#public transport is the better option for everyone

[flamingpudding]

Fictober23 Prompt: 24 - "Is it over? Is it really over?"

Fandom: DPxDC

Rating: T

Warnings: Implied menstions of experimentation, and torture

A/N: My brain came up with two options… I went with the sorta angsty one…

They had raided the facility. It had been a plan they had carefully prepared for months now. Batman had gone over all possible scenarios. But it was a needed preparation. They had discovered it too late. Being prepared for ever eventuality was the least they could have done.

The entire Justice League had been horrified when they had discovered this governmental organisation what was committing sanctioned mass genocide of an entire interdimensional race. An Organisation called the GIW, Ghost Investigation Ward or more commonly called Guy's in White. If Doctor Fate, Zatanna and Constantine hadn't found out about them they probably would have never discovered the atrocities their government was committing.

But this had led to a large-scale operation. They started locating any and all locations the GIW possessed and was working on. Tracking any and all Agents that were working for or with them. Every company that was supplying them was looked into deeper until they had every little bit of information they could find.

With all the locations found they then split into teams. Planning a simultaneous strike to all facilities so that one could not warn the other. They would not let a single Agent of this organization escape. They all would be brought to justice.

Batman had not been surprised that the moment his children were clued into the operation, that some of them were ready to go off on their own to do something. Luckily they all were aware enough of the high risks and how many lives would be at risked if even only one of them messed up.

Four months. It had taken four months of thorough planning, of meticulously strategising, and careful preparation. But now everything was ready. Finally after so long the night to strike came. Originally the other heroes wanted to strike at daylight, a tactic to make it as public as possible to also gain the public opinion in their favor.

Batman had disagreed. It was better to strike at dusk or night. When their guard was down to easily overwhelm them. They could make a clear and evidence based statement to the public the next morning throughout all news channels and news times. Superman, as Clark, had already published several papers throughout the months of preparation that would play into their favor.

They had prepared for everything, arresting every Agent, every Scientist, every Guard. Everyone they encountered was knocked out, bound and prepared for transport into arrestment. He did not scowl any of his children when they used more force than necessary, quite frankly if Batman didn't have his own moral code and self control he might not have held back after what he was seeing.

Thad did not mean that he might have hit one or two of these so-called Scientists harder than necessary if they resisted. There were so many cages, so many 'ecto-entities' bound, branded and caged. Batman felt visibly sick when he came across labs with tables stained in green, knowing exactly what that meant after having listened to Doctor Fate's explanations.

They had gone through nearly the entire facility they were in charge of when Superman reported back first. "There was a boy in the deepest part of the facility, bound and hocked up to what appeared to be the facility's energy source. See if you find anyone with similar treatment in your locations. The Boy is rescued, he appears delirious and is pretty much snarling and growling at me but he is in safe hands now."

"Can confirm! A girl was found in my location in the deepest part underground. Same situation as you described. She didn't appear to be conscious, we took her off their system and transferred her to immediate treatment." Wonder Woman chimed in a moment later and Batman lips formed a straight line.

"Same here. It's an older man, face is familiar. He was shortly lucid enough to talk but all he asked about was where the children were. He might be connected to the kids you two found." Flash also reported after a while. Now Batman was more than sure, there were only four big locations aside from several small ones. His was the last one and his stomach sunk even more at the possibility of what he would find in the deepest part of this place.

His prediction was confirmed when he kicked open the door of the last room they hadn't checked yet. Nightwing was by his side, while Red Robin, Red Hood, Black Bat and Robin had hung back to take care of the evacuation of victims as well as arrest of the last GIW workers.

Nightwing let out a string of actual curses.

There in this room was a white haired teen in a ripped NASA shirt and green stained jeans, hooked up to several tubes, bound with silver shining and heavy looking chains to a wall. There was a green strain on the flooring directly below the boy and the green pipes appeared to be pumping more of it from as well as into the teen.

"Get him off the wall!" He instructed hurriedly, checking for the best way to safely unhook the teen. They appeared to be unconscious but with the report from his hero colleagues he wouldn't bet on that too much. The teen might just be too exhausted to actually react to what was happening around him.

"He can't be any older than Red…" He heard his son mutter as he broke the silver metal bindings and Batman couldn't help but agree. He didn't want to even know how long the teen had been here like this. They had been too late, they should have known about this entire things sooner. But at least they weren't too late to save them in particular.

Suddenly the teen stirred, head snapping up. Blazing Lazarus green eyes stared at them and Batman froze, feeling reminded of his second son. The boy didn't say anything, he was just staring at them before, eyes going from his broken bindings to Nightwing, to the unhooked tube in Batman's hand. He saw how the teens eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"You are not with them…" The teens voice cracked from obvious disuse or maybe overuse? He couldn't know for sure. Still he made a sound of agreement before continuing to unhook the last of the tubes.

"We already freed the others, you're the last one." Nightwing was forcing his voice to sound light and friendly. Batman knew this, he could sense the internal rage his son was suppressing. In a way he was glad it was Nightwing with him, his other sons might not have had the same control over themselves in this situation.

"What about Ellie, Dan and the fruitloop?" It took him only a short moment to connect this question to the possible three reported by the other.

"Rescued and in treatment." He answered curtly, removing the last tube while his son broke the last chain and binding. The teen fell forward like a ragdoll, Nightwing instinctively catching him.

"I can't believe it… this isn't a dream…" The white haired kid muttered, eyes going unfocused and Batman worried that the teens system was going into shook. Did he unhook the boy from the tubes too fast?

"Is it over? Is it really over?" The teens started to sound delirious and Batman shared a look with Nightwing. His son nodded as he moved to get a better hold of the teen.

"It is." His son told him voice was going soft. "Rest for now, the next time you wake up you will be free and with Ellie and Dan."

"Don't forget Vlad, he is still a fruitloop but a good one…" the Teen mumbled before finally passing out. Batman gave Nightwing a nod before the other hurried out of this place with the now passed out teen while he reported his similar finding to Superman, Wonder Woman and Flash.

He stood in the now empty room letting his eyes wander over it one last time, checking for any evidence he should keep before deciding to leave too. There was a lot to prepare for, the news, the public statement, the aftercare and treatment of the victims. Batman ignored the fleeting thought of who was going to take in their four main victims, especially the children and teen. Surely his kids wouldn't mind if he provided them a temporary home, right?

[running2reanimation]

For @cindersnows - for the AVA/M gift event!

Formality

"It's a formality," Victim reassured, gesturing with a glove-covered hand to the bespectacled stick, "We all know I'll be hiring your crew no matter how this dinner goes."

"Of course, sir."

--

Striker was pretty sure this was actually yet another test from the enigmatic head of the Rocket Corporation. Inviting a bunch of mercenaries to dinner at the most expensive restaurant in Stick City could be nothing less than the ultimate test of his leadership abilities.

Could he make these idiots presentable? Behave in ways that were at least semi-appropriate?

"I want to wear my cape; the nobility of the past used to, it counts as formal wear, right?" Ballista folded his arms as his summoned cape billowed behind him as Primal nodded in agreement;

"They did, so it should count."

"No, you will wear a suit or dress. Those are your options," Striker could already feel the pressure pulsing behind his shades, "That goes for you too, Primal. Suit or dress only."

"I refuse, they both hinder my movement too much," Primal shook her head stubbornly, "What if this is some sort of trap? Or what if we have to defend our new client from would be assassins?"

"It isn't a trap," Striker put his foot down resolutely, though he couldn't discount the possibility of assassins. Or that there would be some type of test of their abilities mid-dining. Victim was capricious like that, "You can wear a loose dress with a slit for more mobility, but you have to wear a dress."

