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cripplecharacters · 2 months

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Hi! I was actually wondering if you all could do a really in-depth post specifically on canes versus forearm crutches. I’ve noticed a couple of the recent asks pertain to it, and I think I myself still have one in the queue related to it, but in all of the posts y’all link us too in your answers to those asks, I have found the information is still very sparse and doesn’t directly compare the two in a lot of detail. I would really really love to see a specific dedicated post that breaks down the differences Between them directly, and goes into a lot more detail about what kind of person might prefer a cane and what kind of person might prefer forearm crutches. Differences in conditions, pain levels, fatigue levels, location of issue on their body, other symptoms, examples of disabilities that might more commonly default to one over the other, all that stuff. I’ve looked through basically all your posts on the subject I can find, and still feel like it’s really only scratching the surface, so if there’s a way y’all would be willing to do one big post on this topic specifically, I know at least I would really love it and I think others would as well! Most of the existing posts are a little too broad and surface level, and while I have found them super helpful as a starting point, I would love to see one that zooms in just on these two mobility aids rather than a broad overview of all types of mobility aids being compared like most of the existing resources y’all have. Seriously love what you all do and I would be extremely grateful for this!

Hi anon, just for you:

On Writing Characters Using Canes vs Crutches

[large text: On Writing Characters Using Canes vs Crutches]

This is a writing advice post that doesn't cover every single possibility because that's too impossible to try and do. It's simplified (!!!) to be coherent for writers who have little to no experience with these sorts of mobility aids, and I encourage anyone who wants to write a character using either of these to treat this post as a small part of a larger research process. This post will contain generalizations for the purpose of me wanting to actually finish it. This is writing advice, not medical information, nor something you should be applying to real life.

Please keep in mind that a lot of the disability examples will only be shown in a single category because otherwise this would be a comical block of text. So yeah, I know that a ton of conditions outside the "chronic pain" category also come with chronic pain, but I want this list to be actually easy to look through.

This will compare the cane (singular stick) to crutches (two sticks). Differences between a singular crutch and two canes will be at the end.

Canes

[large text: Canes]

The most primitive mobility aid that's out there. A wrist-height stick with a handle. You hold it in your hand (at a rather natural angle) and that's mostly it - it's meant to follow a standard (left leg forward, right arm forward) gait and be a support meant for generally milder mobility issues. A cane can take up to 25% of body weight, so like half of what a leg does.

As a TLDR, here's what they could be:

One leg unable to bear the entire weight (but not completely unable) - this could be a result of a problem anywhere from the bottom of the foot all the way to the hip.

Milder balance problems - largely neurological, so either a condition that affects the brain, the spinal cord, or the nerves in the leg. There are also some autoimmune, respiratory, and cardiovascular causes as well, plus a few more.

Back/trunk problems, most commonly pain.

To use a cane you need two legs, most people who use canes for leg reasons will have a “good leg” and a “bad leg”. If this is the case, you'd typically hold the cane on the good leg side, as that redistributes the weight - and pain - between the bad leg and the cane.

The good leg needs to be able to bear the whole weight comfortably, the bad leg needs to be able to bear, at the very least, half of the weight. If the disability affects legs to the point where either:

both have problems weight-bearing;

one can't bear weight at all (e.g., amputation, flaccid paralysis, pain too severe);

then two crutches (or other mobility aid, like a wheelchair) would be the move. The cane doesn't replace an entire leg and is meant to be a minor support.

Examples of what would cause someone to use a cane:

Monoplegia or hemiplegia that is spastic (rigid) in the leg. This could be a result of stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, nerve damage, Brown-Séquard syndrome, polio, encephalitis, transverse myelitis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, alternating hemiplegia of childhood, hemiplegic migraines, or being a hemispherectomy survivor. And many more things.

Chronic pain; arthritis, hypermobility spectrum disorders, chronic patellar instability, h-EDS, neuropathy, peripheral artery disease, past injuries (e.g., broken foot that healed incorrectly), systemic lupus erythematosus, joint replacement, chronic bursitis, and a lot more.

Relatively minor fatigue - most fatigue disorders will be on a wide spectrum, and people's symptoms often vary a lot. But a cane could help with fibromyalgia, Charcot Marie Tooth disease, POTS, scoliosis, severe kyphosis/lordosis, COPD (and other respiratory conditions), or milder forms of CFS/ME. Someone undergoing chemotherapy (or taking some other fatigue-causing medication) could also use one.

Muscle conditions, which are an even bigger spectrum. Spinal muscular atrophy type 3 and 4, early Limb-Girdle muscular dystrophy, tibial MD, Becker MD, or early myotonic dystrophy type 2 can all be reasons to use a cane. Keep in mind that these have drastically different presentations from person to person, and it's not entirely unusual for two people with the same kind of muscular dystrophy to use very different mobility aids (e.g., a tilt-in-space powerchair vs ...no aid at all). These are just the ones where I'm aware of a person who 1) has it, 2) uses a cane, even if it's not the most common aid.

Prosthetic leg on one side; usually below knee (high level amputees will more often go for crutches, even if they use a prosthetic).

The second biggest reason why people use a cane is balance. For this the cane can be held in either hand; some people have a preference, generally for the non-dominant hand for convenience - although many people with balance problems will also have a coordination disorder that might make using their non-dominant hand too difficult. Some people will switch the side they hold it on.

For a lot of people with balance problems, a cane might be the aid they use at home, and use a rollator or a wheelchair outside.

A good cane for balance purposes is a quad cane - it has four legs at the bottom and offer more stability than the single point equivalent. However, the larger base might also mean that for some people it can be easier to hit it with their foot, which ranges from annoying to dangerous.

Examples of disabilities that affect balance;

Many of the things included in the first section - primarily those that directly affect the brain or nerves.

Conditions that cause vertigo - again, many of the same things as before because a lot of them tend to originate in the brain. So other than aforementioned meningitis or stroke and the like: Ramsay Hunt syndrome, migraines, basically any sort of brain damage, POTS, Meniere's disease, labyrinthitis.

Respiratory problems, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, severe asthma, or lupus.

Coordination disorders - again, a lot of overlap with aforementioned disabilities, so I'll skip to things I haven't mentioned yet. Ataxia could be caused by a lot of things; some include the Chiari malformation, ataxia-telangiectasia, Friedrich's ataxia, Parkinson's, brain tumors, or Niemann-Pick disease. Dystonia is usually a primary condition rather than being caused by other things (although it can be!). Dyspraxia is also a coordination disorder generally milder than ataxia, and canes can be potentially helpful for it as well.

As mentioned before, some coordination disorders will affect the upper limbs as well, and it might be too difficult to use a cane. For disabilities like Huntington’s disease, or ataxia that significantly affects the hands, rollators and wheelchairs tend to be more helpful.

Anything that causes the person to fall. Fall risk is the primary reason people use canes.

A cane can also be used for back/trunk issues. One can lift off some weight of the body from above the Problem by putting the weight on the arm instead. I have really severe kyphosis as well as (partial) trunk muscle atrophy/coordination problems and quite literally can't straighten my back for more than a few minutes at most - my cane allows me to do that more easily and without needing to think about it as much.

Examples of some conditions that cause that include;

sciatica;

degenerative disk disease;

past spine injury;

scoliosis or severe kyphosis/lordosis.

In my experience, you need fairly good arm strength to use a cane comfortably. For people with more significant weakness in upper limbs, rollators tend to work better.

Grip strength is also important; there are canes designed to mitigate this (the platform cane/crutch comes to mind) but they're not the most common because often (not always!) when someone has this issue they already require a larger mobility aid.

Canes are often a "starting" mobility aid, i.e., a person starts using it at first but later transitions to using something else as their disability progresses (or they realize that it wasn't adequate in the first place, it mostly happens with slowly progressive conditions - when they decide to get a cane, it's often just too late). A cane can be useful at the very start of an onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but it's basically worthless beyond that.

Similarly (kind of), a cane can be the "smaller" mobility aid for someone who uses multiple of them at the same time. Someone dealing with fatigue could use a cane at home, but need a rollator for going out, or a wheelchair for longer trips. Another person could use a cane when going out with a prosthetic leg on, but use a wheelchair or crutches at home when not wearing the prosthetic.

Crutches

[large text: Crutches]

These are more complex and provide more help. Crutches directly affect your gait depending on the exact disability, and take away both hands. They can potentially take up to 100% of body weight for parts of the walking cycle if you have good upper body strength and balance, and 50% otherwise (so, one good or two half-good legs still required).

Crutches are used for a lot of things (realistically too many to cover here) so I'll just go with the main categories that encompass most of them.

A) Both legs can't fully bear weight;

The same things as in the cane section, but present on both sides rather than one.

Hypotonia; can be caused by thousands of things. Some include Down syndrome, Tay-Sachs syndrome, achondroplasia, being born prematurely, brain damage, and congenital hypothyroidism.

Paraplegia that's low-level and/or incomplete, or quadriplegia that's incomplete. Quadriplegia is a huge spectrum as well, and it will depend on the amount of strength and flexibility that the individual person has in their arms and hands.

Bilateral amputation with prosthetics. (Someone who can bear weight no problem but has a milder balance problem could use a cane instead.)

B) One leg can't bear any or a lot of weight;

The same things as in the cane section, they're basically all on a spectrum, so some people choose a cane and others choose crutches.

Unilateral amputation, or congenital limb difference.

Limb length discrepancy where it doesn't touch the ground or barely does so.

C) Significant balance issues;

Same things as for canes, but either more severe or just someone's personal preference.

D) Back/trunk pain;

Same as C).

Additional note based on things I have seen: you can't use crutches if you have no legs and no prosthetics. You can't walk literally just on crutches. You need at least a single leg or prosthetic.

(Yeah I'm aware that there's probably a guy somewhere who does tricks where he does exactly that for a short video. That's Crutches Georg and he should not be counted because 99.9% of crutches users won't be doing that ever.)

Crutches will provide much more stability and relieve more pressure than a cane, but there is a wide range of the amount of support depending on how they are utilized.

What the disability is can actually present itself in the person's gait - there are a few main ones that are associated with crutches;

Four-point. The two legs and two crutches work as four different points of support, and three of them are in contact with the ground at any time. A lot (not all!) of people who use it will use crutches full-time and/or not be able to stand without them. The most stable and the slowest out of all of these.

Three-point. Probably the one most people have in mind when thinking crutches? The crutches both move at the same time, along with the bad leg, then the good leg follows. This is the "broken leg in a cast" way of walking.

Two-point. The closest to how non-crutch users generally walk. It's like having a cane on each side; left crutch forward, right leg forward. Fairly fast.

Step-to. The crutches work as one point of contact, and the legs as the other - both of each will move forward at the same time. In the step-to, a person puts their feet at the crutches' height. Fairly fast as well.

and step-through. I'd say the most difficult, least stable, providing the least amount of support. The same as in step-to, both crutches go forward before both legs, however here the legs get swung through them while the person is only holding up on crutches. This is the fastest that it gets, and can definitely be faster than an abled person walking. You can run quickly like this.

If you have issues visualizing them, there are a lot of great demonstrations on YouTube that you can look up for clarification.

There are a lot of subtle differences in which one people end up using, but as a rule of thumb, the more balance they lack, the more points of support they need. To provide some examples;

a person with quadriplegic cerebral palsy might lack balance and coordination, so they might use a four-point gait.

A person with one-sided tarsal tunnel syndrome can walk with a three-point gait, as it can be used to mitigate weight-bearing fully or partially - if the pain gets worse, they can just... not touch the ground with that leg.

