#next posts will be simpler xx

[ask-misconduct]

yepp now you can ask nm! about stuff (and mis will probably hear it too. unless you like. whisper??? i guess)

ofc you can still just ask mis himself! some more casual asks will be answered after the meeting but yeah

previous - next

(first)

nm belongs to jokublog

[oliverwxod]

Don’t get me wrong - (Bucky Barnes)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Warnings: not really any

Summary: The reader and Steve were so close to becoming a couple, but after winning the battle against Thanos he left for his final mission and nothing was ever the same when he returned. 

Y/n remembered when times were much simpler. Well, they weren’t ever simple, but compared to now they seemed to be. A time where herself and Steve had become close; through the battle of New York, Ultron, The Winter soldier- or Bucky as she calls him now. Y/n was there with Steve through it all. 

Steve and Y/n had always been a would they or wouldn’t they type of couple. Both of them really wanted to be together and make it work, yet the time was never right, especially when the accords split the Avengers. Y/n took Steve’s side like always, yet it still wasn’t the right time to pursue everything. 

Until years later; when the snap happened and half the population disappeared, but they somehow managed to win in the end through the sacrifice of friends and family. 

And Y/n thought the time was finally right. When everyone had seemed to come to terms with everything. With no more obvious threats lingering. It would have been the perfect time to start something real. 

Steve thought so too. Y/n remembers exactly what he had said to her only minutes before he left on his final mission to return the infinity stones. 

“I’ll see you soon doll. And the time will finally be right” He had leaned in to kiss her, but she halted him. 

“Save it for when you get back Cap” she spoke, smiling softly up at him. Steve had chuckled under his breath, giving her hand a quick squeeze before he walked to the podium and within seconds he was gone.

Y/n wished she had never turned his kiss away. For now she would never know what it felt like to kiss Steve Rogers. She only knew the pain of loving him, her heart clenching at the thought of how he didn’t return to her. Her mind whirling into a spiral of confusion as she had found him sitting on a nearby bench, aged and having lived a life of happiness with his one true love, Peggy Carter. 

-------------------------

The ceiling of the room swirled in delicate patterns of white and ivory. Y/n couldn’t help but compare them to how the previous compounds ceiling used to be, plain textured and the same dull white colour, yet it had always been a place y/n had called home. 

Everything had changed and everything was different now. Y/n hated it. The new compound constructed with the help of Pepper, was a lot smaller than previous towers. Which was fitting with how only a few remaining avengers survived and chose to live there.

Y/n was one of those. She hadn’t wanted to leave, feeling it would be and always will be her duty to her country. To protect them, no matter the loss.

She had already lost so much, there was no point giving up now, she had no family like Clint or Pepper, no relationship, no pets. Nothing to give her a chance of an excuse to get out of this life.

Standing up from where she lay on her bed, Y/n dragged a sheet over her bare body, shuffling over to the balcony to admire the view.

She often found herself waking up in the middle of the night, an invisible pull taking her feet over to the sliding windows, so she could step outside and overlook the lake and dark shadows of trees.

The moon was the only source of light, reflecting in the slow ripple of waves, illuminating the towering trees that stood around the compound, shielding it from plain view, a supposed peaceful and serene environment. She took a seat on the small outside sofa, allowing her thoughts to cloud her mind in the quiet of the night.

“What are you doing out here at this time doll?” The raspy morning voice Y/n had come to know so well made her jump, expecting Bucky to still be asleep in her bed where she left him moments ago.

“Couldn’t sleep” she mumbled, her voice soft so that Bucky had to strain his ears to hear her.

She heard him sigh quietly, feeling his stare on her face before he sat himself down next to her, leg pressed against hers as he hitched the sheets resting around her higher to make sure she didn’t freeze.

“Do you still think of him?” Bucky asked, already knowing the answer. Bucky was never one to beat around the bush. 

“It’s hard not too, I’m sorry Buck...” she spoke ashamed.

“It’s alright” he shrugged, sighing softly at the thought of his best friend. “I miss him too”

“I’ve tried to move past it- but- I just can’t help thinking” she said quietly, her eyes following the pathway of a bird, swooping down past the lake and disappearing into the woodland.

“Can’t help thinking what?” He prompted following her eyeline to watch the same bird she had been distracted by.

“I can’t help thinking why I wasn’t good enough. Why I wasn’t enough for him to stay” she confessed. It was her darkest thought recently. But one that didn’t seem to budge from the back of her mind no matter how many times she told herself to stop.

“You shouldn’t think like that doll. It’s unhealthy” Bucky replies gently. The thought of her thinking that she wasn’t good enough made him frown and although he was glad his best friend chose the path of happiness, he was angry that he had to break Y/n’s heart in order to do so.

“I know. But- I just can’t help it. Because if I was enough- then he would have stayed” she spoke, her voice wavering as quiet and stifled breaths left her lips.

“Steve has always regretted crashing that jet into the water. It’s been the one thing weighing him down, haunting his nightmares and I think he finally did something for himself. I think it was always his destiny to be with her-“

“You’re not making me feel any better” y/n spoke, holding back a sob, her throat tightening as she tried to swallow the tears creeping up on her.

“And sometimes you will want something so bad that all thoughts of anyone else leave your mind and maybe when he went back he thought what if- what if he never crashed the jet.” Bucky spoke. “I don't think he intentionally meant to hurt you, he loved you- I know that. But-”

“But it wasn’t enough” she whispered, finishing off his sentence. 

“There’s always going to be someone out there that will hurt your feelings and make you feel like you’re not good enough. But there’s always someone who will come into your life unexpected and help you pick up the pieces.” he spoke. Trying not to be too obvious that the person he was talking about was himself. 

“And who do you suggest that person is? You?” she scoffed at the words that left his mouth. He had said it in such a soft, careful way and she hated it. Her defences pulling up wanting to fight him. 

Bucky sighed, Y/n immediately feeling bad. 

“Sorry” she mumbled. “That was unfair of me” 

“S’alright” Bucky said quietly, silence falling upon them both as y/n was lost in thought. She was trying to find out why she suddenly felt the need to lash out at him and she realised it was because what he said was true. 

Bucky had been picking up the pieces that Steve had left behind, whether it was in the form of a friend or the comfort of the soft, loving touches they shared at night behind closed bedroom doors. 

“Thank you” she said, the need to show him just how much she appreciated him was sudden, crawling up on her, chiling and desperate. “Thank you for being here” 

“I want to be here” he spoke. Y/n didn’t want to mention the fact that she was all Bucky had so he didn’t really have a choice. Sam was always so busy now, taking over Steve’s previous Captain position. So It was either her or loneliness. 

The two of them in similar positions. 

“I do” Bucky spoke as he watched her get lost in her mind. 

“Do what?” she asked, turning her head to the side in question, her body now facing him more. 

“I do want to be here” he said “with you” 

Y/n’s eyes widened. Scared that he knew her so well inside and out. 

“So do I” she whispered, it held a certain kind of sadness to it. But Bucky understood. 

It must have been hard to have nearly had someone you loved with your whole heart, a touch or fingertip away; to then lose them unexpectedly without a goodbye, being left to wonder for the rest of their lives...what if...

Bucky watched her, eyes tracing every inch of her face. She stood up, blanket still wrapped around her form, only turning back once she reached the door. 

“you coming back to bed?” she asked, eyebrow cocking slightly as she waited. 

Bucky didn’t respond, standing up and walking towards her. He saw her smile briefly before turning back around to walk inside towards the bed, her blanket slightly trailing on the floor behind her. 

Bucky stood on it, watching as it yanked the blanket away from her body, falling completely on the floor and revealing herself to him. She gasped, turning around to glare at him, but stopped when she saw the look on his face.

His stare was intense, scanning the length of her body with a hungry look in his eyes before he moved towards her with desperation, pulling her too him once she was at arms length. 

“I was serious” he spoke looking into her eyes. “I want to be with you”

TAGS:  lmfao I know it’s been a while since I've posted anything and I'm sorry xx

Bucky Barnes: @courtmr @lowkeysebby @starryeyes-sadmind @tranquility-or-chaos @analovesseb @jamesbarnesappreciationsociety @australianhorrorstory @chloe-skywalker @bexboo616 @adamsbubblegumbitch @mood-pancakes

Forever Tags: @dreambigbeawesome  @linheliano @thisismysecrethappyplace @mannls @1elboomdemsechevarria @myrabbitholetoneverland @jbarnes87 @permanent-lines @alyssaj23 @stevehesaidabadlanguageword @maresmiley @soldierplum @jjsoccer11 @les-bio-lie @dewy-biitch @despelllestrange @unlikelygalaxygiver @hiddles-rose @httpmcrvel @breezy1415 @artisticlales @imthegirlyourparentswarnedyouof @xinyourdreamsx @stevieboyharrington @maladaptive-ninja-returns @teenwolfbitches2 @harryngtonewithyourshit

[thepropertylovers]

5 Shows We're Watching During Quarantine (and 2 We're Looking Forward To)

We’re all home for the foreseeable future, and it seems like everyone is consuming more content than ever before. We end almost every night on the couch with popcorn (and fur babies) in our laps watching something to take our minds off of everything going on right now. It’s been a nice respite and a relaxing way to wind down each day. Here’s what’s keeping us entertained as of late:

War of the Worlds

Source

If you’ve seen the Tom Cruise movie of the same name and are looking for something similar, this is definitely not it. Another retelling of H.G. Wells’ classic novel, this new series is a different and fresh take on a story we’ve all seen before, but it feels so much more humanized; even the machines that are invading earth seem to have a soul and a purpose, though the series keeps you guessing on why exactly they’re here in the first place. Without giving anything away, War of the Worlds is slow, thrilling, and sincere, and it had us hooked from the first episode.

Watch on Epix

Little Fires Everywhere

Source

Peanut butter and jelly. Oatmeal and bananas. Reese & Kerry. Some things just go together and that’s just the way it is, and these two dynamic women starring in the same show is the pairing we never knew we needed. Everything about this series is dramatic, almost to the point of extreme, but that’s kind of the point. It touches on issues of race, single mothers, privilege, sexuality, and really just the struggles of being a parent in general. It gets the point across that you can be a good person, a good parent, and sometimes still make bad decisions. It’s set in the mid to late 90’s, so it has a sense of nostalgia to it and almost makes you long for a simpler time (for some reason we have it in our minds that the 90’s were a simpler time. don’t judge.). Plus, there’s a mystery throughout that we can’t wait to figure out!

Watch on Hulu

Killing Eve

Source

This show is everything. Season 3 just came out and continues the twisting games of life and death between Sandra Oh’s Eve Polastri and Jodi Comer’s Villanelle. It’s been such a welcoming, comforting return to see this show back for another season, especially now when almost nothing feels comforting. From Fleabag producer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Killing Eve is about the infatuation between these two very different (but somehow connected) women: Eve, who works for MI6, and Villanelle, an assassin being chased by Eve. But the tides turn and suddenly the chaser becomes the chased, and so begins the back and forth between these two sexy, complicated, and flawed women. It’s hilarious and thrilling and weird and everything you need. Just make sure to watch with a glass of wine and popcorn and you’re set.

Watch on AMC, YouTube TV

Schitt’s Creek

Source

Created by father-son duo Dan & Eugene Levy, this easy-to-watch comedy is one of the funniest shows we’ve ever seen. It’s so absurd and bonkers and absolutely hilarious. Each episode is only 22 minutes, and you don’t necessarily have to watch them in order to enjoy it. Moira, the mom, played by the amazing Catherine O’Hara, might be our favorite TV mom of all time. Here’s a quick synposis to catch you up on the gist of the entire show, via Wikipedia: 

“The wealthy Rose family—video store magnate Johnny (Eugene Levy), his wife and former soap opera actress Moira (Catherine O'Hara), and their adult children David and Alexis (Dan Levy and Annie Murphy)—lose their fortune after being defrauded by their business manager. They are forced to rebuild their lives with their sole remaining asset: a small town named Schitt's Creek, which Johnny had bought for David as a joke birthday gift in 1991. The Roses relocate to Schitt's Creek, moving into two adjacent rooms in a run-down motel. As the family adjusts to their new lives, their well-to-do attitudes come into conflict with the more provincial residents of Schitt's Creek, including mayor Roland Schitt (Chris Elliott), his wife Jocelyn (Jenn Robertson), and the motel's manager Stevie Budd (Emily Hampshire).”

Watch on Netflix.

Home Before Dark

Source

An Apple TV+ hidden gem! What originally drew us to this show was the trailer, which featured a small coastal town, a big old house, and an overlying mystery that needed to be solved. What more could you ask for in a show? Based on the real-life story of a 9 year old journalist named Hilde, this fun series at first seems like a children’s show, but after the first episode you’ll realize it’s anything but. After leaving New York City, Hilde (a 9 year old journalist who self-publishes her own newspaper) and her family move back to her father’s hometown to start their lives over after her dad loses his job. Little does she know when she moves there that she will soon be solving a decades-long murder and will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. She’s brave, relentless, and doesn’t care what she risks. A true icon. Definitely worth the watch!

Watch on Apple TV+

PLUS 2 shows we can’t wait for:

Hollywood

Ryan Murphy’s much anticipated Netflix Original series comes out next week and we’re SO EXCITED. Anything Ryan Murphy creates is always so addicting and top-notch, and we’ve been looking forward to this since we first heard about it. The series has a ton of actors you’ll recognize from the Murphy universe like Darren Criss, David Corenswet, and Dylan McDermott, and also prominently features a few gay storylines, so it’s basically a no-brainer to tune in. Here’s the synopsis via Wikipedia:

“The show follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost. Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood's Golden Age, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day. ... Hollywood exposes and examines decades-old power dynamics, and what the entertainment landscape might look like if they had been dismantled.”

Watch on Netflix May 1

Defending Jacob

Another Apple TV+ show! When we first saw the trailer for this a few months ago, we were immediately hooked. Did Jacob do it? Will Chris Evans play a convincing father to a teenager? We had questions, and we wanted more. The miniseries tells the story of a family dealing with the accusations that their 14 year old son is a murderer, so naturally there’s already a mystery surrounding the show and, if this list is any indication, we’re drawn to mysteries that keep us guessing until the end. So excited for this one!

