#it has decreased in the cities but

[studyblr-perhaps]

27/04/24 || Saturday

The clouds have been extremely beautiful lately (even if there were right after two borderline hurricanes in the last three days) and it's been nice walking in the evening. Reading about B. R. Ambedkar for a course and god...I had been one of the people who complained about "general" students not receiving benefits and seats in colleges/jobs and I seriously did not know the extent to atrocities committed...it's a little shameful to admit how utterly ignorant I had been just a few years ago.

[culmaer]

oooh just realised why I'm so exhausted recently. I always used to have a nap during my commute to and from work (45 mins each way). or check my emails/tumblr. But now that I'm actually driving myself, that's all dead time : can't have a nap, and can't check tumblr, which I now do when I get home meaning I go to bed a bit later. but I won't catch up with a nap the next morning because driving. and it's all a vicious horrendous greenhouse-gas-emitting cycle

[doctormead]

DP x DC prompt: Beekeeper Danny

Ooookay, Danny has moved to Gotham for <insert reason here> and is faced with a problem. Yes, Gotham has higher levels of ambient ectoplasm than your average city, but it's nowhere near those of Amity Park who has a goddamn artificial hell mouth smack in the center of it. Also, the ectoplasm which IS there is contaminated with some nasty shit that makes Danny feel ill when he takes too much of it in. Having his friends back in Amity Park ship him flasks of pure ecto on the sly is difficult to say the least, so he starts thinking about ways to both concentrate and purify Gotham's ecto so he's not one shipment interruption from being in really bad shape.

He get's his solution from Sam. On his bi-weekly video call with her and Tucker, she gets to ranting about bee conservation. Tucker makes a joking comment about honey being basically bee vomit, and Sam tears into him saying "That is a gross oversimplification at best and outright bee-slander at worst!" This perks Danny's curiosity, so he looks up the biological process by which bees turn nectar into honey...and he's found his answer. Blob ghosts are basically the filter feeders of the Ghost Zone/Infinite Realms. If he can get a bunch of them to behave kinda like honey bees, his ecto supply should be assured.

It works...a bit too well...

Now Danny has a swarm of glowing green honey bees that are roughly the size of carpenter bees buzzing happily about him. Their queen is roughly the size of a large hummingbird. He heaves a weary sigh and starts looking up how to ACTUALLY keep bees and making skips out of ghost-friendly material for them to build their hive in on top of his apartment building.

But, won't Danny get complaints from his neighbors? Here's the kicker. Unless you are a 1) ghost, 2) halfa, 3) wearing specialized Fenton Ecto-Visual Goggles or 4) a mage, you cannot see, hear or feel the bees! They're buzzing around Gotham happily, slurping up the ecto to take back to the hive for processing. And they slurp it up from EVERYWHERE...including certain people.

Jason Todd is slightly confused but not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Over the last few months, the Pit Rage has been decreasing gradually. He doesn't think much about it until he shows up at the BatCave for an all hands meeting that has been called because John Constantine needed to brief them on something...only for Con-job to take one look at Red Hood and shout that he's "COVERED IN FUCKING BEES!!!"

[reasonsforhope]

Article | Paywall-Free

"The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule Tuesday [October 8, 2024] requiring water utilities to replace all lead pipes within a decade, a move aimed at eliminating a toxic threat that continues to affect tens of thousands of American children each year.

The move, which also tightens the amount of lead allowed in the nation’s drinking water, comes nearly 40 years after Congress determined that lead pipes posed a serious risk to public health and banned them in new construction.

Research has shown that lead, a toxic contaminant that seeps from pipes into the drinking water supply, can cause irreversible developmental delays, difficulty learning and behavioral problems among children. In adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead exposure can cause increased blood pressure, heart disease, decreased kidney function and cancer.

But replacing the lead pipes that deliver water to millions of U.S. homes will cost tens of billions of dollars, and the push to eradicate them only gathered momentum after a water crisis in Flint, Mich., a decade ago exposed the extent to which children remain vulnerable to lead poisoning through tap water...

The groundbreaking regulation, called the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, will establish a national inventory of lead service lines and require that utilities take more aggressive action to remove lead pipes on homeowners’ private property. It also lowers the level of lead contamination that will trigger government enforcement from 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb.

The rule also establishes the first-ever national requirement to test for lead in schools that rely on water from public utilities. It mandates thatwater systems screen all elementary and child-care facilities, where those who are the most vulnerable to lead’s effects — young children — are enrolled, and that they offer testing to middle and high schools.

The White House estimates that more than 9 million homes across the country are still supplied by lead pipelines, which are the leading source of lead contamination through drinking water. The EPA has projected that replacing all of them could cost at least $45 billion.

Lead pipes were initially installed in cities decades ago because they were cheaper and more malleable, but the heavy metal can wear down and corrode over time. President Joe Biden has made replacing them one of his top environmental priorities, securing $15 billion to give states over five years through the bipartisan infrastructure law and vowing to rid the country of lead pipes by 2031. The administration has spent $9 billion so far — enough to replace up to 1.7 million lead pipes, the administration said.

On Tuesday, the administration said it was providing an additional $2.6 billion in funding for pipe replacement. Over 367,000 lead pipes have been replaced nationwide since Biden took office, according to White House officials, affecting nearly 1 million people...

Environmental advocates said that former president Donald Trump, who issued much more modest revisions to the lead and copper rule just days before Biden took office, would have a hard time reversing the new standards.

Erik Olson, the senior strategic director for health at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said that the Safe Drinking Water Act has provisions prohibiting weakening the health protections of existing standards...

Olson added that the rule “represents a major victory for public health” and will protect millions of people “whose health is threatened every time they fill a glass from the kitchen sink contaminated by lead.”

“While the rule is imperfect and we still have more to do, this is by far the biggest step towards eliminating lead in tap water in over three decades,” he said."

-via The Washington Post, October 8, 2024

[lilislegacy]

i feel like percy is the person that people bring with them when they need to go somewhere or do something potentially dangerous. or more realistically, he’s the one who people’s loved ones tell them to take with. it just makes people feel better knowing percy is there. you know what i mean?

sally has a meeting with someone who sounds a bit weird (and paul can’t go)? paul tells her to bring percy.

paul needs to go to a really sketchy part of town? sally asks him to bring percy

piper got a weird anonymous note and needs to go meet them at a location? annabeth tells her to bring percy

leo has to go get some magic machine part from a really shady dealer? piper tells him to bring percy

frank has to go on an unofficial quest to investigate some shady legion history, and hazel has to stay with camp? hazel tells him to bring percy

and it’s NOT because any of these people can’t take care of themselves. they are all strong and brave and badass, and can handle anything. but for one, percy is intimidating as hell. his “wolf stare” sends literal gangs running the other way. you can avoid conflict before it even happens, because no one is messing with percy. and second, percy just makes you feel safe. his presence is comforting. not only has he been through all the demigod-hero-world-saving shit, and is powerful as hell, but he also grew up in new york city. he can handle pretty much any situation. plus he’s super sweet and funny, and you can always count on him to make you laugh and decrease your anxiety. and he’s always got your back. he takes care of the people he loves.

he’s just the best company. for so many reasons.

when in doubt, bring percy

[greenglowinspooks]

To be honest. DCxDP where the reason Danny meets the bats is Ace the Bat-hound

Like, just think about it for a second. Danny is in Gotham for college, or maybe he just moved out to find a city where having mad scientist parents isn’t actually that unusual.

He can see ghosts.

The ghosts know this.

Now he’s getting harassed left and right by spirits trying to get closure. Fine, whatever, most of them are a one-and-done type deal, and the amount of ghosts trying to get his help steadily decreases.

Except for this one very stubborn dog.

It just keeps showing up and leading him to crime scenes! He doesn’t know how many “anonymous tips” he can call in to the cops before they trace his phone! And this dog, this incredibly good boy, will not stop trying to help the city. He’s never met anyone with such a strong sense of justice, let alone a dog. Can dogs even have a moral compass?

And so Danny just accepts the fact that Ace isn’t going anywhere and becomes his reluctant sidekick/dedicated medium. He leans into the whole thing, dressing up in a mix of traditional magic-user attire and accessories that pay homage to the ghost dog.

