#who needs help and who doesn't when you could be devoting it to volunteering and doing research and putting pressure on the system. come on

[protobrieile]

ooooooo i am feeling particularly riled up about marginalized community infighting today

[yukiokami]

my tears ricochet

treech x female 7th district reader

warnings: no use of y/n, third-person narrative, angst, headcanons (9th hunger games winner, treech's family), l-bombs, violence, deaths.

summary: she did everything to prevent him from losing her too, eventually losing him herself.

word count: 859

author's note: my first time writing on tumblr, i had a huge wave of inspiration after listening to sad songs and watching edits of treech. english is not my first language, so i apologize for any mistakes. this is a songfic to my tears ricochet by taylor swift. enjoy, loves.

her name was pulled. among hundreds of others. everything around her is in slow motion, she doesn't hear anything, doesn't see her mother's frightened eyes. she only notices treech's hand rising, he is now ready to volunteer, so she wouldn't be taken to the games. she manages to grab him with both hands and whispers, calming herself rather than him.

"it's going to be okay, i'll be fine, treech."

he shakes his head in disbelief. she can't leave him, leave her mom. die.

and she doesn't understand how she can cope. this is not a self-preservation instinct. it's an instinct to save those she cares about.

"listen, aspen is going to be with me. you can't come with me, please, i can't stand it if you die."

"i can't stand it if you die!" he repeats after her. "i can't lose you!" treech breaks down, despite the huge crowd.

burning tears flow down her cheeks, blurring the dirt on her face, and leaving long streaks.

"that's why i'm not going to die," she looks at him, reassuring. "i'm not going to die, treech. please take care of mom," she says when the peacekeepers grab her when they hold on to each other with the last of their strength.

cause I loved you, I swear I loved you

till my dying day

"i love you, okay? forever," their hands separate and soldiers drag the girl to the stage.

"let her go!" treech hisses, trying to fight the soldiers who are holding him tightly from running after her.

the doors close and she hears him scream.

we gather here, we line up,

weepin' in a sunlit room

when the counter counts down the seconds before the games begin, she can't think, there's a white noise in her head. there are no places to hide in the huge arena. here you can only fight and try to survive. she needs to survive because they are waiting for her at home. treech has no one but her. his parents died in a forest fire, as did her father.

and if I'm on fire,

you'll be made of ashes, too

she starts running towards the center with all her strength and grabs an axe, while two tributes attack two more. they die in seconds. she backs away and a guy from district 4 grazes her arm with a sword, trying to pierce it. she turns around and stabs him in the head with an axe.

the games lasted for several hours, the remaining three tributes, including her, are sitting on opposite sides of the arena, exhausted. aspen was killed by a girl from district 9.

and she's just waiting for the attack.

and so the battleships will sink beneath the waves

you had to kill me, but it killed you just the same

this is not a victory, but a simple accident. but it doesn't matter now, because she's going home.

we gather stones, never knowing what they'll mean

some to throw, some to make a diamond ring

they are sitting by a small lake, throwing stones into it, which leaves circles, a month after the hunger games. they devote all their time to each other, and treech is insanely happy that she is with him, that she is alive. she didn't leave him.

"soon I'll earn a lot of money and buy us a house, and we will live there. just the two of us. and then I'll buy you a diamond ring and we'll get married," treech often voiced his thoughts, to which she always laughed and said that they would have to work very hard.

and when you can't sleep at night

(you hear my stolen lullabies)

at night, she was tormented by terrible nightmares that she was back in the arena, she was shaking and nothing could help but funny songs sung to her by her beloved lumberjack in a hat, wrapping her in a warm blanket by his embrace and words about how brave she is.

when his name is pulled at the next reaping, she can't breathe. this just can't be happening. they've been through so much together that they've been torn apart again. she's broken up by games. killed by the reaping. at that carefree time, treech guessed that such an outcome could take place, so he was ready. as much as it was possible.

"you were able to come back to me, and i will do everything to come back to you," he strokes her cheek with one hand, and with the other he puts a ring in her deathly cold ones. "i love you."

the peacekeepers take him away.

she falls to her knees and a frantic scream pierces the entire square.

when the neighbors talk about tributes returning, she joyfully runs to meet treech, confident of his victory. there are two coffins at the square, in one of which lies lamina, and in the other her brave beautiful boy. he didn't come back to her.

you know I didn't want to have to haunt you

but what a ghostly scene

you wear the same jewels that I gave you

as you bury me

[sl-vega]

✧Sticking to the Script✧-11

⋆｡°✩ 11-possessive much?

a/n: go here if you want to read along with the original romeo and juliet lines

"No, no, no, not like that, you need to make the brush strokes more even so the paint doesn't get clumpy."

"Don't cut that fabric yet-!"

"NO THAT SET DOESN'T GO THERE!"

"Oh Archons, this is what happens when I don't let the professionals do the work." Furina groaned as she rubbed her temples.

You, Lyney, and Fischl all walked into the auditorium together, seeing Furina yell at a group of students. There were many unfamiliar faces. You were told that most of the stage crew couldn't make it today, but all of the actors could, so Furina had to round up a bunch of volunteers to help with the production.

Suddenly, you saw a familiar figure enter through the doors by the stage.

"I'm so sorry about being late Miss Furina, I brought you your Starbucks order though, Chiori told me what you usually have." you heard a voice that you had grown far too fond of.

"Oh! Thank you so much Xingqiu, you're a life saver. You can go help Kazuha make the props." Furina said, gesturing to an area on the stage.

Xingqiu gave her a quick nod. He noticed you from across the room and he gave you a smile and a wave before setting his stuff aside and making his way to the other side of the room.

Fischl playfully elbowed you. "So that's the guy that has you this smitten huh?" she teased. You giggled, hitting her back "Oh, shut up." you responded.

The three of you made your way over to Furina who was about to give a small announcement for the cast.

"Attention! We'll be running the prologue and scenes 1-5 in Act 1 and after that, all of you will be working on sets together." she explained. "Places in five!" she snapped her fingers as everyone scrambled to their positions.

The chorus recited the prologue as per usual, you and Lyney had gone on and off stage. You were mentally preparing yourself for the ball scene. The two of you had already done it before, but you felt guilty about it with Xingqiu in the room.

I know that we're not really together, but why do I feel like I'm being disloyal?

Scaramouche had exited the stage, which cued Lyney to approach you. You took a deep breath, getting yourself into character. You weren't (Y/N), you were Juliet now.

It's showtime

Xingqiu was cutting paper into the shapes of hearts. Kazuha sat right next to him making origami hearts. Furina had told them that they were to be used as decorations for the ball scene.

Though Xingqiu was more focused on said ball scene rather than making the decorations for said scene. You and Lyney were very talented actors. The two of you were so in character. A little too in character for his liking.

But it wasn't fair for him to get in the way of something that mattered so much to you. He told himself that he was so focused due to interest. He totally wasn't jealous. Why would he have a reason to be?

He continued cutting the hearts, even though most of his focus was on you and Lyney. Xingqiu's read through the play before, he knew what was coming. He still continued his poor attempt of mutlitasking, which in turn was a poor attempt at distracting himself.

Snip

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much. Which mannerly devotion shows in this;"

Xingqiu watched you place your palm against Lyney's.

Snip

"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"

"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer."

You had moved away from Lyney, face flushed and bashfully smiling.

Snip

"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."

Lyney had grabbed your hand yet again.

Snip

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."

Snip

Lyney had cupped your cheek, your faces inches apart.

Snip

"Then move, while my prayer's effect I take."

Lyney had kissed you.

RIP

Kazuha turned over to look at his friend, who had just ripped several sheets of paper with a pair of scissors. Xingqiu kneeled down to the floor to pick up the ripped paper. He piled them on to the seat next to him, preserving the pieces that could still be used.

"Jealous?" Kazuha asked his friend, smirking. "Me? Jealous? Why'd I be jealous?" Xingqiu replied, getting defensive, he forced a laugh. Kazuha gave his friend an unimpressed look.

"A little bit, I guess. It's not that I don't trust her, I do, it's just-" Xingqiu sighed, he didn't want to disclose the true nature of your relationship. "Complicated?" Kazuha asked, trying to finish his friend's sentence.

Xingqiu nodded, "Yeah, let's go with that." He tried to put all his focus on cutting the hearts this time.

"She's an amazing actress though." Kazuha said, complimenting your skills.

"Yeah, she is." Xingqiu replied, trailing off.

That's all you were doing

Acting

That's all your relationship was

Acting

additional notes:

-this takes place on a saturday btw (no wonder most of the crew wasn't avaliable)

-once again the flower gif means a pov shift

-TRIPLE UPDATE LET'S GO

-hehehe possessive xingqiu

-him taking out his jealousy on the poor paper- LOL

-i quoted romeo and juliet word for word for y'all

-ALSO KAZUHA CAMEO

-lol not me slowly intergrating kazuha into the plot now

-doing this for the lovely @uuyuomi btw

-what if kazuha is actually endgame guys? 👀

-anyways I'm proud of this chap

masterlist

<prev ll next>

✧Sticking to the Script✧

Pairing: Xingqiu x FEM! Reader

Genre: fake dating, strangers to lovers, slow burn, fluff, angst (?), high school smau, modern smau

⋆｡°✩-Synopsis: Xingqiu just got entered into a special writing contest, the type that's invite only, the theme this year is love, the only problem is that he has zero romantic experience. but he really wants to prove himself as a writer. meanwhile, you just found out that your boyfriend cheated on you, and you need to show him that you're 100% over him, the only problem is that there's no way you can get an actual boyfriend that quickly. clearly, the solution to both of your issues is to fake date each other. it shouldn't be hard for an actor such as yourself, all you need to do is stick to the script.