Watch on Apple TV+ April 24

What are you watching? We’d love to add to the list and start a new series to lose ourselves in each night! xx

P&T

[ninaahelvar]

When Magnolias Fall (1/4)

Summary: When Magnolias start to bloom, Arya is sent to her family’s estate in the country to get her away from her scandal. She is alone, and in need of company. With only the staff to keep her entertained and far from loneliness, she grows increasingly close with the stable master - Gendry Waters. Who’s to say what will happen when Magnolias fall. 

AO3

A/N: what a shitty ending, so here's my take on that post cause i love au's. also, this chapter has not be beta read, so mistakes will be littered everywhere. English is my first language, but can i string a sentence together? no. i want to be a writer for a living. it's going well guys. anyway! enjoy! xx

It was bigger than he expected - far more grand than it had been described on paper, or even in the interview process. The long drive up the street was lined with magnolia trees, fully in bloom, pinks fading into white then back again. Then, the house loomed, higher than four stories, almost white, but weathered by time. At the entrance, lined the staff, all waiting for him. This wasn’t what he expected at all.

~*~*~

It felt like a death sentence - hidden from sight, and away from the invading view of the press. Arya’s scandal wasn’t what her family was expecting. The Stark name was tainted.

And Arya was being blamed.

Stark was a household name, everything from home appliances to cars to their own film studio. The children of Ned Stark were all apart of the family business in some way, both Robb and Sansa were on the board, Bran working small and managing a retail store with Rickon. Even their adopted cousin, Jon, was handling deals to do with car manufacturers.

Yet Arya didn’t have the head for business - not what the Starks were putting out. Their name haunted her - and rebellion was what she lived for. She went out drinking, spent time with her friends and flitted around from country to country. That was until the incident, as it had been so delicately put, that landed her back home, being driven to the countryside and away from prying eyes.

And Ned was furious. That this happened. That he had to make this decision. That he had to do this to Arya.

Arya knew she had crossed a line this time - that this was the last straw and the last remaining ounce of calm that Ned could muster. From the exasperated sigh he held when he told her what was happening - she also knew that he may not be able to handle her anymore. Anything about her. She knew she got away with things in the past - no words on favourites, but Ned held a love for Arya that he did for no one else. He once said that Arya reminded him of his sister.

Perhaps that’s why it broke him to send her away.

Their country mansion was hidden away, shrouded in magnolias that her mother loved. In all, Arya felt trapped by her own decisions. Life could have been simpler, better if she wasn’t a damn delinquent.

“Miss, we’re coming up to the house now. The staff will be waiting,” Brienne said. Arya sighed, falling deeper into her seat, letting her hair fall in front of her face, some falling inside her sunglasses. Her drunken mistake of dyeing her hair pink kept her from forgetting that night, the flashes in her eyes as it swept her vision.  

There were a lot of things that Arya regretted from that night.

The car stopped and Brienne came around to her door. When it opened, Arya stepped out, holding onto the door to support herself. Clutching at her stomach, she hitched her way out of the car and tried not to stumble when she stood upright. It hurt to breathe, her torso tighter than what she was used to.

“Hey,” she greeted with a vague wave to the crowd of staff, before leaning over to Brienne, “do I need to learn everyone’s name?”

“You’ll learn them over time, Miss,” she replied.

“Fun,” Arya said, clicking her tongue, “see you lot around, I guess,” she waved again, forcing herself to move inside. It was more difficult than she thought - at the hospital, she had the wheelchair and people helping her about, here she was alone.

She used the staircase railing to hoist her up, keeping her levelled and avoiding the painful hisses that she so desperately wanted to make. It felt like a lifetime before she made it all the way up and to her room. Standing outside the door for a moment, Arya pressed her hand to the stop - her hand covering the soft paint that marked her room all those years ago, fingers longer and palm wider. Arya was grown now.

Inside, Arya sighed at what met her, the room still decorated from her childhood. It wasn’t as though she hated it now that she was in her twenties, but it was missing something she couldn’t quite define. It was only a holiday home, she reminded herself, it shouldn’t feel like she was returning to her safety of home. It was a place they visited once a year when they were children and teens. But when Robb and Jon stopped coming, the rest refused to go along with it.

Putting her things down, and there was minimal things at that, she made her way to her bathroom, hands on every surface she could. Even after everything, she felt like she’d been through hell. In her bathroom, she took off her sunglasses, showing the destruction that covered her right side. With a black eye and scattered scratches, her face was still a bloody mess, with streaks of bruises that roamed her skin.

Arya wondered if it was cool to have a scar or not.

And when she lifted her shirt to see the blazing red of blood on the gauze, she knew she couldn’t do this all alone.

Placing herself in her bathtub, she remained there for a while, contemplating whether or not to see what lay underneath the bandages. In the end, she called for Brienne, who called a physician to check on what was wrong.

When the doctor came, he looked over her stitches, noting that he would need to add an extra stitch along where one of her wounds was stretching. Arya, being the idiot that she was, just sat in the bath, towel between her teeth and little anesthetic. To be fair, she thought she could handle the pain - she couldn’t.

She didn’t pass out, but she was close to it. The doctor recommended pain medication, but when Arya and Brienne exchanged looks, the meds were given to Brienne. As the doctor left, a new man entered her bathroom, and she perked as she recognised him.

“Davos? Is that you?” she asked. He had a thicker beard, with far more grey in it than she remembered, but when he smiled, she knew for sure it was him. He had always served her father, close friends and maintained the house when the family wasn’t on the property.

“Miss Stark, it’s been a lifetime,” he chuckled, restraining himself and putting his hands behind his back. “I’m sorry about the circumstances, but I must confess...it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance again,” he smiled solemnly and she scoffed.

“You heard, huh?”

“I think the whole country has,” he replied, and Arya nodded, “how are the stitches?”

“Popping by the second,” she said, almost going to tap her side, but stopped herself. She was going without her pain meds, she didn’t need more pain.

“Please rest for the next few days, I’ll try and make things as easy as possible. I’ve heard your father is set to join us in a week to check in on you,” he recommended, and the news about her father made her shift uncomfortably in the tub.

“I wouldn’t know,” she replied, settling herself back into a comfortable position. There wasn’t much comfort in a porcelain cocoon, keeping her trapped there until the pain finally subsided. Davos looked down at her solemnly, crouching beside the bath.  

“In any case, feel free to lounge around. If you need anything, just let one of the staff know and they’ll get right on it,” he nodded.

“Thank you, Davos,” she said as he reached into the tub, helping her out and guiding her to the bed.

Arya stayed in bed for the first few days - doing nothing drove her nuts, she wanted to get out and do anything else, but the stitches caused her more pain than she could handle. And so, she was confined to her bed.

When she was finally able to get up without feeling herself dying, she sat by the windowsill, watching the world pass by without her. Ned had come and gone without seeing Arya, but she saw him come and go. All she could think of was her father’s voice, the boom that radiated from his chest as he yelled at her like he had never done before. Never to her.

You will stay out of the spotlight for a year. You will stay at the country house and you will come back when winter comes. It breaks me to do this, Arya, but I am not letting you destroy yourself anymore. Get clean. Get better. Until then, stay at the house.

Arya pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her temple to her knee as she looked outside. Across the field, a man rode on a horse with four others in his wake. He glanced over his shoulder, gesturing and calling something that Arya couldn’t make out. The horses moved in sync, following directions and changing up their pace, until finally letting them have free reign, trotting about the field as he watched over the scattered horses.

For a brief moment he looked up to the house, and Arya perked, seeing if he was looking to her, only for him to turn back, letting his horse walk the length of the field at its own leisure. Arya watched them for a while until he took the horses back inside and Arya was left to watch the day turn to afternoon, and she returned to her bed.

The next day, she snuck down to the kitchen, grabbing as much food as she could in her hands as she wandered. When the whinnying from the stables became intense, Arya couldn’t stop herself from moving towards it. There was a rush of comotion, people starting to worry as a horse bucked inside it’s pen. Then, as quickly as it had started, it settled down, the crowd dispersing as a gentle shushing held the stables.

“You just have to watch Nymeria, she can get a bit wild when startled.” The man from the day before said, soothing Arya’s horse. She knew better than anyone that Nymeria was a force to be reckoned with. The thought that someone else knew it made her feel protective of the horse.

“Noted, sir,” Podrick replied. Of all the staff, Arya knew Podrick. He was a nice guy, nervous thing when he first started to work with them, his family letting him work and play when he was far younger. He was an all rounder, mimicking much of Davos’ work, if Arya recalled correctly.

“Please don’t go around calling me that, you know my name.” The man rolled his shoulders

“Yes. Of course,” Podrick replied. When he passed Arya, he smiled and Arya replied with her own, making her way into the stables slowly, barely a person about. It was only Arya and the man with Nymeria.

“There you go, been such a good lass lately,” he whispered, stroking the horse’s mane. Arya kept walking, admiring how the stables hadn’t crumbled down - they looked better from when she was a child. Before she even realised it, she ran straight into the man. Arya hadn’t even realised he had moved, but he was like a wall against her, hard on impact and unmoving as Arya crashed into him.

“Wow! Watch it would you!” he snapped, and Arya scrunched up her face at him.

“And who do you think you are to boss me about?”

“Boss you about? You’re in my fucking stable, you need to follow what I say out here!” he barked, and Arya laughed, stepping into his path to keep his attention firmly on her.

“And you’re in my fucking home, so watch it,” she warned, turning on her heels and heading back towards the house.

He scoffed over her shoulder. “You’re a brat, you know that?”

Arya turned quickly. Who the fuck did he think he was, talking to her like she wasn’t the person paying his salary? “Excuse me? I can have you fired for talking like that.” She marched right back to him, standing her ground, but it was difficult when he puffed out his chest slightly, and looked down at her.

“From what I know, and how the rest of the staff talks about you, I don’t think you have the power anymore,” he replied back with a smirk, and Arya’s hands bound. Before she could even register what she was doing, she shoved at his chest and made him stumble back a few steps.

“Fuck you,” she snapped back at him, storming into the house and slamming as many doors as she could before finally reaching her room, ready to trash it all. But the panting enough made her feel weak, strained beyond what she could handle at that point in her recovery.

For the rest of the day, she stewed in her rage, unable to move from her bed, and only seeing other people when she requested things. They all brought her things, with smiles and nervous speech. Did people fear her? Or her family name? She didn’t have people in that house that didn’t have to like her. And that idiot out in the stables yelled at her, and he didn’t fear her or her family name.

Who the hell did he think he was?

Arya stirred all night long. Something about what the guy in the stable said. Brat. She wasn’t a brat. Was she? She knew she had certainly been that way once in her youth - but now? Could she really be that girl, stuck trying to be a toddler for the rest of her life instead of growing up?

Arya had despised those girls - the ones that relied on others to fix their problems, but were needlessly reckless purely because they had no other responsibilities. She always thought she was someone with more responsibilities than most - but she knew better. She excused herself for that reason, but it wasn’t true. She neglected the things she should have - let herself be reckless because she could.

And above it all, she thought of the stable hand, or whatever his job was, and how he stood his ground against her. Not many people did that anymore, letting her get away with murder for the most part. But he didn’t. He knew his place, and worth. And stood there - knowing full well he was right to do so. Arya knew that. She was just...stubborn.

It took her a few days to bring herself to get out of bed and make it to the stables. Being without pain meds took its toll more than she anticipated, and her recovery for exerting herself liked to kick her in the ass. She couldn’t blame it. It was a physical wake up call to everything. She was tired, and so was her body.

At the edge of the stables, she saw him moving hay bales around, stacking some, and simply moving some into the stables for the horses. Arya pursed her lips as she leaned against one of the beams. It provided her with some much needed support.  

“What’s your name?” she asked, and the stable master, as she had learned, jumped at the voice she emitted to an empty stable.

“Waters, Gendry. Gendry Waters,” he cleared his throat, getting back to shuffling hay around. His clothes were loose, like her own, but they had far more wear. He must have worked in them nearly every other day. Whilst Arya’s loose clothes were for comfort, she knew his were for necessity, moving around and having the best motion for the job at hand.

“I don’t have anyone here that I know well,” she said slowly, not meeting his eye. He stopped, looking back at her with his nose scrunched up tight. He stared for a moment, as though he were wondering something - like, was she serious.  

“And what am I meant to do about it? I’m not here to be your friend,” he remarked and Arya shugged.

“You’re also kinda stuck here,” she said and he rolled his eyes, “can I just...follow you around today?” she asked tentatively. He put the pitchfork down into the haystack beside him, resting his weight onto his hip.

“Can you learn some names today?”

“If you let me tag along, then we have a deal,” she said, and Gendry seemed to contemplate it for a moment. He rolled his eyes and gestured for her to follow him. She perked and followed after, watching him walk back and forth between the stables and eventually getting Arya to help him with some of his tasks. It was the least she could do.

Arya helped guide the horses out into the field, letting the graze for the morning as they went back to the stables to clear everything up. Arya wheeled a stack of hay towards Gendry as he unloaded more after clearing out the mess from the night before.

“What’s with the pink hair? From all the pictures in house, you had dark hair,” he asked, wiping his brow with the back of his sleeve.

“Just wanted a change. Something new,” Arya shrugged, tugging on the ends of her hair.

“Change can be good. Unless it’s pink hair,” he shrugged, and Arya scoffed out a laugh, trying to keep up with him. He finished with most of it and said for Arya to rest. She tried unsuccessfully to jump up onto the edge of a stable beam, but she wasn’t tall enough - and her torso was rather hindering.

Gendry laughed before moving towards Arya and gave her a look. Arya resigned to the fate that was set up for her. His hands went in at her waist, and she hissed in pain. He looked like he was going to say something, but Arya simply moved his hands down to her hips and nodded to him. Gendry picked her up and placed her on the beam, letting her rest her weight.

Over the course of an hour, Gendry quizzed her on different staff members, describing them as best as he could and told her their names. Eventually he’d circle back and ask again, trying to get her to remember as best as she could. It took her a few tries to get some names, but she felt like she was learning over the course of the hour.