He becomes somewhat well known. The psychopomp detective following around the shadowy figure of a German Shepard? That’s unusual! That’s weird! I mean, it’s not the weirdest thing in Gotham, sure, but he’s a new vigilante and he’s got a ghost dog that people can only see when it’s around him. Someone’s gonna notice.

Damian, as Robin, is the first to reach out to him.

Ace doesn’t know Damian but he does know a Robin, and while this isn’t his Robin, he’s still friendlier than usual. Danny’s panicking because oh god the bats are here and also is this kid gonna steal my ghost dog, Damian is absolutely delighted by Ace, and Ace is just happy to see a Robin again.

Damian decides that the psychopomp isn’t a danger to anyone, and there’s no reason to put this encounter into his reports, really, and perhaps Danny can help with some of his cases in the future.

Danny is sweating bullets because Damian basically tells him that he’ll keep him secret as long as he gets to play with Ace. Ace is happy that he’s finally getting some bat affiliated crime-fighting assistance.

And so, Danny is now both Ace AND Damian’s reluctant assistant. At least whenever he’s in trouble, he can always call a middle schooler to help him.

(Is Robin even in school? He’s out patrolling damn near every night, and he stays out late as hell. Does he have a bedtime? He should.)

Eventually it gets to the point where Damian is going over to Danny’s house. When he first sees it, he has a damn bitch you live like this moment, to which Danny responds that not everyone has the money to afford a nice place. Damian counters that he could at least take the time to clean up, and Danny replies that he’s working, going to school, and being a vigilante assistant to a ghost dog, something’s got to give.

Danny nearly has a heart attack when he checks his bank account the next day and sees that someone transferred him 10,000 dollars.

And so they get into a routine. Danny and Damian fight crime with Ace at night, and occasionally Damian stops by during the day to play with Ace and have Danny help with his homework.

(Damian is smart enough to do it on his own, but some of the instructions are written incredibly confusingly, and he would never admit to needing help to his family. Danny is just glad that the kid is in school and cares about his education, blissfully unaware that he’s basically emotionally adopted him.)

Damian is used to being in Danny’s company.

Eventually, when going over a case with the family, Damian absentmindedly remarks that he’ll have to ask Danny about some of the clues that they might be missing. Nightwing asks who he means and Damian makes a face like he just swallowed a lemon.

Cue shitstorm.

Who is “Danny?” Why is Damian willing to ask for help from anyone, much less someone outside of the family? Does he know who Damian is? Has Damian been compromised? What the hell is going on?

Damian now has to explain that Danny is the psychopomp with the ghost dog who he might have met hunted down while on patrol and conveniently not mentioned, but he’s not a bad person, really, and he lets him play with Ace, and he’s been quite helpful on certain cases due to his ability to talk to ghosts.

Bruce insists that the family meet Danny. Damian, hoping that he won’t just skip town the second he hears the news, relents.

Danny is surprisingly eager to meet the bats, considering his earlier fears.

Damian, blissfully unaware of what’s coming, sets a time and place to meet.

Once everyone is there, he gives Bruce the earful of a lifetime.

Robin is in middle school! Danny knows that there’s no way to stop the boy from going on patrol, but you could at least shift his schedule so he gets enough sleep on school nights! Does the Bat even know where he is half the time?! (No) And why isn’t he comfortable asking his family for help with both cases and homework? Did they ever even notice how much time he was spending at Danny’s house? If Danny was a bad person, he could have seriously hurt the poor boy! Shame on you!

Nightwing is mortified that Damian didn’t trust him enough to tell him about any of this. Red Hood is laughing his ass off, because yeah Danny is making good points but he’s also chewing out the literal Batman. Tim is recording the whole thing. Steph is delighted by the absolute gall of this Danger Twink™️, and already planning to add him to several groupchats. Damian is more embarrassed than he’s ever been in his entire life.

You, he points to Nightwing, did your academic life feel supported when you were a Robin? Nightwing is too stunned to speak. Red Hood, eternal shit-stirrer, says that oh, we all prioritized patrol over our education, that’s just how it is. Red Robin actually dropped out of high school to avoid distractions, did you know that?

Danny honest-to-god shrieks at this.

He finishes his angry rant and leaves, everyone too stunned to stop him.

And as it turns out, Tim wasn’t the only person recording the whole thing.

The entire internet is blowing up with Psychopomp The Danger Twink™️’s rant. People are taking sides. Things are getting messy. Red Hood literally admitting on-camera to previously being a Robin is somehow not the main focus here.

Eventually someone connects some dots from the video, as well as stories circling the internet about the psychopomp. A ghost dog named Ace, who is the literal only reason that the psychopomp is fighting crime at all, which seems incredibly fond of Nightwing and Robin.

A crime-fighting dog who wants constant attention from both the current and original Robin.

Oh my god, Ace the Bat-hound died and became a crime-fighting ghost.

And, somehow, that’s still not the strangest thing going on in Gotham.

[really-fanny-longbottom]

only in my dreams

summary: love has two sides. it can be pure, beautiful, and exciting, but it can also be lonely, painful, and the worst of all — unrequited.

warnings: mentions of heartbreak, unrequited love, alcohol, death and a curse word.

pairings: azriel x reader

words: 3.4k

you should have stayed at home.

you knew you shouldn't have come.  

you knew it was a bad idea from the moment you walked through the threshold of the balcony of the house of wind.

it was sad to know that this house used to be your safe haven — a place where you were happy and felt safe, where you could be yourself. 

but now it makes you want to leave as quickly as possible and never come back.

because that was the only solution to not having to see the scene that was unfolding in front of your eyes. 

your eyes — the same ones that used to contain love and happiness, were now sad and empty.

the same ones who used to shine with excitement every time you entered a room looked now absent — as if something had sucked away their vitality and left nothing behind.

even your kind and warm smiles had started to appear less frequently until they disappeared completely.

that's how you looked now — no sparkles in your eyes and no smile on your face as you moved the food on your plate with a fork from side to side.

you stopped listening to the conversation a long time ago. 

it was another dinner night with the inner circle at the house of wind. you were sitting between rhys, who was at the head of the table on your right side, and nesta on your left side.

you were trying everything to keep your eyes on your plate so you didn't have to watch elain being courted by azriel — the owner of your heart and the reason it was breaking little more day by day.

he wasn't to blame and you didn't blame him for his feelings towards the middle archeron sister, afterall, no one has the power to choose who they like or love — but it didn't make it any less painful.

pain — you were feeling it a lot now.  

every time elain laughed at something azriel whispered to her made it hurt even more.  

your power wasn't helping you at all right now.  

Being an empath had its advantages — it allowed you to feel and understand the emotions and feelings of others and increase and decrease their intensity. it also allowed you to know when someone is lying or telling the truth and to control and manipulate them, despite not using the last two (unless it was necessary) because you believe it to be incorrect.

but the thing most people didn't know about being an empath is that it affects your emotions and feelings, too.

it makes you feel everything more intensely — meaning that you felt everything ten times more than everyone else.

a good joke that made others laugh until their stomachs hurt — made you cry with laughter. 

simple things that made others happy — made you jump with joy.

and when others felt passion — you felt love. 

you loved with more strength and intensity than everyone, but you also suffered in the same way.

and when you suffer, it's like your light has been turned off.

a hand on your knee took you out of your thoughts — nesta.  

she was the only reason you were here — literally, she dragged you from the library when you told her you wouldn't be joining them for dinner.

the older archeron sister had become one of your favorite people. 

nesta was the one who had the most difficult time in adjusting and accepting this new life, so instead of ignoring her as some did, you decided to be the first to extend your hand to her.

it all started with your mutual interest in books. it started with book recommendations, then exchanges and finally reading them together.

by the time you noticed, you were training together, sharing meals, and adventuring in the city.

your friendship was not easy — nesta made sure of that.  

at first, she tried to push you away with cold stares and nasty comments, but you knew better than anyone that it was nothing but a defense mechanism.

you knew that when she said she was better off alone, she really just wanted someone to hug her.