(OPEN) Taglist: @freyao7, @thatoneswordgirl, @sn1perz, @latay7, @willowcandletree, @nmriki0, @help-whatdoimakemyusername, @httpsrenren, @cupid-spams, @aixaingela, @kaitfae, @luvkvni, @danhenglovebot

[princesssarcastia]

william brandt's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad protection detail

HERE is what i decided, after working very hard to try and understand william brandt for this fic exchange. i watched ghost protocol like four times to figure out what the fuck i think is going on with this man, and here it is:

william brandt fell in love with ethan hunt all the way back during the protection detail, when it was his job to keep ethan and julia safe.

it was bizarre and unexpected and incredibly unwanted, but he spent weeks and weeks as close to ethan as he could get without ethan knowing about it. and what he saw was a ridiculously attractive guy, a ridiculously athletic guy, sure. that definitely helps. will is desperately attracted to him physically. but he also saw also a guy who was just SO fucking devoted to his wife, who does so much to make her happy and engage with her life. will fell in love with the way ethan loves. he fell in love with all his stupid paranoid weird little habits. with the way he talks, whenever will was close enough to hear ethan speak.

he watches ethan, and he listens to ethan, and he falls in love with ethan, and he thinks: i should tell him. he deserves to know. i want to tell him.

he doesn't.

then: ethan goes for a run, like he does pretty frequently. will volunteers to follow him—alone, because will is the only one who can really keep up with this guy's stupidly insane runs. alone, because this guy has a little more bite to his bark than the wife, and will won't need as much help protecting him if disaster strikes, they should just have more manpower on the wife.

but also—crucially—will goes alone because ethan is ridiculously attractive, and will is stupidly attracted to him. and he wants to ogle the hot sweaty man in peace!! that is absolutely part of his calculus, but it's fine, because of the other aforementioned reasons.

THAT is when the serbian hit squad strikes and "kills" julia. ethan's wife. the woman who the man will has fallen for is in love with. and will would have been wracked with guilt regardless, but he's worked missions like this before! his own love, and his own selfishness, i believe, are what breaks him. shatters his resolve. his ability to not care about all the random people who get hurt by the work that they do.

so that was it. that was his last day in the field.

except then, ethan hunt climbs into the back of the secretary's car! and will falls in love with him all over again, because oh no, he's fucking competent.

anyway. I also think ethan spends the whole mission trying to figure out what the hell is going on with this guy, and part of it is the fact that will was a seriously skilled field agent, but part of it is also that will was in love with ethan already, and so, so guilty about it. and it colors every interaction they have and every look will ever gives him. and i don't think ethan clocks it until the mission is over and they're sitting at that table in san francisco. because how the hell do you guess that this guy you've never met is in love with you and completely fucked up about it?

I also think this makes will and luther's interactions in rogue nation really funny, because luther is like "you're going to betray us" and will is standing there, having been in love with ethan for several years at this point, now constitutionally incapable of saying no to ethan, let alone betraying him.

[anincompletelist]

get to know me tag! :D

OKAY @bigassbowlingballhead I am combining your tag with the ones from @littlemisskittentoes and @read-and-write- even though those were SO LONG AGO NOW but I realized I haven't ever really posted much about myself on here (unless you've followed me over from @soldouthaz ) sooooo HERE IS THAT? <3 thanks for the tags friends I loved reading about y'all!

First Set

Last Song: JAPANESE WHISKEY by Ruel

Last Film: No Hard Feelings jshdkjshd

Currently Reading:

the books sitting beside my laptop right now are:

- War of the Foxes / Richard Siken - Letters to Father / Franz Kafka - Time is a Mother / Ocean Vuong - On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous / Ocean Vuong - Devotions / Mary Oliver - The Cinnamon Peeler / Michael Ondaatje - Little Weirds / Jenny Slate

and fic-wise:

- I am hoping to finish the newest chapter of a sea of hope by acastle tonight - I just read A Thing of Beauty by @orchidscript last night (was wonderful!) - and I just compiled a list of all my January favorites here !

Currently Watching: The Bear is the next one up on my watch list if I ever manage to get around to it! love ayo so much!

Currently Consuming: a large diet coke from sonic skjhdkshd my beloved <3

Currently Craving: a cinnamon roll?

Three ships:

Firstprince

Sterek

I used to write Larry so I guess that counts? skjdhsdjkh

First Ship: oh gosh, I think sterek, but also technically Eddie and Loren from a show called Hollywood Heights when I was in middle school skjdhkjshd

+

Second Set

Were You Named After Anyone?

yes! the story of Sarah in the Old Testament of the Bible! she was described as faithful, loving, caring, stubborn (ha), and loyal, and also ties into my adoption story :)

When Was The Last Time You Cried?

oh gosh, several days ago, I think? it was my birthday skhdkjshd (no further explanation needed)

Do You Have Kids?

I do not, although I am the certified and confirmed 'Mom Friend'

What Sport Do/Have You You Played?

no <3

Do You Use Sarcasm?

not typically unless it's with someone I am very comfortable with. I work in a lot of mental health conscious areas and am studying to be a therapist so I try not to use any type of humor that could be negatively interpreted!

What's The First Thing You Notice About Other People?

usually body language! I'd say I pick up on energy fairly well, so that too, if applicable.

What's Your Eye Color?

blue! (surprise I am Henry)

Scary Movies or Happy Endings?

cannot watch scary movies, I have far too much anxiety in general to have a need to induce it intentionally jshdkjhs. it doesn't have to be a happy ending though, so long as the theme/lessons are well done. I adore digging into films and picking apart all of the layers and symbolism, so anything with some emotional weight is right up my alley! but I enjoy a bit of everything :)

Any Talents?

I'm a photographer both as a job and as a hobby, and I work part time as a makeup artist as well! I enjoy writing in my free time (obviously) and I like painting and drawing, although I definitely wouldn't consider myself very talented in those areas skjdhksd. honestly anything creative I will try and probably enjoy!

Where Where You Born?

Texas (I am Alex actually)

What Are Your Hobbies?

I touched on it earlier but photography, makeup, reading/writing, anything creative and anything psych related pretty much!

Do You Have Any Pets?

I have three! all dogs, two chihuahuas and a dachshund :)

How Tall Are You?

5'5? (I have been telling people my entire life I'm 5'7 and at my last doctor's visit they informed me that I was a liar!)

Favorite Subject in School?

english and psych!

Dream Job?

any place I can help people. I would love to be involved in a cause larger than myself while also getting to do something I'm passionate about, so anything from an english teacher to an editor to a therapist to volunteer work!

+

open tag to anyone who would like to share! <3

xx

[everything-is-as-it-was]

Damn I just love my friends

I don't have many friends. But I love them. And I find it hard to tell them that so I'll just make a silly tumblr post about it.

I love the one who lives kinda far away and she talks waaay too loud but is always there to listen to me when I need to be listened to. She reminds me how valuable it is to try to be a better person each day.

I love the one who's leaving for college but is one of the funniest people I know. She reminds me to appreciate the small things in life, and that it's okay to take pride in your obsessions (*cough cough* Six of Crows, Young Royals, Call Me By Your Name Movie, etc) and that I'm not as crazy as I sometimes think.

I love the one who we constantly tease over having a late birthday, but she is so hardworking and puts her heart into everything she does. She has a lot going on at home but never fails to make anyone laugh or see the glass as half-full. She reminds me that you don't always have to take life seriously. Sometimes shit is just funny.

I love the one that seems quiet on the outside, but once you get to know her is so genuine and funny I'm jealous sometimes. I never fail to feel completely safe around her, a quality not many people possess. My dog also adores her so she automatically passed the vibe check.

I love the other one who is going off to college. She's pretty quiet, always under the guise of "I'm Tired," but one can still tell how much she cares from her actions. She fought to be able to induct me into this stupid theater thing at school, and her speech was one of the sweetest things someone has ever said about me. She came to the US as a young teenager and she reminds me every day that you don't have to be remarkable to be happy. I know that sounds like such a backhanded compliment and I don't mean it that way at all - but she helps remind me not to beat myself up for my failures because I owe nobody perfection. I don't know if that makes any sense, but I love her.

And my best friends.

One of them, whom I love, is the definition of a nerd. His whole family is made up of nerds, honestly, but it's one of the few places I feel completely safe. This guy puts his whole soul into things he absolutely does not need to, but he does it anyway because he enjoys devoting himself to everything he does. He caught covid last year and what did he do? He learned every single flag of every country on the planet, is what he did. He isn't perfect at it, but I have yet to find a flag he doesn't know. He learned Blender on his own, and has made really cool things with it. He creates, constantly. He is the only teenager I have ever heard of that actually enjoys shakespeare, and he is not shy about it. He could talk about any of his plays for days, and probably recite more than a couple monologues. He volunteers at the classical play theater in our area because he enjoys it. Honestly, I can't tell you the last time I gave him a proper hug, but I should, because I love him so much. So incredibly much. I hope we stay friends for many many many years.

And I love his twin sister. And calling her his twin sister really doesn't do her justice, because she's her own incredible person aside from her incredible brother. If he's the nerd of the family, she's the artist. She draws these incredible photorealistic pencil drawings, but can also paint like there's no tomorrow, but my favorite things are her sculptures. She made this house out of cardboard, painted it, gave it texture, cut out individual shingles for it, and made a dragon to go on top of it, Lord of the Rings style. The house even has a "stained glass" window and electricity. She spent hours upon hours laboring over this simply because she could. She decided her freshman year that she would begin pole vaulting, and now is damn good at it. Her buildings are always the best-looking on our collective minecraft server. She's a drummer and actually a really good actor although she's a techie at heart. And maybe I like her a little more and a little differently than I would ever admit to her, but that's okay. I value her friendship more than I do some silly feelings which will hopefully pass one day, because I love her so incredibly much, and with her, too, I hope to stay friends for many many many years.

