#soap's death immunity works that way

[natelia-aldelliz]

Soap has been shot.

He's been shot and it's bad. Roach can't do anything but encourage him to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Soap's feeling around Graves had been trustworthy then.

Roach is having a hard time processing what happened, and he can only assume it's worse for those actually living through it.

He doesn't know where Ghost is, if he's okay, if he's alive. He can't go find him to make sure, since he has no idea where to look. He has to focus on Johnny, who's here, who's hurt. He has to do his best to keep him alive.

Soap really needs to tend to that wound, but he needs to find some supplies to do that, and somewhere safe. With the Shadows roaming the streets of Las Almas like a pack of murderous dogs, it's a bit harder than he'd like.

He sends another look to Johnny. He's stumbling, way too pale. He lost too much blood.

He risks a look further down. His shirt is soaked with blood. He wants to keep encouraging him, but his throat is too tight for the words to come out. The hole, slightly to the left side, in the middle of his chest, is haunting him.

Kind of ironic given he's the one supposed to do the haunting.

Honestly, he has no idea how Soap even managed to walk that long. He should be dead. Maybe he is, actually. Maybe his body is still lying back there under the Shadow's body, and it's only his ghost that's walking with him. That would explain a lot of things.

But not Simon's voice on the radio answering his call. That doesn't make sense. He has to be still alive then.

"There," he says, pointing at what appears to be a crafts shop. "There has to be sewing material and fabric to use as bandages."

"You want me to sew myself back together?" Soap croaks out, wheezing. Whether or not it touched the heart, the bullet definitely got his lung.

"You're losing too much blood, Johnny. You have no choice."

Soap tiredly nods his head, quietly heading to the store.

"I should be dead," he says simply as he's looking for supplies.

"Don't worry about that," Roach cuts him off. He really doesn't need to think about that. What if it's only adrenaline keeping him alive?

"Maybe it just hasn't caught up yet," Soap continues, ignoring him. "I feel tired."

"That's just the blood loss," Roach stresses out, still frantically looking for something to replace a chirurgical sewing needle.

"I think I'm in shock," Soap says. "I've been shot straight in the chest, and it doesn't feel any different than that time I got shot in the leg two years ago... I don't... I don't actually feel like I'm dying, you know what I mean?"

Roach looks at him. He still looks way too white, and slightly feverish, and exhausted, but his eyes are clear and he's still awake.

"I'm starting to think that whatever you 'feel' is always true, to be honest. You were right with Graves."

Soap sends a tired grin his way. "You think I have superpowers?"

"Mate, you can see ghosts, I was assuming you knew you had superpowers already."

By some miracle, and after an hour and a half of Simon and Johnny flirting on the comms, they're finally reunited and on their way to the safehouse. To say Simon is shocked when he sees the wound would be an understatement.

And somehow, Johnny is still standing. As if a bullet to the heart was barely more than a bullet to an extremity, as if there wasn't any vital organ beneath the skin there.

[seeker-of-stories19]

Autistic Ghost Headcannons

- Intentionally ignores social cues

- Scowls all the time at everything and everyone but usually not on purpose

- Takes full advantage of his ear defenders and balaclava to avoid sensory experiences he dislikes

- Incredibly restrictive eating, often chooses to go hungry rather than touch something he dislikes

- One of his favorite stims is smelling Soaps hair

- Gets overstimulated by certain things but is also very sensory seeking in other ways

- Wears tight gloves and sleeps under four weighted blankets because he likes the pressure

- Stims by making a tight fist, chewing his lips, scratching, hitting himself, leaning against things, rocking, pacing, rubbing the seam of his balaclava, tapping his ear defenders

- One track mind, he hates switching tasks and never does more than one thing at once unless it’s a hundred percent necessary

- Wears a mask largely to hide his scars and identity but it has the added benefit of keeping him from having to worry about making the correct facial expressions

- Very prone to dissociation

- Violent meltdowns, tends to have a vicious temper and destroy everything around him, hurting himself or anyone else unfortunate enough to cross his warpath

- But eventually when he’s in private he ends up just curling into himself and crying and rocking like he did as a kid

- It makes him feel incredibly vulnerable and he goes to extreme lengths to avoid the meltdowns which is a huge part of why they’re so bad

- Only Johnny and sometimes Price can calm him down

- Everyone else just thinks he has an explosive temper for no reason

- Ties his boots dangerously tight to get more sensory input

- Thrives under military routines but ignores rules that don’t make sense

- This definitely caused problems with COs in the past but Price is way more understanding and generally the 141 gets a lot of leniency on rules because of the type of work they do and the specific value of their skill sets

- Soap sleeps on top of him and always squeezes his hand a little too hard

- Hides in his room when overstimulated and shuts down completely, will literally disassociate for hours until Soap finds him

- Obsessively neat, nothing is ever anywhere other than where it’s supposed to be

- Doesn’t mind loud sounds but hates multiple sounds at once

- Explosions and gunfire are usually fine as long as he has his headphones but people talking and eating all at once in the mess makes him want to cry

- Absolutely despises crowds and will get very agitated and pissed off before eventually checking out until Johnny can get him back to a quiet space

- Soap letting him have the best vantage point when they go out because of how bad Simons PTSD and sensory issues are and he trusts Simon to watch his six

- Drinks but never to the point of being drunk

- Has the shittiest temperature regulation ever, gets so overheated but can’t figure out why and would freeze to death if it wasn’t for Soap making him put on layers because he’s basically immune to the cold

- Other than keeping his space clean which is mostly because it’s been beaten into him by his dad and then the army to the point where having a messy space will send him into a panic attack he’s a disaster. He never remembers to bring his dishes over to the tiny kitchen in the 141s rec room and routinely stares at things for days unable to complete simple tasks until he gets so pissed he ends up crying

- Price used to get annoyed by it and they’ve all three harassed him about it but once they realize that he’s genuinely struggling all three of them step in to make things easier for him, helping clean up his stuff in common spaces and wash dishes

- Soap definitely helps him with his laundry but only at 3am when he suddenly has the urge to do his own because ADHD

- His interoception is appalling, he’ll be furious and yell at recruits or just look at people like he wants to kill them on missions until Johnny leans over to subtly remind him that he hasn’t gone to the bathroom or eaten anything in eight hours

- Is fluent in BSL and uses it to communicate with Price when he’s in a verbal shutdown

- Soap and Gaz ask Price to teach them secretly and when they start signing to Ghost one day he’s absolutely shocked

- Generally he gets by with everyone else by grunting and scowling, people are too scared of him to call him out

- Most of his masking relies on peoples fear of him even though it often makes him feel even less human and it’s a vicious downward spiral

- Soap not being afraid of him was a really big deal because of this but also lead to him being really freaked out and unsure how to handle his prying

- Soap just finds him impossibly endearing and loves all the hidden little movements and noises he makes when they’re alone

- Lets Simon use his hands to fidget under the table during meetings

- Even though Soap isn’t the best at social cues himself he takes up explaining things to Ghost subtly whenever he can

- When Simon comes to his room to ask him about something someone said for the first time he’s ecstatic and considers it a great victory

- While a lot of Simons stims are more subtle or at least misinterpreted Soap will absolutely get hyped up when he’s stimming and start jumping or rocking or flapping his hands eagerly

- Soap sends him adhd x autism memes all the time and encourages Ghost to send back anything that interests him even if he thinks Soap won’t like it

- Is shocked to realize how strong Ghosts special interests are as his phone turns into a constant flood of articles and artwork about things Ghost loves

- Included but not limited to guns, puzzles, animal anatomy and bones, flowers (specifically the meanings of flowers) and many others

- Taking things apart and putting them back together, usually his rifle but will generally do it with everything from pens to knives

- Hoards weird things like old ink cartridges and bullet casings

- Has an unbelievable memory for details of old missions, can remember building layouts from over five years ago

- Soap’s room is so chaotic they barely spend time there because of how much it stresses Ghost out

- Generally they just balance each other out well with Simon being aggressively introverted and Soap being just as extroverted

- He pushes Simon a bit outside of his comfort zone and helps him socialize while Ghost reigns him in

- No one else really gets how they operate in the field except each other

- Soap was professionally diagnosed in school while Ghost was professionally diagnosed after Roba under a fake name with Price’s help so it’s not officially on his military record

- Ghost is actually very okay with how his brain works because it’s made him who he is and allowed him to surpass the regular limitations of a soldier

- He struggles more in his personal life but being around Soap heals a deep part of him that he’s buried since early childhood

- They understand each other like no one else ever has

[reds-skull]

Thank youuu

I love them too, I'm thinking of having them as a big brother/little brother duo maybe?? Anyway here's them buying tea for the base like stereotypical Brits

Ok first time I read this my heart melted because it's so sweet :]

I keep thinking up aus for mw2, but they're all too complicated for a one-off comic, and I just finished a series so I'm not doing another one for the time being. But I had a superpower au for them, that I'm gonna explain under a read more because I know it's gonna be long lmao

But before that thank you for everyone again! I read all your lovely comments and they warm my heart <333

SO in this au, some people gain powers the first time they die. The powers are based on how they died (also when they die they meet these cool eldritch beings called reapers that have a little chat with them to decide if they're worthy of those powers).

Soap died from an explosion. Got blown out of a building. So his powers are explosion resistance and creation. His fingertips are always on fire because he's practically blowing the air around them all the time.

Gaz fell off a helicopter :( so now he can manipulate gravity, either objects around him or himself. He also floats a few inches off the ground most times.

Price was kinda hard for me to decide but I ended up making him die by abandonment. Now he can telepathically communicate with people.

And Ghost... he died in that coffin. Got pulled out by a reaper and received the powers to control limbo, the space between life and death. He's not authorized to use them unless he's alone, so he gets sent on solo missions only, until Price recruits him to the 141.

That is, until he pairs up with Ghost.

Before being recruited to the 141, Soap mainly defused bombs. Since, even if it's too late, he won't die. Thing is, Soap still gets hurt. His bones get crushed, his heart stops, his limbs get torn apart. He does heal, but the worse the injury, the longer it takes.

That made him kinda depressed. Because he felt like a glorified bomb robot. Except he's cheaper, since it doesn't cost the military any money when he fails to defuse on time.

Ghost isn't immune to bombs. He himself doesn't enter limbo, since that traps anything alive.

He and Soap go on a mission where intel suggests the enemy has rigged various explosives around the intel they need. They split up, Soap goes to defuse them and Ghost slowly makes his way through the facility.

And Ghost does help him. But he treats him like he would a regular, non-powered human. Stops when he's in too much pain, encourages him through it. Does his best to stop the bleeding.

Ghost completes his objective, but Soap gets spotted by an enemy and detonates the bomb he's working on to save himself.

Ghost find Soap after he fails to sitrep, impaled by a rebar. He whimpers and begs Ghost to help him off it, since he can't heal.

Because Ghost sees him as human. He watched as Soap kept trying to make jokes with him, but more importantly, how he treated him no differently from anyone else.

Soap, for his side, isn't used to that... gentleness. And that's how his interest in Ghost begins.

They exfil and return to base. A few months pass, and Ghost keeps an eye on one Soap MacTavish. Looks through his medical records, past missions. Finds out just how much he suffers through.

But Ghost isn't his commending officer, so he can't do anything. Until he's approached by his captain, John Price. He brings up the option of adding a new member to the taskforce. He gives Ghost the candidates he considered, Soap was brought up, Ghost stops him and states that he would agree to a new member if it was Soap.

Now if I had like, better writing abilities I would have absolutely written this as a fic. Butttt I don't and even if I did, I don't have confidence in them so I won't. But this idea is now out there and you can do whatever you want with it.

Also I got like a lot more sketches of this au but I only posted the ones I made for the ask.

[thecuriousquest]

U2 & Bakugo?

You dropped this: 👑

-🧼

Leaving Isn’t Easy

Thanks, Soap Anon! You’re too much of a cutie pie. Love you tons, and thanks for the awesome prompt request!!! Bakugou is one of my favorite characters to write for! 🖤🤘

Tag List: @issamomma @repostingmyfavs @palesweetscherryblossom @chickennugnugnug

Warnings: Yandere themes, NSFW (abuse), violence, hitting, face slapping, kicking, hair pulling, physical threats, knife threats, Katsuki is a sad boi, kidnapping, choking

Request: “The only way out of this house is death.”

