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greeningcamp · 2 years

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Climate Emergency and international call for more peacebuilding actions, climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Europe 2022

Urgent letter and article about climate change adaptation, civil protection, disaster preparedness, disaster risk reduction (DRR), environmental and mental health, freedom, fundamental and Human Rights!

Authorities, governments, local communities and people should be more concerned about saving rain, fresh or potable water for worst-case scenarios, such as extreme heat and drought. We have had a creeping or silent drought in Europe since March. If droughts continue and heat waves come, it can be a really serious worst-case scenario, especially a huge problem for health, mental health, and water security. Many cities do not realize the severity of the situation. After several inspections and inquiries, we have found that many urban areas are not well enough prepared. We scientists recommend speeding up preparations and hoping for the best that the summer will not be too dry or too hot. Contact your local authorities and the experts at the @GreeningDeserts-Networks and Trillion Trees Initiative for Europe, Africa, India and MENA region. If you need more information or advice on any of the above questions and issues.

The founder worked out an special fire and water protection project called Brandschutzkanister or Brandschutz-Kanister. It are water canisters you can use to reduce fire risks at home, work or even outside at risky locations. Means if there are corners or places very dry you can place the water canisters above and below, so in case of fires you will have fast water and if enough canisters are placed it if enough canisters are well placed, the fire may even extinguish itself. In German it is called Selbstauslöschung or Selbstlöschung. The good thing, you can use the canisters as chair, so the founder had the idea to develop the fire protection canister as nice product in future. If you want support the project development and help to push and share the development, the sustainable production and sharing in your community feel free to contact @greening deserts.com and @ greeningcamp.com! Have courage for real solidarity with all the endangered or threatened people who life in affected regions who are affected by the ongoing drought and upcoming heat. You can read much in the latest article „Drought in Germany and Europe severely affects monoculture forestry, industrial agriculture and population.“

It follows the urgent letter who was sent to thousands of international experts, hundreds of institutions and even organizations of EU and UN! These certain people should stop being silent or profiling. It costs us all important time that we do not have when it comes to the worst-case scenarios. Above all, politicians should get their act together now and work more with the public on disaster preparedness and other important measures. Above all, stop disrupting Greening Deserts projects, social work, developments and developers! You are only endangering and harming the people, the nation and yourselves in the end! It is simply embarrassing and a disgrace. Rather help build the Vertical Farming Startup and Urban Greening Camp so that we can save many of the endangered species (including humans). For this we are in an object where we could store countless canisters and other important things like the seat canisters. Watch some pictures below, more photos will be published if..

Climate Emergency and call for more international peacebuilding actions and peace speech to accelerate the peace process

Hello friends of humanity and nature,

This is a short info-email with some important advises. Don't ignore and misunderstand, it are useful information for us all.

Please support and share the urgent call, article and letter if you can. It depends also on you and affects us all - especially the poor or weak victims of the world who need more solidarity, too.

Always remember, over 800 million suffering by hunger and if so much parts of the world or media, people, societies only care or report so much about Ukraine.. and so less about other important issues - it's not proportionate! Many more will suffer, poor nations and people will feel forgotten. It's sad that so many ignore our advises and concerns or even block, disturb and harm the important humanitarian and peace work or projects. Seems that several people and interest groups don't really want true peace.

Read more on Greening Deserts project pages and social pages, such as how to sustainably and realistically reduce the risk of further crises, especially the increasing risk of a global food and world war crisis. The media, especially the news and mass media, have a big responsibility in this and many other important aspects - especially in relation to ethical and moral principles, international guidelines and laws. They must also pay attention to the effects, side effects, and consequences of their broadcasts and programs - especially taking more responsibility in avoiding too much fear, violence, and horror. All these media must take care of the mental or psychological health of their consumers and viewers and prevent harm, this should finally be regulated by law. It is not the problem of news reporting about war and all the relations and problems like propagandizing the war - no matter which side. The risks of to much hasty, risky and wrong actions can cause more conflicts, death, suffering and expand the war like we see since the early days. Certain media pushes these problematic actions of all the responsible actors or parties. Many international intellectuals warn of a third world war by being too aggressive and supplying too many weapons, especially heavy assault weapons. Many nations, serious organizations and institutions have concerns about the developments.

Greening Deserts is distancing from any unnecessary rearmament and critical weapon delivery who makes things much worse. The opinion and advise is very easy, do more for real defense, passive and strategic tactics with more armor, intelligent moving, shields And it makes more sense in general and in the long run to do for real peace-building instead of risky weapon deliveries who makes things worse. Greening Deserts community and founder condemns the war of aggression, any destruction of the environment and life is bad! Some media misunderstanding the true facts and real reality - it is serious and important to prevent the high world war risks by doing much more for more peace-building!

Support Greening Deserts, Trillion Trees Initiative and connected projects on global and social networks - especially our humanitarian, peace-building and species rescue initiative.

Concerns, opinions and statements of the founder of the Greening Deserts Trillion Trees Initiative on the current situation:

Since February, Greening Deserts have been calling for more health issues like mental health support, more peace speech(es), peace speech(es) and solidarity in all media - especially in advertising, mainstream and social media. Unfortunately, one can see that countless actions and demonstrations have not done much to maintain or restore peace - important aspects and awareness of certain backgrounds and causes are missing. The situation is getting worse and worse, as many of the problematic factors and multiplications, such as unnecessary provocations and sanctions, have driven the escalation spiral by many contributors. The media's complicity and responsibility plays a crucial role. Unfortunately, not much has happened in this regard to date 15-03-2022. This can be seen just by the hashtags like #UkraineRussiaWar and many similar problematic escalations, sanctions, pushing military armament or warmongering actions in various media. Certain interest groups, manipulated media, people and parties or politicians have even further escalated and worsened the situation - this is like poured oil on the fire. They have no foresight and consideration for the peoples of the world and people who will suffer considerably or even die under the said actions and sanctions - and perhaps have already died! This deadly boomerang effect is significantly underestimated as with the Corona(virus) or COVID-19 pandemic! It is once again the typical symptom fighting instead of root cause solutions and crisis prevention through sensible de-escalation diplomacy or language or real peace speech, disaster and conflict risk minimization, forward thinking action as well as sustainable foresight in so many essential areas - especially in ethical, humanitarian and social relation. We need more effective peace actions, peace speeches on all levels and less war speech or propagation of war in the digital or media space! By many of the hasty actions, provocations and escalations certainly many people have fallen ill and additionally died! Besides, the risk of a world war has increased enormously. If the world war and with it the nuclear war breaks out, this will be probably the last one!

More Important advises, comments, opinions and statements of Greening Deserts projects on social pages:

Children's Rights and Women's Rights are also Human Rights. Access to a healthy environment, declared a human right.

Climate, nature and environmental protection is also species protection as well as human protection!

@GreeningDeserts projects we are calling since February for more peace building communications and negotiations by less provocations,.. support de-escalation and peace diplomacy! #BuildPeace #Humanity #Peace #Solidarity #UniteNations #UN #StopWar #RussiaUkrainePeace #UkraineRussiaPeace #PeaceSpeech

Further pollution and heating of climate and environment by responsible industries and humans leads to more conflicts and crises! Telling these issues since years, offered solutions so many times.

More nations must continue with war de-escalation diplomatic, logic, reason, humanitarian and cooperation for peace building! Reasonable and strategic communication to #CreatePeace #Humanity #PeaceBuilding #PeaceProcess #Solidarity #StopWar #RussiaUkrainePeace #UkraineRussiaPeace

International women organizations unite for peace-building in Europe, Ukraine and Russia. Share more words and actions for #PeaceBuilding #UkraineRussiaPeace #RussiaUkrainePeace #PeaceBuilders #PeaceDays #PeaceProcess can #StopWar until April ! #BreakTheBias #WomensDay

Some important words for real peacebuilding: Peacemaking and peacekeeping women make for a safer world. #BreakTheBias #InternationalWomensDay #InternationalWomensDay2022 #WomensDay International #PeaceBuilding #PeaceMonth

The Greening Deserts and Trillion Trees Initiative's community supporting the #globalgreening and peace process in Europe, Russia and Ukraine. We humans and nature forces call for peace building! A peaceful end to the war is possible this month! #Peace #PeaceMonth #PeaceProcess #PeaceSpeech

The main problem in the world is the advancement or proliferation of war talk, issues and actions in digital, mental and real life. By so many thinking, talking or even acting too war-oriented and less peace-oriented the reality is also determined by it and war risks naturally increase - it is never the fault of one person or group alone. When talking about war, peace should not be forgotten! #peace education #peace speech #peace media?

A major problem in the world is too much war language, military propaganda in digital, mental and even real life. Too much war media and talk about war can lead to or fuel more conflict and war! Do you support #PeaceWork #PeaceSpeech #PeaceMedia?

Media that reports so much about war should also show alternatives and real sustainable peace solutions. All this hasty and violent media we have seen since February is not good for peace building and mental health - especially for the old, poor and vulnerable. This media is damaging the health of many people and should finally take responsibility. #ChildrensRights #MentalHealth #PeaceBuilding #PeaceSpeech

The parties and leaders of some European countries do not understand the seriousness of the situation and the coming consequences, as do many news media. First and foremost, emergency prevention, mental health and disaster risk reduction #DRR should be promoted more every day now - on all levels and especially in the media, news and talk shows! - 10-03-2022

There were several attacks on our pages and people, some help would be great - especially because of several Human Rights violations. To much violence and violent media is a major problem in these times.

It is sad that sharp criticism, inconvenient truth, logical opinions and charitable or humanitarian work isn't allowed on certain 'social networks' - we monitored and recorded many violations and dubious practices of censorship, shadow banning,.. and x-violations of social networks. With combinatorics, logic and reverse engineering you can proof a lot. The attacking, blocking, censorship or oppression of climate and species protectors, environmentalists, Human Rights and Children's Rights must be reduced and have consequences - no matter how big or famous companies or people are. Who protects the defenders and protectors?

Many questions to answer and problems to solve, we know it's not easy but it is possible if United Nations finally take it more serious.

Always remember, poverty reduction is no longer possible today without fighting corruption, or only with great difficulty - same for other global issues. It is now up to you as well. Please share and forward if possible. Every action counts in this regard. The call has been sent to thousands of institutions and organizations with some updates.

With best regards, your friend of nature. We -mankind- have not much time left to prevent the worst.

Constructive feedback and support is always welcome. Read more on Greening Deserts project pages.

Oliver G. Caplikas / Project Developer, Organizer, Publisher, Supervisor and independent Advisor

Further ideas, notes and opinions:

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nikhilghodse20051994 · 2 years

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Liver Diseases Treatment Market Report Analysis With Industry Share Insights Shared in Detailed Report

The liver diseases treatment market is projected to reach US$ US$ 4,883.5 million by 2025 from US$ 3,426.8 million in 2017; it is expected to register a CAGR of 4.6% from 2018 to 2025.

Global liver treatment market, based on the diseases, is segmented into cancer, hepatitis, cirrhosis, and other diseases. In 2017, cancer held the largest market share. There has been a significant increase in the number of liver cancer cases due to hepatitis infections, smoking, over consumption of alcohol, and obesity. Cancer is also expected to be the fastest growing segment and is likely to grow at the highest growth rate during the forecast period. This attributes to the rapidly increasing number of patients suffering with the disease that requires appropriate diagnosis and treatment options.

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Key market players operating in the market of liver treatment across the globe includes General Electric, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Siemens AG, CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, Hitachi, Ltd, Elekta AB (pub), Neusoft Corporation, Samsung Healthcare, BPL Medical Technologies, and Cura Healthcare. The manufacturing companies are launching innovative products in the market to retain their significance in the highly competitive global scenario. For instance, in November 2017, Canon Medical Systems introduced the new package for its iSeries scanners. The series will include Aplio i700, i800, and i900 which will be assessing the liver in the patients suffering from fatty liver diseases. The developments performed by the companies are helping the market to grow in the coming years.

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Key factors such as increasing prevalence of liver diseases, rising geriatric population suffering from liver diseases and various technological advancements in imaging techniques are key drivers for the growth of the market. However, factors such as stringent regulatory framework and high cost of imaging techniques for liver treatment are likely to restrain the market growth to a certain extent. One the other hand, partnerships and collaborations among industry players and increasing expenditures among emerging markets are expected to provide significant opportunities to the players in the liver treatment market.

Global Liver treatment Market – By Disease Cancer Hepatitis Cirrhosis Others Global Liver treatment Market – By Imaging Modality Computed Tomography Magnetic Resonance Imaging Ultrasound Others

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The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials.

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phykios · 3 years

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honesty and promise me, part 5 [co-written with @darkmagyk] [read on ao3]

Annabeth is making her periodic pilgrimage to the gynecologist when she gets Leo's call. It's very fitting--two uncomfortable and invasive things for the price of one. She answers her phone, ignoring the doctor's chastising frown. Surely she can place her new IUD while Annabeth deals with whatever Leo wants.

"What are you doing on the 18th?" he asks, about the only type of hello she ever gets from Leo.

The two of them never really grew out of pretending not to like each other, after they had gotten over their initial dislike. When he and Piper first got to Miss Minerva's, more or less straight out of juvie after Piper's dad made a lot of calls and called in a lot of favors, she and Leo had really hated each other. They used to fight over everything, from Piper's attention to the position of captain of the Mathletes team. And also, over Leo hating a rich white girl on principle, which, in retrospect, is totally fair. But then, by a weird twist of fate, they wound up in Boston together.

If Annabeth had to choose between hanging out with her creepy, Norse mythology-obsessed uncle and hanging out with Leo, she'd pick Leo every time. They had gone through a lot together, things both big and small.

"Of August?" she asks.

"Please be still, Ms. Chase," says her doctor. Annabeth rolls her eyes.

"Duh."

Wracking her thoughts she can't think of any prior commitments she might have had. Maybe there's a concert that day, but if she can't remember, it probably wasn't that important anyway. "Not much."

"Good, because we have plans."

She frowns. "Piper didn't mention any--"

"No, you and I have plans. I'll see you in Philly, yeah?"

Philadelphia? Ew. "Why Philly?"

"Our Smarter House thing won an award."

"No shit?"

"Eta Industries Award. The gala is on the 18th. You're my plus one."

She sucks in air through her teeth, readjusting her hips as unobtrusively as possible. Eta Industries was… a very big deal. "Isn't that, like, an engineering specific award? Maybe you should accept it by yourself." She'd be better off staying out of the limelight for this one, she thinks, even as some part of her longs once again for recognition.

Something electric whirs in the background, tinny and buzzing. "I'll see you on the 18th, then," says Leo, not having heard a word she said. "Also, you've been summoned to the castle."

"Leo--" she jumps as the gyno touches something she really shouldn't have.

"No arguments, she's expecting you today at two. Adios!" He clicks off.

"Okay, Ms. Chase," says the doctor, a little too chipper for Annabeth's taste. "You should be all set."

Annabeth leaves the doctor's office with her brand new IUD, a handful of medical literature which immediately gets tossed in the trash, and a sinking feeling in her gut as she gets on a train to Brooklyn, headed to Piper's place for another annoying and unnecessary fashion show. It's not that she doesn't enjoy being Piper's model--it's a position she's held since their time at Miss Minerva's, and it's never really a hardship to be told how gorgeous she is--but Piper has a way of just... getting information out of her that she doesn’t always want to share.

Stopping off early, Annabeth gives herself a moment to walk down the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, to settle her nerves and indulge herself a bit. That skyline gets her every time.

Turning down Pierrepont Street, she is once again struck by just how quiet the city can be. Manhattan is loud, rude, in-your-face, almost an entirely different world from the stately, deafeningly silent Brooklyn. For Annabeth, who is incapable of falling asleep without city horns blaring, it wigs her out a little.

She barely has time to ring the doorbell on Piper's dad's place before the girl herself wrenches it open, grabbing Annabeth's hand and yanking her inside. "You're late!" she trills, suffering what Annabeth can only assume is the onset of a caffeine overdose.

"I thought I had until two."

"That was before I had the best idea."

The brownstone is a mess, as per usual, reams of fabric tossed over every available surface, enough dressforms strewn about to make it look like Piper is hosting a party exclusively populated by headless zombies, adorned with a warehouse's worth of half-finished dresses and jackets. Based on the loud fabrics and structured angles, it looks like Piper is in the middle of a Klimt-ian phase of inspiration. Annabeth eyes a bright gold gown with a huge, extended collar, embroidered with silver eyes, the raw edges trailing the floor. "Please tell me this isn't your idea."

"First of all," Piper releases her arm as they enter her kitchen-turned-photo studio, gingerly stepping over a box of assorted beads, "even though it would look amazing on you, that dress is for an actual paying client. Second of all--" she snatches up a dressform from its position behind the camera, setting it down in front of her with a flourish. "This is my idea."

Annabeth was right--Piper is definitely on a Klimt-ian kick.

Pulled straight from her art history classes, the dress looks like a two dimensional painting come to life, a stunning skirt like a column of liquid silver descending onto the black mat, pleats like fluted columns precisely draped over the dressform's hips… and not much else. Annabeth points. “Is that it?”

Piper makes a face. "I have a bodice, promise. Now go take that shit off."

Annabeth looks down at her repurposed The Police shirt, fished out of a thrift store bin some months ago, shirt collar cut and sides resewn to bring the waistline in. "I like this shirt."

"Oh, I like the shirt plenty," she agrees. "But you could stand to wear a nicer pair of jeans."

She does have a point there--her jeans are clinging to life at this point, the knees and hems all but obliterated, strings of fabric valiantly attempting to hold their original shape. "Fine. Be right back."

When she emerges from the bathroom a minute later in just her bra and panties, Piper has laid out another bolt of fabric in that same color, silver with a blue shift beneath the studio lights. Piper, bent over with a strip of measuring tape, looks up at her, then squints. "So who is he?"

Annabeth starts. "Excuse me?"

"The guy you've been seeing."

How... the fuck does Piper always know these things? "I don't know what you're talking about."