I know not many people are actually going to read this and that's really not the point. I feel a little better just knowing my love for them is out into the world. I am trying to be a warmer, more genuine person. This is just one step closer to telling them just how much I love them. Because I love all of them very much.

[grimmswan]

Unexpected part 6

Unexpected Information

Grimm: Nick and Adalind

Nick Burkhardt is dealing with a broken heart after his girlfriend leaves him without word or warning. Adalind Schade is dealing with a broken heart after finding out the man she loved had been sleeping with her mother on the same day her mother was killed. When Adalind discovers she is pregnant, Nick volunteers to be there for her.

Nick received a call from his former neighbor, the nice old lady who lived next door to the old Victorian. "Nick, dear, my son and daughter in law are interested in buying your house, and were wondering if you were interested in selling it. I told them that you're hardly ever there. That since Juliette left, I've only ever seen you enter the house once a month, and you only ever stay a few minutes."

"I can't really do anything about the house until Juliette gets in touch with me. Her name is on the deed too. So her signature would be needed."

"Oh dear. I thought that she would have relinquished everything to you before she left. You know I saw her loading her things in her car. She took multiple trips, so I had time to ask her why she was leaving. I assumed the two of you has a fight. But what she said to me was so strange. She said that she was tired of being loved unconditionally. She was sick of not being able to say or do anything that would push you away. So now she had to be the bad guy in the relationship and end things. I asked her why she would want to end things. Do you know she actually said, because you're too perfect? Too loving, too kind, too devoted? Then she pointed to me and said, "And that is why I have to go. That look that everyone will be giving me because I broke up with the guy that everybody loves." Nick dear, it was then I realized that she must have been one of this bizarre people who need conflict and drama in their lives in order to be content. And if it doesn't happen naturally, they'll create it."

"I had no idea Juliette felt that way. I wished she would have come and talked to me about it."

"She knew you would have tried to fix things. But she wanted conflict. I know. My niece is similar. Nothing but drama in every relationship she's ever had. That's why she's been married and divorced three times before the age of thirty. I love her dearly, but I barely speak to her because she insists on filling the conversation with complaints about the man she is with, then complains that she is constantly being left. I once tried to give her advice, but she made it clear she didn't want it. That's how I knew not to try to dissuade Juliette from leaving without at least talking to you."

"Why didn't you tell me all of this before?"

"You were already hurting. I didn't want to add to it. But you seemed to have moved on. I was at the farmer's market the other day and I saw you with a pretty young lady. I was going to approach you, say hello, but the two of you seemed to be in your own little world. You were both smiling so brightly. I couldn't bare to intrude. It was wonderful seeing you happy again. I just wish Juliette had taken care of her responsibilities, so you could be free to move on."

When Nick told Adalind about the conversation he had with his former neighbor, she agreed. She didn't say it out loud, but she thought Juliette was a bitch for leaving Nick stuck with the house. She wasn't contributing anything to the mortgage or the taxes, but she would still be entitled to half of the proceeds if or when the house was sold.

Adalind decided to talk to her coworkers. There had to be some way to help Nick out of the mess Juliette had left him in.

[queerprayers]

hey, do you have any lent ideas? i’m not a very observant/emotionally spiritually engaged catholic at this point in my life. but i am mentally and culturally there. like i want to keep doing this tradition, even if i haven’t been to church in a while and don’t imagine taking myself for a long while.

however, i just don’t know what i can give up. i really don’t spend money on anything i don’t need, and taking away some of that from myself just seems cruel. limiting luxuries wouldn’t be noticeable. idk what to do!

much love <3

Hello, beloved! Great question!

If your life is already simple, especially if you don't have very much, you're right, taking away something that makes you happy would just be miserable. There's a lot of assumption that goes into Lent suggestions/guidelines, and one of those is that the person reading them is reasonably well-off, regularly has enough to eat, and has a lot of extra things/activities in their life. For so many of us, these things aren't true.

So let's take the focus away from punishing/limiting and find a practice that you can add/include in your life! Here are some ideas—and anyone's welcome to add their own suggestions in the replies.

Start a daily/almost-daily/whenever-you-can prayer practice! We got the rosary, prayer books, guided meditation, taking a walk in the woods, crying—all great ways to pray. (My prayer tag)

Start/come back to/continue reading the Bible! (My Bible tag)

Set aside a day of rest/prayer! You could look into the Jewish Sabbath tradition (note: we're researching & taking inspiration here, not appropriating specific practices), follow a more traditional Christian Sunday-is-the-Lord's-day practice, or create your own way to, once a week (or when you can), remember who you are, that work isn't everything, and that rest is God-ordained.

Start/continue a creative practice, like journaling, poetry, or art! Maybe start keeping a daily journal or write a poem every day. No perfectionism allowed, and no one ever has to see what you create—create for yourself and God. The Artist's Way is a book/practice that really helped me create a spiritual philosophy re: my art. It can be a bit self-help-y/cheesy at times, but it definitely introduced me to a new frame of mind. You can start with its creative affirmations.

Pick a book to read—there are many Lenten devotionals available, but it could be any theme/genre. My absolute favorite Lent book is queering lent by the poet slats, and this year I'm checking out O Beautiful Dust by RW Walker, which was just published by one of my friends!

Pick a subject to research! It doesn't have to be specifically religious—learning about anything can bring you closer to God and the created world. I've been learning a lot about Mary Magdalene recently.

Start/continue being politically active! Register to vote, call your local officials (see this website if in the US), attend a protest, join an organization, learn about an issue.

Volunteer! My favorite suggestion will always be your local library, but you can also look into food pantries, animal shelters, and children's programs. You can also volunteer for a variety of online projects here.

Reach out to someone you haven't talked to in a while—maybe someone you've harmed or has harmed you (if it's safe), or someone you accidentally never replied to, or someone you want to get closer to. God is love, and your relationship to God is bound up in your relationships with others.

Start/continue a physical practice, such as yoga. I always always will shout out Yoga With Adriene. (If you're not Indian, and especially if you're white, maybe check out Decolonizing Yoga as well.)

That's what I got for now. There's no pressure to reinvent your religious/spiritual life, and there are not have-to's when it comes to this season. However we get to Easter, we get there. Even if nothing at all about your life changes in the next forty days (+ Sundays), Easter will come. Memonto mori (remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return), memento vivere (remember that you are alive, and you will be resurrected).

<3 Johanna

[astcrfieldaway]

ᶜᵃˢˢᵃⁿᵈʳᵃ ᶜᵃⁱⁿ

✰ it’s time to wake up, CASSANDRA CAIN, you’ve been in cryosleep for too long and the people of DC COMICS miss you. when you went into slumber you were TWENTY FOUR years old, your pronouns are SHE/THEY, and you WERE VOLUNTEERED for the cambria program. now that you’ve awoken, your position as a SECURITY GUARD is waiting for you. remember, the cambria one thanks you! ( luna, teresa ting )

ⁱ ᵈᵒⁿ'ᵗ ᵏⁱˡˡ... ᵇᵘᵗ ⁱ ᵈᵒⁿ'ᵗ ˡᵒˢᵉ, ᵉⁱᵗʰᵉʳ

the basics;

NAME: Cassandra Cain

ALIAS(ES): Black Bat, Batgirl

AGE: 24

PRONOUNS & GENDER: she/they, demigirl

BIRTHDAY & ZODIAC: january 26, aquarious

FACECLAIM: Teresa Ting

AESTHETICS: striving for utter perfection, moving deftly through shadows, inability to accept failure, communicating through actions more than words, trying to be soft after a lifetime of violence, wrapped fists and ballet shoes, a symbol of a bat becoming your life meaning

a deeper look;

BACKGROUND: a mix of mostly pre-52 and some rebirth

WEAPONS: cass prefers to fight hand to hand, but still had a large array of weapons stashed on her person on arrival- throwing star batarangs, and a small taser being their favorites.

POWERS/ABILITIES/SKILLS: intuitive body language reading that allows her to predict a person’s next actions and read their emotions; mastery over the falling leaf technique- a nerve pinch martial art that allows her to temporarily paralyze an oponent’s limbs; “death” spotting that allows her to pinpoint a person’s weaknesses

GREATEST STRENGTH: cass is absolutely devoted to protecting people. they're incredibly determined and it's near impossible to sway her from those ideals.

GREATEST WEAKNESS/FLAW: although she trusts her family and allies implicitly, cass still has a hard time reaching out for help. it's their first instinct to deal with things on her own, even when help is obviously needed

ONE FEAR: not living up to her own expectations for herself

ONE HOPE: proving herself

HEADCANON(S):

-getting rid of the psychic being the one to teach her to understand language, instead they worked at that with a lot of help from their family. also nixing the weird brainwashed villain period under slade.

-extraordinarily talented ballerina. she didn't actually have the time to perform with gotham's troupe, but would do showcases. before her first, everyone thought it was a nepotism thing from bruce, but they were all quickly proved wrong.

the questionnaire;

How does your character feel about being dropped into the cambria program? Are they excited? Suspicious? Confused?

she's very good at rolling with the punches, but they was happy with their family and friends in gotham, so it's frustrating to be yanked away from all of that.