A person with incomplete thoracic spinal cord injury could also work with a three point gait, though they would put both legs on the ground. If someone has good strength in the arms and trunk, they can get both crutches in the front along with one leg, then try to get the second one to go forward as well. This is how a lot of crutch users with a disability affecting two legs, but with decent balance and upper body strength, walk.

A person who had a traumatic brain injury and now experiences balance problems but not as much leg issues could opt for a two-point gait. It does help with weight redistribution, but primarily provides a lot of balance.

Both step-to and step-through are primarily used by single-leg problem havers (like unilateral amputees) in my experience, but I've seen people with diplegia or incomplete low-level spastic paraplegia use it too. You need very good balance and good upper body strength. I've seen dudes do backflips and ride skateboards on crutches like this. You can run as well and be way faster than you think.

The same as canes, crutches require arm strength. The more you're looking to take away from the legs, the more will go to the shoulders. If someone doesn't have the needed arm strength, a rollator will be more helpful. Walkers not so much as they still require some strength to turn.

More Direct Comparisons

[large text: More Direct Comparisons]

The differences between pain and fatigue levels might be somewhat evident from comparing the sections above - to generalize the subject as much as possible: the bigger the pain or the fatigue, the higher possibility of using crutches over a cane is. They provide more relief for both, as well as providing more balance.

Now, there's always exceptions. Someone might not be able to use two sticks, because of a disability affecting one of the arms - hemiplegia is a common example. In this case, the person could prefer to use a single crutch rather than two. They could opt for platform crutches, which don't require as secure of a grip. They might need a rollator instead. They might have a powerchair that they operate with their good arm.

Another thing is that some people will use crutches even if a cane would work just as well. Some people like the grip more, or find them easier to use. They could also like that crutches are seen as more medical than a cane, which could be seen as a fashion accessory. Maybe they can be faster on crutches than with a cane (e.g., if their disability is limited to a single leg, getting it out of the walk cycle might be more convenient) and that matters to them.

And to go with this, some people just don't like crutches! I personally don't like the forearm cuff because I tend to swing my wrist around with my cane rather than hold it perfectly straight, so the cuff seems annoying. For someone else that could be more than a preference, e.g. if they have a limb difference that affects the length of their forearms to be much shorter - a person like this could prefer two canes.

As to what mobility aids are better for which disabilities, it's highly individualized, but to heavily generalize again: canes tend to be more helpful for relatively milder disabilities, and crutches for relatively more significant ones based on the amount of support they provide. But that's an oversimplification so simple that it's not really useful.

Someone with neuropathy in parts of their foot might find a cane completely sufficient, but it wouldn't be as useful for someone with nerve damage that caused flaccid paralysis from the hip down; they would probably prefer crutches. But then again, someone with mild vertigo could use crutches because they prefer them (even if a cane would work just fine) while someone else might have incomplete C6 quadriplegia and use a cane with leg braces over crutches because they enjoy having a free hand.

For more similarities between the two; overuse injuries can happen to both cane and crutch users, generally in the shoulder(s). They're not very common unless you're putting more weight on them than you're supposed to. They're very annoying because it drastically tanks your mobility until they get better (unless you can walk without them just as much that is), but they're treatable with physical therapy.

Now for the two canes and a singular crutch. Let's start with the fact that the latter is infinitely more popular than the former. It's basically the same as a single cane but more supportive; it's good for people who need more balance than a cane provides but can't use both hands. Two canes is very rare and I can't tell you what the actual pattern of choosing them over other options is outside personal preference because I have no idea.

The general conclusion of the post is that crutches and canes really aren't that different, and are more of a spectrum of usable sticks by the amount of support they provide to the user. That's why often you'll see canes and crutches listed as the same thing when it comes to "management of XYZ disability" type resources - for a lot of them they're rather similar in practice, especially when compared to rollators, walkers, scooters, or wheelchairs.

I hope this was more in depth and therefore more helpful, if this still leaves you with some unanswered question feel free to reach out again.

mod Sasza

#mod sasza #anonymous #crutches #canes #long post #disabled character ideas

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andrevasims · 1 year

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Pretersolaria Institute: CC-Free Uni & Individual Lots

Eventually I want to share the entirety of Rhyolite Valley, but it's a bit hairy with the 47 sims & CC hood deco & the garbage data I let seep in while playing (so I'd have to remake all of that before sharing).

I thought I'd "practice" the process of remaking the hood by starting a little smaller: The uni subhood. Since I only made a handful of sims for it (which are not included... yet) and it works aesthetically without CC hood deco. Sounds simple, right? Weelllll it took about a week of near daily effort to actually do. Makes the prospect of doing the actual hood soooo much more exciting lol /s

Anyway, that's what this is: A new university subhood template that's CLEAN & EMPTY. As a bonus (or if you just don't like the subhood), I've also included individual lot packages for every lot in the subhood to use wherever you want.

The "gimmick" of this hood is that Rhyolite Valley, and by extension Pretersolaria Institute, is entirely self-sufficient & cobbled together by the local residents. Which means there's no indoor plumbing lol.

That also means simply sitting down at a computer to write a term paper isn't as easy as a regular uni. Students have to go to THE BOOKMOBILE to access computers. Same goes for the skill building required for each semester/major. You have to venture out to the relevant community lot to find the means for skill building.

I've included in the uni's photo album & the lot descriptions which skills are available to build on each lot. It'll say "+Cooking" or whatever skill(s) the lot can provide based on the objects it has.

— WHERE/HOW TO INSTALL: —————————

Place the "PRTR" folder in its entirety in the "Program Files > EA GAMES > The Sims 2 University > TSData > Res > NeighborhoodTemplate" directory. Or whatever equivalent location you have for a TS2 University folder in the Program Files section.

Mootilda's Subhood Selection Mod is required to see additional universities below the main 3 pre-made ones.

You can then select Pretersolaria Institute in the list of options when creating a new uni subhood in a neighborhood.

— UNI SUBHOOD LOT INFO: ——————————

• Dorms: 1 (Klaatu Mobile Park)

6br / 5ba | Value: §20,444 | Size: 30 x 20

• Residential: 3 (Fulquard, Mushnick, & Burson Shack)

1br / 1ba | Value: §3,816-§3,862 | Size: 10 x 10

• Greek House: 1 (Tobor Testing Bureau)

10br / 10ba | Value: §30,363 | Size: 30 x 20

• Community: 6 (Wiploc Amphitheatre, THE BOOKMOBILE, Ikron Confectioneries, Zarkov Training Center, Big Heart Dude, Krelboined Horticulture)

• Secret Society: 1 (Temple of Laganaphyllis)

Value: §56,035 | Size: 20 x 20 | Zone: Community (individual version)

— NOTES: ———————————————————

• On 2 lots (Big Heart Dude & Wiploc Amphitheatre), I used the Seasons Music career reward The Rock Hammer for speaker deco. I used MoveObjects to delete the guitar but keep the speakers.

It's possible that either A. The guitars will respawn when you move the lot in the hood, or B. Sims will attempt to play the guitar and complain about being blocked (because I purposely blocked them).

If the guitars respawn, open the lot in Buy/Build mode and with MoveObjects On use the sledgehammer tool to remove the guitar.

If sims are complaining about not being able to reach the guitar, well they're not supposed to be able to lol. If hearing them complain is annoying, you can either use this mod that makes them stop yelling when something blocks them and leaves only the thought bubble, or delete the whole object.

• The Wiploc Amphitheatre may also have some glitchy-looking ground that you can see in neighborhood view when the camera moves. This is because I shortened the lot with Lot Adjuster. I don't know how to make it stop doing that, because I've transferred the lot to other hoods, packaged the lot, Lot Cleaner'd it, Lot Compressor'd it, moved it to the Lots & Houses Bin, etc. and it has never stopped looking like that. So again if that annoys you, remove the lot I guess?

• Please let me know if there are any additional problems.

I've never done this before specifically with a uni subhood, so it's very likely I messed up somewhere.

Additional Interior/Detail Pictures

DOWNLOAD UNI SUBHOOD: SFS | MF

DOWNLOAD INDIVIDUAL LOTS: SFS | MF

#cc free lot #no cc lot #download: lot #sims 2 cc #ts2cc #s2cc #ts2 download #sims 2 download #my cc #Pretersolaria Institute #download: hood #download: community lot #download: dorm #download: residential lot #grunge sims

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allthebrazilianpolitics · 22 days

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No X in Brazil? No problem, Brazilians say.

When a Brazilian Supreme Court justice ordered the suspension of the social media platform X in Latin America’s largest country, Shirley Sampaio wasn’t bothered. She preferred Instagram anyway.

“If they took that away, or WhatsApp, it would hurt,” the 56-year-old jewelry saleswoman said. “But people don’t use X.”

This nation of 215 million was an early and enthusiastic adopter of Twitter, the platform now known as X, once commanding its largest international market. More than 40 million Brazilians — nearly one-fifth of the population — routinely took to the network to engage in heated discussions on politics or gossip over the latest episode of Big Brother Brasil. It was credited with mobilizing massive and wide-ranging protests in 2013. Then helping to propel former president Jair Bolsonaro’s riseto power.

Since then, X’s clout in Brazil has shrunk considerably. At last count, the social media network had an estimated 22 million Brazilian users. Surveys showed Brazilians were far more likely to use WhatsApp or Instagram — even the Chinese video-sharing appKwai — than X. In2022, only 3 percent of Brazilians cited the social network as their preferred location to consume political news, thearea in which Twitter was once strongest, according to a survey by the Institute for Democracy and Democratization of Communication.

Under the stewardship of tech billionaire Elon Musk, the losses have deepened. Musk bought the platform in 2022, reinstated banned users, changed content moderation standards and re-christened it X: a global public square, he says, for all people and views.

But apparently fewer Brazilians. Since his takeover, more than 2 million have fled the network.

Last week’s imbroglio has made even more apparent the network’s growing weakness here. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, one of the world’s most aggressive prosecutors against misinformation, ordered X to block accounts that Moraes said were threatening democracy. The judge requested that Musk name a representative in Brazil to carry out judicial orders.

Musk refused, Moraes suspended X — and Brazilians shrugged.

#brazil #brazilian politics #politics #twitter #elon musk #alexandre de moraes #supreme federal court #image description in alt #mod nise da silveira

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octuscle · 8 months

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Changed taste

Callum had left after the second act. The production at the alternative opera had been a cheek. The singers had been a disaster. And the announcement of the underground strike had been a good excuse not to have to listen to this debacle to the end. Unfortunately, the underground drivers had shown no consideration for Callum. The strike had already begun. The underground shafts were deserted. So it was a taxi. This contradicted Callum's attitude to sustainability. He always excused his flat in Kensignton by saying that it was so centrally located that he didn't need a car. Only a few of his friends knew that there was an old Jaguar E-Type and a brand new Porsche 911 in the underground car park. Callum's family had made a fortune from property speculation over 100 years ago. He owned the exclusive block of flats in which he lived. This and a few more.

When he came up from the underground, it had started to rain. And he had left his umbrella in the cloakroom at the opera. Underground strike and rain. Not a good combination for getting a taxi. In the shelter of the entrance to the underground, Callum searched on his mobile phone. A bus station was only 200 metres away. And it wasn't raining that hard. So he set off. And after a few metres, the heavens opened their floodgates. A downpour of torrential proportions drenched Callum in a matter of seconds. His dinner jacket was ruined. And his mobile phone only flashed once more before it died in the pouring rain.

