#now back to work and esims

[blackpearlblast]

a rundown on the listed e-sim platforms from this tweet from mirna el helbawi. visit esimsforgaza to learn about this effort. (they also have a tutorial on how to purchase an esim and send it to them)

update v10 (4/9/24) nomad (regional middle east), holafly (israel and egypt), simly (palestine and middle east), and airalo (discover) are currently in the highest in demand. platforms. if it has been more than 3 weeks since you initially sent your esim and your esim has not been activated, you can reforward your original email with the expiration date in the subject line. you can see gothhabiba’s guide for how to tell if your esims have been activated. if your esim has expired without use, you can contact customer service to renew or replace it.

troubleshooting hint 1: if you are trying to pay through paypal, make sure you have pop-ups enabled! otherwise the payment window won't be able to appear. (this issue most frequently seems to occur with nomad)

troubleshooting hint 2: if you are trying to purchase an esim using the provider's app, it may block you from purchasing if your phone does not fit the requirements to install and use their esims. use their website in your browser instead and this problem should go away.

nomad

you can use a referral code to get $3 off your first purchase and also make it so the person whose code you used can buy more esims for gaza. many people have been leaving their referral codes in the replies of this post and supposedly a referral code may eventually reach capacity so just keep trying until you find one that works! BACKPACKNOMAD is another code to get $3 off your first purchase, it's been working for some people but not others so try out a referral code instead if you can't get it to work. NOMADCNG is a code for 5% off any middle east region nomad esims posted by connecting gaza. it can be used on any purchase, not just your first but is generally going to give less off than the first-purchase only codes, so use those first. it can be used in combination with nomad points. (nomad promo codes do not work on plans that are already on sale, unlimited plans, and plans under $5)

weekly tuesdays only code on nomad web, PST timezone! it gives 10% off plans 10gb and above. NOMADTUE

nomad also seems to be kind of sluggish sometimes when it comes to sending out emails with the codes. you can look for them manually by going to manage -> manage plans -> the plan you purchased -> installation instruction and scroll down to install esim via QR code or manual input then select QR code to find the QR code which you can screenshot and email to them. often just the act of logging back into your nomad account after purchase seems to cause the email with the code to come through though.

mogo

mogo's website is fucking annoying to navigate and i couldn't find any promo codes, but their prices are massively on sale anyway. you have to pick if you want your esim to be for iphone, ipad, or android for some reason. according to statcounter, android makes up approx. 75% of mobile markets in palestine while iphone represents approx. 25%. so i would probably recommend prioritizing donations of android esims but if you can afford multiple, try buying an iphone one too? if i can find any official direction from the connecting gaza crew on this i will update with it.

a good referral code to use for mogo is 8R29F9. the way things are worded are confusing but as far as i can tell, if you use it we both get a 10% discount on your first purchase. (the referrer gets a 10% voucher that allows them to top up in use esims, they are someone who i know has bought a lot of esims and will be able to make good use of the top-up discount vouchers!) also upon signing up it automatically generates a password for you which you can change by downloading the app. (check your email to find your account's current password)

holafly (also looking for holafly esims for egypt now)

holafly is pricier than the others and the only promo code i could find was ESIMNOW for 7% off. someone in the tags mentioned GETESIM7 as another 7% off code they had received, so if you have already used ESIMNOW or can't seem to get it to work, try GETESIM7. referral codes only seem to give 5% off and they don't stack. (i don't remember the source, it was on some sketchy coupon site i don't want to link to and only can recommend because i tried it myself) you can also use my referral link for 5% off if you can afford the 2% worse deal on your end, it will give me $5 credit which i can put towards buying more esims. connecting gaza has also posted the promo code HOLACNG for 5% off but since it is less than the 7% off codes and as far as i can tell does not give credit towards others to buy esims like the referral links, i would consider it lower priority for use.

simly (note: simly must be downloaded as an app to be used, the website link is to help people confirm they are downloading the right app)

i have not personally used simly so i am going to be going off of the sixth slide of mirna el helbawi's instagram guide, with some corrections from someone who has successfully purchased an esim from simly. after downloading the app and making an account, search for palestine or middle east and purchase your preferred package. the page the app takes you to after your purchase should have the QR code to send to the esimsforgaza email, it won't show up in your email receipt. someone kindly left her referral code in the tags of this post, it gives $3 off your first purchase and will give her $3 credit to put towards purchasing more esims for gaza. the code is CIWA2. (if this referral code doesn't work, try one from the notes of this post!) according to someone in the notes, ARB is a simly promo code for 25% off esims that is still working as of march 3rd.

airalo

some people have noted issues trying to sign up for airalo using the browser version of the website, it worked for me but if you are struggling you can give the mobile app a try and that should work. you can use a referral code to get $3 off your first purchase and give the code suppler a $3 credit for buying more esims. KARINA9661 is a code sourced from this post which is also a wonderful example of how using people's referral codes can really make a difference. if for some reason that referral code isn't working, you can find more in the notes of the original esim post i made here.

@/fairuzfan also has a tag of esim referral codes for various platforms!

(note: mogo and holafly both link to israel esims as there are no general regional packages for the middle east like on nomad and the esims for gaza website specifically linked to the israel package on mogo, so i linked to the equivalent on holafly.)

[angelkhi]

red velvet - a.a

links to support palestine🇵🇸: ways to help | esims | donate food | click to donate (it’s free!!)

pairing: baker!abby anderson x reader

summary: abby is stressed about a new recipe, you just want her to relax.

warnings: MINORS DNI, nakedness. no real warnings to be fair?? just very soft and mushy. still, i mean this in the meanest way possible, minors fuck off xxx

word count: 1.3k

a little note: hi it’s been a while. some softer stuff for you. i think that’s all i have to say. okay bye bye.

Abby's passion for baking is something you can't help but admire. Her attention and care to each bake, the way she scrunches her nose as she concentrates, the way she stands there, eyes wide awaiting your opinion on her latest bake. You admire it because you love seeing her happy whilst creating something that she's proud of, and of course the sheer amount of baked goods you get presented with daily.

It's hard to understand how she finds such solitude in baking, considering her brow is permanently creased whenever she is in the kitchen. The first time the two of you met, she (and the countertops) had been caked in flour. Then there was the melted baking tray, and the batter covered walls due to a stand mixer related incident. Though the more you saw her, the sooner you came to realise that a messy kitchen kitchen is her natural habitat.

Getting to see her happy and relaxed in her own little way became some sort of a drug. You would sit across from her, most of the time not speaking, just watching. Her rough hands becoming delicate, arms flexing as she rolled out yet another batch of pastry, smiling widely whenever you tasted one of her creations.

She would silently place a cupcake or a pastry in front of you and step back, arms crossed, lip pulled between her teeth, brows furrowed, watching intently for your reaction. You would hum, nod, then compliment without pretence. Her smile would be so wide, so bright in the dim light of the kitchen. That was your favourite part, it still is, seeing her light up like that.

Each and every time she pours her love into her baking until it's overflowing, bursting at the seams, warming your insides and filling your stomach until you were full, yet it still left you hungry for more. At first it was the offering of a stray baked good when you visited Ellie and Dina, then it was sending you tupperware of fresh cookies and pastries weekly as though she knew the key to your heart lay in flaky chocolate chip croissants.

The final straw was your birthday cake. She stood there, face lit delicately by the slow burning candles, eyes as soft as her smile.

The cake itself was beautiful, topped in delicate piping, filled with a strange combination of your favourite flavours that seemed to mingle in your mouth, erupting across your tastebuds in each pleasurable mouthful.

This time when she gnawed at her lip in anticipation, you couldn't help but kiss her. Acting completely on impulse and pent up yearning. Seeing her hands work almost every day, tasting the fruits of their labour was one thing, but to feel them was something entirely different. Now, some years later she comes home to you, bringing a different sweet treat from her bakery everyday.

Today she comes home to an empty living room, the slight thrum of a running shower and quiet music welcoming her. She drops her things over the couch, puts a small box of sweet treats in the fridge, and follows your quiet humming to the steamed up bathroom.

She can perfectly map out each dip and curve of your body, despite the fogged up shower door, the sweet smell of your conditioner carried by each misty tendril.

She doesn’t think as she undresses, just wanting to be close to you after a long day alone. She calls out to you softly so she doesn’t startle you half to death. For once, the almost scalding heat of the shower is welcome against her taut skin, though she’ll never understand how you can withstand it for so long.