What does your character hope to see the most during the cambria one’s journey?

cass' heroing has mostly been confined to gotham, so they're excited to see the wide universe and observe all the strange new people around them.

If your character could bring one thing or person from home, what would it be?

her family; they helped shape her into who she is today, and she doesn't like to be without them

[padfootastic]

it honestly truly baffles me how people completely disregard the devotion sirius showed to james. like it was honest to god devotion. i fully belive if james asked sirius to give his life he would do it in a fucking heartbeat for him. and this is all canon! the biggest petpeeve is when people sideline the importance of james in sirius's life and he's this happy go lucky dude like nope. bruh it's right there him saying he ran to james and the potters after everything happened. they were both each other's everything you have to understand that.and it's fine by so many of the wolfstar , Jily and jegulus authors it's honestly insane. like do you think lily had a chance with james if she was ever rude to sirius. and jegulus as well like please if you think james will ever side against sirus. he took sirius's side in the whomping willow prank for god's sake!!!! and like why are so many remus characterizations just james characteristic passed over to remus. like one of the fics was sirus ran to the lupins after running away from home and please that's a quintessential james and sirius scene don't convert it to wolfstar. there's a reason why sirius went mad after James and Lily's death cause he realised what happened and he how he helped in their dismise by trusting the wrong people. IT'S LITERALLY CANON THAT JAMES WAS THE ONLY ONE EVER WHO COULD REIGN IN SIRIUS WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT.

also don't even get me started on molly Weasley's he's not james. ma'am we know and sirius sure as fuck knows cause i can bet whenever he closes his eyes he sees james dead behind his eyes

and like sirius was saying he's not a child!!! how did she infer that he was doing antics he would have done with james when he said this statement

we, as readers know that Harry's not a child anymore he legit saw a classmate(crush, rip bi!harry) die infront of his eyes. i don't agree with a lot of statements given by the terf but gof was the first blood and the loss of innocence and it was back to the grim reality and harry is right in the middle of it he is not a child babes, he can't be and you mollycoddling him doesn't help. and if he had known things since the beginning his 5th year wouldn't have been such a clusterfuck of tragedies.

sorry for the rant, would be belive if i said i had a few more ready to go waiting for the right moment. i love them so much your honour

okay no ash absolutely no apologies allowed in my inbox 🔪🔪 please feel free to rant anytime and about anything, i am absolutely fkn blessed right now. i cannot tell u how much i enjoyed reading this!!!

it is devotion! and james did ask him the next best thing to that—sirius volunteered to be the bait in a situation he didn’t need to be in 😭😭 no one would’ve suspected wormtail anyway, but he still added another layer of confusion by putting his entire life at risk. that’s so. fuck. i can’t even imagine.

no but i was literally talking about this with someone today??? if ur in the mood to be super emotional, lemme recap it. sirius probably built his self esteem & moral compass around james (because of his upbringing + unlearning, he has a very fragile self image ) and his affirmations probably go something like ‘jamie thinks i’m worth it, jamie believes in me, jamie loves me, he thinks i can do this’ and that’s also why he tries so fkn hard to be the best godfather he can—because he never ever wants to disappoint james (he did once, during the prank, and it still haunts him the way james looked at him—a ‘i thought u were better than this’ expression on his face). like he doesn’t trust himself but his belief in james is unshakeable. also whatever u do, dont think about sirius trying to say these, over and over again to himself, in azkaban and failing because james isn’t here and it’s his fault and he can’t even do one thing right

and oh man, i was literally thinking about that lily thing today, there’s a line in shovel talk that’s basically lily saying she’s going on the date with james and sirius can’t do anything about it and he just looks at her in pity. because you know if he’d ever made his distaste known, james would’ve dropped the whole thing so fast.

yes yes yes!! james could rein sirius in but more importantly, sirius was the only one who could do the same for james. the boy’s head was too big for anyone but S to handle because he was a precious mix of arrogance and sensitivity (thanks effie & flea) and needed to be told things a certain way so he didn’t internalise them and form a complex and only sirius could do it perfectly.

i’m not even gonna touch molly weasley because she annoys me sm and i’ve ranted enough lol (there’s a reason why i have so many ootp era fics 💀)

[asperitasnixe]

✶

UPG - Hlín, the brave

In spending time in the lovely company of lady Sjofn, these are the things I've experienced and learned. Of course, keep in mind these are all pure UPG, as our attestations of her are very scarse. Still, we have amazing Ásynjur in the Norse pantheon, who unfortunately we know very little about, and thus need to rely on modern hands-on experiences. I hope to contribute to the conversation by sharing my personal experiences.

HLÍN

Overview: Lady Hlín is a very well balanced goddess, she defends those under her care with fierce strength, but she knows she can't save everyone. She knows that grief is an inherent part of life, but also knows that just because it's unavoidable, doesn't mean it's not painful. She's the kind of goddess who would help you put to rest an older version of you that is no longer aligned with your highest good, and also hold space for you to grieve that past self, because she understands that changes are a form of death and can be very disturbing, even if they're positive ones. She is mostly cheerful or chill, but knows to be solemn and serious when situation requires. Very interested in the transient character of everything: good and bad.

Suggested Domain: Protection and grief.

Colors: Navy blue, burgundy, deep purple, black.

Runes: Isa, Dagaz, Sowilo.

Tarot: Queen of Swords, 5 of Cups, Death..

Crystal: Obsidian, onyx, malachite.

Other elements: Dark roses, veils, shawls, white mug with coffee, jazz, white dove, ocean, ocean waves, thorns, jasmine, funeral pyre, armor, spears.

Offerings: Jasmine tea, black or purple candles, prayer, eulogies, soul cakes.

Devotional Acts: Observing the transient character of everything, holding space to grieve versions of yourself who had to be left behind or could never develop, being a kind listener to those in mourning, veiling, practicing self protection measures (magical and mundane), martial arts, allowing yourself to feel a full range of emotions (including painful ones), learning first aid measures, taking up a course in grief counselling, praying for the deceased (known and unknown), volunteering to help clean graves.

Other Resources: ✶link 01 |✶ link 02 | Circle of Frith - Maire Durkan.

These were the result of meditation, blóts, tarot readings and rune readings. Other resources lead to the UPG of Linda Demissy and Maire Durkan, who wrote books about the Handmaidens.

[bill-y]

𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐑𝐄

Peeta Mellark x male reader

[ We all know who Katniss Everdeen is, but what if Primrose hadn’t been chosen but another boy from another unfortunate family? YOUR family. ]

Info: This is basically a reader insert and I’ve changed a few rules, not ground breaking though. The reader is a bit bland for now but I plan for his actions to be different. Because he has different moral grounds from Katniss and such. Would appreciate feedback! FEEL FREE TO POINT OUT TYPOS. GRAMMARLY SOMETIMES DOESN’T DO MY DYSLEXIC ASS JUSTICE

Part three: Click this, Rumtumtugger.

Part four: you're here, jennyanydots

Part five: Clicky dicky here, buddy

Wattpad account: L0calxDumbass

Those words left my mouth without much thought. I wasn't thinking of the damned consequences at the moment.

Behind me was Kunal, an iron grip on my leg, bawling his eyes out. "Y/N! NO! NO! YOU CAN'T GO!" he pleaded, his cries getting louder by the second. 

My hand ruffled his strawberry blonde hair, messing it up. "Let go, Nal," I said in the calmest tone I could muster. He shook his head, tears running down his cheeks, I cleared my dry throat, gulping down nothing. My mouth was dry as if I just ate a handful of salt, which was honestly a luxury.

My face remained stoic, the moment I show a sign of distress I know the people in the Capitol would eat it up like good bread. It entertains them, our suffering entertains them. 

His hands slipped from my leg, gripping on my pants before he was finally taken away from me. "Up you go, Owl eyes," said Gale, his voice trying hard to remain steady. Beside him was Katniss, who was holding Kunal by the shoulders. She nodded, "Good luck, Y/n,"

I nodded, before looking back at the temporary stage. "Oh well, Bravo!" Effie exclaimed. "That's the spirit of the games!"

She was thrilled, finally seeing some action from this district. It made a pit in my stomach, I clenched my jaw. If only the roles were reversed, Capitol people fighting for their lives instead of us.

Oh, how funny that would be.

I strode to the stage, trying my best to look collected. The foreboding feeling in my stomach only grew with each step I took, my hands sweating as if they've just been dipped into water once I finally took my place.

"Do tell us your name," Effie said, her grin widening as she nodded, encouraging me to talk. It took all the will power I had to not strangle her.

"Y/n Greyback," I replied dryly, hoping it would set her off.

“I bet my buttons that was your brother. Don’t want him to steal all the glory, do we? Come on, everybody! Let’s give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!” she trilled, making me clench my fists.

Her words were met with silence. No one clapped, not a noise can be heard. Even the ones who would usually bet on who would wound up as a tribute didn't do anything.

I held back a smile, a surge of hope flowing through me. This was the most rebellious thing they could do without getting punishment of any sort. Silence.

Silence doesn't mean fear or that we're cowards. It meant that we do not accept this, we do not condone.

Just as my father always said, one does not need to shout to make a change.

The next thing that happened was even more of a surprise. Maybe it was because I was a son of a "rebel", maybe they pitied my family or maybe it was because I talked to the mayor's daughter.

Just one, then two, then a group almost all of the crowd put the three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and held it out to me. It is an old and rarely used gesture of our district, occasionally seen at funerals. It means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love.

My tense hands relaxed a sense of calm washing over me. We were united in a strange way, something I thought would only happen in my dreams.