Gendry pulled the saddle off the wall, and Arya asked what he was doing if he wasn’t going to ride. Explaining that the saddles all needed to be checked after a few weeks was important - making sure if it’s used, it isn’t going to toss someone off the back of a moving horse. Arya would have asked more questions, but she knew Gendry may explain things she didn’t quite care about, and instead let him work. She’d ask him later.

As Gendry tested a strap, he asked about different members of staff and Arya took some time to answer. They managed to get through a lot of the staff before the list was running low.

“The kid in the bakery,” he asked, stripping from his long sleeved flannel. He tossed it aside after wiping his forehead, and continued to look over. He wore a tight henley underneath, which hadn’t fared too well over the day, sweat marks and dirt covered the shirt that may have once been white.

“Oh shit, okay, it’s something strange,” Arya chewed on her lip, kicking her legs back and forth. “Hot...hot pie?” she answered cautiously.

Gendry cracked a smile, working hard on the leather. “Right.”

“Yes!” she cheered. “Okay, one more and I’ll let you go do whatever,” she said, waiting patiently to see what Gendry would do. He stopped, looking up to the roof before he glanced back towards Arya.

“Woman that trims the roses.”

“Old or young?”

He clicked his tongue as he looked at her. “Ah, see, you caught on too quick. Old,” he groaned, as though he were going to trick her. He’d tripped her up four times before on those questions. She learnt at that point.

“Easy! Olenna Tyrell,” she said, and Gendry nodded, going back to work.

“Okay, now leave me alone. Go find something better to do,” he said, waving part of the saddle at her. Arya let herself slip from the edge of a stable and go back towards the house. She stopped at the edge of the stable, catching Gendry looking towards her.

“Go get food soon! I’ll eat it all,” she called and Gendry laughed, shaking his head.

“No one that small can eat what the kitchen cooks up,” he said, almost as though it were a challenge. Arya beamed back a smile.

“You’d be surprised,” she said proudly, raising her chin.

“I’ll get right on it,” he laughed, briefly getting to work, only to find himself looking back at Arya, who still hadn’t moved. She wanted him to move, to relax. “I said I would, get back in the house, Stark.” Arya rolled her eyes and went inside.

*

It became routine after that, meeting Gendry most mornings and learning about the place. He was new to the area and to the job, but he caught on quick. He was used to working with horses from his family’s farm, but he was getting used to being a full stable master when he was hired on the country estate. Arya had to admit, she liked spending time with Gendry. He wasn’t a push over, but he did let her push him around a bit.

Gendry also liked to be a pain in her side, urging her to do more and to stop moping around. Since being there, she had to admit, she was more sour than she’d ever been in her life, but he made her be nicer - to be herself amongst people she could consider like her family. She knew some of them, she didn’t have to be the worst version of herself around them.

As she sat in bed one morning, texting Sansa and waiting for the doctor to get in, she heard soft tapping on her window. She furrowed her brow as she looked at it, noticing that the taps sounded when small pebbles from the front walkway were being thrown at it. She walked over slowly, peering out as much as possible before she needed to open it, she saw the messy hair of Gendry below.

She scoffed, opening the window, and peering out the side. Gendry laughed as Arya’s hair fell all around her face. “Stark, how’s the ribs today?” he called up to her. Arya pouted as she inspected her side before giving Gendry a curious look.

“Why? You planning on injuring me some more?” she smirked.

“You should get out and ride!” he said, beaming up. Arya had to admit, it was the perfect day for a ride, and he looked especially keen to spend time with her - which he didn’t normally like to do, and it being the morning, he seemed excited.

“I’ve been told I can ride in Summer, and not a day sooner,” she reiterated. When Arya arrived, it had been a few weeks into Spring, and there were only a few more weeks left before Summer started. She was meant to be getting a check up that day anyhow, so she didn’t mind missing out as long as she knew she could get out of the bloody house eventually.

“When will spring end!” he groaned back out, both of them chuckling at the sentiment.

“Very funny,” she shook her head, “I hope Nymeria bucks you off!”

“Don’t even joke, that girl scares me,” he warned her, a smile still pressed to his lips.

“She better!”

“Get your ass down here and help out when you can,” he said, and Arya heard her bedroom door open. She looked over her shoulder, seeing Brienne, Davos, and the doctor walk in, smiling as she turned. Looking back out the window, she waved Gendry off.

“Later! I do have a life, Waters.”

“I doubt it,” he yelled, laughing as he moved towards the stables.

Arya pushed herself back inside, going back to her bed and sitting on the edge. The doctor examined her stitches, inspecting all her vitals and making sure everything was going the way it should have been. When he gave his final sigh, one that wasn’t exasperated, more as though he was proud after all the examines, and it made everyone perk up.

“Your stitches are looking well. It’s been nearly two months since the accident, so they’ve healed well, in spite of you pulling some out,” he explained and as Arya lowered her shirt, and chewed on her lip.

“Do you think I’ll need to take anything for pain? Or antibiotics or whatever?” she asked.

“No,” he shook his head, “but I have noticed from Brienne that you didn’t take any that I prescribed.”

Arya went tight lipped before reclining back slightly into her bed. “I think we all know it was best I didn’t.”

“You could have been careful,” he explained and shrugged.

“I was. I didn’t take any.”

“I’m assuming you have other vices now?” he laughed and Arya shook her head, as Davos and Brienne snickered.

“Maybe. If I can leave the fucking house soon,” she complained and the doctor nodded.

“I think you’ll be ready and active within two weeks. Just take it slow,” he nodded and Arya agreed, letting herself sink back into her bed and relief washed over her.

“We’ll let your father know the good news. Maybe you can go home soon,” Davos said.

Arya sat up quickly, looking at Davos and Brienne, who looked shocked by her quick reaction. “I think...I should stay here until Winter. Like father said.”

“We’ll let him know you said that. He’d love to visit,” Brienne said with a faint smile.

After spending some time in the stables with Gendry that day, she was covered in dirt and grime. After a long shower, hair wrapped up in a towel, she started to wash her face with cleansers and toners, inspecting her face for anything out of the ordinary when she paused.

Ayra looked at her reflection, wondering how only a few months ago, she looked different, battered and bruised. And now, she looked like she had more colour than she did then. Yet, she wondered how colourful she appeared to others. Thinking about it, she came up with a plan, something to feel more in tune with herself again, even with how bright she felt.

Walking downstairs, she wandered the halls, trying to find anyone, until she found one of the staff in the library going through some of the books and pilling things onto a tray. Arya assumed she was an all rounder, and cleared her throat. The woman turned in a start, looking at Arya.

“Gilly, right?” Arya asked the woman in the library. She nodded quickly, albeit nervously.

“Yes, ma’am,” she replied and Arya grimaced.

“Arya’s fine,” she corrected. “Can you go out and get me this?” she asked, handing over the piece of paper to Gilly. She took it, and upon reading it, she beamed back, nodding quickly. Arya went back to her room, finding her room a mess. She needed a new breath of life - and this wasn’t it.

Over the course of the next day, she cleaned her room as much as possible.

She needed to breathe again. And this was it. This house was her breath.

~*~*~

Spring felt like it came and went in a breeze, barely letting Gendry register time. He’d spent most if it with Arya, and she made time seem like it was flying by. There was something fun about it, that he could get so lost in her, that time was no issue.

When he was preparing the saddle for Nymeria, he saw the short Stark girl looking at him from the edge of the stables and he couldn’t help but smile. Where her pink hair dully shined not a day or two before, now sat brown hair, like he’d seen in all the family portraits and tabloids before. Arya made her way to him, tentatively smiling towards him before she puffed out her chest and all ounce of nerves he thought he sensed was gone.

“Lost the pink, did we?” he asked, and as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, Gendry had to ignore the fact that his heart was racing.

“Change can be good, don’t you think?” she asked, walking past him, jabbing him in the shoulder with a smirk on her face. Then, she stopped, squaring her shoulders and standing taller than she had been before. She was being cocky and he had to admit, it was a good look on her. “And look at that? Is it Summer today?” she contained her smile, but not very well.

Gendry smiled as Arya went beside Nymeria, gesturing for him to come help her with the saddle on the horse’s back.

[i-ncomprehensible]

February 3, 2019 | 1:30 AM

Hi.

It’s been a hot minute. One of those “in my feels” nights and decided to log back onto my tumblr after yet another few years. Didn’t even wanna write something but I really do owe it to myself after scrolling through my page.

In a much better place now. Different struggles, but my head is much clearer and I’m much better able to organize my own thoughts. Less thoughts and simpler thoughts than before, but I’ve grown so much and learned so much since my tumblr days. When I first logged back on, I chuckled to myself, “haha hs teenage angst days”

...but after reading my posts, all my feelings resurfaced and it was more than that. harsh, harsh growing pains back then, but nevertheless grateful for all experiences I come across. it’s (in all honesty) nice to be reminded of certain things, good or bad, and to remember part of my roots. here’s to more growing between now and the next time I log back on. hopefully i’ll have good things to report and will be that much closer to what I've been seeking for so long. gained more motivation along the way and thankfully, more knowledge too.

thanks again to those that kept me grounded in some of my darkest days. I don’t talk to a lot of people anymore and idk who even uses tumblr anymore, but if you talked to me and said kind words to me back then, just know it was much appreciated back then and still is now. hope you all are doing okay <3

and don't forget to keep putting positive energy into this world.

much love, xx

[emmastudies]

hey, Im doing your hsc subjects i really need an 84, but i did poorly in my internal assesments!! any advice? please

Hey! If you’ve finished all your internals, all you can do is make sure you’re really prepared for the actual exams! Here are a few things I’d recommend:

print off the syllabus of your classes - use it determine what you do and don’t know. Put a squiggle next to things that you definitely need to revise! The syllabus is like an outline of what could be coming in the exam so be sure you use it fully. Look at each point and use it to format your notes. Look at the themes and questions that they place along side the dot points! You can go back and tick off things as you review them.

write/type up notes now - I typed up my final study notes and it made life a lot easier! I used OneNote and it was really easy to format them in my note taking structure. I would also rewrite these notes in mind maps or flashcards to help me memorise. The briefer you can make them, the better.

go beyond your textbook - I can not stress this enough (especially in HSIE subjects). Your textbook generally gives you an overview and a little more of extra information however you can research everything yourself. Business and economics need this less than other subjects, however, but it is still worth doing the extra research.

write practice essays - honestly, such a helpful thing to do. They don’t have to be full 1200 words, just a few bullet points per paragraph with your key ideas. I wrote a practice essay on international law prior to my legal HSC exam and then the question turned out to be on transnational law so I had a perfectly crafted paragraph stored in my brain. If I hadn’t written that essay, I’d have screwed up that section for sure!do practice papers and time yourself - being able to time manage and understand the exam format is crucial. Try to get yourself to be writing about 700/800 words (ish) in 40 minutes.

read sample answers - another miracle I found whilst studying. Check if your school library has the HSC workbooks from previous years. Just reading other peoples essays can really teach you about structure, what vocabulary to use, and where the markers are seeing how good their writing is. for essays, don’t be narrative - you don’t need to tell the marker about your text (in a descriptive/narrative tone), you need to show case what small points from the film provide an answer to the question. Avoid the waffling about it and go straight into the evidence and proving your point! Herean essay guide that might help!!

organise your laptop in a simple easy format - I organised the folders of my computer like 2017 > Business > HSC > Operations > Nature of Business. The more organised and simpler I could make my filing system the better.

use a binder - I’d have a binder per subject so once we’d moved one from a topic I could put work from one class in a plastic sleeve into the proper binder. I’d have dividers per topic and usually have a small post-it note highlighting the dot point for easy identification.

utilise a colour code - I lived by this for HSC, it was really hopeful for identifying specific parts of notes quickly. I tailored mine more towards business and legal, but it can work for any. It is:

black - for general notes

yellow (highlighter only) - for important information that outlines the point

light blue (pen and highlighter) - for terms and their definitions/synonyms

red (pen only) - for sentence points and key ideas in my study notes (usually not class notes)

dark blue (pen and highlighter) - for businesses, agencies, legislation, etc

light green (pen and highlighter) - for quotes, case studies

dark green (pen only) - for people’s names or important dates

purple (pen and highlighter) - for books titles, publications, reports

pink (pen and highlighter) - for statistics.

orange - for examples.

Hope this helps xx

[austennerdita2533]

Summary: Bad blood and violence seem to pop up for the Mikaelsons everywhere, but this time it shows up in the form of unhinged!amnesiac Elijah. Caroline tries to hold him off while Hayley disbands of Greta, and Klaus ushers Hope to safety. Madness ensues in the fight to keep the Nazi vampires from procuring who, and what, they desire.

Can Caroline keep a morally-corrupted Original at bay? Will Klaus be able to protect everyone he cares about? What will they gain; what may they lose? (TO 5x06 AU + Amnesiac!Villain Elijah vs. Klaroline + Angst)

**WARNING: Hayley still dies. Threats. Mild Violence**

A/N:  Tagging @arrenemris​ and @childoftimeandmagic​, because you lovelies were interested in a part 2. Here is the whole 5.2k word (edited) enchilada if you want to read it. (No pressure!)

Honestly, idk what I’ve created here...

Enjoy!

(A03) (FFnet)

xx Ashlee Bree

Everybody Bursts Into Mad Flames Sometimes

Before her stands a stranger—a stranger she once knew.

Dark hair, shaved chin. Aviator sunglasses tucked into a scooped white collar. Rugged blue jeans. Terse lips curled in impatient distaste. Two whittled fence posts peeking out from underneath too-long sleeves. A leather jacket - simple, black, no designer or brand name anything. It hangs loose from his shoulders to offset two cold, umber eyes which used to pierce the world with such sagacity, with such innate sophistication and reasonability, but now appraise everything around him with something worse than hate, or scorn, or disapproval too marked to miss: apathy.

It’s the last thing Caroline expects to see right now; he, the last person. (Especially in freaking jeans, are you kidding?) And she barely chokes down her surprise fast enough to block his path to the house which perches on a small hill behind them.

“Can I help you?” she says in half-chirp. Tilting her head to the side, she side-steps in front of him, warning him back with a sharp smile. “You look a little lost and I’m a concerned citizen willing to turn you back around.”

“Move,” the man growls.