Resting her head in your neck as she breathes out a tired sigh. You stroke a hand through her soft hair, small flecks of cocoa power dusting her golden tresses.

"Long day?"

Abby nods her head, breath tickling your neck, the low hum of her words brushing against your skin.

"Mostly just missed you,"

She presses a kiss to your neck, hand resting on your stomach lightly, fingers itching to trace each dip and curve. Her hands don’t leave your skin as you turn to face her, a dollop of her pine shampoo in your hands. The moment your fingers touch her scalp, it’s like all of the stress in her body melts away into nothing.

“You’re all tense, what’s bothering you?” Your fingers massage until the soap becomes cloud-like, nails gently grazing her every now and then. Her eyes close on instinct, fingers tracing the skin at your waist, indistinct patterns that somehow feel like home.

“Nora’s trying out a new menu, m’trying to come up with some ideas but nothing feels right.”

“Your hands make magic. It’ll be perfect.” She smiles softly, staring at you for a moment before looking away. One day, you think, she’ll learn how to accept a compliment.

The more she relaxes the slower her hands move, and as much as you want to keep slowly running your hands through her hair, she’s practically falling asleep on her feet. You make quick work of rinsing and conditioning, being glad for once that she’s not a ten-step shower girl and shut off the water.

You hand her a warm fluffy towel, watching as her eyes droop even further. Your hand rests on her back as you guide her from the steam filled haze of the bathroom. You know she doesn’t need it, she’s more than capable of finding her way, but she deserves it every now and then, a helping hand no matter how soft. If you could give her only one thing, something she’d earned with each waking breath, it would be a moments rest, an anchor to ground her even on the most tiresome of days.

The two of you work around each other like a well oiled, yet sluggish machine. She hands you a sleep shirt, you hand her underwear, she hands you moisturiser, you braid her hair. It’s a dance the two of you are more than familiar with, one that has no end but rather slow swaying pauses.

A slither of moonlight runs from her arm across to your fingertips, her quiet curses empty of malice as she chucks the many pillows to the end of the bed. You smile, knowing that come morning they’ll be neatly arranged, not because she wants to, but because knows that’s how you like them.

“Snagged you some red velvet brownies.” Her words are muffled by a long yawn.

“I knew there was a reason why I liked you. That’s breakfast sorted.”

Abby chuckles, considering for a moment that your insatiable sweet tooth had played into some Pavlovian response to her constant baking. But whatever hold her skills in the kitchen had over you were minuscule compared to way you’d managed to entrance her just by being you.

“Anything to keep my girl happy.” She presses a kiss to your shoulder, pulling the covers higher once she notices the slight chill on your skin.

“I’m sure that’s what Nora tells the accountant every month.” Another chuckle from her, the sweetest symphony ever directed. You spend a moment shuffling around, getting comfortable, finally ending up with your arm strewn across her waist.

“Now relax, get some sleep, and stop thinking about whatever concoction i’m sure you’ve already perfected.” Your thumb moves in the same way hers had before, hoping it soothes her as much as it had soothed you.

“M’not even that tired.” She protests, her usually furrowed brows slightly relaxing, words slurred by sleep. You know she’ll be snoring in five minutes.

You relish in the feeling of her breaths slowing, her muscles releasing the pent up tension, of her finally relaxing. You quietly thank whatever invisible string of fate tied the two of you together. For allowing you to have moments like this in the quiet of the night. For letting you wake up to her every morning. For her.

[rztaros]

: love 2 hate me

synopsis. oh, how you hated the ares’ daughter so bad, you wish you could never see her again. though, it seems as you encounter her more and more, you begin to see her in a different light. pairing. clarisse la rue x hades daughter!reader genre. fluff wc. 4k+ in queue. bags by clairo, hydrangea love by tomorrow x together, but not kiss by faye webster, && snooze by sza . . . 💿 notes. 💬 lowercase intended, maybeee ooc clarisse idk, and reader is close friends w percy

how to help the palestinians. brands to boycott support the people of palestine w/ shams akel moveon petition to pres. biden donate esims to gaza

there are around 170,000 words in the english language, yet you were unable to string any of them together to express how much you wished you could never see clarisse la rue ever again. you wished you could just hit her with a chair, and hopefully splitting her head open. there was never once a moment where she was not difficult.

everything clarisse could do, you could do better—well, that was what you thought at least.

of course, you despised her, and she despised you.

clarisse, most of the time, enjoyed the competition and the rush she received whenever you and her were contended against each other. she even liked the look on your face every time you lost to her and the pride that'd engulf her.

that unbearable grin, along with her vicious, boisterous laugh she'd hold every time you lost to her. often, your facial expression garnered a snicker from her, one that replayed over and over again in your poor head.

there was barely a chance you'd ever have to work with clarisse, let alone have to talk to her, you thought. however, you were proven wrong, very wrong.

"can you stop speakin' just for one minute? you're giving me a headache, gosh," you'd groan, gradually losing focus on the primary task. rolling your eyes, you'd shoot a sharp glare at the ares' daughter, your face not indicating any kind of amusement.

she'd scoff, taking a step closer to you, her eyes trailing from your eyes to your lips. her gaze, piercing and intense as ever, bored into yours. it was as if her gaze was a magnetic force, luring you in.

for a moment, it'd seem you'd see clarisse in a different light. as much as you hated to admit it, she was attractive. her eyes held a devilish stare that you could get lost in.

clarisse seemed like some sort of corrupted angel, almost supernaturally beautiful, and she was unnervingly unforgettable.

the task you were once immersed in, was now long forgotten as you'd roll your eyes once again. cursing her over and over again inside your head, you'd try to bring your attention back to the task. who knew you would be paired up with clarisse, the absolute bane of your existence?

"you don't have to pretend you hate me so much, sweetheart," clarisse drawled, her eyes just as stunning as she was, "c'mon, just admit it," a sharp, vicious chuckle escaped her. what irked you most wasn't clarisse herself, no—it was her knowledge of you. it was like she knew you were never one to back down from a challenge, more so, if it meant you'd beat clarisse la rue.

clarisse, who you have barely ever started a "regular," friendly conversation with, somehow managed to wring out every drop of patience inside you. "gods, you're just as weak as i thought you were, y/n," she'd tease, flashing a faint, sleazy grin at you, and in contrast to her grin, you'd scowl at her gestures.

sighing, you'd try to avoid clarisse's actions, your eyes flickering to the fields, far from the two of you. as you looked out afar, noticing a figure who seemed to be a guy, clarisse would speak up, snapping you out of your trance, "stop lookin' at that guy, and pay attention, jeez," she'd murmur. her voice was distinct from the rest of the times she spoke to you—she sounded vulnerable, weak even.

"what, you jealous, la rue?" you'd retaliate, now having that same grin clarisse once wore. you'd snicker, clearly amused by the girl's gestures.

you'd notice clarisse's eyes widen, just for a small moment, as if she had something to hide. she'd quickly become defensive, snickering, "what would i even be jealous of? the amount of times you've lost to me? yeah, for sure," clarisse would argue.

just nodding at her defensiveness, you'd dismiss the situation—maybe you were just reading into things too much. though, her shift in demeanor was drastic. nonetheless, you'd just ignore it.

there was an unexplainable feeling clarisse experienced as she stared at your figure, her gaze deep. as much as she thought you were infuriating, you were irresistible, even for her. she knew as much as you were different from the rest—never backing down from a challenge when it involved her— she won't think about you at all, she wouldn't allow herself too.

as you two trailed down the fields, you'd pull clarisse to a spot crowded with flowers. "get me a few flowers," you'd murmur blandly, crouching down to admire the rows of hydrangeas. your eye would glisten at the sight of the prosperous, radiant petals.

clarisse scoffed at your demanding tone, "flowers?" she questions, eyebrows furrowed and knitted together. "never thought you out of all people liked flowers."

the nerve of this girl, you thought, your face morphing into one of judgement, "what do you even know about me, la rue?" you'd tut, watching the ends of clarisse's mouth quirking up, forming a gleaming grin—one you wish you could just get rid of and never see again.

her gaze would fixate on the flowers, and, she'd huff, begrudgingly crouching down besides you. her face was excruciatingly close to yours, inching closer by the second. her sinfully intoxicating aura encases you, "calm down, jeez, sweetheart," the nickname rolled off of her tongue smoothly.

your palms push against her chest, eyes darting everywhere but clarisse's unbearable grin, "just get me the damn flowers," you'd mutter, stepping back as you realized the proximity between you two. she'd chuckle softly at your embarrassed state, shifting her focus back to the flowers.

as you observed them silently, so did clarisse, her gaze never leaving the hydrangeas. clarisse would bring her hands to a selection of hydrangeas that were about to bloom, and trying to be as tender as she could, she'd pluck them.

clarisse would shove the flowers into your arms, rolling her eyes, "happy now?" she'd question as she looked in your eyes for any signs of content—not that she wanted your validation in the first place.

you'd let out a giggle, beaming an animated smile, gazing at the hydrangeas adoringly, "very much so."