Yandere Alphabet Prompt

Master List

—————————————————————————

You’re fighting for your life, clawing at the arms of the hulking pro hero above you. Katsuki Bakugou chokes you with scarred and heavy hands, making you feel as though he’s about to crush your neck and kill you at the same time. Your legs go from thrashing and kicking wildly to twitching as your soul slowly slips from your body.

Just as the last of your life clings to you as if trying to hold on for just a little bit longer, he decides to let go. Bakugou gets up, kicking you so hard in the uterus you think you might be infertile now. He’d be doing you a favor, but still, it hurts so badly that you can’t help but vomit.

Gasping for air that you feel will never come to you, finally, you manage to suck in a deep breath. Wiping the bile from your lip, you look up at him with rivers in your eyes. Drops of rain cling to your lashes, rolling down your cheeks in despair.

Pointing an accusatory finger at you, he snarls in your face, “Don’t you fuckin’ look at me like that when you were the one who tried to leave! If I hadn’t caught you, who the fuck knows what could’ve happened to you, dumb bitch!”

“Bakugou…” you whisper with slight resistance in your voice as an arm clings to your hurting lower stomach. “It’s not too late to let me go home. I won’t tell anyone. We can act like this never happened.” You can’t help the cough slithering up your throat like a dry snake with rough scales.

His palm cracks down on your cheek, his other grabbing you by your hair, forcing you to look into dark rubies hidden by ash blonde hair.

“It’s Katsuki! This is the last time I’ll say it: This is your home now. Get that through your fucking head because the next time I have to say it, I’ll make you carve the words into your own arm with a dull knife.”

“Okay! Katsuki, I’m sorry!” You throw your hands up, a pleading gesture for mercy. You’re apologizing even though you did nothing wrong.

The sting in your cheek and your hair has you begging him for relief, screaming for him to let you go. He shoves you back, sending your head mere inches from banging against the hardwood floor. You stop yourself from hitting your skull in time, sending your arms out to catch yourself.

You watch, wearily, as he slides down the wall, letting his hands catch his head as he rakes fingers through his spiky hair.

“I don’t want to have to keep repeating myself. I love you. ‘M not letting you go, dumbass.” He grabs you by your ankle, reeling you in towards him.

It surprises you, and you grunt in pain as he collects you in his strong arms. He sits with his legs crossed, and he places you in his lap like a child holding a puppy.

If he’s trying to comfort you, it’s not working. You’re tired of crying. You no longer want to break out into tears because of this man, but he kicked you, slapped you, kidnapped you, and threatened you. This isn’t even the first time he has assaulted you. You feel like you should have built up some kind of immunity to his cruel treatment by now, but you react the same way every time. You’re scared of him, and it shows.

His voice grows rougher, deeper, sadder as he leans into your hair, placing his chin on your head. “I won’t lose you. I…can’t lose you. You’re mine, and you’re not going anywhere. You hear me? The only way out of this house is through death.”

[threehuskiesinatrenchcoat]

respectfully, being in the cod fandom and having headcanons and writing fic n stuff made you forget what kind of game cod is and what kind of people it’s about.

the fact that people criticize the stuff characters do cuz it’s “ooc” for them is honestly funny. and I mean, for reasons that are not out of character really, but is just, common sense to the people they’re supposed to be.

characters that you have headcanons for are acting like the soldiers they are and it’s conflicting with your idea of a good person? they’re supposed to be one of the scariest military units in the world. I bet their morals are very different.

they "barely reacted" to soap dying? death is common in their line of work. they gave soap more personal attention than someone would usually get anyway.

they’re doing deals with bad people that you don’t like? it’s their job. they have their own agenda. it’s never black & white.

I see people on my tl _rediscovering_ that cod is, first and foremost, military propaganda, and wasn’t meant to build a fandom of this sort around itself. it just happened accidentally. the fandom is still a miniscule amount out of all the sales and players, activision don’t really give a shit about us. we’re not the target audience.

you really think it’s so surprising that cod is political, and more often than not, not in a way you would like? it’s the same game that made you carry out a mass shooting by a russian terrorist in 2009. the same thing that they’ve been the subject of SO many controversies for, that it went down in _history_.  the same game that makes you kill civilians that barely know how to use a gun. the same game in which “141 dad pookie bear” price threatens to shoot a child as a bargaining chip. (and don’t tell me “well he was bluffing so-“ leftism leaving my body as im trying to defend the actions of a military man cuz he’s my babygirl)

cod was _always_ like this. cod is a product, and it's a product that was not really meant for you, or me.

im not saying It’s ok then, but seriously, where’s the sincere _surprise_ coming from? I love the fandom, and like any self-respecting member of the fandom I have headcanons and rewrite canon, but not to the extent of forgetting what game it is and being shocked that the people it’s about are actually all kinda shitty. if you forgot it’s about military, and the military does terrible things no matter who’s side you’re on, the propaganda literally _worked_ on you.

I don’t mean engaging with it is bad then, im not into all this “purifying the media” shit. stuff has a right to exist, and will exist, and it's _your_ responsibility to choose what impression, opinion and lesson you take away from that. we do what we usually do, take the ideas from the source material and morph them into something we like. we take the characters that would probably do shitty things in canon and give them morals we want to see and agree with. but expecting the canon (especially of a game like _that_) to play into the expectations and headcanons _you_ created is unrealistic at best. and seeing a military propaganda game and seriously, genuinely thinking "they're the good guys, they must be good people" means you're not immune to it.

[dragcnflame]

𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚖 𝙿𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜

𝚃𝙻𝙾𝚄 / 𝙰𝙿𝙾𝙲𝙰𝙻𝚈𝙿𝚂𝙴 𝙰𝙻𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙴 𝚄𝙽𝙸𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙴

NOTE: for tlou interactions with canon characters bloom's backstory will be altered to no longer have her immune to keep inline with canon.

FACTS:

Bloom is immune to the virus/fungus. (type verse dependent)

If word of her likeness gets back to the cult, members will begin tracking her down.

Bloom hears her sister still, usually it's the product of her consistent nightmares of Daphne's death, but she also will swear sometimes that she's talking to her while awake.

Bloom is handy at first aid, has increased physical strength from her bite though nothing super-heroic, she works best with ranged weapons than close combat. Has an affinity for molotov cocktails.

CARRIES:

med kit

flashlight

flame thrower that she got her hands on three months post escaping the cult

two hand guns

ammo some of which doesn't work for her guns

a lighter

rags

crude lock-pick set

a few canned goods

spork

reusable water bottle

can opener

deodorant

bar of soap

one third left of a tube of toothpaste

a golden hair pin her sister used to wear

tinted lip balm

AU BIO:

They died for them. Marion and Oritel sacrificed their lives to save their daughters and with that instilled a new purpose in their eldest child. Protect you sister at all costs, she's your responsibility. Bloom grew up with no real memory of their Mom and Dad, all she'd ever known really was Daphne, the start and end of her world in this empty and dead one. Even her rebellious nature was tempered by promises to her sister that she'd listen to her noticing with every day the older she grew how things seemed to weigh on her shoulders. The two were in sync like no other, always flawlessly covering the other's back once Bloom was old enough to do more than hide, even though Daphne protested every time Bloom picked up a gun or quickly pulled together a molotov cocktail. The goal was always safety, somewhere they could settle down and live, somewhere that they could stop fighting, somewhere to preserve the last parts of Bloom's innocence a girl who grew up in the new world order. They dodged traffickers and hunters, cannibals and government compounds.

Then they found them, an independent compound. One that seemed to be at peace with strong defences. Weary survivors were welcomed in with warm arms and so thankful to have finally achieved their goal any and all warning bells were silenced. Yet Bloom could still feel the hair on the back of her neck standing straight, whispering to her sister in the night her worries. But she trusted her, Bloom would always trust Daphne unreservedly. However slowly but surely it built, the way the women at the compound would say things, the way their eyes followed Bloom, the way questions were never answered with anything but a distraction. You knew what you were allowed to know and you would be happy with that. They were split during the day Bloom put to work in the makeshift hospital area due to her talent with healing. It felt wrong, she'd never been away from her sister for so long as far back as her memories went. The night that the New Moon arrived everything changed. They hadn't joined in with a peaceful compound, they'd joined a cult. Ones who claimed to worship the three ancestral witches deities that they'd come to invent once world went to hell. Believing that if they called upon them they would be the ones to rise to power. In their rabid imaginations Bloom had been declared their second coming, the conduit for their rebirth. She would be bitten by an infected and then strapped to an alter where her blood would be spilt under the Full Moon right as she was on the verge of change.

Even though they fought back Bloom was dragged before the crowd Daphne detained as mid-day hit and an infected was brought forward biting deep into her shoulder before being shot down. Bloom was dragged back into a cell to be kept for the next thirteen hours while they waited on the bite and the witching hour. Having not seen her sister since Bloom had accepted the fact that she was in all likelihood dead and if not at least was far enough away so that she would not have to witness the process of her turning. Yet when darkness fell and the camp became abuzz with finishing touches for the ritual Bloom heard the scratching of a lock and several grunts. There stood Daphne in all of her calm yet somehow also enraged golden glory pulling open her cell door. She fought her on it, not wanting to put her sister at risk. But Bloom didn't just love Daphne selflessly she also loved her selfishly and didn't want to die all alone. She wanted to die outside of this place and free for her last few hours before her sister did what she had to do.

It was a tense escape filled with close calls and more human blood shed than Bloom had ever seen and they were close. Some fencing and metal doors and then a straight shot right into the woods where they could lose the group now relentlessly pursuing them. A thwip and a scream changed everything. Turning Bloom watched her sister drop as an arrow pierced her thigh, blood spilling forward, an artery. Grabbing her under her shoulder they moved faster anyway but the followers were gaining on them. They'd pushed through a thin portion of the fencing, moving the metal and wrenching forward the doors. Bloom's mind had been a haze either from the infection or the panic she didn't know, just that they needed to get through and then she needed to somehow carry her sister far enough so they could torque her leg and let her take care of Bloom's final moments.

But suddenly she had an armful of Daphne and hug in the midst of her confusion at this stop right as they'd gotten the door open Daphne suddenly bit Bloom viciously and deeply swallowing down her blood. Infecting herself so close to the brain she had minutes. Bloom could only stare in shock as she was shoved backwards through the metal doors, watching them close as Daphne barred herself back in with the cult members. The last thing she heard from her sister was her screams of 'Run Bloom' before the screams turned into an awful screeching that she'd be making in a few hours as well. The screeching came with the sound of wet tearing and shots firing off in screams of panic. Bloom who'd been banging on the door desperately begging for her sister finally as the screeching quieted did what she was told one last time and ran. She ran for her life, for the last few hours of it knowing at least she'd be reunited with her sister.

She'd been wandering aimlessly, killing when she had to when Bloom finally remembered to even consider time again. Having fallen into a haze waiting out the last few hours she had left, the redhead suddenly realising the sun and risen and set a total of three times since she'd escaped the cult. While she certainly wasn't the conduit for some three headed deity as the cult had proclaimed they were right about one thing. Bloom was special, she was immune. She was also, for the very first time in her life. Alone.

[ehumarani]

Is It Safe to Drink Water From a Copper Container?

Up with our parents and grandparents diligently storing and drinking water in copper kalsi, handas, and matkas. This straightforward custom has been a part of our culture for many civilizations and is mentioned in numerous Ayurvedic writings. After waking up, drinking water that has been added with copper is supposed to balance the three doshas of Kapha, Vata, and Pitta.

Is It Safe to Drink Water From a Copper Container? Let us dive into some of its benefits first.

 

Why is copper beneficial to us?

Copper’s antibacterial capabilities can eliminate microorganisms and render water drinkable. Copper containers were used by our ancestors to store and naturally filter the water they drank.

People who worked in copper mines did not report a single case of cholera when multiple villages were infected, likely due to the high copper levels in their systems. Therefore, keeping water in copper containers destroys the majority of the most harmful bacteria that can cause gut inflammation and other issues. When you have food poisoning, diarrhoea, or other digestive problems, it is a cleaner way to drink water.

It is used as a natural cure for ulcers, indigestion, and infections because it helps digestion, cleanses, and lowers inflammation in your stomach.

When consumed properly, it can increase the operation of your liver and kidneys, cleanse and detoxify them, assist in the removal of waste, and enhance nutrient absorption.

For the breakdown of fat cells and transformation of fat into energy, copper is necessary. So, it might promote fat loss.

Because it is antibacterial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory, copper can speed up wound healing.

Your immune system may get stronger, and it may promote the growth of new cells.

