it’s fortunate that we did our laundry recently.”

“Oh yeah,” she agreed, scooting off the bed and towards their dresser. “I never like staying on Pabu during storm season.”

Again, Tech nodded. Last year, when they’d first gone through the stretch of rainy months together, Phee had been on edge the entire time. It took a week of torrential rain and hail before she finally disclosed why she rarely stayed on Pabu during times like this. Tech, used to aiding Hunter through episodes of overstimulation during severe storms as cadets, had adopted some techniques to help Phee center herself and keep herself in the present opposed to drowning in the past. Just like she did with him when the nightmares of Eriadu reared their ugly head. In all, it had brought them closer together in their relationship and helped them grow.

“We’ll get your ship repaired soon,” he promised as she changed her clothes. “The new part should be coming on the next supply transport with Echo. Once it’s in, we can go somewhere for an adventure.”

“At least while we still can,” Phee murmured, crawling back to the bed and leaning against the headboard. “Not that I don’t want this new adventure, but-”

“We will still have adventures,” Tech climbed onto the bed to place himself next to her. “Except we’ll be more cautious when we are parents.”

Thunder shook the room. The rain hammered down on the roof.  Tech watched Phee clench her fists and shuffled closer to her. “Phee?”

“Tech.”

“You are on Pabu in our domicile,” he reminded her, placing his palm under her hand. “You are safe. The house is strong.”

“I’m on Pabu,” she said. “I’m at home. We’re both safe. Our house is strong.”

He guided her hand up to her collarbone. She began tapping her finger against it steadily. Tech let her lean against him as she did this. After a few minutes, her hand fell away and her breathing went from forced to natural.

“Maybe I should start joining Crosshair for his beach meditations,” she chuckled light-heartedly, but there was a serious note in her voice. 

“If it will help, then perhaps so,” Tech agreed. “I know you don’t like when that pain comes up for you again. Whatever helps you, I will support you as you support me.”

She hummed against him. “It helps having you close too.”

“Then I will stay for as long as you need.”

[abuganaf5]

O Allaah, guide me among those whom You have guided, pardon me among those whom You have pardoned, turn to me in friendship among those on whom You have turned in friendship, and bless me in what You have bestowed, and save me from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can influence You; and he is not humiliated whom You have befriended, nor is he honoured who is Your enemy. Blessed are You, O Lord, and Exalted. There is no place of safety from You except with You

Ya Allah, We plead steadfastness with You in keeping to Your commands, and firmness of resolution in pursuing the right course. We beg of You gratitude for favour and to be better at serving You. We beg of You a sound heart and a truthful tongue. We beg of You the good of that which only You know and we seek refuge in You from the evil of that which only You know. And we seek Your forgiveness of that iniquity of ours which only You know

Ya Allah, give us sanctuary from Your painful wrath and Your mighty anger!

In the Qur an You called Yourself Ahlu-l-Maghfirah(the Entitled to forgive), Wasi’u-l-Maghfirah(the Vast in Forgiveness), Dhu-l-Maghfirah(Possessor of forgiveness), Ghfiruh-dh-Dhanb(the Forgiver of sin), Qabilu-t-Tawb(the Acceptor of repentance), Khairul-r-Rahimin(the Best of the merciful), Khairul-l-Ghafirin(the Best of forgivers), Dhu-r-Rahmah Wasi’ah(the Possessor of boundless mercy) and Shadidu-l-Adhab(the Severe in punishment). Deliver us through Your mercy from the chastisement of the Fire and the disgrace of shame when the good are set apart from the evil, forms are transformed, terrors terrify, the good-doers are brought near, the evildoers taken far, and every soul is paid in full what it has earned, and they shall not be wronged!

Aamiin.

Ya Allah, we seek intercession from You with You, and we seek sanctuary in You from You! We have come to You craving Your beneficence, desiring Your kindness, seeking water from the deluge of Your graciousness, begging rain from the clouds of Your bounty, requesting Your good pleasure, going straight to Your side, arriving at the watering-place of Your support, seeking exalted good things from Your quarter, reaching for the presence of Your beauty, wanting Your face, knocking at Your door, abasing ourselves before Your mightiness and majesty! So act toward us with the forgiveness and mercy of which You are worthy! Act not toward us with the chastisement and vengeance of which we are worthy!By Thy mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful

Ya Allah, we repair to You by coming forward, and ask from You good support, so bless us, hear our whispered words, grant our supplication, seal not our day with disappointment, slap not our brow by rejecting our requests, and make noble our coming from You and our going back to You! Surely You are not constrained by what we desire, nor incapable of what You are asked! You are powerful over everything, and There is no force and no strength save in You, Ya Allah, the All-high, the All- mighty!