"you ever gonna pay me back?" clarisse would question, wiping the dirt off of her hands, and stuffing them into her pockets.

there it was again, a moment where clarisse was somehow unable to shut up.

"already askin' me on a second date? how romantic, la rue," you'd bite back, rolling your eyes.

clarisse would swivel her body towards yours, "oh, don't be so conceited," she'd remark. you'd mumble a curse under your breath, getting up from the ground, and quickening your step.

as soon as you were out of view from the ares' daughter, the expression on your face loosens, now holding a smile you fought back when you were with clarisse. how could clarisse, out of all people, make you smile and feel as if a weight shifted off of your chest?

that awfully interesting girl sure made your heart tremble at just the thought of her.

"next week, same time," clarisse would shout from afar at your disappearing figure, a wide grin plastered on her face. it felt like a whole new sensation for her; to want to see you again, and even more, even though you've just left.

while at the dinner pavilion, you'd converse with percy, dissolving into giggles and laughter. you'd take a bite out of your meal every once in a while, too immersed in percy's stories.

whenever you hung out with percy, it felt like a breeze; you two were able to connect with each other, and understand each other while both being forbidden children. he acted like a little brother to you, and you didn't mind at all.

afar, a not-so-exhiliterated girl stared into the oblivion, her jaw clenched—that girl was clarisse, of course. just the sight of you and percy together made her mouth run dry.

leaning against a pillar, clarisse would roll her eyes at the two of you. she wished she wouldn't have to listen to you and percy laughing loudly. clarisse would cross her arms, a few of her siblings besides her chatting about who-knows-what.

there was no way you were laughing at percy's jokes, clarisse thought. she didn't think he was that funny, so why were you practically hyperventilating as you laughed at his jokes?

soon, one of her siblings would notice, "what's got you so upset? you can't even stand y/n, let alone talk to her."

"because they're so fuckin' loud—she was laughing so loudly, i mean what could he have said that made her clutch her sides like that!" clarisse would blurt out, her eyes narrowing as she'd try to catch a better glimpse of you and percy.

as you got up, going to get a refill of water, you'd pass by a solemn, stoic clarisse. she'd stare at you in silence, almost as if the world only revolved around the two of you. her eyes were hooded, scanning your facial expression for any indications.

just as you were about to round the corner, the daughter of ares' would obstruct the pathway, her arms crossed and her thumbs pointing upward.

"get out of my way, la rue," you'd mutter, sending a glare at clarisse.

a chuckle would escape from clarisse, as if everything was a game to her. "calm down, pretty girl, no need to be so cruel," she'd remark, her grin wide.

you'd stare at clarisse for a moment before looking away, pressing your lips together. "don't bullshit with me, clarisse," you'd retort, your tone as sharp as ever.

clarisse's eyes were etched on your lips, a broad, lingering smile on her face. "relax, i was just gonna ask if you're still up for this week." she'd chuckle, noticing your tense demeanor. "i would've already told you if i wasn't going, so move out of my way," you'd grumble, rolling your eyes at clarisse's infuriating gestures. it was like clarisse was always besides you in some way, annoying you just for the fun of it.

with clarisse's eyes sparking with amusement and the corners of her mouth curling upward, she'd glide effortlessly out of your way but not before patting your shoulder, squeezing it just a bit.

by far, clarisse was one of the most aggravating person you knew.

"sooo… what are you doin'?" clarisse's irritating, yet captivating voice rang through your ears. your eyes would follow her as she'd plop herself smugly besides you on the bench.

your gaze would be fixed upon the lake, barely noticing clarisse besides you despite the warmth you felt while besides the girl. as you spoke up, it was barely audible, "just lookin' at the lake, la rue." as much as you wanted to scoff at clarisse currently, you couldn't.

she'd nod, her eyes accompanied with a warm and understanding gaze—one you were stunned by. nevertheless, you'd flash an awkward, crooked smile at the girl. the silence between the two of you was new. usually, either you or clarisse would start up banter, arguing with each other left and right, no matter what; it was like your guys' dynamic.

clarisse would inch closer to you, making you hyper aware of every little movement she made. the closer she was to you, the more it was difficult for you to conceal your nervousness.

how could you be this nervous with a girl you're supposed to despise? it made no sense for you to be nervous, as you did despise clarisse, but there was something that always lured you back to the daughter of ares'—something unexplainable.

you could almost feel your heart jumping out of your chest when clarisse turned her head, meeting your gaze. her eyes locked onto yours, and her focus shifted.

her eyes would subtly trace contours of your lips with an unspoken curiosity. the proximity between the two of you created a magnetic pull, drawing the both of you in.

the faint hovering of her fingers on your knuckles only caused you to shift in your seat. knowing if you leaned forward, you two would be entangled in each other, so you'd try your best to refrain from doing so. your mouth ran dry just from the sight of clarisse this close up.

as soon as you heard a scream from afar, you'd snap out of your trance, your hands flapping up to push clarisse gently enough to make sure it didn't look like you two were entangled with each other.

it'd take you a few minutes to settle down, as your breath was heavy. you'd ignore the way clarisse would complain about being shoved "harshly" for no apparent reason, despite the fact you were gentle with her.

you'd frantically mumble an incoherent excuse, suddenly getting up, and sprinting away from the girl, leaving clarisse with a dumbfounded expression. as soon as you reached your cabin, you'd plop onto your bed, rubbing your temples.

as you sank into the mattress, your mind would instantly be swarmed with thoughts about clarisse and the previous encounter. you'd grunt, wishing you weren't like this—wishing you didn't have to think about the frustrating, yet glorious girl.

with a distant gaze, you'd stare at the ceiling, lost in contemplation with a subtle smile on your lips. a soft sigh escaped from you, and you'd glance over at the hydrangeas, the very same ones clarisse handed you.

as your eyelids grew heavy, the quietness of the night enveloped you. the tension in your body gradually melted away, as the rhythmic rise and fall of your chest signaled your peaceful slumber.

the next few days pass, and you couldn't help but feel pity for clarisse. every time you'd look her way, it'd seem as if she was sulking. as much as you wanted to tease her, you just couldn't bring yourself to.

inevitably, you'd just avoid clarisse, trying to give her space. and as you avoided her, the curly-haired girl avoided you as well.

today was no difference. you'd be training with percy, reveling in the jokes the boy would crack up in between breaths.

sure, you enjoyed his company, especially on days like these, but nothing could fill in the clarisse-shaped hole in your heart. nevertheless, you'd feel somewhat a weight shift off your chest as you practiced with percy.

once the two of you were breathing heavily, hyperventilating, and barely able to move, you both would lay on the ground, paying no attention to the sounds of swords clashing from afar.

as you looked around the crowd of campers, only one camper caught your eye, and it was clarisse, of course.

clarisse was a sight—even when she was fuming, she was drop-dead gorgeous. from her dark eyes to her brawny form, her beauty emitted resilience and allure.

no matter what facial expression she wore, it'd seem as if you were drawn to all her features. you’d say her beauty and determination was what left an inevitable impression on you, but you knew there was much more than that; after all, clarisse was practically the girl of your dreams, but you couldn’t admit that—not when you both held the relationship of supposedly hating each other.

staring into the oblivion, your eyes were practically beaming with infatuation for the daughter of ares'. percy would nudge you playfully, snapping you out of reality, as he spoke up, "y'know, you could just talk to her, right? i mean, i know she's not the best person to be around, but i'm sure you'll be alright," his tone as optimistic as ever.

you'd scoff, "what would i even say?"

in response, percy would just shrug, "go with the flow or something." and with a huff, you'd take percy's suggestion, heading on over to where clarisse and her siblings practiced at.

you'd stuff your hands into the pockets of your jacket, slowly taking steps to clarisse's direction. each step carried reluctancy, and you'd glance at the ground, not wanting to meet anyone's gaze.

approaching clarisse, her back would be turnt towards you, and just like anyone who had a death wish, you'd tap on her shoulder lightly. she'd snap her head to you, her breath ragged.