"Look at him! Look at this one!" Hollered Haymitch, throwing an arm around my shoulder. His arm was quite heavy, understandable, he's a wreck. "I like him!"

The scent of alcohol from his breath was strong, or maybe he just smelled of alcohol. "Lots of. . ." He paused, trying to think of a word.

I cringed as he slightly swayed around, trying my best to not touch him. "Spunk!" he declared triumphantly. "More than you!"

He released me, staggering to the front of the stage. "More than you!" He declared once more, pointing towards the camera.

Was he talking to the audience? Or maybe he was addressing the Capitol. I wish it's the latter, that would be funny.

Just as he opened his mouth to continue, he fell down the stage, knocking himself unconscious in the process. I snickered slightly, my face scrunching up right after.

Thankfully, the cameras were all pointed towards him, watching as they whisked him away into a stretcher. I took this moment to glare back into the distance, watching the scenery.

There was the hill that me, Katniss and Gale were just at. It looked so peaceful, contrary to my day.

"What an exciting day!" Effie warbled, trying to fix her tilted wig. It looked ridiculous. Why would Capitol people, no, why would anyone wear that?

It looks ugly, like a beaten up squirrel. Though I'd be lying if I said it wasn't eye-catching, though, beaten up squirrels are also eye-catching. “But more excitement to come! It’s time to choose our next tribute!” she continued, putting one hand to the second bowl.

Her fingertips grab the first slip it encounters. I hoped it wasn't Gale or Katniss. I didn't want to kill them, not that I'd ever stand a chance.

Katniss was extremely skilled with the bow, she could probably shoot my head from miles away. Gale, on the other hand, was strong, compared to him, I had the strength of a broken twig.

"Peeta Mellark," She read. Oh no. Why him? Of all the people in this district. His father just "introduced" me to him this morning, not just that, I knew him.

I watched him make his way up the stage, I had a clear look at him this time. He had a stocky build, medium height,  ashy blonde hair that falls in waves over his forehead. The shock of the situation registered on his face, though you could tell that he was alarmed by the way his blue eyes looked.

Like a prey knowing it'd be hunted.

Despite this, he still manages to climb up the small flight of stairs calmly.

Effie Trinket then asked for volunteers, but no one spoke up. He has two older brothers, I've seen them. But one is probably too old to volunteer, and the other just wouldn't. This was standard family devotion, what I'd done was a radical thing.

The mayor began to say the same old words he always says every reaping day. I couldn't help but think, why him?

I remember it all too well, that day, it was raining up a storm, the wind was howling. My mother and my brother were left at home, I was tasked to find food for us since my mother couldn't bear to show her face to the district.

How could she? Her husband has been executed for rebellion against the Capitol. One of the peacekeepers found weapons under his possession and he was killed. He managed to convince them to spare us, though sometimes I wished it hadn't worked.

Within a week of his death, we began to lose money, and therefore, food. Nobody wanted to help us, nobody wanted to associate with the family of a tyrant.

Shame, the family name bared shame. My mother didn't have the gall to go out and sell any of my father's things, my brother was too young to even understand what was going on.

I was angry. How could they have just taken everything away from us that easy? Who gave them the right to do that?

But at that moment, I couldn't afford to sit still and wallow in my resentment. That was a luxury I couldn't afford. not many could afford it either.

Starvation was a fairly common thing in district 12, though the amount of covering up the peacekeepers do no one a favour and fools no one.

There I was, a boy who wasn't even old enough to be registered into the pile walking around in the harsh weather, stripped away from my dignity and whatever money we had.

I found myself in the Mellark's bakery, being told off by the baker's wife, who was tired of having brats from the Seam paw through her trash. I would've screamed back then, but I didn't want the Peacekeepers called on me.

So I left without another word, sitting at a tree for some sort of cover from the harsh rain.  I remember the snorts of the pigs beside me, and that was when I realized I'm no better than cattle; the people of Panim were no better than cattle.

My knees buckles as I collapsed onto the wet grass, shuddering from the cold and the harsh reality. Maybe I had gone insane then, but I vaguely remember talking to the pigs, ranting to them.

They didn't listen, they were too busy rolling in the mud. Looking back, I find this extremely funny, but maybe that's because I don't want to pity myself.

I didn't even notice a boy until the pigs actually rose to eat the pieces of bread thrown at them. I stared at him for a long while, mainly because of the burnt bread, the crust was scorched black.

But a red mark on his cheekbone caught my attention. Had they hit him for burning the bread? My parents have never hit me, I couldn't even imagine what that would feel like.

He took one look at the bakery as if checking if the coast was clear before he turned back to the pigs. Though instead of feeding the pigs he tossed the loaves of bread to me.

I watched him walk towards the bakery and closing the kitchen door tightly behind him. All I could do was stay silent, before shoving them up to my shirt, muttering a broken thank you as I ran home.

The loaves had cooled by the time I got home, but that didn't matter. We had something to eat. Mother looked at me, relieved I didn't die. She hugged me, apologizing.

I didn't care though, we had food, that's what's important.

And for the first time in weeks, we had a proper meal.

I was thankful, the fact that he'd probably burnt the bread on purpose never occurred to me until I crawled onto the bed, staring at the wooden ceiling. An act of kindness, someone still cared.

It was as if spring came overnight, fluffy clouds, blue sky, the warm sweet air. At school, we would always catch each other's gazes. I felt a tad bit bad, his cheek was swollen and his eye had blackened.

I couldn't come up to say thank you, instead, I watched him from a distance, contemplating whether I should. When I went to fetch Nal, out eyes met once more, I was about to mouth a thank you until Nal tugged my shirt.

He handed me a dandelion. He's always loved flowers. His love for it made me realize how I would get the food we needed. All that time I and my father spent in the forest won't be for nothing.

To this day, I still feel as if I owe my family's life to him. I had honestly given up, but he gave me something. Peeta Mellark, the boy who gave me bread and the dandelion, both gave me hope.

Maybe if I had said thank you all those years ago I wouldn't be feeling so guilty now. I could always say it but something about thanking him whilst I'm practically holding a knife against his throat seems dishonest.

The mayor finished his speech, telling us to shake hands. His were as warm and firm as those loaves of bread. He squeezed me as if reassuring me. Or maybe those were just nervous spasms.

We turn back to the crowd as the anthem of Panem plays.

There are twenty-four of us fighting in that arena, as grim as it is, let's just hope someone kills him before I'm forced to. I don't wanna kill the reason I've survived all those years.

Word count: 2026

Tags:

@nin3s

Sorry for the late update my exams are next week and im rushing to finish my requirements at school. :"

[eretzyisrael]

Lama Al-Manar, 36, doesn't remember what she put into the small bag she was carrying when she stepped into a Red Crescent ambulance, other than medical documents. She doesn't remember the last words her husband, who was riding with her, said to her before they separated at the Erez crossing. She doesn't know whether he followed them with his gaze when she walked toward the crossing and passed from the Gaza Strip to Israel, where a Magen David Adom ambulance was waiting for her.

From the moment she left Shifa Hospital that afternoon, until she arrived at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer some five hours later, Lima's eyes never left the incubator that was holding her son, Abdullah, 2.5 months old, whose tiny body was receiving oxygen.

She also wouldn't have remembered what day it was if they hadn't explained how lucky she had been. It was Monday, May 10, 2021, the day on which Operation Guardian of the Walls against Hamas infrastructure in Gaza began. The ambulance that brought her and her son to Israel was the last allowed through Erez crossing before it was closed for 13 days.

Three children are waiting for her at home. Two years ago, she gave birth to a stillborn child, and when she became pregnant for the fifth time, she was eager for the new baby to bring joy back to the home. But Abdullah was born two months prematurely with a complicated heart defect and Lamaand her husband realized they would need to fight for his life.

"I was afraid. His condition wasn't good," Lama says. "He lost weight, and his breathing and other parameters slowed. I prayed to God to heal him. To fight for his little life. A doctor at Shifa Hospital recommended that we send him to Israel for treatment. My husband reached out to the Shevet Achim organization to help us get him there."

Thursday afternoon, the 11th day of the Gaza campaign. The radio reports a rocket alert in Ashkelon, and then a direct hit on a residential building. We arrive at the parking structure attached to the labor ward at Sheba Medical Center, which is next to the Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital. The children's ICU was transferred here on the fifth day of the fighting for fear of rocket hits.

We go down one floor. After walking through the gray halls lined with oxygen tanks at the ready, we encounter a colorful sign decorated with a drawing of a sun and a kite: "Protected Children's ICU." Reality stays outside. In the parking structure, which was filled with cars the previous week, there are 40 small beds. Each one takes up two parking places, and holds a small baby who is hooked up to medical equipment. Nearby is a treatment station, a computer, and a lounge chair for adults.

The beds are separated by flowered curtains that were hung on the metal pipes that line the parking garage's ceiling. No one closes the curtains. There are also hanging screens that are attached to monitors that fill the space with dim beeping.

In the center of the improvised unit are a dialysis cart and another cart that holds equipment for chest drainage. Sometimes, a baby's cry can be heard. It is weak, and starts and stops quickly.

Over bed No. 26 a sign reads: "Abdullah Al-Manar. Date of birth: Feb. 26, 2021. Weight: 1.6 kg (3.52 pounds)." Lamasits on the chair and watches Shani, the nurse, take off Abdullah's cloth diaper, exposing a large incision that runs from his chest to his belly. Shani changes the dressing, rubs cream on it, puts his medicine into the IV bag attached to his small arm, and covers him gently.