She flicks her eyes down to Annabeth's thigh, Annabeth following her gaze to the remnants of the bruise that Percy had left there with his mouth two days ago. Dammit.

Piper tsks, a smile distorting the sound. "Naughty, naughty, Annabeth."

"How do you know it wasn't from a girl?" she asks, petulant.

"Because if it had been a girl, you wouldn't be nearly so defensive."

Shit. "We've been friends way too long," Annabeth grumbles.

"That we have," says Piper. "And out of respect for our friendship, I will refrain from grilling you about him until you are more comfortable sharing."

"So, for a few hours?"

She shrugs. "More or less."

"I suppose you want me to thank you for holding back."

"Don't thank me yet," she grins, wide and toothy. "I've been cooped up here working on my collection for three days, and I am dying to talk to someone."

Annabeth sighs, but obediently raises her arms, making room as Piper crouches down to pin the skirt on her. "Okay, you got me. I'm seeing this guy."

"Seeing or seeing-seeing?"

"Just seeing," she clarifies. "It's pretty casual."

"Can't be that casual if you're telling me about it," Piper points out.

Fuck. This is why she never tells Piper about her hookups. "You're the one who asked."

"Another business bro, I assume?"

"He's--" Piper swats at her as she automatically sucks her stomach in, their long held code for "stay put." "He's a dancer."

She hums, arranging pleats over Annabeth's knees. "Like on Broadway?"

"Ballet."

Piper glances up at her, eyes sparkling. “Un danseur! Ooh la la,” she trills. “What’s his name?”

“I can just leave,” Annabeth says, distinctly not thinking about how Percy will occasionally slip into French whenever he stubs his toe.

“Okay, okay, no more boy talk.” Piper moves in front of her, adjusting the fabric about her waist. “Tell me about the thing you just won with Leo.”

“I had honestly forgotten about it,” she says, lying a little, pulling her arms forward. “You remember his master’s thesis?”

“The shmart kishen thing, right?” Piper asks around the tape measure in her mouth.

Leo, the prodigal boy that he is, had spent his last year of school dedicated to a singular problem faced by people around the world: the sudden, out of control kitchen fire. Using very complicated electronics and engineering that Annabeth does not understand, he devised a handful of mechanisms to sense, contain, and ultimately douse random fires as soon as they popped up. Annabeth came on as his design partner after he had graduated and had gotten some funding to conceptualize an entire safe house.

“Well, it just won an Eta Industries award.”

Her head snaps up, hands freezing in their tracks. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah.”

“Congrats.”

“Thanks,” she shrugs as Piper gets up to grab some more fabric. “I mean, it was mostly Leo’s doing. I just made sure he didn’t leave any stray pipes around.”

Holding out her arms again, Piper slides them through the sleeves of a heavy, corset-like piece, structured and straight and very forgiving on Annabeth’s lack of curves. “You shouldn’t sell yourself short,” she says. “I’m sure your skills as a guinea pig were very valuable.”

“Are you ever going to let that go?” Annabeth asks, she who has literally burnt pasta while it was submerged in water.

“You’re just lucky my dad was out of town that weekend. Have you decided what you’re going to wear to the awards ceremony?”

She shoots her friend a strange look. “I thought I was wearing this?” she gestures to the unfinished silver gown currently making her feel like an absolute goddess.

Piper makes a face. “What do I look like, the fucking Flash? This isn’t going to be ready for another thirty hours, at least. I’ve got decals to add, Swarovskis to bead, not to mention all the hand-stitching on the neckline because for whatever reason my machine has decided to hate me this week.”

“Okay, well,” says Annabeth, appropriately cowed, “then I guess I’ll wear the black one you gave me.”

“2019 fall/winter?”

Annabeth nods.

“Styling?”

“Luke gave me this really nice scarf for my birthday.”

Throwing her head back, she groans.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“You’re so boring,” she moans, pulling Annabeth’s hair out of the way. “Let me guess, you’re going to pair it with the black shrug and opaque nude tights.”

“Well… yeah, I was.”

“Exactly! Boring.” Coming back around, she pushes Annabeth lightly into the light, before taking her place behind the camera. “You could do so much with that dress and you choose to make it boring. Why not some fishnets? Or a big statement necklace?”

Annabeth waits after a few shutter clicks to answer. “Because I doubt that the people at Eta Industries are going to be big fans of my tattoos.”

“That is a bald-faced lie and you know it,” Piper says. “Your tattoos and piercings are gorgeous and you would look absolutely rocking with them. Knock all the old farts right off their feet. Turn.”

Obediently, Annabeth rotates, letting Piper snap off as many pictures as she likes. “This isn’t a Vogue event, Pipes,” she says, rolling her eyes where her friend can’t see them. “Punk isn’t exactly accepted practice yet.”

“Punk was the Met Gala theme almost a decade ago, babe. It has filtered down from Vogue. It's practically cerulean now. Side.”

Annabeth turns again, keeping her eyes straight. Side-eye would ruin the shot, no matter how much she wants to give it.

“I will never understand why you both refuse to wear halfway decent jeans and then refuse to go guns out in my dresses that demand it. I can almost guarantee you that Leo will show up in those stupid suspenders with grease on his face. And you’ll have to get him to leave his tool belt in the car.”

“Then it’s probably for the best that I have a modicum of professionalism, huh?”

Piper leans out from behind the camera, glaring. “At the very least,” she hedges, “will you let me set you up with some shoes?”

“I don’t know…”

“You are not allowed to wear those horrid Manolo pumps you wear everywhere. And your nude Louboutins won’t look right with the black.”

“What did you have in mind?”

Piper’s grin is evil, and the way she scampers out of the room means she’s got something she’d been trying to force on Annabeth for a long time.

Five minutes later, Annabeth is presented with a set of black strappy sandals, its edges detailed in a gold zipper, with safety pin pull to match. She frowns. “Are you sure? They look kind of… hardcore for something like this.”

“They’re Versace,” Piper says. “I was not lying about punk’s democratization.”

Well. They are pretty cool.

“It’s either this or the McQueen boots. They have studs.”

Annabeth sighs, holding out her hand. Piper squeals, bouncing a little, wrapping her in a brief, but exuberant hug, kissing her cheek with a loud, wet, smack. “You’re the best!”

“I haven’t even done anything.”

“I am saving up favors to cash in. Now,” she releases Annabeth, retreating behind the camera. “If you’ve got some time, can I borrow your head? I’m working on a helmet and all my mannequins are busy.”

***

“Hey,” Percy begins. It is so late at night, the dawn is on the edge of breaking, and they are both exhausted from some particularly good sex. Which is saying something, because all their sex is particularly good. “You doing anything on the 18th?”

“Yeah,” She says, distractedly, snuggling down into his bed. The fact that she’s also snuggling into him is just a coincidence.

“Oh.”

“Why?”

“Nothing. Was going to invite you to a thing if you weren’t.” She nods her head against his shoulder and falls asleep in his arms, thinking absolutely nothing about it.

She continues to think nothing of it on the train to Philadelphia on the 18th, half-asleep and listening to Paramore to pass the time, blasting Misery Business on repeat as she changes in her hotel room.

The Eta Industries event is pretty much exactly what she expected: a lot of old rich white people milling about, sipping champagne and verbally circle jerking each other, the insipid strains of classical music spilling out of the ballroom as Annabeth steps up to claim her name tag. “Name?” asks the young, college-aged girl, skimming her printed guest list over the rim of her glasses.

“Annabeth Chase.”

She runs a long fingernail over the assorted collection of name tags, before settling on the correct one, handing it to Annabeth, her star tattoo on the inside of her wrist free and open to anyone who would care to look. “Here you are, Ms. Chase,” she says, smiling. “Have a wonderful night!”

Automatically, Annabeth goes to pin it on Luke’s scarf, before she remembers that something is already occupying that place--Percy’s Acropolis pin. She had taken to keeping it in her pocket these days, something of a good luck charm, and thought that it might… she doesn’t know, maybe send a subconscious signal to Percy that she’s thinking of him. Even though there is, quite literally, no way he could know, she hopes that maybe he can sense it, and that maybe he’s thinking about her, too.

Ugh. She snatches up a flute of champagne from a wandering waiter, eager to get that thought out of her head, making a beeline straight for the refreshments table. It’s there that Leo finds her, not five minutes later, munching on some chocolate covered strawberries.

“And here I thought you might ditch me entirely,” he says, even as he bumps her shoulder. True to form, he is absolutely, 100% dressed in those stupid suspenders, a smudge of grease behind his ear.

“You’ve got a…” Annabeth trails off, motioning behind her own ear.

“Huh? Oh!” He snatches up a napkin, rubbing discreetly. “Thanks.”

She squints. Something about him is distinctly different. “Are you taller?”

Kicking out a foot, he wiggles it, triumphant. “Platform shoes.”

“Seriously?”

“Hey, if they're good enough for Robert Downey Jr., then they’re good enough for me. After all, I am Ir--”

She groans, good-natured, taking another gulp of champagne. “If you quote Marvel in your speech, I’m leaving.”

“Fine by me, Your Highness, they’ll give me the award either way.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Valdez?” The same college girl from before sidles up to them, clipboard clutched in her hand. “They’re about to start.”

He claps his hands, rubbing them together. “Excellent. You coming?”

“I…” She casts her gaze to the makeshift stage they’ve constructed, eyeing the bright “Eta Industries” placard, the sharp angles shiny and alluring, the siren-song of recognition.

This is a big deal. There are photographers in the audience. In the write-ups and reviews, she would be listed as a co-winner of the award, a co-designer of the world’s safest house, a thought so happy she practically starts flying.

“I think I should stay out of the limelight for this one, Leo,” she says, politely. “This is your moment. I don’t want to ruin it.”

He frowns. “You sure?”

Were it not for the fact that people were watching, Annabeth would have leapt up onto that stage without a second thought, snatching up the trophy like she had just won the Oscar, holding it up like the goddamn Olympic torch. “What, you want a white woman stealing your glory?” she says instead, arching a brow.

“You get a pass this one time,” he quips, holding out his hand. “Don’t make me regret it.”

Whatever social grace she has left crumbles. She’s denied it enough--she wants to be up there. “Oh, fine. Since you insist,” she says, following clipboard-girl to the stage.

There’s a quick burst of feedback, then an elderly gentleman at the podium begins speaking into the mic. “Excuse me--sorry about that. Yes, yes, thank you all for coming tonight to the annual Eta Industries awards presentation ceremony. It is always such a pleasure to come together with our hard-working and generous board members and shareholders to honor the best and brightest upcoming talent in engineering.”

Internally, she rolls her eyes. Rich people.

“It is my pleasure, however, to introduce the young man who is the recipient of this year’s Millennium Prize for innovation and safety. One of MIT’s youngest and most decorated graduates, he was a recipient of the Mead Prize for Students, the Friedman Young Engineer Award, and the Collingwood Prize, among several others. His master’s thesis, ‘Towards the Design and Implementation of Autonomous Safety Measures in Commercial Kitchens,’ formed the basis of the project which we recognize tonight, the so-called ‘SmartSafe House,’ reflects the pioneering spirit and outstanding creative vision of not only Eta Industries, but also the field of engineering as a whole. Please join me in congratulating this year’s Millennium Prize recipient, Leo Valdez.”

From the sidelines, she claps enthusiastically with the rest of the crowd as her friend takes the stage, shakes hands with the Vice President of Eta Industries, and accepts the award, a blue, blocky triangle which almost seems to glow in the light of the ballroom. “Thank you, Mr. Helms. This is--this is a really big honor.”

She can see him shaking a bit, taking a quick drink from his water glass. Public speaking was never really his strong suit.

“As--as a lot of you probably know, this project is very near and dear to my heart. Growing up in Houston with my mother, a car mechanic, I was eight years old when her beloved shop went up in flames, like that.” He snaps his fingers, his other hand pressed to the podium where no one can see, joints white with pressure. Annabeth is proud of him--he hasn’t been able to speak this candidly about it in years. She knows firsthand how much his mother’s near-death haunts him still. “Thankfully, we were able to rebuild, and my mother went on to bigger and better things--including a shop with cleaner vents. But I can definitely pinpoint that moment as the day I knew I wanted to make the world a safer place, for my mom, if not for everyone else.”

She remembers, so clearly, that snowy night in the dorms at Miss Minerva’s. The power had gone out, and Leo had made them an illicit campfire out of their trash bin and Annabeth’s failed English exam. Cold and miserable and with dying phones, they passed the time instead telling scary stories and funny memories, until the conversation had gotten suddenly, intensely real.

“But I would be remiss,” he goes on, cheerful, “if I didn’t acknowledge my friend and collaborator, without whose work I wouldn’t be here today: Annabeth Chase,” he waves to his side, indicating her. The whole crowd, as one, turns their gazes on her. She straightens up, imperceptibly, hoping she doesn’t look too haughty or anything. “I’ve never been very good with people. My mama says I’m just like my dad that way. Give me a car, or a computer, or pages of multiplication tables, and I’m golden. But people?” He blows out a breath, and the crowd chuckles, naturally. “Now, if it had been left up to me, the SmartSafe House would have been a top of the line, cutting-edge metal box, efficient to a fault, but completely unlivable. Thank God I had Annabeth on my team to remind me what the project was really about: a home that families could feel safe in, so that what happened to me and my mom might never happen to anyone else.” He hoists his award above his head, leaning into the mic. “Ma, este es para ti. Thank you all.”

Stepping down from the stage, they reenter the crowd, ready to receive adoration. In another life, she might have been embarrassed by such praise. Here and now, however, she takes each handshake and word of congratulations like a starving man in a desert who just came across an oasis, hungry and greedy.

Hey, it’s her night, too.

After what feels like a whole-ass sixty minutes of shaking old people's hands and polite nodding, though, she is in desperate need of a break. Escaping the throng of mingling bodies, she darts into a dark corner of the ballroom, leaning against the back of a rounded stone column, just barely out of sight of the party.

Rubbing her hands over her face, she sighs, just short of a scream. Blowing out all her air, she lets the faint music and fake laughs melt into each other, becoming white noise, a blank canvas, empty of concrete thoughts and feelings.

Then, her ear picks up a strand of conversation.

“...announcing tomorrow that the CEO of Pallas Inc. is choosing a successor,” a woman says, the sneer in her voice almost visible. “About time.”

“I thought she already picked a successor,” says the woman’s conversation partner, a man with the kind of cookie-cutter cadence that she heard every time she took a business major to bed. “Pallas is a family business, isn’t it?”

“You haven’t heard?” Annabeth can almost picture it, the furtive glance around the room, the woman placing her hand on her partner’s arm, leaning in to share a juicy secret. “Supposedly she was grooming her daughter for the role, before she went in for rehab.”

“Rehab? Really?”

“What else could it be?” says the woman. “She’s disappeared off the face of the earth, and her mother refuses to talk about her. Let’s be honest, if she were dead, she would have raised a bigger stink about it.”

Annabeth closes her eyes, sucking air in through her teeth. That… wasn’t totally untrue.

But the woman doesn’t stop. “It’s always the same story,” she scoffs. “You throw countless hours of schooling and millions of dollars into girls like her, and what do they do? Turn around and blow it all on drugs and partying. Honestly, she should be grateful her mother is even bothering with her rehab at all. Hasn’t she wasted enough of the family’s money already?”

Blood roars in her ears, drowning out the fancy party. Sharp points dig into her palm, pinpricks of pain, before she realizes that they’re her own fingernails.

The lady has got it all wrong. Her mom couldn’t even be bothered with that.

Luke’s scarf, the shrug, it’s choking her, suffocating and constricting. Percy’s pin feels heavy on her chest.

Blinders on, she would have sprinted for the exit were it not for the Piper’s stupid Versace heels, reduced instead to a teetering, tottering wreck, like a baby colt running from a predator. The night is hot and humid, heavy with the threat of rain, and Annabeth can barely breathe, dark spots in her eyes, until she ducks into a nearby Target, the frigid blast of air a welcome distraction.

Almost in a daze, she watches herself pick up a few things--clippers, an electric razor, beef jerky, a blue Gatorade she considers for a moment before putting it back, choosing a lemonade instead--practically throwing them at the poor cashier who begins checking her out, mechanically. He doesn’t spare her a single glance for her odd assortment of items. He doesn’t even look at her at all.

The walk to her hotel room disappears in the blink of an eye. Blink--she breezes past the check-in counter, slipping into the empty elevator. Blink--she kicks off her heels in her room, nearly hitting the wall mirror, leaving a scuff mark on the white plaster. Blink--she’s down to her underwear and tights in the bathroom, shaving the right side of her curls clean off. She’d gotten them professionally done for the night, perfect spirals held together by expensive products. And now she wants them gone.

She pauses and breathes too hard, looking at herself in the mirror. Her mother didn’t like that she was blonde. Maybe because of dumb blonde stereotypes, maybe just because it reminded Athena too much of her failed romance with Annabeth’s dad. And that thought stays her hand from getting rid of the rest of them.

That, and maybe the idea of Percy, of some broke dancer, tangling his fingers in it as they lie together.

Fuck her mother, and the fucking stories she tells.

She likes it. She likes her blonde hair and her fresh undercut.

She can get Thalia to touch this up later, maybe. Now, though, she needs this.

It doesn’t look perfect. The left side of hair is too long, her gold laurel earrings too fancy for a homegrown haircut like this, her makeup too pristine. Shoving her hand under the running water, she rubs at her eyes, mascara and eyeliner smearing until they’ve reached something much more respectable for the failure that she really is.

She misses her industrial. And her eyebrow rings. And the tongue piercing. But this will have to do for now.

Breathing heavily, eyes hot, she doesn’t register her phone blinking, signaling an unread text message.