"..." Primal at the very least didn't flat out refuse, so Striker was going to count that as a win.

"Any crazy requests from you, Logo?" Striker turned to the bulky yet-paper-thin stick who shook his head in two quick frames.

"I have a suit from the last undercover thing we did."

Striker heaved a small sigh of relief - at least one of them could be reasonable and logical and knew how to behave in public.

"I'm gonna wear my cape!" Ballista insisted, intentionally billowing it into their leader's face.

"You'd better not," Striker warned, pausing the cape's movement and stepping out of it.

--

"Lemme wear my cape!" Was the refrain Striker got to listen to for the next several days, every single time he laid eyes on the bitcrushed warrior.

The smaller stick had even ambushed him from one of the upper cupboards - Striker suspected Primal had put him in there, since there was no sign of a chair he would have used to make the climb into them.

"Just let me wear my cape and I'll stop," He pleaded and Striker realized that chances were that Ballista would wear it regardless, and at least this way he might be able to set a few rules.

"On the condition that you keep it from billowing - I know you can control it."

"...Fine, even if that's half the point of wearing it," Bit sagged as though he'd not just gotten what he'd wanted.

--

"Less than 15 minutes until the transportation arrives, is everyone dressed appropriately?" Striker looked over his assorted group, adjusting the tie of his usual black suit.

Primal had worn a dress, the slit was maybe a bit higher up the thigh than was appropriate for fine dining, but it was too late to do anything about about that. The way the silky black dress caught the light looked very nice with her scribbled style. Her usual ponytail was pulled up into a bun.

Logo was in his white suit with the black tie; looking sharp literally and figuratively.

Ballista still hadn't left his room yet, "Ballista, please tell me you're almost ready."

Striker couldn't imagine what was taking him so long; it wasn't like he'd exactly gotten the impression Ballista owned a lot of formal wear to choose between. He'd probably just left getting dressed until the last moment as usual.

"Ready!" Ballista announced, throwing open the bedroom door. He'd picked out a white suit, it almost seemed somewhat military in style, but the white cape went with it at least, "Oh hey, we've got a black-and-white colour co-ordination thing going on, gang. Nice."

"Limo's here," Logo announced, heading out the door, Primal close behind them. Ballista dashed out past Striker while he grabbed the keys and locked the door.

Striker ducked into the vehicle and a grey stick closed the door behind him. The limo was surprisingly spacious inside, though still not quite tall enough to comfortably accommodate Primal.

And seated in the back with them was their new employer: Victim. He seemed dressed in the same suit as usual, but Striker made a mental note of the black cufflinks that weren't part of the usual ensemble.

"Thank you all for coming to dinner tonight. I know this is a bit unusual for you."

"Thank you for inviting us," Logo bobbed his head in gratitude, taking the lead when it came to socializing, "It's nice not to have to cook for once and I've never been to this place before, Olive and Wine?"

"Yes, I'm not surprised, it is fairly new, but I can assure you it's quite good."

"You're paying, right?" Ballista piped up from Logo's elbow and Striker and Logo both glared at the guy but Victim just laughed.

"Of course, though with your reputation for success, I'm sure you could afford it regardless."

"Oh, totally," Bit grinned, as the limo pulled to a stop, "Looks like we're here."

The exterior of the restaurant was fairly plain and unassuming, with the curtains drawn, a soft golden glow shining from beyond them and a green neon sign proclaimed the place was 'open' in flowing cursive.

The grey stick opened the door and the mercenaries stepped out single file, but they paused to let Victim pass them. Primal once again had to duck, but that was almost expected everywhere.

"Reservations for Victim and company," Victim declared and the mulberry employee guided the group to one of the private rooms in the back.

"Your server will be with you shortly," they bowed and the group was left alone with the menus, simple things with a front for food and a back side for drinks.

"Not a big menu," Primal seemed unimpressed, looking it over.

"They have a steak board for two," Logo pointed out and Primal immediately scoured the menu for it. Having found it, she set hers in the middle of the table, atop Victim's, who hadn't even looked at it.

Logo continued looking, clapping his hands in delight, "Oooh, I've never tried arancini before!"

"Go ahead, if you don't like it you can always order something else," Victim took the menu from Logo and placed it in the pile with a broad grin, "I insist."

"Alright, sir, thank you," Logo smiled back at little nervously and glanced at Ballista who was still reading the menu, "What about you Ballista.

"I think I'm gonna get the cannelloni," Bit said, tossing his menu into the growing pile, "What about you, Striker?"

Striker had been so focused on making sure everyone else knew what they were ordering he hadn't even looked at the menu, "I'm still looking."

"Surely something appeals to you?" Victim asked and Striker could feel the pressure of the older stick's gaze upon him.

"Of course - I'll get the charcuterie board," Striker placed his menu upon the stack as Victim nodded in approval.

"An excellent choice when one is feeling indecisive."

Almost as if summoned by the stack of menus the server appeared, another reddish stick whose smile was too wide, "Have you all decided what you'd like to order?"

"Yes," Victim confirmed, "I'll have the pan fried haddock with potatoes with a Godfather and a glass of water, please and thank you."

After going around the table, the server took the menus and left to go place their orders.

"So, I got a question, Boss," Ballista piped up as soon as the server left and Striker and Logo tensed. Ballista wasn't exactly... good at polite conversation or asking appropriate questions.

"Yes?" Victim tilted his head, either oblivious to the tension or perhaps enjoying it.

"Why is every stick that works for you grey - not only that, they're all the exact same shade. They come from a game or something? Thought you couldn't discriminate like that."

"Oh, you can get away with any form of discrimination if you have enough money... but that's not the case here. Think of it like a uniform of sorts - we dye our workers grey and then at the end of the day we return their colour to them."

"Seems like that might make infiltration easy," Logo frowned, a hand to his chin.

"Never had a problem with it before," Victim shrugged as the server placed their meals down, confirmed they didn't need anything else and left.

Once the food was in front of them, the mercenaries all went quiet - not that most of them were particularly talkative in the first place, but they all focused on their meals intensely.

"Do you not get enough to eat?" Victim asked, and Logo looked up from their meal.

"Oh, yes, but this is a real treat, so we're really making sure we take it all in, you know? Speaking of, thank you for convincing me to try them, the arancini are fantastic."

"Ah, well, good, I'm glad," Victim nodded, going back to his plate.

At the midpoint of the meal a server came in again and asked how everything was.

Striker stared at the server, and immediately noticed that something was off - this one wasn't green or red, the only two colours he'd seen the staff here possess. They were a pale brown and their uniform didn't match the other one's he'd seen earlier in the night, the buttons were simple black, instead of the red roses the rest of the staff sported.

"You're not staff," Striker commented, getting to his feet, Primal immediately following suit with a growl.

In the time it took Striker to draw a line and Primal to vault over the table, three more non-staff members came through the door - these ones were armed with guns.

"Ballista, Logo, get Victim back to the limo and wait for us," Striker directed, deflecting a spray of bullets with his select tool, "As non-lethally as possible."

"You got it, sir," Ballista gave a salute and charged ahead, sword drawn, clearing a path for Logo and Victim to follow while Primal and Striker dealt with the initial ambush.

By the time Striker and Primal made it to the limo, Primal was only a little blood-soaked and her dress a little torn.

Logo sat in the driver's seat, the original grey driver unconscious in the chair next to him, while Ballista kept watch out of the sunroof.

"The driver was an impostor too. I'd appreciate it if you tied them up, please," Logo explained, starting the vehicle.

"Do you know how to drive a limo?" Victim asked as Striker tied up the driver as suggested and Primal joined Ballista, keeping watch out of the sunroof.