It is essential for the creation of melanin, the pigment responsible for your skin, hair, and eye colours.

By controlling blood pressure, controlling heart rate, and reducing levels of harmful cholesterol and triglycerides, copper aids in the maintenance of cardiovascular health.

Did you know copper is essential to absorb iron in your gut.

Copper water consumption: beneficial or harmful?

We must remember that copper is a trace mineral that our body needs in small quantities. Yes, it is necessary for a number of things, including the formation of red blood cells (RBCs), cellular health, immunity, collagen development, protection against cellular damage, iron absorption, energy production, and maintaining brain function, kidney, liver, and heart health. But one big mistake that most people make today is overdoing copper water.

If we have too much copper in our bodies, it makes us vulnerable to copper toxicity. Yes, if you cross the daily limit of copper required in your body ,  it becomes toxin for you. This is true for most vitamins and minirals. For instance, vitamin A toxicity can cause liver damage and vitamin D toxicity can affect your entire hormonal imbalance and your bones. This is why even supplements should only be taken under medical prescription and managed the right way.

Copper toxicity can affect our liver function, make us susceptible to various health issues, and in extreme cases, even cause death.

The relationship between copper and zinc.

Copper and zinc have an antagonistic connection. It implies that your zinc levels naturally decrease when you have too much copper. We all know about zinc’s role in fortifying our immune system, DNA creation and repair, healing, recovery, hormonal health (especially testosterone levels among men), and so on.

We don’t need to drink more copper water just because it’s good for us.

What is the right way to go about it?

purchase a copper vessel, jug, cup, or flask.

Once you have brought it home, store water in it for 24 hours.

Flush or throw that out.

Wash the vessel gently. Use of soap is not necessary. Dry it out.

When ready, add water, and do it every evening soon before the sun sets…

Let it sit overnight.

The next morning, consume 1-2 glasses of copper water on an empty stomach.

There are many people today who drink copper water throughout the day. His is not required. Copper poisoning can result from excessive use. Another option is to spread it out. Three glasses every day: one each in the morning, afternoon, and evening. But don’t go on chugging it through the day.

When you travel, you can carry portable copper flasks. Keep it in the hotel, fill it with water, let it sit overnight, and have it the next day. DO NOT overdo it. Remember, less is more, maintain quality, and have it at the right time.

How can drinking out of a copper vessel also be harmful?

Your brain system, glandular health, and reproductive system are all critically dependent on copper. Each of these can be impacted by a lack or toxicity.

Estrogen dominance and copper.

In the world we live in, oestrogen dominance is a problem that most individuals suffer with. There is too much oestrogen in our environment, including in contaminated milk, plastics, floor cleaners, cosmetics, and air. We are aware of the connection between high oestrogen and ER-positive ovarian, breast, and endometrial malignancies, as well as PCOD and other reproductive lifestyle problems. Your body retains copper when you have more oestrogen than it needs, which might make your current health problems worse.

When copper and heavy metals enter the thyroid gland, they decrease the t3 to t4 conversion impacting your thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Yes, excess copper can block your conversion and lead to thyroid issues, delay healing, and create more toxicity in your blood.

Contraceptives, copper IUDs, birth control, hormone therapy, and xenoestrogens (synthetic oestrogen that mimics real oestrogen) all raise oestrogen in the body, which increases the likelihood that your body may retain more copper. You are now aware of how your neurological, glandular, and reproductive systems can be impacted by having too much copper linger in your body for an extended period of time.

Depression, anxiety, PMS, panic attacks, and other conditions.

Studies have also connected copper to anxiety and depression because too much copper reduces dopamine (often called the feel-good hormone). When you accomplish anything, dopamine works with your brain’s reward system. It is related to overall happiness, enjoyment, learning, memory, and other things. Anxiety and depression are caused by low dopamine levels. If you already experience these, it might get worse. Therefore, you might be attempting everything. However, there are situations when all that is necessary to increase your body’s natural production of dopamine is to reduce the quantity of copper present. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), infertility, panic attacks, and hair loss are also associated with copper poisoning.

How to naturally reduce excess copper?

You see the human body has this fantastic mechanism when we have a little bit or too much, it can detoxify itself. But sometimes, when this mechanism isn’t functioning right, it can lead to an overload or storage of vitamins and trace minerals, creating toxicity.

For instance, vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble which means your fat stores these vitamins. This makes it very difficult to get it out of your system. On the other hand, the entire vitamin B spectrum is water-soluble. So if you go into toxicity you can flush it out by drinking more water and cleansing your system.

You may wonder if there are ways to reduce excess copper in your system. Delve into these here:

Identify and treat constipation.

The excess oestrogen that your body needs to push out of your colon when you are constipated (particularly in women) is automatically reactivated in your liver, creating a vicious cycle of oestrogen dominance. Follow cleanse routines that are easy to follow and are balanced for your body to avoid constipation at all costs. You might be able to get rid of some of the extra copper this way. Check out this page to learn more about our 14-Day You Care Wellness Rejuvenation and Cleanse Program.

Put rest and healing first.

These are quite important. Because our bodies activate their inborn sophisticated detoxification system when we are completely rested, sleep is miraculous.

Vitamin B .

You could do a B complex under your doctor’s supervision if you have copper excess in your body.

Include zinc in your diet.

Because we know that the more zinc you have, the less copper levels there are, foods high in zinc or supplements recommended by your doctor can assist flush out more copper. Nuts, seeds, legumes, eggs, whole grains, dairy (if it fits you), dark chocolate, and other foods are examples of foods high in zinc.Sweat it out.

Sweat it out

When you move and engage in adequate exercise, you sweat. There is nothing more natural than sweating to automatically detoxify toxins, excess copper, and heavy metals from your body.

How do I get copper into my system if I do not drink copper water?

It’s not necessary to obtain your daily requirement of copper by consuming water from a copper filter or jug. A balanced diet can provide you with the daily amount of copper that you need. If you already consume unsalted nuts, spirulina, whole grains, lentils, meats, eggs, mushrooms, and other such foods, you are already consuming enough copper.

The bottom line.

Go back to our roots and honour the wisdom of our nation. However, going overboard in any situation without the right direction or information can be harmful to our health. Make the appropriate decision while sticking to conventional wisdom and simplicity.

[selfimprovementday]

How To Improve Immune System

Do you catch colds and fever very quickly? Though it’s natural, primarily due to changes in weather, to protect oneself from complications due to common colds, boosting the immune system is a must.

By making healthy choices, your body will thank you later! You must be optimistic in helping your body use its full function by making your immune system strong. Like a soldier, our body needs a defense mechanism to fight against health conditions.

But before revealing the appropriate way of boosting the immune system, let’s first discuss the possible complications of having poor immunity.

Effects Of Poor Immune System

Healthy individuals who want to maintain their good health should take steps to ensure they keep their immune systems strong and working efficiently. When the immune system is good, it protects the body against infections caused by bacteria and viruses. In the absence of a healthy and active immune system, a person is more susceptible to infections and diseases.

⚕️ Autoimmune diseases

If your immune system is weakened, you’re likely to get sick more frequently from infections such as colds, flu, and gastroenteritis. You may also find it hard to recover from these illnesses. Other people with a weakened immune system may not experience these symptoms but are at greater risk of severe disease and complications from infections.

⚕️ Frequent occurrence of the common cold.

A poor immune system can make you susceptible to the common cold, a viral infection of the nose, throat, and upper airways (1). The common cold is a result of over a hundred different viruses, the most frequent culprit being rhinovirus. Colds are very common in people of all ages and can be easily contracted by those around you. The occurrence of a common cold usually arises about two or three days after vulnerability to the virus and tends to go away on its own within a week.

⚕️ Cancer cells development.

Your immune system will be the first mode of defense against all infections, including cancer. Unfortunately, many people with poor immune systems are more likely to get cancer because their bodies cannot fight it off.

Cancer cells are basically long-living cells that can cause diseases in your body, and they can be destroyed by the immune system. However, when the body is weak and unable to fight it off, these cells can run rampant. While this doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get cancer if you have a weak immune system, you’re more at risk for developing it than those who have healthier ones.

⚕️ Slow healing of wounds and bruises.

The immune system is in charge of healing wounds, so a poor immune system does not help you. In fact, it can make you much worse at recovering from wounds. Wounds will still heal eventually if your immune system is weak—it just takes longer than average. For example, minor cuts may take between five and seven days to recover. In comparison, more significant injuries may take ten days to two weeks or even more to heal.

In order to accelerate the alleviation process of bruises and wounds:

It is vital to maintain good hygiene when dealing with cuts or injuries.

Wash the wound gently with lukewarm water and soap twice daily (morning and night).

Do not wash the wound vigorously; instead, be gentle when scrubbing around the area.

⚕️ Infertility in men and women.

You may have also heard that the immune system is vital for conception. An overactive immune system can attack sperm and lead to autoimmune disorders in men. In women, it can cause premature birth, sudden infant death syndrome, as well as miscarriage.

⚕️ Allergens or asthmatic triggers.

People with asthma may experience difficulty breathing when their lungs are constricted by inflammation of the airways. When you come into contact with various asthma triggers, such as pollen, dust mites, or mold, you will be having an allergic reaction, which can lead to an asthma attack.

Allergens trigger the body’s defense system and release antibodies and chemicals like histamine. These antibodies and chemicals help fight off invading allergens but also cause allergic symptoms like swelling of a part of the body (such as the tongue or throat), sneezing, coughing, and itching eyes. Asthma symptoms such as wheezing occur because these same antibodies cause irritation leading to inflammation of the airways.

⚕️ Unable to fight parasitic infections.

Many parasitic infections are transmitted via food, through skin contact with soil or water. They can also even be passed on from mother to child. These parasites cause diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, and sometimes intestinal inflammation.

🟢 Food-borne parasites

Some of the common food-borne parasites include Amoeba or Giardia lamblia, which is contracted through contaminated water, and the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, which can be found in undercooked meat.

🟢 Skin parasites

Skin parasites such as scabies mites can be contracted by coming into contact with someone who has been infected with the mite.

🟢 Parasitic worms

Parasitic worms such as hookworm, roundworm, and pinworm can enter your body if you unknowingly walk barefoot on contaminated soil. The eggs of these worms can also spread by accidentally swallowing them from dirty hands or other objects. Individuals with a weakened immune system have higher chances of contracting a parasitic infection due to their compromised ability to fight off the invading germs and pathogens.

Habits For A Stronger Immunity

💪 Enough sleep

For an immune system that’s on point, you need to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. That’s the bare minimum for a healthy immune system. If you’re not getting enough sleep, it can cause inflammation in your body, and this makes your body more vulnerable to infection and sickness.

To make sure you’re getting enough sleep:

Make sure you don’t drink alcohol or caffeine near bedtime

Don’t eat late at night

Avoid screens before bedtime (that includes your phone and TV)

💪 Avoid smoking

Smoking makes it hard for the lungs to do their job, which is to move oxygen into the bloodstream. The smoke from cigarettes, cigars, and pipes damages cilia (tiny hair-like structures) that keep the lungs clear by sweeping away mucus.

Not only does smoking cigarettes damage your lungs, but it also affects your body’s ability to fight infections. When you inhale the smoke from a cigarette, you breathe in toxic chemicals that affect your immune defense system and make your body more likely to get sick.

💪 Change in diet

Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables. Research has shown that a person who eats more fruits and vegetables has better health and a lower risk of disease than those who don’t include as many guilt-free foods in their diets. Though it’s best to eat them fresh if seasonal produce is unavailable, frozen or canned versions are also healthy choices. If you do go the canned route, be sure to look for low-sodium options so that you don’t consume too much salt.

💪 Daily exercise

Physical activity is essential for your immune system. Being active reduces inflammation, helps circulate cells that fight infection and releases endorphins that make you feel happy. In fact, even moderate exercise can help activate T-cells (a type of white blood cell) to better combat viruses.

Other benefits of exercise include:

🟢 Strengthening your heart.

Your heart is majority composed of a muscle, so it’s essential to keep it as healthy as possible to maintain good circulation and avoid problems such as atherosclerosis (clogged arteries). Heart disease is a significant cause of disability and death in the U.S. However, regular physical activity can reduce the risk of developing heart disease by up to 82%.

🟢 Improving sleep quality.

Sleep deprivation can have numerous adverse effects on health. And insufficiency of physical activity can lead to poor sleep quality due to insufficient levels of melatonin which is a hormone important in regulating your sleep-wake cycle. As little as 10 minutes per day can help significantly improve both duration and quality of sleep: so try not to skimp on this one!