The rain intensified. The few passers-by who hadn't yet found shelter quickly ran through the puddles to find somewhere to hide. Callum's best chance was a launderette where the owner or employee was about to lower the blinds. Callum asked if he could seek shelter until the rain had stopped. The young man looked at Callum and waved him in. He introduced himself as Kieron and said that he had to wash and dry a washing machine for himself while he cleaned the launderette. Callum would be happy to stay here for that long. Callum thanked him and asked if he could return the favour somehow. Kieron shook his head and showed Callum where he could find hangers to hang up his wet clothes. And pointed to a basket of washing. A customer had left it here. Callum could take some of it if he wanted to.

The clothes were obviously still unwashed. They smelled of sweat and cold cigarette smoke. There were dried precum stains in the pants. Callum was disgusted. But also soaking wet. And somehow he was… Turned on? Him? By those disgusting clothes. Kieron had switched on some music. Very loud. Gangster rap and hip hop. Definitely not Callum's style. But that didn't matter. He took the laundry basket and asked where he could change. Kieron pointed to the door with the "Private" sign. There were towels there too. Callum thanked him.

After pulling the door shut behind him, Callum took off his shoes, jacket, trousers and shirt and hung everything on hangers. A little hesitantly, he also removed his stockings, pants and vest. He was able to wring everything out, everything was so wet. He took a pair of boxer shorts out of the laundry basket. Yellowed white cotton. Precum and piss stains. Callum smelled it carefully. And then he pressed them to his nose and inhaled deeply. So good! He had no idea why, but it smelled so good! Slimy drops formed on his own cock. The pants were a size 32, not his size. But they fit like a glove. His bulge was frighteningly large. And the wet patch was growing fast. Callum rummaged through the dirty laundry. The polyester tracksuit bottoms did it to him. He pulled them on, just high enough so that the waistband of his pants could still be seen. Now a pair of dirty white socks… Call took his trainers. Yes, they were still a little wet… But they would be fine. The T-shirt that went best with the trousers stank of sweat. Sure, Call had worn it for several days in a row. For sport, in the pub in the evening. During the day, he wore the Hiviz street-cleaning gear. He took his necklace, which he was so proud of, out of his T-shirt. Then he took his tracksuit jacket off the hanger, put on his gloves, put on his cap and posed in front of the mirror. If he played with his balls a little longer, he would cum here and now. Then Kieron would be fucking pissed. After all, making Call cum was his job.

"I hope the damn rain stops soon!" That was the caption under his latest post. Kieron shouted about how much longer he needed. Call opened the door and shouted back that it was up to Kieron when he could finally cum. A few seconds later, Kieron was standing in the doorway, grinning. He put the mop to one side. And got down on his knees.

Inspiration by @barty123

#male tf #reality change #age reduction #chav tf #ai image

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buf309 · 1 year

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Pose Reference Resources

I promised Dia (aka aerequets) that I will make a collection of pose references in the reply of one of her art posts, and then I completely forgot about it. Until now. I'm sorry for my bad memory.

So, yeah, better late than never I guess?

The pose collection I use the most is no longer free. They used to let you download a whole album (more than 8GB worth of data) to use offline, but now you have to pay $40/package or $200 for full sets. I still have the zip file for a very old version of theirs, but I can't legally share it. So, let's skip to the other options.

1/ First, you heard of those 3D dolls program that let you model your own reference pose? This one is an online one and for free, the whole ordeal. Of course since it's online and free, you can't save your model for next time, and it costs quite a lot of time to set the model up. So, you should take as much screenshots in as many tricky angles as you need once you done with the setting. Best using for complicated scenes where those below don't have what you need already available.

2/ This one is free and in 3D, you can rotate the model to any angle that you need. The only set back is the numbers of poses are quite limited. This one is best for using as a basic blocks then build up what you want to draw, or just as a practice to improve your understanding of human anatomy.

3/ This one is free for personal uses and the pose collection is massive. The setbacks are the language barrier (it's in Japanese, English is sometimes tag-a-long) and you have to search through their pages for what you need. The pics for each pose is static but they are in different angle in almost 360 degrees. There are many 2-person and 3-person poses too. Great for illustration inspiration.

4/ This one will only show reference photos of human head, at whatever angle you rotate the model. The web interface is easy to use. There are options like searching based on gender, ages, emotions, glasses, facial hair or not, etc. Good for practicing face drawing.

5/ This one will show reference photos for human body parts, at whatever angle you rotate the model, read the instructions for how to do it. The web interface is quite hard to use at first, just tinkering around for a bit, and you will be fine. There are options like searching based on gender and which particular parts that you need refs for. Good for that moment when you go "huh? how is this <body part> will look in this <situation>????"

6/ This one will only show reference photos of animal heads, and only the head, at whatever angle you rotate the model. The accurate skull refencence list is their best point. There are enough common species in the drop down list. Tbh, I don't use this much because I often need refs for the whole animal most of the time. But it's best for furry artists, I guess?

7/ Real model photos. They sell pose reference in themed packs, but there are enough free packs to use as drawing practice too.

8/ This is the best for general background reference. Lots of options. Not really good for very specific location results, but good for random background in drawings.

9/ Lastly, for specific objects or background references at strange angles, I often search for 3D models on this site then take screenshots of whatever I need.

That's all, folks. Hope this list can help ease some of the struggles that we will encounter on our quest of learning the art of drawing things 😂

#reference #digital art reference

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aequorin-fr · 9 months

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About Account Closures, Banxiety, etc

Good morning, Flight Rising Tumblr!

I posted a reblog not that long ago (this morning) responding to banxiety concerns. It appears to have been eaten by Tumblr, which happens; but I know a lot of you are concerned and there's a lot of misinformation and misunderstandings flying about. So I'm going to go ahead and repost this directly to the tags so anyone with concerns or anxiety can see this <3 (06:47 Flight Rising server time: Title edited to be clearer.)

—————

Oh dear, there's been quite a misunderstanding. What you've described here isn't true and likely to send our players into a banxiety panic. I'm sure that's not what you meant to do and I'm happy to clarify where I can!

We're fully aware people can change physical locations throughout the day which means their IPs will change. Some folks play or check in from home, school, work, a friend's house, etc. That means their account will log multiple IP addresses on any given day, sometimes within a thirty minute period.

Example: Player accesses on their school network —> School lets out —> They access via mobile data on transit —> Player then logs in on their home network

Closing accounts for having multiple IP addresses associated with them—especially in the mobile era!—would be wrong. And, frankly, absurd.

Account closures are based on activity data and reviewed by staff. Do we always get it 100% right? No, of course not. We're human. We make mistakes. Sometimes we do close an account in error and upon review, reopen the account. And sometimes it even means an account we're almost certain is cheating stays open a bit longer, because of that chance we're wrong.

Unless by "moving stuff over" you mean funneling to a new account, because our Terms of Use are clear that players agree to register only one account per individual. Multiple accounts provide a player not only with multiple opportunities for dailies and Roundsey, but access to various Flight Forums (including private Flight Dominance planning!) not just their original Flight, ways around our block feature, and the means to scam players during trades, giveaways, etc. The above ranges from cheating and gaining an advantage over others to outright harassment.

Now, there is also friend and family member funneling, where someone stops playing for themselves and just starts sending the earnings from their dailies or festivals to their friend or family member. That's still cheating and we've been clear about that for some time now.

Finally, we don't discuss account actions with third-parties and we don't discuss them publicly for privacy, security, and safety reasons. Even when the player who lost their account takes to the forums or social media with claims that are untrue, exaggerated, or minimize/downplay the violation that lead to the closure of their account. Unless they've taken the extra step to alter a screenshot as "proof" we said or did something we didn't do, we can't engage with their claims. This means the community will only see one side of the story, one version of events.

And as a note for anyone following along and concerned about their account, we do have an article in our Knowledge Base that explains account penalties: Account Penalties Explained.

I hope this helps clarify the confusion and concerns surrounding account closures! You don't have to worry about logging multiple IPs, moving, playing with your friends or family, etc. <3

#Flight Rising #FlightRising #Banxiety #Dragons #Roundsey

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yearningforunity · 4 months

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Ilê Aiyê is a carnival block located in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Carnival blocks, carnaval blocos or blocos de rua are street bands that mobilize crowds on the streets and are the main popular expression of Brazilian Carnival. The name Ilê Aiyê stems from the Yoruba language: Ilé - home; Ayé - life; which can be loosely translated as 'earth'. It was founded in 1974 by Antônio Carlos “Vovô” and Apolônio de Jesus, making it the oldest Afro-Brazilian block.

#lê Aiyê #Carnival Block #Band #Brazilian Carnival #Yoruba #Salvador de Bahia #Brazil #Culture #History #Tradition #Afro Brazillian #African Descent

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apollos-boyfriend · 1 year

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i haven’t seen anyone compile these yet so here’s all the first origins for new life smp!

scott: transporter

fwhip: road runner

gem: swarm (bee)

joey: dark fairy

katherine: human

lizzie: TBA

sausage: ghast

seapeekay: human

shubble: shunshine girl

joel: hippo(griff)

jimmy: bad guy

stacy: strider

strawburry: TBA

oli: TBA (possibly mimic?)

owen: human

scar: witch

pearl: copper golem

pix: archeologist

martyn: chillager

full origins descriptors under the cut!

scott: transporter [impact - •••]

a transporter is a sparse-atomed creature that is able to create rifts in space to relocate themselves and others.

wayfinder [+]

set waypoints that you can later teleport you and several others to.

hotswap [+]

you can mark someone you're looking at, and then swap places with them.

quickrift [+]

make a quick rift to teleport to a nearby location.

heavyload [-]

to be able to teleport, your particles must be in less density, therefore you can’t wear heavier armors.

atomic exhaustion [-]

using portals will exhaust you very quickly.

relocated confusion [-]

quickrift has a chance to apply nausea or slowness.

fwhip: road runner [impact - •••]

fastest origin out there. your heritage of road runners allow you to run reallly, really fast.

just faster [+]

you naturally sprint faster than other players.

gotta go fast [+]

hold your primary key to boost your speed and run really fast. as you hold your primary button your energy bar will slowly go down. you are also unable to jump while going.

still fast [+]

you are too fast to be slowed, soul sand doesn't slow you down, and the slowness effect doesn't work on you.

so tired . . . [-]

your constant running makes you exhaust more.

not made for that [-]

try to ignore water, you can't swim.

bad aim [-]

you can't use a bow or a crossbow.

gem: swarm [impact - •••]

these hive independent group of bees choose to stick together to overcome the obstacles of the outside world.

hover [+]

being made up of multiple bees, you are able to hover midair whenever you are falling.

smoke sensitivity [-]

your senses are lessened when near smoke.

pollination [+]

while you aren't sneaking, your bone meal is infused with pollen, allowing it to additionally affect the 4 adjacent blocks.

calming aura [+]

animals bred by you do not have to wait to be bred again.

expendable [-]

you have 3 less hearts of health than humans.

beekeeper [+]

taking honey and honeycomb from a hive does not anger bees.

joey: dark fairy [impact - •••]

a fairy that has turned to the dark side.

winged [+] *

you have elytra wings you can use to fly around with.

shadow embrace [+]

you can turn into an invisible entity that cannot interact with entities or blocks and cannot be interacted with.

pixie sized [+]

you are half a block tall.

moonlight [+]

you use moonlight to see at night better.

freezing point [-]

in biomes below 0.3 temperature, you have weakness and slowness.

heliophobia [-]

you hate the day, and this hatred causes you to take 15% more damage.

shadow bolt [+] **

a simple yet effective short distance beam that will hit anyone and take away 3 hearts of damage.