"Do I know how to drive a limo? Yes. Do I have a license for it? No," Logo laughed as they started moving.

--

The drive back to Victim's penthouse was quiet. They turned the driver over to Victim's security, "Are you sure you'll be alright on your own? How confident are you in your security?"

"...You know, maybe I should hire you for the occasional security detail too. But for tonight, I think I have it handled, though you all have clearly shown your aptitude," Ballista grinned with pride and Striker couldn't help his own proud smile. The team had done well tonight.

"Of course, we'll talk the contract over tomorrow, sir," Striker bowed, and nudging the others out.

"Primal, how'd you know there'd be assassins?" Ballista shook his head with a chuckle as they opened the gate and she shrugged with a little laugh of her own.

"Lucky guess."

"Hey guys, we didn't bring our car," Logo pointed out once the gate shut behind them.

"Dammit!"

[bumblebeeappletree]

For those who enjoy cottagecore, please read what I have to say.

As you may or may not know, cottagecore has stemmed from colonist ideals, is racist, and has ties to tradwives. However I will not go in depth on it as it has already been talked about in a few articles and some posts on tumblr. The articles are here, here, here, and here. The tumblr posts can be found here, here, here, here, and here. However I say this person, Zoe Bee, has done a really good job on her video here as she summed up everything I already linked before.

I will say this article came out more recently if you wanted something newer about tradwives.

In this current day and age it’s understandable to want what cottagecore promotes with its aesthetic. Beautiful flowers as far as the eye can see, a garden you tailored yourself that you like specifically, billowing dresses, cute animals that provide you eggs and milk, and so on. Especially having your own house is very appealing at a time where it’s unattainable for many people. But going out where you’re isolated from everyone, with just yourself and your animals, is not the answer. Going out to land that once belonged to indigenous people who have not been able to go back home is not the answer. Continuing to think of ideals of the past is not the answer.

Instead what we can do is transform cities to be more green, safe for people, and work with the environment around it. This is the answer. To move forward. To think of the future and create it.

One of the first things we should do is improve accessibility. As you know not everyone can walk, see, or hear as a few examples. Having better public transportation is important to ensure everyone is able to get to where they need to. As it stands being in a city, not everyone has enough spoons, or ability, to walk where they can go. Trains are very popular, especially when it comes to going to other cities or towns. However when it comes to North America compared to Europe it’s not as widespread. Trams (or streetcars or trolleys if you’re from North America) are also a wonderful example. We must be able to ensure that entryways are large enough for even the biggest set of wheelchairs to go through. Ramps for easy access are important as well as wheelchairs cannot simply “step up” into vehicles. And this is not just for wheelchairs, it would be good for parents who are taking their baby or small child around in a stroller. There’s also those who use walkers, people with wheeled luggage, carts and so forth.

But most importantly, it is vital for people with disabilities to be part of the designing process of a city, to ensure that their voices are heard and to ensure they take part in that everyday easy access that most abled people already enjoy. Like Braille, audio description, large print, and subtitles as a ready option that’s there from the get go.

Another thing with more access to public transportation, people would need cars less and less. And should they need to go somewhere a train or tram cannot, buses are still options. However with fewer cars, the roads would be used less. Parking lots would be smaller. We could a: make roads and parking lots smaller; b: take out roads and parking lots completely; c: transform roads and parking lots into community spaces; or d: do a mixture of all of the above. Some roads could turn back into the wild environment that existed there before, while we could turn parking lots into more parks. Streets could be like they were before cars became mainstream, where street vendors would sell their wares, where children would play games, and anyone would hang out. Parking lots could become a space for events like farmer’s markets or a place to shoot off fireworks. Or even instead of parks in place of parking lots, it could be transformed into a community garden.

When it comes to housing, apartment complexes are where we should go in cities. To keep from city sprawl, we can go up. We can transform rooftops to community gardens, water harvesting spaces, solar panel spaces, or a community space.

However in some spaces, like in the suburbs, or even some spaces where there are houses in a neighborhood in a city, we can turn them into “pockethoods”. We can turn a neighborhood into a village. In the city we could have tiny houses on the same plot of land one house would typically be on. In a regular neighborhood, picture a series of houses without fencing and the series of backyards turn into a common area.

We can plant more trees alongside sidewalks, both fruit producing and pollen producing, more fruit bearing than pollen bearing, to help keep the allergies down and to keep a variety of plants. We can plant native species in cities, and we can have non-natives in our community gardens, or even inside city farms, for both practical use, such as eating or creating fibers, or enjoyment, like flowers to cut into bouquets. We can create rain gardens to help collect rainwater to put back into our water table.

I know that cottagecore lovers love the idea of going out into the country and perhaps finding a community there, but the cities are here, we’ve been here. It’s people’s homes, their lives. Cities have been around for such a long time, one of the most well known oldest city is Mesopotamia’s Babylon. (Very famous for their hanging gardens I might add.) Most importantly it can be done. Even now we can go talk to neighbors, go to events others are holding, or even create our own events, create a big pot of food to share with others, and have community. We can make a difference and we can have that sense of love. We just need to band together, demand change, and create our change. It can be hard, yes, but it will be so rewarding. This, you might find yourself doing, is something that aligns more with Solarpunk. Something that people look to strive for a brighter future for everyone.

Thank you.

(And thank you so much @cwicseolfor for helping me edit this TT^TT)

[h0wlcastle]

The car situation here makes me FUME I fucking HATE CARS

I encounter a lot of older people who can't understand why so many young adults still can't drive in their 20s, and I feel like it's glaringly obvious??

First of all, cars are expensive as fuck, especially when you take into account maintenance and repairs and insurance. It's like an additional rent payment. And when you're living paycheck to paycheck in a shitty apartment, and figure out a carpooling situation that works....

I mean, what's the benefit of getting a license if you can barely afford to house and feed yourself, let alone save up enough money for a down payment on a vehicle? Plus how do you learn how to drive if no one around you has a car and you can't afford driving lessons??

And maybe this is just where I went to school, but when I was growing up, it seemed like every other month we had to attend an assembly talking about how dangerous driving is & how easy it is to either kill someone or get killed if you lose your focus on literally everything around you on the road for half a second. And then taking an 8 hour defensive course is mandatory to get your license, where they do the same thing except amped up to 1000, including extremely graphic and traumatic examples.

Any reasonably cautious young person is gonna hear that and go "holy shit that's terrifying, no thank you, that's too heavy of a responsibility for me just for the sake of getting from point A to point B." Is it just me or is this the ONLY sane reaction. Why do we rely on everyone over the age of 16 knowing how to operate this dangerous complicated machine. WHY. It makes no sense.

I had like 3 classmates in high school that were killed while driving, and nearly everyone I know has been injured in a major car accident. I was recently in an accident where thankfully no one was hurt but I literally never wanted to drive again after that.

I never wanted to drive in the first place!! Like holy shit give us OPTIONS please give us better public transportation. this is ridiculous. I shouldn't have to choose between operating a Turbo Death Machine vs. being on the bus for 6 hours to travel 9.3 miles vs. walking on busy roads alongside Turbo Death Machines that very well might kill you anyway even though you're not even in one

[genevieveskingdom]

Why I switched from Choices to Romance Club 📖

I started playing Choices in 2019 and I was always so delighted when they veröffentlicht published a new story. I really loved playing that game, but last year I discovered a girl on YouTube who was posting some let's plays from Theodora and I immediately wanted to try this game.

~ The graphic is waaay better and more realistic.

No reused faces nor characters. I am always amazed about every new book and its characters. Even the so-called "unimportant" side characters have their own design and are not reused which cannot be said about Choices unfortunately. 😔

~ Better character development. Your choices really matter and have different outcome for the MC.