“Now, now,” she raises her hands half in defense, half in taunting, “I know your memory’s been swiped, Elijah, (along with your entire history of familial and platonic feeling), but I thought you of all people would still bother with civilities in any diseased incarnation of yourself? There aren’t any dangling on your lips now, though, huh? Shame. A true shame.”

“I said move!”

“Wow, really? No Miss Forbes? No ‘it’s nice to see you again,’ Caroline?” She wags her finger and tuts, still shuffling her feet; still refusing to let him pass. Determined to give them more time to escape to safety. “I know my face jars something in you, faint and faded though the recollection may be given the circumstances.”

“You talk too much.”

“Hey! That’s rude,” she says tartly and pouts. “I’ve always considered you to be the only Mikaelson with any manners, but man, oh man! What a disappointment you are today, I’ve got to say.”

“Stop. Tell me where he is, where he’s taken them,” Elijah says while his knuckles whiten and his jaw ticks. His fingers curl into fists around one of the stakes, itching to strike. Stab. Silence. And he’d do it, too - oh, he wants to do it - to know how her fire and sugared spice will bubble against his teeth after a fatal bite - but he resists because she holds the missing pieces. She’s the only one here who knows how to procure what he and Antoinette still need.

“Pfft, yeah, like I’d tell you anything in your state.” Caroline laughs like the idea is preposterous. Insane. Like it’s the funniest joke in the history of the world. “I mean, I deserve at least a please for that kind of information, don’t you think? For old time’s sake and everything.”

“I’ve had enough of these idle games, Little Miss Sunshine. Where is he?” Elijah snarls again. This time with patience fraying into vein-pulsed rage and fangs descending. “WHERE!?”

Caroline’s shoulders straighten here, and her eyes burn so hot they almost hiss at him when she digs her heels into the grass to offer him a pert quirk of her mouth in opposition; her voice swapping out joviality for severity in the smoothest of transitions.

“As I said already, Señor Impolite,” she says with a click of her tongue, “I won’t reveal a single damn thing to you about your brother’s next location. Not here, not when you’re like this. Nor will I won’t inconvenience the other people you still love somewhere in that thick, muddled skull of yours by making this mission easy for you. Whatever it is. So put that on a discarded daylight ring and smoke it!” she adds with a huff and a cock of the hip.  

“Fine.” A stake loosens from his sleeve. He brandishes it in his hand; twirls it like a baton on his palm. The movement is slow and practiced because whether or not he’s aware of his Original history, he’s wielded weapons like this one for centuries. “If that’s how you wish to play it.”

“Likewise.”

Elijah pauses to scratch a thumb across his jaw. Then he sniffs before he raises harsh lashes to her face,

“Take it from a man who’s wasted centuries: you will not triumph,” he says. “That man - my so-called brother - will bleed you of any goodness you possess; he’ll stifle any happiness you find, so do yourself a favor and free yourself from his tyranny now. He is not worth an ounce of your time or protection. And he never will be.”

“You’re wrong. You don’t truly believe that,” she shakes her head and sighs. “You’re so wrong I just—I don’t know how you’ll recover from all the regret and guilt that’s bound to follow once you regain your old attachments again.”

He remains impassive. Unmoved.

“Let me by, Caroline. He must pay for his crimes.”

“I said -” her teeth clench; her features darken, “- no!” A blur against the sky, she vamps across the yard to block each and every one of his advances. She shoves against his chest, swipes at his athletic kicks with her boot heels, and snaps out with her fangs like a guard dog to keep him back. Away.

“His worth is mine, and mine alone, to decide. You got that, E?” she says in an obnoxious way that mocks his new nickname pointedly, unapologetically; her veins rippling across her cheekbones for extra measure. “It’d be best for you not to forget it. You know - like, ever.”

“Well, then—” He takes a step back, his forehead pinched in mounting irritation. “I guess we have nothing further to discuss, do we?”

“Nope.”

After a shrug and a look of pity, “I’m afraid this pretty little blonde of yours has left me no choice here, Hybrid,” he announces in a loud, reverberating voice.

Elijah speaks to the air, to the clouds forming shapes over their heads, but his eyes sweep across the property. His ears prick as if they wait for his brother’s howled outcry to sound on the wind in the seething, murderous way he’d once been so accustomed to hearing, and also to preventing. There is no movement anywhere except where the sun crests over the hill, however. All the purples and oranges dancing with shadows to tint the land like a bruise. There’s no sound besides the screeching tires of a Camaro on the highway ten miles distant. There’s nothing else around besides a dirt road, a decrepit house, and a stubborn, sassy girl poised between them.

Thirty more seconds pass before Elijah’s gaze settles back over on Caroline. It’s another thirty-five seconds after that before he’s rife enough with detached predation, hunger, and resolve to act.

He levels his chin once he decides. And as he charges forward with a stake positioned for the spot where two rings dangle against her chest, above her heart, the next words to leave his throat burst forth in grave monotone,

“Time to die,” he says.

Bad blood and violence follow Klaus everywhere.

It’s a foul shadow chomping at the base of his achilles heel hoping to munch its way through to destroy all he cherishes because he’s a man forged from sin, dark magic, and bones of adaptability. A combination which shouldn’t be allowed to exist in this world unless it’s broken - purged - from the outside in with all the dominion he possesses slit from his tendons by his foes in fury. Greed. Fear. Hate. Or envy. It’s a javelined spear which spills his loved ones’ blood onto cobblestone paths or fried country grasses in red river rain because he somehow arrives too late to keep the bolt from striking, the lightning.

His worst fears flood the land as a result. Thunder rumbles overhead to plunge everyone’s lives into peril at once, pellets of hail dropping like canons. Erupting the earth to widen the crossable distance between them. The sky is a jaw full of teeth which drools something about abominations, or about purity that must crunch all twisty tornados dead in their tracks.

A storm of hell descends while he’s distracted and struggling against his enemies’ vengeance, limbs extended in four different directions; his arms flying while eyes hybridize with focus, anger, so that someone who matters is always left exposed. Vulnerable. Like a flapping thread which spools from the corner of a whirlpool.

It’s simple math for him, truth be told. It’s even simpler science. There are too many holes, and Klaus cannot defend them all on his own. It doesn’t matter how hard he tries because somebody always slips over a ledge and falls flat into physics’ grasp. Gravity claiming what he’s dropped, who he’s lost. And it’s all his fault.

His fault, his fault, his fault.

The rising tide of everyone’s screams and taken or deflected blows creates a wave of horror Klaus cannot climb over with blood-drenched hands, with slippery soles, and it makes it impossible for him to catch every person he cares for before they sink, before they drown to the bottom of a gorge he’ll never be able to breach with one arm extended. He needs more time, more time, more time. He needs more bloody time! Please.

But what happens if there isn’t any? What comes after the world fissures open with the intent to swallow up the good in everything? What then, what does one do next?

Klaus clamors, he claws his way over to them.

He packs his unconscious daughter into a car seat next to Roman and Marcel then watches the SUV disappear down the lane, its wheels screeching as it ushers two people he loves toward home and security. He turns back to the house afterwards to collect the two women he’s left idling on the estate five miles away, who each scan for more threats in his absence as they wait, only for the back door to splinter wider the closer he roams. It chips next. Before, finally, it busts open with a loud crack to shoot wood and body parts loose.

Debris launches forward with such force that his arms shield his head in reflex while he rolls to the left to avoid a collision with an airborne Hayley. A fate Klaus escapes, but barely.

He pushes up onto his elbows. When he does, the heat from her near-miss manages to singe some hairs on the back of his neck, chafing them down to stubs of red. A hammer thuds loud in his ears as he blinks in the nightmare which unfolds before him: the mother of his child sailing through the backyard tangled in rods of fire. And Greta. And a self-sacrifice too awful to believe.

It’s bloody horrifying to behold, truly.

The sunlight pours over Hayley’s skin like gasoline, and she’s suddenly a molting phoenix: red fades to orange, and orange dwindles to gray which then darkens to black. All of her life’s color draining in seconds until she’s gone. Dust. Dead.

And there Klaus is left to witness it all.

There, on a frayed patch of yard, beneath the stark midday sun, Klaus lies agape in the filth of his own making yet again. A Father of Cinders. An Usher of Ruin. The smell of Hayley's charred flesh quickly becoming another orange stink he must learn how to breathe in and out of his nostrils like flame, like ash—the crispest of all things he’s failed to save for his family’s sake.

Sure, why not add another disaster to the ever-multiplying list, he thinks? Why not shoulder all the responsibility for a tragedy from which Hope will never recover? Elijah, either, if he returns to himself someday. How can he not assume the blame for this?

His fault, his fault, his fault.

The temptation to remain crumpled on his knees right now is as potent as the bourbon Klaus needs to slick his throat, to numb the ache in his head, but a faint voice gusts into the clearing at that moment which is equal parts sonorous and soft when it chokes out defiance, strength, and fortitude into the air; and the sound causes him to scrabble to his feet with the speed of a cheetah to pursue the last hope here he knows he can’t bear to lose. Let alone whom.

Fifty paces hence takes mere seconds, but they feel like decades.

Her still-ticking pulse becomes the drumbeat each of his strides produces as he dashes to the front of the house in a blur of alarm. It’s what keeps him breathing. She’s what keeps him moving when his panic thumps so strong he grinds the enamel on his molars off clean.

The world collapses and narrows until her loudening voice is all Klaus hears, until her golden head snaps in his direction again because she’s the only thing he wants to see. She’s the balm to all his monstrosity, to his debilities, and he needs her. He needs her alive more than anything.

Still, a roar from the wolf deep in his chest is not enough to convey all the emotion he feels. There’s no lid to quiet the pain. There’s no coffin to smother it…all of that rage.

Caroline will not be torn from him, too. No, no, no. Never. Not today she won’t, not in a hundred million more lifetimes if he can prevent it. And he bloody will—

Even if it’s the last thing in this life he’s meant to do.

Dust and blood coat her slacks after some minutes of vampire vs. vampire tousling. Prone on her back with gravel stuck in her hair, Caroline fends off her attacker with another boot kick to the groin followed by a swift clonk to the jaw.

“You know, I should be pissed about how many of you asshole Mikaelsons have tried to kill me over the years, but do you know what? I’m no damsel,” she says, tumbling into a squat. “I’m not too dainty to fight back. So go on—” Her words are clipped, her breath heavy with exertion. “Go on and hit me with your best shot, you Wrangler-wearing amnesiac!”

“Interesting choice of last words.”

A stake gripped firmly in each of his fists, Elijah swings down with the right one. It rips off a small patch of her skin with her black sleeve. Since she evaded the more direct hit by wheeling to the right, however, the wound heals quickly.

Caroline laughs. It’s a taunting, corrosive sound.

“You wish those were my last words, buddy.”

“Chatter all you want, girl. But know this,” he says in a tone as equally dispassionate as it is menacing,“I’ll still kill you to help my family dispose of the Mikaelsons’ mixed blood. We will rid the world of their plague one way or another.”

“God, will you listen to yourself right now!?”

Using her shoulders as leverage, Caroline pushes up to slug him across the face for a second time. Elijah spits blood from the corner of his mouth after the blow knocks him backwards. Still standing, however, his jaw taut, he looms forward again in seconds.

“Those people are not your family,” she says. “You’re freaking brainwashed!”

“No. What I am is free.”

“Great. So you’re deluded, too, apparently. That’s freaking fantastic,” Caroline grumbles. Scooting upwards onto her elbows, she strikes out at his ankle with her heel but misses it by inches.

“Luckily for me, your family’s long range psychosis (your real family, I mean) is well-worn and likely to flare every now and again, so I’m used to this kind of thing. I’m stronger because of it. Smarter, too,” she adds as her fingers coil beneath her. Looking up, her lips twitch before she hurls a handful of gravel into Elijah’s face without warning.

Even though he blocks most of it with his forearms, some of the rubble stings his eyes long enough for her to lurch for one of his weapons, which she promptly deposits into his gut. The action drops him to his knees in momentary agony, cursing.

“That may be so,” he grunts, his tongue licking over his mouth roughly, “but I’m afraid even with all that expertise, and despite all of your self-proclaimed Mikaelson experience—”

Elijah’s quicker to recover than Caroline anticipates. He grabs her by the hair before she can flash away, throwing her against the porch railing with a loud smash.

“You’ll never be able to beat me.” It’s whispered almost like a caress. “You can’t win this fight,” he says.

“Then I suppose I’ll have to die trying, won’t I?” Caroline fires back.

“Die?” Elijah snickers. Blood - his blood - drips from the spike he’s dislodged from his ribs. He angles it at her chest again. “Oh, die you will.”

With him towering above her once more, his fangs out, sharpened with fatal purpose, he sneers as Caroline crab walks backward to the first step, which she then uses as a ledge to erect herself back onto her feet with fluid grace.

“Pardon the intrusion,” a voice cuts in at that moment with a low growl, not sorry at all, “but I wouldn’t underestimate that one if I were you. She’s made of the sweetest flames."

“And I’ll roast you for one false move, pal,” Caroline pipes in with a huff.

Squinting, Elijah regards her like she’s a cockroach.

“Death would suit you rather nicely, I think. Yes,” he hisses, “imagine the silence I’ll achieve with it soon.”

She raises her chin to fix him with a look of incredulity at this. It’s a look that, for all its azure ferocity and resistance, would impale his eyeballs to the nearest fence post if it could; but also would like to bludgeon open his head with the plume of a feather to reinstate all his emotional memories first.

“Enough!” the intruder exclaims. He grabs the Original by the shoulder at the same time Caroline rips a spoke free of the railing. “Threatening her life would be ill-advised for anyone under normal circumstances, but this…why - this is—are you bloody insane?"

“Come, come, why not watch while I suck the last visage of light from her veins? A few slurps is all it’d take to silence her forever,” Elijah says in the voice of a stranger, in the voice of an adversary. His lips curl in sinister delight. “What a lovely thought that is.”

“I said enough!” the trespasser growls again. Louder this time. Zooming closer, he’s a ball of temper and anxiety as he clutches the other man by the leather lapels.

“There are limits to the wrath I am able to contain even for you…” he draws out the last bit for emphasis, the vein in his forehead throbbing as Caroline tucks the weapon into her jacket, “brother.”