🟢 Maintaining weight loss or preventing weight gain.

Physical activity helps you burn more calories than sedentary activities like watching TV or using the computer. By burning more calories every day, you’ll be able to keep your body at its ideal weight without having to starve yourself during meals or do hours’ worth of crunches each night before bedtime.

💪 Alcohol intake

Consume alcohol in moderation. While there are exceptions (and most studies don’t show significant effects until very high intake), alcohol is one of the most complained about and well-documented impairments to the immune system. The impact of alcohol on the immune system is related to dose: more than one alcoholic drink per day can impair your health.

💪 Hydration

While it may seem like a no-brainer, staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids is a crucial way to keep your body defense strong and healthy. Water helps flush out bacteria and viruses, which can prevent you from getting sick.

The typical way to stay hydrated is to drink plain and clean water. Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics (or induce urination) and will dehydrate you. If you do consume alcohol or caffeine, make sure to also drink a tall glass of water for every cup of flavored liquid that you have.

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids when exercising or when you’re involved in any physical activity that makes you sweat a lot, even if it isn’t particularly hot outside. If the weather is hot or humid, increase your fluid intake accordingly.

Drinking plenty of water will also help in the prevention of constipation, which often happens when your body isn’t getting enough fluids and fiber. It can also help suppress kidney stones from forming as well as help remove them once they start forming by diluting the salts and minerals in urine that form these stones.

Vitamins And Minerals For Strong Immune System

Whenever you get sick, there is a reason behind it. In fact, your immune system has been compromised, allowing germs and infections to enter your body. This happens because of various reasons like poor diet, lack of sleep, stress, etc. However, the good news is that you can regularly maintain a healthy immune system by taking vitamins and minerals.

💊 Vitamin A

One vitamin that is exceptionally essential for boosting immunity is Vitamin A. This vitamin promotes the normal functioning of the immune system and helps fight infections as well as diseases. The inadequacy of this vitamin in the body reduces resistance to infections by damaging white blood cells and other components of the immune system.

Vitamin A also enhances vision in dim light besides maintaining healthy skin and mucous membranes along with healthy nervous system functions. It also plays a vital part in gene transcription (a process where information from DNA is used to form proteins), which in turn regulates cell differentiation that helps prevent cancerous growths in the body.

Lastly, vitamin A prevents age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease caused due to deterioration of the eye’s retina leading to loss of central vision required for activities like reading or driving.

💊 B-complex vitamins

B-complex vitamins are essential for a healthy nervous system and proper brain functioning. These vitamins are also commonly found in green leafy vegetables, so if you have plenty of spinach and kale in your diet, you probably don’t need to take any extra supplements.

But if you know that leafy greens aren’t your forte, B-complex vitamin supplements are an excellent way to make sure that you get all of these nutrients. Essential B-complex vitamins include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cobalamin), biotin, and folate.

💊 Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential to your optimal health. It is one of the water-soluble vitamins that also acts as an antioxidant. It helps enhance your immune system and fight off infections. Vitamin C also helps in the formation of collagen, which is vital for wound healing. Furthermore, it plays a role in the absorption of iron and the metabolism of cholesterol and fats.

It’s best to acquire vitamin C from foods than supplements. Fresh vegetables are rich sources of this vitamin, like:

Peppers – red, yellow, and green peppers (sweet) have about three times more vitamin C compared to oranges;

Broccoli – a cup of this contains more than 100 percent of your daily diet requirement;

Brussels sprouts – one cup contains over 130 percent of the daily food requirement;

Kale – one cup contains 134 percent of your daily requirement.

💊 Vitamin D

It’s important to get some sunshine now and then to boost your vitamin D levels. But you don’t have to go outside to up your intake. There are plenty of foods rich in this nutrient, such as eggs, fish such as salmon and tuna, fortified milk, cereals, and orange juice, that come with a lower risk of sunburn.

Although many people think of vitamin D as an essential bone health vitamin (which is actually right), this micronutrient also supports immune system function. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which helps build strong bones. This can help prevent osteoporosis or having brittle bones later in life.

If you’re asking how much vitamin D is enough for healthy immune system support, remember this: aim for 600 IU daily starting at age 1-year-old through adulthood. Keep in mind that most people will need supplements throughout the year because their diet alone won’t get them enough vitamin D.

💊 Vitamin E

You can get vitamin E from daily foods, such as leafy green vegetables and nuts. What it does for you is that Vitamin E is an antioxidant that may help to protect cells from damage. It also plays a role in enhancing the immune system and keeping skin healthy.

How much vitamin E do you need? As mentioned, most people get enough vitamin E in their diets. However, people who have digestive problems or who follow special diets may not get enough of this vitamin. Also, smokers, older adults, and people with cystic fibrosis may need extra vitamin E. But the recommended dose of vitamin E is 15 mg (22 IU) daily for adults and children ages 14 and up.

💊 Zinc

Zinc is a nutritionally essential element found in every cell. This is because it is involved in the creation of proteins, enzymes, and hormones. It helps wounds heal and contributes to DNA synthesis and cell division. For this reason, zinc is often marketed to support healthy immune function.

Also, it plays a critical role in the production of white blood cells and antibodies that help fight infections. As part of the antioxidant glutathione peroxidase, it also participates in breaking down free radicals that are generated during infection and inflammation, which can cause tissue damage if not contained.

Bottom Line

There are plenty of natural remedies to be found that can have a positive influence on your immune system. But the best way to ensure stronger immunity is to do regular exercises, eat healthy food, and find a healthy balance in your work and rest. By simply following these basic steps, you will be able to better guard against catching colds or the flu, or if you do catch one, it won’t be nearly as severe!

If you have difficulty changing your bad habits into good ones, click this link to know what to do and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

[tootiredforaname]

Getting To Know You Meme!

 Thank you for tagging me @mossmuncher , love doing these

Rules: tag a few people you want to know better; make a new post, don't reblog!

Favorite Color:

Warm brown, but baby blue has a place deep in my heart

Currently Reading:

Trying to get back into reading with the three Dublin plays by Seán O'Casey. They're very well-written, and a good look into early 1900s Irish politics

Last Song:

Soap by Penelope Scott! I love all her music, the whole Hazards album is always in my head

Last Movie:

Crimson Peak. Amazing film, the costumes are so pretty and well designed. I like a bit of artsy exploration of abuse from time to time, so it was very fun for me

The scene where the ants eat the butterfly will haunt me forever

Last Series:

Our Flag Means Death! Watched it all the way through in like three days, now me and a friend are watching it together. I'm literally obsessed it's becoming a problem

Sweet, Savory, or Spicy:

Spicy 100%. If I have to take breaks from eating bc my tongue lost all feeling I'm having a great time

Coffee or Tea:

Recently started experimenting with coffee, but nothing beats a cup of tea and a pack of custard creams

Three Ships:

1. Stede/Edward bodyslammed me out of nowhere, I haven't thought about anything else in six days

2. Blunder. I am not immune to the gay magicians and their various disorders

3. Lonelyeyes. I could psychoanalyse why I love them so much to hell and back but I'm not on enough medication to handle it

First Ever Ship:

Listen I know last time I said it was Horrid Henry but I recently unrepressed some memories and turns out it was Gorgonzola/Chowder from the Chowder show. I was a deranged little man

Currently Working On:

Getting back into writing! And art. Generally trying to be more creative, and bring a bit more joy to my life.

Favorite Piece of Clothing:

This blue and black hawaiian shirt I got from a charity shop. It goes with everything, it makes me feel Gender, and I get tons of compliments whenever I wear it

Comfort Food:

Potato waffles. I could eat hundreds of them and not be satisfied, they're the holy grail

Favorite Time Of Year:

Mid-summer. I don't like being in the sun bc I burn really easy, but when it's completely dark but still warm enough to wear shorts and a tank top outside… I am at peace

Fave Fanfic:

A Little Vision of the Start and the End by Hereticality fucked me up so hard I'm not joking. One of my first Stobotnik fics, left me stranded by the road with nothing but clothes and tears. I wake up every morning and blow a kiss at it.

Their other Sonic fic is amazing too, if you're looking for something packed with longing and bittersweet feels I'd highly recommend!

Tagging @ninchecain and @heartshpedfx (no pressure to do it, y'all just seem very cool)

[i-drink-and-i-write-fics]

Omega

Chapter 4: Remain Hidden

Summary: Reader speaks to Charles Xavier about whether or not to keep her secret.

“So, how do you want me to do it? Decapitation? A sword to the stomach? Finger guns?”

“Wade, honestly? Why are you like this?” You watched the merc with a mouth hold up a large poster board that had crayon drawings of several ways to ‘deal’ with Secretary Ross. All of them on the overkill side of problem solving.

“I’m just trying to be helpful. If this man is stalking mutants, we need to put him in his place.”

“By killing him? A bit excessive if you ask me. The man’s annoying, but he’ll either learn or get run over by the bus while crossing that war highway he has his sights set on.”

“Which bus?” Wade walked over from the fridge in the mansion’s kitchen.

“The bus of 'don’t fuck with mutants’. You know, the common sense one.” You took a beer out of his hand as he sat down at the table with you. “Anyway, you technically don’t have anything to worry about. You’re not an omega.”

“I could be an external!”

“Not even remotely close, dipshit. Being immune to death does not put you above an omega. Just ask Logan.” You took a swig of the beer. “I know Ororo, Jean, and Bobby will be just fine, but it can’t hurt to talk to Charles about all this.”

“What about you?”

“Welp, considering the only people who know I’m a mutant are most of the people at this school and Tony, and those of them who know I’m an omega is even less, I just gotta keep my nose clean until this is all over.”

“But do you want to? Why even hide? I never understood that.” He leaned over to look in your eyes and for the first time ever, you could tell he was serious.

“No, I really don’t want to hide my entire life. There’s so much good I could do for the earth and for people. But Howard ingrained it in my head that I would never be accepted by society, cementing that by shipping me off here, keeping me out of SHIELD’s records, and never acknowledging me publicly. And Tony may accept me publicly as a cousin, but he doesn’t want me to come out of the proverbial mutant closet either. Just once in my life I’d like to be myself 24/7, and not just when I’m alone in my room or the greenhouse.”

“Then stop hiding! Go on and be your badass self!”

“It’s not that easy, Wade.” You both turned to watch Professor Charles Xavier roll into the kitchen. “____ has a very complicated situation at hand. Which is not being made any better with your recurring visitor.”

You bowed your head, causing Wade’s eyes to widen. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! What’s all this about? You got a man?”

“No, I didn’t get a man. We’ve just been getting-” you cleared your throat, “regular visits from the CIA.”

“Uh huh, 'visits’.” Wade winked at you.

“It’s not like that!”

“Nor should it get that way if you’re going to maintain your secret.” You couldn’t look Charles in the eyes. You knew he could see in your head how much you enjoyed each time Everett visited the compound, even if the visits weren’t to see you. “Wade, I need you to leave us.”

“No way! This is better than any soap opera!” Charles faced Wade, and the merc suddenly stood up and very slowly walked towards the door.

“Cheater.” You smirked at your former teacher.

“I figured it was less messy than involving Piotr or Nathan.”

“Good call. Look, I know I’m dancing a dangerous line with the whole CIA agent thing, but in all honesty I don’t think he sees me that way. He only comes by to speak to Tony or Rhodey.”

“Oh, it absolutely is about you.” He gave you a teasing smile. “You’ve mentioned to me the information he brings over. The type of information that could easily be sent in an email and avoid the long drive.”

You closed your eyes and shook your head. “No, you and Tony are right. This has disaster written all over it. Especially since his boss is still dead set on hunting down omega mutants. I mean, how could that even work?”

“It could, but you would need to be completely honest with Everett. And frankly, that may be the way to go regardless of whether or not you end up on a date with him. We must show the world we are not a threat. And to do that-”

“We need to come out of hiding and trust them.” You finished. “Tony won’t like that.”

“It’s not up to him, it’s up to you. _____, you cannot hide forever. One day something will happen and you will act on instinct, exposing yourself. And then all the trust you’ve earned with everyone else will be lost.”

You sighed and nodded your head. “I know, I know. Let me warn Tony first and then… I’ll make my big reveal.”

“He may try to stop you.”

“Maybe, but I doubt it. Most likely he’ll go into big brother mode.” You stood up to leave. “I know I need to do this, but I’m scared shitless. I’ve hidden who I am for over two decades.”