In the next bed lies three-month-old Rana, who is recovering from her third open heart surgery, which she underwent two days earlier. On the left is Yazen, a month old, who had a catheterization.

Dr. Evyatar Hubara, 43, a senior doctor on the unit, moves from bed to bed. He slept three hours the night before due to the number of cases.

"The three children from Gaza suffer from complicated heart defects," Hubara explains. "They came to us in serious condition, among other reasons because it took time from when the problem was diagnosed in Gaza until their transfer to us could be coordinated, all the permits received, and that's without changing ambulances at Erez and the bumpy journey. Right now, all three are in an acute stage. We still haven't gotten to the rehabilitation state, which will begin here and continue in Gaza," he says.

Hubara stops by Abdullah's bed and looks at him warmly. "Abdullah was born prematurely and was incorrectly diagnosed in Gaza. The doctors … performed the wrong operation on him when he was two months old. A week after the operation, he began to decline, and a week after that he reached us. In the first few hours we needed to stabilize him and keep his blood pressure steady with medication.

"We started to look into the problem. We did an MRI and other tests. Before every stage, we explained to his mother what we were going to do. She trusted us from the beginning. After we stabilized him, we found that the true defect he was suffering from was an aortic valve stenosis. It turned out that in Gaza they had tried to close the ductus, but closed one of the main arteries by mistake.

"In the insane Israeli reality, we had to protect ourselves against rockets from Gaza along with the babies who come from here," he says.

"I remember one siren that caught me on the unit, before we moved to the parking structure. All the mothers, Jewish and Arab, just grabbed their babies – the ones that weren't hooked up to machines – and ran to a safe space. I shouted, 'We have time, 90 seconds, go slowly so you won't fall with the kids.' Everyone gathered around in the safe space. Staff members and patients, Jews and Arabs together. The shocking sight of the mothers who ran there with their babies doesn't leave me," Hubara recalls. Not all the mothers were able to take their babies to a safe space. Abdullah, Rana, and Yazen, as well as another 12 Israeli babies, are on respiratory equipment, and they were unprotected during the first rocket alerts. This is why the hospital administration decided to move the entire department from the sixth floor to the underground parking garage. Here, the sirens can't even be heard.

We go with Lama, Raida, and Samira into the staff room, located at the exit. The room has a big refrigerator full of popsicles donated to the children and the staff who care for them. Every few minutes, a parent or a staff member comes in and takes one.

About a year ago, when the COVID pandemic was still raging in Israel, a COVID unit opened in this same parking structure to ease the mass of patients that was overwhelming the hospitals. That event seems like ancient history, and the only thing that remains of it are the letters of thanks stuck to the door. It seems as if this is the last place in the country where people are careful to wear masks, and wear them properly.

The three Gaza women are embarrassed. They aren't used to being interviewed. All three are wearing abayas, long dresses that include head coverings, as well as hijabs and surgical masks. Since they arrived in Israel, they have been sleeping here, on the unit, in the recliner chairs next to their children's beds. They are also given meals. Once every few days, they allow themselves to go upstairs and shower. None of them speaks any language other than Arabic, with the exception of a few words of Hebrew or English. Moshe Ravid, 26, a nursing student from Jaffa and a volunteer with the Shevet Achim organization, translates.

Raida (Umm Ahmad), 48, is from Khan Younis. She is Rana's grandmother, a housewife and mother of six.

"My daughter-in-law, Rana's mother, came to Israel with her in February, two weeks after she was born," she says. "After two weeks, she was tired and not feeling well. Because she has a four-year-old at home, she called me and asked me to switch with her. She went back to Gaza, and since then, I've been here. Three months already. This is my first time in Israel."

Q: Were you afraid?

"No, why should I be afraid? My husband worked in Bat Yam for 20 years. Every day, he went from Gaza to Bat Yam, until the disengagement in 2005. After that, he found work in Gaza. He told me that there are good people in Israel, that everyone here is all right."

Abdullah's mother Lama, 36, is wearing a brown abaya accessorized with a shining silver star. Her smartphone has a pink cover. She works in a laboratory, and her husband is a producer for Palestinian television in Gaza. She has two other sons, 11 and six, at home, as well as a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

"My mother had cancer. She went to Israel to be treated, and recovered," Lama says. "She told me that everything is good here. When Abdullah's condition got worse, the doctor recommended that we come to Israel. My husband reached out to Shevet Achim. Now he and my mother are watching the three other kids at home."

Q: What do you tell your families about what is happening here?

Lama: "They're afraid for us, and we're afraid for them. When they call to hear how we are, I answer, 'Al Hamdullah,' so they won't be scared and worry, and when I call to ask how they are, they say the same thing. We talk about the boy, how he ate, how much he ate, how much he slept. "I tell them that the doctors here are good, that they treat us well, answer all our questions. I tell them that the food is excellent, that the women have nice clothes, about their hairstyles. I like the fashion in Israel, and the grilled chicken breast and salad they serve at the hospital."

Raida: "The medical staff thinks only about the children – whether their condition has improved, what they ate, how they slept. We sit next to their beds, don't know how they'll be from one moment to the next, whether they'll get better at all."

Q: Do they send you pictures of the strikes on Gaza?

"They send me pictures of the special Ramadan sweets," Raida answers, with a smile.

Samira, 62, is the grandmother of Yazen, who is only a month old. "I have nine grown children, and my son has four children other than Yazen. Their mother needs to take care of them, so they asked me to accompany the child. At home, when we talk about Israel, we only talk about the medical treatment we want to get here."

Moshe, the translator, tells them in Arabic not to be frightened, that they can speak freely. They all answer at once: "We aren't afraid, we're speaking honestly. Everyone wants peace. We want it to be all right."

Samira: "Inshallah, things will calm down. We aren't dealing with politics."

Q: What did you do when people in Gaza fired rockets toward this area?

Raida: "What everyone else did. The nurses took us to a safe place. The babies stayed on the unit, hooked up to respirators. I was worried about them, that they were alone, but everyone calmed us down, said that it would all be fine."

Lama: "We tried to talk to the other people in the safe area, without understanding one another. Everyone wants to know how the other's child is doing. He's sorry about my son, and I'm sorry about his."

Q: Did your families leave their homes because of the airstrikes?

Raida: "No. Everyone is in his own home."

Q: Are any of your family members involved in the fighting?

All three shake their heads, no. "Not everyone in Gaza enlists in the army," Raida says. "My husband worked in Israel. Half of Gaza used to work in Israel. You must have seen the workers who would come from Gaza."

Samira: "My father and my husband used to work in Israel."

Q: When are you going home?

Raida's eyes fill with tears. "Rana's chest is still open from the last surgery. I'm sitting with you and laughing, but my heart is crying. So I'm telling you that my every thought is for the baby. That's our situation."

Lama: "Today, Dr. Evytar said that Abdullah has an infection in his right lung, which was good. Until now he had one in his left lung. I hope it works out. I'll go back to Gaza when he gets better, but I don't know when."

Hospital Director Dr. Itai Pessach says that every year, the center treats about 500 children from Gaza and another 2,700 children from the Palestinian Authority. "They range in age from a week to 18. Some of the children arrive through the Shevet Achim organization, and others through our own coordinator."

"During the last military operation, our doctor colleagues in Gaza reached out to us about children in serious condition, and we fought to bring them to Israel during the operation. Unfortunately, we didn't succeed, and that's very sad. I'm happy we're getting back to normal," Pessach says.

According to Pessach, "we don't see any difference between a child who comes from Gaza, Nablus, or Tiberias. Our treatment looks at all the child's needs, including emotional needs and school work at the school that operates on the hospital grounds. A year ago, a nine-year-old boy with cancer arrived from Gaza who didn't know how to read and write. He returned to Gaza last month, after a year-long hospitalization, healthy and knowing how to read and write in Hebrew, Arabic, and even English."

Q: How did the patients respond to this during the Gaza fighting?

"A family from Gaza arrived two days before the operation started, and we diagnosed their son with a rare disease, one that only seven children in Israel have. By chance, two rooms away there was a Haredi family with a child who had been diagnosed with the same disease two months ago. While the rockets were falling, the Haredi mother insisted on meeting the mother from Gaza and teaching her everything she knew about the disease and how to treat it."

"There is a truly shared fate here. They feel that they're fighting against something bigger than rockets. To get better, a patient needs to feel secure, and that's what we're doing. A hospital is a home for all the patients.

"I'm happy to say that the external tensions didn't creep into the work. There was no tension between the staff and the patients. The good of the patient always comes before everything else. Even at administration meetings – everyone put aside their own political views and we managed to provide a quality medical response and protect the safety of the staff and patients," Pessach says.

The funding for the Gaza children's treatment comes mainly from donors – mostly American Christians, and some Israelis.

"Saving the life of the child is an entire world," says Jonathan Miles, founder of Shevet Achim. Miles arrive in Israel from the US in the 1990s, as a journalist, and started to volunteer with the group Christian Friends of Israel.

"We welcomed Russian immigrants to Israel. We wanted them to understand that the Jewish people have friends in the world. One day a mother from Ukraine whose child's life was in danger came to me. She had no money for medical treatment, and she begged me to help. I started raising money to help him. Wizo helped a lot, as did other people, both Jews and Christians.

"After that, I heard about sick babies in Gaza, and in 1994 I founded the organization. We bring children from Muslim states to Israel for treatment."

Amar Shami, 32, who coordinates the transfer of children from Gaza to Israel for Shevet Achim, lives in Jerusalem.

"The families who go back to Gaza tell each other about the treatment in Israel," he says. "One mother tells another. When the child has a problem, they reach out to me. Sometimes the doctors reach out directly." Q: What goes through your mind while you're busy providing treatment and rockets are flying outside?