“Does this girl mean so much to you, Hybrid?” Elijah says.

In answer, Klaus hurls him like a dart at the barn doors across the yard, “Do. Not. Test. Me,” he howls.

Dropping over top of him in a flurry of color, and darkness, and fury that’s hardened his eyes into an inferno of hybrid gold, he kicks through the wreckage until he reaches Elijah’s prone  form beneath a heap of crumpled lumber. He lifts him up by the throat. Then he slams his head hard against a lone standing beam, thrusting a finger into his face.

“There has been enough blood spilt here today, Elijah. Too much.”

“Tell me,” he answers with a strangled cough and a blink, “am I supposed to care?”  

“Klaus, stop, you can’t talk to him. He’s wily and unhinged like this. A morally skewed prick. Just look at his dragging hems, for crying out loud!” Caroline says as she approaches from behind. “That’s proof enough he’s been mentally and magically corrupted by them.”

“Our family has been fractured beyond repair,” Klaus continues without hearing her. He looks a little crazed as he shakes his brother in place like it’ll somehow refasten those loose screws in his brain. “Hayley’s gone - the mother of my child, the woman you loved…is dead. Dead! You let her fall straight into our enemy’s lap!”

“But so help me, I will wring your wretched neck—“ His voice grows thick; heavy, and it hurts to swallow, “I will chain you inside a box (which is something I swore I’d never do to someone in this family again) before I allow you to take Caroline away, too.”

It’s in that moment, just as the sun eclipses behind a cloud to dim the atmosphere like an omen, the wind punting flower petals through the air like knives which sting when they kiss a piece of exposed skin, that Elijah’s features contort into something worse than inscrutable. They refashion, instead, into something aggressive and deranged.

“Her shrieks will sound so much more delicious to me when you fail to save her now, Hybrid,” he says. “I admit I can hardly wait for the symphony.”

“Screw you!” Caroline shouts back.

That’s when he lurches forward to grab Klaus by the elbow. With unimaginable force, he yanks. Fracturing it with a violent twist.

The action frees his two legs, which had been dangling in the air where he was tacked only seconds ago, so that he’s able to kick out at his foe’s knees. Unbalancing him enough to bite his shoulder and push backwards against his chest. Elijah nearly shirks the arm which is swinging back at him in retaliation, but not quite.

Hybrid claws catch his face even though he ducks. Like hooks, they dig and pry into his skin because he’s still within range and Klaus is livid, monstrous beyond legend; leaving cursive track marks from Elijah’s eyebrow all the way down through the white of his collarbone.

Still, the other man’s wide-arced punches leave Elijah with an advantage in the end. One carries too far to the left and exposes his side. Before Klaus can stop him, therefore, and before he can recover in time to parry the attack, he upends him with a knee that breaks his nose and reduces his vision to black dots and sprouting stars. It gives him ample time and opportunity to pin him to the ground with the loose barn beam at his feet. Piercing it through his kidney.

That’s how Elijah leaves him, too: sprawled, writhing, raging, helpless.

It’s why he turns his attentions back to Caroline with keener insight. There’s a patient but exacting grin on his lips as he lays chase again because it’s her vs. him for a moment, and there’s a fierceness blooming across her face that says ‘you’ll pay for that dearly, jerk face.’ It feeds his muscles with adrenaline; it plies his mind with rigor. He craves the rush like heroin.

For it’s here, after everything, that he truly understands Caroline won’t leave Klaus under any circumstances. For, no matter how damning the danger grows, and no matter how stacked-against the odds are in her favor, he sees she’ll leap straight into hell itself if it’ll offer her the slightest chance to reach him again.

How could he have missed this? How could he not have noticed the jewel she’s concealed behind her incessant prattle?

His worth is mine to decide, she’d said to him earlier. Mine.

Her words reverberate with too strong a connotation to demarcate their connection into anything less significant than lovers. Lovers. It makes Elijah feel like an imperceptive fool.

That’s why it doesn’t matter how her death happens now, he’s decided.

He’s realized it’s not important whether he skewers her pink flesh into shoelace peels with his teeth, or detaches her bouncing blonde head from her shoulders with the branch of a tree. It matters not if he cuts through her innards, roasts her in the sun, sucks out her sweet flames through her carotid artery, or wraps her wagging tongue around a heart that no longer beats. All that’s necessary is for her life to end here. Today. All that’s required is for Klaus to be parked in a front row seat, powerless and wretched because he’s piked through the torso, watching—

Watching as Elijah wrenches this girl away from him irrevocably.

The thought makes the elder Original smile.

What is better retribution, after all? What could be better justice for the man who’s already tried to snuff out the love which exists between he and Antoinette? The selfish, sabotaging man. How much easier will it be to extract what they need from him afterwards? Once she’s dead.

Ah, the glory of it! The honor! Punishment for both the Hybrid’s meddling and his impurity will be much more satisfactory to achieve now that he knows the best way to inflict it—personally.

“Listen for the crescendo, will you? I believe it’s my favorite cadence of killing,” he says, glancing at Klaus over his shoulder to add drolly, “brother.”

“No more of this! No more of this, damn you!” he replies as his fingernails bruise the land where he’s still impaled.

“Klaus! Listen to me, please!”

Like a whip, Caroline’s voice cracks at the same moment gray rain begins to spit on top of them from stratus mouths. The wind gusts so hard it vibrates with staffs of yellow and blue and shatters all the remaining windows in the house. The space around them transforms into a whistling hellmouth of tension and grief, of anger and estrangement, and of terror too palpable to bear, in seconds.

And what’s worse, is that the worst of it all feels tragically possible now because Elijah’s all coup de force with shards of wood flying everywhere as his skewed morality and loyalty to the wrong family helps to move his feet like a rabid beast’s. Meanwhile, Caroline’s zooming forward through a fang-bared maze and cycloning storm with eyes that scream out, then pour into the beam stuck in Klaus’ back almost in elegy.

The inflamed blue of her eyes drenches his soul in any number of ways, because what if he can’t shatter this obstacle soon? What if he doesn’t…what if she…how can he not save her? How?

Leaping over Klaus’ arms at that moment, she flashes away with Elijah on her haunches. Then, without breaking stride, she reaches into her jacket pocket before she glances back at the prone Original long enough to demand for him to understand. Pleading for him to place faith and trust in what her words mean, “The jeans, Klaus! The freaking jeans!” she yells as she jets in front of him one last time.

“So wasteful,” Elijah says as he nearly hooks an arm around her neck in victory, “since those truly will be your last words this—”

Trip

Stab

Snap

He’s unconscious and face-first on the ground in seconds. A railing spoke from the porch jabbed between his two shoulder blades.

“I think not as much as you’ll regret being brought down by your own poor fashion choices. Compel yourself a tailor next time. I mean, really,” Caroline says over his body with a triumphant hum, cuffing up his baggy pant legs. She pops up from a crouch to take Klaus’ offered hand with a weak smile afterwards.

“That was inspired thinking on your part,” he says.

“Nah, not really. Legally Blonde obsession simply served me well today is all.”

“Elle Woods has nothing on you, love. Believe me.”

“Yeah, well, no way was your brother getting away with saying I talk too much. No man would. Besides,” she continues with a snort, “you did warn him not to underestimate me.”

“That I did.”

After they tie Elijah to a tree out of sight with the vervain chains in her trunk, intent on keeping him subdued until their non-Hollow’d reinforcements arrived to take him away, they amble back toward the house.

“Thanks for the tripping assist, by the way,” Caroline says.

Shrugging, Klaus slinks an arm around her waist like it belongs there, “It was the least I could do.”

“Come on, teamwork suits us. Don’t deny it,” she says with a bump of her hip.

“I’m not.”

“What’s wrong?” she asks suspiciously, her heightened senses on red alert again because of his abstract demeanor. “Is there another—”

“No,” he cuts in, his thumb hooking more firmly into her belt loop, “it’s nothing.”

Caroline rolls her eyes at his flat, disgruntled tone, at the way he sighs before disappearing into the enigmatic labyrinth of his mind where she can’t follow, so she stops them on a seared patch of sidewalk. Then crosses her arms.

“Look, I know me being the one to stab him wasn’t ideal,” she says, feeling his growing intensity, “but with the beam already starting to splinter in your back like that, I knew if I ran him close enough you’d be able to topple him so I could—”

Klaus shuts her up with a kiss.

The timing of it is bad. (Couldn’t be worse, really.) It’s totally inappropriate considering how fraught the past twenty minutes have been with the threat of magic and wolf-binding, with a rescue of innocents that’s succeeded but still reeks of flesh and bloodshed, of muck, and of family wreckage that will never be able to be repaired because it’s been ripped off the hinges. It’s burnt to shreds with a house and a barn that’s no longer standing upright.

There’s so much to discuss, too. There are so many decisions to be made about what to do next…

Hayley? Hope? Elijah? New Orleans?

Do they collect the girl’s ashes before they leave; and if so, in what? How will Hope react once she awakes? What all did Roman know about this? Can they find a witch/Marcel team to fix Elijah’s mind, or is it hopeless to try now that so much of him has been magically reconditioned? Should she call Bonnie, or would that cross some kind of line? And, like, could the sky stop weeping blood already because - Mikaelson curse or not - who the hell needs all this staining and stickiness on their designer clothes?

…And on and on and on the questions flow!

The biggest problem now, though, is that Klaus’ kiss is so hot and crushing with feeling that it’s halted the million-and-a-half thoughts buzzing through Caroline’s head which still need solving. She’s too distracted, too lost to the sweet but scraping taste of his tongue in her mouth.

He makes love to her lips in a way no one but an artist knows how. There’s an array of color, meticulousness, delicacy, and swooping claim to be laid down on her wherever she allows him to paint with his kisses. And before she knows it, before she can locate her sense of rationality long enough to steady her pulse again and stop this, her fingers are burying themselves into the curls at the nape of his neck to draw him closer, and closer; the giant butterfly flip in her stomach telling her only one thing:

Screw it. Let the questions wait for awhile.

So she does.

They do.

[gear-project]

Hello, there seems to be tale of a new Guilty Gear installment rather than an Xrd addition from the recent anniversary interview. Honestly I'm a bit saddened by this especially considering the statement made for newer games to be simpler (I also really just wanted Testament to eventually show up in Xrd with all its crazy mechanics rather than a new game). But anyway, can you confirm how true this rumour is?. Is it really that Xrd has come to an end after what feels like a short time?.

Since Baf0’s conversation on Twitter on the Dengeki Report kinda blew it up, I’ll reiterate it here (since Dustloop posts don’t last forever… full translation courtesy of RedSilverSnake):

—The password to unlock Testament and Dizzy in the arcade version of X was “misosoup,” apparently because a programmer working on the game was overheard saying, “Now I want to drink some miso soup…”[I mentioned this earlier.  FYI GGX also had a button code in the console versions.  Look it up at GameFAQs.]

—The development team was casual with naming conventions at the time, to the extent that one of the ideas of what to call what became roman cancels was “cosmetic galaxy.” [I explained some of GGX history, Roman Cancels are wordplay for Roman Candle, a Firework… this symbolism actually transferred all the way to Revelator when Sol talks about Fireworks in one of the closing chapters of the story.]

—There was a question about Fanny from GG Petit, but Ishiwatari says he can’t answer anything about her because he wasn’t involved in her creation. [Sammy Staff were part of the people who assisted in her creation, but the GG character poll suggested that Ishiwatari wasn’t above putting her in a future game if players still wanted her to appear.]

—Advance had a unique move for Venom that Ishiwatari meant to hide, but it somehow made it into the game. [They describe it as a Bomb technique, which I think was hinted at in Night of Knives as well when Millia clashed with Venom.  There’s an item called Calvados Bomb in MOM Mode that generates poison which might have stemmed from that idea.]

—Not everyone who worked on XX knew that Bridget was a boy, which led to a shocked exclamation from a designer. [Story Mode states officially that Bridget is Male and identifies as Male, wishing to become more “manly” as part of his interests. 4chan be damned.]

—When the topic of the series’ bosses being women came up, it was mentioned that Leopaldon’s gender is unknown, but Ishiwatari says that he thinks the dog piloting it may have been female, thus keeping this tradition unbroken. [Gears can be considered “gender neutral” in some cases, because of their DNA, but yes the Dog inside Leo’s mouth COULD be Female, but we don’t know for sure!]

—Leopaldon’s designer did the effects for Jam’s new super in Xrd. [It was also said that Da Eun, Kum Haehyun’s Head Maid was the girl who appeared in Korean #Reload’s original stage.]

—Overture’s total development time was five years, so Ishiwatari says he has a lot of memories about it. [Black memories, I assume, given the reception. >_>]

—The name of Overture’s genre, melee action, has a double meaning; the “melee” part is homonymous with the Japanese word 命令/meirei, which refers to orders, like the ones you give to servants in the game. [Hopefully they’ll do something more improved in a Crusades-like setting someday ala God Eater.]

—Ishiwatari was fixated on how roman cancels could be changed in Xrd, and Pachi recalls racking his mind over the suggestion that they be possible at any time, even during a downed state. [FYI the only way to cancel a knockdown is to recover before it!  BlazBlue has Emergency Rolls and Quickrise motions for this reason, also there was a hack in Accent Core (PSP version codes) that could allow for unlimited cancels in to anything at one point, so the coding is there for it!]

—One idea that was tested during Xrd’s development was being able to roman cancel KOs, but this caused a bug among certain characters where they’d just fall right after getting up following the RC.[This is where the idea of Resurrection came from (related to the Gill boss character from Street Fighter III).]

—Bridget was #1 on the Revelator poll to decide the next playable character until the very last day, when Dizzy got a sudden boost. [Poor Order-Sol…]

—The staff had specific ideas for other characters in the poll, such as Izuna dashing rather than having a regular walk (like in Cross Tag Battle). [I’m sure he’s still in the works for the next game as Izuna was mentioned in Revelator.]

—One of Haehyun’s attendants actually debuted in the Korean version of #Reload, having been added to one of the stages. [Her name is Da Eun, and she is voiced by Elphelt’s VA in Kum’s Episode!]

—Ishiwatari also says that Xrd is probably finished as of Rev 2, and maybe hints that work has already started on the next real sequel.