“I would like to say everything will be alright, but we know from our pasts that that is never the case.”

“Ain’t that the damn truth, otherwise I’d still have my parents,” you put your hand on Charles’ shoulder. “Thank you, Professor. If you’ll excuse me, I have a hard night ahead of me.”

Back at the compound, you walked around looking for Tony as you chewed on one of your thumb nails. The compound was too quiet and you couldn’t help but wonder where everyone went.

“Hello?”

You turned around to see Everett coming around a corner. “Hey, Everett. What are you doing here?”

“Well, I was looking for Stark but it seems he isn’t here.” The closer he came to you, the hotter your face felt.

You turned your head slightly to the ceiling, “FRIDAY, can you tell me where the team is?”

“Mr. Stark and Mr. Rhodes have taken Captain Rogers, Mr. Wilson, and Sergeant Barnes to a baseball game in town. They will return in the morning. The remainder of the team is in the recreational room watching movies.”

“Thanks, FRIDAY.” You turn to look at Everett, “Sorry my cousin bailed, though I am amazed he’s at a ball game. He must have lost the popular vote in that one.”

“That’s alright. This information can wait, even if my boss doesn’t think so.” He cleared his throat and continued, “if you don’t have a lot of work to do or any plans, I was going to grab a bite to eat at this great place near by. Well, as nearby as you can get.”

You let out a nervous laugh, “Yeah. That sounds great!”

After an awkward car ride, you found yourself sitting across from Everett in a really nice, family-owned Italian restaurant. The two of you had never been alone before and you were at a loss for what to say. So you went the safe route.

“Thanks for inviting me out. I probably would have spent my night in the green house.”

“Oh, it’s my pleasure. I’ve wanted to talk to you more, but I always end up in a meeting with Stark.”

“You poor thing.” You share a quick laugh. “I’m almost positive he’s bored out of his mind right now.”

“Not as much as he would be during our meeting. He keeps insisting mutants aren’t a threat, and while I agree, I have no choice but to come here and bore both of us.”

“Why? Certainly Ross has to see this is going no where and fast.”

“He feels we’ll eventually wear him down.”

“And in the meantime he’s put you on babysitting duty. Not very dignified for a CIA agent.”

“No, but what else can I do?”

“Hang out with me instead?” You had no idea where the sudden confidence came from, but you ran with it. “That way you’re still at the compound, but you’ll save you and Tony a headache. But mostly you.”

He smiled shyly at you. “That sounds like a great idea.”

The night went smoother after that and you began to open up more, talking about your parents (as much as you could remember) and what it had been like living with the Starks. You had him laughing over childhood stories as he drove you back to the compound.

“Must have been hard living under Tony’s shadow.” He was walking you to the compound front doors despite it being five feet from his car.

“Well, I went to a boarding school starting at 12 so I didn’t have to worry about Howard’s disapproval too much.”

“What was that like?” He moved so he was a few inches from you.

“Not bad, actually. I made a lot of friends and learned a great deal. There were a few kids like me so i felt like I could fit in.”

He grinned at you and it was so infectious, you instantly returned it. “Thank you for coming out with me tonight. I better head back. I have to meet with Secretary Ross in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Everett. Hope to see you again soon.” You watched him walk back to his car before heading inside to go to bed.

Chapter 5

[duhragonball]

Battle Tendency Liveblog: JJBA Ch. 65-66

This is the start of the “Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times” arc, but I want to focus on these two chapters because they feature Mark.   I’ve got a lot to say about Mark under the cut, but the short version is that he’s a lousy Nazi and he deserves everything that happens to him.

A large chunk of Chapter 65 is just Caesar hanging out in Joseph and Speedwagon’s hotel room.   They try to play cards, but they’re both cheats.  This wouldn’t bother me at all until Speedwagon points out that he’s been here for eight hours, and never bothered to explain why.   You’d think Joseph would have demanded an answer a long time ago, since he’s not known for patience.  

As it turns out, Caesar’s been waiting for Mark, a buddy of his in the German Army.   Stroheim was in the German Army too, and he told Joseph that the Nazis had discovered three other Pillar Men in Rome.   That’s why he and Speedwagon came here, after all.    Well, Caesar’s an Italian, and Italy and Germany are allies, so Caesar managed to persuade the Germans (through Mark) to let him take a look at the Pillar Men.    So in this chapter, Mark rolls up in a car and drives them over to the site. 

But we already know what happened at the site in Chapter 64.   The Pillar Men have already reawakened, and all the Nazi soldiers stationed there have been slaughtered.   When Mark leads our heroes into the catacombs, they find the remains of the Germans, while Mark bumps into the Pillar Men themselves.  (Note: the above image is not to scale).

The thing is, bumping into the Pillar Men is hazardous to your health.    We saw that vampire grab Santana and large chunks of his body were completely absorbed.   The same thing happens to Mark, only faster, because Wamuu doesn’t even slow down as he walks past him.    He just walks right through Mark and half of his body is gone.  

So when I first watched the JoJo anime, it was right after I watched the Hellsing Ultimate anime, and I got a kick out of seeing two completely different anime takes on vampire lore.   Let’s face it, the Pillar Men are presented as something beyond mere vampires, but they’re basically just super-vampires, not so different from Alucard in Hellsing.    And both make use of the Nazis, except in Hellsing, the Nazis are the villains, while in Battle Tendency, they’re kinda sorta allies.  Stroheim is clearly a bad guy, because he killed his prisoners and tormented Speedwagon, but Mark is presented as a completely sympathetic person.   He’s got a sweetheart back home, Caesar’s the one who introduced them, and he’s planning to get married the next time he goes back to Germany.   And for his very brief appearance in JJBA, he’s completely friendly and helpful to the heroes.   We’re supposed to feel very sorry for him when he gets killed here.  

Part 2 is my favorite, but I think this stands out as it’s biggest flaw.   I get the idea.    Hellsing was dealing with a lot of dark themes, and the protagonists were horrifying in their own right.   So Kouta Hirano used the Nazis as villains to humanize his vampire characters.    By contrast, Hirohiko Araki seems to be using the Nazis to dehumanize the Pillar Men.   They’re so evil that even the Nazis look halfway decent by comparison.   At least the Nazis are human, with human loves and fears and honor.    The Pillar Men kill Mark without even noticing him, and Speedwagon likens this to a human stepping on an ant.     I get what Araki is trying to do here, but it rings hollow.    Fuck Mark, and fuck his Nazi fiance.  The first time we see him, we get a close up of his Iron Cross medal, with the damn swastika in the middle of it.    We’re supposed to buy into the idea that he’s “one of the good Germans”, and it’s 1938, so World War II hasn’t officially started yet, so somehow Mark is supposed to be cool. �� But no, I don’t buy it.

Let me go off on a little sidebar and try to explain how we got here.   Battle Tendency was published in 1988.   Back then, Hitler had been dead for decades, and Germany had been partitioned into two countries, East and West Germany.   The Nazis seemed to have been consigned to the dustbin of history, and as time passed, pop culture grew more comfortable using the Nazis as historical villains in stories like this one.    There was a sense that yeah, the Nazis were really bad, but they were gone now, and they would never come back.   I think there was a similar mentality surrounding the Soviet Union after the U.S.S.R. dissolved.    By the 2000′s there were all sorts of internet memes about Nazi stuff and Soviet stuff and it was rationalized as harmless envelope-pushing. 

The problem is, it doesn’t seem so harmless in 2021, when Russia is a autocracy that meddles in U.S. elections, emboldening white nationalists in the process.   The “alt-right” fanatics who marched in Charlottesville in 2017?   The rioters who stormed the Capitol building this past January?   Those assholes probably wouldn’t call themselves Nazis, but neither did the Nazis.   They called themselves “National Socialists”, because they were trying to make their ugly policies sound more legitimate.   The same holds true for “alt-right”, “economic nationalist”, “Qanon”, “truther”, and so on.   They’re just new labels for the same old horseshit.  

I don’t want to judge Battle Tendency too harshly, because it’s the product of a different time, an era when people could at least pretend that Nazism was one of the few problems that we didn’t have to worry about any more.   The same mentality can be found in Hellsing.   The Nazis in Hellsing are definitely villains, but the conceit is that they’re all immortal vampires or werewolves, because that’s the only way the Nazi menace could possibly exist in 1999.    Otherwise, they’d all be dead of old age.   Battle Tendency is set in 1938, so it takes the liberty of presenting sympathetic Nazis, because we already know they’ll be defeated in the end, right?   We might as well see what makes them tick.  

Araki may have thought that using Nazis in a story set in the 1930s would be no different than using Napoleonic French soldiers in a story set in the 1800s.  And in the long run, that might be true, but I don’t think we’re there yet.   In the here and now, it’s aged rather poorly.  

Of course, just because Caesar and Joseph feel bad for Mark doesn’t mean I have to.   And Araki may have been more self-aware than I’m giving him credit for.    Nazi Germany wanted to set itself up as the Master Race, and in this fictional world, the Pillar Men have come to do the same thing, only they’re much, much further ahead of the game.   I think part of the point of Stroheim and Mark was to contrast the Nazis’ supreamcist attitudes with Kars’ ambitions.   For all of Stroheim’s boasting, he’s helpless against Kars’ might.   But at the same time, for all of Kars’ power and brilliance, he’s ultimately chasing the same pipe dream as Hilter and his followers.  

Let’s get back on track.    While the good guys react in horror at what happened to Mark, the Pillar Men just stand around nearby and discuss their situation.   They completely ignore our heroes, just like they ignored Mark.   Kars wants to locate the Red Stone of Aja, because it’s the secret ingredient to the mask he designed that will make them immune to sunlight.   Esidisi doesn’t understand how the stone helps their plan, but he’s totally on board.    But as they head out, Wamuu suddenly attacks Kars, because Kars stepped in his shadow, and apparently Wamuu just lashes out at anyone who does this, friend or foe.   

Wamuu is deeply sorry for this, and begs to be punished, but Kars apologizes instead, because he knows about Wamuu’s whole shadow thing and he feels that he’s the one who made the mistake here.  I really love this exchange, because it defines the Pillar Men so well.    As indifferent as they are to human lives, they respect one another a great deal.   Kars is the leader, but he still treats the other two guys like close associates.    He needs Wamuu’s sharp senses and keen warrior instincts.   Meanwhile, Wamuu and Eisidisi practically worship Kars like a god.   They’ve literally followed him around the world and across thousands of years in pursuit of his vision. 

So yeah, if the goal here was to use Mark’s suffering to make me hate the Pillar Men, it doesn’t work.  The Pillar Men are evil, sure, but they’re pretty cool bad guys.   On the other hand, Mark looks ridiculous here, with Caesar holding and talking to half of his body.   This looks like something out of a Tex Avery cartoon.   

I mean, let’s set aside the whole Nazi thing for a moment.   Why should I feel sorry for Mark?  Because he’s in pain?   He got cut in half!   He should have died instantly!    Because he was going to get married?   We only met this guy one chapter ago!   Because he’s Caesar’s friend?  Well Caesar’s kind of a jerk too.  

Anyway, Mark begs Caesar to kill him and end his suffering, so Caesar uses the Ripple to stop his heart.    Or the half of it that’s still there, I guess.   

Okay, so the whole point of Mark’s death is to really get the good guys fired up to battle the Pillar Men, right?    Okay, Caesar tries to take them on, and he opens with the Bubble Launcher, the same move he talked about earlier.   It didn’t beat Joseph, but Caesar’s Hamon power does hurt Wamuu’s skin, which is more than Joseph managed to do against Santana.  

The Bubble Launcher is supposed to surround the opponent with dozens of soap bubbles charged with Hamon energy.  Wamuu can’t escape without touching them and getting hurt.   But Wamuu just sprouts all these long braids from his head and clothes, and swings them around with superhuman precision to know the bubbles away without hurting himself.  

As it turns out, these Pillar Men are familiar with Hamon.   Santana was surprised to encounter Joseph Joestar’s powers, but Wamuu and the others have fought Ripple users in the past.    And Wamuu’s more intrigued than worried...