Aamiin.

, Ya Allah, make our hearts trust in what is with You and our concern free for what is Yours, employ us in that in which You employ Your pure friends, drench our hearts with Your obedience when intellects are distracted, and combine within us independence, continence, ease, release, health, plenty, tranquillity, and well being! Make not fail our good deeds through our disobedience that stains them or our private times of worship through the instigations of Your trials! Safeguard our faces from asking from anyone in the world, and drive us far from begging for that which is with the ungodly! Make us not an aid to the wrongdoers, nor their hand and helper in erasing Your Book! Defend us when we know not with a defense through which You protect us! Open toward us the gates of Your repentance, Your mercy, Your clemency, and Your boundless provision! Surely we are of those who beseech You! And complete Your favour toward us all!

Ya Allah, place us among the chosen, the good, join us to the righteous, the pious, the first to reach generous gifts, the swift to come upon good things, the workers of the abiding acts of righteousness, the strivers after elevated degrees! You are powerful over everything and disposed to respond! By Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful!

Aamiin.

, Ya Allah, actualize our expectation from You and You alone, seal our works with good, and place us among Your selected friends, those whom You have set down in the midst of Your Garden, and settled in the abode of Your honour, whose eyes You have gladdened by gazing upon You on the day of meeting You, and whom You have made heirs to the sure stations in Your neighbourhood!

, Ya Allah, appoint for us a hand against him who wrongs us, a tongue against him who disputes with us, and a victory over him who stubbornly resists us! Give us guile against him who schemes against us, power over him who oppresses us, refutation of him who reviles us, and safety from him who threatens us! Grant us success to obey him who points away us straight and follow him who guides us right!

O Allah adorn us with the adornment of the righteous, and clothe us in the ornaments of the godfearing, through spreading justice, restraining rage, quenching the flame of hate, bringing together the people of separation, correcting discord, spreading about good behaviour, covering faults, mildness of temper, lowering the wing, beauty of conduct, gravity of bearing, agreeableness in comportment, precedence in reaching excellence, preferring bounteousness, refraining from condemnation, bestowing bounty on the undeserving, speaking the truth, though it be painful, making little of the good in our words and deeds, though it be much, and making much of the evil in our words and deeds, though it be little! Perfect this for us through lasting obedience, holding fast to the community, and rejecting the people of innovation and those who act in accordance with original opinions!

Aamiin.

, Ya Allah, appoint for us a hand against him who wrongs us, a tongue against him who disputes with us, and a victory over him who stubbornly resists us! Give us guile against him who schemes against us, power over him who oppresses us, refutation of him who reviles us, and safety from him who threatens us! Grant us success to obey him who points away us straight and follow him who guides us right!

Ya Allah, make us leap to You in times of distress, ask from You in needs, and plead to You in misery! Tempt us not to seek help from other than You when we are distressed, to humble ourselves in asking from someone else when we are disadvantaged, or to plead with someone less than You, Ya Khairul-r-Rahimin(the Best of the merciful), when we fear, for then we would deserve Your abandonment, Your withholding, and Your turning away, O Most Merciful of the merciful!

Aamiin.

O Allah, allow us to commence with good; and allow us to conclude with good; and let the outcomes of our affairs reach good. O Allah, we seek your protection from evil commencements and conclusions, and evil beginnings and ends, and internal evils and external. O Allah, do not put between us and You anyone [to be responsible] for our sustenance besides You; and make us the most content of Your creation with You; and the most needy of Your servants for You; and grant us wealth which will not mislead us; and health which will not distract us; and free us from needing those whom You have freed from needing us; and allow our last words to bear witness that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is His messenger, may the blessings of Allah and His salutations be upon him; and grant us death while you are pleased with us without any anger; and make us at the place of resurrection among those who will have no fear upon them nor will they be grieving, through Your Mercy, O Most Merciful of those https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/yahya-ibrahim-4winteraid