"what do you want?" clarisse would mutter, her voice not as dry as she wished it were. rather than it coming out as a demand, it'd come out as a vulnerable mumble—one clarisse wished she could dispose of herself.

you'd take a step back from the curly-haired girl, giving her some space. "just… wanted to talk," you'd mumble as you watched clarisse's face contort into a faint smile. though, as she realized she was smiling, she'd immediately wear a dull, stoic expression.

"then talk," the daughter of ares' grumbled, her arms crossed against her chest.

"just… wanted to say sorry for the other day, clarisse." you'd mumble, glancing at the ground, as you waited for clarisse to speak up, or at least nod, she'd look at you, her expression dumbfounded.

clarisse would raise an eyebrow, as if she was suspicious you were playing a cruel trick on her, "you're really apologizing to me?"

"what else does it look like, la rue?” you'd mumble, rubbing your temples. even when you felt sympathy for the girl, you couldn't help but roll your eyes at her skepticism.

as much as clarisse wanted to be mad at you, wanting to just shove you out of the way, just like how she did with percy, she just couldn't. it was like everything was different with you; everything with you was like a breeze, even if she constantly teased you.

"so you really are apologizing to me," clarisse would inch closer to you, her lips tightening into a thin, unwavering line. her gaze would bore down, almost as if to challenge you.

for a few seconds, all you could hear was the deafening, unbearable silence that followed.

"i guess i forgive you," clarisse would mutter nonchalantly, though her attempt to be nonchalant was shattered by the subtle grin she held and the twinkle in her eyes.

glancing up at clarisse, your eyes would widen in sheer disbelief. clarisse, the same one who was short-tempered, forgave you and didn't hold a grudge against you. speechless, all you could do was close the distance between the two of you, pulling clarisse into a heartfelt embrace.

with warmth radiating off the embrace, clarisse would huff, wrapping her arms around your waist. her gaze would soften at the sight of you burying your head against her chest, almost as if you were eager to hug the curly-haired girl.

breaking the silence, clarisse would speak up, "never thought i'd be huggin' you," she'd chuckle. you'd roll your eyes, grumbling against her chest, "never thought so either."

despite clarisse knowing she should let you go, she doesn't; instead, she holds you tighter by the waist, as if you were gonna escape out of her grasp. she savors the moment, uncertain whether or not you two would return to the bickering the next day.

lifting your head up, you'd notice the way clarisse's eyes glimmered with warmth and compassion. gradually, you two would let go of each other. clarisse would rub your sides, her touch tender-like. your cheeks would heat up at her warm touch, and you'd beam a gentle smile at her.

the fact you were meant to hate the curly-haired girl was long forgotten, and now, all you could think about was how tender she was towards you.

realizing evening was soon approaching, clarisse would whisper, "it's getting late. maybe i could walk you back to your cabin, y'know—just for safety."

you'd raise an eyebrow at the girl wanting to walk you back for "safety," knowing she just wanted to walk with you to talk to you more. however, you'd nod, a quiet chuckle escaping your throat.

clarisse would flash a sly smile at you as the two of you walked side by side together. as the both of you were met by the door of your cabin, you'd plant a chaste, quick kiss onto clarisse's cheek. you'd enter your cabin, leaving the daughter of ares' flustered, yet love-struck.

as the sunlight filtered through your windows, you'd wake up with a groan, groggily sitting up. by the time you were barely awake, your ears would ring at the sound of knocking against your window. you'd groan again, wishing you could have a moment of silence till you saw clarisse through your window.

from your view, all you could see was clarisse clutching something you couldn't depict in her arms. as you'd slide your window open, you'd be greeted by the daughter of ares standing firmly in front of you. you'd groan, rubbing your throbbing head. even tired, you couldn't help but giggle at the sleazy grin clarisse wore.

as you scanned clarisse's figure, your gaze would be on the bouquet of flowers the girl held in her arms. "had good dreams, pretty girl?" clarisse drawled, as she climbed into your bed. noticing your sleepy figure, she'd ruffle your hair.

you'd nudge clarisse's shoulder playfully, grabbing the arrangement of flowers from her. as you admired the different kinds of flowers wrapped, clarisse would await your reaction; she was unsure if you loved them, or if you were disgusted. the daughter of ares' hoped it was the former, her eyes scanning your facial expression.

you'd release the bouquet of flowers, and suddenly wrapping your arms around the curly-haired girl's neck, the distance between the two of you barely an inch. "never thought you'd be the type to give flowers," you'd whisper, a throaty chuckle escaping from you.

clarisse would push forward, pulling you in closer. your noses were now touching, and all you could think about was clarisse's beauty. her fingers would caress your waist, rubbing your sides.

as you close the gap between her lips and yours, pure ecstasy ran through clarisse's veins. your lips would be smooth, falling apart at the brush of clarisse' lips, welcoming her as her fingers grasped your hips. it's like heaven on earth, and clarisse wished she could have you by her side every second of the day. she wished only she could have the privilege to kiss you whenever she wanted.

clarisse never expected the two of you to be together, and she doesn't even know how it happened. she never expected this to be more than what she thought it was—merely a game, and a way to bother you every day, but here she was, barely able to keep her hands off of you.

pulling away, you'd feel clarisse's hot breath hitting your lips. the daughter of ares would cock her head to the side, her lips slightly downward as she groaned, "c'mon, sweetheart, just another kiss."

you'd roll your eyes before planting a kiss onto clarisse's cheek. giggling at her antics, you'd mumble against her neck, "so, is it safe to say you're my girlfriend now?"

a low, throaty chuckle escaped clarisse's lips, carrying a hint of amusement. her laughter would leave you confused. to you, her chuckle was a soft melody. "you're really gonna ask me that after we've just kissed?" clarisse would raise an eyebrow.

"shut up," you'd lament, your palms placed flat against her chest. her eyes were etched on your lips, as she suppressed a cocky grin at the way your eyes dimmed at the sight of her façade.

clarisse pulled you closer again, giving you nothing but teasing glances for you to initiate the kiss. indulging in the curly-haired girl's antics, you'd softly press a kiss onto her lips. "can't believe you're this clingy," you'd tease, flashing a grin at the girl. again and again, you'd press kisses onto her lips, and each time, clarisse would savor the moment.

you couldn't help but let out soft giggles at the simple, utterly ironic thought of the daughter of ares tempting you like a sinner but treating you like an angel.

the effect she had on you was everlasting, just like how it was when you two first met. and to be able to kiss you whenever, was a dream clarisse finally fulfilled.

tell the truth, i look better under you

i can't lose when i'm with you

[psychic-pigeons]

hey if you write a pattern for the chilchuck amigurumi I will buy it instantly

ive gotten multiple asks about this, so ill just answer them all here in one go.

i wrote down everything while i was working on it, but i theres some stuff that i would do diffrently and i also didnt take a lot of process pics so it wont be a full proper pattern for those reasons, but ill add all that i have under the cut!

i dont want any compensation, but if you wanna do me a favor you can donate to esims for gaza, unrwa, any of these gefundme's, or another trusted charity of your choice.

now to the pattern! i would love to see the results of anyone making a squeakychuck, feel free to tag or dm me :)

the dimensions of this depend on the size of ur squeaker and yarn, i had a 4ish cm squeaker and somewhat thick 4/8 cotton yarn (kinda 6/8ish thickness). depending on ur yarn and squeaker u might need to follow a different pattern for the body.

if youre using a different body base pattern, the tunic and blouse pattern are pretty easily adjustable. ill add some notes for that at those sections of the pattern. ill also link some videos i used at relevant sections.

if theres an Action store near where u live, see pic below for the yarn i used for the skin, reddish brown, black and light brown. i got 3 of these but 2 packs was enough. the dark brown and creme were from my stash. i also got the squeaker from a donut dog toy from Action.

