the fact that we only have “herculean task” and “sisyphean task” feels so limiting. so here’s a few more tasks for your repertoire
icarian task: when you have a task you know you’re going to fail at anyways, so why not have some fun with it before it all comes crashing down
cassandrean task: when you have to deal with people you KNOW won’t listen to you, despite having accurate information, and having to watch them fumble about when you told them the solution from the start (most often witnessed in customer service)
feel free to chime in i ran out of ideas much faster than i anticipated
Promethean task: opposite of a Cassandraean task. You have the right information, and SOMEONE has to share it. But it's all in the delivery and if you're the person to identify the problem you WILL be hated forever.
Oedipal Task: (1) Attempting to avoid an unspeakably awful outcome and in doing so creating the circumstances that will bring it about.
(2) Trying to solve an problem and discovering that you are in fact the problem you are trying to solve.
I tightened the grip on my arms. I was trying to keep the gray figure I had barely trapped in my arms from bursting out of my hold. Across from me, Baek Saheon was aiming a small, toy-like gun in my direction.
‘Why is that bastard taking so long?’
If the gray figure slipped away again, there was no telling when we’d be able to catch it next. I shouted urgently.
“Shoot!”
“I’m aiming!”
‘Aiming, are you kidding?’
Just shoot what’s right in front of you, what’s so hard about—ah.
“Saheon-ssi! I’m fine! It's okay if you shoot through me, I have you to help me!”
Right. As long as we hit this thing, we can escape this darkness. So hurry up and fire! Hurry—
—Bang.
The gray figure in my arms flickered strangely for an instant, then vanished.
At the same time, a searing pain tore through my left leg. I collapsed on the spot. I could hear Baek Saheon running toward me.
‘You bastard—even so, did you really have to shoot through my leg…?!’
Still, we had escaped the immediate danger. I used the bandage item Baek Saheon handed me for first aid. It must have had a mild painkilling effect, because the pain soon subsided to about half what it had been.
“Thank you, Saheon-ssi.”
I smiled deliberately as I spoke.
Baek Saheon just stared at my leg, saying nothing. His face was pale.
…Could it be that he was actually feeling guilty?
Maybe he really had been trying to avoid hitting my leg earlier.
‘Good thing I told him to just shoot through it.’
In any case, I was taken aback to see Baek Saheon react like this to someone else’s pain. It seemed that my suspicions were correct; he was definitely feeling somewhat friendly towards the agent.
‘Come to think of it, he handed over the item without hesitation, too.’
Not that the bandage was a particularly valuable item. But still…
I felt strange. It was almost a sense of pride towards him.
----
The reason Baek Saheon chose to accompany the agent was simple.
Although weird and uncomfortable things tended to happen whenever he helped with the agent’s plans, in the end, it never quite felt bad.
The sense of fulfillment that came from giving “help.”
It was a strange sensation he had never experienced before.
So this time, too, although he grumbled, he readily agreed to come along.
The toy gun item Baek Saheon had recently acquired in a Darkness had clear strengths and weaknesses.
With this item, even a beginner could hit a target with 95% accuracy.
However, it required at least thirty seconds of wait time before shooting. Despite its cute appearance, it was essentially a sniper item.
Baek Saheon didn’t bother explaining these properties to the agent. While responding vaguely to the agent’s urgings, he was waiting out the thirty seconds. After all, there was no need to injure the agent when he could cleanly hit only the monster.
But then—
It's okay if you shoot through me, I have you to help me!
‘…Me,’
He has me to help him…
Thirty seconds passed.
Baek Saheon lowered the muzzle slightly and aimed precisely at the agent’s leg.
----
“Thank you, Saheon-ssi.”
The agent smiled at him through his cold sweat.
It was the sight Baek Saheon had been unconsciously wishing for. But he could not say anything in return.
‘What did I just do?’
The agent who was inexperienced and foolish, yet only ever made promises that he could keep.
The agent who never mocked or sneered at him, who always spoke calmly and seriously.
The agent who had said that the two of them could survive together.
He had shot that agent in the leg.
It hadn't been for survival.
It was just…
What he'd wanted was...
“Saheon-ssi, I’m sorry, but could you help me a little? I think I’ll need assistance walking to the exit.”
Without a word, Baek Saheon approached and supported him. The agent leaned against him, and their hands clasped together.
