In Gaza, the war does not only kill , it tries to erase every witness๐
Today was one of the hardest day , The airstrikes hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis directly. The first strike tore through the fourth floor, and just minutes later while journalists and medics were trying to document and save lives ,another strike hit the same spot๐๐๐
It wasnโt just a bombingโฆ it felt like an attempt to silence every voice, every image, every effort to show the truth from inside Gaza. Cameras were left lying on the ground, covered in dust and blood, while people around the hospital screamed, searching for signs of life.
Looking back at the images after the attack, the scene was unbearable: exhausted faces, tears, bodies pulled from the rubble. The very people who always stood behind the camera became the picture themselves today.
This hospital is not the first to be bombed, and these journalists are not the first to be targeted. But today carries a different weight: it feels like theyโre not only destroying buildings, theyโre trying to erase testimony, to switch off the image, to leave Gaza without witnesses.
..
If you can, please help my family in Gaza survive. Every little bit makes a difference๐๐ฅบ
Hello, my name is Anas, and I am from Gaza.Some of you may already know me from my previous fundraiser on GoFundMe. I want to explain honest
Our previous fundraiser, which was shut down, had raised $22,000 out of our $40,000 goal. With this new campaign, we are starting again from zero and our goal now is to reach $20,000. The new fundraiser accepts donations in multiple currencies, not only USD.๐๐ฅน
In case you werenโt aware, there is a war going on in the Middle East. Israel is murdering thousands of innocent people every day. This is a genocide, it is an ethnic cleansing and colonization that has been going for decades. This didnโt begin on October 7th like most people believe.
Israel has been conducting this genocide since the end of World War 2, and they are pushing the rest of the world to believe they are targeting Hamas. But they are targeting civilians and they have pushed them to the very last refuge they have.
Donโt be brain dead. Wake the fuck up.
Airing a propaganda ad to encourage everyone else around the world to their side is PRO-ISRAELI and the fact you canโt see that is actually insane.
Are you fucking dumb? Thatโs EXACTLY what happened, โstop jewish hateโ โa thousand dollar ad to be played during the Super Bowl to distract Americans from the bombs they just dropped on millions of Palestinians in Rafah. It IS Pro-Israeli and if you canโt see that then you must be one of the out of touch Americans.
My entire twitter feed is people in Rafah saying theyโre terrified, saying their good byes, and asking us to remember them in our prayers. Rafah is facing a massacre. Itโs a genocide. We will not know the number of deaths until the morning.
Is there anything more American than watching a football game while an ethnic cleansing is occurring in the Middle East?
Airing a Pro-Israeli ad during one of Americaโs most celebrated and iconic times of year is propaganda and itโs being spoon fed to out of touch Americans who deepthroat that shit like a fat cock.
Right wing white supremacy is never the right side of history. Oppressors will always defend oppressorsโฆ remember that.
They are carpet bombing Rafah. The over 1.4 million Palestinians in Rafah are being targeted at what is now 4 in the morning for them. They are posting their goodbyes.
*i regularly update this post with any new info i find so please always reblog the original post*
Donations
donations currently reaching gaza:
help buy e-sims for people in gaza (PLEASE HELP CONNECT GAZANS TO THE WORLD. if you would like to stay updated, please follow @/Mirna_elhelbawi on twitter)
donate to get food packages to gaza - care for gaza
support palestinians: buy a keffiyeh from the last and only factory in palestine - hirbawi
donate to ahmed (@/90-ghost on tumblr) (he is born, raised and based in gaza. please help him reach his goal of $25K to get his family to safety across the rafah border into egypt. as of right nowโฆ itโs 5K per person to evacuate gaza)
secondary donations:
palestine children's relief fund
palestine red crescent society
save palestine - islamic relief canada
send medical supplies to gaza - palestinian american medical association
click to donate - arab.org
donate for the recovery of hisham awartani - gofundme
one of the three palestinian students shot by a racist in vermont for wearing kufiyas and speaking arabic. hishamโs injuries have left him paralysed from below the chest.
help bring down israel's weapon trade - palaction
NOTE: journalists based in gaza are saying a demand for ceasefire is the priority as not all donations are reaching gazans (focus on the donations that are directly reaching gaza). so please contact your local MPs every single day demanding as such. palestine need a permanent ceasefire.