Now, on to THIS:

As I said, GGXrd Revelator (excluding the add-on Rev2) is technically the SECOND of the Xrd Series… Rev2 (while it is a standalone game now), is the equivalent of “X Plus” to Guilty Gear X.

Most likely there is production for a THIRD XRD game… Revelator’s story hints at it, AFTER STORY hints at it, even the GUILTY GEAR BEGIN novel suggests something’s going to happen after REVELATOR…

So you KNOW something is gonna happen.  Basically the statement is “We’re done with Revelator Add-ons”, is what they’re saying.

So the next GG is gonna be BIG.  That’s all you guys need to know.  Keep supporting ARC System Works, and maybe (JUST MAYBE) the next GG will get a dub like BBTag has!

All we have to do is support any releases (including GG1 and Accent Core for the Nintendo Switch, Steam, and PS4 releases).  Guilty Gear The Missing Link should be coming in the next few months along with Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R.

I’m banking on this because HAPPY CHAOS (a hinted character) says so!  So you should believe in HAPPY CHAOS!

[naijagirltech]

CSS FLEXBOX

Whenever I hear “flexbox” the first thing that comes to mind is the “flex” emoji, lol! Well that’s not what flexbox means in the coding world. So what is flexbox and what does it actually do? I’ll give a quick explanation for that.

Flexbox is a one-dimensional layout model that supports the distribution of space between items and provides powerful alignment features. In simpler terms, it allows you to layout items in one direction eg columns and rows.

It allows a container to adjust its size, height, and order to fit the available space. A flexbox container expands or shrinks items based on available space. It is direction-agnostic and customizable depending on screen size, content, etc

We got to get our hands “dirty” during the lab session and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. All you need to do edit in a code or two and voila, the magic has happened!

This is the first example we did, the outcome is the “item one, item two, item three” above. And the backend code is what’s below. I decided to add the backend in this post so you get a feel of the difference between all three examples we did. Find example 2 and 3 below.

Example 2

Example 3

That’s where we’ll call it a day for this post. I’ll be back again next week with some more coding or general digital media fun! xx

[techsciresearch]

Home Fitness Equipment Market to Grow with an Impressive CAGR During the Forecast Period | TechSci Research

Increasing health concerned population is driving the growth in Global Home Fitness Equipment Market in the forecast period, 2022-2026.

According to TechSci Research report, “Global Home Fitness Equipment Market By Type (Treadmills, Elliptical Machines, Stationary Cycles, Rowing Machines, Others) By Category (Cardiovascular Training Equipment, Strength Training Equipment) By Distribution Channel (Online Retail, Offline Retail) By Region, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2026”, the global Home Fitness Equipment market may potentially project an impressive growth in the forecast period, 2022-2026, with an impressive CAGR on the account of rising number of diseases and conditions due to unhealthy lifestyle.

With their busy schedules and no time for workout attitude, the population is at a risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and other bone diseases. To overcome the risk, general awareness is continuously created and enthusiasm toward workout is popularized and with the increasing health-conscious population, the global home fitness equipment market is anticipated to grow in the forecast years. Moreover, the geriatric population is prone to cardiovascular diseases and for their post op trainings, cardiovascular training equipment are in demand due to increasing geriatric population and thereby supporting the growth of the global home fitness equipment market in the next five years.

Browse over XX market data Figures spread through 110 Pages and an in-depth TOC on "Global Home Fitness Equipment Market"

https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/home-fitness-equipment-market/7826.html

The global home fitness equipment market is segmented by type, category, distribution channel, regional distribution, and competitional landscape. Based on the type, the market is further bifurcated into treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary cycles, rowing machines, and others. Treadmills are anticipated to hold the largest market segment due to popularity of the product among the population and the cost affective advantage over other product types.

Moreover, the treadmills are available in the market with the advanced features of the varied settings for the complete workout. Variations like straight walks, running treadmills and inclined treadmills have added to the consumer inclination toward the product thereby aiding the growth of the market segment in the upcoming five years. Stationary cycles are very feasible and smaller fitness equipment that provide easier installation and convertible models also provide the advantage of simpler usability and easy storage for the smaller homes that cannot afford to have separate rooms for home gyms thereby hold the significant shares of the market and supporting the growth of the market in the next five years.

Based on the category, the market is differentiated between cardiovascular training equipment, and strength training equipment. Cardiovascular training equipment are anticipated to hold the larger revenue shares of the market and assert their dominance over the market on the account of surge in the demand due to rising cases of cardiovascular diseases. Also, due to COVID-19 coronavirus, the number of patients suffering from the cardiovascular diseases and pulmonary diseases increased exponentially.

To train the heart and lung function post treatment, the cardiovascular training equipment are utilized, and the stated factors are actively supporting the growth of the market in the upcoming five years. Strength training equipment are also expected to show a significant growth in the upcoming five years owing its growth to the factors like demand from the young population that are inclined toward athletic physique and building stamina. Moreover, the lockdown had a severe impact over the population mental and physical health and to overcome the setback, large population tried for a healthier method of dealing with the lockdown thereby supporting the growth of the market in the next five years.

Holding the major shares of the global home fitness equipment market are Anta International Limited (Amer Sports Oyj), Nautilus Inc., Johnson Health Tech. Co. Ltd, Origin Fitness Ltd (Anytime Leisure Limited), Dyaco International Inc., Icon Health & Fitness, Inc., Amer Sports Corporation, Core Health & Fitness, LLC, Technogym SPA, Echelon Fitness Multimedia LLC, among others. Market players are actively involved in the research and technological advancement of the fitness equipment.

Various features like monitoring the heartrate, calories, blood pressure, weight of the body, along with the calculation of the workout performed added in the equipment is driving the growth of the advancing fitness equipment by drawing the consumer attention. Also, the market players can focus over the R & D processes that provides the solution for the consumer demand thus aiding the market players in properly popularizing and establishing their brand value in the future market. Other strategies may include partnerships, deals, and acquisitions among the market players.

Download Sample Report @ https://www.techsciresearch.com/sample-report.aspx?cid=7826

Customers can also request for 10% free customization on this report.

“Asia Pacific region is expected to register the fastest growing CAGR in the upcoming five years owing to the rising disposable income among the young population of the countries like China, India, Japan, South Korea, etc. Also, economic growth in the region has led to sedentary lifestyle and population being inclined toward fast food, alcoholism, and smoking, leading to unhealthy lifestyles. Staying health conscious and working out regularly is not only choice but a need in the recent times thereby driving the population toward owning the home fitness equipment to sustain their needs.

North America is the largest market holder region in the historical period and is anticipated to continue dominating the segment owing to the demand of home fitness equipment due to rising instances of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and other bone diseases,” said Mr. Karan Chechi, Research Director with TechSci Research, a research based Global management consulting firm.

“Global Home Fitness Equipment Market By Type (Treadmills, Elliptical Machines, Stationary Cycles, Rowing Machines, Others) By Category (Cardiovascular Training Equipment, Strength Training Equipment) By Distribution Channel (Online Retail, Offline Retail) By Region, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2026”, has evaluated the future growth potential of global home fitness equipment and provides statistics & information on market size, structure and future market growth. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment decisions. Besides, the report also identifies and analyzes the emerging trends along with essential drivers, challenges, and opportunities in global home fitness equipment market.

Browse Related Reports:

UK HVAC Market By Product Type (Direct Expansion Systems ((Split, Window, Ductable Split, VRF, Cassette and Others)) and Central Air Conditioning Systems (Chillers, Boilers, Cooling Towers, Air Handling Units, Fan Coil Units, HVAC Control System and Others)), By End Use Sector (Residential, Commercial Real Estate, Institutional, Marine & Offshore, and Others), By Region, By Company, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2026

https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/uk-hvac-market/4775.html

Global Hair Straightener Market By Product Type (Wide Plate, Medium Plate and Narrow Plate & Mini Plate), By Plate Type (Ceramic, Titanium & Tourmaline), By Application (Household Vs. Commercial), By Distribution Channel (Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, Institutional Sales, Multi-Branded Stores, Online and Others), By Region, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2026

https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/hair-straightener-market/4272.html

Contact

Mr. Ken Mathews

708 Third Avenue,

Manhattan, NY,

New York – 10017

Tel: +1-646-360-1656

Email: sales@techsciresearch.com

Website: https://www.techsciresearch.com/

For More Market Research Blogs Visit: https://techsciblog.com/

[techscimarketresearch]

Home Fitness Equipment Market to Grow with an Impressive CAGR During the Forecast Period | TechSci Research

Increasing health concerned population is driving the growth in Global Home Fitness Equipment Market in the forecast period, 2022-2026.

According to TechSci Research report, “Global Home Fitness Equipment Market By Type (Treadmills, Elliptical Machines, Stationary Cycles, Rowing Machines, Others) By Category (Cardiovascular Training Equipment, Strength Training Equipment) By Distribution Channel (Online Retail, Offline Retail) By Region, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2026”, the global Home Fitness Equipment market may potentially project an impressive growth in the forecast period, 2022-2026, with an impressive CAGR on the account of rising number of diseases and conditions due to unhealthy lifestyle.

With their busy schedules and no time for workout attitude, the population is at a risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and other bone diseases. To overcome the risk, general awareness is continuously created and enthusiasm toward workout is popularized and with the increasing health-conscious population, the global home fitness equipment market is anticipated to grow in the forecast years. Moreover, the geriatric population is prone to cardiovascular diseases and for their post op trainings, cardiovascular training equipment are in demand due to increasing geriatric population and thereby supporting the growth of the global home fitness equipment market in the next five years.

Browse over XX market data Figures spread through 110 Pages and an in-depth TOC on "Global Home Fitness Equipment Market"

https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/home-fitness-equipment-market/7826.html

The global home fitness equipment market is segmented by type, category, distribution channel, regional distribution, and competitional landscape. Based on the type, the market is further bifurcated into treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary cycles, rowing machines, and others. Treadmills are anticipated to hold the largest market segment due to popularity of the product among the population and the cost affective advantage over other product types.

Moreover, the treadmills are available in the market with the advanced features of the varied settings for the complete workout. Variations like straight walks, running treadmills and inclined treadmills have added to the consumer inclination toward the product thereby aiding the growth of the market segment in the upcoming five years. Stationary cycles are very feasible and smaller fitness equipment that provide easier installation and convertible models also provide the advantage of simpler usability and easy storage for the smaller homes that cannot afford to have separate rooms for home gyms thereby hold the significant shares of the market and supporting the growth of the market in the next five years.

Based on the category, the market is differentiated between cardiovascular training equipment, and strength training equipment. Cardiovascular training equipment are anticipated to hold the larger revenue shares of the market and assert their dominance over the market on the account of surge in the demand due to rising cases of cardiovascular diseases. Also, due to COVID-19 coronavirus, the number of patients suffering from the cardiovascular diseases and pulmonary diseases increased exponentially.

To train the heart and lung function post treatment, the cardiovascular training equipment are utilized, and the stated factors are actively supporting the growth of the market in the upcoming five years. Strength training equipment are also expected to show a significant growth in the upcoming five years owing its growth to the factors like demand from the young population that are inclined toward athletic physique and building stamina. Moreover, the lockdown had a severe impact over the population mental and physical health and to overcome the setback, large population tried for a healthier method of dealing with the lockdown thereby supporting the growth of the market in the next five years.

Holding the major shares of the global home fitness equipment market are Anta International Limited (Amer Sports Oyj), Nautilus Inc., Johnson Health Tech. Co. Ltd, Origin Fitness Ltd (Anytime Leisure Limited), Dyaco International Inc., Icon Health & Fitness, Inc., Amer Sports Corporation, Core Health & Fitness, LLC, Technogym SPA, Echelon Fitness Multimedia LLC, among others. Market players are actively involved in the research and technological advancement of the fitness equipment.

Various features like monitoring the heartrate, calories, blood pressure, weight of the body, along with the calculation of the workout performed added in the equipment is driving the growth of the advancing fitness equipment by drawing the consumer attention. Also, the market players can focus over the R & D processes that provides the solution for the consumer demand thus aiding the market players in properly popularizing and establishing their brand value in the future market. Other strategies may include partnerships, deals, and acquisitions among the market players.

Download Sample Report @ https://www.techsciresearch.com/sample-report.aspx?cid=7826

Customers can also request for 10% free customization on this report.

“Asia Pacific region is expected to register the fastest growing CAGR in the upcoming five years owing to the rising disposable income among the young population of the countries like China, India, Japan, South Korea, etc. Also, economic growth in the region has led to sedentary lifestyle and population being inclined toward fast food, alcoholism, and smoking, leading to unhealthy lifestyles. Staying health conscious and working out regularly is not only choice but a need in the recent times thereby driving the population toward owning the home fitness equipment to sustain their needs.

North America is the largest market holder region in the historical period and is anticipated to continue dominating the segment owing to the demand of home fitness equipment due to rising instances of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and other bone diseases,” said Mr. Karan Chechi, Research Director with TechSci Research, a research based Global management consulting firm.

“Global Home Fitness Equipment Market By Type (Treadmills, Elliptical Machines, Stationary Cycles, Rowing Machines, Others) By Category (Cardiovascular Training Equipment, Strength Training Equipment) By Distribution Channel (Online Retail, Offline Retail) By Region, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2026”, has evaluated the future growth potential of global home fitness equipment and provides statistics & information on market size, structure and future market growth. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment decisions. Besides, the report also identifies and analyzes the emerging trends along with essential drivers, challenges, and opportunities in global home fitness equipment market.