Oh, as one final aside, on the car ride to the catacombs, Speedwagon asked Caesar if he tried to use the Ripple to destroy the Pillar Men before they woke up, and Caesar explains that it didn’t work while they were in their dormant state.   Remember, at the very start of this story, Speedwagon called Straizo because he wanted someone to use the Ripple to destroy Santana before he could wake up.   Now we see that even if Straizo had agreed to his request, it wouldn’t have done any good.   Sunlight doesn’t seem to kill the Pillar Men so much as it makes them turn to stone, and the Ripple only hurts them while they’re flesh and blood.   So the only way to kill them seems to be by using Hamon in a direct confrontation, and that’s a tall order...

[chilling-in-the-dark]

The Superfam as Yandere’s Part 2: Jon Kent

This is a yandere story; it mentions elements of obsession, possessiveness, death, murder, kidnapping, and physical abuse. If any of this is triggering for you, I understand, and you don’t have to read it.

As always feedback is welcomed.

You’d tripped and grabbed on to fourteen-year-old Jon Kent’s upper arm to catch yourself, and when your hand made contact, Jon felt the place you’d touched start to burn. Oh, oh. Oh shit, he thought when he realized exactly what had just happened, how is it he could know you for four years, and yet today was the first time you’d touched him.

After all, you were the daughter of Dick Grayson, younger sister to Mary Grayson. Your father was like another Dad to Damian, so of course, you spent a lot of time with him, and by extension, Jon. Damian was five years older than you, and though his real title was your uncle, he thought of you more as a little sister.

Damian was extremely protective, and Jon knew that even if he couldn’t help it, Damian would never forgive him for being your soulmate. So, he’d kept it quiet, only he didn’t need to, Damian knew and had come to the decision that so long as the Kryptonian didn’t act on the soulmate thing, then everything would be fine. Besides, Damian was busy enough with his own darling, he didn’t have time to worry about something that Jon knew better than to let happen.

To make matters worse, finding out you were his soulmate had brought up memories of Jon’s late mother. When she’d first disappeared, his father had told him that she’d been sick and that his mom was getting help, so if they were lucky, she’d be home with them soon. Jon had believed him, but as it turned out, his father was a liar, his mother wasn’t going to be back with them soon, no, she’d die in some medical mishap.

At least that’s what Clark had told him, it wouldn’t be until much later that Jon found out the truth, but that wasn’t to come not for a few years at least.

Suddenly, Jon had the urge to make you his and keep you that way. Jon hadn’t really had a conversation with his father since his mother died, maybe it was wrong of Jon to blame Clark, but he really didn’t care, his mother was dead, and his father had let it happen.

The possessiveness was because of Kryptonian instinct, at least that’s what the computer in the fortress of solitude had said, Jon would have asked his father, but he found himself avoiding home these days unable to look Clark in the eye without feeling some level of rage.

Jon fought his instincts for as long as he could, but when you were fourteen, and he was sixteen, suddenly he couldn’t anymore. According to his research into mate bonds, this was normal for someone in his situation, he was nearing the age of maturity, and it would start to affect his behavior with his mate. There was no fighting his instincts entirely, so he gave into them in small ways like lending you his jacket when a sudden cold breeze blew by, it helped him control the worst parts of him, the ones that really wanted to keep you by his side forever no matter the cost.

Jon loved the way you looked in his jacket it was like you were basically drowning in the fabric, but more importantly, he loved that it told the world you were his, but then he’d have to remind himself that you weren’t, that you couldn’t be, and that he couldn’t have you because that would be betraying his best friend.

It hadn’t taken Jon long to figure out you liked the slight accent growing up in rural Kansas had gifted him. He found himself playing it up slightly when you were around, he really couldn’t help it, the Kryptonian part of him knew you found it attractive, and it wasn’t going to let a chance to win you over pass him by.

It happened with other things too, like how Jon kept waring that blue flannel you said brought out his eyes, whenever he knew you were going to be around, and how he kept his hair in the cut and style he knew you liked. Sometimes Jon felt like a damn animal nearly shouting, hay look at me I’m healthy and attractive, want to spend the rest of your life with me.

If Damian noticed his friend preening like a peacock for you, he didn’t say anything, then again Damian had been busy with his wife, so he could be forgiven for it, and besides, with Damian busy you’d been spending more one on one time with Jon, and he was living for it.

So much so that Jon kept having to remind himself to slow down, he may have been sixteen, and more than ready to start dating, but you were only fourteen, and Kryptonian instincts be damned he wasn’t going to hurt you by going too fast.

Jon had sworn a vow to himself to keep you safe, no matter the cost, if it meant your safety then Jon would gladly die himself, heck he’d kill the whole planet if it really came down to it. You were everything to him, and in a way, how much his world revolved around you scared him a little. It would be easy to lose himself down that rabbit hole.

When Jon was eighteen he tried to quit you like a drug, avoiding you at all costs, by the end of the week he felt like he was dying, by the end of the month, Jon felt worse than any form of Kryptonite had ever made him. Even the thought of moving hurt, Jon couldn’t see straight if he wanted to, and if he was a guessing person, Jon would say he was running a fever too, judging by the fact that he couldn’t get warm.

Of course, Clark knew what was going on, so long as you were alive, Jon wouldn’t be able to stay away from you, or his body would start fighting him, and if you passed before the two of you had children, Jon would surely wither and die himself. The only reason Clark had survived the death of his wife was because a piece of her still lived on in Jon.

So, wanting to keep that piece of his wife alive Clark did the one thing he knew would save his son, he made up an excuse to leave the planet and called Dick, Clark had told your father about you and Jon as soon as he figured it out himself. Of course, Dick hadn’t been happy about a Kryptonian loving his daughter because the only soulmate bond they had record of was Clarks, and that hadn’t ended well. Though in the end, Dick had decided that he wasn’t going to stand in the way.

Sure, that might have been because while Dick had Mary wrapped around his finger, he didn’t have you because you’d seen with your own eyes how your father treated your mother behind closed doors. Dick wanted you out of the way because you knew far too much, so he didn’t even question when Clark asked you to go to the Kent farm. If you never came back, it would just mean Dick didn’t have to worry about what you knew, or how you could take his wife away from him.

You’d been concerned when Clark called and asked you to look after Jon while he was off-world. Kryptonians were supposed to be immune to earth illnesses, but when you looked at Jon, you started to question that belief.

You pressed your hand to Jon’s forehead to confirm what you already suspected; he was burning up. According to Clark, he’d already tried all of the human fever reducers he could find, and none of them seemed to work. So you’d had to settle for the old school method of bringing down a fever, a cold washcloth on the forehead. After you’d placed it on Jon’s head, he grabbed your hand, pulled it to his cheek and nuzzled into it, you could have sworn you heard him slur the word mine as he did so.

Jon said a lot of things like that for the first couple of days, and you weren’t sure if he meant them or if he was delirious from his fever, but you kind of hoped for the former because over the years you’d fallen in love with him.

Loving Jon made you feel like you were living in some teen soap opera, Damian used to be like a brother to you until you found out that he knew what Dick was doing to your mom, but he did nothing to stop it, and Jon was Damian’s best friend, that was prime drama material. Still, you’d decided that if Jon ever gave you a clear indication that he returned your affections, you’d take him up on it.

Only you couldn’t tell if feverish ramblings counted as a clear sign, on the one hand, he’d rambled for twenty minutes about how pretty your eyes were at one point, but on the other hand that had been when he still had a fever and kept calling water earth juice. So you should probably have discarded anything he said during his entire illness, but you couldn’t bring yourself to.

Jon had been better for a few days now, and you really should have gone home, but this was a nice break from your life in Gotham. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the fact that you were only sixteen, you might have never gone home.  As it stood, you were still under eighteen, and eventually, you’d have to go home, but today was not that day. Until Clark came back, you were going to enjoy your little domestic heaven with Jon.

“Breakfast smells good,” Jon mumbled as he stumbled down the stairs, obviously still half asleep. You hadn’t expected Jon to come up behind you and wrap his arms around your waist as you cooked, but he did. It was at that moment that you decided to throw caution to the wind because you just didn’t hold someone like he was holding you if you didn’t have feelings for them.

You turned around in Jon’s arms and wrapped your arms around his neck to bring his lips to yours, the kiss was perfect just like everything else about the person in front of you. Jon would have been content to stay like that forever, but unlike him, you needed to breathe, so he didn’t fight you when you pulled away from the kiss.

Jon wasn’t sure what had come over him as you pulled away, but all he could think was mine, mine, mine, mine, to the point he found himself growling, “You’re mine.” As he pulled you right up against him.

“I’m yours,” You confirmed, as you pulled him in for another kiss, If you’d grown up in a healthy family the blatant show of possessiveness might have freaked you out, but you hadn’t, so honestly you found it romantic. Red flags might as well have been green lights to you, and in a way, you were lucky you’d fallen in love with Jon at least he wasn’t like Dick. Jon would never hit you like Dick did your mother.

It was later that night that Jon explained the whole soulmate thing, and for the first time in his life, he felt truly content as he slept because he had you in his arms.

It was a week later when Damian showed up, he’d been worried about both you and Jon, he was concerned about Jon because if you weren’t back, that meant there was a possibility Jon wasn’t improving. Still, Damian was also worried about you because what if Jon had gotten better and wasn’t letting you leave. Damian had seen how well those supposed soulmate bonds, worked out in the end.

Out of all the scenarios Damian expected to find, one of them hadn’t been you, and Jon snuggled up on the couch watching a movie. Damian had never felt so betrayed, his best friend and his niece together, he wanted to puke.

You smiled as you curled up into Jon’s side; part of you hoped that Clark would never come back because you’d been happier than you had been in years. That is until Damian kicked the door in and charged Jon with a sword and a shard of Kryptonite. Without thinking, you threw yourself in front of Jon, and in turn, Jon threw himself over you, shielding you from shielding him.

Damian found Jon’s willingness to die for you admirable; it still wouldn’t be enough to win him over, no it’d take a lot more than that, but maybe he was worth a chance. Damian put the Kryptonite away into a special lead-lined pouch on his utility belt after he’d done that Jon felt his strength return.

Jon shoved you behind him and glared at Damian. “If you ever hurt her, I can and will end you, do you understand me Kryptonian,” Damian said as he placed the tip of his sword to Jon’s throat.

“Yeah I do, and I would never hurt her, I love her.”

“Your father said the same thing about his wife, and yet he drove her to suicide.” Damian proclaimed venom dripping from his words.

After learning the truth about his mother's death, Jon sent you off with Damian, he called you every day only to ask you to return a week later, as soon as you set foot on the Kent farm Jon dropped down on one knee and proposed. You gladly said yes, and with your parent's permission, got married.

You never questioned why Clark hadn’t returned from space, and it was a good thing you hadn’t because Jon didn’t feel like explaining that his father had returned, but he’d died not long after.

Had Jon killed him? It was possible because, after all, it would have avenged his mother and secured a beautiful, peaceful life for the two of you. All you knew is that after you were married, Jon mostly retired from superheroing. Only going out when absolutely necessary, because he was content to be a farmer for the rest of his life, so long as you were by his side.

A/N I’m not even sure if Jon came off as Yandere in this tbh, Jon in my head is a much softer Yan then the rest, so overall, my usual amount of skin-crawling creep factor isn’t here, but shrug emoji. Also, Yes, Conner was supposed to be next, but that didn’t end up happening.

Tags:

@yanderepeterparker​ @idkmanicantenglish​ @prettyafghan @neon-phosphorecsent​

[lightsinthedistancee]

City Midnights, Chapter 2: Poe Dameron x Reader

Pairing: Poe Dameron x Reader 

Word Count: 2.3k

Summary: “There is always something missing in his headspace. Something vaguely shaped like you.”

Poe reflects on past times with Reader while he hopes for their survival.

Warnings: Violence

Read the first chapter here.

A/N: This work is 3 chapters long, and this is the last one in this sort of “group-of-one-shots” format. The last chapter will be super short and sweet. Hope you enjoy!

If you wish to be tagged on future works, just drop a reply/comment.

He cannot sleep. Worry and distress are consuming him, wrenching his insides around, tampering with the portions of his brain that allow him to relax. When he’d heard you’d been taken, he had returned to his quarters, laid on the bed, and unashamedly sobbed. The captured often never returned.

He wakes during the night. Sometimes because he believes that he can hear you. Sometimes because he is missing the familiar weight of you on his chest. Sometimes because he has nightmares, and there are only empty sheets beside him.

It’s a month after your disappearance that he finally gains the courage to enter your quarters. It screams familiarity, and that is the worst part. Your shoes are still casually strewn by the door. The bed is still messed up from when the two of you had woken up, made love, and then gotten ready two weeks past. It feels like a lifetime ago to him.