Petitions
petition to investigate war crimes committed by israeli military
demand ceasefire - amnesty.org
open call for immediate ceasefire
american government call for immediate ceasefire
american government to stop funding israeli military
ceasefire and increase humanitarian assistance - oxfam au
petition to get canva to address their pro-israel stance
invoke the genocide convention to call for ceasefire in gaza - world beyond war
location specific petitions
gaza call for ceasefire - oxfam (UK)
end israeli occupation - parliament uk (UK)
email your MP - medical aid for palestine (UK)
protect gaza civilians - islamic relief (UK)
stop fuelling genocide - action network (USA)
@ biden: call for ceasefire now - move on (USA)
ceasefirenow.com - jewishvoiceofpeace (USA)
call congress and demand a ceasefire - uscpr (USA - they provide a script of what you should say, so don't worry about it)
note: you can call everyday. they tally the number of calls per issue. so more calls = higher chance for them to take action. p.s. you mainly go to voicemail so donโt worry about phone call anxiety. fight through it just this once please.
australia call on israel to stop attacking palestinians - apan (AUS)
immediate ceasefire and increase in humanitarian aid in gaza - actionaid (AUS)
email your MPs - stand with palestine (AUS)
sign to send letter to MP for ceasefire - nccm (CANADA)
ceasefire now! - ijv (CANADA)
ceasefire and allow aid to enter gaza - oxfam (CANADA)
call on your local mayor and council to demand ceasefire - LeadNow (CANADA)
cessez-le-feu et un couloir humanitaire - le mouvement (FRANCE)
รฉcrivez aux dรฉputรฉ-es et sรฉnateurs-trices - association france palestine solidaritรฉ (FRANCE)
write to your dรฉputรฉ - assemblรฉe nationale (FRANCE)
skydda civilbefolkningen i gaza! - mittskifte (SWEDEN)
singaporeans call for immediate ceasefire (SIN)
contact your elected reps and demand a ceasefire (GERMANY)
write to the EU demanding a ceasefire (EUROPE)
template of letters you can send (EU)
guide on how to contact your MPs in EU
p.s. if the template is outdated, just use it as a guide and add a few sentences here and there that reflect the current situation. i canโt find any recent templates so :/ at least this is something
multiple actions you can take to help palestine - plant een olifbloom (NETHERLANDS)
includes: links for donations, emails to MP, emails to media, links to petitions and demonstrations
den haag, maak nรบ werk van vrede in israรซl/Palestina - the right forum (NETHERLANDS)
mฤori call for palestine - ourActionStation (NZ)
special visa for palestinians in gaza with family in NZ - NZ parliament/pฤremata aotearoa (NZ)
deem israeli actions as war crimes - NZ parliament/pฤremata aotearoa (NZ)
basta ao genocรญdio em Gaza! - awaaz (BRAZIL)
globo e grande mรญdia, parem de desumanizar civis palestinos - the intercept (BRAZIL)
Campaigns
friends of al-aqsa
โฅ UK-specific
urge your MP to speak up for palestine
hands off al-aqsa
stop administrative detention
petition for UK to stop arming israel
โฅ International
boycott puma โ email them to end their partnership with israel
boycott coca-cola
palestine action
join the resistance
islamic relief canada
urge your MP to rally for ceasefire
decolonise palestine
poster campaign to raise awareness on the war crimes being committed against palestinians | (very very important please share + read the sources provided)
text/call campaign for people living in USA
text CEASEFIRE @ 51905 to call for a ceasefire
text RESIST @ 50409 to send a letter to your representatives to pass HR3103โa bill that prohibits tax dollars from going to israel
download 5Calls app to contact members of your congress | (more info)
fax campaign for people in the USA
go on this website to send 5 free faxes per day
hereโs a link to a pre-written fax copy you can download to send (the first link on the linktree)
hereโs a video that explains how to fax your senator (itโs very easy and all you need is a valid email address)
BDS movement
get involved in boycotting companies associated with israel
please let me know if you have any more links. i will add them in. and please reblog the original post!!
Iโve taken a few edibles and am in the clouds right now and scrolling through conspiracy theories on TikTok.. like Iโm deep in that side of it and the history of our world and the answers that continue to evade us is makinโ me trip mad balls.
Utterly devastated by the news of Andre Braugherโs passing, B99 has been my comfort show since 2014 and Captain Holt especially was a character Iโd been drawn to because of personal traumas and issues. Iโm heartbroken by the loss of another great soul whom touched the lives of many. I hope his family and friends are well and healthy and I hope he found peace.
Because of course a privileged, white man living in America would be so ignorant and detached. Of course you can be as Islamophobic and Zionistic as you want because you arenโt going to suffer the repercussions and consequences for it. Especially in a country that would fund the genocide of indigenous people.