It’s from Thalia. surprised you weren’t at kelp heads bday party, it reads. was pretty boring. Kno he missed you

#backstory backstory backstoryyyyyyy #my fic #percabeth #pjo #the rivalry ends here #darkmagyk #perseannabeth #ballet au

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1234-waystodie · 3 years

Text

The Israeli-Palestine conflict

*for the disclaimer - this message was written by an Israeli citizen who is following what happens in Gaza closely from news all over the world*

Thank you for reading this message. I will start with the fact that I’m not going to refer to the start of the conflict (who the land belongs to, who was here first) because it’s not relevant to the point that I’m trying to get to. This message talks about the present-day - Israel is a state, Gaza is not. Israel is a democracy, Gaza is being controlled by Hamas, a terrorist organization. Those are facts and you can look them up at Google if you don’t believe me. Okay so - let’s talk about the present conflict, “Shomer Hachomot”. It all started with what happened in Jerusalem. Frankly, I’m not going to get into this either because you can look at this both ways but I will say this - nobody shot anybody just because they were in a certain place. Jerusalem is a very complicated story and I’ll admit I didn’t really dig about what happened there. The fact is that after what happened in Jerusalem a group of Israeli-Arabs radicals who lived their whole life in peace with their neighborhoods, Israeli-Jews, made violent acts across the mixed cities (Lod, Ramle, Jerusalem, Haifa)... Cities that just a couple of days before were safe and happy for both sides became war zones - Arabs (again, radicals, there are a lot of Arabs that are against the way others act) lit things on fire, broke things across the city, tried and killed a citizen that was on his way home and made a lot of damage both to the city but more importantly to the trust of their neighborhoods who did nothing wrong.

Just for those who don’t understand how bad things got - my father bought a week before everything went down in Ramle meat from a nice Arab man who gave coffee and a warm welcome as my father was new to his shop. I used to get into Umm al-Fahm, An Arab village, to buy stuff. Now people are afraid to walk the street - a jew that lived all his life in that mixed city was killed when he drove through it, people broke his window, took him out of his car and hit him with a brick to his head and he died. Murdered.

So, as “support” Hamas started firing rockets from Gaza to Israel and that’s how “Shomer Hachomot” - the current operation started. Now, the drill is this - Hamas is firing rockets at the citizens of Israel. Israel tells them to stop and if they don’t they fire in Gaza and that’s the part you need to read closely.

Israel is not firing at civilians. It’s a fact and if you don’t believe me you can look at videos such as https://www.facebook.com/ynetnews/posts/10159905254995572 Translation: “Check if there are any children here.” “There are kids here, they are moving fast.” “Wow, we think there are kids here. We are stopping this.” “Right? there is a big one and a couple of small ones.” “We are suspecting that there are kids and we will not do it, we wouldn’t risk their life.” “Yes.”

So, why Israel was planning to fire in that place in the first place? Simple this is the point that I feel that most of the world doesn’t understand. When Israel fires at Gaza it doesn’t aim at civilians. Hamas is firing missiles and building headquarters where the civilians are so when Israel will come and kill Hamas members the citizens will be in the crossfire as well and then they would say “Israel is killing civilians!”

Now you would say “this is not an excuse they are still firing at civilians!” Wrong.

Israel is giving a couple of hours’ notice before they are attacking a building with civilians in it. Just a couple of days ago a big news tour was brought down - one of the reporters, from the Gaza side, who worked there wrote a breaking story about how they got a short notice, about how he couldn’t get most of the things he holds dear out. About how people that are leaving there are homeless. What he ‘forgot’ to say was that the building was the headquarters of Hamas, and they were the target of this Israeli raid. All the citizens by the way are well and alive because, as I said, Israel always tells beforehand so that people wouldn’t get hurt.

A couple of days ago we saw the picture and video of a young girl (6) that was rescued from the distraction of her home after an Israeli raid destroyed a building close to hers. Tragic. Again what the media left out was that Hamas build tunnels underneath the city so he could hide from civilians and Israelis alike and when Israel destroyed a building that was related to Hamas the tunnels underneath collapsed which, unexpectedly, led to homes of innocent civilians collapsing as well - hence what happened with this 6-year-old. Israel doesn’t want innocent civilians to be killed and there was no way to know this would happen - a thing that Israel by the way said and apologized for as it was not planned to happened.

I don’t remember when but sometime in this operation a rocket that was fired from Gaza and was supposed to lend in Israel landed in Gaza and killed kids. Do you know what the media in Gaza did? That’s right kids - they took pictures and posted that Israeli rid killed those kids. Because that’s easy to blame the enemy when the whole world thinks it’s their fault anyway so why not make things worst? Another point that makes people hate Israel is the Iron Dome. Fewer people in Israel are getting killed because of that - for those who don’t know what the Iron Dome is, it’s “is a mobile all-weather air defense system[8] developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries.[7] The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) to 70 kilometers (43 mi) away and whose trajectory would take them to an Israeli populated area.[9][10]” (taken from Wikipedia)

That is the face of Israel - defend and protect citizens while Hamas is doing everything he can to attack Israeli citizens without thinking twice about the life of people in Gaza.

Funny story, did you know that Israel gives Gaza food, fuel, electricity, medicine, aid, money, and far more? Every month? Yes, taxes from people like me and my friends go to Gaza to help them. My money goes to help Gaza citizens, my government tries to help Gaza citizens and it’s been happening for the last 20 years.

Now let’s talk about what happened world-wild. When things are bad for Israel do you know who the rest of the world blames? Jewish people. Notice how from anti-Israeli the hate became to be anti-Semite. In London, my favorite place on earth, people called out to “rape all the Jewish girls.” In Montreal people are looking to find Jewish houses to attack the people in the house, my friend told me that she knows a girl our age that is afraid to go out of the house. They called a mutual friend of hers who is Christian to threaten her if she doesn’t give them her location so they could hurt her friend. Only a month ago a citizen from my city was murdered in the US for being Jewish. He was there to celebrate the wedding of his family and was murdered. For being Jewish.

Believe me when I say that non of the citizens of Israel are happy for how people in Gaza are suffering. It’s awful. But, and it’s a big but, it’s not Israel’s fault it’s Hamas. So yes, #freeGazafromHamas is the hashtag that needs to go around, it doesn’t have to be Israel VS Gaza, us or them, life if not black and white, it needs to be #IstandwithIsrael while also saying #freeGazafromHamas.

To sum up - please read more than one source and don’t believe everything that the media is saying. I know it became a trend to hate Israel because a lot of celebrities see what’s on the media and decided not to question anything and hate a country that is just trying to protect itself. And please, god please, stop hating Jewish people who have nothing to do with what happens in the middle east. If you have any more questions or if you want to make a civil conversation you can always write me <3

#israel #standwithus #conflict #standwithisrael #gaza #טאמבלר #ישראל #freegazafromhamas #stop the hate #jewish #Jewish people

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bellemorte180 · 4 years

Text

Wanderlust Chapter Two

Chapter Two:

Much like the police station, Mystic Falls General was small. It was sufficient enough for the town’s population and needs. However, Klaus could tell that some areas where outdated and operated with a small staff. It was a trend Klaus saw in small towns; they lacked the resources of bigger cities but always made do with what they had. He admired them for that. However, that did not stop Klaus from hating hospitals in general. They always felt far to sterile and clinical for his taste. Although, part of his hatred could steam from the fact that he never had good experiences in one; especially as a child. Then most of his time spent in hospitals as an adult were interviewing trauma victims. Mystic Falls General was no different in that regard.

The halls had the same soulless white industrial walls that Klaus always felt sucked his soul away. The floors were made of unimportant, sterile tile that was designed for easy cleanup. He bypassed the front desk, flashing his badge as he went, and wondered down the hall towards the room he knew Caroline was in.

It had been twenty-four hours since she brought herself into the station. In the time while Caroline was going to the hospital with her mother, Marcel and Klaus interviewed April Young’s father. Klaus came to the determination that Pastor Young was a worthless human being. If he did not have an airtight alibi for Caroline’s disappearance, an evening bible study that had at least twenty people in attendance, he might consider him a suspect. However, despite the fact that he was willing to disown his pregnant adult daughter, Klaus did not believe he was capable of killing her.

So, while Marcel went to interview Andi Star’s parents, Klaus made is way to the hospital in order to speak with Caroline; who had a police officer standing outside her door at all times of the day and night. Liz spent the evening with her daughter, sleeping at the hospital, but was back station first thing in the morning.

And Liz was pissed.

Gone was the distraught mother who was facing the loss of her daughter and replaced was a mama bear who was out for blood. While she knew that she had been removed from the case, it did not stop her from wanting to know everything about what was going on. Klaus and Marcel told her what they could, but they knew better than to reveal certain details. Klaus worried that if Liz discovered who the culprit was, that there would be no one to arrest if she got their hands on them. Something Klaus could not blame her for.

“I’m here to speak with Dr. Fell.” Klaus asked the nurse behind the counter in Caroline’s ward. The nurse smiled a little too widely at him and her eyes drifted over him. The nurse had to be in her late twenties with light brown hair. She was pretty but the ring on her finger clearly told Klaus that she was taken and her unprofessionalism at her ogling turned him off. His eyes flickered down to her name tag and had the urge to roll his eyes. In annoyance, he pulled out his badge. “Special Agent Klaus Mikaelson, page Dr. Fell please. Thank you, Jules.”

He sat in the small empty waiting room, waiting for the doctor. He pulled out his phone and began scrolling through communications that April’s employer sent over. She had turned in her notice prior coming to Mystic Falls. Her resignation indicated that she intended to move home in order to raise her baby. While Klaus had no concrete evidence, he could only assume that the disagreement she had with her father changed her plans. Either way, she was not expected back in Richmond and no one realized she was missing.

“Agent Mikaelson?” Klaus looked away from his phone to gaze at the doctor. She was of medium height, brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, olive skin and a square jaw line. She was in the typical white lab coat and had a stethoscope hanging around her neck. She had what appeared to be a file in her hand. She held out her free hand for Klaus to shake and he stood, taking her hand. “Dr. Meredith Fell. You were asking to speak with me?”

“Yes. I was hoping to discuss Caroline Forbes’s injuries.”

“I figured as much. Would you like to go in here?” Dr. Fell pointed to a small room just off the waiting room. “It will be more private.” Klaus agreed and followed Dr. Fell over to the small room. Inside, there were only two ugly armchairs in the room and a small coffee table. The florescent lights that rested in the ceiling caused the room to appear far smaller and darker that it was actually. “This is typically the room we use when we have to share bad news with patient’s families. I’d take you to my office but Dr. Maxfield and I are sharing and there is not much privacy.”

“This is perfectly fine.” Klaus sat down on one of the chairs, Dr. Fell following suit. She flipped open the folder and pulled out a piece of paper; handing it to Klaus. He looked over it and could see what he assumed was Caroline’s signature on the bottom. “What is this?”

“A release form. I had Caroline sign it this morning. It states that she is allowing me and only me, discuss her case with either you or your partner.” Klaus raised an eyebrow at her in question. Typically, he had to fight tooth and nail to get a doctor to speak with him about victims who were still living, the issues of doctor patient confidentiality, while important and necessary, was a difficult obstacle for law enforcement to jump over. “Liz, I mean Sheriff Forbes, explained to Caroline that you would be coming to ask questions. I think you’ll find that Caroline is going to be very cooperative. She is very angry right now. Among other things.”

“I can’t blame her for that.” He looked over the release form again, silently thanking Liz. Dr. Fell handed over the rest of the file and Klaus flipped through it. Inside was a detailed report from Dr. Fell and several photographs showing her injuries. “How is she?”

“Honestly, she is focusing on anger right now. When she came in yesterday, she was in a complete state of shock. It took a while for the nurses and I to get her to let us clean her up. Liz held her hand the entire time. Once we were able to complete the physical exam, she started screaming and crying hysterically.” Dr. Fell closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Dr. Maxfield was the original physician who was going treat her, she refused, and we thought it would be best for a female to help her. Whoever had her, was most definitely male.”

“Rape kit?”

“Came back negative.” Klaus let out a breath that he had not realized he was holding. However, a theory he had been silently thinking on was just confirmed. At the very least, Caroline had been spared that torment, but it did not ease the sickening feeling pooling in Klaus’s stomach. “Mostly, she was malnourished and dehydrated. She had some drugs in her system, Dilaudid. I think it was used to keep her compliant, but they must have worn off if she was able to get away.”

“When she came into the station yesterday, her feet were bloody, and she appeared to be cradling her left hand.” Klaus asked and Dr. Fell nodded. “And her head seemed to have a cut that appeared rather fresh.”

“Yes. Her feet are pretty cut up but that had to be from running in the woods while not wearing shoes.” Klaus nodded, making a note of Dr. Fell’s use of term woods. He gave her an odd look. “I asked Caroline how each of her injuries happened. She told me that she was running in the woods.” Dr. Fell reached over and pulled out one of the pictures of Caroline’s wrists. “Her left wrist is broken.”

“How?”

“Self-inflicted.”

“What?”

“He kept her handcuffed to something. When Caroline realized he had been gone for a while and that the drugs left her system enough for her to escape, she knew if she broke her wrist, she would be able to slide her hand out of the cuffs.” Klaus took a deep breath. “There are also scrapes from the cuffs that indicate some of her skin was left on the metal.”

“Jesus.” He looked over the photo and the report; the more he learned about Caroline he couldn’t help but respect her more and more. She was fighter; a survivor. She was willing to do anything to save herself, even if it meant causing herself harm in the process. It was rare that Klaus saw that kind of strength and it fascinated him. He could only hope that this event did not diminish the young woman who was so full of light in her photos. “Anything else?”

“Her arms were covered in bruises which I believe came from him injecting the Dilaudid into her system improperly. The head injury she obtained when she fell in the woods, but it appears that her kidnapper didn’t want to harm her too much, just to keep her. The drugs he had her on where substantial. I plan on keeping her here for a few days to make sure she doesn’t suffer from withdrawal and she might have a rough few days ahead of her.”

“It will be a lot longer than a few days for her to recover from this.” Klaus muttered and Dr. Fell nodded in agreement. “Thank you, doctor. If you notice anything else, please call me.”

“Of course.” Dr. Fell held out her hand and Klaus took it. They left the small room and Dr. Fell turned back around. “Agent Mikaelson?” Klaus stopped and turned to look at the doctor. “I used to babysit Caroline when she was little. She always had such life in her. Seeing her the way I did yesterday…you find him. You find who did this because I don’t want another person going through what she did.”

“You have word.” A look passed between them and Klaus’s memory flashed back to his childhood. He could understand the protectiveness Dr. Fell felt, because he felt something similar before. He understood the need to hold someone close after a tragedy. What was going on in Mystic Falls would either pull this community together or tear them apart completely.

Klaus turned and walked down the hallway towards, thinking on the doctor’s words. It was a small town so it was no surprise that Caroline would know the doctor who treated her. He calculated her wounds in his head and the relief he felt at the negative rape kit; no matter how puzzling that fact was to him. Clearly, this was not about sex or the power over women, it was something else completely and Klaus was at a loss as to what it could be.

He was pulled from his thoughts quickly when he heard a commotion coming from down the hospital wing; directly outside of Caroline’s room. He turned a corner quickly and saw one of Liz’s deputies standing between a man with broad shoulders, jet black hair and expensive clothing. A smaller woman with chocolate skin, short brown hair and a furious look on her face was screaming at him. If it wasn’t for the officer holding her back, Klaus was certain she might have attacked him.

“You’re a piece of shit Tyler! She doesn’t want to see you.”

“Bonnie, she is my fiancé-.”

“Ex-fiancé! You lost that right a year ago. Leave. Now. She said she didn’t want to see you.” Bonnie hissed through clenched teeth. “You know that concept?! When someone asks to be left alone, you do the right thing and leave them the fuck alone.”

“Is there a problem here?” Klaus asked, his hands in the pocket of his jeans. He nodded to the police officer, whose name card read Deputy Martinson, and stepped between the two of them.

“Who the hell are you?” Tyler asked with narrowed eyes. His dark eyes evaluated Klaus’s appearance as though he was sizing up competition. In the back of Klaus’s mind, he remembered Liz telling him that Caroline had called off an engagement with the Mayor’s son and given the fact that this man reeked of entitlement, that only made sense to him.

“Agent Mikaelson with the FBI.” He pulled out his badge and flashed to the man. The woman, Bonnie, smirked and crossed her arms. He cocked his eyebrow at her, for intense and purposes, she was the one causing the scene but given the circumstances, Klaus wasn’t going to make a fuss as long at Tyler left the hospital. His first concern is Caroline and if she does not want him there, that was that. “Who are you and can I ask why you’re causing a scene outside Ms. Forbes’s hospital room?”

“Tyler Lockwood; Caroline’s fiancé and I want to see her.”

“From what I understand, according to her mother and from what-“He looked towards the woman “what is your name miss?”

“Bonnie Bennet.”

“From what Sheriff Forbes and Ms. Bennet have stated, your engagement has ended.” Klaus replied, looking Tyler directly in the eye. “Now. Ms. Forbes has been through enough. If she does not want you here, I will have you escorted out of this hospital if you refuse to leave. The same goes for you Ms. Bennet. I understand your desire to protect your friend but now is not the time to cause a scene.” Bonnie nodded in understanding but continued to shoot daggers with her eyes at Tyler.

“Look man, I don’t want to cause a scene. I just want to see my girl. That’s all.”

“Mr. Lockwood, it’s not about what you want. I don’t care what you want. I care about Ms. Forbes well-being and catching who did this to her. If that means she does not want to see you, then you need to leave. Now.” Klaus looked towards the deputy. “Please escort him out.”

The deputy nodded and gripped Tyler’s arm; who immediately pulled it out of his grasp. He watched them go and turned towards Bonnie, who was still standing there with her arms crossed. She watched Tyler being escorted out of the hospital. She turned to see Klaus observing her; studying her. It was unnerving and it felt as though he could see right through her.

“Are you alright?” Klaus asked her and she nodded.

“Yes. Sorry about that. He just makes me so angry.” Bonnie replied and Klaus nodded. He could see the protectiveness in her eyes, and he admired that about her. It provided some relief that Caroline would be surrounded by people that would help her through because she had a long haul in front of her. “Caroline asked for him to leave. He wouldn’t.”