so, knowing better than anyone, you fought for her.  

you ignored the cold stares and faced her nasty comments, and when she tried to push you away, you stood your ground and didn't let her.  

little by little, she let you in, and you got to know her — the real nesta.  

over time, the staring stopped, the comments disappeared, and instead of trying to push you away, she started looking for your company.

your friendship turned into a sisterhood, and now, Nesta would fight for you just as much as you fought for her. 

your sisterhood grew, and short after that, you were welcoming emerie and gwyn — your girls.

quickly, a friendship was formed between the four of you, and there was no one you trusted more than each other.  

they told everything about themselves, their past, their fears, and even their secrets.

so, you did the same — except your feelings for the shadowsinger, nesta was the only one who knew about that.

you joined the inner circle one hundred and fifty years ago when you moved to velaris to live with your great-aunt madja.

despite being an empath, you also inherited a natural talent for healing just like your aunt.

that's how you met rhysand and his family.

there was an enemy attack in windhaven with several fatalities and many injured illyrians, which required all the healers who worked at the clinic, including you and madja, to be winnowed there by morrigan.

as soon as you arrived, it was total chaos. the soldiers who were not injured, and even some who were, did not stop running from one side to the other, nor did they stop shouting or grabbing weapons and demanding to go after those who fled making it impossible for the healers to help. 

the enemy had already been defeated before your arrival, so you were not in danger and for that reason, you did not hesitate to use your powers.

you made your way so you could stand right in the middle of the soldiers. 

you raised your arms to the sides and closed your eyes, and with a little bit of focus you let the soldiers' emotions start to invade you from head to toe.

then with a long sigh, you took control of their emotions and released your power.

the soldiers immediately stopped in their places and went limp before starting to fall to the ground unconscious.

you put them to sleep.

it was the only safe way for the healers to be able to do their work even though you didn't like having this kind of control over someone.

the only ones who were not affected were the high lord, his brothers, and his cousin.

their eyes were fixed on you, who remained standing among the sleeping soldiers.

and when they turned to you for an explanation of what had just happened, they were even more shocked when you revealed to them what you were and what you had just done.

they had never met anyone with that kind of power, and so they were having a little trouble getting their faces back to an expression of neutrality.

impressed wasn't enough to describe how they were feeling at that very moment.

qs a thanks, rhysand offered you a position in his inner circle. after some hesitation and several lectures from madja about how it would be a bad idea (and lack of education) to refuse such an offer, you accepted.

moving to the house of wind, you established friendships with all the members, but azriel was the one you became closest to.  

you became best friends over time, and before you could stop your heart, you fell in love with him.  

even when he was already in love with mor.

despite knowing about his affections towards the blonde female, it hadn't hurt as much as it does now because azriel had never acted on his feelings for her.

but you decided to wait. you believed that one day the mother would smile upon you, and she would grant you the wish you carried in your heart every day.

therefore, during that time, you were content to love him from afar — and in the shadows.

you thought that day had finally arrived after noticing the change in azriel's behavior towards mor after the arrival of the archeron sisters.  

you couldn't be more wrong.

you couldn't help but find this whole situation ironic. after decades of seeing azriel in love with mor and hoping that one day he would notice you, he was now courting elain.

the archeron sisters came into your life and turned everything upside down. you were grateful that feyre and nesta's path led them to you, but you couldn't feel the same way about elain.

before you could wander in your thoughts even more, nesta squeezed your knee, getting your attention again. 

you looked at your best friend and noticed the worry on her face, so putting your hand on top of hers, you murmured to her a small "i'm okay" and gave her a small smile. 

"are you sure?" she murmured too, so no else could hear it. 

you nodded your head at her and returned your attention to your plate.

rhys' voice made you look up, and you regretted it immediately because in that exact moment, you saw azriel and elain's hands intertwined on the top of the table.

you shook your head and looked at your high lord — who had become a very good friend of yours.

"are our plans at rita's still on for tomorrow night?" rhys asked. 

everyone — but you — said their agreements before azriel spoke, "actually, elain and i have plans for tomorrow night." 

your breathing got caught on your throat, and nesta's hand flew immediately to yours, grabbing it gently.

it was Feyre who asked, "where are you going?" you could've sworn there was a hint of surprise in her voice.

"to the new restaurant that just opened by the rainbow. it's supposed to be very good," elain's eyes moved from her younger sister to the male sitting next to her, "so we decided to try it." 

cassian cleared his throat, and he looked in your direction before looking at the people in front of him. "it's that a date? are you going on a date?"

azriel chuckled and squeezed elain's hand. "i guess we can call it that." 

you stood up abruptly, attracting everyone's eyes, "sorry. i just remembered that madja needs my assistance to visit a patient tomorrow, and i forgot to prepare the medical bag." 

you excused yourself before leaving the dining room and making your way towards the stairs. 

you heard cassian and nesta calling your name, but you didn't bother to turn as you started to descend the ten thousand steps.

through your power, you were able to realize that no one — with the exception of your best friend and her mate — noticed your lie. 

Just as they didn't notice the tears that filled your eyes as soon as you turned your back on them and left the room.

••• 

you went to your aunt's house.  

the last thing madja expected to find at her door at that time of night was her niece with red eyes and tears running freely down her cheeks.

she barely let you walk in before she wrapped your figure into a tight embrace. 

she had noticed the change in your mood recently but decided not to comment because she knew very well that as soon as you were ready to talk, you would tell her everything.

and that's what you did.

you told her everything as you both rested on her pink couch with your head in her lap while she caressed your hair, listening to your words attentively.

you ended up falling asleep with your cheeks stained from the tears, and madja didn't dare to move. she refused to awake you from your peaceful slumber.

she bent down to kiss your head, and when she raised again, she saw a piece of parchment on the top of the table next to the couch, reaching for it.

it was rhysand asking where you were. 

madja answered for you, saying that you were with her and spending the night at her house. 

it didn't take long until your aunt joined you into your slumber.

- 

the following night, you made your way towards the House after a hard day at the clinic. 

the day got worse when the patient you went to see at his residence didn't make it.

sometimes, you hate your job, especially because of your powers. when things got too much for you to handle, you had to put a shield around you to prevent you from feeling your patients worries or pains.

the patient you visited was heavily sick. it was too late to do anything medical, so you did the only thing you could.

you used your powers. let his emotions invade you, and then, with a long sigh, you took away his pain and transferred it to you.

that was the only thing you could do for him at that moment, and you are more than relieved that you were able to provide him comfort while he left this world, making his passing easier for him and his family.

you climbed the ten thousand steps, but it didn't even bother you. you were too busy thinking about your patient and whether his family would be okay.

you made a mental note to visit them the next day and help where you could.

you pushed these thoughts away as you opened the door and entered the House.

all you needed right now was to be with your friends and forget about this awful day.

when you walked into the living room, you remembered that everyone went to rita's.

well, everyone, but you, azriel, and elain. the two of them were on their date tonight. 

and like a snap of a finger, all your emotions and feelings from the last few months and days came flooding back.  

your eyes fell on rhys's expensive drinks cart.  

you wiped your tears and everything you felt turned into anger.  

"fuck it."

you went to the cart, grabbed the first bottle that was in your reach, removed the cork and drank, sinking the drink down your throat and your sorrows with it.

- 

three hours later, cassian, nesta, rhys and feyre finally arrived at the house.

amren had departed to her apartment after they left rita's and mor stayed behind saying that her night wasn't over yet.

the two couples had come talking about you on the way. they had waited for you but when you didn't show up, they assumed you were with madja or still at the clinic.

rhys had sent a letter to madja a few minutes ago asking for you and when your aunt said she was looking for you too, they left hoping to find you here.

they just didn't expect the state they were going to find you.

as soon as they passed the threshold of the balcony and into the living room, they saw you.

you were laying on the couch with your legs off of it, an empty bottle was in your hand, and another on the floor by your feet.

"oh my god," the high lady whispered.

cassian moved and kneeled next to you by the couch. his hand made its way to your arm and tried to awake you.

"y/n." he shook you lightly.

after a few seconds, you opened your eyes and were faced with the General looking at you.