Browse Related Reports:

UK HVAC Market By Product Type (Direct Expansion Systems ((Split, Window, Ductable Split, VRF, Cassette and Others)) and Central Air Conditioning Systems (Chillers, Boilers, Cooling Towers, Air Handling Units, Fan Coil Units, HVAC Control System and Others)), By End Use Sector (Residential, Commercial Real Estate, Institutional, Marine & Offshore, and Others), By Region, By Company, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2026

https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/uk-hvac-market/4775.html

Global Hair Straightener Market By Product Type (Wide Plate, Medium Plate and Narrow Plate & Mini Plate), By Plate Type (Ceramic, Titanium & Tourmaline), By Application (Household Vs. Commercial), By Distribution Channel (Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, Institutional Sales, Multi-Branded Stores, Online and Others), By Region, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2026

https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/hair-straightener-market/4272.html

Contact

Mr. Ken Mathews

708 Third Avenue,

Manhattan, NY,

New York – 10017

Tel: +1-646-360-1656

Email: sales@techsciresearch.com

Website: https://www.techsciresearch.com/

For More Market Research Blogs Visit: https://techsciblog.com/

[hillywooddestiel]

Sam loves Beka

Characters: Sam x Reader, Dean

Warnings: language, crack

Word count: 1.1k

Description: Sam’s acting strange. Very strange. And it’s something to do with his laptop. Y/N really wants to know but what she finds is definitely not what she expected…

A/N: Well this was fun. And I always struggle with titles so having one provided was very helpful. It’s for @impala-dreamer and her titles are hard challenge and my prompt was obviously the title of this fic. I hope you like it xx Masterlist

Story:

“Watcha readin’?” You glance over Sam’s shoulder at his laptop that seems to display a large mass of text. No sooner have the words left your lips, Sam slams his screen down so you can’t see.

“N-nothing! Just… Research. Yeah… Research.” He stammers, nodding with approval of his final answer. You’d think for a man wanted for numerous crimes by the FBI he’d be better at lying.

“What research?” You ask in a honeyed tone, fluttering your lashes a little.

“Uh… Case stuff?” He asks more than answers. What is he hiding?

“What case? I thought we were laying low for a while.”

“It’s a uh… A ghost.” He reopens his laptop, screen now facing away from you making it impossible to snoop. That won’t stop you though.

“A ghost? What kind? Lemme see.” You make grabbing motions with your hands and swivel in your chair to get closer.

“The ordinary kind. It’s nothing.” Sam replies quickly, now visibly starting the sweat. A plan taking shape in your head, you decide to drop the subject with a much simpler way of finding what he’s hiding in mind.

As you listen intently for the sound of heavy feet and a door softly closing, you wait patiently hidden under your covers. You wait for five minutes after the click of the handle before tossing your covers aside and tiptoeing to the library. The lights are all still on and, luckily for you, Sam’s laptop has been left on the desk. Dancing with glee and mischief in your mind, you scurry to the chair to begin the snooping.

User: Sam

Password:

Damn it! Well, it only makes sense for him to have added a password after what Dean did. Five attempts.

S a m s l a p t o p

Denied

P a s s w o r d

Denied

I l o v e k a l e

Denied

For God’s sake! What the frickity frack is his password? What if it’s just a random ass bunch of letters and numbers? What if… Wait! A certain book from the pile next to you catches your eye. He always said he hated to admit it, even Dean didn’t know… He was a super fan.

“After all this time Sammy…”

A l w a y s

Accepted

The thrill of hacking into his laptop feels good- you understand why people do it for a living.

“Okay Sammy… What are you hiding?”

Swiping the mouse around the screen with the pad, you hover over the Google Chrome icon. It feels a little invasive. You sure as hell wouldn’t want Sam looking through your history. But then again… What the hell?

Click!

“Okay… History history history… Ah-ha! Wikipedia… The Lebanon Post… Wikipedia… The Smoothie Bible (Really Sam?)… BBC America… Wikipedia again… Tumblr?” Intrigued by the last one, you click it, nervously awaiting the page to load. What pops up is definitely not what you expected.

@albuspercivalwulfrickbriandumbledore

Bunker Blogger

Posts: 347

Followers: 66

“The hell?” You mutter under your breath, unable to stop yourself from clicking further. A certain URL keeps showing up on his feed and each one appears to be some sort of short story. Stories based off those goddamn Supernatural books.

@impala-dreamer

Bunker Blues

You skim read most of it, taking note of the fact that it mainly mentions you and Sam. Actually, it only mentions you and Sam.

#Sam x Y/N #Sam and Y/N #(your ship name) #smut…

And the list goes on. He’s not only liked the fucking thing he’s fucking reblogged it. And it’s not the only one. You continue to scroll down, stopping every so often to pause on some more saucy passages. But, a certain post makes you stop. It’s a message sent to the author.

‘Omg I love you and your writing! You’re so talented and I always look forward to reading what you post!!! Love you 💗💗💗’

That little… Oh he’s going to pay. Right! Where is that printer?

“Mornin’.” You yawn, stretching out your arms as you enter the war room.

“Er yeah mornin’… What’s this?” You try to hide your smile knowing full well what he’s talking about.

“I dunno. By the looks of things though Sam should.” You grin behind your cup of coffee, “Oh Sammy!” You raise your voice in a sing songy way.

“What are you shouting for? Everything okay?” Sam asks rapidly. Finally noticing the banner, his eyes widen and he forgets to breathe for a moment.

“Everything’s fine. Who’s Beka?” Dean questions through a mouthful of toast, reading off the giant banner you made overnight that clearly says in huge bold letters ’Sam loves Beka’.

“Um… She… I… Uh…” Sam struggles to find an answer with his still fast asleep brain.

“Yeah Sam, who is this Beka you love so much?” You no longer conceal your shit eating grin, “Actually, I think I might know her. I was doing some reading online and I found this-”

“Doctor! She’s a um doctor that I found. Online.”

“But where did you-”

“Dating website! She’s on a dating website.” Sam cuts you off abruptly, a real look of worry in his eyes. Dean just stares at the two of you, not wanting to get involved in another of your completely-platonic-yet-very-similar-to-a-husband-and-wife-argument arguments. Once he leaves the room, muttering something about a shower and weirdos, Sam leaps across the room to tear down the banner.

“You okay Sam? You seem a little on edge?” You ask, faux concerned. He just turns to you silently, nostrils flared. “Do you want me to leave the room so you can have more Beka time?”

“I’m going to give you five seconds headstart starting now.” You can almost feel the fury coming from him.

“Wait what?!”

“Times up!” And like a sprinter hearing the starting pistol, he comes speeding towards you. But, you’re equally as quick, turning on your heel and sprinting off into the bunker corridors.

Up ahead of you, Dean is just leaving his room, a bemused expression on his face watching the pair of you chase eachother.

“What the hell’s goin’ on?”

“Sam’s mad ‘cause I hacked his laptop and saw he was reading fan fiction about us.”

“Okay. I don’t know what you just said but you have fun with that.” He shouts to you as you disappear around another corner, closely followed by Sam.

“You are so dead when I catch you!” He hollers.

“If!” You screech back from somewhere deep in the bunker.

“Oh it’s that Beka!”

Everything tags:

@falloutofmymemez

[sunnydwrites]

Writing Injuries

[ What a fitting topic, seeing as I’ve been inactive for almost a month now due to my own injury. ] Hey everyone, it’s Abby with a writing advice post! This week we’re talking about injuries, and we’re going a little in-depth.

So let’s get one thing down, real quick: Being injured sucks. But this guide isn’t anything close to comprehensive, and it’s definitely not the only thing you should be relying on for this topic. This is meant to help you get started and build a general base on injuries, treatments, effects, etc.

In this guide, we will not be talking about an injury’s effects on mental health; that topic on its own is extensive enough to be covered in a post of its own (which may very well happen eventually).

Actually Getting Hurt

This is arguably the hardest part to write. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly which event would realistically create the “desired” injury here, but there are general things to go by and things to pay attention to here. If you want to go more in-depth, I would highly recommend @scriptmedic‘s blog; injuries are kind of their thing.

Pay attention to anatomy.

Some things don’t have nearly as big of an effect as you’d think they would, and others are the complete opposite. Your anatomy knowledge will come in handy here; know the most easily injured parts of the body and how to avoid those injuries, and write them in. Some examples of this include (taken from real life experience):

I slammed my finger in a car door not too long ago (just above the first knuckle). I couldn’t use that finger for a day or two but there was serious bruising in that one knuckles; my nail eventually fell off and that’s about it.

Practicing a bit too roughly before my martial arts test is what got me inactive for so long. We’re still not sure what happened; we’re thinking it may have been a pinched nerve or a strained tendon.

But why are these effects so weird? They should be flipped, right? Slamming your finger in a car door should be a little more serious than practicing a little too hard, right? Wrong.

Now, I don’t know too much about anatomy in general. But just a glance above and you can pretty easily see there’s a lot going on there. That’s a lot of stuff you can pretty easily mess up, especially when it comes to tendons, nerves, and weaker muscles. With my finger, the injury was more of a contusion, where the bruise was just incredibly deep (albeit incredibly painful, but not hard to source).

So what was the point of this little section? It’s just a reminder that everything in your body is connected. When you’re writing your injuries, give the anatomy of you character a quick check and see what else might be affected, then plan accordingly.

Deciding on the Cause

This is directly related to the thing above; once you’ve determined what needs to be affected, it’ll be a little easier to figure out the big cause. It’s simpler to work backwards this way because once you know what needs to be injured, a quick bit of research should do the job for you. “Injuries that affect xx and xx” might even suffice, but I would highly recommend checking out a few different websites. This will do two things for you:

Fact-check - Because the last thing you want is an unrealistic injury, if you’re putting in the effort to research it.

Broaden the possibilities - One website might list three of the most common causes for wrist pain; another might give you fifteen.

Just to be sure, I would check with two or three different websites. If you’re still unsure, remember @scriptmedic​ referenced above.

If you want some ideas just to get you going, here are a few I made up off the top of my head:

Getting into a fistfight

Big fall

Sliced with a sharp object of some sort

Breaking or spraining something

Aggravating a previous injury

Any sort of bullet or stab wound

I mean, the possibilities are literally endless here. These are just a handful I came up with on the fly, but it just goes to show that pretty much anything could be plausible so long as it fits within the boundaries of your world.

The Injury’s Effects

Side effects are the things you’re going to want to pay attention to; that’s what your character is going to have to live with for the longest time while they heal. I’m going to split this into three categories: Making Sense, Short-Term Effects, and Long-Term Effects. Here we go!

Making Sense

This one could probably start off pretty obvious; naturally breaking your leg isn’t going to hurt your wrist unless you somehow injured your wrist in the process. The effects of each injury should relate to the injury somehow; if they don’t, I hope you’re creating a hidden wound for later.

Another thing you’ll want to keep in mind here is the idea that this is all relative. A bee sting will be a bit of a painful jolt to someone who’s never been stung, where someone who’s been stung a thousand times before will chalk it up to an annoyance. Someone who happens to be allergic to bees, however, will react in a completely different way.

What you’ll want to keep in mind here is your character. Is there anything they’re allergic to, maybe? Are they especially sensitive to anything? Do they have any pre-existing conditions? (Hint: that last one is definitely something you should be paying attention to.)

Short-Term Effects

Doing the research for this one, most of the results that came up were for brain injuries like concussions and such. This makes sense, seeing as injuries to the head tend to be pretty severe. But these short terms effects could easily be very dramatic, especially if you’re writing from the perspective of the person. A few of these can include:

Nausea

“Blinding” pain

Possible (temporary) numbness in the affected area

Shock

Inability to use the affected area

These are some quick things I thought of that will both add accuracy and a bit more “drama” to the story. (Either myself or a close family member has experienced each of these things.)

Short-term effects should fade after time, but it depends on the severity of the injury. For example, bruising could fall into pretty much any category; it can go wherever based on the injury. Short-term effects (in non-severe injuries) can usually be described as sharp and uncomfortable, where are long-term is usually more of a distant pain as the body heals itself.

Long-Term Effects

These are the ones you need to be paying attention to in your writing. They need to work themselves into your character’s life one way or another. Like literally every other part of writing an injury, this needs to be heavily researched. The long-term effects are going to be what will determine your character’s abilities for days, weeks, months, years, etc.

This one is going to take a lot of research, and I mean a lot. There are a lot of causes for different effects and these need to be kept track of. Having too many injures can lead to so many long-term effects that your character wouldn’t be able to function. A few examples of long-term effects could be:

Memory loss or a case of amnesia (for head injuries)

A constant, dull ache in the injured area

Not quite regaining full range of motion

Need of a support such as a crutch or cast

Inability to perform basic tasks (usually for more severe injuries)

Again, these are just a few examples; none of these go strictly with one injury, and one injury could create more than one of these effects. So I’m going to stress it again: do your research and keep track of everything.

For this one, because I have the experience to do so, I’m going to give a quick real-life example of long-term effects:

About five years ago, I was crawling around in the snow looking for something and ended up smashing my knee - hard - on a rock. For the rest of that day it hurt to move it, and that feeling continued for about a week. There was a slightly visible bruise there, but we went to the doctor’s anyway to get an MRI. When started off as a contusion quickly became something they described to me as “water on the knee”, but eventually that faded. But, like in the wrist, there are a lot of things in your knee that can be screwed up like that. So to this day it hurts to do too many impact exercises (like running or martial arts, both of which I do regularly) without a brace, and on the days I don’t wear I brace I have to be extra careful or I’ll be feeling it for the next week.

Moral of the story? Look at how long-term effects play into your story, how they can develop from a small bruise to a contusion to something different entirely and how that follows your character. (Also, don’t smash your knee on a rock. Just don’t.)

The Healing Process

Hey, things are starting to get better for your character! Yay! We’re into the healing process now, looking at different ways healing can be done and things to watch out for.

Different Healing Processes

There are many processes we know about, but this isn’t meant to be a comprehensive guide. We’re going to look at the two most common healing processes here: natural and surgical. This part won’t entail magic (but that’s totally cool if you want to include that).

Healing Naturally

As would be expected, healing naturally takes the longest time. If the healing process here is completely natural, there’s no medication whatsoever (with maybe the exception of a few painkillers). This is going to require your character is take it easy, and I mean really easy; any sort of vigorous exercise could lead to the aggravation of their injury, and then we’re right back to square one.

In this stage, your character should be focusing on healing and staying healthy; this option would presumably be the hardest for your daredevil or prideful characters.

Surgical Procedures

This one involves a lot more help from other people. Of course it wouldn’t be a magical cure to the injury, but having someone much more qualified might speed up the process a bit, don’t you think? This would involve a much more controlled environment and would follow a pretty linear schedule; hospitals usually keep their patients until the injury is more manageable and send them off with a list of things to be careful of (at least, that’s what happened for me).