Your pillow still smells like you. Something subtly sweet and distinctly citrusy.

He ensures that he is the only one to suffer from his grief. Poe Dameron is not one to fail to get the job done. But he goes about the day with a numbness to his actions. In some ways, it’s a good thing. He is hyper-efficient, immune to distractions, for that is what numbness does to him.

But there’s always something missing in his headspace. Something vaguely shaped like you.

He lies in his bed that night, staring at the ceiling, eyes tracing the bright stripes that the light from the moon reflects onto the surface. He replays memories in his head. Good and bad. Hopeful and hopeless. Tragic and beautiful.

He watches you. You’re on your stomach, in the grass, your hands wrapped around a sniper rifle. You mutter numbers under your breath, running them in your head with an extraordinary speed, something he knows he’ll never be able to do.

You handle the rifle with a delicacy, like it’s a work of art that you love dearly. You treat it as such, and he knows that he cannot possibly count the number of times he has seen you polishing it, oiling the trigger.

You’d always loved your job. Why you did, exactly, was revealed to him one night years ago, in the early hours, whispered beneath covers that felt like they could protect the two of you from anything.

You were on the side of the Light. You’d grown up on the side of the Light. And the Light did not believe in death. Death was cruel, unnecessary in many situations. It had the potential to be the ultimate act of barbarism. And the both of you had been raised on that idea like it was religion.

And that night, you’d shamefully admitted that you loved your weapon for the cleanliness in which it got the job done. One shot, and it was over. One shot with the capacity to end someone’s world, someone’s life, someone’s love.

That memory is what he recalls as he listens to you take deep breaths, your figure relaxing. By now, he’s seen you work enough to know that that means you’re about to take the shot. He watched the target through binoculars.

Bang.

A yell. A thud. A burst of red like a blossoming rose.

It is done. Just like that. He grins immediately. “That’s my girl,” he says, too soft for you to hear.

You remove your focus from the scope and meet him with a smile. You stand, slinging the rifle over your shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Another shot in the distance sounds off, and his head is instantly on a swivel, looking for a perpetrator. “What the hell?”

He looks to you, and his eyes widen.

You’re on the ground.

You’re bleeding.

You’re gasping.

That had been a blaster bolt with your name on it.

He’s in shock for a moment. He just stares. But then, he’s at your side, pulling you into his arms, muttering profanities under his breath in distress. He activates the comm in his ear. “I need a medical team to….” He rattles off coordinates, and all he can do is wait.

His world is freezing, leaving just you and him and your agonizing pain that he can seemingly feel too. Your distress sizzles through the air, clutching at his heart, clawing at it, begging for him to help. And he can do nothing. Nothing to aid you clinging to life in his lap.

Your breathing is ragged, your eyes are blank. The only sign that you are still alive is the painful sound coming from your lips. “Stay with me, baby,” he begs, pleading to any higher power that may exist. “Stay with me.”

In short, once everything had run its course, you’d been fine. Fine after hours of surgery and a nasty scar, that is. He supposed that he should’ve been grateful that your attacker had not possessed the same precision that you had. If they had, it would’ve been a shot clean through your skull, and it would’ve truly been over.

But regardless, that did nothing to stop the feeling he’d felt from returning to him every night. He still feels it: in his dreams, in his fears. He feels it right now. It’s not as strong. It’s dull, like something that doesn’t cause him blatant pain, but won’t allow him to relax either.

And as he lies on his bed, unable to sleep, all he wants is you. You by his side, you in his arms, your presence gracing his. You are always there: after particularly long days, after lost battles, after deaths, after hard missions….

He paces down the halls of base, his hair disheveled, bags under his eyes. One pilot down, two damaged ships, three civilian casualties, and no information whatsoever. All under his command.

He pushes open the door to his quarters. The room emanates a soft, warm glow, alighted by lamps and candles, matching the feeling that you give him. You sit at the desk, working away at some logistics for an upcoming mission.

When you catch sight of him, you jump, for he’d been silent coming in. He watches your happy face fade as you see his state.

He almost feels guilty that he has brought his gloom with him upon his return. But you don’t seem to mind, like always.

You walk up to him, simply wrapping your arms around him, burying your face in the crook of his neck. He presses a kiss to your hair and relishes your warmth, breathing you in.

You pull away, fingers twisted in the fabric of his shirt to pull it over his head. A smattering of bruises lines his ribs, your eyes quickly flicking to his. “Don’t worry about it,” he says softly.

He glances at the clock, alarmed at the fact that it is nearly midnight. Wordlessly, you grasp his hand, leading him through the room, into the refresher.

“What happened?” You ask tentatively as your hands run tenderly along his body, soaping him up.

“Can I tell you tomorrow?”

You nod, moments of silence passing.

“Tell me about your day,” he says quietly. The sight of you washes over him, relaxes him in a way only you can achieve.

You raise an eyebrow. “I didn’t really do much—“

“Please,” he pleads, cutting you off, desperation in his voice. “I just want to hear you speak about something…anything…”

“Okay.” You smile warmly, standing on your toes to press a soft kiss to his lips. “Well I got to sleep in this morning actually, till around 9. I worked on some mission logistics—oh, and I watched Leia chew some colonel out…”

As you speak, he zones out, just letting the sound of you comfort him. It is euphoric compared to the sense of failure he’s endured the past two weeks.

When he goes to wash his hair, you stop him, instead turning him around and running your hands through his curls, washing them thoroughly. It is almost sinful how good your hands feel, tenderly running along his scalp, gently working out any knots. The water around the drain circles slightly gray from fallout ash.

When he goes to return the favor, you refuse. “Go to bed,” you insist, able to tell that he is very tired.

“But…,” he objects. There is some arguing back and forth before you practically push him out of the shower.

“Why are you so difficult?” you question, laughing softly.

He smiles, opening up the curtain slightly so that you can see his smirk. “You wouldn’t want me any other way, sweetheart, and you know it.”

You merely roll your eyes, tugging the curtain closed.

He gets in bed, waiting for you before he falls asleep. You walk out when you’re done and dressed, and he watches as you go about turning off lights and blowing out candles. The softness and tranquility that you exude challenges his sadness and desperation that he is sure is rolling about the room in waves, consuming everything. The two of you are opposites when you need to be, the same when it is beneficial, the perfect complement to the other.

Once you’re settled in, he rolls towards you, resting his head on your shoulder. Your fingers calmingly comb through his hair as he breaths softly, savoring the feeling of your warm skin against his.

He is falling prey to sleep quicker and quicker as the seconds pass. When he hears you speak, your voice is barely a whisper. “Good night, love.”

He’s been with you for years. Loved you for years. He’d met you at nineteen. Spent some time together. Then you’d separated to lead different lives. Him to the New Republic, you following your own path.

A reunion had occurred years down the line, leading to the moment right now, where he lies in bed, fingers twisting in the sheets. The future has been in consideration with the two of you. A plan to tie the knot once the war was over, get a place in the city, adopt a few dogs perhaps.

The idea, once bright, currently seems so far out of reach to him. Like a light in the distance that he is so desperately grasping for, his attempts only pushing it further and further away.

He thinks of all his proclamations of love to you, all of his hopeful thoughts he’d infused in you. All of the promises he’d made to you…

It is well past midnight. The two of you lie on his X-Wing, near the back on the thrust engines. It is as far off the ground as the both of you can get for now. You head is on his chest, his jacket around your shoulders as you look up at the stars. Although you don’t notice, he is looking at you, a fondness spreading a warm feeling throughout his body.

Your eyes seem to reflect the light of the stars as you stare off into the abyss of space. A ship streaks by, and a small chuckle escapes your lips.

He raises an eyebrow in confusion. “What?”

“Nothing,” you tell him, drawing your hands into the sleeves of his jacket to keep warm. “Just a memory.”

He pushes a strand of hair from your face, the corners of his lips twitching. “Wanna tell me?”

You pause a moment, tilting your head thoughtfully as if unsure. “Back home,” you begin, “I’d always find buildings with fire escapes so that I could sit on the roof and watch ships.”

He threads his fingers with yours as your attention shifts to another ship.

“I had one of those compasses you could get from the store—maybe a credit or two—and, based on the direction, I’d just imagine where the ships were going….”

You laugh softly, a small smile on your lips. “There was really no logic to it…it was just fun.

“Sometimes I’d bring a holopad and take virtual ‘walks’ down the streets of some old Naboolian city, or some foreign Deep Core metropolis, or some bustling Corellian bazaar.

“And all of that would just turn into long nights of dreaming about leaving home and traveling the galaxy. I could spend hours doing that, just seeing endless visions of fantasies and my wildest dreams, thoughts of wanderlust and yearning to see and feel…to experience…the entire galaxy.”

He finds himself enamored by the way you speak, the way your eyes seem to cloud over as you relive the past.

“Well you get to travel in this job now, right?” he asks.

You hum in agreement, the smallest frown appearing. “Yes, but not everywhere I’d want to go.”

“Where do you want to go?”

You rattle off city and planet names, sometimes entire systems. He smiles at your childlike excitement as mentions of certain places make your entire face light up. The way you jolt slightly as you enthusiastically remember a crucial place you’d forgotten. The way your hands move as you speak.

The list is long, but Maker knows that the both of you have your entire life ahead.

“We’ll go some day,” he tells you as you finish. “Once the war is over. Once we’ve won.”

You smile. “Yeah?”

He nods. “One day, sweetheart. I promise,” he murmurs. “One day.”

Poe is now not so sure that that one day will ever come.

..::::.. ..::::.. ..::::.. ..::::..

He wakes hours later to a frantic banging on his door. He resists the urge to ignore it. He’d miraculously fallen asleep fairly quickly, and getting out of bed would spoil that.

A warbling sounds at the door, followed by a series of beeps. His droid.

He groans, rubbing his eyes and stumbling out of bed before flinging open the entrance to his quarters.

BB-8 is there, already speaking at a million miles per hour. Poe pleads with the droid to slow down as the pilot’s brain slowly comprehends and translates the binary in his sleepy state.

But when Poe is through with his understanding, his eyes widen at the single sentence.

“They’ve found her.”

..::::.. ..::::.. ..::::.. ..::::..

Taglist: @paper-in-ashes-fanfiction​ @imaginecrushes​ @no-shit-sherl0ck​ @castiel-barnes​ @starryeyedstories​

“City Midnights” Chapter 2 originally posted on AO3 on 12/11/20.

[covidclinic]

All You Need to Know about COVID Variants

All You Need to Know about COVID Variants

About the Delta Version: 

Vaccines continue to minimize the risk of developing the COVID-19 virus, including this variant. Vaccines are highly effective against serious illness, however, the Delta variation of the virus that causes COVID-19 generates more infections and spreads quicker than earlier forms of the virus.

Viruses are continually changing due to mutation, and new variations are likely to emerge. Occasionally, new varieties appear and then vanish. New varieties emerge at other times. During this pandemic, multiple varieties of the virus that causes COVID-19 are being tracked in the United States and around the world.

The Most Important Things You Should Know:

-Variations are to be expected. Reduce the spread of infection by taking preventative steps, such as acquiring a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, to inhibit the creation of new variations.

-COVID-19 vaccines protect you from being ill, being hospitalized, or dying.

-Although all COVID-19 tests can detect all variants, they cannot tell you which one you have.

Vaccines:

-COVID-19 vaccinations approved by the FDA defend against Delta and other recognized variations.

-These immunizations are effective in preventing COVID-19 infection, severe illness, and death.

-We have no idea how effective the immunizations will be against future variations.

Symptoms:

-COVID-19 symptoms are identical in most variations.

-Alpha and Delta variations, for example, may cause more people to become sick and die.

Masks:

-One strategy to reduce the spread of Delta and other variations is to wear a mask.

-At all levels of community transmission, people who are not completely vaccinated should wear a mask indoors in public. 

-People who have been completely vaccinated should wear a mask inside in locations where transmission is considerable or high, according to the CDC.

-If you have a weakened immune system, or if you are at increased risk for serious disease due to your age or an underlying medical condition, or if someone in your family has a compromised immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease, or is unvaccinated, wearing a mask is essential. 

-If this applies to you or your family, regardless of the level of transmission in your area, you may want to wear a mask.

-Even if you are fully vaccinated, you may not be totally protected if you have a condition or are taking medications that compromise your immune system. 

-Until your healthcare professional advises otherwise, you should continue to take all measures recommended for unvaccinated people.