The way you interact with each of the characters has its consequences. The LI's also interact like real people and if you date someone and then decide to switch to an other LI, their romance path is closed. You really have to choose wisely for whom you decide to be with.

~ Quality over quantity

I don't really remember how many books are currently published (ended and ongoing) in RC, but it's definitely not as much as in the Choices app. I HATE the VIP books and that fact that you have to wait thousand years for it to get widely released! 😵 And when you open the first chapter you see that it's just another single love interest book with some three macho guys you are not attracted to (I respect everyone who's into the standard "sexy" type of men, of course, it's just not me 😇) and three girls from whom you choose the kleinste smallest evil.

~ More accessible diamonds and teas

I LOVE Diamond Rush, Tea Parties and so on 😍 It's sooo player-friendly and so worth it! Even the access to diamonds and teas is more suited for wide audience and honestly - when RC is so generous and want to give you so much for free, then you want to buy some diamond/tea pack from them even more, because you know they value their players. 🙏

~ No single love interest books!

Oh my gosh, I have been so annoyed that most of the books Choices release lately is meant for single romance. The problem is not with faithfulness, but with the fact that everyone has their own definition of attraction and beauty. And most of the main LIs in single love interest books are written stereotypically (Bad Boy, guy nextdoor, rebellious girl...) I miss the plasticity of their personalities, of their appearances. Not everyone who matches today's beauty standards is actually beautiful. There should be diversity in LIs. Some of them should be curvier, more slender, with glasses, with bigger nose, with disability, with albinism... Just go on the street and look at the classic human beauty seen every day in public transport! Stop giving us some plain definition of beauty which lacks its own charm.

The only thing I would improve in RC would be the option to choose if we want to play as a male, female, non-binary...etc. As far as I know, only Gladiator's Chronicles have a male MC.

Now I have some personal highlights about Choices I'd like to get rid of because it's been in me for so long 🙉

First thing's first, The Princess Swap was such a good book. I loved the idea. Still, I've got a certain love-hate relationship with this book. First of all, biology and genetics does not make sense in this standalone. Secondly, lord Cecil was not as bad as everyone thinks. He and the king were my most favourite characters, actually. 🤭 Third, I was so annoyed by the prince/ss of Ismar. We were forced to marry them, we could not even say no.🤦

I loved BOLAS N° 1. I replayed the story twice. I was in love with Tyril Starfury. Even though I loved Kaya Duskraven more. She was sooo gorgeous! When they introduced the sequel to us I was naively hoping that we might get Kaya back. That we would find some magical artefact, for example, and bring her back to life, so that she can join the party and be our new love interest. I would definitely switch to her. Instead, we got Valax... I am a little bit disappointed by the sequel, to be honest. They were promising us so many mesmerizing things and I was just expecting a little more from the three years waiting episode. Not only did I not understand why Cherta and Willow joined our party and then they left afterwards... I was like: okay, new love interests apparently. And then whoosh, they vanished. And we ended up trapped with the Valax-drama until the last chapters... I respect everyone who likes the sequel, it is just not me. Unfortunately. I will stick to the good old first book, which I love. 🩷

[knuckles-bloody-for-me]

What is life like in Melbourne? I’m looking into moving there from the UK and would love some insights and whatever else from people who live and work there 💕

Well you'll find the weather familiar that's for sure. In winter I'd say we're about the same, except our sunset at the earliest was about 5:25 this year. In summer it CAN get hot, it's gotten to 40C before but mostly it's in the low 30s or high 20s.

The central area of the city is kind of dead unless you work there. There's a few big shops, similar to Nordstrom I think??? But the cafe scene in there is slim pickings. Lots of really really cool bars these days though, and most have food and nonalc options! Some absolutely gorgeous parks dotted throughout the city, and if you can get out into the countryside it's stunning in the Yarra Valley,the great Ocean road, Bright and Beechworth, Gippsland etc. Some have trains, others have to be driven to. Be warned our public transport is about 20 years behind Europe (our fastest trains are 160kmh)(I literally work for a train manufacturer so this is legit)

It gets really cool in the suburbs, you'll find local cafes all over, some great pubs and restaurants etc. Some have really vibrant communities and markets that are great, like the south melbourne market, the prahran market, Fitzroy and Brunswick are must see Melbourne suburbs and easily accessible by tram. Be aware we don't have the same grandeur as London, but I still really like it. We have beaches too and some of them are even nice lol.

The east side tends to be more expensive but has better public transport (trans and trams), while the west is a bit cheaper but underserviced (you'd be relying on buses more). Driving in some areas can suck massively, especially the central part of the city (you'd avoid driving in central London the same way).

People say Melbourne is Australia's most European city and im inclined to agree, so if that means anything to you great! We have fantastic food and coffee, and I truly don't think it's just because I live here but the people are nicer than in syndey. That's not to say everyone will smile and wave at you but if you needed help or directions most people would stop and chat, where in Sydney everyone seems to rush around more and have a bit less time.

Something you might find very different to the UK is a culture of not seeing people as much. I think in the UK you'll frequently see people for dinner through the week and its normal (I think??) Whereas here not so much. We're mostly a weekend bunch, but I'm trying to do more weeknight easy meet ups.

@idsb is another great person to ask about living in Melbourne (and I think she needs to come back 🤧)

Sydney feels like a bigger city, but Melbourne population just overtook it. Brisbane is further north on the east coast and is locally called Brisvegas. I have never spent much time there because in summer it's humid as fuck and I can't stand that and the heat.

Adelaide is small, Hobart is gorgeous and only a short flight from Melbourne, but tiny. Perth people are loving these days but I've only been once so gonna need someone else to pitch in there! Same with Darwin :)

I would love for you to tell me more about living in the UK because IM considering moving THERE!

[thatwasthenightthingschanged]

hii! i will be travelling to germany for the eras tour and i have a few questions regarding my trip, i was wondering if you could maybe help. i will be attending to one of the hamburg shows, and then we want to travel to berlin and stay there for a couple of nights. i thought trains would probably be the best mode of transport, feel free to disagree. but if so, when would you recommend that i book our tickets? should i do it now, in advance, or would it be better to get them from the station on the day for example? and i'm not entirely sure where should i book them, any trustworthy sites you could point me to?

yes, of course, ask away!

I'd recommend taking the train, too! another option would be flixbus (a bus travel company) but although they're cheap, I personally had bad experiences with them so I wouldn't recommend it (though other friends of mine have used it frequently & found it was just fine - if you are really tight on money I'd probably choose that option after all)

so there are two types of trains that might be of interest to you: REs (regional trains) and ICs/ICEs (intercity trains/intercity express trains). here are the main differences, advantages & disadvantages:

ICEs:

- are the fastest way to get from one city to another

- get really expensive the longer you wait with booking them so you should book them well in advance if possible!

- you can book a specific seat there for 5€ more

- if you're noise-sensitive like I am you can book a seat in one of the designated "silent" wagons (which just means people are not allowed to talk/make loud noises there) but if you're traveling in a group like you are another wagon might be best!

REs:

- take longer & you have to take multiple trains (e.g. from Hamburg to Berlin you'd have to take at least 2 different REs)

- if you buy the 49€ ticket for July though, you can not only take the REs to get to Berlin, you can also take all public transportation within the cities themselves! the only thing that ticket isn't valid for are ICs/ICEs

- and therefore you're a lot more flexible concerning which specific train you can take!

I'd add that the chances of missing a train if you take the RE route is higher, but tbh the German train system is so bad that I had really bad delays with both the REs and the ICEs akgsgk

and the site everyone uses to book the tickets is bahn.de / the DB navigator app!

hope that helps!