"cass," you said with your voice dragging, "you're here." you moved to sit and wrapped him into a hug, one that he didn't hesitate to reciprocate.

"are you alright, sweetheart?" he asked you while caressing your back.

"i am now that you're all here," you released a breath. "my dear friends", you looked at your other three friends who were looking at you with concern. "you're so beautiful. all of you. did you know that?" you giggled.

it was rare for you to drink and when you did, you never got drunk.

nesta sat down next to you and put an arm around your shoulders. you took the opportunity to rest your head on her shoulder, finding comfort in your friend's embrace.

"what happened, y/n?" she asked you.

You started laughing before replying with irony in your voice "what didn't happen?" 

you pushed away from her and stood so you could face all your friends "my patient died. the male I've been in love with for decades won't even look at me and this house that used to be my safe haven, it's now the stage of my pain."

"hh! not to mention that elain is mated but does she care? no! does azriel care? of course not. i've been in love with him for decades. decades! and he doesn't even look at me." you started laughing, "by the cauldron, u'm pathetic."

your family didn't seem surprised by your revelation.

cassian pulled you into a tight hug and rhys and nesta moved to do the same.

if it weren't for this situation everyone would've thought that the world was about to end from seeing rhys and nesta hugging each other.

morrigan arrived in the moment you were in the middle of your friends with tears in your eyes.

"what's going on?" mor whispered to feyre who was still in the same spot since she arrived.

feyre explained everything and by the moment she finished, both females had tears in her eyes at the sight of her friend being hurt.

"what's wrong with me?" you asked them, your voice breaking.

"nothing is wrong with you. nothing." that wasn't your friend speaking — it was your high lord.

feyre and morrigan joined the hug in the moment you said, "i'm never going to be good enough for him. i'll never be her." 

tears rolled down feyre and mor faces, and both females were asking the same question in their minds "how long has she been feeling like this?"

your high lady spoke this time, "y/n, what can we do? what do you need?"

you hugged cassian tighter before locking eyes with nesta "i just need my girls."

nesta nodded her head at you and looked at the blonde female "can you take us?" 

mor didn't hesitate in agreeing. 

anything to make you feel better.

•••

two hours later, you were in the middle of the bed with nesta and gwyn on one side and emerie on the other, all of them with their arms around you.

the three of them had fallen asleep a few minutes ago after one hour of you telling them everything about azriel and a lot of cups of tea and tissues.

you thought they would've been mad at you but they didn't. 

they reassured you several times that it was okay and that you could take all the time in the world until you were ready after you tried to apologize too many times.

now you were staring at the ceiling thinking about your options.

you couldn't live like this anymore, knowing that azriel would never love you back. 

so you were going to do the only thing you could in order to protect what was left of your heart.

there was something about your powers that no one knew. something that you never had shared.

you had a switch.  

one that you could turn on and off whenever and wherever you wanted.  

in the same way that you could feel everything, you could also feel nothing.

the only problem? everything that made you, you, would disappear.

but it was also your solution to your situation.

you closed your eyes and gave a deep breath.

you focused on your breathing for a minute and then. . .

no more emotions.

no more feelings.

no more love.

no more sadness.

no more pain.

no more tears.

you turned it off.

when you opened your eyes again, you were numb.

you didn't feel a single thing. 

good.

a/n: Thank you for reading!

[masterlist]

general taglist: @emryb @fantasyandshit @azrielover @shadowsingercassia @brieflyclassymortal @lilah-asteria @lure-of-writing @pruvii @olive-main @mybestfriendmademe @anuttellaa

the beautiful dividers belong to @cafekitsune

[ndnm]

Can anyone tell me why it's going to cost $560 million to create housing for 1,500 students?

People need a bed to sleep in. Most of university housing should be transitory, not permanent. Private rentals should be transitory, not permanent. Why are we investing such an exorbitant amount to house such a low number of people, many of whom will not be students? Student (and low-income) housing does not need to be luxurious, it needs to be efficient - both in timing to be built, and resources used.

B.C. Premier David Eby announced Tuesday that the province and the University of British Columbia will partner to create housing for more than 1,500 students at UBC's Vancouver campus. The estimated $560-million project will be funded with $300 million from the province and $260 million from UBC, Eby said at a news conference. In a press release, the university called the funding "the most significant provincial contribution to a single building project in UBC's history." 

Continue Reading

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[emacrow]

When 20 year old Danny moved into gotham for Space Engineer University, his apartment that was set up thanks to Sam had exploded due to a super villain. (joker)

Leaving Danny's only available apartment that was stuck to a seedy part of Gotham. Nobody didn't told him that most of Gotham's waters that wasn't from the rich area was very very pollution with nasty rancid junk ectoplasm.

Ellie and Dan were with him due to a core accident with a forgotten fenton trap that hadn't been torn down yet, but they were now 4 and 6 years old physically and mentally until The medicine Frostbite specifically made for them to take every once a month, help their core regained the loss energy to reform back to their natural state later.

Luckily he had the fenton ectoplasm water pipes filter to throughly clean out the nasty junk to turn back into normal pure ectoplasm mixed water which was a bit light greenish blue to the normal person's eyes but glowing green to liminals, ghosts and halfas. Though he had to sneakily goes transport down in the sewer to fixes those rusty ol pipes, made a undead zombie friend whom seem to be trapped in a terrible limbo of saying a repeated phase.

Then danny felt a bit terrible that some of the neighborhoods also had the same problems with the pipes. Whom is the mayor to not investigate this much rusty pipes that had a a few thousands spirits and feral blob ghosts of the deceased not properly buried!?!

Seeing sick looking children outside with a bad case of slow bad ectoplasm poisoning jerk at his slow beating heart. He knew that if it goes on, there is going to be enough corrupted ectoplasm to cause a lminals to go completely crazy with enough mixed dark ghostly intentions and territorial issues from the restless spirits (a certain leader of assassin sneezed)

The protection mixed space core in him was nearly feral at this point of all the harm that had been done to the people of gotham before Danny gave in, called in his parents to sent him a couple hundred of fenton ectoplasm water pipe filters and grab emergency fenton shovel smacker to start building proper graves for the restless spirits..

By next three month, just looking at his window to see the street kids playing outside actually acting like children, looking more healthy and lively, the anemic lady next door who just had a baby seem more calm and friendly instead of paranoid and scared when he first met her with a package of freshly baked fenton Brownies.

He had almost replaced 3/5 of gothams rusty ol waters pipes, had made nearly 10 thousands Graves more then what he had expected after diving deep in the Gotham's oceans, lakes, ponds, and abandoned public pools.

So far that Gotham has gotten a positive effect when the first morning of August came in, as that the Gotham's news went viral as the black smog clouds that mostly covered Gotham's skies had parted to reveal a beautiful sky along side with incredible decreased in Crimes in certain parts of gothams.

Only for Danny to arrived into his Apartment to see Gotham's City Spirit, who was absolutely jaw dropping gorgeous sitting on his Couch with Dan and ellie chatting her ears off.

Meanwhile a certain bat fam are becoming more and more anxious as the decreased in crimes at night became to the point that tim is becoming more paranoid then gollum from the rings, damian is becoming nearly feral with the lack of criminals to beat upon, dick is actually enjoying the break, dick had been commenting on the lovely colors that gotham had been getting lately, and Jason haven't contact them in weeks ago until last Friday coming by for Dinner feeling and seemingly like the ol Robin he once was before that Bruce had actually ugly cried clinging to him when Jason hugged him.

[bluerosefox]

GHOSTS WITH HEARTBEATS

When Jason had been going to Gotham Academy, he had (for a good reputation for the media and to help him catch up on his penmanship, remember he had been on the streets and dropped out of school before getting picked up by Bruce for a while) signed up for a penpal project for 'less privileged people' to write to.

(Although Jason was annoyed the penpal project stayed within the states and only selected a middle of nowhere town, he knew the Richie Rich Elites would never subjugate their 'Heirs' to actual kids in need of learning how to read and write)

But Jason didn't mind his penpal.

Danny Fenton was a riot to talk, err write to in all honestly.