Noah Schnapp is so out of touch that itโs extremely pathetic and so embarrassing.
He tweeted he was โscaredโ as if he isnโt living in America, thousands of miles away from the conflict, and posted on his Instagram story promoting stickers saying; โZionism is sexyโ, and โHamas is ISISโ, hope that helps
Because of course a privileged, white man living in America would be so ignorant and detached. Of course you can be as Islamophobic and Zionistic as you want because you arenโt going to suffer the repercussions and consequences for it. Especially in a country that would fund the genocide of indigenous people.
Noah Schnapp is so out of touch that itโs extremely pathetic and so embarrassing.
Iโm glad that our president is sending billions of our tax dollars to support genocide but refuses to lower inflation, make living costs as a young adult realistic, and offer free healthcare.
To stand with Palestine is to stand with humanity. ๐ต๐ธ
As an indigenous person myself I have not been able to idly stand by and watch in silence as this continues. I encourage you all to do what you can to help. I will speak out and I will use my rights to fight for what I believe is right. I will be one of the many voices for Palestine.
Sign petitions, donate if you can, speak about it to anyone and everyone, join protests if you are able and if it is safe for you, call your representatives. Anything. You have a voice and you can help.
[Y/Name] was no stranger to the deaths that plagued the military. Any branch and any squadronโ the career was laced with it. And due to their duties they had to always be there for every one of them. Every single one.
And every single one continued to chip away at the strong and resilient mental fortitudes they had built to keep themselves from falling. From breaking.
Young men and women, a lot of them no older than at least 25. All of them had given [Y/Name] looks, regarding them with pain, sometimes anger.. even happiness in a few particularly unpleasant moments. In those cases theyโd only wished those young adults had gotten the help they needed before it had been too late.
Older men and women that in a fit of despair and longing to be part of the living realm once more ask the reaper one of two things.
Did I make a difference? Did I matter?
And the Anubis avatar would always respond with reassurances and promises of comfort. Trying their best to make those aching souls of fallen soldiers pass to a better and more peaceful world.
You made a difference where it mattered. Of course you didโ you still do. Look at all those who mourn you, look at all the success that follows your courage. Look at the change you fought so hard for.
It was the most they could offer to those souls, the best they could do at comforting someone whoโd just passed on. Someone who was looking at their own body like an astral projectionโ longing to be settled within it once again. And mourning the fact they could not.
Yes, young [Y/Name] had long since built a thick wall surrounding their weakened heart and soul. To protect themself from the profound pain that transcends beyond their reach whenever theyโre tasked with freeing a soldierโs soul from itโs mortal bonds.
Far too compassionate to greet the distressed and heartbroken souls with cold indifference and also far too broken themself to mourn for too long if at all.
A vicious cycle.
Regardless, this shouldnโt have been any different.
โSimon! Stay with me Si, goddammit!โ
And yetโ
โCโmon Ghost! Donโt die on us!โ
โthis was absolutely different.
Three menโ kneeled down to cradle close a corpse. The fourth man of this task force. An exemplary team of elites fallen to their knees, begging for their brother to reawaken. To breathe a wheeze of pain, to cough as blood crawled up his throatโ each one indicative of pain and discomfort but at least it would mean he was alive.
[Y/Name] could feel it. The profound hurt of heavy weighted trauma and the ache of deeply buried and suppressed memories and feelings. They felt the masked manโs pain, like titanium on their bones and swords in their heart.
It was a pain that was very muted, quiet and withheld in the very back of his mind. Kept bound and locked tight behind steel bars and barbed wire barriers. Like a monster of some kindโ this man was handling his pain like a trained professional would handle a dangerous animal.
Aware of its presence, aware of the dangerous potential it had of overpowering him and devouring him whole. Aware that if he did not keep it locked up tight that it would eat away at him until he was a hollow shell of himself.
[Y/Name] could tell that he relatively already was, having endured so much damage to his psyche.. to his heart and his soul.
And within the confines of a defended part of his heart they found something interesting, there was vulnerability there. Vulnerability that was tainted with sorrow and pain. With fear.
[Y/Name] figured that this man mustโve built this masked persona to protect and shelter that vulnerability. To keep it safe no matter what, refusing to let it burn out just like the rest of his feelings and emotionsโ useless and unnecessary things that he let wither to nothing.