O Allah, open for us the treasuries of Your mercy, and grant us, O Allah, mercy that will not torture us after that in this world and the hereafter, and grant us with Your wide bounty a lawful and good sustenance, and do not need us and do not impoverish us to anyone but You, and increase our thanks to You, and to You there is poverty and poverty, and through You from those besides You richness and chastity, O Allah, expand us in the world O Allah, we seek refuge in You from turning your face away from us when we desire You for it, O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and give us what You love, and make it strength for us in what You love, O Most Merciful of the merciful)

Oh Allah, We supplicate that you make easy for us Prayer and grant us unwavering faith and beneficial patience to receive the blessings that we seek. Your bounties, O our Lord. Ameen

#OYHA

#oluyole2023

#ara_is_possible

#inshaallah_الاقصی

O Allah! Indeed, I ask You for steadfastness upon Deen and firmness upon guidance. And I ask You for that which makes Your mercy compulsory and the things that necessitate Your forgiveness. And I ask You for the capacity to be grateful for Your blessings and to worship You in a beautiful manner. And I ask You for a sound heart, a truthful tongue. And I ask You for all goodness that You know of and I seek refuge in You from all evil that You know of and I seek forgiveness from all that You know of. Indeed, it is You who is the Knower of the unseen.

O Allah, We beg to You the good which Your

Prophet Muhammad () begged of You; and We

seek refuge in You from the evl where from Your

Prophet Muhammad () sought refuge. You are

the One from Whom help is sought and Yours is

the responsibility to communicate (the truth).

There is no power or strength except with Allah

the Exalted, the Great. Juma a Mubarak.

"O Allah, our Lord and Lord of everything, I bear

witness that Thou art the Lord alone Who hast no

partner; 0 Allah, Our Lord and Lord of everything.

I bear witness that Muhammad is Thy servant

and Thy apostle; O Allah, our Lord and Lord of

everything, I bear witness that all the servants are

brethren; 0 Allah, our Lord and Lord of everything

make me sincere to Thee, and my family too at

every moment, in this world and in the world

hereafter, O Possessor of Glory and Honour,

listen to me and answer. Allah is incomparably

Great. O Allah, Light of the heavens and of the

earth".

Ya Allah, the Furthest Wish of the hearts of the yearners and Utmost Limit of the hopes of the lovers! We ask from You love for You, love for those who love You, love for every work which will join us to Your nearness, and that You make Yourself more beloved to us than anything other than You and make our love for You lead to Your good pleasure, and our yearning for You protect us against disobeying You! Oblige us by allowing us to gaze upon You, gaze upon us with the eye of affection and tenderness, turn not Your face away from us, and make us the people of h

O Allah! the Lord of the seven heavens and whatever is between them the Lord of the Great throne; the Lord of Jibraeel, Meekaeel and Israfeel; the lord of the Great Quran; and the Lord of Muhammad the seal of the Prophets. I beseech Thee through Him by whose command the gathering is dispersed, and the scattered are gathered; the living are provided subsistence, the number of sand particles is counted, the weight of the mountains (is known) and the quantity of the Ocean water (is comprehended).

Shaddad bin Aus (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

O Allah! I have been obedient to Thee in the matter most beloved to Thee and it is Thy Oneness and I have not been disobedient to Thee in the thing most hated by Thee and that is infidelity. So Forgive me whatever (I may have done) in between these two. O Thou! To whom I run (for protection), afford me safety against that from which I have fled to Thee. O Allah! Forgive me the great quantity of my sins and accept the small quantity of my obedience to Thee. O my provision against all provisions. O my Hope and object of confidence, O my shelter and support. O One, O Singular O (Thou about whom Quran Says) Say: He God is One (Alone), god the needless, He begetteth not, nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him. I beseech Thee by the right of those whom Thou hast chosen from among Thy creatures and did not make anyone like them in Thy creation that Thou send blessings on Muhammad and his descendants and deal with me as behooves Thee

. O Allah! I have beseeched Thee through the great Oneness. The effulgent qualities of Muhammad and the sublime quality of all through all that with which Thou has rendered please before thy creatures and through the name which Thou has concealed from thy creatures so that it has not come out from Thee save towards Thee that Thou send blessings on Muhammad and his descendants and grant me relief and outlet in my affairs, and allow me livelihood from, where I expect and from where I don’t expect. Verily Thou giveth livelihood anyone Thou pleasest without accounting

[sanssouci-sims]

johnny zest is a good man (not clickbait i swear)

I never thought a townie would grow on me (I’ve largely ignored them for the most part), but Johnny Zest did. Let me tell you why!