The agent’s hand was warm.
Just as he had thought it would be.
And from that, Baek Saheon could tell—
His own hand, unlike the agent’s, was cold.
----
Normally, after helping, Baek Saheon would have gone on and on about how I should be paying him back. But this time, he was quiet.
Was it that much of a shock?
It was almost unsettling. I opened my mouth.
“Thank you for your help, Saheon-ssi.”
Baek Saheon’s hand twitched.
I spoke deliberately.
“And you did well to fire without hesitation earlier. Thanks to you, we’re both alive and able to return like this. So—”
“Listen.”
Baek Saheon cut me off.
“Look… can I ask you something?”
‘Suddenly?’
Weird timing, I thought, but answered readily.
“What would you like to know?”
After a brief silence, he spoke.
“When you’re working… don’t you ever think the person you’re saving might be… I don't know, a bad person?”
What are you talking about, out of nowhere…
I considered for a moment before answering.
“That may be true. But even so, I think they'd still want to live.”
Baek Saheon said nothing. I thought a little more.
“…And I don’t think people split that neatly into good and bad.”
Look at me, for example.
I had tried to be a good person by shoving the parts of myself I didn’t like into Darknesses and pretending they weren’t there. But that just meant I wasn’t being true to myself. It was only when I acknowledged all of myself—spineless at times, selfish at times—that I was finally able to regain myself.
“Nobody's just one version of themselves. Even someone who's lived their whole life one way might make a different choice at some point.”
“‘Choice’.”
Baek Saheon spoke suddenly.
“That’s right.”
“…Then if they keep choosing the same thing… doesn’t that mean that’s just who they are?”
“You don't know that, Saheon-ssi,” I said.
“They might do differently tomorrow.”
Maybe it was my imagination, but it felt as though his hand was trembling. I tightened my grip around him.
Just moments ago, his hand had been cool like shade. But perhaps because I kept holding it, I thought I could now feel the faintest trace of warmth from him.
a whole bunch of gazan mutual aid projects and nonprofits. if the decision of which individual fundraiser to give to feels too daunting, or if you just want to help as many people as possible in one go, these are great initiatives to support.
care for gaza - focuses on providing food and essential supplies. donate here or here.
connecting humanity - securing internet access via donations of virtual sim cards (esims). if you can't afford a whole plan yourself, crips for esims is a communal pool that will use your donation to purchase and maintain esims
gaza soup kitchen - provides food, medical care, and classes for children. also has a gofundme
glia gaza medical support initiative - provides medical care through field clinics and tents at hospitals. donations can also be sent through their website.
ele elna elak - provides clean water, food, clothing, and shelter. they also have a gofundme
life for gaza - raising money for the gaza municipality to repair water and waste management infrastructure
taawon - partners with local civil organizations to provide food, water, medical care, shelter, and basic supplies
the sameer project - running various initiatives providing tents, medical care, and necessities. they have their own encampment project focused on sheltering families with children, sick and disabled members, or members in need of perinatal care
islamic relief worldwide's gaza emergency appeal - provides food, water, hygiene kits, medical supplies, and psychological support
baitulmaal - provides a variety of necessities, including food, water, shelter, and medical supplies
gaza mutual aid fund - distributes food, hygiene products, water, and other essential supplies, including financial support. run by @/el-shab-hussein's amazing friend Mona. updates can be found on her instagram.
hygiene kits for gaza - provides hygiene supplies including menstrual products, wipes, and toothbrushes/toothpaste
anera - provides a variety of necessities, including food, water, hygiene supplies, medicine, blankets and mattresses, and psychological care
palestine children's relief fund - provides supplies and support with a focus on children. also has an initiative for lebanon
dahnoun mutual aid - provides water, food, tents, baby supplies, financial support, and other necessities. updates can be found through their instagram
certainly this is not an exhaustive list, so please feel free to add on other projects or organizations that i didn't include. and as always, please take the time to donate if you can and share. it truly makes all the difference.
study... quite like how this turned out🥺 (u cant tell it's soleum but it's soleum heh)
this time i tried the method of rough sketch --> refine & render all on the same layer (starting from silhouette block-in)... no separate layer for lineart unlike my usual workflow...
yousharknotpass
discoholicmusic
origamiaround
vaporwave
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
pixelskylines