-Those who have not been vaccinated should continue to take precautions.

Testing:

-All tests are valid for all variations, but they do not reveal which one you have.

-Scientists will continue to assess how effectively testing functions when new varieties developed.

Types of Variants:

-Scientists keep track of all variants, but some may be classified as variants of interest, concern, or high consequence based on how quickly they spread, how severe their symptoms are, and how they're handled.

-Some variants appear to spread more easily and fast than others, potentially leading to an increase in COVID-19 instances.

-A rise in the number of cases will place further demand on healthcare resources, resulting in more hospitalizations and possibly more deaths.

Variants of Concern:

~Alpha - B.1.1.7

-The United Kingdom was the first country to be identified.

-Spreads significantly more quickly than other types.

-Severe disease and death: More people may become sicker and die as a result of this.

-Vaccines: Vaccines that are currently approved work against this variation. Breakthrough infections among completely vaccinated people are possible, but they are uncommon. Vaccines are very successful in preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death.

-Treatments: Treatments for this variation are effective.

~Beta - B.1.351

-South Africa was the first country to be discovered.

-Spread: This variation may spread more quickly than others.

-Death and severe illness: There is no evidence that this variant causes more severe disease or mortality than other variants.

-Vaccines: Vaccines that are currently approved work against this variation. Although some breakthrough infections are expected, they are still uncommon. Vaccines are very successful in preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death.

-Certain monoclonal antibody therapies are less effective in treating this variation.

~Gamma - P.1

-Japan/Brazil was the first to be identified.

-Spreads more quickly than other types.

-Severe sickness and mortality: There is no evidence that this variant causes more severe disease or death than other variants based on current data.

-Vaccines: Vaccines that are currently approved work against this variation. Although some breakthrough infections are expected, they are still uncommon. Vaccines are very successful in preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death.

-Certain monoclonal antibody therapies are less effective in treating this variation.

~Delta - B.1.617.2

-India was the first country to be discovered.

-Spreads significantly more quickly than other types.

-Severe illness and death: This variation has the potential to induce more severe instances than the others.

-Vaccine: Even with the Delta version, infections occur in a small percentage of patients who are fully vaccinated.

-Although some breakthrough infections are expected, they are still uncommon. Preliminary information suggests, however, that people who have been fully vaccinated and contract the -Delta version can transfer the virus to others. More information can be found here. Vaccines are very successful in preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death.

-Certain monoclonal antibody therapies are less effective in treating this variation.

How Variants Change:

-As the virus spreads, it will have more opportunities to evolve, making it more difficult to uproot. -These changes can be tracked by comparing physical features (such as treatment resistance) or genetic code changes (mutations) from one version to the next.

What Have We Been Doing:

Scientists can monitor and often forecast if a variant is more harmful than others by examining each variant and comprehending these characteristics. This information can also be used by scientists to trace the spread of a variant.

Ways You Can Slow Down The Spread Of COVID-19:

-As soon as possible, get a COVID-19 immunization. Look for a vaccination.

-Protect yourself and others by wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth.

-Keep a distance of 6 feet between you and anyone who doesn’t live with you.

-Avoid crowds and indoor locations that aren't well ventilated.

-Hands should be washed often with soap and water. If soap and water aren't available, use hand sanitizer.

[ucsdhealthsciences]

The Mask Before Us

July 1, 2020 2:50 p.m. — From the beginning, we have all possessed three critical tools to help stop the spread of coronavirus and COVID-19: physical distancing, frequent handwashing and masks.  

Maintaining six feet or more between you and other people means droplets, possibly containing viral particles, are more likely to fall harmlessly to the ground rather than freckle someone else’s face.

Frequent handwashing (at least 20 seconds with soap and water, advises the CDC) eliminates particles lurking there, just waiting for you to touch your mouth, nose or eyes.

Masking presents a physical barrier that hinder the passage of virus particles at their source: your mouth.

Each measure makes perfect sense. No one disputes the value of washing your hands, though many of us don’t do it often or well enough. Safe distancing might feel odd or burdensome at times, but the rationale is simple enough. We all expel a lot of moisture through our mouths and noses, roughly a cup a day, in the form of tiny droplets and tinier aerosols, possibly laden with pathogens. We do this by simply breathing. We do it more when we talk, sing, laugh, cough or sneeze. We are all surrounded by an invisible cloud of our own making. It’s enough to make you want to step back.

Unfortunately, masking as a public health act to protect each other from these unseen vapors has been turned into a political statement by some, fracturing unity of use. As of June 26, 18 states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., required masks be worn outside of the home at all times when social distancing isn’t possible, with an emphasis on businesses and public transportation. Twenty-eight other states had masking requirement in some locales, such as counties or cities. Their rules were sometimes more lenient, such as only store employees required to wear masks, not patrons. Four states — Iowa, Montana, Wisconsin and South Dakota — have no mask requirements at all.    

People who refuse to wear masks — as opposed to those who cannot for specific, valid physical or medical reasons — often say it’s a matter of individual principle or Constitutional right. Both arguments blow hot air. Wearing a mask is an act of social responsibility, a visible signal that you abide by a practice intended to save lives. People are required to wear seatbelts and drive within speed limits because these behaviors prevent tragedy and death. No one argues that driving drunk is a protected individual right. Society forbids it for the general safety of everyone.    

Wearing a mask falls within that same rationale. There was a time, early in the pandemic, when the efficacy of wearing a mask outside of the health care environment was unclear, but the evidence is now overwhelming. We are facing a crisis, quite literally, and masks have been shown to measurably reduce the risk of coronavirus infection. Here’s why, plus five more reasons why you should wear a mask when and where necessary (and how):

Masks physically stop expelled viral particles, known as virions, from going far. Instead, they become stuck in the mask. Not all virions, to be sure, but most or many if the mask is made of appropriate materials (more on this later). A new published study out of Florida Atlantic University found that droplets produced by an uncovered cough can travel up to 12 feet, but with a covering in place, the distance diminishes dramatically and is reduced to just a few inches in the best masking cases. Watch a video here. This is important because one element of infection risk involves how much virus you are exposed to. If relatively few virions find their way to your mucous membranes, it’s more likely they will be summarily dispatched by your immune system. A review of numerous studies by the World Health Organization found that wearing a face mask reduced the chance of infection or transmission to 3 percent compared to 17 percent without a mask, a reduction of more than 80 percent.

Masking demonstrates your concern for the health of others, given the not-insignificant chance you are the virus spreader. Current research suggests the overall rate of asymptomatic coronavirus infection to be at least 30 percent and perhaps as high as 40 to 45 percent. That means at least one-third of persons carrying the SARS-CoV-2 virus likely don’t know they’re infectious.  

Masks only work if they completely cover your mouth, nose and chin. Covering the mouth but not the nose is like plugging one hole in a bucket with three. The chin is a good anchor for a mask fully in place but a mask worn under the chin is akin to, well, nothing at all. A mask should fit comfortably against the sides of your face, with minimal gaps for air leakage.

Children under the age of 2 should not wear a mask. Their airways are smaller, so breathing through a mask is more difficult. Plus, most masks won’t fit well or stay on for long. Similarly, the CDC says persons who have trouble breathing or who cannot remove a mask without assistance, should not wear one.

What’s the most effective mask? It depends on the circumstances. For medical providers who perform invasive procedures that can potentially release many airborne particles, the N95 respirator is required (plus eye protection). It is composed of electrostatic, non-woven polypropylene fiber designed to trap and filter at least 95 percent of airborne particles (hence the name), including viruses, which are roughly 100 times smaller than bacteria. N95 masks must be fitted, which minimizes air flow around the edges. N95 masks remain in chronic short-supply and should be used only by health care workers and first responders performing aerosol-generating procedures. Disposable surgical masks are effective for ordinary interactions. They are fluid-resistant (meaning moisture doesn’t pass as easily through the mask) and protect against large droplets. They tend to be looser fitting, which makes them more comfortable than an N95, but also permits leakage around the edges when the user inhales and exhales. They are primarily intended to protect others from the wearer’s respiratory emissions. Cloth masks are the simplest, cheapest and easiest masks to find. They range from commercial brands to homemade. They can be made from many materials, preferably using multiple layers. Thicker, denser fabrics work better than thinner, more loosely woven ones. The less light you can see passing through a material, the tighter the weave. Think flannel, antimicrobial pillowcases and cotton-blend fabrics. For public use, cloth masks work well — and if everyone is masked, transmission risk is greatly decreased. If cloth masks are reused, they should be cleaned regularly and thoroughly. Cloth masks don’t completely block viral transmission, but they offer some protection and are better than nothing at all.  

Once masked, refrain from touching it or pulling it down to speak or eat, then pulling it back on. Although your mask is meant more to protect others, someone else’s virus-laden droplets could be on the outside of your mask and touching it increases the possibility of transmitting pathogens from your hands to your face. When you take off a mask, handle only by the ear loops or edges. Do not reuse is visibly damaged or soiled.

Final advice: If you have to ask, mask.  

— Scott LaFee

[devilkingsposts]

coronavirus BIGGER THAN WORLDWAR , DANGER THAN TSUNAMI, STRONGER THAN NUCLEAR ENERGY.

Learn from coronavirus if u all are standing with one name, one introduction,one picture then wuhan(china) is not far from mumbai( india). so help each other.

How we can be safe during this pandemic covid-19 ?The outbreak - coronavirus was first entered in Wuhan China in December 2019 . deaths have been feeled worldwide. This infection has caused lots of problem globally, causing whole economies crash and separating family members. While researchers /doctors are hardworking and trying to find a solution to the virus, personal efforts like mask wearing/social distancing to avoid getting infected from this outbreak. Fortunately, the measures to be taken are quite easy and Affordable.

Common Symptoms - Dry-cough, Tired ness ,Viral fever

Less common symptoms: Pians /aches, Feeling sore throat, Headache Loss of smell or taste, Conjunctivitis, Diarrhoea.

Total recovered till now – 149,743,997 (Till now).world

Total corona positive case – 168,285,383 (Till now) world

Total death – 3,493,078(Till now)world

1- Maintain  social  distancing

Always maintain social distancing if coronavirus is reportedly spreading in your area /society. Avoid heavy crowd area, market, temples and work from home as much as possible. always keep a distance of 2 metre(6 feet)from anyone who is sneezing and coughing because coughing drops that may carry the virus may be released spreading the virus to u.

2. Clean surfaces reportedly 

Till now researchers and experts have not been able to ascertain that how long the coronavirus will last on surfaces.so the advice given by them is to clean surface regularly, especially in hotels, shops, home surfaces.

3. Take  𝙼edical 𝙷elp 𝙴arly

If u notice any symptoms, like coughing, fever, shortness of breath or pressure in the chest ,do not hesitate to take medical help, talk to ur family doctor immediately. As an early prompt treatment can help eliminate the virus as early recovery. build up ur immune system as much as u can. always take 5 minutes deep breath in and out to test ur chest pressure.

4. 𝙿ractice 𝚁espiratory  𝙷ygiene

If you catch yourself sneezing at any time, ensure that you use a piece of tissue paper or cloth and dispose of it immediately. Do not sneeze openly in air or into your palms as this may cause  form of virus spread in the environment which is harmfull.

5. 𝙰void 𝚃ouching Nose, Mouth and Eyes.

The major part of our body which carriers the corona virus is our fingures because they touch more surfaces than any part of our bodies . fingers have to atm for withdrawal money, use  laptos & computers ,use tv remotes ,bike handle for riding and etc in our daily lifes . all doctors/research has advised that our fingers should not have contact with our eyes, nose and mouth and these are the ways by through which virus can travel into the body and caused the deadly coronavirus. always wash ur hand with alchohol based handwash.

6. 𝚆ash your hands frequently.

Wash your hands frequently with soap, handwash gel and water. you should your hand least twenty seconds one time or always  carry  a hand sanitizer with u which should have least 60% alcohol base. Always ensure you continue to rub your hands until they become dry.

𝟽. 𝚆ear a 𝙵ace 𝙼ask (n95 mask)

Wearing a face mask is recommended to all of u,it is one of the important activity by which we can stop spreading coronavirus. serval problems occur due to face mask but  there is no option or no reason to say no to face mask.so please wear face mask whenever ur going outside or public place.

This the request from World Health Organization , Researchers / Doctors, donaters ,helping hands around the world.

Stay safe ,stay home ,keep social distancing , stay sanitized.

Help each other stand together to fight from this  coronavirus.