Was that why it felt different? Of course, they have encountered their fair share of broken men and women who enlist to be active duty. And theyโve met their fair share of soldiers that have been hurting for a very long time but somehow found the strength to keep going. This man was different, so drastically different from any theyโve met before. And as such, they decided on the calmest and softest approach they were capable of.
You have suffered long enough.
[Y/Name] stepped forward, there was an abrupt whooshing sound behind them followed by a du clink as their Anubis appeared. Only visible to his avatar, and his avatar only visible to the spirits that have passed on. A cloaking technique Anubis had taught them. So they could do their duties without the interference of any mortals that happened to be nearby when they released the souls of the dead.
โProceed with understanding and the compassionate heart I know you for my little jackal. For this man has suffered more than a soul ever should.โ
The avatar didnโt answer, not verbally nor with a tick of their head. Simply nearing the group of men and reaching down to the one on the ground. Cradled close to the chest of the one with a silly mohawk. The man hurting and sorrowful as he held his beloved friend in his arms. Broken and gone.
[Y/Name] swallowed thickly to ignore the stagnant air of despair and grief that punctured through their defenses. Not quite dense enough to destroy their walls but profound enough to give them a little ache in their chests. Reasonably sympatheticโ sympathy that was quick to evolve to empathy as they didnโt bother to withhold the pained grimace on their face.
โYou are released,โ they cited. Dutifully. Monotonously as they gripped the spiritโs hand. Pulling him free from his mortal body with a tug and heave. When they didโ the men on the ground surrounding him only became more distressed. Mohawk especially, considering he was the one holding the masked man so close. So tenderly.
He mustโve felt when the man had passed on, thereโs no way he hadnโt. And the avatar sympathized once again on his pain, it must not be easy feeling the once living, breathing body in your arms go still. Go cold.
They couldnโt have imagined it was fun experiencing that, and they were understanding of the manโs begging. Of his cries of denial.
But they didnโt dwell for longโ they had a job to do.
โWho are you? Where am I?โ
They still had their hand clasped in the masked manโs and he gripped them harder when he had gained enough sense to start asking things. He had a million questions and even more conclusionsโ of that, [Y/Name] was sure. And they would be happy to answer them all, but it was always best to ease them into the truth of what had occurredโ
โIsโ is that me?โ
โor not.
[Y/Name] winced, they used the grip on his hand to squeeze gently. It drew his attention back to them and there was an obvious stitch in his brow, furrowed iโm confused frustration as he regarded them. They softly exhaled through their nose.
โYes. Iโm sorry.โ
He regarded you for a dull moment, his expression neutral and withheldโ strong in his defiance to give anything away. Why it mattered, you did not know.
But then his look changed, like the flick of a switch his eyes were suddenly filled with mournful regret and reluctance. Refusal to accept what he was seeing, what has occurred.
โNo, no I canโtโ I canโt die.. they need me.โ
[Y/Name] felt a twist in their stomach, an itch in their chest that they couldnโt quite scratch. They realized but a second later that they felt sorry for the poor guy, the way he looked broken and beat down. They had to admit they admired his loyaltyโ defiant in the face of a reaper in hopes of finding his way back to his body. To be reunited with the family he was leaving behind.
โYou neednโt worry about them,โ [Y/Name] soothed, still holding his gloved hand in their own they squeezed it reassuringly and he found his attention back to them once more. โTheyโll be alright.โ
โBut.. Makarovโโ
โThey will handle it.โ
[Y/Name] watched as he swallowed thickly, a subtle twitch in his brow to display his discomfort without saying it outright. They could tell by the way his eyes fell, the look held within those rich brown irises that he was fighting himself.
Simon wasnโt even sure why he was so reluctant to follow his reaper to the afterlife, heโd known he would die on the battlefield since the very beginning. It was not a new concept to him and it was not something he was afraid of. But still, he felt.. hesitant to leave his team behind. Was it that ever-going loyalty and sacrificial nature he had gained as a Lieutenant? Or did these men really mean that much to him? He hoped it was the formerโ too afraid of his feelings to admit that in reality it was most likely the latter.
The thing is; he hadnโt really expected to be met with a reaper in the first place. He spent his long, and quite frankly rather miserable existence, hoping death was what he had craved his whole life. Peace. Peace and rest.
If he had a reaper did that mean they were to guide him to that? Lead him to the very thing he had yearned so achingly for since that miserable Christmas so many years ago?
He shouldnโt be reluctant to go, he shouldnโt feel remorse for being selfish for once in his entire life. This is something he wanted.. this is what he was owed.