From his dry punny humor (and boy can he give even Dick a run for his money in the pun department but hey using some of them actually got Dick to warm up to him a few missions ago) and death jokes so many death jokes, to his nerdy love for space Jason enjoyed writing to Danny.

Even the short stories he would write about a ghost kid protecting a small town from other ghosts was interesting to read. He really liked the different kinds of ghosts there could be. Granted some seemed very OP like that Clockwork dude.

Jason liked writing to Danny, and even after the penpal project was over they had plans to keep sending letters, maybe even exchange numbers soon...

But then he died by the hands of the Joker.

The letters leaving Wayne Manor may had decreased but the letters being sent never did or at least until a few years ago.

Then Jason somehow returned to the land of the living.

Got taken by the LoA, tossed in the green waters and turned into their Pit Raged weapon for a while before leaving them behind and setting out for his revenge against the Joker and to force B's hand.

And becoming a Crime Boss for a while too. Can't forget that.

Point being with all this going on, the old warm memories of exchanging letters with Danny Fenton was pushed into the back of his mind and forgotten about for a while.

It isn't until one afternoon at Wayne Manor that while roughhousing with Dick, who had Jason in a brotherly headlock as they walked down a hall to one of the sitting rooms, that while Jason had slipped out of Dick's hold had stumbled into a hallway desk that had a few things on the top of it, one of the things being a small box that tumbled off when Jason hit it.

The box lid opened and out of it spilled out a good number of letters.

"Shiii-p, dang it Dick!" Jason said when he looked at the mess he accidentally made and stopped himself from swearing, the place might be named Wayne Manor but everyone knew this was Alfie's domain and no swearing was a rule within his halls.

Dick only laughed and teased only in a way a sibling can do "Hey not my fault your as big as a tank Jaybird! We should get you some caution signals if you keep bumping into things!"

Jason flipped him his favorite finger, thankfully Alfred only knew when they swore thus it did not summon him, and bent down to the letters.

His hands froze when he recognized the hand writing and the address it was sent from.

"From: Danny Fent Nightingale

Amity Park, IL"

To: Jason Todd-Wayne

Gotham City, NJ.

Wayne Manor"

And when Jason opened the letter. He really wasn't expecting what was written inside.

"Jason.

I'm finally leaving Amity Park. I can't be there anymore, not after everything. I'm too tired, and emotionally hurt. Everything is just to much. And I can't keep doing this to myself. My parents still can’t understand there is nothing ‘wrong’ with me or why I refuse to let them take care of Ellie, I refuse to let her live the way Jazz and I did, Jazz has to much on her plate already with her own life and college but she’s been hounding me to reach out to mom and dad, Sam refuses to listen to me when I tell her I want to be more than ‘Phantom’ in Amity Park, and Tucker is so busy trying to get into a good college and job we barely have time to talk nowadays. And don’t get me started on Vlad, that fruitloop’s been breathing down my neck since Ellie’s deaging.

Despite how much of a hellhole you like to call it, I think Gotham might be my, no mine and Ellie’s best bet of living some kind of life, especially now since the whole deaging she had to go through, she needs an ectoplasm rich city as well and since she has no actual papers because she was my clone and I remember you saying Gotham has people who can create new identities and-

I’m rambling again, to letter you again. I really need to stop it.

I can’t keep pretending you’re going to read these.

I know you’ll never read these. You’re gone. I can’t even find you in the Realms no matter where I look.

I’m sorry. For using you as, well, a way to vent my life for last couple of years. I shouldn’t had done it but it helped me.

Believing my friend was still alive and getting my letters I mean.

Again I’m sorry.

This will be my last letter to your ghost, pun unintended.

Goodbye Jason. Wish us luck in your city.

-Danny Fen-Nightingale...."

The sent date on the letter was roughly eight years ago.

[bet-on-me-13]

Danny runs for Mayor P.2

kgned3Part 1

Some more snippets of the Gotham Mayor Danny AU!

...

Danny would absolutely try to hire some of the Rouges as his Mayoral Cabinet, I can just imagine Waylon Jones, the Killer Croc, in a Suit and Slacks sitting in a the Mayors Office while awkwardly holding his resume.

Danny: So, Mr. Jones, why do you think we should hire you? Waylon: Well sir, I have something of a reputation and I feel like I would be an amazing Bodyguard. Danny: OK, one question though. What is your opinion on Clowns? Waylon: I don’t like them. Danny: Hired!

...

Danny: Now, Mr Nygma, what do you think you would bring to my office? Edward: Well sir, I am fairly well known for my expert planning and timing skills. Also I can give you fun riddles whenever you want! Danny: Hmmm, that’s definitely a good point. One question, if needed, will you attack a clown on sight? Edward: Yes? Danny: Hired!

...

Danny: Now, I can see that you used to have a very reputable resume Mr. Dent. Harvey: Thank you sir. Danny: I can’t see any reason to refuse your application, but I do have one question. Do you like Clowns? Harvey: Uhm...yes? Danny: I am sorry dir, but I am going to have to reject your application for a job in the Mayors office. Mr Jones, please escort this man out 

...

Danny would absolutely do an amazing job in decreasing the crime rate, just by virtue of the fact that his very presence is destabilizing the Curses put on the City.

But at the same time, his policies are also very efficient, based on Gen Z Humor/Ideas

Danny: As my new Law states, every year the most rich person in the City will be forced to give up 70% of their assets to Charity. You can avoid this by donating as much as possible in the weeks leading up to the Sacrifice Day, whoever donates the most is exempt from the choosing even if they are the Richest, we will then move on to the second Richest, and so on Reporter: Sir, isn’t this just the “Winner Of Capitalisms” Prompt from Tumblr? Danny: Yes.

...

Batman: Why did you just pass a Law that states that all Vigilantes are given the right to kill? Danny: Because I accidentally hired every villain in Gotham, so now there is nobody to try and bribe me. And if nobody tries to bribe me, then nobody realizes that I will only accept bribes if the Joker is dead, like I said in my Campaign. I know that you guys have a no-kill rule, but I know at least one of you who would jump at the chance  Batman: *realizes that Dick has already killed the Joker once, Jason is actively attempting to every day, Tim is chaos incarnate and would do it to feel included, and Damian just really wants to let loose* Well played...

...

Danny: Vlad, I am serious. Leave me alone or I will put you in Soup Jail for 3 months! Vlad: FINE! I’ll just go possess another Billionaire to force them to give me their company again Batman, listening from outside the window: What the f-

...

Danny in every conversation with the Batfamily: I re-respect your decision to not tak-take a life...but I must insist you kill the Joker...for the good of the peephol-People! He is not a good inf-influence on this city and he must be des...troyed. Batman: *Wondering why he sounds like he is reading from a script* Um, I don’t think thats a good idea? Lady Gotham: *Standing behind Batman with some Cue Cards, trying to communicate with her Knights through Danny* *Thumbs Up* Danny: Also I wanted to say that you need to- oh um, ok- to get over the deaths of your parents and grieve in a healthy way instead of adopting every child you see. You are doing a great job kid, parentheses, do not read this par- Oh-Oops. Batman: Hm. I’m not even going to question that anymore.

...

Tag List:

@skulld3mort-1fan @kgne-k @deatlive @alcorbearson @we-ezer @auralykos @dakkapel @alinmenttreasure @lord-of-0blivion @countessdragon @naluforever3 @fylylowo @shadow-otaku20 @dannyphantomphan @heirxofxtime @ourrechte-blog @fantasticbluebirdfan @imnotgrimmjustagrumpyreader @mssagoberattare @elvesandlanterns @space-dreams-world @lizz-blizt @stargirl1331 @totallysmores-blog @screamingtofillthevoid @malice-of-the-sunrise @olivethetreebitch @addie-lover-of-stories @thatonegaybitch68 @asphyxia778 @top7879 @biance-hooks123 @runfromthemedic @dionysuss-big-naturals @the-legal-shipper @icepopstar5105us @

[mommageto]

Warmer (Himejima Gyomei x Hashira! Reader)

Title: Warmer

Pairings: Himejima x Hashira! Reader

Word Count:  1349 words

Description: Himejima and (Y/n) were sent on a mission together. But as the temperature decreases, you find comfort in the arms of a gentle giant. 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

It's wintertime, which is not a recommended time to travel. Ubuyashiki sent you and Himejima on a mission to a faraway city where the number of people who have died recently from a demon attack has increased. It has been a long week since you and Himejima defeated a group of demons who have been disturbing the city.