-

abreviations list (all in us terms):

mr = magic ring sc = single crochet hdc = half dubble crochet slst = slipstitch ch = chain bobble = 5 double crochet in one stitch BLO = back loop only FLO = front loop only

what you need:

-skin color of choice yarn -creme/white yarn (normal for body, thin for blouse) -greyish creme (for boot flaps) -black yarn -dark brown yarn -light brown yarn -reddish brown yarn -green yarn -4 tiny buttons (for arm joints) -cardboard (for shoe sole -3.5mm hook -squeaker -needlefelt needle -stuffing -stitchmarker (optional, i always mark the first stitch of the round)

-

once again disclaimer, this is not a propper pattern, this is just what i wrote down while i was crochetting. it may not nessecarily be the best way to do it. i wanted most clothes to be removable, but you have to partially disassemble the doll if you want to remove them. if you dont like how something looks or works ur free to do whatever you want. big fan of fucking around and finding out personally.

if you have any questions feel free to dm me, might take me a while to reply though.

-

SQUEAKY CHUCK PATTERN 3.5mm hook

head (skin)

r1: sc 6 in mr r2: (inc) x6 r3: (sc 1, inc) x6 r4: (sc 2, inc) x6 r5: (sc3, inc) x6 r6: (sc4, inc) x6 r7: (sc 5, inc) x6 r8-15 : sc 42 r16: (sc 5, dec) x6 r17: (sc 4, dec) x6 r18: (sc3, dec) x6 r19: (sc2, dec) x6 r20: (sc 1, dec) x6 r21: sc 12 slst, fasten off

ears x2 (skin)

r1: sc6 in mc r2: (inc) x6 r3: (sc, inc) x6 r4-6: sc 18 r7: dec 9. slst fatsen off.

Body - leg up (skin, black, thick creme)

start with skin

r1: ch 6, inc in 2nd, sc 3, 4inc, sc 3, inc r2: inc 2, sc 3, inc 4, sc 3, inc 2 r3: inc 3, sc 5, inc 6, sc 5, inc 3 r4: BLO sc in all r5: sc 3, dec 2, sc 3, dec 2, sc 6, dec 2, sc 3, dec 2, sc 3 r6: sc 1, dec, sc 4, dec 6, sc 4, dec, sc 1. r7: sc 6, dec 3, sc 6 stuff -r8 dec, sc in all

change color to black [color change video]

r9-23: sc in all 1st leg: fasten off

2nd leg [joining legs video]:

r24: sc7, ch 1, sc join in 1st leg after last sc, sc13, sc1 in visible v loop of ch1, sc 7 r25: sc7, sc 1 in remaining v loop of ch1, sc21 r26-31: sc 28 r32: sc 7, change color to creme/white, slst 1, sc 20 r33-35: sc 29 r36: (sc 8, dec) x3 r37: (sc7, dec) x3 r38: (sc6, dec)x3 add squeaker r39: sc21 r40: (sc 5, dec) x3 r41-42: sc18 r43: (sc 1, dec) x6 fasten off

Arms (skin, dark brown)

i made the arms movable with button joints, but after looking at some videos i discovered that what i did is not called a button joint and i dont have a video explaining it, so i hope this drawing helps.

the red bits are the buttons inside of the arms and body, and the thread (blue for clarity, i matched it w the skin) should be pulled tight and finished off with a double or tripple knot inside the body.

or you could just sew on the arms that also works. but wait with doing that until youve finished the blouse as the hands dont fit through the sleeves. i have a seperate section on assembly at the end of the pattern.

start with skin

r1:sc6 in mc r2: inc x6 r3(sc, inc)x6 r4 : sc 18

change color to brown

r5: sc 18 1st arm r6: sc 3, bobble, sc 14. 2nd arm r6.2: sc 14, boble, sc 3 [i matched the top loop to the bobble color but i think it would look better if u didnt] r7: sc 18 r8: (sc 4, dec)x3 r9: (sc 3, dec)x3 r10 sc12

color switch to skin (you might want to do this a round earlier, i didnt initially plan on making the gloves flared, and this color change part can sometimes be seen and look kinda weird)

r11-14: sc 12 r15: (sc4, dec)x2 r16-19 : sc 10 r20: (sc3, dec)x2 r21: sc8 insert button joint r28: (sc2, dec)x2 slst, sew shut

glove flare (dark brown)

r1: ch 15, slst join LONG TAIL r2: (sc4, inc)x3 r3: sc4, inc, sc8, inc, sc 4 r4: sc 2, slst fasten off sew 2 rows below thumb bobble

boots (light brown, dark brown, greyish creme) [video]

these are removable but they dont go on easily, so you gotta patiently massage the feet in there.

start with light brown

ch 7, start in 2nd from hook: r1: sc 5, 3inc, sc 4, inc r2: inc, sc 4, inc 3, sc 4, inc 2 r3: inc, sc 5, hdc inc 7, sc 5, inc 2 r4: slst fasten off. sew in holes/tails, fray ends for flat gluejob. trace onto cardboard for sole.

switch color to dark brown

r1: BLO join slst, BLO sc in all r2-3: sc in all glue in sole r4: sc 8, dec 5, sc 12 r5: sc 7, dec 4, sc 10 r6: sc7, dec2, sc 10 r7-10: sc in all

switch color to greyish creme

r11-12: sc in all r13: slst, FLO sc in all r14-16: sc all slst fasten off

flip the greyish creme flap over.

blouse (thinner creme)

this is a standard raglan pattern, if you need the whole thing bigger/smaller you need to have more/less chains at the beginning. this change also carries over to the collar. the increases are evenly spaced for me, and unless your doll has a very broad chest this shouldnt have to change.

if the arms need more space you need to either add more rows to the r3-7 part and/or add more chains in r8 (this part should fit pretty sugg around the body)

i was experimenting a bit w using BLO to minimize the gap where the sleeve and body seperate (r8). it worked p good but you can ignore it if you dont understand it and just sc in all.

r1: ch24, slst join. r2: (sc 5, inc) x4 r3-7: inc in first of previous inc. last row should have 10 sc between increases. r8: sc5, blo sc 1, ch 5, blo sc join in 1st of next inc, sc 11, blo sc1, ch5, blo sc join in 1st st of next inc, sc 5 r9: sc6, blo sc 1, sc 5, blo sc1, sc11, blo sc 1, sc 5, blo sc 1, sc 6 r10-13: sc in all (36) r14: (sc8, inc)x4 r15: sc in all (40) slst finish off

Sleeve

r1: join mid armpit, slst ,sc2, sc in the leftover bits from the BLO stitches, sc 1, sc in leftover BLO bits, sc2 r2-6: sc in all

collar

join left-middle front, sc 7, inc, sc8, inc, sc 7. turn r2: sc7, inc, sc 10, inc, sc 7. turn r3: sc8, inc, sc 10, inc, sc 8. turn

cuffs

r1: join mid body-facing side, FLO sc 20 r2-4: sc 20, slst fatsen off

Tunic (red brown) [tunesian entrelac crochet]

if you want to make this bigger i recommend keeping the same square layout, but making the squares bigger. its a bit of measuring and math to figure it out.

the tunic is made in tunesian crochet and i dont really know what written patterns for that look like so i hope this makes sense.

for a single square:

r1: ch4, start in 2nd back bump from hook. pull up a loop from ever back bump. you should have 4 loops on your hook total. simplestitch in all r2-4: simplestitch in all. r5: slst in all. fasten off

for the slanted parts i did the decrease by pulling through the middle 2 loops in one go on the back pass

this is how the full thing should look, its worked from bottom left to top right.

sew together the shoulders together, then sew in all of the ends :) good luck

tunesian crochet has a tendancy to curl, so if you used cotton i def recommend blocking it

i defined the grid a little bit with a dark brown pencil.

cowl (green)

BLO sc 7, repeat till desired lenght, then BLO slst join the last row to the first.

scalp undercut bit (dark brown)

r1: sc 6 in mr r2: (inc) x6 r3: (sc 1, inc) x6 r4: (sc 2, inc) x6 r5: (sc3, inc) x6 r6: (sc 4, inc)x6 r7: sc36

sew on back of the head (recommend doing this before the ears and face, see end for more detailed assembly instructions)

hair (reddish brown) [hair video]

disclaimer, this is kind of a mess. the lenghts didnt line up the way i intended so i improvised by adding loose strands and spent a lot of time pinning every strand in place before glueing them down.

i used bison kit contact glue since its sturdy, transparant, flexible and waterproof. you can use hot glue as well, i just personally dont like it because its bulky.