[madworld1905]

Small Steps, Big Impact: Your Guide to Living Sustainably

Climate change can feel like an overwhelming issue, but the good news is, everyone can make a difference! Even small changes in our daily lives can significantly reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to a healthier planet. Here are some actionable tips to get you started on your sustainability journey:

At Home:

Power Down: Electronics continue to consume energy even on standby. Get in the habit of turning off lights, appliances, and electronics when not in use. Power strips with on/off switches make this even easier!

Embrace Energy Efficiency: Swap traditional incandescent bulbs for energy-efficient LEDs. Consider switching to energy-star rated appliances when yours reach the end of their lifespan.

Wash Smarter: Launder clothes with cold water whenever possible and air-dry them instead of using the dryer.

Thermostat Tweaks: Adjust your thermostat a few degrees in summer (up) and winter (down) to save energy on heating and cooling.

On the Go:

Think Green Transportation: Walk, bike, or use public transport for errands whenever possible. If you must drive, carpool or choose fuel-efficient vehicles.

Reduce, Reuse, Rethink: Carry reusable shopping bags and water bottles to avoid single-use plastics. When buying new items, prioritize quality over quantity and consider pre-owned options.

Mindful Consumption: Avoid impulse purchases and focus on buying items you truly need and will use for a long time.

Food Choices Matter:

Reduce Meat Consumption: Meat production has a significant environmental impact. Consider incorporating more plant-based meals into your diet.

Buy Local & Seasonal: Locally sourced produce reduces transportation emissions and often tastes better! Seasonal fruits and vegetables are fresher and more sustainable.

Plan Your Meals: Planning meals helps minimize food waste, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

Be an Advocate:

Spread Awareness: Talk to friends and family about your sustainability efforts and encourage them to join You

Support Sustainable Businesses: Do your research and choose to support companies committed to sustainable practices.Stay Informed: Educate yourself about climate change and environmental issues.

Remember, every small step counts! By incorporating these tips into your daily routine, you can make a positive impact on the planet while inspiring others to do the same. Let's work together to build a more sustainable future for generations to come!

[trickstarbrave]

i hate when ppl dont understand how intertwined all the fucked up systems of capitalism are. they present it as "take away [x] and things will work better!" when that damn well will not fix it. or they dont even realize the problem is actually capitalism not some other thing they have been fixated on

like. veganism argument: "we subsidize grains to feed livestock. if we stopped feeding livestock, we would have more food for everyone! the problem is livestock are eating too much of grains we could be eating"

a lot of the corn they are eating are byproducts of the ethanol industry. we are not in fact just growing huge fields of grains and refusing to eat them bc we can feed cows it instead. that would be way too costly. "subsidies" wouldn't cover it. at no point was the corn being grown for human consumption. most of the corn in the US is grown for biofuel. without livestock, we would not have MORE food to eat, we'd have a lot of leftover slop we have to toss out to slowly degrade in landfills.

its not the most healthy option to pump them full of byproducts. they should be allowed to forage and walk. but the problem is much more complex than than just "get rid of the cows to make more food for people!!" the cows eating the byproducts is whats making more food for people. not less. you can't just look at "grain products" and decide all of those were fit for human consumption. most of the stuff we feed farm animals is NOT fit for human consumption. for better or for worse.

and this is only one problem. some are relatively easy solutions (once all of the, yknow, capitalist incentive is removed) like how we have more houses than homeless people. just give people houses. except we should also look at: where are these houses being built, are they being built for quality and to last? because the answer is: they are built mostly in suburbs for cheap with lazy building standards and poor quality materials. we are tearing down homes with better bones and foundations for cheap, paper thin wood, new construction houses when many of them can be saved. these are homes far away from doctors and jobs that you actually need a car to get around to important places, so many people who don't have reliable transportation will still have many problems once settled in. to create more sustainable, walk-able communities and to have better public transportation we are still gonna need to tear a bunch of these down and rebuild communities, which is going to be a daunting task too.

food insecurity: okay we'll just give people food! except they might not have reliable ways to cook that food either. a lot of people who are food insecure grew up food insecure. they grew up in food deserts where microwave self stable meals were the norm. they might not have pots and pans or know how to find a recipe or make one themselves. many are chronically ill or disabled and don't have a lot of time and energy to cook. many people still think its better to give a food bank 10 cans of green beans that you forgot about and don't plan to use in donations rather than just giving the food bank 30 bucks.

idk. i dont really have an answer i suppose. i just wanted to complain about how messy and complicated these problems are. and i think if you're a serious activist you are going to need better, long term plans and big picture perspectives. these problems can seem incredibly easy to tackle on the surface to lots of online activists but are very complex issues to actually dismantle and combat. we can't just keep complaining and hope society collapses so we can rebuild from scratch. there is no after the revolution when everything will be good and perfect. no after the end of the world to pick ourselves up and make a utopia from the ashes. we gotta figure out the problem and start untangling it and deal with the first steps NOW. start with realistic goals. contacting local government. creating bettering, temporary solutions that are better than what we have now. disrupt the system bit by bit. get other ppl in on it. the world we wanna live in will not come to us overnight. we gotta build it brick by brick.

capitalism counts on it being too daunting of a task. they count on ppl just complaining and wishing it was better to sell them the solution without any real change. but real change has to come from small shit first. maybe start a community garden if you want a more sustainable community. make your own garden if you have the ability. collect rain water (YES ITS LEGAL IN ALL 50 STATES just heavily regulated in some. dont tell me its illegal in the US). create alternatives for companies you boycott. tell your local representative you want public transport and ask how to get it and rally your community for it enough that they have to bother ppl higher than them and actively have to start considering it. do ride shares. help out food banks with real stuff they ask for. look around your community for small problems you can address and find solutions.

[identitty-dickruption]

no comparison is ever a perfect 1:1 but it’s similar to people saying smokers deserve lung cancer and other lung diseases (or, more to the point, alcoholics deserving liver disease). i feel like those sentiments are getting SLIGHTLY better (not about drunk drivers though) but nowhere near enough. people really need to consider why they think anyone DESERVES to suffer; why addiction or even just drug use deserves punishment with death.

not to even mention the practical social issues of why someone who’s drunk may feel that they have to get in a car rather than public transport. obviously this doesn’t apply to every drunk driver, but there need to be better options.

drug use and addiction are such huge public health issues but everyone’s so scared of acknowledging that. they’d rather addicts die and then celebrate our deaths.

it’s really refreshing to come across someone here who’s speaking about this stuff, especially first-hand rather than talking about hypothetical addicts. i’m too scared to talk about my addiction publicly but seeing your posts genuinely makes me feel like less alone, however cheesy that is.

yeah absolutely. it’s the “just world hypothesis” (the idea that bad things happen to bad people), and it causes a lot of harm. people want us evil addicts to deserve our own fates because it helps them to deal with the fact that the world isn’t always fair. and if the world isn’t fair, that means addiction (or suffering in general) could happen to them or someone they love

I think there would have to be a lot of moving parts in place for drunk driving to ever be abolished completely, and I don’t know if I think that’s possible. again, I don’t condone drunk driving but I have a lot of compassion for people who do end up driving while drunk

I’ve seen addicts kicked off buses for talking to themselves, for drinking on the bus, etc. I’ve been in situations where a 20 minute car ride takes two buses and over an hour. I’ve had to walk home before because I was out too late and missed the last bus. like. of course some people are choosing to drive while drunk. there’s not always any safe way to get home, and sometimes it’s just about choosing between unsafe options

instead of going back to the same old tactic of shaming the decisions an addict ends up making, there needs to be more compassion and more discussion of real alternatives. drives me mental that people act like this is such a black and white issue

anyway <3 I also appreciate getting to come on here and talk so freely about these things, especially when I get to talk about it with other addicts. nothing more joyous than solidarity :)

[subspaceember]

i don't quite know how people aren't depressed. Like, how could anyone possibly look at what's going on around us and not be affected by it? I have to wonder if people who aren't depressed are just unaware? or something? Blissfully ignorant and uninformed? I just. I hate this. I see so many people suffering and for what. For nothing. People that I want to see happy kicked out by families and burned out and physically and emotionally ruined from working constantly at companies that don't give a shit. The same companies that are doing the same to almost everyone else that is connected to it and killing the planet to boot. So many people that even if one of these corporations hires them, they can't afford food, or a decent place to live, or anything. Maybe I'm just being a pessimistic depressed doomer that spends too much time online. There's good too, and I know that, but it hurts so much and even more that I can't seem to do much of anything to stop it.