“He does not seem to be someone who takes no for an answer?” Klaus asked; making a mental note to pull Tyler’s criminal history, if there was any, and look into him further. Bonnie nodded but glared at him with suspicious eyes. “I’m not the enemy here. You and I want the same thing. Now, go cool off. Get a cup of coffee or something. I need to speak with Ms. Forbes.”

Klaus could see the hesitation in Bonnie’s eyes. She did not want to leave Caroline, but she could agree that she was still very angry. She pursed her lips and nodded. She looked back at the open door and turned inside of the hospital room; Klaus following behind her. When he entered the stereotypical hospital room, he saw Caroline resting on the bed; but she was not alone. Sitting beside her was another woman with long brown hair and big doe eyes. Caroline’s head was resting against her shoulder and being held close to her.

“Caroline, Elena? I’m going to grab some coffee. Do you want anything?” Bonnie asked and Caroline shook her head in the negative. “Elena?” Bonnie looked at her other friend and Klaus could see something pass between them. Elena’s eyes flickered to Klaus, who was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

“Go Elena. I’ll be fine.” Caroline’s voice, which sounded stronger than it had the day before. Klaus took in her appearance. Her hair had been washed and pulled up into a messy bun. The color of her hair was lighter than the day before. She had been cleaned of the dirt, debris and blood that was etched onto her skin. She wore a light blue sweater due to the freezing temperatures the hospital staff kept the air-conditioning at. He couldn’t help but notice that the color suited her, bringing the blue of her eyes. “Stop staring at me. It’s creepy.”

Her sharp tone caused Klaus to break from his trance. Her eyes were narrowed at him, but they seemed more annoyed than angry. He could not explain it but there was something captivating about her; her strength and the way she didn’t back down from him made him understand how she was able to fight to stay alive.

“Caroline? Are you sure?” Elena asked, her eyes darting between Caroline and Klaus. Caroline turned to her friend and nodded.

“Go. I’ll be fine. He won’t hurt me.” Caroline’s voice sounded determined and forceful, causing Elena to nod. Elena crawled off the bed and she went to pick up two bags resting on the window seal. She handed one bag to Bonnie and the two women left the room; eyeing Klaus as they did. Once alone, Klaus walked over to window and grabbed the armchair that was stationed against the ledge. He pulled the chair up by her hospital bed and sat down; Caroline’s eyes following wherever he went.

“My apologies about staring, Ms. Forbes. I sometimes get focused on my job and I wanted to ensure that you were well.”

“Caroline.”

“What?”

“Not Ms. Forbes. Call me Caroline.” This caused Klaus to smile widely at her, his dimples protruding. Caroline narrowed her eyes, but he could tell that she wasn’t angry at him. If anything, she was amused with him. “And who are you? British secret agent guy?”

“My apologize Caroline, I am Agent Niklaus Mikaelson but please, call me Klaus.” Caroline nodded, but he could tell that she already knew that. Between the commotion in the hallway and the forewarning Liz had given her, Klaus could tell that she had been preparing herself for this moment. “How are you feeling?”

“Well, that is a loaded question.” Caroline muttered, looking down at her hands; her fingers tracing over the cast on her left arm. “Physically? I’ll heal and once I can stop shaking and stop having these damn chills, I’ll be okay.”

“You were on a hefty dose of drugs. Your body is going through withdrawal.” Caroline shot him a look, letting him know that she knew exactly what was causing her symptoms. “But I want to know how you’re really doing Caroline. Yes, your injuries will heal but that does not mean that you’re fine.” Caroline stayed silent but had gone very still. “You’re strong and the fact that you’re sitting up, holding a conversation with me tells me that you’re stronger than you’re giving yourself credit for; but it’s okay not to be fine right now. It’s okay to fall apart.”

“Yeah? Who made you the expert?”

“I’ve been doing this job for a long time.” Klaus replied. “And I’m no stranger to trauma.”

Caroline looked at him, searching his face. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her but that did not mean she could trust him. Trust was something she did not have for strangers, or anyone, at the moment. Yet, there was something in his face, the way he spoke; it was as though he genially understood the pain she was in. This went beyond a simple job for him. Her mother’s words echoed in her mind; Liz was trusting this man to catch the monster who lurked in their town and that meant something to Caroline.

“Right. Sorry.” Caroline whispered and Klaus nodded. “And thank you for what you said in the hallway…and sending Tyler away.” Caroline bit her lip; thinking on what to say. “I’m not okay, but I will be. I refuse to let this break me. Whoever he was; I won’t let him win.”

“You didn’t see him? Or recognize him?” Caroline shook her head. Klaus suspected as much. Between being drugged and the trauma, there was a good chance that Caroline would not be able to point out who her attacker was. “What can you tell me?”

“I was coming home from work. I remember being on my porch, hearing Enzo barking more than normal. I didn’t think anything of it. Then I felt a pinch in my neck, and everything went fuzzy.” Her right hand went up to her neck as though tracing the spot he assumed her assailant punctured her neck. “Next thing I know is I’m waking up in a small cell. I was chained to the railings.”

“Did you ever come in contact with your attacker? Ever see him?”

“No. He always came in with his face covered. Typically, with a mask, like the ones you always seen the bad guy wearing in movies. He would inject me with something, I don’t know what it was.”

“The tox screen Dr. Fell provided me showed that you had traces of Dilaudid in your system.” Klaus replied and Caroline gave him a confused look. “Some people on the street call it drug store heroin. One of the main side effects is drowsiness. It is what he used to sedate you.” Klaus paused, a thought occurring to him; a fact Dr. Fell mentioned when she briefed him on Caroline’s injuries. “You said he injected you? He never forced you to take a tablet or consume anything?”

“No, well, he would give me some food on a few occasions but he always injected me with something.” Caroline paused, seeing that Klaus’s mind was working in overdrive. His eyes glanced over her again and he slowly reached out, indicating that he was going to touch her; Caroline nodded her head, allowing him access. Klaus never took his eyes off her. He was gentle and slowly pushed the light blue fabric up her right arm. Her skin was covered in bruises up and down her arm; especially on parts of her arm where she had easy access to her veins. “Is that helpful?”

“Possibly. Can you think of anything else?”

“Yes.” Caroline looked at Klaus and he could tell that she was uncomfortable. “I never saw him but when I would get drowsy or tired, he would take the mask off. My vision was so hazy I could never see him clearly but, he would hold me. He never was violent with me. He would just take me in his arms and just…rock me? He would beg me not to leave. Over and over again he said that I had to stay with him.” Caroline’s voice cracked and she brought her knees up to her chest. Tears started to fall and her chested began to heave. Klaus could hear the sharpness of her breath in her chest and knew that the memories were causing her to panic.

“Caroline, it’s okay. Let it out.” Klaus reached for her hand and held it tightly. Seeing her cry, it tore at him and he wanted nothing more than to fix it. He wanted to track down the monster who did this to her and cause him physical pain. Klaus could feel that pure fury bubbling under his skin. A woman with so much light inside her should not be touched by such darkness.

“He was going to kill me, wasn’t he?” She sobbed out; her hand clutching Klaus’s tightly as though it was her lifeline. Klaus was unable to answer, torn between being truthful and not wanting to hurt her further. The silence however, told Caroline everything she wanted to know. Her tears only started falling faster. “My mom told me about the bodies by the Falls. He was going to do the same to me. Wasn’t he?”

“I believe so, yes.” Klaus’s voice was low and sad. Caroline’s face grew red and Klaus could see the anger bursting through. He was getting whip flash from the change in her moods, but it was to be expected. She almost died. She was drugged and held against her will and Klaus knew that her emotions were going into overdrive. Caroline started to move to crawl out of the bed causing Klaus to jump to his feet. “What are you doing?”

“I need to get out of here.” Her voice was hard as she kicked the covers off her legs. Klaus noticed that her feet were bandaged and assumed she should not be walking on them. He ran around the bed and caught her quickly as she slid out of the bed. He lifted her up bridal style into his arms. She didn’t’ resist but instead wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burring her face into his neck. Klaus couldn’t help but enjoy the feel of her body resting against him; mentally scolding himself for the thought.

“You need to stay in bed. It is only for a couple days and then you can go home.” Klaus whispered in her head, feeling the tears hit his neck. He sat down on the hospital bed, pulling Caroline close. “Nothing is going to happen to you Caroline. I will find who did this. I promise you. I will not let anything happen to you.”

“I believe you.” She replied, her face still buried in his neck. She pulled back and looked at him in the eye. Klaus could see it; she did trust him, and he felt a deep urge to protect her; to erase all the pain that she was feeling. He had interviewed hundreds of victims in the last six years of hunting predators and he never felt such pull. There was something inherently good about her that made him angry that such darkness touched her. “I want you to find him and I want to look him in the eye. I want to tell him that he didn’t beat me.”

“You will. I promise. You will.” Klaus whispered, vowing that he would move heaven and earth to give her that vengeance. Caroline nodded and moved to sit back on the bed. She brought her knees to her chest again. While she was still clearly shaken, there was a fire that lingered under her skin. Klaus suddenly remembered Dr. Fell’s words about Caroline being angry. Memories of her home invaded his thoughts. The life he knew she had before everything changed was in the forefront of his mind. He enjoyed the woman he learned about from those photos, habits and memories from third parties; but this woman in front of him was far beyond what he expected. “There is one other thing I need to ask you before I let you rest.”

“Okay.”

“I need you to tell me about Damon Salvatore.” Caroline startled and cocked her head at Klaus. She did not expect him to ask her about her high school boyfriend. She studied his face. His face was expressionless, showing nothing behind his grey-blue eyes. Gone was the soft and gentle man who held her moments ago; replaced by the FBI agent her mother told her about.

“Why?” Caroline asked in a quiet tone. The second the question left her lips, in clicked in her mind. “Damon? You think he did this?”

“We are looking at all avenues.”

“I’ll admit that when I was in that cell, there was something…. familiar about the man that had me, but I can’t say that it was Damon.” Klaus didn’t reply but he kept looking at her. He wanted to tell her more, but he could not say much. He did not believe that Caroline would jeopardize the investigation into her kidnapping and these murders, but it was a small town and people talk. “What do you want to know?”

“Your mother said that the two of you dated in high school?” Klaus asked and Caroline nodded. He remembered the dark tone Liz used the day before and got the feeling that the relationship was a toxic one. From how Caroline shifted in her seat, it only confirmed Klaus’s suspicions. He had yet to meet than and he could already say that he did not like him.

“Yeah. For almost two years. Um, it was in the beginning of my junior year. He was a senior.” Caroline shook her head. “It all started because I was insecure and shallow. My best friend, Elena, was dating Damon’s brother, Stefan. I was jealous so I thought dating the older brother was the way go.”

“Go on.”

“Quickly I came to realize that Damon had feelings for Elena.” Klaus nodded, thinking back on the young woman who was in the room earlier. He was completely focused on Caroline that he had not noticed her beyond observing her interactions with her friend. “However, instead of walking away, I stayed. We fought all the time. He called me shallow and useless; and I just took it.”

“What are you not telling me Caroline?” Klaus asked. Her eyes were downcast, as though she did not want to look at him. She picked at her nails and he could tell that memories were replaying in her mind. He thought on Liz’s reaction and how she appeared to hate Damon. “What did he do to you?”

“Before I tell you, please understand that I’m not that girl anymore.” Caroline whispered. “I was very self-conscious, and I tried so hard to please everyone. I thought that I didn’t deserve any better.” There was a slight tear in her eye, and she raised her hand to wipe it away. “He would get angry if I didn’t do exactly what he wanted, or if I said something that upset him. I was about eight months into the relationship when he hit me for the first time.”

“The first time?” Klaus asked, his hand clenched at his side. He knew how domestic violence worked. It was slow. They built up to their abuse; gaslighting their victims and slowly removing them from their friends and family. “This happened more than once? Your mother did nothing?”

“My mom didn’t know. She worked a lot; my dad was gone, and I was really good at hiding things. She didn’t even know I was dating Damon until the end of my senior year.” Klaus seemed surprised by that fact. Liz seemed very astute and noticed everything around her. The fact that she would miss something so important happening right under her nose baffled Klaus. “He got very angry one day. Something with his brother and Elena. He put me in the hospital. Mom arrested him and he was charged with assault and battery. The Salvatore family is rich, and he had a good lawyer. When I say our relationship ended at that point, that is an understatement. When mom realized what was going on, she put a end to it.”

“What is your relationship like now?” His tone was clip; anger cursing through his veins. Looking at Caroline now, bruised and injured, he could only imagine how a teenage version of Caroline being hurt in such a way would be like. Klaus tried to clear his mind, trying not to allow his personal experiences with domestic violence get in the way. He needed to remain objective.

“Honestly? I avoid him as much as possible.” Caroline looked at him and gave him a humorless laugh. “But it is a small town and no matter how often I go out of the country or duck and run at the sight of him, Damon is impossible to avoid. Given the fact that Elena is engaged to Stefan and I’m a bridesmaid in her wedding and Damon is the best man, I’m sure you can understand how avoidance is difficult.”

“Your friend is putting you in the same wedding party as your abuser?” Klaus was baffled but his respect for Caroline continued to grow. Her strength did not just come from the woman who raised her, but her life experiences made her to be able to stand on her own two feet. “She sounds like an awful friend, love.”

“Ten years is a long time. It’s ancient history.”

“Not that ancient. Not for something like that.” Klaus replied and they shared a look. He could see the relief pass through Caroline’s eyes; finally feeling heard. Not having to put on a fake smile and ignore the blatant disregard for her feelings. “You deserve so much better than that.”

“No wonder my mom likes you so much. You share a lot of the same opinions.” Caroline stated, attempting to tease him but her voice lacked the conviction. He gave her small smile; not wanting to admit that the idea of earning Liz’s respect pleased him. The woman was terrifying, but he couldn’t help but admire her tenacity. “God, you must think I have terrible taste in men. There’s Damon and you’ve already met Tyler.”

“What happened there?” His voice dropped his special agent tone for a more curious one. Caroline laughed humorlessly again. Klaus wondered what a genuine laugh from her would sound like.

“The age of old tale of infidelity. I came home early from a trip to France. Found him in bed with another woman.” She rolled her eyes. “Kicked him out that night. He has been trying to weasel his way back into my heart and bed ever since. However, if Damon taught me anything; it’s that I’m worth more than that.”

“You’re right. You are worth more than that.” They shared a look, but it only lasted a second when a knock on the hospital door interrupted them. They both turned to see Bonnie and Elena standing in the door. Bonnie had two what appeared to be very sugary coffee drinks in her hand; Elena carrying her own.

“Sorry. Are we interrupting? We thought you would be done.” Elena replied, her eyes darting between the two of them. Klaus stood from the hospital bed and smiled at the two of them before looked back at Caroline. He pulled out his wallet and handed her his card.

“We’re all finished. If you think of anything else, let me know. Call me anytime, even at midnight, okay?” Caroline nodded and took the card. She looked at his name on the card before giving him a small smile. She thanked him and he just gave her a dimpled filled grin. Bonnie walked around the bed to stand by Caroline and handed her one of the drinks in her hand.

“I know you said you didn’t want anything, but I picked you up something anyway. French vanilla Frappuccino, full fat because we are not having any of this healthy, fat free nonsense with whipped cream on top.” Bonnie said and Caroline smiled, taking the drink from her. Elena curling up in the chair that Klaus had just vacated.

As he headed towards the door, Klaus looked over his shoulder. Caroline was sipping on her sugar filled drink and giving her friends a smile; but Klaus could see it was forced. She was putting on a show and building up a wall; enclosing herself from those she cared for. It was painful for Klaus to see. There was just something about her that got under his skin.

Klaus continued to watch her for a moment and caught Caroline’s eye. Her shoulders slumped ever so slightly but her smile seemed sincere when she looked back at him; as though she did not have to hide behind the wall that she was trying to construct around herself. Klaus knew he needed Caroline to trust him in order to solve this case; what he wasn’t expecting was the desire to earn that trust for himself.

Klaus walked out of the room and strolled down the hallway; pure fury spawning in the pit of his stomach; threatening to claw its way out of his chest. His mind racing towards a thousand scenarios and possibilities. Knowing what would have happened to Caroline if she did not escape her prison, sent chills down Klaus’s spine. He thought back on Camille, the fourth victim. They looked similar. Both tall and blonde. It wasn’t hard for him to imagine Caroline in her place. Klaus imagined what the killer would have done to her body once he strangled the life out of her.

The thought was sickening.

Klaus’s phone vibrated in his pants and he pulled it out to see his partner’s name flash across the screen.

“Done at the Star residence?” Klaus asked, trying to sound neutral. He had been working with Marcel for well over two years, having trained him when he started in this department. Marcel knew him well and could read him; the last thing he wanted his partner to know what that he found their star witness captivating.

“Yes. Her parents are distraught, but they had already come to terms with the fact that their daughter is dead. Doesn’t make it any easier though to have it confirmed. I got them to agree not to contact her former employers for the time being. Last thing we need is this turning into a media circus.” Marcel chimed in and Klaus was unsurprised. Andi had been missing for months with no hint of being found. Disappearing for that long typically only meant one thing. “I found out something interesting though.”

“Well don’t leave me in suspense.”

“Remember how officer Donovan mentioned that his sister had a thing with Damon Salvatore? And how Liz mentioned that he was also Caroline’s high school boyfriend?”

“Yes.”

“Guess who was in a long distance, on again off again relationship with him?”

“Andi Star?” Klaus asked, stopping in the middle of the hallway. He read Andi’s file and the investigation into her disappearance. She had been reported as single and having no boyfriend. Unless, they kept the relationship private or were on a break, no one knew she was in a relationship. He went back and forth with the scenarios.

“Yup.”

“I think it is time we went and had a chat with Mr. Salvatore.”

#klaroline fanfiction #klaroline #caroline x klaus #fanfiction #Wanderlust #what are you thinking?#who is the killer #any ideas?#let me know

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fairnglowblog · 3 years

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Know all the basics about vitiligo and its treatment.