r1: sc 21 in mc. join BLO slst r2: ch 12, sc in 2nd from hook, gdc10, BLO slst join r3: ch 12, sc in 2nd from hook, gdc10, BLO slst join r4: ch13, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 11, BLO slst join r5: ch13, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 11, BLO slst join r6: ch 14, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 12, BLO slst join r7: ch16, sc in 2nd form hook, hdc 14, BLO slst join r8: ch 18, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 16, BLO slst join r9: ch 18, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 16, BLO slst join r10: ch 14, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 12, BLO slst join r11: ch 12, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 10, BLO slst join r12: ch 10, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 8, BLO slst join

from now on, join in the FLO's of previous round r13: ch10, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 8, FLO slst join r14: ch10, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 8 , FLO slst join r15: ch12, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 10 , FLO slst join r16: ch12, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 10 , FLO slst join r17: ch14, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 12 , FLO slst join r18: ch16, sc in 2nd form hook, hdc 14, FLO slst join r19: ch 18, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 16, FLO slst join r20: ch16, sc in 2nd form hook, hdc 14, FLO slst join r21: ch14, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 12 , FLO slst join

1x ch 6, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 4 2x ch8, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 6 2x ch 10, sc in 2nd from chain, hdc 8, slst in same, fasten off. 2x ch 12, sc in 2nd from chain, hdc 10, slst in same, fasten off. 3x ch14

pin all in place until it looks good, tie +glue loose strands first. then glue back pieces, crown, and lastly bangs/ top back layer. some of the lose strands go behind the ears, one is the left sideburn, and the rest is to cover up the crown. these pics are the best i can do as a guide, this was my first time doing this so i was struggling lol.

i didnt fully glue down the bangs and the top back layer bc i thought it would be fun if u could ruffle his hair, but my friend who i gave the plush to has significantly abused him (its been 2 days) and his hair is a mess so im gonna have to glue it down again lol. might as well do it all the first time if u plan on throwing him down the stairs or something.

Face

for eyes + eyebrows, embroider outline with dark brown, then needle felt [video] the inner parts w unraveled dark brown fluff. the dark brown i used was probably acrylic. cotton doesnt really work well for this.

Belt and pouch (dark brown)

the belt is a 3 strand basic friendship bracelet! [video]

sew together the ends and hide it with by sewing the pouch on top.

i didnt write down the pattern for the pouch, but from the top of my head its the same start as the squares for the tunic

r1-9: simple stitch in all r10: simple stitch 1, decrease by putting your hook through 2 vertical bars when pulling up a loop, simple stitch edge 1. r11: slst in all, finish with a long tail

use tail to sew together the sides, and sew the pouch onto the belt. use some yellow thread to make a button.

ASSEMBLY.

put on the blouse, put the arms in their place and finish the button joints.

put on the tunic, lace the sides with dark brown yarn, finish with a knot and hide the tails underneath the chest part of the tunic.

slide on the belt and boots.

sew the scalp undercut bit to the head

sew the ears to the head

tie + glue the loose hair strands behind the ears

glue the back of the hair

glue the back of the hair

glue the middle circle part of the hair

glue the top back layer and bangs

sew the head to the body

put on the cowl

i hope this is somewhat clear, feel free to dm me is you have questions.

enjoy your squeakychuck :D

[fioblah]

i said as much on twitter but the “renew as a crew” campaign is just deeply, deeply shameful. i understand that folks are upset that ofmd was cancelled, but donating over 20 thousand dollars to pay for some billboards and banners is honestly fucked. the commitment to asking a corporation that will not care to bring back a show with zionist leads is not only bewildering but just a gross waste of money.

i cannot tell you how to spend your money. instead i will ask you this. are you rallying in the same way for palestine, for sudan, for congo? there are so many humanitarian crises happening right now. are the queer elders in your communities housed? are you contacting your representatives? are you putting in this kind of work anywhere else?

buy esims for gaza

[ruthytwoshakes]

hello. I lived. hooray 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Back with my pyromancy ,, the most wonderfulist ship in the e whole everr. Look at how happy they are. Magnififgcent. I am sfill recovering from sick so I will draw what makes me happy.Yay yay Pyro x your mother is next. • I think they would go out for EVIL icecream and then tip the workers nicely. (With cursed relics, unicorn drawings, and weaponry stolen from the Blu team respectively.) Pyro really likes cold foods,, how does she eat? Cartoon tongue that goes between the bars of the gas mask thing?? Vacuum mode? Mask opens up lovecraftian-style and eats it in one bite??? You’ll never know. • Merasmus works retail part-time ,, pyro picks her up from work in Pyro’s monster fire truck . Pyro does demolition derby events because he’s epic and drags Merasmus along with him. Merasmus is not a fan,, of any of it ,, , . But she does get a stadium full of people to practice magic on which is fun. • Spy set them up because he thought it would be absolutely hilarious to see them flounder about at a dinner date or two, but they’ve been going strong for 11 months and now Merasmus is just Hanging Out in the base sometimes and Spy doesn’t really know what to do anymore

okay have to do homework now goodbye

If you are able to donate, please visit eSims For Gaza. It’ll give people in Gaza a chance to communicate with their loved ones and the rest of the world.

[formulinos]

Hello everybody! Today, I come to you off-character to touch on such a heavy topic that is the ongoing genocide taking place in Palestine. For the past month, Gaza and the West Bank has been unrelentingly attacked by Israel in retaliation against a surprise attack by Hamas - an armed Palestian group, who was in fact partially funded by Israel in the 70s.

Currently, Gaza stands practically without resources such as fuel, water, food and medical supplies while bombings continue. The little that manages to pass through is thanks to the continuous work of organisations that help to pass on donations to the people inside.

As we witness such a strong wave of hate take over our society due to the escalation of actions of a powerful group of bigots way back in the 20s, it truly is painful to see how they have succeeded in dividing us to their own gains. The Jewish have suffered too much to now have to see a settler state commit the same crimes it was once inflicted upon them. Likewise, the Palestinians have been in forcefully stripped of everything they have, and now what’s being demanded of them is their families and their lives. Nobody deserves this.

Therefore, my goal here is to try and fundraise whatever little possible in benefit of Palestine. There are three ways I wish to help:

1) Donations to the UNRWA: The United Nations Agency Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is one of the main sources of assistance for Palestinians as circa 717 000 people are currently sheltering in 149 UNRWA facilities. Most recently, one of their schools has been bombed in Jabalia, resulting in the 15 deaths and 70 injuries.

2) Donations to the Medical Aid for Palestinians: MAP have been instrumental in providing help to Palestine, managing to supply them with essential medication, medical supplies, hygiene kits and even mattresses and blankets. One of the main consequences of this siege is the eminent threat of a public health crisis with a possible spread of infectious diseases and it’s instrumental to Palestinians to have access to more supplies as soon as possible.

3) Donations to #ConnectingGaza: This is an initiative from writer Mirna El Helbawi to supply eSIMS to people. Connections often go dark in Palestine as Israel shuts them off prior to attacks, so Palestinians often rely on these eSIMS hosted abroad to reach their families, obtain help and coordinate the delivery of donations.

I’ve created a PayPal account for this purpose with the money being split equally between these three organisations. I have a small blog but my number of followers is non-negligible, and as every penny counts I could not ignore the possibility of being there for Palestine in the only way I could. Please, whatever you can give works just well, and if you don’t have anything to give you can still reblog this!

If you don’t trust an internet stranger, however, and you wish to donate directly to these charities, by all means do! In their websites they have instructions on how you can collaborate, this fundraiser is only here to make it even easier for you to help. I fully intend on updating you daily with how much has been raised and passing all I have directly to the organisations above. Whoever tries to con you guys with such a severe topic is going straight to megahell.

Here’s my PayPal: LINK

[ahaura]

(Dec. 11) [Article] by Asem al-Nabih

Article title:

Speak up! We owe it to Refaat

Article text:

What can you say about someone like Refaat Alareer?

I’ve known Refaat since I was 10. I am now 33.

To describe him as a genius is an understatement. He was a source of many ideas. He was so humane.

Over the past days and weeks, he and I would walk every day. He always looked everywhere for inspiration. He looked at everything.

Anyone who knew Refaat, knows that he was a very solid man. Steadfast in unimaginable ways.

The day before he was killed he surprised me by telling me he felt tired.