I just. I long for a world that cares. I know it'll never be perfect. I don't want perfect. I just want to know that we're doing something good, instead of killing ourselves just so some executive can ruin the world for anyone that might come after. We pay taxes to give cops more guns to shoot unhoused people instead of building us a decent place to live. That same money is building bombs to kill kids instead of planting thousands of community gardens, or making better public transportation, or building fucking bridges or just ANYTHING else.

I still believe that we can have that world. I think that's what makes it hard. So many people I know, they've just given up on that, if they ever even considered it at all. They think things have always been this way and always will. That change is both impossible and idiotic. I despise this sentiment with every fiber.

I just don't know what to do, it feels like your options are you either work the death cult so you MIGHT be able to MAYBE have a place to sleep and something to eat, or you die. Either by your own hand or the hand of a bastard cop.

What are you even supposed to do.

[sweetswesf]

Hello, everyone.

I had a good time with my mom. Despite what we’ve gone through, I put all that aside for the weekend and just tried to honor her the best I could so that she could enjoy her time and so that we could make a new memory. At the end she gave me some money and told me she would help me with rent so that I could stay in SF because it didn’t make sense for me to move back home if I needed to move back suddenly for a job.

At first I was like, “how sweet and naiive of her to think I’d get a job shortly after I move back” because I truly don’t know how long this unemployment time will be…

She saw what my day to day was like, and she felt sorry for me. She saw all the homelessness, my small space, heard about my lack of friendships and community here, how non-Black people just walk all over me on the street and don’t respect my space, and she knows I haven’t wanted to be here for a while, but she understands the smartest option at the moment is to just stay here…

I can say that I was really stressed this week. I didn’t have much motivation to do a lot of algorithms, but I still did what I could. I tried a few new food places out trying to fill a void. It helped a little bit, but with me being so conscious about every hour, calorie, and dollar, I’m not quite sure it was worth it. I went to a bakery that is usually really busy, but because I went while most people were at work, it was empty. The loneliness of that was just a reminder of my situation. The other place was in the financial district at lunch time. I didn’t plan to get there at lunch, but with public transportation and how slow I was moving that day, it ended up being at that time. I’m sure the people I saw working probably wish they had time off, but I was thinking “man, how nice would it be to have a job right now and not have to think you’re being irresponsible by eating $15 noodles you could have made for much cheaper…”

I’m continuing to pray and be hopeful for the best. I have to remind myself to keep studying, keep interviewing, keep trying, everyday. My Medi-Cal application STILL hasn’t been approved yet, and what’s better: they won’t answer their phones. I don’t want to go back to pay $700+ for health insurance.

I took SOOO many naps this week just exhausted from my mom’s visit. I did an interview. Interviewer was yawning and not paying attention. I would ask him questions, sometimes repetitively, but he wouldn’t respond to them. I guess he was tuning me out. One question in particular he didn’t respond to, so I continued with the design on that assumption, and he later corrected me on it. I had to remind him that I asked him about that and he didn’t say anything so that he wouldn’t give me negative feedback on that part, but once you call them out, it’s not a good look for you either 🤷🏾‍♀️. I asked for feedback and he told me he couldn’t give me any but that, “I definitely did some good things.” But the way he said that makes me think there were a lot of negatives.

There was some “okay” news for the role I’m hoping for and another person who referred me to a different role said she would bump the recruiter. I just hope I can stay focused, not forget what I have learned thus far, and not be so distracted by my circumstances so that I can get what I want.

I’m struggling with confidence and thinking about all the money I have spent during this time. Every day I wake up like wow, I’ve gone 9 months without a job…

The longest I’ve heard of someone going without a job is 2 years. With every passing day, I feel like I get less and less attractive to open positions and that doesn’t feel great, because I don’t want to settle for a position just to have something.

I won’t forget this time. It’s been traumatic. I still cry everyday.

I’m so emotionally sensitive as well. My mom bought me groceries after I had just bought groceries and it angered me. Just give me the money. I am not lacking in food. I probably am eating too much. I need money for rent and health care, primarily. It made me wonder if she didn’t trust me to spend the money she would give me wisely. She also bought me something that would give me more counter space and it frustrates me because it reminded me of how small and frustrating my counter space is and how I want to be in an apartment with more counter space. I also felt like that money she spent on that could have gone to rent or health care.

I told her how I felt. She understood. Just saying those words to her made me cry. I was frustrated and I was frustrated that I was frustrated. I felt ungrateful. She was trying to help and I was trying to dictate how she should help me. It also just reminded me of my situation again. I didn’t have this stress when I had a job. I didn’t have to have these hard conversations. I didn’t have to be so hyper-vigilant about every dollar.

I’m trying my best to stay calm and just focus on His promise for my life. And just appreciate things, no matter how “sweet” I used to have it. I have to believe that great is coming and that I’m going through this for a reason.

My little brother moved back to LA from Korea. He was there probably less than a month. I thought my mom knew he was on anti-depressant and anxiety meds when I saw them after I had his room cleaned. Apparently she didn’t know. Apparently when they went on their vacation to Arizona, he didn’t take his meds and my cousins told my mom that he was freaking out. Apparently, he didn’t take his meds on his trip to Japan and had a panic attack that my mom had to pay a $1k hospital bill for. Apparently, he wants to move to my grandmother’s house, the house I planned to move to if I had to move home.

My brain couldn’t process all of this and I just shook my head. I want my dream job real bad and healing for myself and my family.

With all this exhaustion, the thought of jumping right into a job fatigues me. Sure I could “take mini breaks” now, but how do I do that on a small budget without over consuming social media?

Speaking of which, I want to try next week to just consume less social media. If I need a break, I need to just walk around, open my Bible, close my eyes.

I wished one of my “friends” who stopped contacting me a happy birthday and offered to take her out. She said she felt really withdrawn. I haven’t heard from her since Monday. I feel that relationship has ended and I need to stop putting so much effort into maintaining it when she’s showed me so many signs that she’s done.

I was thinking about how Lil Wayne said he wanted to kill hisself after he was told he couldn’t rap anymore. I get it. If something you’re so passionate about gets taken away from you, you know you’ll be missing that thing forever and nothing short of God can replace that gratifying feeling. Not saying that it’s smart to consider that, but I don’t judge him for feeling that way. I could see why he felt that way. There is always a brighter day and reason to live and keep trying.

My mentor from my old team who’s been practice interviewing me hasn’t left my side. He’s remained encouraging, and consistently meets with me. I owe that man SO MUCH! I’m thinking about giving him $1k after I get a job, but he deserves SOOO much more than that.

I’m grateful for all the blessings and this time. I know more than what I want is coming and that I’m stronger than I think I am.