HE’S GOT A LITTLE GIRL, GUYS. //sniff

What’s that? I’m automatically going to call him a good man just because he had a daughter? Why yes, I am. Sure, it seems bland at face value, but with the magic of ✨ 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔 ✨, I’m going to make it better.

You see, I first heard about Johnny Zest through The Sims Freeplay (basically a mobile Sims game and literally the FIRST Sims game I’ve ever played that introduced me to this stupid franchise to begin with), and honestly? He came off as absolute GARBAGE. In that game, he’s meant to (from what I remember) supervise a whole task line in a neighborhood where you’re supposed to complete a series of tasks to like... repair stuff in houses within that neighborhood? I think???? You have to complete them within a specific time limit though, or else you’ll have to shell out virtual money (or use actual money to buy more of said currency) to like, buy extra time, I think. And he’d give you something like an “extra zesty” grand prize if you completed everything in time.  I don’t know about you, but I mean like any mobile game riddled with micro-transactions, the whole thing is awfully cash-grabby (you know, like the Landgraabs). Plus, he generally just comes off as a creep like a few other Freeplay NPCs.

When I started playing TS4, I found out Johnny would also be in this game as a playable townie. And I groaned.

Like many of my other townies, I would ignore him for the most part. He lived in a trailer, wanted to be a stand-up comedian, and had no relationships with anyone (in addition to being disowned by his own family). He was a loser for all I cared.

One day, when I was looking for a household to play in Oasis Springs, and I found that Johnny had a new little face with him.

Meet Isabelle Zest, and here is how I think she came into Johnny’s life.

As mentioned previously, Johnny Zest had no one in his life. His family had long since cut him off ever since he said he wanted to become a comedian, and his parents refused to provide him any financial support to get him started on his feet. Fortunately, he was able to slowly progress in his career in entertainment to the point where he was able to scrounge enough money to upgrade his housing situation from a trailer to a modest one-story home.

Still, Johnny would always come home at the end of his work day to an empty house. He just wanted someone to share some joy with.  He wasn’t sure how this randomly crossed his mind, but one day, he decided he wanted to just... have a child. Obviously, he wasn’t just going to go start one with a random woman. In fact, he always thought he was very awkward with girls. Instead, he searched online for adoption centers near him that were looking to place children in loving homes. After a while of scrolling, he stumbled across a little girl named Isabelle.

Not only was her picture adorable, but she was described as a quiet but sweet girl who liked to smile and learn about new things. She was also almost nearly deaf and needed to wear hearing aids.  Johnny was intrigued and booked an appointment to visit the adoption center. There, he met Isabelle for the first time!

Johnny was a little nervous at first, but seeing Isabelle smiling at him just being himself tugged at his heartstrings. By the end of his visit, all Isabelle wanted to do was to just follow him around and give him hugs.

After a few more meetings, Johnny decided he wanted to adopt Isabelle. He had to fill out what felt like a multitude of paperwork and scrounge up a lot more money, but after a while, he was finally able to finalize everything and take Isabelle home!

There wasn’t really any time to settle down, however, as Johnny still had to work, obviously. But when he does have free time, he makes sure to spend it with Isabelle. In the meantime, though, when he’s assigned work to complete at home, he usually does it in the dining room where he can watch Isabelle, who will usually play with her toys nearby.

When it’s time for him to work away from home though, Johnny usually sends Isabelle to daycare. Obviously, she’s less than pleased.

Once he comes home, though? It’s all worth it when he gets to see that little smile on her face.

Weekends are what Johnny and Isabelle look forward to the most, as he doesn’t have to work and she gets to spend time with her dad all day long! He’ll often take her somewhere fun, and her favorite places to visit are the local playground and pizzeria.

So yeah, Johnny Zest is a good man. All he wants to do is to bring joy to his little girl’s life, and that’s all that matters.

[brandwhorestarscream]

😢😭🥲

I am totally fine. Nothing to see hear. I don't want everything about this AU while simultaneously unsure if I can handle the sheer devastation of it.