โOkayโฆ Iโmโ Iโm ready.โ
[Y/Name] smiled softly at him and nodded minutely. Then, with the grip they had on his gloved hand, turned and walked away from the scene.
Simon didnโt have any choice but to follow, swallowing thickly once again to push down the ache that had crawled up his throat. He followed the reaper by hand as they walked but he kept his eyes on his teammatesโ on his corpse as they guided him away from his death.
He felt a sudden ache at the way Soapโ Johnny was holding him so close. So lovingly. And as he got further and further away, as their silhouettes slowly became more and more distorted and faded he had only a few words to utter passed his lips. โForgive me.โ
Simon, in some small part of his heart, felt like he was doing the wrong thing. He was in the wrong for choosing to pursue the peace he craved over selflessly giving it up in order to live on. Heโd still be unhappy sure, but his team would still have him. Heโd be there to watch their backs, offer a shoulder.. be their brother.
He came to the realization that even if he did choose to be selflessโ the reaper wouldnโt have granted him a second chance at life anyway.
โWas I to die no matter what? You couldnโt have offered me my life?โ
The teenager he was addressing looked at him with a tight expression on their face, unbeknownst to him, this is something a lot of people asked them. People who were not done with their lives, people who begged them for a second chanceโ to see things beyond their reach, to experience the incredible wonders the world had to offer them. [Y/Name] had no shame in admitting they felt bad about denying them every time.
As the avatar to Anubis they would only release and guide the souls of those whoโve passed. They only encountered those truly dead.. not those who have close calls.
โYes you were, I could not offer you more time as you do not have any.โ
At the confused furrow of his brows they explained further.
โEveryone that is born has a certain stretch of time attached to them, it is essentially a clock on their life. Iโm able to see these numbers in accordance with my duties but they arenโt visible to anybody else.โ
โAnd mineโโ He trailed off expectantly.
โReached zero.โ They filled.
Simon went silent after that, understanding of his situation and accepting of the fact nothing couldโve been done to change the outcome. He was dead.
In his silence he took the time to gather his surroundings, everything was pure white. Starkly contrasting to his and his reaperโs dark gear. For a brief moment he thought he was in heaven.. but he quickly shot that idea down. There was no way a man like him could ever get into heaven, not with the war crimes tagged to his person and not with all the morally wrong things heโs done in his career.
The atmosphere of the environment still bewildered him, and it confused him enough to want to ask his reaper about it. The reaper whom still hadnโt let go of his hand, of course he wasnโt naive and childish enough to assume it was because they thought he needed the comfort. It was probably the only way they could move his soul to the Afterlife. If he lost physical contact with them he had the inkling of an idea that heโd be trapped here in this blindly white landscape. Isolated and alone.
Still, he felt grounded as he held their hand. And he had no qualms against the action, their touch was comforting and warm against his palm. And he felt at ease as they guided him along.
The question in the back of his remained though, and he willed it passed his lips with an air of muted confusion.
โWhere are we?โ
โHm, some like to refer to it as โPurgatoryโโ the path between worlds. The bridge to destinations.โ
โIs that what it is?โ
โEssentially.โ
Their walk continued on in silence once again, and the young teenager had the mind to only speak when spoken to first. Allowing the masked man to quell in his acceptance and smiled when they could feel the muted excitement he held beneath the surface.
They hoped he would enjoy wherever it was they were bringing him to, see, [Y/Name] didnโt usually get to see the soulsโ chosen afterlife. Choosing to step back after releasing them and allowing them the freedom they deserved to build their perfect paradise where they could find their eternal happiness.
But again.. this man was different. He was so deeply broken that the Anubis avatar felt somewhat obligated to guide him to his restful peace themself. So they did.
Seconds later he spoke up once more, and [Y/Name] could feel the twitch in his chest, tightly wound and moving uncomfortably beneath his skin.
โIโmโ โฆafraid.โ He admitted in a bout of courageous honesty. Effectively breaking the silence between them with his words. They recalled Anubisโ words to them, and approached him as gently as they could.
โDo not be afraid, thereโs no more to fear in death than in the changing of the seasons.โ
Simon huffed at that, he didnโt want to think there was anything to be feared in the afterlife. But now that he was face-to-face with his reaper he wasnโt so sure. The Angel of Death had come for him, and he did not know where they were taking him.
He hoped โin a moment of vulnerabilityโ that it was somewhere niceโฆ somewhere quiet. Where he could finally rest and be at peace away from a world of trial and tribulation. Away from a world that had spat on him at every turn, cruel and inhumane was the life he suffered through. Now, he only hoped for peace. Thatโs all he could ask for.