All (y/n) could ever think of is to rest after that stressful week as you recently felt frail. Being a hashira is not an easy task. Although you were strong, you used a lot of energy and effort to ensure that no individual in the village would get harmed, which caused you so many injuries that you ended up being poisoned by a demon. Himejima luckily came in handy in the whole scene. The 7-foot-2 giant was not named the strongest hashira for nothing. 

You were not close with him compared to the other hashiras, Himejima always felt distant towards you. Every time you come near him, he always finds a way to leave that space. He always avoids making conversation and prays every time you are near.

This was an unfamiliar feeling to you, considering you had established a good relationship with most of the Hashira, even with Shinazugawa. You have always found Gyomei to be captivating, with his size, strength, and dedication. These qualities really make him stand out the most. You have always admired him but felt indifferent because of his being distant towards you. Nevertheless, you handled your unity well in the fight in a professional manner. 

Both of you are on your way back to the Demon Slayer Corps to report back from your mission. It was quiet primarily between you, and you kept it that way since you knew Himejima wasn't the type to usually have a conversation with you. You still had quite some time to travel in silence. Your eyes felt weak, but you kept going because you could not bear to be in an awkward travel situation with the giant man with whom you were least engaged. As you cannot bear it anymore, you fell on the ground and passed out. 

Your eyes slightly opened, feeling better, and you find warmth in a rock-hard structure you cling on. Looking at your surroundings, snow has finally appeared, yet you see your environment as being inside of a cave that is lit up by the fire you can hear. You can barely get into your senses as you feel comfortable. It was a nice feeling, and it caused you to be curious about your surroundings and try to knock some sense into yourself. 

“(Y/n)”

A deep voice called your name, and you took a closer look at the solid rock-hard structure you were clinging to. You saw Himejima. You were startled as you realized the position you were in. He held you with his strong arms as he covered you with his robe to add to your warmth. You tried to move in a jerky motion, making sure to get out of Himejima. Your cheeks are flushed, and you feel embarrassed about your situation right now. You did not expect this to happen. All you ever thought was to go home as soon as you can. You stay quiet as you try to resist him, but as the stone hashira, he proves himself to be super strong. 

“H-himejima-san, I…”

"I'm sorry (y/n) if you feel that this is somehow unorthodox. You passed out yesterday, and your body felt cold. I worry that you won't be able to make it, so I thought I should warm you up for now." This feels strange and unexpected.

As you took a glance at Himejima, you noticed how attractive he was. You can't help but keep your cheeks from flushing. Being so close to him, his chest feels firm and warm. You can also hear the beat of his heart. Your perception of Himejima has always been calm and stoic. Somehow, you wonder how he could be like that, considering his background story when Tanjiro defended Himejima when you told him how he avoids you. Despite how much he avoids you, you feel closer to him than ever. 

"(Y/n), I can feel your heartbeat so fast. You're also warming up. Are you sure you're okay?" He asks. You shake your head, and you can see a slight panic on his face. Then again, you thought about his question. You nodded, "No! I mean, I feel better!"

You tried to escape from him due to embarrassment and to shun his comment about your heartbeat. This time, you were successful, yet didn't seem too far away from him. There was a moment of silence between the two of you as it was the last couple of days. This was probably the most extended conversation you've had with him. You were puzzled about what to do as you felt how awkward your current situation was. 

"(Y/n), I'm really sorry if it felt uncomfortable for you. It's too cold, and I ought to find shelter and keep you warm," you hear his plea. Tears started falling from both his eyes. This didn't make you feel uncomfortable but rather baffled. Though you appreciate him for trying to help you aid yourself, you can't help but wonder why he's acting this way all of a sudden when he clearly tried to keep his distance from you every time. You squint your eyes and carefully say, "Why do you always avoid me, Himejima-san?"

As your head turned to him, you saw the man with tears, stunned by what you said. Though, you said what you said and have long wanted to ask him that question. The man was at a loss for words. Himejima is blind, but he moved his head away from you. You could see from his expression how saddened this man is. Tears streamed down Himejima's face, his voice thick with emotion. "I was afraid," he confessed. He completely caught your attention now, and you were ready to hear more from him. "After losing those I cared for, I vowed never to let anyone close enough to get hurt again. The thought of feeling that pain because of you…it terrified me."

"The truth is, I have always pined for you." You were startled at his words, and you did not possibly know how to feel about that. He completely caught your attention now, and you were ready to hear more from him.

You waited for him to continue, "Ever since you first entered the Demon Slayer Corps, I have always felt how kind and warm-hearted you are. The way you treat others and hearing about it from everyone. I am blind, but I can see through your heart. Due to my monastic background, I never thought I would be able to catch myself wondering about someone, about you but I did."

Hearing Himejima confess his feelings for you made you feel glad because you knew you felt this way about him, but it only stopped you from the way he treated you. A lump formed in your throat. You reached out, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Himejima-san," you said softly, "I understand your fear. I know that you carry such pain, yet you continue to protect others with kindness. That strength is what makes me admire you."

A flicker of hope ignited in his voice. "Do you truly believe that?" You nodded, your heart pounding. "Yes, I do…" you hesitated, then continued, "I understand your fear, I just hope you won't keep your distance from me anymore."

Himejima remained silent for a moment and slightly nodded with a soft smile on his face, your hand reaching out to tentatively touch him. The warmth of his calloused fingers sent shivers down your spine. All that cold distance from him was thawed by the warm feeling of that mutual apprehensive conversation you had with him. Despite the chilly breeze of air from the fall of snow, being with Himejima and the light of hope you both share only made you feel warmer.

[ajortga]

(over) protective

pairing: jenna ortega x fem reader

summary: jenna has never let you out of her sight after she almost lost you, even during the most unnecessary times.

word count: 2.4k+

warnings: little angst, mentions of blood, injuries, near character death? knives, kidnapping mentions, mostly fluff after the parts inspired by a good girl's guide to murder pass, jenna being a silly girl

based off request! the start was a little rushed:(

-

Where r goes missing for a month and when she was found somewhere kidnapped or smthng Jenna has been so very very VERY protective of r and has NEVER let r out of her sight. Thats all tyyy

-

Most likely dead.

That’s the word Jenna couldn’t stop hearing on the news once the 72 hour mark hit on the news. 

Dead, dead, dead. 

She couldn’t bear it, it made her stomach stir wildly, her breath quickening like she just ran a 20k race. 

The first three days a person goes missing is the most important, as those hours go up, the likelihood of a person being found decreases.

The likelihood of you being found decreases by a landslide each time Jenna sees the clock hit another hour, anxiety filling her belly even though it was filled enough.

She wishes that she would have noticed the signs sooner. You weren’t home for four hours after going to run some errands.

You said it would be quick.

Jenna just brushed it off that you took some time off for yourself for that time, maybe got a massage. You always did that. She wished that she would have called you instead of texted you the first hour you were gone. You always answer her calls, maybe then she would’ve noticed that something was wrong. If you didn’t answer, you’d call her back just a little moment after.

She wished that she would've noticed that something was wrong when the signs were right in front of her.

Sweat dripped down her forehead during those 3 nights. 3 nights of restless movements and praying that you would be okay. What would she do if you weren’t? No, Jenna couldn’t think like that. She hoped that you just decided to get time to yourself for a while, she really hoped that would be the case. 

The police came with little solutions. It was likely that you ran away or got kidnapped. Jenna couldn’t bear to hear the second part if evidence supported it. 

Endless ticks of the clock were slow, yet as slow as they were, she hoped that it could mean that you could be found faster since the clock was ticking so slowly. But it just wasn’t like that.