"Inside the hospital, we detach. We only want to help them. When you go out you realize that reality is different. We hope that when the families from Gaza go home, they will sort of be our emissaries, say good things about Israel."

The night that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect, Rana's heart stopped beating, despite the doctors' best efforts. Her grandmother, Raida, left the hospital weeping. She was driven to a Shevet Achim apartment in Jaffa. When Erez crossing opened, she returned to Gaza with Rana's coffin.

[datingdonovan]

I hope the thing about the mbti personality and why the relationship ends are still open!

I'm INTP and all my relationship ended because of my insecurities of my personality and body (I'm a bit chubby...)

Thank u very much if you do it and merry Christmas!! ^^

a/n: omg these were actually closed but you were miraculously the only person to request after the deadline so let's do it :)!! I hope you enjoy and have a very merry Christmas as well!!! p.s. im sure you are amazing :) ive found that so often we're our biggest critics when really very few people are noticing the things about us that we have glaring insecurities about!

ok ok ok so I know you've been hesitant to start dating again after the last few times, but I swear I've got somebody you might like. this is such a funny thing to say, but I met him because he was teaching one of my pe classes? I guess he has to volunteer as part of some club or maybe a class he's taking or something??? I have no clue, I barely know the guy. anyway, his name's... iwaizumi

ok so whatever the reason he's doing this phys ed teaching thing, like he is REALLY good at it. I swear he's so so sweet and understanding with people like don't get me wrong he's a really intense teacher and pushes us so HARD but like, he totally knows everyone's limits and knows how to get people out of their comfort zones in a way that's not too aggressive?? I for one am terrible at doing the different poses omg but like, he's so gentle when he corrects you and his goal is never to make you feel bad about not doing it right, it's to help you in whatever way he can. truly this guy kinda has the patience of a saint and is so kind to every body, which is really funny because you wouldn't initially expect it. I feel like he can come across as super gruff, and he has some friends in the class who seem like they're taking it just to goof off and make his job harder hahhahaa and with them he has a SUPER short fuse haha :) but with everyone else he's such a good calm teacher who like, seems very serious about what he does despite the fact that this is literally a pe class we have to take to graduate hahaha. yeah I get this sense that since he has this tough exterior he wouldn't be phased by much even if you were a little bit bad at feelings or communication, and honestly he might act out of turn sometimes too like he does with his friends hahaha but on the whole he seems really very chill and like, he probably doesn't want to have drama in the relationship like I feel like you two could be really honest with each other and not worry too much about if it hurt to hear something, because the goal is always to just be better together :) I feel like he's really very supportive in his own quiet, kinda stern way, maybe not the most typical doting boyfriend hahaha but he's extremely aware of what people need and he really seems devoted to helping them achieve their goals, and I just think he would be so supportive of YOU and totally encourage you always to love yourself and be confident. omg he would also LOVE you I mean are you kidding he would think you're so smart and snarky and fun!! I feel like he would be so in awe of your quippy energy omg!! and I feel like the fact that you're both sort of on the quieter, more reserved, maybe a little less feelsy side would make you this intense cool couple that like, is sort of a mystery to everyone else like you'd both be so attractive and cool and you'd also get up to some wacky shenanigans but the two of you together at home on the couch is like, so chill and intimate in a totally different way that no one sees. ugh literally everyone is swooning over his muscles in this phys ed class but I can just see him only having eyes for you, covering you in kisses omggg... I swear. before the end of the term, im gonna try to get his number for you... but. like, in the least awkward way possible

[theworldsoul]

Uhh warning VENT!!! Talks about self harm and shit... also religious bullshit and gender bullshit??? Like I'm really trans and also Catholicism really fucked me up so if ur uncomfy with that just... skip this post. Also if ur Christian and can't handle seeing ur shit defaced then skip this post. Also if ur gonna clown on this post as "cringe atheism" then fuck you because I'm literally coping with pain lol

:readmore:

Anways now that the disclaimer is over... here comes the real shit.

I... have been going through a LOT lately, jesus christ. I was HAPPY today, yknow? I thought I was gonna be happy the whole day.

I was dancing today. That's how happy I was. For the first time in like... a whole year... I was really so happy. I thought I was gonna cry. But then I got home. And well,,,, I did cry. But not from happiness. I just got my math grade back. A fucking 49 percent. MY AVERAGE RIGHT NOW IS A 57 PERCENT. I MIGHT FAIL MATH 20. I MIGHT HAVE TO RETAKE IT. oh my god I'm such a failure I cant do anything ever i try SO fucking hard but honestly??? I cant fucking do this. I can't, I'm not mentally capable. "Just work harder"... BITCH I AM WORKING AS HARD AS I CAN. I AM SPENDING HOURS AND HOURS OF MY LIFE STUDYING AND PRACTICING. I'm starting to think that how hard i try doesn't even fucking matter because I'm STUPID and all i know how to do is PAINT SHIT!!!! NOBODY CARES ABOUT ART!!!! IF I FAIL THIS CLASS I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE A HOUSE IN THE FUTURE!!!! A HOUSE!!!!!

I dont even want to be a fucking orthodontist. Okay??? I wanna do what I love: painting. But NOOOO. I have to get a "respectable" job that will "pay me enough money to live". WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO MAKE MONEY TO LIVE??? WTF??? THATS LITERALLY SO FUCKED UP. everyone deserves to live (unless they like murdered someone? I guess? Idk) BUT LIKE I DIDNT KILL NO ONE SO WHATS ALL THIS BS ABOUT WORKING TO LIVE???? WTF??? I rly gotta do all this shit I hate, all this shit I'm mentally incapable of doing... so i can have a house. Fuck this. Yknow with my average at a 57... I might fail this class even if I get a really good grade on my next quiz. Can you fucking believe it??? I'm literally so fucking stupid I cant even pass a dumb fucking math class god i hate myself. I cant fail this class. I've NEVER failed a class. Almost failed... but never HAD TO RETAKE A CLASS. that's the ultimate failure. I think my parents would hate me if I failed this.

And on top of that... I'm really struggling with uhhh, dysphoria and body image... and it's so fucking horrible man I want to rip all my skin off I want to suffocate god I want to KILL him I want to MAKE HIM SUFFER. I want to gouge his eyes out and force him to eat them. WHY WOULD HE MAKE ME LIKE THIS????? WHY????? WHATS THE POINT IN MAKING A CHILD SUFFER SO MUCH???

What did I ever do that was so wrong I deserved all this punishment???

Well FUCK YOU and fuck your stupid book and FUCK THESE STUPID FUCKING SAINTS. WASNT THERE SUPPOSED TO BE A WHOLEASS ANGEL WATCHING OVER ME?? PROTECTING ME??? WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT BITCH NOW?? WHERE WAS THAT BITCH WHEN... when I was being bullied? When I literally wanted to kill myself?

Where was that guardian angel when I kept making THE SAME MISTAKE over and over again and I KNEW it was wrong but I kept doing it anyways because it was the only way I could feel like soemone cared about me????

I bet that angel motherufcker KNEW they didnt care. DID THE ANGEL EVER ONCE HELP ME??? NOOOO. all those times I was bruised and broken... all those times...

Man, I was just a kid. I was SO fucking young. And I would come like a lamb to the slaughter and kneel. I would pray... ask for guidance. I would pray the rosary too, I would read the bible and try my very best to understand it, I would go to church and volunteer at church and do my best to be a Good Boy and never sin. I did EVERYTHING right. I literally fasted at some point, like a religious fast. I was devoted...

Honestly though? I think it was the same mistake I make over and over again, except not with a real person.

And you have me NOTHING. GO GIRL, GIVE US NOTHING!!!!!!! I literally used to self-punish for the sins I couldnt bring myself to confess. At my communion, there was one sin I didn't tell because I knew it was unforgivable. I still hate myself for that. But man, I used to try and do all sorts of things to somehow cleanse myself of it. I figured THAT whole ordeal was why I was constantly being tortured.

But I was stupid and I am stupid and that makes NO SENSE because if the thing I'm being punished for happened when I was a child, WHY DID THE PUNISHMENT BEGIN AT MY BIRTH????

They used to tell me that god handcrafted every part of me specifically for some sort of grand reason.

Why.

Really? This bitch really "handcrafted" me just so I could cry and cut myself nearly every night??? Fuck that. Like why would you make me this way. It hurts more than you can IMAGINE. The only reason I'm not dead yet is because of ME, MY strength, not any of the bullshit YOU gave me. I hate when people say "oh, god made u so hardworking" or "oh, god made you so passionate/hopeful/full of love/fiery/whatever" LIKE STFU BITCH THAT WAS NOT SKYDADDY THAT WAS ME!!!

you wanna know what he made me?

dysphoric, ugly af, yeah.... but the worst part?

He made me feel.

That doesn't sound bad, right? Well it's the worst thing on the list. It is my downfall, my Achilles heel or whatever. This emotions shit??? It RUINED my life. My whole life I was cursed with a fucking monster inside me. I kept trying to tell everyone that it wasnt me!!! I kept telling them that it felt like I was being possessed. But adults are SHIT. I hate adults. I want to kill them all. They failed me and their god failed me. None of them every listened to me. All they knew how to do was punish, punish, punish.

It's like giving an allergic kid some peanuts and then getting angry at them for going into anaphylactic shock or whatever. Nobody ever thought "hey, why don't we stop giving the kid peanuts?"