[saspitite]

i dont think driving is a right but i do think transportation is. and that’s when all the hatred and anger starts

because (in america at least) public transportation is so terribly neglected that it’s practically essential to have a car/driving license. and i hate driving but i’m lucky enough to be able to actually drive fairly well (despite occasional panic attacks/sensory overload and also having to stop myself from stimming and potentially jerking the car off the road) but it’s not like that for everyone obviously. there’s millions of disabled people/people unable to drive for other general reasons that have to struggle to get around. and yeah people can and do have designated drivers and whatnot, but that can’t always be the option, that definitely shouldn’t be the only option, and problems can still arise from that. it’s not a fix. it’s basically a bandaid

admittedly, at this point, it can be kinda difficult setting up public transportation due to how heavily this country was built on the expectation of cars and roads for those cars. but that shouldn’t be any kind of discouragement for still trying. we NEED better public transportation, and there’s practically no reason to object to it. it’ll benefit everyone. not to mention the environmental benefits too. wherever it’s possible, we need more public transportation

[psycholojosh]

Doing In-Person Psychotherapy for the First Time

For the past few weeks, I've been keeping busy with working on my hours for practicum. By the end of this year, I need to hit at least 200 hours of psychotherapy (as well as another 200 for assessment work) so that I can proceed to the next and (hopefully) final phase of my grad school: thesis. When I started practicum last semester, I felt really drained by the difficult learning environment, plus having to do a lot of work isolated from the others (literally and figuratively). I took a break from this semester to regain my mental energy I once had for psychotherapy clients.

Over a month ago, the mental health clinic of our school opted to open psychotherapy services onsite for students wtihin campus. Unsurprisingly, a lot of students did sign up for this and are now receiving their therapies in-person with their therapists (which includes trainees like me). I stepped into this same lane once I began opening this option up to my clients as well. One client has been very keen on seeing me in person as they would prefer seeing another person as they process their problems. I happily obliged to fulfill this request given that I too work much better when I'm not distracted by the quips of remote work.

True enough, the difference in experience was night and day. And I would prefer doing onsite therapy because for a couple obvious reasons. On one end, I get to see my clients (and vice versa) for who they present themselves to be. And I mean this not only in the physical way but also in a emotional way. A lot of what I find missing in remote tele-therapy is the ability to read nonverbal cues and other emotional expressions that a camera doesn't capture. I feel more in the flow with the client and get to "dance" with whatever things they throw at me during sessions. There's also the added value of just trying to be present with the client without making extra efforts to reassure them of this fact.

I also had to take time to ready myself and get comfortable with my clients expressing unpleasant or difficult emotions. I noticed that my clients feel safer crying and feeling their feels once we're confined within the same four corners of a safe space. Needless to say, I find delight - not in their suffering - but in the opportunity to create a safe space for them to just be themselves, feelings and all.

I guess the only con of working onsite is the travel and the summer heat. While I'm proud of myself for being on time for my clients' sessions, I can't help but still feel irritated about the "unpleasantries" of Metro Manila traffic, as aggravated by the summer sun. Inasmuch as I want to present myself as professionally (and also aesthetically pleasing way) for my clients, I have to be smart about what to wear and how to bring my belongings with the hassle of public transportation.

So far, my onsite work has made me realize that I could do therapy -- and that it's something I could develop much more once I get my master's degree. What I am looking forward to is when we fully reintegrate both onsite and remote modalities to interventions. But that's a different avenue of learning altogether. What I'm most excited about, actually, is getting to see a lively clinic again. I get to see more clients and clinicians, and feel that same vibrant energy I once felt in my previous job before the pandemic began.

In the meantime, if you ever see me in campus (if we are in the same school, or you just happen to be there), feel free to say hello.

Take care of your mental health, everyone!

[acutiewithagun]

Taglist: @oleander-nin @itsyagurlchip @purple-flagz

Word count: 1,587

Mic Testing - Chapter Three: A Little Outing

It was all the same, every week, nothing really ever changed.

Every day, you go perform from seven am to six pm, then you go home. And it repeats unless you have a meeting or give yourself a break. The pattern is comforting in a way, you don't have to worry about surprises. But now you had an interview from a radio station to get ready for.

You wait at the bus station, sitting and scrolling through your phone. There are few other people there as well. It wasn't common you used this form of public transportation, everything you needed was within walking distance. But you figured it wouldn't hurt to get something nice to wear to the interview. You didn't have much nice clothing and you were hoping a good impression would get this to happen more often.

The bus arrived shortly as everyone fell in line to get on. The doors opened, a few people exited the vehicle, and then everyone at the bus station started to pile in. You followed suit and managed to snab an empty seat by the window, no one in the seat next to you. That was until someone in a purple hoodie sat next to you. Out of the corner of your eye you tried to get a better look at them. Unfortunately their face was covered by a black face mask and sunglasses, along with the purple hood.

You shrugged, people were odd, and you've seen weirder. You slunk back in your seat as you went back to scrolling on your phone. All you had to do was waste time until your stop, not too difficult. You had some reading to catch up on from some of your favorite fanfics. So that's what you did for the next few minutes. You had to stop yourself from getting overly excited at certain parts as you were in public. But when the bus stopped at your destination you stood up, slipping your phone in your pocket.

"Excuse me," you politely smiled at the purple hooded figure as you slipped out. You got off the bus and started your trek to the clothing store you intended to visit. Your brain did linger some of the information you read on the ride, but was quickly distracted by the establishment of your intended visit being within eyesight. You hummed happily as you lightly jogged to the shop.

You pushed open the door, hearing the little bell jingle, and stepped inside. Letting the door shut behind you, you start browsing. You heard the bell again over the soft pop music that filled the store. You let your hands run over the different textures, pulling a few things you took notice of. Colors of all kinds filled the space, hanging on racks upon racks. You gleefully hummed along with the songs that filled the soft atmosphere of the small shop.

You brought your findings to the changing rooms, a bit nervous. You had to make a good first impression, your career literally relied on it. The idea of sending pictures to your friend for advice. You entered a changing room and locked the door behind you. You pulled out your phone and shot your friend a quick text, asking to judge some outfits for an interview. They responded with a quick yes, telling you that you'd look stunning in even a garbage bag. You laughed as you placed your phone down on the bench, getting into the first option.

You tried on so many different outfits, laughing at the different comments your friend would make, and finally choosing a few to buy, one of them to wear to the interview. You brought the clothes that you wouldn't be purchasing to the bin that they would wash. That's probably why you also enjoyed this shop, they had a policy to wash clothes worn by anyone. Ignoring that little tidbit, you made your way to the register, purchasing the items. You made your way outside with the bag on your arm. You stuck your hands in your pocket and searched for your phone, only to realize it wasn't there.

You stopped and searched your pockets frantically, then the visions of your phone being placed on the bench in the changing room flooded in. You rush back into the store, muttering apologies as you hurry to the changing room. You open the door and sigh in relief seeing your beloved item laying in place. You grab it and wave goodbye to the employees as you once again exit the store.

You blush with embarrassment as you look at your phone. You recall turning it off when you put it down, but it was unlocked and on. It was probably just your imagination that you shut it off. Speaking of which, you did as you took a small stroll. The bus wouldn't show up for another hour, so you had time to kill. You did a bit of window shopping, just looking at items from outside and moving on.

But as you did so, thoughts filled your mind. Just simple information about different things. The chores you had yet to do, the work you had been procrastinating, and… a spider? You shook your head as you saw a fluffy looking white spider thing. It had a round body with little round legs, big black eyes looking at the passing pedestrians on the sidewalk. It was hiding in an alcove of a building as it anxiously tried to move. You looked around and hurried over to the small being.