* bugged to only allow him to glide.

katherine: human [impact - •••]

a regular human. your ordinary minecraft experience awaits.

sausage: ghast [impact - •••]

you’re a flying denizen of the nether, capable of raining down hellfire.

pyroblast [+]

you can unleash terrifying fireballs.

spectral flight [+]

you are able to launch up into the air, and will slowly glide until you reach the ground.

fire immunity [+]

you are impervious to fire and lava.

hydrophobia [-]

you receive damage over time while in contact with water.

need for mobility [-]

you can not wear any heavy armor (armor with protection values higher than iron).

seapeekay: human [impact - •••]

a regular human. your ordinary minecraft experience awaits.

shubble has not shown her origin descriptor.

joel: hippogriff [impact - •••]

a noble creature, capable of taking to the skies.

winged [+]

you have elytra wings without needing to equip any.

gale wings [+]

you can propel yourself forwards a small amount.

rideable [+]

players can ride you by interacting with you.

claw grip [+]

you can pick up mobs.

fresh air [-]

you are enfeebled when not exposed to the sky.

embellished egotism [-]

you can only wear golden armor.

jimmy: bad guy [impact - •••]

you’re just generally a bad person, and your abilities reflect that.

bomb tosser [+]

throw a bomb into the air to quickly explode.

undying determination [+]

when your health is low, you can burst in a rage of fire, healing yourself whilst becoming stronger for a short time.

mischievous mist [+]

you can disappear in a mist for a short time.

fire immunity [+]

you are impervious to fire and lava.

carnivore [-]

your diet is restricted to meat, you can't eat vegetables.

stacy: strider [impact - •••]

travel the vast oceans of lava with the speed of a strider.

fire immunity [+]

you are immune to all tupes of fire damage.

nether inhabitant [-]

your natural spawn will be in the nether.

hydrophobia [-]

you receive damage over time while in contact with water.

lava walker [+][-]

you have the ability to walk on lava source blocks! you are also quicker while walking on lava, and slower on land.

rideable creature [+]

other players can ride you!

fungus hunger [+]

you can eat warped fungus to recover some hunger, along with a small speed boost.

owen: human [impact - •••]

a regular human. your ordinary minecraft experience awaits.

scar: witch [impact - •••]

cruel and cackling, witches are masters of brewing, and are great with magic.

better potions [+]

you consume potions better than most, potions will last longer when you drink them.

perfect potion [+]

get a random potion effect, based on the situation you are in.

pillager aligned [-]

villagers don't like you, and pillagers like you!

pearl: copper golem [impact - •••]

the copper golems are a curious automaton, designed to improve the lives of others. since they were initially prototyped, they have gained a greater knowledge of redstone components and ways to utilise them.

repairs available [-]

your body cannot be naturally or magically mended. you instead repair by consuming copper ingots.

oxidation [-]

your copper body makes you susceptible to the elements, oxidising you over time. oxidation can be removed with an axe.

galvanise [+]

honeycombs allow you to wax yourself, staving off the effects of oxidation for several minutes.

lightning rod [+]

while in thunderstorms, you're much more likely to get struck by lightning. you are immune to lighting, and de-oxidize when struck.

copper plating [+]

your chassis is made out of copper. as a result, you passively have resistance.

local area networking* [+]

you have modified an antenna to fit to your head permanently to recieve radio signals.

micro machine [-]

you are only one block tall, and your maximum health is reduced.

automaton [+][-]

your body doesn't experience hunger, and you don't benefit from natural regeneration.

button masher [+]

your programming gives you an overwhelming urge to press buttons. every time you press a button, redstone dust will drop.

tinkerer [+]

you can quickly convert a redstone component into its similar counterpart.

transmute [+]

you are able to transmute copper into other metals, allowing you to craft more metal items.

toolsmith [+]

you can also use this skill to create various metal tools.

circuit corrosion [-]

being submerged in water will damage your internal circuitry. your plating will protect you from rain, however.

heavy metal [+][-]

you don't need to breathe underwater, but your dense body holds you down.

* active ability. when standing within 5 blocks of unwaxed copper, emerald, or diamond ore and blocks, you will beep. you oxidise faster while this is active.

pix: archeologist [impact - •••]

you are obsessed with fossils and relics, artifacts and more. talents gathered among your years of practice will surely help you along your journey.

archeology [+]

from trash to treasure, you can find anything in the dust times of long past.

fortunate [+]

you naturally have two levels of fortune.

favorable fashion [+]

wearing a full set of leather armor results in a set bonus.

sacred respect [-]

you find yourself troubled by the idea of destroying structures of ancient times.

entomophobia [-]

days of looking underground is sure to put the fear of bugs in anyone.

martyn: chillager [impact - •••]

errrrr! you freeze yourself and your opponents alike, however being cold finds itself much more beneficial to you than your enemies.

cryofreeze [+]

you can temporarily freeze yourself, negating all damage and regenerating health for a short time.

frozen falling [+]

when hitting a target, they'll have trouble moving for a small moment.

frozen touch [+]

when hitting a target, they'll have trouble moving for a small moment.

fine motor skills [-]

being cold results in a loss of fine motor skills; good luck trying to attack a target in rapid succession.

#icarus speaks #nlsmp spoilers #i’ll be updating this as videos come out ^_^#nlsmp tracker

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wumblr · 2 years

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universally hated gifts are the funniest stardew game mechanic. i've already made a post about qi fruit ("why is the farmer suddenly obsessed with growing fruit that looks like that weird guy, ew" -- this has since been deprecated and some villagers like it now, although it is still largely worthless despite being one of the hardest agricultural skills in real life). nobody likes treasure chests, presumably due to some kind of superstition, and nobody likes fossils, presumably because they are a memento mori. everybody hates snails except vincent (slightly realistic but i feel like demetrius and leah should like them). everybody hates uranium except maru. everybody hates poppies and they are all so fake for that. you would think somebody would at least like fairy dust. abigail should like monster musk, right? but she doesn't. nobody thinks the drum block is cool, which is presumably why sam's band has to go to zuzu city to even find a venue. pelican town will never become a hit arts and crafts location for ceramics because nobody likes clay. not even alex likes muscle remedy or energy tonic. and the mobile-only error bread from the saloon? gettoutaheah! everybody hates sugar

#stardew valley

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exo-raskreia · 4 months

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Gojo & the Angel Number 3612

WARNING: DELULU IDEAS

This edited image from the 11hr Shounen Jump lofi video may have more meaning than I originally thought, at least according to some translations from the Google Translate mobile app.

In this delulu post, I had briefly theorized the image could hint that both women will help in Gojo's revival, as it's like he's headed north towards them. Shoko is farther back, which after 261, could indicate her role is done (her & Yuuta healed his body). Since Utahime is at the center, it could mean she will be the key to guide Gojo's soul back.

I've wondered if there could be any more potential interpretations of this image & what I discovered actually feeds further into my delulu...

According to the mobile app, the words "trust & truth" are directly behind Gojo.

This could imply how much Gojo trusts Utahime (and vice-versa). I wonder what "truth" could mean here. The word "reality" is another translation that pops up; if this is more accurate, then could we see it as Utahime will guide Gojo back to reality, if he's not actually dead but in a state of limbo? The full word is mostly blocked by Gojo here, so I wanted to verify if these are what it really it says.

In this image with Ijichi, who's in the same location, we can see the full text. After "trust," it says either "track record" on the app, or "achievements" on the website, depending which you use.

We know Ijichi is the man Gojo trusts the most. I wonder what the other words mean. In regards to Ijichi, is it that he always achieves what Gojo makes him do? lol

In regards to Utahime, it almost seems like the kanji for "truth" was isolated so it would stand out. Wonder if it was intentional...

Next to Gojo's blindfold is seemingly the number 3612.

(This is once I selected the highlighted text to translate separately on the GojoHime image. For some reason, the number doesn't even get detected on the Ijichi image? I tried at least one other translator & got the same number).

According to Angel Number numerology, 3612 means "a sign of improvement." In this article, it elaborates on how one should fill their lives with love to have a positive impact on others' lives, & in turn, inspiring them to do the same. Sounds a lot like what Gojo strived for, right?

(I will summarize most of it with a few images).

• It tells one to seek clarity to overcome challenges & live a peaceful life.

• It tells one is about to go on a spiritual journey to reach enlightenment.

Like, seriously?! Hello?!

• If you're single, you will find love as you already know exactly what kind of person you're looking for. If you're already in a relationship, it's a sign that you're ready to commit, as you already know that person well enough to know you want to spend the rest of your life with them.

If Gojo hasn't already realized it, Utahime is the one for him 😌. He's pointing at her here, after all (341, guys? The Yagasuri pattern? 😏)... If we go with the headcanon that they could've been in a secret relationship this whole time, then Gojo might've proposed to her during the time-skip, got married already, or will do so after his return... 🤪

• It's a sign to go achieve your dreams, to believe in yourself & capabilities.

Gojo never gave up on his dreams. He did everything he could to raise stronger allies, to help his students in the battle against Sukuna. So no, Gojo did not intend to die as he said so himself in 261 to Yuuta. Gojo should return to see his dreams through.

• It's a sign to never let anyone stop you from growing & improving. Surround yourself with like-minded people.

Gojo shouldn't let this loss stop him from achieving his dreams & goals. He should see this through to the end. He will choose the path to do it.

• The breakdown of the numbers basically describes Gojo & what he should do?? 🫢

In particular, the meaning of the number 1 gives hope that things will be different & better for Gojo.

The number 2 is encouraging Gojo to let others help him, to not work alone; we've seen him ask for favors from his fellow colleagues, such as Utahime before. However, he didn't want his students to help carry his burden of becoming a "monster", which is understandable; and yet, they wanted to be there for him.

The number 612 could indicate Gojo will get support & encouragement (you know, like slaps on the back?) from his dead comrades at the airport before he departs towards his awaiting comrades in the living world?

The number 12 gives the hope that once revived, Gojo would have a new perspective, a new outlook that will allow him to finally break that barrier between himself & others, to better connect with them. He will no longer feel so isolated nor misunderstood.

• In general, 3612 comes down to not giving up & you will find success. Gojo will have to make that choice to return, to do what he had set out to do in the first place. He can't give up now, can't settle for the airport when his living comrades are still in danger. He wanted to see his dreams come true & as of right now, they have not been achieved (unless Gege intends to write a tragic story with no payoff 😑).

• I've looked up the only other legible text in the image, NVFG, but the only thing I found is that it's some kind of surgical procedure to reconstruct bones in certain parts of the body? Like legs & neck? Something like that (the medical terminology is so confusing, lol, so take this with a grain of salt). Which, ironically, kinda fits with what happened to Gojo? His neck was intact though; his head remained attached to his body, indicating that his RCT was not compromised...

• The word "trust" & this number being placed in between GojoHime here is interesting. Are they trying to hint at us that Utahime still has a role to play? That she may do something to help Gojo reach enlightenment? Like in this theory? Whether it was deliberate or not, it's still fun to headcanon.

I'm not sure how accurate what I got is anyway; the number could just be a mistranslation. If it's completely wrong, then man, what an eerie coincidence...

If any of you have better luck translating the remaining text in the image (like the text right above Utahime), or even make more sense of the translations here, let me know! Not to mention, is the background in this image present anywhere in the manga? If so, any ideas on what the building is? If anyone finds anything on it, let me know!

Don't know if Gege actually believes in this stuff nor if it was even intentional, but he has shown to be quite the number nerd... Once again, this is just an observation based on my research & it really feeds into my delulu.