Using this method might present a challenge for characters who find people hard to trust or hate any of the tools that would be used in the procedure with a passion, that kind of thing.

Facts & Common Misconceptions

In this section (also the last section) I’m going to cover a few common misconceptions that come with injuries and their healing, then give a few facts to pay attention to. (source)

“FACT: R.I.C.E. spells initial relief. While both acute and chronic injuries should be attended to by a qualified physician, using the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) method for milder injuries like strains and sprains within the first 48 hours after injury occurs will help to initially relieve pain, reduce swelling and promote the healing process.”

“MYTH: “Rest is always best.” This is not entirely true. While rest may initially reduce inflammation and pain, it will not treat the root cause of a soft tissue injury (i.e., muscle, ligament and tendon sprains, strains and tears). It is important to seek a proper diagnosis and treatment plan beyond the initial rest period to treat soft tissue damage. Rest alone is not enough to heal and strengthen the affected area.”

“FACT: [Sports] Injuries are either acute or chronic. Acute injuries occur suddenly, like when you twist your ankle during a game. These types of injuries include sprains, strains, breaks and fractures and are characterized by severe pain and tenderness, swelling, limited motion, out-of-place bones and inability to put pressure or weight on the area. Chronic injuries occur after longer workout sessions or sports-related activities, and are characterized by pain during the activity and dull pain or mild swelling afterward.” 

“MYTH: “Pop a painkiller.” We all admire the elite athlete who takes a shot before the big game and plays through the pain. While this may seem admirable, even a world class pro will tell you that it’s not the long-term situation. If you take a couple of Advil or the like before your next workout or game, guess what? The pain may subside, but it will return, and then it may be even worse. If you experience pain, listen to your body’s alarm systems and seek professional medical advice.”

“FACT: Never play through the pain. Never. This is a sure way to aggravate any injury. If you feel pain during a workout or a game, stop and seek treatment. Acute injuries should be attended to by a physician immediately. Less severe injuries—like mild sprains—may be treatable at home, but you should still consult a doctor before beginning any type of treatment.”

“MYTH: “Stretch away those injuries.” Not so fast. While stretching is an important component of any workout or pregame warm up, it is not a shield against injury. In fact, stretching an injured muscle or other affected area may cause further damage. Keeping your body strong, balanced and in shape through proper training is key to overall injury avoidance.”

“FACT: Don’t play doctor. If you are injured during a workout or sports-related activity, don’t try to treat it yourself. Yes, initial treatment measures you can take at home—like RICE—may mitigate the pain and reduce the potential for further injury, but they are not a replacement for sound, effective medical treatment unless indicated by a doctor.”

References

Wrist Anatomy Image (p.s. This website is really great if you’re looking for diagrams like the one above!)

@scriptmedic​ - Aunt Scripty is incredibly helpful and gives a lot of useful information, then usually continues with alternate suggestions if any are needed (or if enough information is needed). Check out their Before You Ask first.

Common Misconceptions - This page applies mostly to sports injuries, but is accurate to more than just those. Everything is quotes came directly from that page.

Please let me know if any of this information is inaccurate! Until next time, stay lovely <3

[umusicians]

UM Interview: Bea Kadri

Lebanese singer-songwriter Bea Kadri has always had a love for music. Tackling topics of self-discovery, empowerment, and all matters of the heart, Bea has found her niche as an artist. Although her rise into a career as an artist was gradual, Bea’s love for music can be traced back to her days growing up in Beirut, Lebanon where she glued to her iPod, MTV, and YouTube to get her musical fix of Pop, Hip-Hop and R&B. 

In 2018, Bea moved to London to pursue a master’s degree in music business management from the University of Westminster, with the hope of obtaining a job in the music industry. To date, Bea has landed a number of songwriting opportunities and sync placements, as well as performing at the BRIT AWARDS 2018 with Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton as a member of their choir.

Amandah Opoku sat down with Bea Kadri to talk about her latest single “Be Alright”, songwriting and more!

Amandah Opoku: Hi Bea, thank you for doing this interview with UMusicians! Can you introduce yourself to our viewers and tell us about one new song you’ve discovered in the last few months that you love!  Bea Kadri: Hey UMusicians! It’s my pleasure. Thanks for having me. I’m Bea Kadri, an alternative RnB / Future Pop singer songwriter from Beirut, Lebanon. Recently been obsessed with Teyana Taylor’s Bare With Me!!! The music video, the track and that mix are so fire and constantly on replay.

AO: You recently released “Be Alright”, what is the story behind the song?  BK: I wrote and recorded “Be Alright” with rapper Isaac B in a studio session in London back in August. It really started off with us just discussing how tiresome, changing and fast life can be and how much we miss simpler times from our childhoods. We put the Jan Pastor’s beat on loop with that mindset and came up with this sort of reminiscing and melancholic call for peace as a reminder to stay chill no matter the chaos. 

AO: “Be Alright” features London based freestyle rapper, Isaac B. How did the collaboration happen?  BK: I was in London for shows throughout July and August and Isaac B is a hardworking talented rapper and a good friend of mine. We just thought why not explore what we could come up with musically together, he had access to studio time at The Rattle London so I went by and “Be Alright” was created in those few hours and recorded it on the spot. I only added a couple of adlibs and back ups later from the comfort of my bedroom studio. 

AO: Do you have any artists and/or songwriters you’d like to work with in the future? If so, who?  BK: Songwriters: I would LOVE to work with Nija Charles, she is insanely talented and has written a lot of my favorite on-replay tunes. Julia Michaels’ words hit different too, so definitely her. Sarah Hudson’s songwriting is always popping and she seems super fun to collab with and just get to know in general. Oh, and Pharell Williams, he’s ultimate feel good vibes.  Singers: Post Malone, Jhene Aiko, SZA, Beyonce, Rihanna, PINK, H.E.R, 6lack, Jessie Reyez, Lolo Zouai, Drake, Daniel Caesar... the list is long. 

AO: What inspired you to pursue a career in music?  BK: The realization that it’s all I could think of growing up and that it didn’t go away when I became an adult is a big one. It’s always been my dream as corny as that sounds. But also, every time I found myself at a low point in my life, dreaming about it and escaping to that space in my head was what kept me up. So at one low low I decided to move away and just do it once and for all : pursue a career in music, by both studying the business side of the industry in my masters and releasing music. 

AO: As you pursue your career as an artist and songwriter, what is one of your biggest fears?  BK: I think the instability that lies in an artist’s career is somewhat of a worry. Even when I reach high levels, I need to stay innovative, creative and be smart with my income streams, especially if later I have a family to provide for, it can’t be that fluctuating. 

AO: If you could describe your music in three words. What words would you choose and why?  BK: Chill, transparent and emotional. 

Chill because a lot of the music I release and tone I use is relaxed and laid-back. 

Transparent because I write and pull from real experiences and reflections.  Emotional because I make sure I truly channel the same raw emotion that inspired my writing a song. I aim to match that in recording too. Like my last break up track B4WBU was full of takes of me choking up and sniffing. So I’m kinda glad this follow-up release “Be Alright” is a happier lighter one lol. 

AO: Some of the music you’ve released to date has been synced in a number of television shows and films. What was your reaction when you received your very first sync placement?  BK: Yes!! I was ecstatic, jumping around in disbelief as I watched my songs play in these dramatic scenes on the Australian soap opera “Home and Away”. That was the first one. Ah! Loved every second of that! 

AO: Looking back at songs that have been released within the last year, what are your favourite lyrics you’ve heard that you wish you had written?  BK: “Remember when you got my ass arrested. At least when I was in jail, I got some rest in” has got to be one of my favorite lyrics this year. It’s from Die for Me by Post Malone feat. Halsey & Future. I don’t know why I love that line so much, it makes me laugh and just simply and strongly paints how toxic whoever she is was. Posty’s energy in the delivery of the song is truly FELT. 

AO: At the 2018 BRIT Awards you performed with Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton as a member of the choir. What was the experience like and what did you take away from the experience?  BK: It was honestly surreal! Such icons! And I got to be in their choir on my first year in London! Just madness. I remember the gratitude and excitement that filled my heart, I felt so lucky witnessing what it’s like at The Brits that I never miss tuning in to. Although, when I was there I had this fear that I’d mess up or overstep so I kept to myself really as I watched Dua’s dancers and Stormzy’s crew get ready backstage. Looking back now I really wish I had been more relaxed and networked more or sparked conversations even with the rest of the choir. We were backstage for hours and everyone seemed friendly and happy to be there. I was just way too caught up in my shyness and unsure how lil Lebanese pre-releasing me got there in the first place. 

Listening to the song we performed “Say Something” is a quick way to take me back to that day though. And my dad blasts it all the time he’s so proud. I’ll remember the details of that day forever or until the next time I’m there (ehem, universe, do your thang!). 

AO: Aside from your music career, you also have a fashion e-commerce brand Young Wilderness & designer for Fashiontv Eyewear. What inspired you to jump into the fashion/accessories world? And how does this connect directly to your music?  BK: Well, I was in fashion for years before pursuing music. I launched Young Wilderness back in 2013 and recently re-stocked it, now I sell it online and at live shows whenever I can. It’s this super comfortable, durable, funky brand that’s meant to add colors and good vibes to people’s lives. It also helps pay for my music-related things. 

Designing for Fashiontv Eyewear was an interesting challenge, I never studied eyewear design, I just had ideas and did massive research about trends and color combos so that was a pretty cool chapter of my life...safe to say I have more shades than one woman needs. Would love to full-on dive back into fashion after I establish myself more musically, they can definitely go hand in hand beautifully. 

AO: In 2018, you moved to London to pursue a master’s degree and to be closer to your passion and to possibly get a job in music. You took a leap of faith. To those who may also want to pursue a career in music, what would your advice to them be?  BK: Depends on what side of the industry they want to be on. But whatever it is, I say definitely do your research and gain some knowledge in the field you’re interested in. Understand the legalities, understand royalties, take online courses, read up and consume on the subjects that interest you and most importantly, act on it. It doesn’t need to be 100 from the get-go. Take small to large steps in the directions that intrigue you, even if you’re unsure, even if you realize later you have a change of heart, even if you’re scared to fail. It all leads to you finding answers and gaining experience. I’ve very much become this annoying follow your heart and trust the process type of person, but if you love it, it’s worth it. 

AO: For a new fan that may across your music on digital music platforms, what do you want them to take away from your music?  BK: I can’t really say what I want them to take from it, that’s their personal business. But I do hope my music resonates with them on some deep level and sparks up memories and all types of feelings and healings and things. :) 

AO: Bea, thank you for sitting down with me to do this interview! Before you go, is there anything you’d like to say to your fans and our readers?  BK: I’d like to thank you for your awesome reflective questions, they’ve made me remember and smile. And to whoever is reading this, if you vibe with my music I got news for you: NEW MUSIC coming soon! I got the wheels rollin’ on a bunch of projects in this quarantine that I CANNOT WAIT to put out. Keep streamin’ my released til then. And thank you for choosing to spend your precious time reading this interview til the end. You’re a fuckin’ gem! Much love xx

Connect with Bea Kadri at the following links: https://beakadri.com/ https://www.instagram.com/bea.kadri/ https://twitter.com/beakadri https://www.facebook.com/BeaKadri/

[emmastudies]

I’m having a super hard time being productive and staying focused and I’m getting so discouraged and disappointed in myself please help

Hi there! I think sometimes studyblr portrays this idea of productivity all the time - I definitely think my Instagram (from face value) suggests I am more productive than I actually am :’-) I’m going to guess here and say that you’re feeling disappointed because perhaps you have this massive list of things you need to get done but you’re not motivated and then end up in a vicious, guilt-ridden cycle? I think it important you for to 1) value your productivity in a different way and 2) set small incremental challenges understanding that it is about improvement, not some sudden magical gift from the productivity fairy.

So, firstly! Reevaluate your productivity. If I see productivity as focusing (and getting as close to completion as I can) on my top three priorities each day, then that is generally a simpler task to achieve. Once those are done, my personal opinion will be that I’ve done a good job! However, if I’ve written this huge list of 10-15 things that I just have to do and the only way I feel like I’ve been productive is to complete them all, I’m going to be disappointed if I only get 1 or 2 done. Often big lists or rewriting tasks from one day to the next can be disheartening and discourages from getting on. I hope this is making sense but try to think about your most important tasks in the day - rather than completing every possible thing you can. This printable might help too!

Secondly, perhaps try to plan/schedule time slots. I don’t like to recommend strict scheduling but time guides can help. When you go to begin your work set a timer for say between 25-40 minutes then plan what you think you can get done in that time. Try to be realistic! Don’t think “this essay research will be a quick 10-minute thing” if you know you usually end up researching for an hour! Try to estimate the closest possible time you can. This hopefully will train you to see how long things take and when/where you can implement them into your regular schedule - hence improving your productivity and focus! 

For general focus/efficient studying, have a read of this post and if distractions are bothering you, read this :-)

Feeling disappointed is super common too. Have you ever told yourself “I can’t do that really fun thing (e.g. Sims (any simmers here, shoutout to you), hanging out with friends, etc) because it is going to distract me for ages” yet ended up procrastinating on Facebook anyway? This is high-density fun vs low-density fun. You’re more likely to get out of high-density fun situations because you feel guilty about not being ‘productive’ during that time. But regardless, you end up on an app designed to retain your attention! There is definitely a difference between an actual ‘break’ and a just ‘procrastination’. You shouldn’t feel guilty about taking needed time off but that guilt during procrastination times might just help motivated you!! This post talks a bit about stopping that guilty feeling when you’re not doing work so that might help with learning to balance the two.

Sorry that this is a bit of a mumble jumble, hopefully it makes sense. I’m writing it at 12am because I didn’t want to leave it unanswered xx

[stardustghost-a]

war formed;   evening (morning?) my loves.  so just a quick note is I’m going to seem very absent here for the next few days because I owe a lot of replies and I’m working on queuing a lot more of them before any are posted!  I’m always around if someone does want to chat  /  wants my discord but yup.

fun things that are happening:   the 12th is somehow only romana’s second month anniversary but she’s going to get a brand new,  simpler google doc with links to cheat sheets on all of her regenerations.  the 16th is my birthday so I’ll likely be around since not many other options this year. xx