"Hey there little buddy, having trouble getting home?" You crouched down and shielded the odd critter from the outside world. You should be scared as it was the size of a small mouse, but it was just so adorable and floofy. It looked up at you with it's adorably bold eyes as it skittered around. Your voice dropped to being soft.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's ok. I just want to help." You slowly brought your hands down to the ground, nudging it to climb in. "See, it's ok." It hesitantly skittered onto your hands, it's soft fur tickling your hands as it laid down. You carefully stood up slowly as to not frighten the spider creature. "There we go…"

It chirped happily in your hands as it stood up and started using you as a jungle gym. "Woah, hey there, you got comfortable fast. What are you?" The creature simply chirped as it nuzzled itself against your neck. Earning a light laugh from you. "Ok, where is your home little guy?" The creature went quiet as it sat on your shoulder. "Alrighty then… I'm guessing no home." You pondered for a bit and sighed. "And I guess I'm taking you with me then. You seem to be a yokai spider thingy, so I'm surprised you're up here." The spider creature stays quiet as you begin walking to the bus station.

"I'm gonna have to set up a little area in my room for you… Hold on, what do you even eat?" You pondered quite a bit as you finally made it to the bus station. And even then your mind was filled with thoughts about how to properly take care of your new friend. The station was pretty crowded so you shielded the creature out of view with your hand, petting it gently as it let out a soft purring sound. It was quite similar to a cat, and extremely soft to boot.

The bus arrived and the same process of entering the bus returned. You found a seat in the back of the vehicle and placed the spider yokai on your lap. Still giving it pets you gently whispered your next thoughts aloud. "What am I gonna call you?" You hummed as you picked through names, pet names, baby names, any really. You couldn't come up with anything at the moment so you shoved it away as an afterthought.

The ride back was noisy and cramped, but you made it to the station about a five minutes walk away from your apartment complex. You piled out, holding your shopping bag and new spider friend. You trudged to your apartment, the walk back a slight blur. You were just ready to recharge in the comfort of your room. Luckily life decided to be kind and you did just that.

You managed to make it to your room, throwing the bag on your bed. You look at the spider that fell asleep on your lap, now sleeping in your hand. Sighing you find a hand towel you considered pretty soft and place it on your desk. You carefully laid the sleeping critter on the hand towel before flopping on the bed.

Now all you had to do was explain to your roommate about the new pet and deal with the interview tomorrow. Easy, or at least you hoped optimistically. You also had to figure out what you would need for your new buddy. Did it have a gender? You didn't ponder on that for to long. It didn't really matter, finding out what it eats and a name is far more important.

Your phone buzzed and you took it out of your pocket. But you didn't look at it, instead deciding to toss it next to your shopping bag full of clothing. The rest of the day was spent figuring out a name for your new spider companion.

Wait, why was something so small on the surface instead in the Hidden City?

[suomeen]

Chapter 1: Discomfort zone

As the war started, the world opened up to embrace Ukrainians. But I didn’t go. The second day of war, when things looked pretty bad, I went to my sister who lives in a village in the heart of Ukraine. There we stayed in a small house with 8 people for a month and a half, until it felt safe enough to return to Kyiv.

Back then I got several concerned messages from foreign friends, offering help. One person offered to help me relocate to Germany, another even offered to stay at their house in England. I turned them down. I wasn’t desperate. I still had a home and didn’t feel eligible to go. I was also feeling excessively optimistic about the future. A few months ago, I looked back on those offers and seriously thought if I should have left back then. There was so much more support. And, as pragmatic as it may be, it was a window of opportunity. But the truth is, I was not ready.

After nearly 2 years of war, people grew weary of supporting us. And frankly, it was partly our fault. I heard lots of stories of our people acting entitled and rude, getting into fights for handouts, seemingly indifferent to the real suffering back home. And then there are a lot of us. By some estimates, 9 million people left Ukraine to go mostly for Europe. Over time, counties began to close up, the payouts and privileges got cut down. So, by the time we contemplated leaving, there weren’t many good options. The only countries who were still truly welcoming were the Baltic and Nordic countries. One of the most supportive ones was Finland. Sure, not as it used to be. At the start of war, Ukrainians could enjoy free trains and public transport and even things like zoo tickets. Little by little, it got cut down. Still, Finland was accepting Ukrainians and granting temporary protection almost to anyone with a UA passport. But the main reason for choosing it was that Mum had a friend in Finland who recently married to a local man. She had been telling us to come for a long time, offered her help, but we didn’t listen. 

For a long time, I resisted the idea of going abroad. It was too scary, too uncertain. Moving to a richer country out of convenience seemed wrong, even if a lot of people did it. And yet, things at home have only kept getting harder. There were more and more air attacks and explosions and the Winter was only beginning. The thought of leaving began to resurface.

I was desperately trying to cling to my comfort zone – my room, my PC, my things… Until there was no more comfort left. There’s no peace of mind when you sit in your corridor listening to killer drones fly in the skies above. Still, I had to ask myself “Do I deserve protection? Have I suffered enough? Sure, I heard explosions and sirens all day, had drones and missiles flying over my head, but the chances of me being actually killed are low. Surely, this isn’t for me. There are so many people who need this more.”

And then there was the guilt of leaving your country in crisis. But I realized that there was nothing I could do to help it. I admire the soldiers, the medics, the volunteers and everyone dedicating their lives to protect and help others. But I couldn’t be one of them. I don’t have it in me. I would be broken by trying. I was already broken by these two years. And I have battled depression and anxiety for most of my life. Things were hard for me and, just as I was starting to feel like maybe they might actually get better for once, it all broke down. 

Sidenote: I was the happiest I ever was in my life just before the war started. And it’s not like I won a lottery. I just got a job that I loved, that paid modestly but fairly and my health was alright. Of course, the war wasn’t a complete surprise. We have been anticipating and dreading it for months. We have joked about it at work just days before. One of our team members was Russian and I remember I made a joke about the invasion. Another colleague told me it was too much. Yeah… I was the closest to that Russian boy. He seemed very nice. Talked about wanting to work for Red Cross. Funny that, since I am now living under the protection of Red Cross here in Finland. When the war did start, all the guys from work wrote to me, asking if I was ok and if I needed help. Except the Russian boy.

It was even harder coming down from that high. But perhaps, it gave me a little reserve of resilience, a little joy I collected, like an extra life to spend. So, when shit went down, I was strangely calm and collected. I still was the first year. We were riding the high of our initial success. But hope is a volatile resource. After two years, there was nothing but burnout.

Initially, I rejected the though once again. It was too drastic and it felt like I’d just be swapping one type of stress to another. And, in a way, that was true. Though in the end, hearing sirens all day is not the same as asking strangers for directions.

But the last straw fell when I was trying to find a job. I got completely burnt out at my last job the previous year. Not to get too into it, but it paid very little and required me to write Economist-grade texts in a few hours. I remember sitting in the corridor, listening to explosions and worrying I had a text about Taylor Swift’s dogs to finish. Then came the blackouts. I was physically falling ill from the stress. So I quit. But there was nothing part-time and I couldn’t even get jobs I was ridiculously overqualified for. I tried to find something reasonable for months, but it was just no use. Finally, I passed a test for the country’s major TV channel, 1+1. They offered me a translation job. Except it wasn’t official in any way and the pay would only come some 2 months later. Also, the project was some MTV trash. I came up to my mum then and she said it wasn’t worth it. So I went “You know what? Fuck it! Maybe we should just go. It can’t be worse than this.”

So I catapulted myself out of my comfort zone way across 4 countries.

Finland threw a lifebuoy and I grabbed it.