#gojohime #gojo satoru #iori utahime #jjk theory #more delulu #reiapost

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eleni-cherie · 2 months

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a thief's origin✨ || bts • kth - chapter 0.8

"you're afraid I won't wait." "I'm afraid you will."

a criminal and a doctor should be as different as the sun and the moon - but unexpected things happened every day. like him finding his safe haven in her.

»»»

masterlist: here

— genre: thief au, gangster comedy, adventure, romcom, humour, angst, fluff, sexual tensiON, slowburn, mutual pining, strangers to friends to lovers s2f2l

ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE. CHARACTERS NOT NECESSARILY LIKE THE REAL PERSONS. ALSO VERY UNREALISTIC PLOT LOL - JUST PRETEND READING A MANGA/COMIC OR WATCHING A FILM, REALLY.

SUGGESTIVE THEMES. MENTIONS OF VIOLENCE & BLOOD (BUT NOTHING TOO GRAPHIC, IT'S STILL A COMEDY!)

»»»

22nd February

Hanoi, Vietnam

"I might've found us a new job."

Curiously they looked at Jimin who had just entered and waved an envelope in his hands with a mischievious grin.

"Hard pass," Yoongi only countered, going back to grinding his sword, "Forgot I'll be gone for the next month?"

Jimin's smile faded, replaced by a musing expression. "Ah, right.. there was something.. So you really just gonna leave to meditate for a whole month? That wasn't a joke?"

Shaking his head, the older one offered him a small apologetic fold of his lips.

With a deep sigh, Jimin's hopeful glance was directed now at Taehyung, who only blinked back, with a lost expression in his brown eyes wide as he hadn't paid attention. Too occupied by the game he was playing on his phone. "Huh?"

Rolling his eyes, Jimin walked over to him. Holding the envelope right in front of his eyes and blocking his view on the display. It seemed like he had to spell it out for him. "Are-you-in-for-the-job?"

Annoyed, Taehyung shoved his hand away. "Depends," he shrugged then, going back to his mobile game, "What, where and when?"

"This."

He opened the envelope, sliding a photo out to wiggle in front of him. It showed a dragon made of jade. "Location: Montreal. The 'when' depends on how fast we'll work out a plan. Now that we're only gonna be à deux." Jimin couldn't miss side-eyeing Yoongi who only ignored him, pretending being oblivious to his scowl. He turned to Taehyung again, facing him with an innocent smirk then. "Unless of course we'd find a third person."

"And who would t-" before he could even finish his own question, Taehyung cut himself off when recalling Jimin could only head into one specific derection. Arabella. So he immediately shook his head. "No."

"Aw, c'mon."

"Jimin, no. Absolutely not."

Jimin began whining, scooting to him and falling to his knee, begging. "C'mon, Tae. Why not? She could -"

"Nope."

Yoongi's sudden burst of laughter startled them and they looked at him confused. He only shot them a gummy grin. "Seriously, Jimin, you expect us to trust her for a job again after Cairo?" Taehyung nodded vigoriously, obviously agreeing with his older friend. And Jimin had to realise reaching a dead-end. Disappointedly, he got up and brushed off dust from his pants.

"Fine, then I won't ask Bella for help and it's only gonna be the two of us. But I better not hear any complains about difficulties."

Taehyung folded his arms, his videogame laying forgotten on his lap. "Who says she'd even help us anyway?"

"She surely would have if I asked her nicely." And if he promised her shiny diamonds.

However, seeing the steadfast glare in Taehyung's eyes, he admitted defeat.

Feeling the urgent need for a whiff of fresh ear and also annoyed with his friends, he stepped out into the balcony. The mild evening atmosphere greeting him.

He propped his hands on the railing and stared out when soon sensing Taehyung beside him.

They both remained silent for awhile, just staring over the sea of cement with specks of green in between.

It had rained not too long ago, evident by the puddles on the shiny asphalt and the smell of humidity in the air. It was almost March, but spring was still far away.

"Why.. why are you so into Arabella?"

Jimin dragged out a breath, getting slowly fed up with the same sarcastic comments and rhetoric questions about his, admittedly, weakness for the female spy and thief.

With a small groan, he threw his head back. "I get it, you guys don't like her and I understand why. I really do. But it's seriously getti-"

"No," Taehyung interrupted his rant with a quick shake of his head, "I mean it. How.. how are you so sure.. it's her? I get that she's all 'dangerous and hot' or whatever your reasons were but.. There has to be more, right? You're not constantly making a fool of yourself only 'cause she's hot." At least he hoped so.

Not having expected his friend to be genuinely curious about the relationship between him and Arabella, his lips parted taken aback. "Well.." Jimin slowly began then, glancing at him cautiously as his random, yet genuine sounding question triggered suspicion in him.

His glance returned to the city then, trying to comprise in sentences the complicated emotions he felt for the mischievous woman. "She's more than just a gorgeous and intriguing woman who keeps me busy, you know." Taehyung noticed the fond smile in Jimin's eyes. Making him almost gag, but he successfully contained it and allowed him to continue. "Me and her.. we got history you don't know of. She's more than her habit of outwitting us."

"Oh, is she?" It was kind of hard to believe. Then again, he tried spending as little time as possible with her and only if absolutely necessary. Simply not trusting her an inch.

Jimin chucked at his disbelief and nodded. "Yeah. I know, hard to believe."

"A little bit."

Again, he understood where his friends' mistrust came from. He paused for dramatic effect as he glanced at Taehyung who was mindlessly resting his chin on the palm of his hand. Only to get impetiend and arch an inquiring brow at him.

"It's true though. Because at the end of the day, she's the only woman I trust and I can be myself with. She takes me for who I am. And when it's only the two of us, I can see the real Bella. The one no one but me knows. And that's why I love her."

"Even after Cairo?"

He grinned. "Maybe I don't trust her with the loot, but with my life. And isn't that more important? That's why I forgive her and let her get away with her stunts. It's nothing but a game between us. Don't forget, I'm also often the one tricking her."

He winked and Taehyung knew what he was referring to.

It was true. There were times Jimin was the one fooling her, leaving Arabella handling interpol or without the jewels. It was indeed just a game between the two. A game only Jimin and Arabella understood and enjoyed and perhaps that was the secret to it all. Perhaps outsiders like Taehyung and Yoongi weren't supposed to understand it in the first place.

Taehyung only hummed and went silently back to staring out. Unable to contain his inner turmoil as his gaze became dull. Blankly staring into the cold grey.

If put like that, he understood it. He couldn't even nearly fathom how this was possible or applied to a person like Arabella Valentine, but he could at least comprehend a little more how his partner could be so in love with her.

"Say," Jimin said then, leaning at the railing with an intrigued smile, "How comes you're suddenly so invested in my love life? It doesn't happen to have anything to do with you and your doctor friend, does it?" He wiggled his brows and nudged his shoulder, interrupting Taehyung's train of thoughts.

The taller guy swallowed, avoiding his smug, knowing glance. He'd seen right through him, like he always did. Perhaps this time hadn't been so hard to do and yet, it bothered him how in front of Jimin, he'd be an open book just like everyone else.

"Perhaps."

"Ah!" Jimin felt like a lightbulb appearing above him, finally putting one and one together. And he fashed a lopsided smirk to his childhood friend. "So that's why you've been moping around for two months now."

The only response those accusations earned was a click from Taehyung's tongue and a scowl. Causing Jimin to dramatically sigh, averting his eyes from him since he knew very well he wouldn't get Taehyung to talk if he didn't want to. So he pushed himself off the railing instead.

"Perhaps it's hard to look past Bella's imperfections," he began than with a musing glance as he let his gaze wander over the concrete, "But at the end of the day, we all just want someone who knocks our breath away, don't we? Someone who understands and takes us for who we are. Someone we'd fight for. So if you ever find someone like this, consider yourself lucky. These people are rare." With a bright smile, he patted his sulky friend's shoulder and Taehyung coughed out by the sudden hit.

He went back to observing the glistering streets then.

Jimin had a point, he supposed. People like these were indeed rare. At least he hadn't crossed paths with any or perhaps he'd never bothered paying much attention to any contrary to his friend who'd never say no to a pretty woman.

Until now, it seemed.

Because his guilt-ridden dreams and thoughts revolved around one person and one person only the past two months. And the kind of smile of hers he thought only he ever received and no one else. A withering look full of the sort of subtext someone could only get from a lot of conversations whispered after dark. Like the ones they always shared.

Sirens erupted suddenly and interrupted his wandering thoughts. Several black cars coming into view and parking in front of the building then, blocking the exit, Shortly after a familiar figure exiting one of them.

"Yah, Park Jimin! Long time no see!" Seokjin was waving at them with a triumphant grin when spotting them up there at the balcony of the third floor. His open palm closing then, with a pointing index finger directed at them. "Don't you dare move from there!"

Jimin laughed under his breath. "Of course, who else," he muttered before leaning over the railing then to yell back with more energy, "Never! You know how much I missed your handsome face!"

Taehyung couldn't help but stifle a laugh before glancing over his shoulder to see Yoongi having joined them to check out what all the ruckus was about.

"Pack your sword, Yoongs, pops is here. "

»»»

4th April

Barcelona, Spain

Cassandra was uncertain whether she liked birthdays or not. At this point, they were overrated anyway. She couldn't remember the last one she'd got to properly celebrate. It was probably in high school but her memory fadedthe more she tried to go back to the past.

It was the dawn of her 27th birthday and she didn't know how to feel or what to expect, besides calls and messages from relatives and friends. She was glad her parents couldn't visit her this time as they were currently somewhere in Central America, so she at least could save herself from another round of staged photos in front of a birthday cake for her mother's sake.

Once someone told her that birthdays and weddings were rather for the family than the actual celebrated person and there was some truth to it. You did it more for the people you loved, to make them happy by letting them celebrate you. This year, however, she wouldn't have been able to bring herself from going through this. Not even for her mother who she loved dearly.

"Stella, where are you? I brought the glucometer you requested for the patient," she called out at her colleague and friend. Frowning at the unusual darkness in the staffroom, she flipped on the light switch. Only to be greeted with loud cheers and applause. "What-"

"Happy birthday!"

Utterly perplexed, she took a step back and blinked. She never expected anyone to care enough to organise a small surprise party and even holding a cake with candles which they were now hurriedly lighting up so she could blow them.

Cassandra wasn't particularly close friends with most people there. She got along with everyone though - save for Pavlo the jerk - and was friends with Stella and maybe three other assistant doctors. She also joked with some of the nurses. This was her circle of friends there. A small but good one. So seeing those very same people now beaming at her while holding the cake close to her face and singing the birthday-song, was quite unexpected. And moving.

With an uncertain smile, she clapped along with them. Appreciating the gesture. It meant that perhaps she did belong somewhere after all. Or that her presence mattered in some way. Taking a deep breath then, she finally blew out the melting candles.

"Did you make a wish?" Stella, the one she'd describe as the closest one of her work-buddies, asked then as the rest hurried to cut the cake.

"Sure," she lied. Her artificial smile fading as soon as her colleague's attention turned to the cake.

What point was there to make a wish if she couldn't have the one thing she truly wanted.

Him.

Her night-shift ended a few hours later at 6am. Besides the small birthday gathering thankfully nothing else unexpected happened. Especially not with any of her patients.

Tired, both physically and mentally, she returned home. Trying her hardest to prevent her eyes from going to the space on the wall where the numerous postcards from around the world were hanging on strings. Mockingly staring at her while depicting far-away places she'd never see herself. With the latest addition grazing a new string on the bottom. A postcard from Montreal with a Renaissance-style domed basilica on it - the kind of old-fashioned buildings she liked.