72 hours turns into a week. Then 3. And by the time Jenna feels like she’s going to mentally kill herself, she finds out. As soon as the sheriffs send her a call, she’s busting out of her apartment, going speeds that would get her a ticket, two if she were lucky.

The police had told her you were kidnapped. They had gotten a lead when your girlfriend told them that you went out for some errands. They traced back to the security footage that was available. They searched all stores that could possibly have a slither of Sure enough, after a few days of waiting, footage from multiple stores were sent back. 

Replays and replays. The day when your body was found is when he found you, about to enter your car after stuffing bags of groceries. A strong pair of arms dragging you away as they shoved chemicals, most likely chloroform into your mouth.

But who was he? Who was this man that dragged you away as your kicks and struggles lessened, your eyes rolling back when you began to pass out?

The killer was masked, but they weren’t slick enough, of course when they drove away, they were stupid enough (Jenna was so glad for this) to drive a licensed car that belonged to them.

They may have found the killer, but it would take even longer to find you.

How the hell did it take them a month to be able to find you? That’s 10 times as much as 72 hours.

-

You were found, unconscious and limp in a secluded area 25 minutes away from the city. You were taped against the wall so you couldn't move. Fresh looking bloody wounds and gashes littered all over your body. Even the police couldn’t recognize you with the blood covering your shaking figure. 

The body they found was cold, starved, maybe a cracker or two per meal, you were so malnourished.

It was scary. So so scary. As soon as Jenna came to the scene, she was sobbing. Sobbing because a part of her thought you would die.

The building was small, gray, locked doors and broken windows. You had tried to get out, police told her from how the upper windows were shattered. But as soon as you did, you were dragged back. Duct taped even further against poles surrounding you, a rope barely strangling you, a knife sinking through every piece of untouched skin so you were in too much agony to move. They caught your kidnapper. Caught him before he could escape or hurt anyone else. If he was the cause of a disappearance for someone else, there would be someone like Jenna, hopeless and scared. Jenna was too tired and terrified to feel glad. But someone wouldn’t have to live through what Jenna did for a month, someone wouldn’t have to live like you did for a month.

“Oh my god!” The brunette girl wailed as she pushed out of medics' ways, seeing your pale body against a stretcher. “Y/N,” she cried, cupping your blood-stained face with her hands. “Wake up, it’s okay! I’m here.” 

An oxygen mask was covering your face, helping you breathe properly. This was the first time in weeks you were able to breathe fresh air. You couldn’t get proper airflow from how tightly your kidnapper tied tape around your neck. Your eyes barely open, catching a blurry sight of your girlfriend, her tears dripping on your teared up sweater before fluttering closed again.

“You can’t go,” you hear, before you nod off.

-

Jenna found out that your kidnapper was an obsessive and mentally insane fan of hers. He tracked you down as soon as he found out she was off limits and admitted he was planning to kill you. She didn’t even know how he tracked you, must’ve waited till paparazzi released photos and moved to the area nearby.

It made her sweat and stir with guilt, knowing that it was her fault that you could’ve been in massive danger. You were in massive danger, just saved at the right time. It might haunt her for years.

When you wake up, bright hospital lights greet you as you make a surprised and weak groan. The first thing you see when you open your eyes is those freckles you know all too well, cupping your cheeks as you whine from the sting of the cuts.

She’s rubbing your cheeks, caressing your neck, ruffling your hair, looking down at you with worried eyes. You feel as though she might cry when she’s shaking your body. “Y/N? Baby, are you awake?” 

“Mhh,” you mumble, squinting around the room as the steady monitor of your heart beeps through your ears.

“Hey, stop moving.” Jenna gently pushes you back onto the bed as your eyes look around in confusion. “Fuck, you scared me so badly,” she sniffles, wiping her tears as she grips onto your hand tightly. “I thought you died.”

If you two weren’t in this situation, you’d think it’s cute and silly how protective she was over you. But she was right, you could’ve died. You were trapped in a room with a kidnapper that wanted to kill you. The smallest windows, doors that were locked shut, and your vision was taken away from you most of the time, except when he fed you. It was basically crackers and the littlest amount of water. He fed you a little more when the two week mark hit, when you were basically a ragdoll.

The terrifying moments that would flash into your mind, creep into your dreams and turn your slumber into a nightmare would haunt you for months. Even when you managed to get out, he found you and hurt you so badly that you couldn’t move anymore. 

Jenna could tell you weren’t trying to show her you were scared. You didn’t want to make her more worried. 

"I'm never letting you leave my sight again."

-

When you got discharged from the hospital, Jenna made sure to stick with you wherever you went. 

As you make a tiny grunt and reach for the sugar on the top shelf, Jenna shrieks. “Nope! Not happening, I can get it.” She says, beginning to grab a big ass ladder from outside.

“Baby, I don’t think that’s necessary.. I can get it, you’re shorter than me and it’ll take a lot more work-”

Jenna comes back from the hallway, carrying a big ladder with her tiny hands, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she places it on the floor tile. She begins to climb up and grab the sugar. “You need to rest that body.”

You sigh, “Baby, I’m a month healed-”

“Are your injuries fully healed?” She raises an eyebrow at you.

“Well.. No but the doctor said-”

“Then I’m not letting you overstretch a single muscle, we can’t let those stitches rip, baby. Cuddles are the only exception.”

You roll your eyes, let her take the win on this one.

-

“I’m gonna go get us some watermelon! It’s hot, be right back!” You call out, grabbing your keys as you turn to go to open the door, except your girlfriend is already there.

“Nuh uh, not happening. Let’s go.” She says, extending her hand out to you for you to hold. You look at her with a confused expression, “Baby, we already have kiwi, I can go by my-” She interrupts you, “No, the last time you went to go out, you didn’t fucking come back for a month from that psycho. We are going together, I don’t care about kiwis right now. I care that if someone were to kidnap you, they’d have to go through me first.” Jenna pulls out a pair of boxing gloves from her tote bag.

“Where the hell did you get those?”

“On set! So I can defend you and don’t have to scratch my arms in the process.”

A deep breath leaves your lips as she shakes her hand, impatient to feel yours in hers. “Fine, you win. But don’t be upset if a kidnapper manages to take off those boxing gloves within seconds and take your short body away.”

She huffs, tugging your arm to the grocery store.

-

“Aliyah?” You blink, looking at the younger Ortega in your apartment. “What are you doing here?” You itch a bandaid as she plays with her hair.

“Jenna said I have to play bodyguard,” she says, shaking her head. “This girl had to film and didn’t want you to be alone.”

Your nose twitches.

“I could’ve just driven to your house, I don’t want us to both get kidnapped,” you joke.

Aliyah snorts, “I did think about that, but Jenna said no cause she didn’t want you to be in danger if you get into your car and somehow you get taken away.”

That’s just Jenna. Jenna Ortega. Sometimes you feel as if you should feel a little annoyed when she never lets you go alone anywhere. But you never can, you’re way too in love to be frustrated at your baby. If anything, it gives you an excuse to cling to her everywhere you go without being told off.

“You wanna bake?”

Aliyah looks at the kitchen as she shrugs, “Sure. Then I can tell Jenna we wanted to have a heating pan to defend ourselves and decided to bake while we were at it.”

-

"He looks suspicious." Your girlfriend says, taking a step forward and making sure you're behind her while she glares daggers at the man.

Sometimes you wish she was taller, because right now, she looks like a child you're babysitting.

She leans back a little too hard onto your front and you wince.

"Shit, I'm sorry. Shh, I'm sorry." She says with a frown, softly rubbing your healing wounds against your stomach.

"Baby, I think he's just staring because you have a butterfly knife out and about, looking like you're going to murder him." You admit, gesturing to the knife that was point sided up.

"That could be a reason. But I will fight if he comes near!"

"Jenna, we're standing in front of an entrance for a coffee shop. The poor man just wants to get coffee."

The freckled cheek girl turns to see what you're talking about and notices the glass door behind you two. "Oh shit."

You drag her wrist gently as you two step to the side, you give the man an empathetic smile. He nervously looks at Jenna and runs into the coffee shop.

"Why are you still staring at that man? And put that knife away!" You smack her arm lightly as she goes "Hey!" and closes the knife.