Vitiligo, which is also identified as Leukoderma, is indeed a chronic skin disease that many people are unaware of. In fact, it really is a common disease that actually affects more than 2% of the population throughout the Developed societies. It could affect children which are as young as 10 years old, but it usually does not manifest itself until the adulthood. It is well agreed that there have been three major factors associated with Vitiligo:

Lifestyle

Environment

Genes

Despite substantial current medical research, despite the fact that this disease has been here for a pretty long time now, there seems to be no accepted medical treatment for it today. There is no single medication which would stop or otherwise reverse the disease, and that there's no simple "take a pill and then it will somehow go away" remedy and most of the Vitiligo patients begin to see depigmentation within their own skin over time, classifying Vitiligo as just a chronic condition.

With no clinically developed solution available during this stage, medication to control and delay the progression of Vitiligo has become the Health Industry's recommendation and the main concern for sufferers, and particularly those who can make results over time also do so through the use of more of the natural treatments.

Vitiligo is thought to be an infectious disorder that manifests itself unexpectedly. Cells responsible for developing and preserving skin color tend to die for unknown reasons, allowing the skin for losing pigmentation and resulting in some kind of a "colorless" area of skin. The very first patch will spread or begin again in a newer patch of the skin. This condition is thought to be the product of the human having some kind of bodily imbalance. This mismatch misleads the immune system into destroying the cells responsible for pigment production. Leucoderma Treatment is much popular.

If you're reading this and believe you're having Vitiligo, please contact a personal Healthcare Provider. Diagnosis could be fast because painless, and once Vitiligo is detected, you will be able to focus on finding the cause causes and managing the condition's spread as quickly as possible. Any Health Care Professionals who particularly diagnose Vitiligo would recommend UV therapies as that of the main cure, with the goal of stimulating the cells and encouraging re-pigmentation of particularly each infected area of skin. Vitiligo cure is very easy to do.

Some methods might be more likely to treat the condition's treatment holistically. Accepting the particular medical community's assertion that somehow Vitiligo is a disease caused by a deficiency suggests that somehow it is possible to investigate all facets of diet as well as lifestyle in an effort to determine the factors and correct the possible causes, thereby returning balance to the person and improving the condition.

There have been substantial changes noted in Vitiligo sufferers who've already opted to endorse lifestyle change, with an emphasis on diet and stress management as a treatment strategy, especially in slowing the active nature of the disease, and some have also mentioned having a relapse, or even a progressive reversal of the particular condition.

#Leucoderma Treatment

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doktorpeace · 4 years

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🖊 please introduce us to Erato, I know they're in a masks campaign but I have no idea what else

Oh, gosh, I feel like I talk about them too much as is but I can’t say I’m not glad to have the excuse. This is gonna be really long cause tbh I’m just gonna dump like, a bunch of their lore lmao.

Erato is my Masks: A New Generation character in a campaign being played alongside @twerkyvulture (As Amanda ‘Megafauna’ Ghorbani, The Transformed) @draayder (as Josephine ‘Rattlesnake’ Short, The Reformed) @spitblaze (as Les ‘Void’ Hawking, The Doomed) @heedra (as Enid ‘Frag Beetle’ Day, The Scion) and @skarchomp (as Parker ‘Cobalt’ Andrews, The Legacy) with @dykeceratops as our GM. The current arc features @mechanicalriddle as Zoe, The Nova as a guest member. Here’s a group shot done by @tredlocity. Clockwise from the top left: Cobalt in blue, Erato in the track suit, Les in the cloak, Zoe with the mismatched eyes, Enid’s the big robot, Amanda’s got the scales and claws, and Josephine’s got the mask and tonfa.

To get back to Erato specifically though they’re an Anti Metahuman/Metahuman Suppression Weapon created by the in universe tech group Wright Industries, founded by Ingrid Day, Enid’s mom. They’re generally stronger, faster, and more durable than humans and can copy the superpowers of others for 5-10 minutes by touching them thanks to what is basically a meta-stem cell transplant interacting with other parts of their systems. (Also, I 100% swear to god that I did not consider ‘Robot Hero Who Copies The Powers Of Others’ is literally fucking Mega Man despite loving Mega Man a ton until after I had hashed out the concept with my GM’s assistance. Only once Abby said ‘oh like mega man’ I was like ‘wait, shit’.) I’ll tell you some about them as a person before unloading their history onto you, lol. Being an android built for combat and kept in an underground research lab, kept on a rigid schedule, constantly taking tests, physical, mental, written, oral, ethical, etc. etc. etc. and under constant supervision Erato lacked for real interactive experience before the campaign started only really ever getting to takl with authority figures and their sisters. They were very passive and observational, owing in part to their power set requiring a lot of adaptation to make the most of. They’re naive and very bad at exercising discretion in decision making, sometimes they overstep boundaries when talking with people without meaning to, and they’re really emotional! They have trouble dealing with strong emotions cause they haven’t managed to discover coping mechanisms that work well for them, they tend to get angry kind of easily and need time to blow off steam. But they’re also very genuine, honest, and well meaning. They are almost never mean, rude, or snippy, they do their best to do well by others, and have a strong sense of justice paired with a deep distrust and dislike of the current legal system in universe. This is in part due to the conditions of their creation (and in part because the intent behind it was kind of right!) and in part due to Enid’s life being threatened by a representative of the state while they and their teammates were in jail after being arrested following a huge brawl with an anti-methuman terrorist group. They’re also very willing to put forth the effort to improve as a person and to mend relationship wounds, almost always apologizing first to Enid when they fight and genuinely trying to work in advice and feedback they get from others, which they often get from Les and Parker. They’re also relatively educated, from the tests of their creators, from home and public schooling, from personal research, but that doesn’t undo their naivety. They also just straight up lack some very basic and/or common sense knowledge. Like, they don’t know what a bear is. Why would you teach a battle android working in a densely populated, extremely built up city about wild animals? All in all they’re kind of inexperienced and immature and make mistakes a lot but they’re (usually) very willing to admit their mistakes and to try and improve and get better. They genuinely and truly want what’s best for others and are learning to value them self as much as their teammates. They’ve also taken it upon them self to start doing humanitarian work in their free time over the summer. In a fight Erato is adaptive and quick witted but tends to put themself in more danger than is necessary. They also sometimes use more extreme force than the others believe is called for, but after the first time they did they and Parker had a real heart to heart about it, Les helped Erato learn and practice some coping, centering, behaviors they could do even under pressure and Erato did their best to adapt. That said they Fucking Hate The Keeper So God Damned Much Because Of How Much Suffering He’s Caused Their Friends And How Much Danger He Presents And Would Kill Him With No Remorse. So they don’t intend to apologize for ripping his arms off whatsoever. They and their sisters, collectively known as The Muse Units, were made to work as a group and as a proof of concept that atomized units could replace traditional police for use against metahuman criminals and to slowly phase out The Registry, the legal department which handles general metahuman based laws. If successful the units could be mass produced and improved upon, rapidly replacing current, error prone, law enforcement. At the time of their development, between late 1999 for blueprint drafting and until mid 2002 when the project was shut down, they were the cutting edge for AI development aided in no small part by Ingrid’s technokinetic powers allowing her to make advancements few others could. (As a note Erato’s body was finished being built in early 2001 but their unique personhood didn’t really come to fruition until February 18th, 2002, so that’s what I consider their ‘birthday’.) Ultimately, however, while a few of the Muses excelled some did not perform to expectations, the project fell behind schedule, investors lost interest, and a minor scandal involving a casualty happened, resulting in the project being shut down. The Muses were placed in indefinite storage, the data gained from their short existence used on other projects such and some of the tech advancements used to inform future decisions by the company. And it would have stayed that way, if not for the fact that in 2018 Ingrid Day was revealed to be The Locust in a conflict where Enid tried to defend her against a militia group who had been hired to take her down, being shot and presumably killed in the process. As The Locust she had been terrorizing Boston for over a decade trying to take it over and being involved in the deaths of over 70 people. (Which irl btw would make her like, the 8th most prolific confirmed serial killer of all time, Yikes!) Wright Industries, desperately needing to prove their hard stance against metahuman criminals and needing a PR stunt to deflect from their connection to their former CEO re-awakened Erato. They weren’t the most powerful or best performing of the Muses, but they were above average, obedient, and had an easy enough to monitor and control power set with little risk for property damage to boot, the perfect choice. Erato then took to the streets of Boston acting basically as a vigilante, following orders, stopping minor crimes, and sometimes working alongside the police. They attracted the attention of The Viceroy, a semi-retired 56 year old hero who never registered in spite of it being compulsory legally. They both have the ability to copy the powers of others, though he can just by sight, and he has body elasticity too. These make him durable and extremely adaptable, add to that his detective skills and he’s something of a local Boston legend. He took them in as his Protégé. Though they remained distant for quite some time with Erato still coming and going between his place and Wright Industries, having promised not to reveal his assistance to the doctors who Erato reported their work to. It was this way for about a year and a half before the campaign started and Erato began living with Viceroy full time, no longer wanting to go back to Wright Industries as they began to think more independently and consider what they wanted for them self more. During this time Erato had chance encounters with each of the other characters a few times as they also did minor vigilante work, peaking with a villain who is a member of Superhuman, an extremist pro-metahuman group, attacked the school that Josephine, Les, and Amanda all attend. After that incident Erato was prompted by Viceroy to contact each of these other young potential heroes to form a team, The Upstarts. Additionally during this time Viceroy took in Enid who had been abandoned by her biological father and had been getting bounced around foster care. Over time the three of them have become kind of a weird family, living in a warehouse full of cats with a couple of bedrooms grafted on and an ultra secret basement lair underneath full of advanced stuff Viceroy makes. Though Erato and Enid have definitely had their ups and down, more recently in the story (and we’ve been doing this campaign for well over a year now) they’ve been putting in serious effort to better their relationship and be good adoptive siblings to one another. I love their relationship a lot, they’re good kids.

That gets us up to the start of the campaign but hoo boy, I’ve been writing for like, an hour now. Since then Erato’s helped take down a nazi-aligned terrorist organization, they’ve got a boyfriend in their teammate, Les, and they’ve made friends outside of their core group of teammates. They’ve also enrolled in school doing well on some classes and poorly in others, namely learning how to Code and Woodworking. Currently they’re at a sleep away summer camp for superpowered kids called Camp Justice, about 10 miles outside of Boston. They really, really hate it there. Constant supervision, being made to do tests, things scheduled out against their will, inability to leave the area? Yeah that certainly reminds them of something. The difference between it and school, which does share these features, is they wanted to go to school. They very much Did Not want to go to camp. As a result they’re finally going to have to start facing the trauma they’ve got from their origin and also actually tell the others other than Les and Amanda about their sisters. Whiiiiich...Enid saw one of them disassembled and showed off in parts at a school science fair display set up by Wright Industries to gauge interest in students. And she hasn’t mentioned this to Erato...for 4 months Uh Oh! Lastly, here’s my tag I use mostly for art I make of them, it includes some texts posts and picrew dumps too though, lol. Feel free to look!

#cubecubed #erato #masks

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paullui2002 · 2 years

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Increasing number of clinical trials and rising trend of outsourcing and escalating investments in R&D are driving the growth of the medical affairs outsourcing market. However, the surging costs of drug development and clinical trials hinder the market growth.

Growing healthcare sector in developing regions, especially in Asia Pacific, creates considerable business expansion opportunities for the medical affairs outsourcing market players. The huge population suffering from various medical conditions in these countries is generating demand for more clinical trials. The number of clinical trials conducted in Asia Pacific is greater than those conducted in the US or Europe.

The preference for conducting clinical trials in Asia Pacific is increasing due to low operational costs, large patient recruitment potential, wide CRO presence, favorable regulatory environment, and better clinical trials capacity and quality. Moreover, the clinical trials in Asia cost ~30–40% lower than the US and the EU as the doctor visits and medical treatments and procedures are less pricey in Asian countries. Thus, such favorable conditions for conducting clinical trials in Asian countries is expected to boost the demand for outsourcing medical affairs from pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies in the coming years.

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Market leaders operating in the market have undertaken various organic and inorganic growth strategies in the medical affairs outsourcing market. The medical affairs outsourcing market majorly consists of the players such as ICON PLC, IQVIA Inc, Syneos Health, WuXi AppTec, SGS SA, PPD Inc, PAREXEL INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, Indegene, Excelya, UDG Healthcare plc.

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#Medical Affairs Outsourcing Market #Medical Affairs Outsourcing Industry #Medical Affairs Outsourcing Market Size #Medical Affairs Outsourcing Market Share #Medical Affairs Outsourcing Market Forecast

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darknytemare · 4 years

Text

Viscum: Dark Parasite

Pairing: Jimin x Reader [Featuring Elf Namjoon]

Word Count: 7.7K

Genre: SFW [shock of all shocks], Fantasy, Angst, Fluff [maybe?]

Summary: Christmas is… dead. It has been for too long a time. You believe in an old tradition that could not only save Christmas but restore much-needed joy to the world. There’s just one small problem. The answer involves a rare strain of mistletoe and kissing the Spirit of Christmas.

A/N: Thanks to @uwugalore & @seakay05 for proofing/editing, putting the collaboration together, making banners, and infinite amounts of patience! I hope you enjoy and please love this collaboration to bits! Happy Holidays!

25 Days of Christmas: A BTS Anthology MASTERLIST

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

“Promise me,” she whispered softly. Her fingers traced the line of his jaw as she mustered a smile for him. “Please? Don’t let this all be for nothing.”

Her breath hitched as the pain ran through her body. There were tears glittered in her eyes as he heaved for air. Jimin held her tight against him with a vigorous nod.

“I promise. I promise. I swear it won’t be.” They were surrounded by people that cared about her. Her tears fell like liquid mercury across the apples of her cheek. Those tears fell like snow to the ground. She gathered her strength for a final deep inhale. She could feel the infection leaving her, crippling her, minute by minute. The temperature dropped as she exhaled softly. A smile spreading across her face as she stared at the sky.

“Look, it’s snowing.” Her hand reached up for the flakes falling soft and thick around them. Jimin clutched her tighter, his face buried into the crook of her neck.

“Why?” He sobbed softly.

“Because it’s apart of the magic. It lets them know to gather. You must remind them to... gather.” She felt cold, her breath misting in the air. “Jimin,” she did her best to keep her sobs at bay. ‘...you have t-to take care of Niclaus. H-he is the beacon. You have t-to…” Her fingers clung into his forearm. A soft cry as her heart slowed, and he could feel it.

Her life slipping away as he smoothed his hand over her face. “I will. I promise.” Jimin leaned down to press his lips against hers. A kiss fiery enough to warm her soul. “Love you...always.”

“Always.” A sad smile as her heart stopped. The creatures around him bowed their heads as he sobbed against a body going cold. The babbling of a child that barely knew his mother stirred Jimin after a long moment.

He scooped her up, laying the body against the Sacred Elm. Jimin swiped his finger against the corner of her eye, wiping the mercurial liquid against the tree branch. The bark shuddered as her body fell into the center, disappearing again. He stood back as the tree seemed to vibrate and quiver.

“No!” Jimin woke with his arm, outstretched above him. Almost as if he could still feel the snowflakes settling like a gentle caress against his hand. His body drenched in sweat as the heel of his palm dug into his eye sockets.

It had been more than a thousand years since he had dreamed of her. It had been just as long since he’d broken his promise. It had been more than three hundred years since he had signaled the world to rejoice. He fell back against a mountain of pillows as his bare chest rose and fell with the thunder of his heartbeat. Jimin’s eyes squeezed shut against the flood of emotion, threatening to unsettle him. He could feel it, bubbling inside of him. The need to shed light and love, he could feel it trying to eat him from inside.

He could feel it trying to get out - and every year, he clamped it down.

Swallowing it back down bitterly, he held it at bay - selfishly. Why did the world deserve what he couldn’t have? After what it took from him? His forearm lay across his face as his pulse slowed.

Jimin was resolute in keeping that beacon dead. He had done so with no qualm for centuries.

There was a moment of trepidation as he stared out his window. He hadn’t dreamed of her face for a long time. He had almost forgotten what she looked like. But, that faint reminder? Had his heart aching all over again.

His lower lip pulled between his teeth as he suddenly wondered, Why?

Why now did her face reappear in his dreams?

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

It was cold.

It’s not as if she disliked the cold, it's just the cold that stood out the most. Maybe it’s because there’s a sudden warmth that overtook her. The laughter of a child, a hand holding her’s tight. The crunch of snow? It hasn’t snowed in ages. Yet, here it is - here she was, watching the tiny tracks leading away from them.

From them? Her gaze slides to the other set of fingers interlaced with hers. There’s the dull drone of a voice going on about something. She saw this child turn back to wave. He’s so happy because of her, and yet? She found herself suddenly envious. She remembered a time when that joy was familiar. When it belonged to everyone around her.

“....he’s getting bigger each year.” The voice sounded proud. The man next to her is just a fraction taller, by a mere few hairs. His side profile was ...captivating? He seemed to radiate energy, and she felt herself smiling like an idiot. Her focus shifts back to the child calling her name.

“Mama, mama! The snow is so fluffy.” She felt herself smile down at this little bundle of joy. He had the bluest eyes. Like the sky had been snatched and thrown into his face. He had the squishiest cheeks, tinted a light cherry by the cold, no doubt. His hair was ...silver? White? She turned to the man next to her and saw the same silvery strands atop his head.

The child runs off throwing snow in the air, it twinkles like a multitude of stars against the dark of night. “Niklaus, don’t get covered.”

Niklaus? She was interrupted as the man spun her around in his grasp. He’s so warm and close, and friendly. His lips brushed her forehead, and damnit it’s cold again -

His lips are moving, she couldn't stop staring at them. They’re plush, his skin is perfect - he’s practically glowing. It’s so cold? Why is it so cold?