What irritated her the most, however, were the two sentences written in the back.

"some films shot here:

the score, catch me if you can, lucky number slevin, red 2, john wick 2

-T"

That was all.

Now, that was their usual thing. This inside joke between them. Him teasing her love for heist-films by writing some famous works shot or playing in the place he was sending the postcard from. And usually that would lighten her mood.

But considering the way they had parted ways on New Year's and the fact he'd stopped calling or texting her, she somehow expected more. Maybe even an apology for just disappearing after stealing a kiss from her like that.

Hah, she laughed bitterly, be glad he even sent a postcard again.

The past three months and four days had been a blur. Or at least that was what she tried to remember them as. Her thoughts did not revolve around that particular man, wondering where he was and what he was doing and if he'd ever have the courage to show himself in front of her again or if he'd just avoid her for the rest of their lives.

And they surely did not revolve around that heart-pulling, breath-taking, mind-dazzling, dream-like, passionate kiss they'd shared that night. A kiss so incomparable and mind-altering that she sometimes doubted it had ever really happened or if it had simply originated from a wild fever dream. From a straight up delirium state she had seen patients with 39°C fever or more in.

Then again, the fact she had never experienced something like this before, let her doubt her mind would've had the source material to create a moment like this on its own.

No, surely she wasn't wasting a single thought about that.

Tears blurred her vision for a second, heartache along with her overall exhaustion cumulating along with the crushing expectations of that very day. Her birthday.

Everything rising to the surface for a split second before she got a hold of herself again and swallowed everything but one single tear down.

It'd have been easier getting over such a disappointment if it was some random guy online she'd merely wasted a week talking to. But this wasn't a random guy from the internet. This was Taehyung.

Deciding not to dwell into self-pity, she blanked out all these negative emotions.

After eating the left-over cake she'd brought home, she decided to head for her bed when the doorbell rang. Something blue on the door mat catching her attention then. She squatted down and picked up the object, pushing the blue fancy paper aside. Only to reveal a flower pot of blue hydrangeas.

Her eyes widened. She always wanted blue hydrangeas but missed their season. Did her mother send her this?

She stood up and heaved it higher, turning it around to see if she could spot any clue about the sender when a small white card fell down and landed in front of her feet.

"Happy birthday, Cas.

I know I was an idiot to you. I'm not the type to talk directly about my feelings. But it occurred to me that I could still talk about them through my actions."

Her heart dared to skip a beat at the handwriting and words. It was the same handwriting as on the countless postcards before. Taehyung's. With furrowed brows she flipped the card, seeing a another text written there.

Her eyes widened, intrigued by its arcane nature.

"Font Mágica de Montjuic - four columns / 5:55pm / ? "

»»»

It was late afternoon when Taehyung set foot in front of the four tall columns above the so-called 'magical' fountain. Having a perfect view over it. He pushed his sunglasses, which soon would become pointless, up the bridge of his nose and stifled a yawn as he leaned against the white marble.

Their last job had ended over two days ago but after multiple layovers - not able taking the easy route as some angry millionairs were on their tails - he still hadn't adjusted to the time-difference.

He stretched his arm then, revealing the watch under the sleeve of the hoodie. Due to a delay he'd feared not making it, but thankfully he was on time. Five more minutes till the show began.

The threaneningly red evening sun would soon disappear behind the buildings but the temperature remained pleasant. It was nice to finally feel spring on his skin after being in the north for so long.

His brown irises where fixated on the enormous fountain in front of him, although seemingly unspectacular right now due to the water jets currently kept low. For now.

Cassandra liked this place. The fountain with the view of the cascades and the art museum on the top in the background being one of her favourite places in the city, he remembered that. Of couse he did. He remembered everything she had ever told him. Every little insigificant detail because the sum of it made up her.

He had to admit, however, he also liked that place a lot. It looked like straight from a fairytale, especially at night with all the lights illuminating it.

Now in the evening, the warm colours of the sunset sparkled on the water surface, adding an even bigger mystical almost eery atmosphere to it. It looked quite different from the last time he'd been there, with her. Fond memories creeping up his mind when remembering that day. The first day he'd waited outside of the hospital for her.

His gaze wandered over the greenery, wondering if Cassandra would even follow his invitation and appear. He couldn't blame her if she didn't, he knew he didn't treat her particularly fairly. This was why he wanted to redeem himself after all.

Taehyung felt guilty for disappearing on her for over three months. Sure, they'd got caught by Seokjin and his men, however, their custody stay only lasted a couple of days like it always did before they escaped. No, this hadn't been the reason, neither was it them having to lay low for some weeks or their time-consuming next coup. Or at least, these hadn't been his sole reasons for not visiting but also not contacting her.

Truth was, he was scared - terrified even - to face her again. Not only because of her reaction, but also because all those months he tried figuring out what he actually wanted and if he should even cave into it considering the life he lived. It hadn't been easy and he still wasn't sure if he made the right decision, but he knew he couldn't keep her waiting anymore - in case she even bothered to still waste a single thought on him and hadn't already completely crossed him out of her life. Again, he couldn't blame her if she had.

However, even if so, Cassandra wasn't just anybody to him and he owed her an explanation at least. Whether she despised him now or not.

There was a significantly lower amount of people at this time of the day. Now with the dim afternoon light lesser people strolling around the square.

From the corners of his eyes he caught someone nearing the colums then. Familiar long curls swaying over a plaid coat coming to a halt in front of the railing. And Taehyung's muscles instantly relaxed, only now realising how strained his whole body had been with nervousness and worry.

Of course he couldn't be sure it was her as the figure was standing further afar, and yet his heart had recognised her and pulsed faster.

With a deep inhale to calm his nerves, he pushed himself off the column and neared her with quick steps. Afraid she might change her mind after all and walk away at any second.

"Hey."

He sensed Cassandra tense up when pausing beside her, not daring to move her head and meet his gaze. Her usual warm eyes rested instead on the illuminated blueish green water in the distance. She blinked once, twice. And Taehyung began getting nervous all over again as the seconds passed without her saying anything. Only staring blankly ahead.

"Happy.. happy birthday."

Finally, her expression softened with a sigh. "Thank you."

"Uhm, I assume you got the flowers then."

"Y-yeah, I liked them." Of course she liked them. He'd even remembered that she preffered pots over cut flowers. "Thank you." Her voice was paper-thin, distant and almost sorrowful and it caused his own gaze to fall.

"I'm glad you did."

Cassandra nodded quietly. "Blue's my favourite colour.."

"I know. That's why I chose them." His lips curving into a weak smile. And it annoyed her, how well he knew her despite all the time apart. "Thank you for coming here," he began then with cautious, his voice almost a timid whisper not to scare her away in any way. It didn't take a genius to see that this time was different from the previous ones. Especially since Cassandra was always wearing her heart on her sleeve, no matter how hard she tried to conceal it. "Wasn't sure if you would or not."

"Got the night shift. Have to leave in a bit."

"Ah."

They grew quiet, gaze falling to the solemn water surface. Taehyung scratched his neck, uncertain how to proceed.

"You're probably wondering what I'm doing here," he eventually spoke up then, only seeing her shaking her head. Much to his surprise.

"Not really," she deadpanned and he wanted to laugh at this.

"No?"

With a shrug she averted her eyes from the water jets to finally spare him a brief glance. "It's not the first time you disappear for months only to randomly show up again. I'm kinda used to it. It was just the first time you disappeared without any trace since the beginning." She would've cracked a sarcastic smile if she hadn't felt a rush of anger when recalling the past months.

It was so irrational. This was what she'd waited and hoped for all that time, for him to show up again. Then why did she feel so incredibly mad at him the second she saw his usually charming face?

"Oh," was all he could muster up to say. He could clearly see that it was burdening her, just like he'd feared. "It's good that I came to put some things straight then," his voice gainining firmness, "I know last time we saw each other I left with.." He paused, carefully choosing his words. "I must've left you with lots of questions."

"You did," she plainly stated and he almost shuddered.

So that was how it felt when Cassandra was mad. She was cold and distant, nothing like her kind and sweet self. It was probably what he deserved anyway.

He was about to speak up when the alarm on his watch went off and he remembered why he'd called her there in the first place.

Her lips parted, but he stopped her from saying anything else with a bright smile. "Please wait a few more minues before telling me off, okay? Because the second part of your birthday gift starts now!"

She frowned, puzzled at his sudden excitement. "S-second?"

"Of course!" He sounded offended. "Did you think flowers were all you'd get?" The corners of his lips curled up in that adorably boyish manner that distinguished his grins from anyone else. Grabbing her by the shoulders and turning her to face the fountain again.

And Cassandra saw what Taehyung meant, her eyes widening in awe.

The water jets began attaining height in different distances of time, first the big ones in the centre followed by the small ones all around, creating a beautiful choreography of lowering, highening and arching water streaks along with different coloured lights. Blue and pink specifically.

She knew of the fountain show once or twice a day, depending on the season. However, 6pm was not its usual time. At least not in early April when it was still too chilly and not a touristic season.

She couldn't take her gaze from the performance against the darkening sky and pastel-coloured clouds. She was so stunned by it that she didn't pay attention to the music playing. Taking her a moment longer to recognise the melody over the noise of the dancing water. And when she did, her head immediatelly turned to search for his eyes, only to catch them already fondly staring at her. He'd anticipated her mesmerised expression, observing her this whole time without paying attention to the water show.

"That's -"

He nodded. "You like it?"

She did. Of course she did. It was her absolut favourite movie soundtrack after all.

Her breathing got irregular, her head was spinning and she had to avert her gaze from his affectionte look. Returning to the impressive fountains.

No, she couldn't start misinterpreting things yet again. She'd already done that enough times in the past, she couldn't be fooled yet again. He had disappeared for months, clearly regretting the kiss and feeling guilty now for leading her on. She knew it, she knew it and it broke her heart and set anew tears in her heart. The only reason he made her such a wonderful gift was because he pitied her and felt sorry. And yet it also made all these locked away feelings resurface and it wasn't fair, how he gave her heart arrhythmia and her lungs dyspnoea all over again for all the wrong reasons.

He didn't have feelings for her. At least not any romantic ones. She had to finally accept that and she had. She really had until now, when her delusional hope and irrational expectations took over her senses as she watched water dancing to the 'Love Theme' from'The Godfather'.

- What an irony, out of all songs.

And she felt the tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. She was touched by the thoughtful gift. Goosebumps spreading over her skin at the melancholic melody playing over the elaborate water show in the middle of the grand fountain. But she also choked up from her unrequited feelings and the false hope his lovely gesture gave her.

The song finished, the water jets lowered and everything fell silent.

There were some people gathered around the fountain now, spectators of the show. Cassandra closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "Taehyung -"

"Wait, it's not over yet. Now my favourite movie soundtrack follows."

Her eyes fluttered open and before she could even ask, another melody began playing and water was being splashed up again. And she saw him smile softly while looking ahead.

She'd missed his voice. She'd missed his gentle yet stern eyes. She'd missed the curve of his nose and his smile. She'd missed the way his parted hair flowing over his forehead and eyes whenever he moved or got windblown.

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she faced the fountain again. Standing there beside him and preoccupying herself by trying remembering the title of the familiar melody.

Of course, she eventually thought then when recalling the famous song and one of her favourite soundtracks, too. It was 'Strangers in the Night'.

However, Taehyung hadn't only picked it because it was his favouite soundtrack, the main reason was because it reminded him of Cassandra. He had never paid much attention to the lyrics before but for the first time, he could relate to them. And perhaps that's why it was his favouite one after all.