“I’m tired of carrying water. I’m tired. I am responsible for 50 people.”

Refaat’s assassination is not just a loss to one family, it is a loss to us all. He was responsible for so many people, who sought him out for his wisdom and his ability to care.

We lost someone who was a voice of Gaza, who could convey the reality in Gaza.

He could have lived anywhere in the world. He didn’t have to stay in Gaza. He had the education and experience to work anywhere. He could have lived his best life somewhere else.

But he refused.

When I was out of the country earlier in the year, I remember telling him that I could get better job opportunities abroad.

He just said: “Or, you could come back here. You could do something here.”

So talk about Refaat. Write about him.

The last thing he said was that if he came out of this war alive, he wanted to concentrate on being a storyteller, he wanted to vent, let things out. That if God kept him alive, he would want to focus all his life to tell the stories of his people and their experiences and feelings.

Every day he and I would walk. We would go out to this or that area in search of eSIM cards or phone reception. You would find him climbing on top of high walls, lifting his arm up to get reception, putting himself in danger, just to convey a message.

He used to speak up.

Now we’re saying, speak about him. Because Refaat deserves this.

We all know about him because he used to speak about Gaza. All of Gaza needs to talk about him. The whole world needs to talk about him.

Speak up

I saw him after they bombed his house back in 2014. I saw how he went straight for the room where he used to keep all his students’ poems and stories.

They were all burned and scattered on the floor, and he would pick through the rubble to salvage what he could as if he was gathering treasure.

To him these stories and poems were the most precious memories of his beloved students. And he truly loved his students.

If you meet his students, they will tell you the same thing, that he loved them.

May God have mercy on him.

Palestine deserves that you speak about him. I personally don’t ask anything of the world because we’ve given up on the world. Gaza will speak for itself, we don’t need anyone’s help, because with God’s help, we are more than capable of saving ourselves.

But I do ask Refaat’s students and those he taught to write about him, because we are the ones who truly knew him for who he was.

The day before Refaat was killed, he and I saw a group of displaced people playing football at the Yarmouk football grounds in the afternoon. He wanted to take photos with the smoke of recent missile strikes rising in the background.

“I swear, the people of Gaza are hardheaded,” he told me. “The people of Gaza are hardheaded.”

He said it like an artist appreciating his work. Like he felt these people.

When he walked down the streets, he would advise random people, telling them where to go, where to be safe.

He never gossiped. He only spoke about what he saw with his own eyes.

And he saw a lot. That was why he would walk 25,000 steps a day.

One day, he found a dark, cold space somewhere. It had no light, no comforts, nothing. But it did have an internet connection. So he stopped. He wrote. He spoke out about what was happening.

That’s what he did.

Our people have been displaced so many times. Refaat and I went to visit the mayor of Gaza one day. He was stuck in the old city. The mayor and his family have been displaced three times. He has lost his son.

We’ve all been displaced so many times. My own family has been displaced four or five times since the Nakba. I have no friends left. I have no home.

But we bear it with dignity and honor. What has happened to us, has not happened to any other nation.

We remain dignified.

And none more so than Refaat. As we in Gaza have come to equate life with death, as we have come to feel that nothing matters any more, we must remember that Refaat always walked and talked.

His was a mission to tell the story of Gaza and its people. We honor Refaat by continuing that mission.

Speak up.

Asem al-Nabih is a friend of Refaat Alareer and one of the last people to see him alive.

[starscelly]

for those interested in printing and creating your own zine! jpegs of the template for the hockey zine here, link to download from drive (+ more info on that) and a tutorial below!!

if you can print from somewhere that supports psd files (also in the drive) i highly recommend, to preserve the colors better (: these appear weird as rgb color profile right now but Should print properly as they'll convert to cmyk. let me know if thats not the case!

also, i'm. not charging for any of this. but instead if you're able to, please consider donating esims for gaza or in some way supporting those in palestine (even just doing your daily arab.org click!!)

again, if you have somewhere to print psd files that is what i would Highly Recommend, the colors and quality will just turn out better, i think.

here is the link to a drive folder where u will find these files as well as tutorials (both specifically for this zine and for this type of zine in general)

some further info not included/expanded on in that drive! :

this is meant to be 8x8in when laid flat (not folded) and the files there should print as such, you wont need a special printer or anything, i literally just used the normal library printer on printer paper.

you will need to cut off the edge around the printed bits as straight and close to the edge as possible, as well as the 4x4 empty square in the middle.

if you're able to line them up, you can print these back to back as they are. if you can't, or want the zine to be a little thicker, you can just print them on separate pages and glue them back to back (the way theyre currently oriented, if that makes sense) and fold it like that. that's how i did it!

there are 24 image slots, but if you want to make your own you will only make 6 images. these images will then be split up into 4 sections (theres an example of this in the tutorial folder) in order to be folded, which is why there's 24 little sections.

i would recommend folding around every square of an image before doing the Actual Final Fold, it'll be soooo much easier to manipulate it from there imo. then, once you have done the final fold, taking something and creasing around the edges of the zine on each page you flip to will help it be easier to move, as well.

also this is the video i originally used to learn to make these (but found to be a little confusing/not friendly to those making their own)

if theres anything i missed/is unclear/doesn't work, please feel free to send me an ask or message about it!!! i hope you all enjoy and make ur own zines <3

[bureauen]

If there is another organization for Palestine you would like to donate to, that is fine. Send a reference photo and any other specific instructions alongside proof of donation!

It may take me a few weeks to get back to you.

https://www.pcrf.net

[baby-back-ribs]

If there is another organization for Palestine you would like to donate to, that is fine. Send a reference photo alongside proof of donation!

It may take me a few weeks to get back to you.

If you see this on @bureauen , we are the same person!

https://www.pcrf.net

[elegyofthemoon]

before i forget because i accidentally hit the dismiss button instead of snooze on the daily alarm for these whoopsies ASLDKFJH

I didn't do a lot today because I was nauseated and had cramps from period starting x - x

Either yesterday or today I sent an audio to Nick to say thanks for being a longtime friend and for being there for me, and he sent me a "I just want you to be happy audio" which made me cry early morning LKAJSDHFAL he is very sweet and I love him

INTERNET FINALLY CAME BACK YAAAAY so back to usual nonsense

Found and created the discount code for eSIMs for Gaza so hopefully more people will use it now that there's a discount to it!!

Also created the backup account on Pillowfort but didn't do anything yet. Started exporting blogs in preparation. Idk that made me happy mostly because I felt accomplished by doing that laksdjfha

WAS REALLY GLAD I DID NOT START PANIC CRYING AFTER I TOOK THE PRACTICE EXAM like at this point, it's a "who cares" and "fuck it we ball" scenario because I'm just on my way out and I really could care less anymore. So I consider that a win for me !!

Started applying for jobs once I get back 👍🏼so I'm glad I'm just starting to work more on the future I want than a future that's now just a faded dream

SPEEDRUNNING HARDCORE THROUGH FLAMECHASERS EVENT IN HONKAI BC I ONLY HAVE 4 DAYS AND IM ASS AT TOWER OF DEFENSE SEND YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS it's so so funny though I'm so glad I didn't run out of time with it ;; 7 ;;

ALSO I got e2 DHIL and e6 Sampo, followed by Luka and Misha's light cone. so I am :]

small thing but also made friend laugh :) i win

Looked further into the whole ordeal with lads and that turned out to be misinformation x - x so i'm kinda relieved i chilled and investigated further for myself 👍🏼

Hopefully tomorrow will be a little better in terms of cramps and feeling nauseated x - x but !! yeah back to speeding through summer rhapsody o7

[itsjustpoopeh]

I finally switched to mint mobile so I will have reliable data again and will be back to usual levels of Ted lasso brainrot

but just FYI dealing with mint mobile thru this process was an absolute fucking nightmare. hopefully now that it's done I will never have to deal with their customer service ever again. it took a week to get this service working. also don't trust their website if you check if your phone IMEI is eSIM compatible because it'll just straight up lie

[bylightofdawn]

Oh my god today has been the least restful day off I've had in months. I had to wake up and go to Walmart to get new tires put on my car and then my mom and I went to Verizon to look for a new phone for her because her phone is old and falling apart. Her new boyfriend was going to buy it for her. And thus starts the three-four hours spent in this shitty Cellular Sales.