“You’re shivering. I know what will warm you up.” Her eyes shifted from the point of his chin along the line of his jaw - and things are suddenly blurry. No, no. No. Don’t... She wanted to see it! This always happens, fuck. She could only make out his lips, and as soon as her gaze traveled any higher? She saw this blue? Gray? Slate? These eyes, these damned eyes that she just can’t forget.

Then it all goes away.

...and then she wakes up.

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

“She’s back?!” A jubilant voice echoed from down a long corridor. “She’s back! She’s back!” The childlike voice echoes, causing a tired-looking man to remove his glasses. There was the sound of destruction as the elf scrambled into the workshop.

‘Saint Nicholas’ chuckled as Namjoon scrambled into his office with a delicate crystal. “Sh-She’s back! Nick, she’s back!”

Niklaus waved his hands, bade the elf to breathe first, and then explain. The elf took a shake breathy and placed a delicate crystal on the man’s desk.

“It’s been getting brighter and brighter. And just today? It...it’s glowing. She’s back, Nick. Maybe... maybe this time?” Namjoon was hopeful as Saint Nicholas held the icicle in his hand. The tears brimming in his eyes confirmed Namjoon’s suspicions.

“Mother.” The brilliance swelling inside the shard shaped crystal seemed to dance at the word. “Where is she, Namjoon?” A pair of pale blue pinned the elf in place. The elf bit his lip as he toyed with his fingers.

“Nick, y-you know we can-” The older man cut him off.

“Where... is she, Namjoon?”

The elf sighed heavily as his fingers flexed against the air. A beacon of light flared against a mystical map swirling around them. The elf pointed to the little village in the mountains. Niklaus pinched the flare of light, a motion that zoomed the map outward. Giving them a visual of the place and its people.

“Nick. D-do you think…?”

Namjoon stared as a woman exited a cabin. Sometimes, they somewhat looked like her - sometimes, some things reminded them of her. But this woman? She was a dead ringer. This woman was the spitting image of his mother, The Spirit of Winter.

Namjoon turned to Santa Claus as he dropped the jolly facade that the world knew him by. In actuality? He was a blend of his parents. Silvery hair gifted by both of them. Jimin’s sleek, almost androgynous features. He had his mother’s blue eyes that part of his look was real. The twinkle within them a gift that allowed him to do the impossible.

The two of them together were responsible for the spirit that came with the holiday known as Christmas. But, for the last few hundred years? That spirit has been missing from the world. The reason for the season had become lost in a wave of greed and indifference. It became materialistic, primal, and evil, with more care for closing the sale or getting the deal. Not to mention the ill care of the planet that slowly began to chip away at the population.

Over time, some people had simply forgotten about the holidays. Force to realize they didn’t have the things that made the holidays enjoyable? They let them fall to the wayside. The planet had suffered much at the hands of industrialization and unscrupulous consumption of resources. It was too late by the time the population shifted to change their ways. The planet was thrown into a flux that had all the minor deities scrambling to save what they could.

The weather deities suffered damage that caused an inability to control their powers. Slowly but surely, they began to fade. Absorbed back into the planet to try and offer some sort of balance. But it was the Spirit of Winter who suffered the most. The bitter cold that snapped in places where it didn’t belong. The longer durations began to cripple her as she fought against the impending change. She struggled to give humanity a fighting chance. She fought to minimize the damage to those ill-prepared for even the mildest of cold snaps. At first, she believed it to be the cause of her pregnancy, a rare thing to start, hormones went awry. But as other deities succumbed, or simply returned to the heart of Gaia, she realized it wasn’t so simple. Finally, she made a choice.

She wouldn’t sacrifice her child - so she stopped trying to prevent the inevitable. She protected the life inside of her, a hope that could restore something lost in humanity. She put her everything into making sure that the child was born.

It took two months for the disease wrought by the human race to run rampant. She had to watch on in horror as the world began to hurt and forget. No one remembered the olde ways, nobody carried the spirit of the holidays - let alone joy. Jimin had started to grow bitter as she suffered. But, against all the odds? Their child was born.

They named him Nicklaus.

She had held back the secret of her well-being from everyone. She just wanted to enjoy her fleeting moment of motherhood. They all gathered at what remained of The World Tree, and she knew then what it would take.

"You want to what?" Jimin hissed as she placed her hand on the withered bark.

"It's the only way, Jimin. For just a moment, if they could remember happiness. Don't you think we owe it to him to try?" Her hand balled into a fist, Jimin knew that look.

"You can't leave us!" He stepped forward, his eyes a dark gray from their natural silver shine. "You can’t leave him!" A hand-cut the air toward their son. But, the fear in his voice gave him away. "Y-you can't leave me." His hands cradled her face tilting it up, a gaze imploring him to reconsider.

"I'm so sorry..."

A broken sob left her as confusion furrowed his brow. "...It's already too late." Jimin shook his head, prepared to fight her, but he felt it. He realized it. He didn't know how he missed it? But, he had.

"You..."

Hurt. There was hurt in his voice as he released her face. She dropped the illusion of vitality to the soft collective gasps around them. "Why? Why would hide this?! Why would you lie?!"

She was emaciated, a sickly pallor to the usual vibrancy they were used to. Her eyes, hair were a dull and flat white. "I needed you both to have happy memories of me." Her smile was weak. "It's taken so much out of me to hide it. I just... I'm tired, my love." Tired and getting weaker by the moment. Jimin finally realized everything now.

And he hated humanity even more.

She was giving the last of her vitality to the World Tree. There was nothing he could do to stop her. Because she's making the sacrifice instead of being the sacrifice. Of course, it made sense. But it didn't mean he had to like it.

Her knees buckled as the air began to chill.

Even as a young child, Niklaus was attentive. And the image of his mother being absorbed into the World Tree? It had always stayed with him.

Because he always remembered the smile on her face before the bark closed over her body.

It was known as The Great Resurgence. For some reason that year, right before Christmas Eve - a wave of calm washes over the world. People remember a thick silence that seemed to make everyone stop and look toward the sky. The streak of colors spotted in areas as deep and rural, was the talk of nations. It was the first time snow has fallen in decades in some areas.

It was the greatest White Christmas.

And every year, as long as humanity maintained the feeling, they were gifted with the same emotion that fell from the sky. Snow sparkles like small diamonds seemed to bring out the best in everybody. They took that energy into the new year.

But, the saying goes - all good things come to an end.

And it did, years later, when a small war broke out. Fueled by greed, and with Jimin's bitterness at its peak, it caused that darkness to reappear.

And Jimin... intervened.

Nobody can remember the moment or the cause, just that two sides were devastated. And a charismatic individual appeared from the smoke to help the people mend their ways.

That charismatic individual then chose others, he trusted, to continue his work. Then he disappeared, spotted here and there over the years.

As one of the few remaining spirits left, Jimin didn't care about the rules. And as far as he was concerned? They didn't need the holidays. They didn't deserve them. So, he worked to bring order, structure, and cordiality.

The old ways were wholly forgotten by the time he was finished.

His bitterness ate him just a little less.

But then, he started to see her. It was never in the same place. It was never at the same time. He could feel her popping up in random forms throughout the years. He grew nervous that this was his punishment for not abiding by her final wish.

He was always drawn to her, no matter what form she took. She has been many things, an aging grandmother with twelve generations. A young girl, happy even though she had little, in a small country. A girl at the peak of her youth living her truth unabashedly and encouraging others to do the same.

And each time? Every time he was near? She dies. Naturally, horribly, on time and way too soon. He was there for them all. He could always swear she recognized him. It became too much for him. So he stopped looking. He stopped showing up.

But not Nicklaus - because he still had hope.

"Nick?” Namjoon watched the young man quietly. The shard of pulsating energy held almost too tight in his hand.

“This is it, Namjoon. This is our chance.” Nick handed the shard back to Namjoon. The elf nodded softly, turning on his heel to leave the room. “Namjoon....”

The elf turned around to see the dark blue eyes set in Niklaus’ face. It caused him to frown, he was like his father in some ways. “Don’t tell him.” Namjoon nodded and quickly departed the room. He clutched at his chest to quell the rapid beat of his heart. Because that dark rage that he had seen on Jimin’s face? Was equally mirrored in his son.

At least, he was thankful that Niklaus had never acted on it.

---------

“It’s a beautiful day, Agnes!” The old woman wrinkled her face as the young woman came twirling into her home. The curtains and windows were opened, a stream of sunlight exposed the layer of dust that had settled. The young woman spun from one side of the cabin to the others. Agnes couldn’t help but chuckle at her exuberance.

“Sona, come here, would you?” The young woman turned with a bright smile on her face. Agnes couldn’t help but let her own spread across her face. Sona, the nickname given to the strange girl who had appeared in their village long ago with no memory. They were a mismatch of nationalities existing in the mountains. Far from the damage caused by those who didn’t care for anything but themselves. They remembered how things used to be - and they still abided by those tenets even now.

Sona flopped down at Agnes’ feet, smoothing the fabric of her skirt. “It’s almost time, Sona.”

The young woman nodded eagerly. “I know, Agnes! I’m so excited. Do you really think it will happen this year?” The old woman reached out to cup the girl's chin.

No one could explain Sona’s strange, yet alluring look. For starters? She had white hair, white as the first snow. Her eyes were a pale blue, that sometimes at the right angle, looked white. Concerned for her well-being, they took to dying her hair black. It was an arduous task that left her with stubborn streaks of white hair intermingled with the darker strands. It only made her blue eyes, paler. But, they merely claimed she had an exotic look.

It worked and allowed her to thrive and build a life. She took particular joy in hearing the stories about the celebrations long forgotten. A form of All Hallow’s still exists. Something akin to Thanksgiving still remained.

It was Christmas. The ever-elusive tale of Christmas and the joy it brought, was what was missing. It was almost illegal to speak of it in larger cities. There were rumors that smaller, more rural locations still carried out similar ceremonies.

But there was one thing that was missing - one thing that those secret communities felt was paramount to creating the spirit of Christmas.

Mistletoe.

The strange colorful berries that hung on doors, tangled in trees, and snuck overhead for centuries. The tradition was more than just a ‘kiss.’ It was a shared union, a promise to stay connected from that day forward.

The mistletoe forced that promise. Nobody ever realized that mistletoe was actually... a parasitic plant.

The tradition actually goes: Two people meet under the mistletoe. A kiss is granted. Each person takes a berry from the plant - and they eat it. This continues until the branch is bare. The spirit and joy of the season are now apart of you... to spread to others.

And like a strange disease, it did. People were happier, full of goodwill and joy. They all believed it the gathering of friends, family, and good times. It’s true - it was... but it was also the mistletoe.

For centuries, there was a search for the particular type of mistletoe that could restore the joy in the world. It hadn’t been found, because the Spirit of Christmas didn’t believe in it himself anymore. But, the world has changed, and so has its people. There was more consideration for life and how people played a role in it. Most gave up on materialistic things, reduced their media consumption, and got back outside. Moderation was now a way of life - and even without Christmas? People were fulfilled. That didn’t mean that they had forgotten completely.

As the world healed, it kept trying to find a way to instill something much needed back into humanity. So, mistletoe began to bloom. And she began to appear. With each attempt to bring her back? A bit of mistletoe blossomed - but it was either too weak [like a grandmother with twelve generations]? Or too young [a girl living life to the fullest] to do the job.

So the bloom would die - and simply keep reappearing.

All over the world, there would be signs of mistletoe trying to reappear in the world. But, Agnes and those around her had been tracking this growth. They always got a sample of the branch. Never the berries. The time between growths had been so long they didn’t think they’d get to see it. But recently? Now? They were sure they’d get it.

They were sure that the right branch would be found - and it would be in the mountains. Right above them.

Agnes looked at Sona, her fingers running through the strands of white fighting the coal-based color in her hair. “Oh, yes, my dear. I’m absolutely certain. You will find what you’re looking for.” Because Agnes had a feeling. Because Agnes had hope.

And because Agnes was running out of time.

--------

Jimin sat behind a desk in an opulent office. People moving around doing the mundane jobs that kept food on the table. It was more out of a need to do something with themselves. People had taken to growing their own food. Reducing their consumption and the strain on the environment. It was good to stay busy, especially in December. People had all but forgotten the thing that used to happen in December - and he preferred it that way.

“Sir.” The intercom buzzed, taking him out of the trance of signing papers.

“What is it?” An exasperated sigh as he resumed.

“Your son is here.” There was a quiver in the voice that suddenly softened at the mention of his son. Jimin dropped his pen on his desk. He looked at the calendar and sighed - it was like clockwork, every year. They would talk about hope, and his duty, and... her.

“Andrea.”

“Yes, Mr. Park?”

“Send everyone home for the day. Then tell my son to meet me upstairs.”

“Yes, Mr. Park.”

The intercom went dead. Jimin watched as everyone glanced at their monitors, confused. But, they rose to collect their belongings and shut down their stations. They all waved with small polite smiles to him as they departed. He continued to sign papers for another few minutes before grabbing his jacket, heading to the elevator nearby.

He swiped a keycard to the top floor where he lived. Jimin swept his hair away from his face as the door opened to the penthouse. The glass clinked as his son pour two fingers of whiskey for the both of them. The heat of the fireplace thicker than the tension between them. Jimin watched his son turn with a glass extended.

“Father.”

Jimin offered him the smallest of smiles. His heart broke, laying eyes upon this man that resembled her so much. He raised his glass, and they took a seat. “Niklaus, it’s good to see you.” They each took a chair, their legs similarly crossed over the knee. “So, here to - engage in the age-old conversation?” A brow lofted as Jimin smirked. Niklaus tilted his head as he watched his father.

“No, Father. I think this will be the last year for that.” Niklaus smiled as he downed his drink in one swallow. Jimin looked shocked, this had become as close to tradition as it could get between them. He smiled, proudly, with that admission.

“So, are you ready to come work with me then? Are you ready to stop this foolish chase now?” Jimin wanted to call them family. He wanted to have some kind of normalcy. He tried to put the past behind them and move on.

Niklaus chuckled softly, “No, Father. That’s not why this is the last year for that.” Jimin sighed as he slumped back into his chair. He finished the drink in a quiet swallow, the thud of the glass on the table was enough to fracture it.

Storm-gray eyes pinned Niklaus to his seat, and yet? He smiled. Jimin knew his anger was a thing of legend, and something not to toy with. “Nick. Give. It. Up.” He pushed to stand from his chair. “This is enough! I’m sick of this game of yours! This hope? It’s NOTHING. Let it GO. LET HER GO.”

Jimin combed his fingers through his hair haphazardly. Jimin paused as his son’s dark gaze leveled on him.

“You didn’t.” Those pale blue eyes were now dark as a raging sea, and it was something he was unaccustomed to seeing. He really is our son. Jimin swallowed thickly as Niklaus pushed to stand. “You didn’t give her up. You cannot fool me, Father.” The young man shoved his hands into his pockets as he approached his father.

“She’s back, Father. She’s back. It’s really her. I’ve confirmed it.” Usually, Nick would come in ranting and raving about these things. Jimin could easily dismiss him, quickly push it aside. He could easily say that Niklaus was mistaken. But there was something about the calm confidence he was displaying that unnerved him. Jimin licked his lips nervously while Niklaus stared, unflinching.

“Nick, you know, you say this every ye-” Niklaus put his hand up, interrupting him.

A shimmer of energy fizzled between them as Nick produced that icicle shaped shard, blazing with energy. The blue light shifted against their faces. The sensation of it caused Jimin to stumble back into his chair. Niklaus advanced on him, shoving the proof in front of him.

“This is no longer a joke, Father.” He could taste the cool air in the room. As if their energies called to each other, as it always had. The glass surfaces began to frost around them. Nick pulled up that map, the beacon flaring brighter than when he first saw it.

Just as Namjoon did those weeks ago? Nick pinched, zoomed, and let the village play to life in Jimin’s face. He registered the frown when Jimin saw the colorful decorations. He watched as he stared enraptured as the villagers laughed merrily. He watched his father swallow thickly at the red and green candles that cured in the windows.

The color drained from Jimin’s face when a lovely young woman twirled in the middle of a circle. Children singing a song, he didn’t know nor could he hear, their smiles so bright and cheerful. He moved closer as the woman twirled, her hair the color of storm clouds. Only because the black dye was fading, he could see the snow-white strands throughout.

When he saw her face? Her eyes? Niklaus was sure he could hear Jimin’s heart threatening to leap out of his chest.

“It’s not too late, Father. Remember your promise.”

Niklaus waved it all the way. The shard, the map, and the dancing doppelganger of his dead lover. Jimin sank to his knees with his eyes full of unshed tears.

Niklaus shoved his hands into his pockets and stepped around him. “Happy Holidays, Father.”

Jimin grabbed his chest, he didn’t hear the elevator door open. But for some reason? The ding of the elevator closing sounded louder than usual.

Like a bell tolling for something in the distance.

---------

The closer that time drew along? That dream kept getting stronger. She kept seeing things, faces, and places that weren’t familiar - but made her tear up at the thought. Sona laid in bed with her forearm across her face, the tears fell from the corners of her eyes.

Her heart was so heavy as the day of her hike drew near. She could never understand the pain that filled her. What was once a blossoming field of excitement, had suddenly turned bitter inside of her gut. She hid silent sobs behind her fingers.

She didn’t want to let the villagers down. These lovely people who shared their homes, their lives, and their ways with her. She wanted to give them something to hope for. Because she had no recollection of anything before coming here.

She owed it to them. Something inside of her said it was time to gather.

But the dreams that plagued her? The happiness that was lost to whomever she became at night? They made her fearful of the time to come.

She turned on her side, her shoulder shaking as she sobbed harder into her pillow.

Her tears falling like shimmering mercury onto her sheets.

-------

December 22nd 24XX

“Sona, are you ready to go?” Agnes coughed softly, packing a back with bread and dried fruit. The weather was so mild for this time of year, and it had been for too long. Sona came in wrapped in a scarf and thick cloak.

“I’m ready, Agnes!”