"You know Sinatra disliked that song," he stated then, making her perk up. She hummed, gaze returning to the performance.

"He was an idiot then."

And Taehyung laughed, it was a genuine laugh. Causing Cassandra to purse her lips to prevent herself from laughing as well.

Instead she saw the colours of the lights intensifying the darker the sky became. And she couldn't help but think of the night she and Taehyung had first met when recalling the lyrics herself. The lump returning.

The song ended soon after. Now even more people having gathered down at the fountain and even up there at the platform. It was fairly crowded by now. And Taehyung realised this was probably not the best place to discuss. So he held his hand out for her, meeting her arched brow.

He exhaled frustrated, retriving it instantly. "Come, let's go somewhere quieter."

She seemingly contemplated it, looking over her shoulder then back at the beautiful fountain. With a deep sigh, she eventually stepped back and nodded. Following him up the stairs of the cascades and reaching the top in front of the palace-like building. With the broad panorama view of the glistening city and the four columns, the magical fountain visible behind them. Up there, there was little to no one at this time and day.

"So, why did you make me climb up all these stairs?" Cassandra whined in between of panting. Propping herself at the stone-railing when seeing Taehyung beside her, casually leaning against it. Both of them standing there with a respectable distance.

"It's quieter here, don't you think?"

"I suppose.."

Neither one knew what to say or where to begin. And Taehyung felt his cheeks blushing when seeing her there in the light of the illuminated water basin behind them. The soft and curious eyes, the dark curls that got longer over the months, swaying in the light breeze against her cuddly cheeks. He just wanted to hug her and hold her in his arms again.

Cassandra straightened herself then, her sudden movement interrupting his silent gaping.

"Thank you for.. for this. The fountain show, I mean. How did you do it?"

He only gave her an ambigious smile. "Don't worry about that."

She hmphed at this but didn't persist as something else was more imprtant to her. "You asked me to let you explain yourself.. so go on. Explain why you kissed me in a way that knocked my breath away - something medically impossible by the way - only to disappear for months with nothing but a postcard as a sign of life."

He should've been astonished by her sudden straightforwardness, but he figured she was simply too fed up with him at this point. Still, he couldn't keep himself from biting back an unappropiate smirk that threatened to break onto his lips when hearing her description of the kiss. It flattered his ego as he agreed with her. "I didn't want to discuss it on the phone."

"Fair enough, then do it now."

His lips parted but his throat, however, felt dry and itchy. His mind an endless void, absent of all the words he wanted to say to her. All of the sudden, he felt like a deer caught in the headlights. And nothing came out. Lips pressing together again as he awkwardly looked away.

Cassandra's jaw clenched and she abrubtly checked the time on her phone. "If that's all, you've got to excuse me but I gotta head to work now and don't have time for this game."

He knew her night shift started at 10pm and they still had almost four hours to go, but he understood the cue and pushed himself off the railing.

"Didn't expect any less of someone as smart as you."

She only huffed at this. Her eyes wandered up to meet his. Something in the atmosphere shifting in that moment. She swallowed.

"You do realise songs and pretty flowers aren't enough, right?"

He nodded, taking a few steps closer to her. The light from the building's spotlights illuminating her face, bathing her in a warm almost etheral glow. "Of course I know."

She exhaled, looking away as she was unable to remain upset because at the end of the day, this was Taehyung. The only man that ever moved her. And with a much gentler voice, she almost pleaded, "Just say it then. Say why you kissed me only to dip and disappear before.. before giving me the chance to properly react to it. Just cut the games and tell me."

"Cas.."

"Why can't you admit it?" Her voice raised now and she almost stomped her foot out of frustration. Why couldn't he just admit he was regretting it? "Whatever it is, I deserve a proper explanation. Don't I?"

He breathed. "Of course you do." He could tell she was trying her best to keep herself together but the angry tears brimming in her eyes, threatening to roll down her cheeks, gave her away. Along with her cracking voice.

"Why are you such a coward then? I thought a thief would be much braver."

He softly grabbed her arms, causing her to look him in the eyes. "It's easier to break into a safe or hunt down a treasure than putting into words.. I simply can't express myself properly. But for you I'll try." His steady voice held certainty and a promise she wanted to believe. "You're far more stubborn than anyone I've ever encountered before, you know that?" he smiled then and a faint, tiny grin finally crossed her face. Finally managing to steal a small giggle from her.

Cassandra sniffed then, wiping under her eyes. "That's like the pot calling the kettle black." Her expression clouded then. "What do you want from me, Tae?" she whispered, a low thread of anguish flickering below the surface.

With a sigh, Taehyung took her cold hands in his warm ones and lowered his head, resting his forehead against hers. One of his hands heaved then, slender fingers brushing away a strand from her blushing cheek before tenderly touching her jaw. Cupping it with a pained expression on his features as his brows furrowed.

He didn't know what he was doing. That was not what he'd settled on. He knew he should stay away from her, he had decided on confessing his feelings but explain that it simply couldn't be. However, he didn't have the heart to do it anymore because, frankly, he didn't want to. His heart was betraying his mind in that moment and as much as he had argued with himself and chosen the rightful, the logical path, being there with her, getting lost in her fierce irises and holding her so close to him, made him weak.

And suddenly his lips were on hers, causing every synapse in her brain to short out for a moment before going to overdrive. Her whole body melted only to rebuild and float into the air.

The sensation of his lips gently pressing onto hers taking her back to the cold winter night months ago. And her lips instinctively moved against his.

Dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin.

She remembered them well, the chemical cocktail designed to make humans feel good and crave more. And indeed, it did. It did make her crave more. Just like that New Year's night back then.

The first time she hadn't realised as it had been rushed and unexpected, but it was a terrifying thing, to let a thief kiss you like that. There was always the danger of him stealing more than just a kiss after all. And she feared that had already happened.

Taehyung held her closer. Trying telling her all the things he wasn't even sure what exactly they were with the press of his mouth on hers. Lips fueled by unknown desire. Not that it mattered, really. There was no way to hide it anymore. It was too overwhelming by now. He had never wanted anyone like this before. He'd had brief, sporadic flicker of interest here and there over the years, but nothing came even close to the way he felt when he was with her. And in that, he was certain.

She understood him, calmed him, laughed with him, saw what was underneath. The realest version of himself was the one he saw in her beautiful round eyes when being with her. He knew he could visit every country in the world, steal every treasure there was, but nothing would ever compare to that single moment when he kissed Cassandra.

Their lips parted. Dark eyes flickering over her smooth features then. He didn't know what angel he owed this chance to, he was simply going to make it count. And eventually he breathed out the only right answer.

"You, Cassandra. I only want you."

»»»

next chapter: 0.9 here

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000marie198 · 7 months

Text

Beats till the song disappears

......

Classic era, Sonic 2's bad ending timeline but I made it better. Or worse. Leaving for you to decide. Enjoy :)

...........

He trudged through the dark zone, silent and windless akin to a closed, lifeless chamber.

The place was littered with systematically arranged crystal blocks that would've looked aesthetically pleasing if it were daytime. For now, they just made the place more eerie as he waited for Robotnik to show up.

After what felt like an eternity of worried pacing to the speedy hedgehog but in reality was barely a couple of minutes, two of the structures nearby split apart, revealing a camouflaged panel sliding in the ground.

Sonic stopped, facing the opening to see the Eggmobile rise from the underground, hovering a meter or so above the inclined floor leading into the depth.

The doctor looked composed, unworried, his spectacles glinting with a previously absent touch of confidence, of victory.

"Did you bring them?" He asked, addressing the frustrated hedgehog.

Sonic revealed four emeralds without a word, pulling them away as the other tried to grab for them.

"Tails?"

"Hand them over first."

Sonic was about to retaliate but paused at seeing the other hover a finger over the mobile's control panel, staring straight at him with the unspoken threat clear in his body language. He could kill the kit if Sonic wasn't careful.

His thoughts conflicting with one another and the concern for his little brother chiming in, he finally relented, holding out the gems for the mobile's claws to grab.

"Now tell me where he is."

"Careful, hedgehog, you don't get to make demands here. I believe we had an agreement that he'll be spared only if you brought all five Chaos Emeralds, hmm?"

Silence fell over the terrain, the hero shooting a venomous glare at Robotnik. It would be too much of a gamble to attack him when he had a link open to wherever he was keeping Tails. His lack of acknowledgement to the earlier question was answer enough. He hadn't been able to collect the required number of emeralds on time.

"I see," the scientist murmured.

Sonic gritted his teeth, high strung, on edge. He was aware he had failed but he needed to know...

"Just tell me if my brother is alright."

"He is," the other sighed in an exaggerated display of disappointment, "I would've gotten rid of him by now provided your ineptitude-"

"You know I can't locate them all this fast!" Sonic snarled, looking seconds away from jumping at his throat.

"But I am feeling rather... merciful today," the man continued on without even reacting to the interruption, his demeanor betraying he held all the cards. "I propose another deal, hedgehog. If you agree, I promise that no harm will come to Tails."

Sonic shouldn't trust him. Didn't trust him. But if it meant Tails would be safe...

He nodded, signalling to Robotnik that he was listening. Said scientist smirked under his mustache.

"Become part of my legion. Surrender yourself to me, and your little friend will go unharmed."

His legion. The hero had fought against him enough times, had seen enough horrors and rescued enough critters being used as test subjects to read between the lines, to know what Robotnik meant. The mere mention of that thing still makes him sick. Robotnik wasn't asking him to just give up his freedom. He was demanding for Sonic to give up his mind and body, his free will, in the worst way possible.

Sonic's life or Tails' safety?

It took him less than a second to choose.

"Well?" Robotnik's voice prompted, already knowing his nemesis' decision.

"If you hurt Tails-"

"Oh don't be so leery. I gave you my word. Your fox friend will not be harmed. Now, do we have a deal or do I signal my bots to neutralize that menace?"

Sonic squeezed his eyes shut, shaking with a plethora of emotions he couldn't bring himself to grasp and process as they came and went in waves. He gasped in a breath and stilled, before coiled tension leaked away from his body and he sighed. Surrendered.

"Deal."

"Excellent!" He could hear the victorious grin in Robotnik's voice but he didn't react, unable to bring himself to look up, gaze fixed on his red and white sneakers as he willingly sealed his fate. His iconic shoes held his focus, shoes that allowed him his freedom to run as fast as his heart desired. The same freedom which he was now volunterily giving up for his brother.

It felt like just yesterday when he had met the little guy, his shoes very smilar to Sonic's own, a matching color scheme. Something he had never paid attention to before but was now a glaring memory. He hadn't even told Tails how much he cared for him, how much proud he was, had he?

If he were to be given a chance to speak with Tails, he'd never remain silent again.

His feet moved without his consent, following the rotound man into the underground base until he blinked out of his thoughts and found himelf in a lab, facing a tall glass cylinder strung up in the center of the circular space.

It stood empty, it's front open, waiting to be occupied. Sonic stared on, unable to look away.

"Now don't be shy, step into the capsule. Chop chop!"

A hair's breath pause and he stepped forward, inside the glass confinement and upon the platform inside, fully resigning himself to what he had agreed on. His breath shuddered with anguish and dread as Robotnik moved around it to the front and pressed a switch.

The glass sealed behind him with a decisive click.

Adrenaline shot through his veins as the machine hummed to life, lights glowing awake below the platform he stood on and the welded hatch above him.

His heartbeat began to thunder in his ears, quills pricking up but he held still, letting the titanium clamps reaching for him seal around his ankles and wrists.