The rep was terrible. Very high-strung and flightly. We kept trying to find a good special to take advantage of since her phone was useless for trade-in offers. We finally found a 400 dollars off a pixel 8 which was actually a pretty good deal. She gets it comp'd over 36 months and her boyfriend just paid the remaining bal on the device so it's not charging the contract to my brother's verizon account.

Problem was the boyfriend did NOT like the sales rep one bit. Kept getting grumpier and grumpier about him to the point I could see a confrontation was inevitable so I made the suggestion that they go get some food, I would stay there and get everything taken care of.

And like I said, the sales rep was bad. He couldn't figure out how to move her things from her old phone to the new phone. Then he built the entire order but forgot we were going to pay for the remaining balance. So he had to cancel the contract and redo it but didn't know which department he needed to go through and he was steadily getting more and more frustrated about the whole thing.

Then her phone could not activate. I ended up calling verizon activation support because I know who to call due to my job in fraud prevention. Figured out the physical sim didn't activate so we activated the esim which is when my mom and her boyfriend came back. The sales rep went to throw away her physical sim and mom being the hoarder she is wanted to take it with her. He made some comment about it just being trash (cause it was but I personally would have just handed it over without needing to say a peep) and then the boyfriend got riled up saying he wasn't treating us respectfully and things just fucking exploded from there. The boyfriend said something along the lines of "This is bullshit you don't treat people like this" and the rep LOST HIS FUCKING MIND.

Kicked him out of the store, and threatened to call the fucking cops on him just.... a complete crazy fucking meltdown out of nowhere. I mean, I get he's stressed, it's the holidays and we're taking up a lot of his time but y i k e s. Yeah the boyfriend was being a dick by calling him out for how he was acting but NGL I definitely think the rep super overreacted.

And then I had to go over to mom's house to actually figure out how to transfer her stuff. (It was legit the adapter that came with her phone which is what I kinda thought it might be that let me transfer it)

Annnnnd it's now 9:30. I started running at like 10:00.

I'm soooooooooooo tired. I didn't even take the buspar yesterday but I am still tired and exhausted. The only other change I've made is I started taking the iron supplement but I cannot imagine that would affect me like this.

I'm going to try and work on this Spones fic tonight but my brain is like...mush.

[santaresistencia]

discount/referral codes for gaza e-sims👇🏽

for those wanting to help donate e-sims to gaza, you can get a discount if you use referral codes.

discount code for nomad: JOHAVAEL (if you use NOMADCNY24 it gets you 15% off but it expires on 02/18!)

discount referral link for holafly: http://rwrd.io/ivnipuf

discount code for simly: VELMR0D3 (i used the code ARB and got $10 off the 90 day plan so give it a try. note: seems to only work once)

these are the three most needed e-sims as of right now. i've linked tutorial posts on how to buy and donate esims below.

NOTE: the codes above have a referral limit so if they no longer work you can find more codes in the replies of this post HERE and by searching this blog's tag HERE

free palestine 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

[jeremyburge]

Why eSIM is my new best friend

Data roaming fees are my enemy.

Alternative title: How and why to install an eSIM to save money on data roaming fees when overseas. Especially useful if you have an iPhone 14 with no SIM Tray.

I’ll keep this brief. People travelling overseas often fall into two categories:

1. Pay whatever your phone carrier lots of $$ for data roaming 🤑💸  2. Buy a local SIM card at the airport or downtown after arriving 🤓🏙

The first is easy, but costly. The second is sensible, but can be time consuming.

There’s a much better option that now exists; and middle-ground that is easy enough, and cheap enough, that you should consider.

As of 2022, every new iPhone and lots of medium or high end Android phones support my new best friend:

3. eSIM. Buy data online, in-app, before even arriving at your overseas destination. Keep your SIM in the slot. No payment to my enemy (data roaming fees) 🤩🤳

There’s lots of ways to do this, but if you’re reading now from the departure lounge of an airport or train station and want to dive right in, here’s my recommendation:

Search the App Store or Google Play Store for the Airalo app

Choose your data pack (1GB for $5 USD or 10GB for $18USD)

Follow instructions to install

Activate eSIM when you’ve arrived at your destination

🌟 Optional Bonus: receive a $3 USD sign-up credit by using this link to register, or type my referral code in the app: JEREMY0461

I also get a $3 credit when you use this link, but that’s not why I’m recommending this to you. There are lots of ways to buy eSIMs (in other apps, or in stores using printed QR codes), but personally this is the best I’ve used so far.

If there’s apps or services you find easier or cheaper, do let me know!

Airalo accepts Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal or regular credit card payment.

The best part of using an eSIM when travelling? You can leave your regular SIM in your phone, using it for phone calls (if you wish), iMessage, or any other service.

No more forcing your SIM behind your phone case so you don’t lose it when you get back home.

With Airalo’s signup referral credit, you can buy a 1GB pack for $2 USD to test the service out before committing to a larger purchase.

Eventually, every SIM will be an eSIM. But for now, they’re a great option for the efficient traveller, especially when your enemies are after you.

My notes on eSIM use using Airalo

📲 Installing an eSIM takes more steps than a physical SIM, especially as it’s a second line. While apps like Airalo give great instructions, this could be simplified in future.

💵 A rate of $18 USD for 10GB in most countries is much cheaper than many data roaming rates, but won’t beat a local SIM for value in some countries.

🇪🇺 UK residents, having recently lost much of their free EU roaming due to Brexit, still often get up to 20GB free EU roaming on some plans. However once that runs out, this is a nice way to top up.

🛫 I recently visited Turkey and found the ability to buy an eSIM before even landing in the country to be useful. If you start running low on data, you can buy more before the current pack runs out. It is seamless.

🤷 For reasons unknown to me, Apple has a built-in interface to buy eSIM plans on iPad, but not iPhone. I have found Airalo much more reliable than Apple’s iPad option, and non-existent iPhone option.

👽 I haven’t tested Airalo on Android, but see no reason it shouldn’t work the same way.

🪧 You won’t recognise the name of any of these providers. The names and brands are made up, as best as I can tell, by Airalo.

🔄 Tapping any Airalo eSIM option will outline which network it will connect you to. For example, visitors to the UK will be assigned O2, but only on the 4G spectrum. This is normal, where carriers like to keep their latest-and-greatest networks for their own customers, not resellers of their network (known as MVNOs). As such, if you need a specific network for speed or coverage reasons, this might not suit you.

📶 You can leave both your physical SIM and eSIM active at the same time, and even get two status bars showing both lines. It’s the default option, having both lines active.

🪫 I did notice a small amount of additional battery drain from leaving both active. My decision was to simply disable my physical SIM while overseas (who needs phone calls anyway, right?)

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Here’s how it looks when you have two active SIMs running at the same time. For instance, your SIM (or eSIM) from home open for SMS, and your local Airalo eSIM for data:

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Below is a guide to every step of the Airalo eSIM setup on iPhone.

Step by Step

For full context, here are the exact screens I encountered when buying and setting up my Airalo eSIM in Turkey for the first time, with 10GB data.

You’ll note that iOS provides options to choose which line to use for calls, iMessage, or data. The defaults effectively route data over the eSIM, and everything else 

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Step 1: Check out

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Step 2: Order confirmation

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Step 3: A button appears to install the eSIM after purchase

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Step 4: a few pages of tips provided by Airalo

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Step 5: More instructions reiterating the previous visual guide. Tap “Install eSIM” to continue and actually get this data on the road!

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Step 6: iOS prompts the eSIM installation

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Step 7: this screen seems a bit redundant and could be merged with the previous one.

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Step 8: You could label your SIMS “home” and “away” or anything you’ll remember later on. This would likely be more important if you could install more than on eSIM at a time.

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Step 9: Which number do you want to use for calls or messages? Defaults to your physical SIM, with it presumed you’ll use the eSIM just for the data

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Step 10: the important step! You’ll want to use the eSIM for data. If setting up before you arrive in your destination, leave this on your normal SIM, and change in Settings once you land.

These eSIMs will only work in the country specified at purchase.

There’s not much more I can add here. eSIM is great for travel. Airalo is great. There’s likely going to be more good apps and ways to do this in future, but for now it’s my recommendation.

If you use this link to register your account, you will receive a $3 USD sign-up credit, or you can just type my referral code in the app: JEREMY0461. Or if you have a friend using Airalo, ask them for their referral code and they will get the $3 instead!

Happy roaming.