She grabbed the pack and let the elderly woman help her push it on to her shoulders. Sona turned around her cheeks, rosy with a faint blush. “This is it, Agnes. Are you really sure? Do you really think it’s there?” Agnes framed her face, with hands that have gotten colder by the day, and smiled.

“I’m sure it is, my dear. Remember what I told you. The World Tree is special; you will know it when you see it.” The elderly woman frowned softly. “There might also be something that might try and stop you. Something that may try to discourage you from going forward.” Agnes’ frown deepened. “No matter what, Sona.”

Sona patted Agnes’ cheek. “I made you this promise long ago when you told me the tales. I will not let you down.” She couldn’t afford to. They hugged each other tightly, and Sona inhaled deeply, turning on her heel to leave.

She stopped just shy of the threshold. “Have a Merry Christmas, Agnes.” The door was closed behind her with a gentle click. Agnes smiled, turning to settle in her big rocker chair. A blanket pulled over her legs, a fire crackled in the hearth.

She waved her fingers, magic shimmering in front of her. “You can’t stay away this time... Jimin.” The same mystical map loomed in front of her. “It is time to gather.”

The entity masquerading as ‘Agnes’ smiled, “That cheeky girl. Wishing me a Merry Christmas early. You haven’t changed, my girl. You have not changed.”

“And neither have you.” She smiled at the voice that answered in the darkness.

‘Agnes’ turned to the shadowy corner, spotting the twinkling eyes watching her. “Hello, Niklaus.” He stepped out a look bouncing between disbelief and relief.

“You’re….”

She placed a finger against her lips. A shake of her head as she bade him not to speak her actual name. He dropped to his knees in front of her as he sandwiched her hands between his. She smiled down at the silvery strands at his crown as the tears fell against her skin.

“I know my boy. It’s been a long time. It’s almost over - I promise.”

Niklaus hadn’t cried this hard since his mother died. But this confirms everything he had ever told his father over the years. It confirmed that his faith had not been misplaced, that everything will eventually be alright.

Niklaus sniffled as he composed himself, looking up in her eyes. “Does this mean…? I mean the others, they....” She shook her head again.

“Yes, Niklaus. Enough time has passed, and old wounds are healed.” She turned to look out the window to the trail that leads up to the mountains. “...all except one.”

Sona made good progress up the trail. Their area wasn’t known to be particularly fraught with danger - so she had no problem starting a fire to rest. She ate some of the bread and dried fruit, even though her stomach turned as she continued away from the village. It’s strange following the trail with no map. Agnes merely told her, she would know the way. So, she walked, never second-guessed her steps- and always followed her first mind. She kept out of areas too dark, or that gave off a bad vibe. The path remained visible, accessible, but long. It was strange, the farther she got up the mountain, the clearer the sky became. Stars, constellations, and even the moon seemed brighter.

She couldn’t help but smile- it seemed as if the sky was putting on a show just for her.

Wrapped in that thick cloak, warm and safe with the idea that nature was showing off for her. The wind settled, the trees barely shivered, and the moon seemed to dim. Little did she know how right she was.

Even the pair of dark gray eyes that watched her from the shadows realized the world stilled for her - and her alone.

-------

Impossible.

It can’t be.

“Can it?” Jimin’s voice was soft as he stared at her. He replenished the wood in her fire so the cool wouldn’t disturb her slumber. He crouched down, fingers aching to touch as they ghosted over her hair. He couldn’t focus, let alone sleep since Niklaus had visited him. The signs were too bright, like neon lights in the dark.

He had been too focused on his own misery, wallowing in his bitterness that he - again - failed to realize what was happening around him. The world had healed. So much that he noticed the energy of many that had faded before.

Far from their former glory, they existed and grew stronger with humanity’s change of pace. The very switch in their mindset made it comfortable to exist.

It wasn’t until the Seasons had visited him, like a Christmas carol parody. Each making their presence known mere days before. Showing up like ghosts from the past to remind him that he had broken his promise. That he had failed in his duty, and yet, he would still be rewarded.

But only if he forgave himself- and the world for its folly. Because it’s what she would have done. The fact they appeared before him, unfortunately, proved Niklaus’ assumption that this year, something was different.

So Jimin made his way to this mountain village, blending in with a well-placed illusion. There was something strange, enchanting about this particular village and he couldn’t place what it was. But, he stayed among them, watching them live. It had been so long since he’d done that. Just observe the world as it went on its way. There was such joy and gratitude in this place. They were happy with their simple lives, and it gave him hope.

And that scared him.

Almost as much as it did when he actually ran into her, Sona is what they called her. He smirked when she introduced herself because it was an Irish word for Happy. “That’s an odd name.” She tilted her head towards him.

“And what’s your name?”

He hesitated, a fraction, “Jimin.”

She chuckled.

“That’s an odd name.” He blinked at her as she tossed his assessment back at him. “I guess we’re just two odd named individuals, yeah?” She stuck out her hand. “It’s nice to meet another odd individual.” He couldn’t resist taking her hand, lifting it to his lips.

“The pleasure is mine.” Just ghosting over the bumps of her knuckle. Her lips quivered on a soft inhalation of air. Her teeth worried at her bottom lip as their eyes met. “So, Sona. What’s there to do around here?”

“Well, Jimin," She cleared her throat as if it would remove the red tinging her cheeks. "We’re getting ready for an extraordinary occasion.” There was a grin that could have split her face in two. “It’s very secret, only celebrated here. It’s been a long time since it’s been done, though. So, you’ll have to excuse all the…” A hand waved to the candles and such. “...that. I promise it makes sense. But....”

She turned to the odd fellow with hair that seemed the color of storm clouds. Or was it just the afternoon light?

“I can show you our handicraft shops. If you’d like?” His heart skipped a beat as she looked at him from under her lashes.

“I... would, actually. I’d like that a lot.” He offered his elbow, which she grasped gently. They somehow wound up spending hours together. Walking, talking, and laughing. He couldn’t remember the last time when…

“What is it?” She asked curiously.

“What’s what?” He sipped a concoction of black tea, yak butter, and honey. It was something similar to what they consumed in the Tibetan mountains. It was a thick, fatty, and slightly musky drink. But, it kept the people warm, cozy, and strong. It could have used a bit of brandy- maybe he’d suggest that later.

“You were smiling, and rather fondly, I might add.” She sipped her own drink.

“Ah, you... remind me of someone I knew once.” Her eyes darted to her cup.

“I’m sorry?” A quiet apology as she finished.

“Don’t be. I...” He sighed, setting his cup down. “... I needed to be reminded. It’s been a long time since I had a good time like this.”

Sona brightened but managed to keep her head down. “I’m glad I could help.” He seemed so familiar- it was so strange. It was his voice. She swore she’s heard it before?

“Well, I should be going.” Jimin finished his tea, standing abruptly. She followed, nearly knocking over her chair.

“Th-There’s an inn. It’s small, but it should have a bed. The... trek down is so long.” She fiddled with her fingers while he thought it over.

“Alright. I think I would like more of this before I go anyway. Will you take me there?” They smiled at each other, finally. She nodded enthusiastically, practically dragging him across the village.

And now here he is, three days later- watching her sleep under the stars. He clapped a hand over his mouth as he moved away from her. Afraid to let his emotions get the best of him. Fearful that he was going to watch her die too- like all the previous incarnations before her. He ran into the dark of the forest, hard, as branches cut his skin and clothing.

He reached a clearing stumbling to his knees, unable to stop the tears from falling. Gulping for air as the warmth of recognition settled over him. As hope-filled him to the brim and made him sick. As he finally opened himself up to the world, he had shunned.

He felt... everything.

And regretted just as much.

-------

December 23rd 24XX

The air was so much thinner this high up. She took sips of that fortified tea to fight off anything that could think to make her sick. It also helped her breath, as if increasing her lung capacity. The world was too quiet up here. There was nothing to echo or feel.

She had reached the part of the world where no wind could blow.

“I’m close, Agnes.”

Her footsteps echoed in her ears as if she walked on a shiny floor. As if someone were approaching her from a great distance. Everything was so loud. Even the disturbance of her breathing was too loud. Was this it? Was this the distraction, the fear-inducing element that would try to deter her?

Because it was starting to work. The quieter she attempted to be, the louder everything got. She placed her hands over her ears to try and drown it out, but it seemed to happen right inside of her mind. Her breathing increased as her heart rate pattered upward. The tears sparkled in her eyes as she bore the pain.

It was as if the world was testing her mettle. Her head hurt, her legs ached - and she ignored it all. Following the feeling in her soul that urged her forward. Jimin watched from the sidelines, feeling the vibrations of her discomfort. He wanted to tell her to turn back. He wanted to ask her to abandon this foolish journey, go back to her village, and grow old with this spirit. But he couldn’t interfere. And a sick part of him wanted her to finish so she could be proven wrong.

So he could be right. So he could throw this back in Niklaus’ face.

So he wouldn’t have to bear the weight of belief and hope. Jimin knew where she was going. This was a path that he had walked many times. And the only thing he could do? Let his feet shuffle the trail, leaving an indentation in the ground as if he was being dragged to a demon of his past.

The sky opened up to a beautiful celestial play of shooting stars and constellations. The moon seemed to dance in the air above her. It had reached the highest point in the sky. She looked down the path down at the world below. Everything was so small, so precious. There was a tree, thick and lush, just feet away from her.

“The World Tree.” Her voice whisper-quiet echoed around her.

But, Agnes said the tree was sick? This tree wasn’t ill! It was full and well cared for. Could Agnes have been wrong? She moved toward the tree; her fingers outstretched as they settled on the cool bark. Energy, calm, and familiar pulsed under her fingers. She leaned forward and placed her face against the rough surface.

And for a second, just a moment she thought she heard…

Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

“Is that a….”

“Heartbeat?” Jimin answered before she could even ask the question. She whirled around, placing her back against the tree. Her eyes were wide.

“Wh-What are you doing here?” Her brow furrowed. “How did you get here?”

He placed his hands behind his back as he paced in front of her. “I’ve been here before. This is a place near and dear to my heart. Question is, Sona, why… ” He approached with a tilt of his head. Taking liberty to catch a strand of hair between his fingers. “...are you here?”

She swallowed thickly as she moistened her lips. “I... I have to be here. For Agnes, for everyone. I have to find something.” She closed her eyes, fingers digging into the tree-bark, as if for strength.

“Go home, Sona. Live a full life. Grow old. Let these legends stay legends.” He leaned in, letting his voice whisper against her cheek. “You can’t imagine the pain in this place.” Her nostrils flared as she tilted her head upward.

“Don’t let it sway you, Sona,” Agnes’ voice echoed in her mind. A fierce determination swelled as she opened her eyes. Jimin smirked as she kept her gaze upward.

“It’s ok. You can give up, Sona.” It made him sick to do this, but he had lived in that pit too long. He couldn’t take the vibrant color she restored to his world.

She tilted her head curiously, still tilted upward as he spoke. A sound, like a groan, echoed around them. Jimin tilted his head as she reached her hand upward.

A shiver ran the length of his body as an icy breeze slithered across his neck.

“Do you know the traditions, Jimin?” Her voice was far away. “The old way of things?”

His brow furrowed as he looked upward, his eyes large as saucers. Right above their heads, as if offered into her hand, a branch studded with fat, triangular leaves, the scent unmistakeable. A tart, evergreen essence that accompanied a cluster of snow-white berries.

Her fingers wrapped around that branch as it hung over their heads. He hadn’t realized that tears had been falling down his face. He barely noticed the drop in temperature, but he saw the swell of magic surrounding them.

There was a soft sob that left him as those berries seemed to shimmer above them. He noticed Sona pluck one of those berries and place it in her mouth.

“No! You mus-” He reached out a hand to stop her. It was too late as she shifted to avoid his grab to her shoulder.

He couldn’t avoid her as she advanced on him, her fingers clutched into the front of his shirt.

And he certainly couldn’t avoid that kiss.

Her tongue slid against the seal of his lips, a sweetness too heavy to consume on her own, was passed between them, her tongue coated in flavors that the world had forgotten about. Tart cranberries, smoked meats, yeasty bread, the scent of things baking. All accumulated in their mouths and filled their nostrils.

Jimin’s hands had hovered above her waist. Finally, they grabbed her. Greedy for her presence, one hand rose to the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. The soft moan as she melted into him, nearly ended his existence.

It was all coming back to her now.

Now, she remembered.

The World Tree saved her, entombed her while it healed. And she recovered with it. Her admirable sacrificed was rewarded with a second chance. So when the Tree could spare her no more energy? It released her with no memory, and she walked down the path. She stumbled into the village, and there she stayed. Growing stronger as the World Tree did.

And now?

Her hand reached skyward as Jimin placed kisses along her face and jaw. His lips sealed to the tender skin just behind her ear.

She breathed life into his soul as she sighed. She spoke his name like a promise, like a gentle caress.

The Spirit of Christmas burned hotter than the sun for the first time in centuries. He stared upward as a smile curved her lips. The temperature dropped as she exhaled softly. A smile spreading across her face as she stared at the sky.

“Look, it’s snowing.”

Her hand reached up for the flakes falling soft and thick around them. “Isn’t it beautiful?” The Spirit of Winter smiled as the mistletoe began to bloom once more.

“Yes, love.” Jimin tilted his head skyward as the flakes landed on his nose. “Yes, it is.”

“Merry Christmas, Jimin.”

December 24th 24XX

Niklaus couldn’t contain himself as people ran outside to marvel in the snowflakes falling from the sky. It had been too long since he had laughed so heartily. Legend has it, that his ‘Oh, oh, oh’ of surprise, actually gave birth to the ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’ that he’s so well known for.

But that’s a story for another time.

For today was about the Spirit of Christmas being reunited with the Spirit of Winter.

And their child who had indeed kept alive something missing in Humanity.

Hope.

-------

#25DaysOfBTSXmas #jimn x reader #bts jimin #park jimin #christmas #mistletoe #bts imagines #bts #jimin #jimin bts #colloboration #biasrekkers #bts park jimin

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pitheinfinite · 4 years

Video

youtube

(with Eng subtitle)

These 10 people come from Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Canada, US, UK, France, Italy, Sweden respectively, and they are staying in Taiwan atm. No matter how they tried, they can’t go back to their home country because of the travel ban. Here’s what they want to say to their family and their people.

The Italian girl Rosa in this video is a friend of a friend, there are several times she’s too emotional to speak. One don’t need translation to know how suffering it is to be separated from their loved ones, watch them facing such a dangerous threat but find no way to help them.

We don’t have compulsory quarantine order here in Taiwan, most business remain usual (except certain industries like tourisim, airline ofc), but it’s the fourth month since most people have avoided to go out autonomously. Some people are staring to let their guard down and some are simply brainless and selfish.

The number of confirmed cases in Taiwan have spiked by 200 for the past two weeks to more than 300, Most of them are tourists, residents and students overseas while the number of domestic cases is relatively small, but I really worried about the possibility of local transmission. Especially the news report said the bookings of hotels are all full during this holiday weekend (4/2~4/5, traditionally it’s a time for people to go home and sweep the tombs of their ancestors).

The situation is getting worse, we can’t stop people from doing stupid things but we must keep ourselves in control.

At this stage, most countries have seen how serious this pandemic is. Please follow the “social distancing” rule, quarantine is necessary to keep you and your loved ones safe. The more people do so, the sooner the outbreak can be contained, and our life can go back to normal.

Be careful with anything coming from outside your home. Coronavirus can survive for 24 hr on paper, 2~3 days on plastic or steel surface. Make sure you have sufficient supplement, especially with imported products. With so many industries shut down, people could soon feel the shortage.

＊What to Do During Quarantine (with Symptoms Shown)

Also, you might want to try to use a piece of bendable transparent plastic as a helmet to keep you safe while taking care of your sick family like this:

youtube

If you must go out, please put on your face mask, or at least use a scarf to cover you mouth and nose. Please note, the virus could still be transmitted via your eyes. So the best way is to keep a safe distance from others. Wearing glasses also helps, remember to wash them with soap after returning home.

Coronavirus droplets could travel 27 feet, warns MIT researcher

Coronavirus transmission video shows why we should all be wearing masks

The face mask can’t provide 100% protection, not like quarantine, but it do help to reduce the risk and allow the society to function normally.

＊Correct way to put on/take off your mask and how to DIY one with fabric.

I would recommend to use the waterproof fabric from an umbrella as the exterior cover with a cotton one on the inside. Put a panty liner/ maxi pad/diaper between the them. Add two rubber bands or hairbands on each side. That should work as an interim alternative before you get access to the real medical masks. Remember to clean the cloth mask and replace with a new pad every time after using.

Yesterday our president announced that we have sufficient amount of mask production in Taiwan and will soon donate 10 million masks to other countries, including 7 million pieces to 11 European countries (Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Czech, Poland, UK and Switzerland), though 10m is not much compared to the population there. So don’t be surprised if you find your new mask is made in Taiwan. :D

New update info about Coronavirus (no scientific conclusion yet, FYI):

#nonsims #Wuhancoronavirus #wuhan coronavirus #Wuhan virus #wuhan pneumonia #coronavirus #2019-ncov #taiwan can help #personal

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kyber-heart · 4 years

Text

Ashes to Ashes

This is a fic about my Sith Warrior Matai Shayn returning to his homeworld of Ziost after it’s destruction at the hands of Vitiate

Warnings for minor character death, depictions of death, slight body horror, implied and referenced homophobia. If there’s anything else I should tag please let me know!

This is actually a pretty old fic, I think I wrote it in like.. 2017 or something. I was still in college at the time so it was a while ago. I kinda cringe at it but, idk come laugh at me, with me. If it’s outright awful I’ll take it down lmao.