He saw Robotnik clicking away at a nearby screen and then he felt a subtle jerk, the machine's hum increasing in volume and intensity, the platform under him rising up.

With one final click at the keyboard, sleek contraptions that looked suspiciously like a sci-fi mixture of scanner and blaster surrounded him and pulsing rays shot out from their openings.

Sonic grunted as he felt the energy strike him, the clamps keeping him still.

It started from below, at the legs. Of course it fucking did. Sonic wanted to scream, wanted to yell and kick and bang his fists against the glass, feeling cold numbness slowly spreading up his most powerful weapons, his legs, his speed, stripped from him painstakingly slowly as flesh turned to metal.

All he did was clench his fists and grit his teeth in anguish, his whole being screaming at him to move but he held still. He couldn't move, not if it placed his first friend, his best friend, at risk.

28%

The titanium bands securing his ankles and wrists seemed to tighten, restricting the little bit of movement he had as the rays slowly climbed up to his torso, inches below his heart.

He didn't let the tears show.

For Tails for Tails for Tails for Tails

His thoughts chanted like a mantra, placing all his being into not moving, letting himself be turned into a machine, until his ears swivelled at the swoosh of a panelled door sliding open, urging him to look up.

His breath caught in his throat, each cell freezing up in a mixture of shock, rage and despair.

No. No no no no no no no no NO!

"TAILS!" The anguished wail left his chest just as his heart stopped beating, an engine's hum replacing its frantic rhythm.

He payed it no mind. It didn't matter when it was ripped to shreds anyway the moment his blurry gaze met his brother's.

Glowing red optics stared back.

He tried to move, tried to break free but it made no difference, half his body frozen on the spot, under the control of the Chaos forsaken monster who did this.

65%

The bands on his wrists burned, something warm and damp flowed down his palms and dripped from his fingers. Sonic was numb to it, struggling and shaking in the glass confine, his own screams becoming muffled to his ears.

"You promised! YOU FUCKING PROMISED YOU WOULDN'T HURT HIM!"

A screen beeped, the vitals' charts on it going haywire as the progress bar reached 78%.

The mustached scientist just stood there grinning, unconcerned and victorious.

"And I kept my promise. He is unharmed, well and alive." The words seemed to echo in his head, reverberating as if imprinting on the walls of his mind, the machine's buzz and hum drowned out by them. "Just as you asked, rodent."

He couldn't take his pained eyes off of the small yellow robot and his captor noticed that, turning to address Tails with a deceptively encouraging smile.

"Isn't that right, Metal Tails?"

The little robot finally moved, startled beeps escaping it as it's mechanical gaze shifted away from hyperfocusing on Sonic and towards what it's systems told it to be it's creator.

The familiar innocence in that small gesture, even though seeing it on a roboticized mecha, broke something in Sonic.

He tried to call out to his brother but realized he couldn't speak. He couldn't feel his muzzle or mouth anymore. Oh...

The screen read 96%.

As the metal climbed up his quills and ears and the world began to fade into static, Sonic drowned out Eggman's smug grin and droning of the roboticizer's rays, putting all that was left of his mind and strenght into focusing on Tails.

He wanted his last memory to be of his brother, even if no longer flesh and blood but mere metal and wires, he was still Tails. His Tails. That much was clear from its demeanor alone, the innocence, the curiosity, the intelligence, it was all there. Sonic would be able to tell his kid apart from a thousand other Tailses if he had to.

The tears he'd been holding back finally slipped down, the last piece of his humanity used into conveying to Tails that he was sorry, that he loved him.

99%

His eyes closed, the metal covered up the last of the organic cells and Sonic finally went still.

............

Metal Tails gazed upon the powering down capsule, his processors showing the progress bar having reached 100%.

He couldn't take his focus off of the inactive hedgehog; organic, mechanical, irrelevant, Metal Tails was drawn to him even before the roboticization was completed.

Something suspiciously illogical was recorded in his archives during the process. He had sensed what organics refer to as emotions being conveyed to him earlier by the same being. It seemed to be a combination of concern, remorse and affection.

How could he do that without any working signal and communication link to Metal Tails?

The roboticized hedgehog suddenly beeped awake, internal fans whirring as his systems rapid-fire processed the new programming and commands. He jerked within the bonds and stilled again, hanging limp for a long beat.

Metal Sonic lifted his head up, optical processors switching on to reveal glowing red optics staring straight into Metal Tails' own.

It appeared the other robot was finally awake.

Metal Tails couldn't calculate why the organic hedgehog had seemed to know about him but he had felt drawn to the blue being just the same.

Perhaps it was a satisfactory calculation on his creator's part as Metal Tails' tended to get lonely and this arrangement made him most pleased.

Another robot companion made for the perfect promised gift.

.................

No characters were killed in the making of this story, just as I promised :]

#i am sleepy #author is sleep deprived #anyways Happy Sunday everyone #this is my counterattack #sonic the hedgehog #sonic #sth #miles tails prower #dr eggman #dr robotnik #sonic and tails #unbreakable bond #angst war weekend #plz if there r any errors ignore them I'll recheck them in the morning #cw body modification #i rather like this au. i might just add nore to it :D

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gothhabiba · 11 months

Text

[November 10, 2023. An exerpt:]

Gathering at the Port

The Port of Tacoma and the nearby ICE detention center are located in an industrial area that also houses a police academy. They are only accessible through narrow choke points; in the past, police have taken advantage of these to target and harass protesters. The preceding action at the Port of Oakland took place in a more urban terrain; as protesters prepared for the ship to dock in Tacoma, concerns grew about the various possibilities for repression. Veterans of the Port Militarization Resistance and other logistically-minded individuals compiled lists of considerations to take into account when carrying out an action at this particular port.

Other anarchists remained at a distance, standing by to do jail support and advising the participants on security precautions. Others set up at the nearby casino, investigating and squashing rumors in the growing signal groups and helping to link people to the information or communication loops they needed. Whether autonomously or in conversation with the organizers, all of them did their best to contribute to the unfolding action.

The demonstration successfully accomplished what some had thought might be impossible, preventing the ILWU workers from loading the military shipment. Unexpectedly, this was not enough. Even seasoned longshoremen were surprised that the military could be brought in to act as scabs by loading the ship.

Could we have focused instead on blocking the equipment from reaching the port in the first place? According to publicly available shift screens, the cargo that was eventually loaded onto the ship had already arrived at the port before the action’s originally planned 2:30 pm start time on November 5. Considering that Sunday afternoon was arguably the earliest that anyone could mobilize a mass action on such short notice, it is not surprising that the idea of blocking the cargo was abandoned in favor of blocking the ILWU workers. Of course, if the information that military supplies were entering the port had circulated earlier, something else might have been possible.

The organizers chose the approach of blocking the workers in spite of the tension it was bound to cause with the ILWU Local 23. Our contacts in the ILWU describe the Local 23 president as a Zionist; most workers in Local 23 were supposedly against the action, despite respecting the picket. The president allegedly went so far as to suggest bringing in ILWU workers on boats, a plan that the military apparently rejected.

There were rumors that a flotilla of kayaks was organizing to impede the Orlando’s departure the following morning. In the end, a canoe piloted by members of the Puyallup, Nisqually, and other Coast Salish peoples and accompanied by a few kayakers blocked the ship’s path for a short time on November 6, but nothing materialized for November 7.

This intervention is an important reminder of the ethical and strategic necessity of working with Indigenous groups who know the land and water and preserve a living memory of struggle against colonial violence that includes repeatedly outmaneuvering the United States military.

The ship departed, but one Stryker Armored Personnel Carrier that was scheduled for work according the ILWU shift screens was not loaded, presumably due to the picket. Given the military work-crew’s inexperience in loading shipping containers, it’s unclear how much of the shipment was completely loaded in the time allotted for the ship, as ports hold to a strict schedule in order not to disrupt capital’s global supply chains.

Evaluation

The main organizers received feedback in the course of the protest and adapted their strategy as the situation changed, shifting their communication to articulate what they were trying to do and explaining their choices rather than simply appealing to their authority as an organization or as Palestinians. Nonetheless, some participants have expressed displeasure about how things unfolded. It was difficult to get comprehensive information about what was going on, and this hindered people from making their own decisions and acting autonomously. Some anarchists who were on the ground report that the vessel was still being loaded when the organizers called off the event; others question the choice not to reveal the fact that the military was loading the equipment while the demonstration still had numbers and momentum.

It is hard to determine to what extent organizers intentionally withheld information. We believe that it is important to offer constructive feedback and principled criticism while resisting the temptation to make assumptions about others’ intentions (or, at worst, to engage in snitch-jacketing, which can undermine efforts to respond to actual infiltration and security breaches in the movement and often contributes to misdiagnosing the problems in play).

Cooperating with the authorities—especially at the expense of other radicals—is always unacceptable. This is a staple of events dominated by authoritarian organizations. Fortunately, nothing of this kind appears to have occurred during the blockade on November 6. Those on either side of this debate should be careful to resist knee-jerk reactions and to avoid projecting bad intentions onto imagined all-white “adventurists” or repressive “peace police.”

In that spirit, we will spell out our concern. The organizers simultaneously announced that the weapons had been loaded onto the ship, and at the same time, declared victory. This fosters room for suspicion that the original intention had been to “block the boat” symbolically without actually hampering the weapons shipment, in order to create the impression of achieving a “movement win” without any substantive impact. Such empty victories can deflate movements and momentum, sowing distrust in the hundreds of people who showed up on short notice with the intention of stopping weapons from reaching Israel. It might be better to acknowledge failure, admitting that despite our best efforts, the authorities succeeded in their goal, and affirming that we have to step up our efforts if we want to save lives in Gaza. We need organizers to be honest with us so we know what we are up against.

It’s important to highlight that ultimately it was the military that loaded the ship, not the ILWU. This move was unprecedented, just like the military spying on demonstrators during the Port Militarization Resistance. But it should not have been unexpected. From now on, we should bear in mind that the military is prepared to intervene directly in the logistics of capitalism.

This also highlights a weakness in the strategy of blocking a ship by means of a picket line and blockading the streets around the terminal. To have actually stopped the ship, a much more disruptive action would have been called for, potentially including storming the terminal itself and risking police violence and arrests. This isn’t to say that storming the port would have been practical, nor to argue that there is never any reason to blockade the terminal in the way that we did. Rather, the point is that the mechanics of war-capitalism are more pervasive and adaptable than the strategies that people employed to block it in Oakland and Tacoma. Any form of escalation will require more militancy and risk tolerance.

At the same time, we should be honest about our capabilities, our limits, and the challenges we face. Although many people were prepared to engage in a picket, storming a secured facility involves different considerations and material preparation, and demands a cool-headed assessment of benefits versus consequences. We should not simply blame the organizers for the fact that it did not happen. A powerful enough movement cannot be held back, not even by its leaders.

Considering that the United States military outmaneuvered the picket strategy—and in view of the grave stakes of what is occurring Palestine—”Why not storm the port?” might be a good starting point for future strategizing. Yet from this point forward, the port is only going to become more and more secure. Another approach would be to pan back from the port, looking for points of intervention outside it. In this regard, the rail blockade in Olympia in 2017 might offer a promising example.

Likewise, while we should explore ways to resolve differences when we have to work together, we can also look for ways to share information and coordinate while organizing autonomously. We might not be able to reach consensus about what strategy to use, but we can explore where we agree and diverge, acquire and circulate intelligence, and try many different strategies at once.

#long post /#tacoma port action #readings

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