(Laying on the floir crying while a broom pats my back.gif)

...First Aid? 😶

Nyehehehehehehe >:) I'm so glad you asked

Poor, poor little First Aid. Due to Arcee's actions (sneaking out of the base, plunging into 'Con territory alone, making the kid promise not to rat on her), he ends up captured. She's on the ground, paralyzed bt Stungun, and First Aid had opened a ground bridge at her call. He hopped through to try and help, and was almost immediately grabbed my Cons and hauled off

First Aid just barely got a distress call through and it brings Team Magnus running--they manage to get Arcee back but not FA. He's already gone. Ratchet is in hysterics, already fretting about what they'll have to trade for safe return of his sparkling. First Aid is very young, even younger than Bumblebee, probably like 12-14 ish.

Once they're back at the base, Ratchet is immediately trying to track First Aid's life signal at the computer, and they're just in time to see it blink out of existence

It's complete pandemonium, and no one takes it well. Little Aid was a much beloved part of the team. He was like everyone's little brother/nephew, and Ratchet's much beloved son. He's too young to help with combat so he'd always support them in other ways: sitting beside them in medbay while they were recovering, bringing warm energon durjng long shifts, giving soft hugs whenever they needed it. He was a good kid, and now he's gone.

Shock settles over the base and the tension is so thick it could be felt from space. Ratchet hauls Arcee to the medbay, and as he's working on repairing her his hands are shaking. His optics are empty, his EM field reeling.

"...I'm sor-"

"HOW COULD YOU?!" Ratchet promptly explodes on her. "How could you, Arcee?! He was my son, how could you, I HATE YOU-"

She doesn't try to defend herself, just let's him scream it out. By the end he's huffing with exertion, griefstricken tears dripping off his chin, and he tells her to get out of his medbay. He wants to mourn in peace. Everyone does.

The base is near completely silent for an entire week. Hardly anyone says a word, and Arcee doesn't leave her quarters. The guilt weighs heavily on her mind, almost as heavily as the guilt from being unable to stop Tailgate's death in her first life. She doesn't even know him in this life. Funny how that works.

After several days the door to her room suddenlt flies open and Ratchet marches in, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out. Drags her to the medbay, and announces that he's going to train her. "I lost my assistant because of you," he tells her balefully. "You owe me."

And she can't really argue with him. She has small, agile servos. Ultra Magnus has grounded her indefinitely. Learning field medicine would only be a helpful skill. She has no reason nor right to refuse.

They don't have the luxury of medical school, but Ratchet's still a good teacher. Hands on lessons as well as data he's had saved since Cybertron's days of prosperity. It takes several months, but eventually he's confident in her ability to save someone on a battlefield, and firmly believes she could operate if necessary. He officially awards her the title of field tech, and insists she take up the colors. It's an important part of war, being able to recognize medics. She changes out her blue for white, and he paints the medic symbol on her right bicep himself. At the end of it all, Ratchet sighs in relief. Finally, it's over.

The very next morning, Arcee wakes up to banging on her door and distressed screaming. There's Cliffjumper, dragging her out of her berth, Brawn nearby yelling at her to do something.

"You're a medic, aren't you?! You have to help him, do something!"

Ratchet's found gray and cold in his berth, and she has to pronounce him dead on her very first day of being a medic. It was a painless death; he'd hooked himself up to a reverse energon pump, draining his systems as he went to sleep for the last time. With First Aid gone, so was his main reason for living. He wasn't just training Arcee to be extra help in the medbay, she realizes. He was training her to be his replacement. She feels like an idiot for not realizing it sooner.

It makes her all the more determined to fix her mistakes, however. Doubles her efforts to find the Fractal, so she can go back and stop herself from raising her weapons against sparklings.

...

So, now all that's left is the question of what happened to First Aid. Plot twist: he's not dead. Like I mentioned before, Galvatron takes sparkling/youngling protection very, very seriously. It's a top priority of all his soldiers, a prime directive they must all follow: if at any point a child is discovered on a battlefield, they are to immediately take priority. Escorting them away from danger immediately becomes the most important task. The Cons didn't know FA was on earth, and when he was nabbed, they quickly ushered him off world through the space bridge, to one of their sparkling sanctuaries. But because he was so far away, his life signal couldn't be tracked. He's not dead, but the team doesn't know that. He's tucked away in some guarded fortress with other kiddos his age, scared to death and really confused, but he's fine.