Desolate. That’s the only way Lord Matai Shayn could describe his homeworld of Ziost as he saw it now from the cockpit of the Imperial Shuttle. One standard week had gone by since ‘The Event’ when former Emperor Vitiate destroyed the planet through some kind of Sith sorcery. The planet had been laid bare with no life left on the planet, or so the preliminary scans had stated. Matai stared at the landscape moving past him as the ship hurtled towards the Galactic Solutions Industries research camp. The snowy rock valleys that had once been so beautiful, were now gray. Barren. Lifeless. The ground looked as though it were scorched and the sky was gray with the occasional sunlight peeking through. Sith Temples that dotted the landscape, remnants from the time of Ajunta Pall, were the only objects left around the site. He remembered traversing them as a child with Uma Shayn, his mother. She had been a lead researcher and historian with the Imperial Reclamation Service. Uma had taken her son with her on several expeditions across the planet and other Imperial systems. She taught him the history of The Empire and of their lineage. It was a badge of pride for the Shayns being a part of the few remaining ‘True Sith’, the red skinned, sharp featured humanoids who originated on Korriban. Uma had explained to him that Ajunta Pall established Ziost as a colony world, filled with members of their race and until The Event, had been strongly populated by Sith People.

‘We are a dying blood Matai. Generations of war and breeding with the Humans who call themselves Sith have left our people in decline. We need to protect our heritage, save our history. If ever there comes a time when our people cease to exist, we must show the Galaxy that we were here.’ Uma had told him once while excavating a tomb of an ancient Sith Lord.

As Matai looked at the wasteland before him, he couldn’t help but think bitterly that the chances of his species survival had been greatly diminished. He approached the GSI Camp and as he flew closer, the rock crag which housed the capital city of Ziost, New Adasta came into view. A lump formed in his throat as he looked at it. From this distance, all he could make out was the rocky mesa with few visible structures, one being the impressive People’s Tower. In the distance, he could just make out the sight of the Sith Citadel, one of the old Fortresses. The lump that had formed in his throat making his breathing labored and swallowing near impossible. His life had been in that crag. He thought about the people that had been lost, the friends and the family who were all likely dead now. The weight of this journey was already affecting him but he needed to persevere. He needed to see this for himself. A knocking on the exit hatch of the shuttle ripped him from his thoughts.

“Sir, are you alright?” A mechanical voice spoke from outside.

Matai stood from the pilot’s seat with as much resolve and dedication to his endeavor as he could muster. He adjusted his robe around him and strolled to the ship’s exit. Opening the hatch he was met with the sight of a research camp, populated by droids. A protocol droid stood at the end of the ramp, its silver plating dulled by dirt.

“You are Lord Matai Shayn correct?” it asked in a tone programmed to resemble pleasantness. “My records show you were scheduled to arrive approximately thirty minutes ago.”

“I am, my apologies for my tardiness.” Matai stopped his sentence there. Not willing to explain to the Artificial Intelligence that he had hesitated in arriving and wanted to take his time. He also felt unwilling to put the effort into making an excuse for the machine.

“My records also state that you wish to explore the ruins of New Adasta, this is also correct?” it went on, oblivious to the slight wince on Matai’s face at the mention of the word ‘ruins’.

“Yes that is correct” he stated, this conversation was irritating him. His eyes began to wander to the other machines scanning pieces of biological matter. His eyes found a tree that had been sapped of life. He could hear the droid speaking though he wasn’t listening to the words only the odd word here and there. ‘Danger’, ‘unstable’, ‘shifting’, ‘missing research probes’ none of it felt important to him

“Do you understand sir?”

This drew the Sith Lord’s attention back to the droid

“Yes, I think I can manage. Though I thank you for the warning. Is there anything else?” He asked impatiently

“Yes.” It chirped happily “On behalf of Galactic Solutions Industries, we hope you have a pleasant day”

Matai almost crushed the droid. It took all of his strength to walk away. While logically he understood the droid was following it’s programming, it certainly wasn’t something he wanted to hear. That emotionless, blunt attitude that droids often had irritated him. He began striding to the GSI Speeders on the other side of the camp. Matai felt uncomfortable with his current emotionally volatile state. It was unlike him to be so testy or prone to needless violence. He embraced his passions like any Sith would and he certainly enjoyed the thrill of combat. Taking his rage out on a machine programmed to do its job however, that was unlike him. He approached the speeders and mounted one. Activating the engine, he took off across the dead world. As he drove he noticed the wreckage of several ships, mostly Imperial as well as a Republic walker. The ground was covered in ash and the bike’s repulsors kicked up clouds of it. An unusual shape caught Matai’s attention however and he slowed down to a halt. He was looking at an Ice Tromper, though it looked completely fossilized. Its fur was gone and the body was as black as coal. It stood on its feet and was faced towards Matai. He considered that it had died instantly, without even the time to fall down. The Sith found strange comfort in the belief that it had died quickly. The reports had said that there was no life on the planet. Faced with the Ice Tromper, Matai began to wonder if it were true. He tried to use the Force to sense any possible life that might still exist but all he could feel was the cold sensation of fear, pain and death. The scars of the dark side. He felt as though he was back on Korriban, as an acolyte, exploring the tombs in the Valley of The Dark Lords. Tombs were dark, cold and eerily silent. One of the things that struck him about Ziost now, was the quiet. The only occasional noise was of some light wind that blew but it was not frequent.

It took him only a short time to get to New Adasta. His progress was brought to a halt when he came upon a tram sitting idle on the tracks which lead up to the Central District. He dismounted the speeder and strolled to it. Opening the rear hatch to the last cart he stepped inside. The sight that greeted him was horrific. Bodies littered the cart, some in seats or fallen to the floor. Matai wanted to vomit, barely able to look at them. He knew that he should have expected to see these things but it felt as though there was no preparation for this. Walking through the cart he saw that some of the bodies looked as though they had been killed in the act of escaping. The windows on the left side had been broken and some bodies looked to be trying to climb out of the windows. One corpse he noted looked to have been trying to reach for something, though extended left arm was missing from the bicep. Ash lay beneath the arm. All innocents, all good and loyal Imperials, betrayed by their Emperor. It sickened Matai. How could the Emperor have killed so many of his people? People who had believed in and worshiped him. People like Matai had once been.

One aspect of learning the history of the Sith, was learning what worked, and what didn’t in their society. The level of backstabbing and reckless displays of power had never failed to earn Matai’s annoyance. He remembered as recently as the Siege of Corellia in the last war. A moment that should have strengthened The Empire, undermined by the likes of Darths Thanaton and Baras. They had squandered military resources into their own fights caring only for their petty power plays and not that of The Empire. Sith loved their strength because it gave them Power. Matai had learned that lesson from a very young age. His Father, Abal had been an instructor at the New Adasta Sith Academy. A smaller institute but a prestigious one. Matai had trained there, under his own father’s tutelage for the first years of his training.

‘Remember that the path to power is built on strength Matai. We Sith embrace strength and do not shy away from power.’ Abal’s words rang true, Matai believed, though he firmly believed that there was something wrong in that system, where the Empire suffered by the Sith pursuit of Power. Abal, unlike Uma had been a harsher man. A Lord of The Sith, a title which Matai inherited. Abal had spent his life teaching the Sith ways to acolytes. He remembered when The Dark Council had allowed non-humans into the Academies. Abal had ranted over dinner that the Dark Council should have been purged for treason and heresy. Matai had never agreed with with his father’s conservative view, through he never attempted to confront his father about it. He had often stayed silent to avoid the conflict, even as his father began arranging Matai’s marriage. They had been nice girls, but it wasn’t what Matai had wanted. He actively did everything he could to avoid the topic and worm his way out of meetings and turning the girls away. It annoyed his father but Matai could live with that.

Entering New Adasta he could see the Central District in ruins with bodies covering the ground. The cave was scarcely lit save for the occasional street light flickering though it wasn’t much help and there was a constant mist in the city. He passed by a cantina where a neon sign showed the image of a twi’lek dancing, it spluttered and cut out periodically as it moved. He walked into a park which resembled a burned and salted field. Chairs, trees and the occasional statue littered the ground. He knew this park. It had been where had been taken on his first date. Alec Garn. The fifth son of an Imperial Officer, possibly one of the most beautiful people Matai had ever seen. They had come to this park after getting some caff. The Trees had been in bloom and the grass had been kept clean and neat. They had talked, about everything and about nothing. Alec had wanted to be a pilot, his family had a long history of naval service. Matai had joked that he would make Alec a captain if he wanted, with his own squad of whoever he wanted. A silly statement really, Matai didn’t have that kind of authority nor would he. They had laughed and when the laughter fell silent they had shared a kiss. Matai placed his hand on one of the benches. The memory stung. He had not thought of Alec in some years and to now see their park ruined stung him.

Matai had crossed the city and came to the apartment complex where his parent’s home was. He entered the building and began to ascend the stair case. He had assumed the elevator would be unusable. The building was dark, though the emergency lights lit the building in a red glow. He reached the seventeenth floor. Only two Apartments were built on this level, though they were far larger than those below. While the Shayns had not had vast amounts of money, they had more than enough to get by and live a life of great comfort. Matai stood at the door of apartment 93 his mind running through what he would find beyond the door. He closed his eyes. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest and the lump returning to his throat. He began to tell himself that he had to do this, steeling himself for what awaited him.

He pressed the button and the door slid open, but only half way giving a short screech. Matai laughed softly, more out of nervousness that anything else. Of course, something as ridiculous as this would have to happen. He could see partially into the apartment, it was mostly dark and he could make out very little. Squeezing himself through the gap of the Doorway he walked tentatively further into the hallway. It was a long, wide corridor filled with many objects. Some statues stood

tall along the wall along with other oddities that his mother had collected over the years. Things that she wasn’t exactly supposed to take, but did anyway. His mother had always been a free spirit She did what she wanted but unlike other Sith she strived never to hurt others in her pursuits. He always admired her for that. On one wall Matai had to stop and double back. It was a portrait of his family, painted with actual inks and pigments on an actual canvas. It depicted Abal at the back with Uma seated in front of him on a luxurious chair, Matai himself stood beside his mother, Abal’s hand rested on his right shoulder. His Father looked stern but there was still a hint of a smile on his face. His mother held that soft look only a mother has, something he remembered about her well. He reckoned that he was barely five years old at the time this was painted. In fact he didn’t even remember it being painted but he remembered the portrait always being here. Except for when it wasn’t.

It had happened soon after his date with Alec, they had been in the apartment. They had been making out on the luxurious sofa that sat in the living room. His parents had been out at a party and Matai had been confident he would be able to invite Alec to his home and for him to leave before they returned. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of his relationship but he knew Abal would disapprove. As their night had gone on the pair had becoming steadily more intimate. Matai could still remember the feeling of pure dread as his parents returned home to find him in a very unflattering position. Uma had stayed mostly quiet after the initial shock had passed, though Abal had never been more vocal, even after Alec had gathered his clothes and left.

‘My Son will not disgrace us by whoring out to some Imperial! A man no less!” he had spat venomously.

Matai had sat on the couch, covered in a robe and sat silently as his Father spat at him.

“You would disgrace your family like this?! Would you?” he had demanded

His mother sat worriedly across from him in a chair identical to the one in the portrait. He looked to her pleadingly. She looked at him softly a sad smile trying to form on her face. What had happened next was a blur. Matai had been brought to his knees as his father’s fist balled into his hair.

“WOULD YOU?!” He yelled

Matai could see that Uma had jumped to her feet with her hands on Abal’s arm “Abe!” she pleaded.

His Father had let go of him and stormed out into the hallway. Uma knelt to Matai. They looked at each other but as they did, they both jumped at the sound of a Lightsaber activating. They both bolted for the hallway. Matai was a head of his mother and saw first what had happened. Abal had sliced the portrait where Matai had been depicted. Behind him his mother gasped “Abal! What are you doing?!” She demanded but Matai knew the answer.

“I will not have my son whoring around with pathetic Imperials. He’s going to Korriban and training with my friends in the Academy!”

That night Matai had left for Korriban to finish his studies and the rest was history. He had risen above even his family’s wildest expectations and become The Empire’s Wrath. After that night however, Abal rarely spoke to his son. He stayed in frequent contact with Uma. Years later he met with his parents again on Dromund Kaas and began to mend fences. It had been slow and he wasn’t sure his father was completely happy with how he was living his life, but the fact that they had talked had been progress. Matai stared at the picture for a few moments. He hadn’t known they had it remade. He was happy that he had reconnected with his parents before they died. With that thought he realized that he needed to move.

He walked slowly into the living room. It was brighter than the hallway as the far wall was mostly a glass window. This however did little to improve the lighting of the apartment as outside was mostly dark. Matai’s eyes were becoming slightly more adjusted. He walked forward through the decorative arch that led to the main room. As he approached the circular couch arrangement in the middle of the room his heart sank. He could feel tears burn his eyes and his legs grow weak. No matter how much he tried to prepare for this, nothing could. In the middle of the room, seated on the couches were two figures. One was larger, clearly a man, his arms were wrapped around the second smaller figure who in turn clung to the larger. Both were unrecognizable in their charred, lifeless state. But Matai knew. Uma and Abal Shayn, his mother and father.

Matai couldn’t help himself. He sank to his knees before them and tears began to fall. He could not take his eyes off them. He reached up to touch his mother’s face. As his fingers grazed her cheek, the ash began to break loose and fall from the rest of her form. Matai just stared for a moment. He looked at his gloved hand, although still difficult to see through the tears, he was able to see the dust that coated his fingertips. His mouth a gap he just looked at it and then to his parents’ lifeless forms. The room was utterly silent until the only living thing began to yell.

He yelled at the top of his lungs. A flurry of emotions swelled in him, pain, anger, betrayal.

The people he loved the most were dead thanks to Vitiate. He didn’t think he could hate a being more than he hated Vitiate.

He thought that if their ‘glorious Emperor’ had never sought to gain more power Ziost would still be safe. His parents would be safe. His home would be safe.

He kept kneeling and stared at the dark navy carpet.

He felt a burning in his chest. Not of sadness or pain, though they certainly fueled it. This burn was of reinvigorated passion.

He stood and searched the apartment to find some containers. He eventually found some that he deemed large enough and walked back to the forms of his parents. He began to gently gather the ashes of his parents and place them into the boxes as best as he could. It was inelegant and it turned Matai’s stomach that he was forced to desecrate his parents like this. Anger burned through him he did. When he was satisfied that he had been able to collect their ashes and store them in the boxes, he stood once more to go to his old bedroom. He was surprised to find how little it had changed since the last time he had been in it. Out of sheer curiosity, he walked to his bedside chest. He opened it and moved some small objects aside, little pieces of rocks, trinkets from tombs, an old set of piercings until he found what he had been looking for. A small holoprojector. He turned it on and it flicked to life. It was a moving holo-vid of his parents and himself at the New Adasta Academy on his day of enrollment. They were all dressed in their best robes. He smiled at the image watching it repeat its five seconds of footage. He fought back the burning sensation of tears that threatened to fall before turning it off. He stowed it in his robe before turning back to the task at hand. At least he would have this memory he thought. He rummaged around in his wardrobe to find a bag large enough to transport the boxes. Eventually he found a leather satchel and returned to the living room. Placing the boxes carefully in the satchel and placing the bag over his shoulder, he stood to leave the apartment. Taking one last look at what was once his home he smiled sadly before using the Force to close the stuck door.

Making his way back down the stairs and back into the street he began to hear something, a rumbling. He turned to his left to see a building begin to collapse. Caught in shock he remembered what the droid had said about shifting ruins and he began to run back towards the direction of the tram. He had gotten about ten paces when he stopped again, at the sound of something louder. Blood chilling. A roar. Matai stood still for a moment before turning around to face the threat. He looked back to see a large creature, with a faint purple aura stomping through the streets slamming against buildings as it walked down streets that were not designed for a creature like this. It looked nearly four or five times larger than Matai himself and it looked almost like a Rancor, but this thing had glistening purple eyes. Matai had no idea what this thing was so he began to run again, faster this time trying to enhance his speed with The Force. The Creature must have been aware of his presence and it followed him as he ran. Matai ran through the door of the tram station and leaped over the turnstiles. Dropping down on to the track he heard a loud crash as The Creature broke through the wall of the station. Matai began to sprint down the tram track. Not relenting The Creature crashed through the turnstiles and leaped on to the track. It followed him down and out of the station, on to the part of the track the led back down the rock crag. As it did, the metal screeched, piercing Matai’s ears causing him to slow somewhat. Suddenly the track gave way under The Creature, the durasteel supports being unable to hold the weight. The track began to separate from the rock wall and fall to the rocky surface below. The Creature fell from the track and it plummeted. Matai dared not look back to see if it had died as the track was still falling apart beneath him. He mustered all of his energy to sprint faster along the falling track.

He had come to the tram he had passed through earlier, though this time instead of going through, Matai used the force to leap on to the Tram and sprint atop the carts. He could still hear the groaning metal as he ran. Coming to the end cart he leaped back down to meet his speeder. Mounting it quickly he took off down the track. As he reached the bottom and the walls that surrounded the crag, he saw the track had fallen almost completely. He felt relief wash over him as he stopped the speeder to look. He glanced back at the City, saying another final goodbye. Deciding that he did not want to wait around to be found by that monster he took off through the rocky wasteland and back to the GSI Camp.

Matai had returned to Dromund Kaas by the evening of the next day. He felt glad to be home, in his new home. He had transferred the Ashes of his parents into urns more elegant and worthy of them, which now stood in the Sith Lord’s library. Matai had been reviewing reports from Ziost both before and after the The Event. He had reported the creature and had been informed they were Monoliths, creations of The Dark Side. After finishing a boring journal article regarding possible rehabilitation of the planet (something he deemed highly unlikely) he stood and looked out of the window of his bedroom. Staring down upon the Imperial Citadel. He considered what Ziost meant for him and for the Empire. The considered the lesson in the destruction of Ziost, about the price of Power and he reached a conclusion. As he thought, the conclusion had become a vow. There would not be another Ziost so along as he could help it.

#my fic #oc: matai shayn #ch: sith warrior #trigger warning #trigger death #trigger body horror #tigger homophobia #swtor #swtor fic #I found this in google drive and thought it might be fun to post idk #i was kinda inspired to post it after seeing that dead world post from earlier #idk this probably awful #please don't be mad at me lol

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