ALL THE ADULTS AROUND ME ACT LIKE CHILDREN AND THEY ALWAYS HAVE ACTED LIKE CHILDREN FUCK ADULTS

Anwyays that's how I ended up with all these unresolved issues,.... emotion is a tough one, like I literally dont have the ability to control my emotions at all, I can try and like, repress them but I cant make myself actually feel less.

My emotion hurts more than anyone else's and nobody ever understood that. I would tell them that it hurts, it PHYSICALLY HURTS, and they would say I just wanted attention. I would tell them I literally couldnt control what my body said and did, I would tell them I felt like A PUPPET ON STRINGS and no one believed me. Fuck them.

Healthy coping mechanisms? I literally self ship with Snape to cope. I literally self ship with characters my brain made up and put in my dreams to cope. I used to hurt myself so much trying to feel loved and cared about irl. Fiction is so much better. I sound like a loser but its TRUE. The sort of thing I need, the sort of love I need is like... a parent. You can't go looking for a parent in a romantic partner, it fucks everything up and you end up... well, let's just say it proabbly wasnt the most legal thing, but I wasnt thinking strisght at all I mean dude I was So fucked in my head when I did all that...whatever...anyways so thank u for fiction!!! I love fiction. Want to kill someone? Draw it. Then you'll feel much better!!! And you dont go to jail!!!

Well the pics here... idk, it was really calming to do this. It's new, painting over religious shit. I was gonna do the whole bible but I already burnt that shit so.... and I was going to cut but I'm trying really hard to stay clean... like really hard. It's so weird and like, addicting, once I hit styro I don't want to stop, but also it kinda transfers the emotional pain to physical pain, making it way easier to deal with. I just can't keep doing that because I KNOW it's bad and look I thoguht I was clean for a whole year but then I fucked up and WOW, GUESS WHAT MADE ME RELAPSE??? MATH CLASS!!!!

Whatever anyways here are my wonderful works of art I made while crying and cursing god (like I'm so pissed at all this catholic bs I believed in him again just to swear at him lol)

.... but imagine for a moment, a better world. One in whcih these saints whose images I've defaced are actually good people... a world in which they SEE ME AND THEY HEAR ME... and I go unpunished.... and I am embraced by someone who UNDERSTANDS.

I think I would cry.

Too bad that world doesnt exist and I just made it up to try and feel a bit better. Whatever, whatever. I painted the things, they're gonna dry. I work hard, I'm gonna do good on my quiz, I hope. I just have to be making it through, that's all it is, work work work without a break but I can proabbly do it. I'm really slipping I admit like the mental health is slipping it's getting worse like I havent had a "fuck I am afab" moment in such a long time so yeah...

Anwyays I feel so much better now that I did my little art project yknow???

[queerchoicesblog]

A Few Words On Pride Month 2020

So, pride month has come at last. No matter how crazy it sounds right now as we're experiencing first-hand one of those events that will end up in history handbooks one day.

I'll be honest, it's quite difficult for me to talk about it now when everything that is not Mrs Rhona releted seems so well less relevant than it was before. But I want to share a few words that most likely nobody will read but I'll let them flow anyway.

I watch that video every single year during pride month. It's from a series I liked quite a lot back then, it's called Sense8. The character speaking is a trans woman, an lgbtq+ hacktivist, reminiscing her disastrous relationship with her transphobic mother yet finding strength in her own sorrow. There is a passage I love:

Today I'm marching to remember that I'm not just a me

But I'm also a we

And we march with pride

These words resonate with me: they summarise perfectly the deep empathy and acceptance that I feel should make us stick together. Both inside the lgbtqa+ community and as human beings: "I am a human being, and thus nothing human is alien to me". I'm quoting by heart a Latin playwright named Terentius (Terence in English, I guess?) so forgive me if I got something wrong but what I mean is...we should all care about each other because no matter our differences, our sexuality or color of skin or class, we are human. We are brothers and sisters: I'm an only child but I believe that the definition of a healthy family is one where people overcome differences that don't truly matter in the end, they don't define us as worthy or unworthy of love and respect which should always be given to another human being.

Unless there are valid reasons not to.

As the latest happenings in the world have shown, a hard truth we all know has been reinforced: we live in a cruel, unfair world where, as Nomi said, "hating isn't a sin on that list and neither is shame". A world where people get hurt or killed for reasons which can be hardly called a motive for violence: not being white, not being rich enough, being different, holding a hand or kissing a person of the same sex in the street.

We may comfort ourselves saying these fears were past fears, last century or even Victorian age fears but no, they're still out there. And we can't turn a blind eye.

The current pandemic added new ones, making our lives even more miserable. Speaking of the lgbtqa+ community, I think I can say the social distancing is hitting even harder. Does anybody feel lonelier now? I rise my hand, I do. I'm not referring to the fact that pride parades are cancelled (because we all know there is a freaking valid reason atm), but getting in touch with other people is way harder now. In my personal experience, getting in touch with fellow lgbtqa+ folks was rare even before the pandemic, now it's hella tough. In the street we hide our faces behind masks and don't have the same careless attitude we used to display. Shaking hands and even the lightest touch or proximity are not allowed under the new restrictions: a few weeks ago, over here a couple was charged for hugging each other in the street. How sad and dystopic are these times we live in...

Virtual meetings can help but they're not like in person meetings: the warmth of personal interaction is simply not there. We try but it's not there. Couples are separeted by lockdown rules and so are some families. Lgbtqa+ hotlines are a saving grace and I cannot stress enough how important they are and how anyone struggling with their mental health or literally anything concerning themselves, their gender and sexuality should feel free to contact those volunteers who are a blessing restoring a little faith in humanity.

My thoughts are for those of us who got stuck quarantining with homophobic/biphobic/transphobic etc parents or roommates, and those stuck in abusive contexts. Yes, even relationships because - I know I'll be super unpopular saying this but we can't lie especially to the minor or vulnerable ones- lgbtqa+ relationships can be abusive and toxic too. As I said, we're human and I am sick and tired of the honeyed sunshine rhetoric of lgbtqa+ people and love as an ever right and righteous safe haven. It is a safe haven for us to some extent but we must acknowledge there are problematic issues in our community. We have to be honest with each other especially for the sake not only of each other but for the vulnerable ones and the young. Like criticising or reporting abusers, predators, rapists and so on don't make us all filthy creatures who will burn on a stake for our abominable sins. It just makes us responsible and looking out for each other.

We spend so long dreaming of finding someone of the same sex to be with that when someone shows us any sign of affection our feelings for them grow fast, even when red flags or abuse enter our lives. We stay because we're hungry for love and crave what straighties seem to get so easily: love, acceptance, reciprocity. To the young and everyone who needs to hear this I wanna say: it doesn't have to be like that. Don't ever settle for cheap love only because you feel you will lose your only chance to be loved. There are good people out there too and you deserve one of them at your side. You will find them, your paths will cross: just be patient and never ever forget the importance of respect and consent.

To all those experiencing anything like the relationships or toxicity I mentioned, who feel silenced by the sunshine rhetoric, I say: you are not alone, stay strong and you did nothing wrong, others did and I'm sorry you're going through this cause you don't deserve it.

I share a similar shutout to those struggling with mental and/or physical disorders. If you ever felt pretty much invisible, you're not. I see you, many others see you and we're all rooting for you. You're stronger than you think and you're beautiful.

The not-as-unfortunate-as-the abovementioned but still quite forlorn are the star crossed lovers meeting that special someone in a bad time. Quarantine will see the blossoming of some romances but also takes no prisoners, blowing off others. They don't vanish though, in most cases they turn into those impossible loves and what if we love so much in the movies and hate in real life. I wish I could lay a blanket or pull into a tight hug all those going through this. Your pain is not irrelevant even if there are worst things in the world right now, our souls hurt for things like that. I hold your shaking hand wherever you are as you stare blankly at your phone, waiting for a message or a call that will never come, or you reminisce, listening to a romantic playlist you still have saved on your device. Your suffering is my suffering.

On a brighter side, cause I don't wanna be a complete downer, the luckiest ones among us are blessed with love and I can't be any happier for you, whoever you are. I can picture the one day a few years from now when I will be talking to someone and they will share their story saying how they met the love of their life during the pandemic. How it wasn't easy at first because of all the uncertainty and fears but they kept trying and it all started with a social distancing date at a park or via Zoom. You lucky ones, cherish that and never take what you have for granted: the love you feel and that special someone is showing you is a balsam in hard times. Please cherish it dearly and never stop loving: one day you'll warm these old bones and lonely heart if we ever get the chance to cross path.

Actually I don't have any more wisdom to share, granted what I wrote can be called wisdom, nor giveaway. I considered doing a lgbtqa+ one in honor of the pride month but I feel nobody would be interested. Or at least not by me and I fully agree: writing is getting hard and I feel like I risk of ruining everything I dedicate myself to, as I usually do in my life. I'll follow the tips of a few anons (I think?) and devote this month to educate myself over aspects, nuances or realities I am not fully familiar with: so I'll watch Pose and Sex Education. Hopefully I'll learn something new that might make me a better human being.

Feel free to share further advice: books, articles, movies, series, documentaries...you name it! Drop a message or an ask and I'll make what I'm starting now a lasting project!

That is my advice: if you're stuck inside with nothing much to do this month, find something that might enrich you, even a little thing, and go for it.

As well as reminding yourself the usual stuff: you are not wrong nor unlovable, you're not offensive or dirty for being attracted to your same sex or both or none. Not to quote Lady Gaga, but it's truly is that simple: you are born and beautiful this way.

Stay safe and stay strong, my darlings 🏳️‍🌈

Love,

E.