-

“Jenna, do you seriously have to be in the same stall as me while we go to the bathroom?” You say quietly, looking up at her as she stares at you intently while you do your business. “Hey, no eyes here, invasion of privacy. Couldn’t you have waited right outside the stall?”

Her freckled nose wrinkles, “And risk someone grabbing you from behind?” She waddles to the wall behind the toilet as she knocks. “I’m 500% sure that this wall can slide and someone is just waiting to take my baby, not happening!”

“Jen-” you sigh, a grin spreading across your lips, “At this point, I think you’re just making an excuse to stare at me pee.”

She gasps sarcastically, making a pfft noise. “Oh yeah, for sure. I just love watching you go to the bathroom in this cramped stall.” She mocks, her cheeks a little red.

“I know, I must be a beauty.”

You hear the restroom door open as you flush. “Dude, I don’t even think you can fit with me in here. It's so small. ”

Jenna rolls her eyes, an annoyed whine escaping her lips. “Well, it is a little tight in here.”

As you two exit the stall, a lady waiting in line looks at you both with a grimace. Confusion lingers in her features before you can tell that she’s thinking something different than what actually happened. The faucet turns on as cold water and bubbly soap cleanses your scarred hands. You giggle at the picture of that weirded-out look the poor lady gave you two. After you shut it off, you pull Jenna closer and cup a hand against her ear, whispering, “I think the person that was waiting in line thinks we just had sex in that stall.”

[flourjsh]

minors dni 18+ afab!reader

having big, meanie jing yuan breed you full of his thick cum.. even with his thick cock plunged deep into your hole his cum still seeps out, staining the bedsheets as the small bump in your belly slowly decreases in size..

jing yuan who's back is littered with deep red scratch marks. even if your nails aren't that long or sharp he will always find a way to have you clawing on his back :((

jing yuan who can't help but tease you. doing the exact opposite of what you wanted him to do.. want him to slow down? he's bullying his big dick into you more with his intense speed!!

jing yuan who shoves two fingers down your throat when you get a little too loud.. your loud moans and whimpers echoing through a random alleyway in belobog, expecting you to suck on them like how you would on his cock :((

jing yuan who pushes you into a mating press, his large hands pressing your knees together as you squirm.. the thick head of his cock pressing against your cervix.. surely enough to tear through if he goes harder!!

jing yuan who cums on your panties right before you leave the house, having to walk around the city with his cum on your pussy.. or!! leaving his cum deep in you so you have to hold it in the whole day.. having to embarrassingly ignore the feeling of something sticky slowly sliding down your thigh..

jing yuan who has definitely let blade join in for some fun!! both of them bullying their big dicks into your small hole, kissing your little tears away as they move in sync.. when they both cum inside you it's a whole waterfall!!

[reasonsforhope]

"Research on a police diversion program implemented in 2014 shows a striking 91% reduction in in-school arrests over less than 10 years.

Across the United States, arrest rates for young people under age 18 have been declining for decades. However, the proportion of youth arrests associated with school incidents has increased.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, K–12 schools referred nearly 230,000 students to law enforcement during the school year that began in 2017. These referrals and the 54,321 reported school-based arrests that same year were mostly for minor misbehavior like marijuana possession, as opposed to more serious offenses like bringing a gun to school.

School-based arrests are one part of the school-to-prison pipeline, through which students—especially Black and Latine students and those with disabilities—are pushed out of their schools and into the legal system.

Getting caught up in the legal system has been linked to negative health, social, and academic outcomes, as well as increased risk for future arrest.

Given these negative consequences, public agencies in states like Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania have looked for ways to arrest fewer young people in schools. Philadelphia, in particular, has pioneered a successful effort to divert youth from the legal system.

Philadelphia Police School Diversion Program

In Philadelphia, police department leaders recognized that the city’s school district was its largest source of referrals for youth arrests. To address this issue, then–Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel developed and implemented a school-based, pre-arrest diversion initiative in partnership with the school district and the city’s department of human services. The program is called the Philadelphia Police School Diversion Program, and it officially launched in May 2014.

Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker named Bethel as her new police commissioner on Nov. 22, 2023.

Since the diversion program began, when police are called to schools in the city for offenses like marijuana possession or disorderly conduct, they cannot arrest the student involved if that student has no pending court case or history of adjudication. In juvenile court, an adjudication is similar to a conviction in criminal court.

Instead of being arrested, the diverted student remains in school, and school personnel decide how to respond to their behavior. For example, they might speak with the student, schedule a meeting with a parent, or suspend the student.

A social worker from the city also contacts the student’s family to arrange a home visit, where they assess youth and family needs. Then, the social worker makes referrals to no-cost community-based services. The student and their family choose whether to attend.

Our team—the Juvenile Justice Research and Reform Lab at Drexel University—evaluated the effectiveness of the diversion program as independent researchers not affiliated with the police department or school district. We published four research articles describing various ways the diversion program affected students, schools, and costs to the city.

Arrests Dropped

In our evaluation of the diversion program’s first five years, we reported that the annual number of school-based arrests in Philadelphia decreased by 84%: from nearly 1,600 in the school year beginning in 2013 to just 251 arrests in the school year beginning in 2018.

Since then, school district data indicates the annual number of school-based arrests in Philadelphia has continued to decline—dropping to just 147 arrests in the school year that began in 2022. That’s a 91% reduction from the year before the program started.

We also investigated the number of serious behavioral incidents recorded in the school district in the program’s first five years. Those fell as well, suggesting that the diversion program effectively reduced school-based arrests without compromising school safety.

Additionally, data showed that city social workers successfully contacted the families of 74% of students diverted through the program during its first five years. Nearly 90% of these families accepted at least one referral to community-based programming, which includes services like academic support, job skill development, and behavioral health counseling...

Long-Term Outcomes

To evaluate a longer follow-up period, we compared the 427 students diverted in the program’s first year to the group of 531 students arrested before the program began. Results showed arrested students were significantly more likely to be arrested again in the following five years...

Finally, a cost-benefit analysis revealed that the program saves taxpayers millions of dollars.

Based on its success in Philadelphia, several other cities and counties across Pennsylvania have begun replicating the Police School Diversion Program. These efforts could further contribute to a nationwide movement to safely keep kids in their communities and out of the legal system."

-via Yes! Magazine, December 5, 2023

[probablyasocialecologist]

Israeli soldiers are no longer shooting and crying. They are shooting and dancing, shooting and grilling, shooting and praying, or just shooting and mutilating. Soldiers post TikTok reels from the frontlines filled with laughter, celebratory songs, prayers, and inspirational messages. Prominent politicians and thousands of regular users respond with exclamation points and flame emojis in widespread demonstrations of support. The posts contrast grimly with the destruction in the background. But in a war of retribution, destruction is the point.

[...]

Some international outlets claim most Israelis are not privy to the suffering in Gaza due to empathy fatigue, confirmation bias, or stringent military censorship of local press. Others report that algorithmically determined news feeds have prevented many Israelis from seeing images of Palestinian suffering. But to say, “If only Israelis could see what is happening in Gaza, they would demand an end to the violence” ignores the political reality and majority. This is arguably one of the most documented wars in history. Accounts of the humanitarian catastrophe and mass death in Gaza saturate foreign press and the social media feeds of people worldwide. The inconvenient truth is decades of war and dehumanization—tacitly supported by the United States and Israel’s other staunch allies—have largely closed one side off to the other’s suffering. In 2002, amid the height of the second intifada—a bloody five-year period marked by suicide bombings in Israeli cities and military raids on Palestinian communities—the critic Susan Sontag observed, “[To] those who in a given situation see no alternative to armed struggle, violence can exalt someone subjected to it into a martyr or a hero.” As 75 years of photographs attest, this has long been the case in Israel. But the sentiment may be more popular than ever: According to a survey by the Jerusalem-based think tank the Israel Democracy Institute, as of December 2023, 75 percent of Jewish Israelis opposed agreeing to the U.S. demand that Israel decrease the intense bombing of heavily populated areas in Gaza. Only 1.8 percent viewed Israel’s use of force as disproportionate.

20 Mar 2024