The change was slow, sluggish as it claimed the white landscape surround him. Colors began to appear, slowly ever so slowly as they walked the world around him changed before his very eyes. And suddenly they werenโt in Purgatory anymoreโ but standing before a cabin surrounded by forest. It was in this environment when the reaper finally released his hand in favor of crossing their arms over their chest.
โThis is the Afterlife?โ Simon queried, he wasnโt entirely sure of his surroundings. They were oddly.. homely. Comfortable.
The darkness the night sky overcasted the landscape with was cozy and peaceful. Star shining bright above, stamped into the night sky as dazzling speckles across a spanning space of deep blue and golden clusters of constellations.
The surrounding forest was alive with the background chirping of crickets. Melodically coupled well with the sounds of nocturnal animals croaking and howling, filling the night air with crackled bursts of life. An owl call twists Simonโs head to the woods he and his reaper stood before, the raptor calls again and a sense of serenity abruptly erupts within his chest. Bright and delightfully warm, alight in his chest and settling in his stomach.
But the warmest and most homely piece of this concocted paradise was the small cottage in front of him. Two-stories tall and wide enough to be a home but not too wide itโs size is overwhelmingly obnoxious. There was a wrap-around porch complete with a swinging bench swaying in the soft breeze. The light coming from within was pale and bathed the outside plants and shrubbery at the base of the wooden cottage in a gorgeous, golden glow. Somebody was homeโ there was smoke coming from the chimney. White fog curling as it flowed out through the gap at the top.
Simon felt a twinge of jealousy disturb that warmth heโd previously felt, and he turned to the reaper at his side slightly peeved theyโd bring him here. Show him something he could not ever have before finally delivering him to whatever hell was awaiting himโฆ the hell he knew that he deserved.
โWhy did you bring me here?โ
[Y/Name] elected to ignore the slight snarl in his tone, choosing instead to focus more on the way his voice lilted with misery and confusion. The soft notes of despondency in his voice as he addressed them. The crestfallen gleam in his eye that glinted at them. โThis is the Afterlife.โ
Simonโs brow twitched, the previous twitch of jealous frustration now more bubbled into confusion as he regarded them with a furrowed brow.
โWhat?โ
โThe Afterlife is however you imagine it to be, I do things this way so wayward souls โlost and hurtโ can finally be at peace. Finally find the happiness that evaded them so long in their time being alive.โ They explained, all with a soft and understanding look on their face. Compassionate and careful as they looked at him.
โThis is myโโ
โThis is yours.โ
Simon was quick to face the small cottage once more, his heart was racing as it beat thunderous in his ears. A childish excitement he hadnโt felt since he was a little boy warming his chest once again. It was when he saw shadows and silhouettes moving through the house that he felt the warmth burst inside. Electrifying him as it buzzed beneath his skin.
He didnโt understand the fundamentals of this being dead thingโ surely he shouldnโt be able to feel such things as a wandering soul right?
โIt is normal to feel such things.โ
And there goes his reaper again, reading him so drastically easy and careful that he couldโve sworn they were inside his head. Maybe they were.. again, he was new to this whole โbeing deadโ thing.
โYou may not understand it, and it may not make much sense to you if at all. But your soul is the truest and purest part of you, itโs where your feelings are born and where your vulnerability is kept sheltered and safe. Of course youโd feel your feelings, wether it be excitement or pain.โ
For a kid, theyโre awfully mature. And that was something he acknowledged silently. He didnโt know when he had turned to face them during their tangent but he found himself staring at the side of their face. He blinked when they turned to look at him, holding strong eye contact and regarding him gently once again.
โGo on Simon,โ they nodded their head to the cottage with an encouraging smile. โTheyโre all waiting for you.โ
โWaitingโโ
โJust go.โ
Simon wasnโt sure. Surely, a reaper โsupernatural being tasked with guiding and guarding lost soulsโ wouldnโt bring him to a place where he would only find more suffering right? He didnโt expect it out of this particular reaper either, regardless of the age they appeared to be they seemed so understanding and kind.
So he pushed down his reluctance and anxiety at approaching the cabin and willed forth the courage and bravery he found in being a soldier instead. Squaring his shoulders and marching down the stone path straight up to the front door.
[Y/Name] watched carefully as he paused at the bottom of the steps and turned back to face them. They gave him a single encouraging nod, and they watched as he took a deep breath before turning to face the front door again. Taking two long strides up the stairs and two more steps to reach the front door.
Again, the avatar watched as he hesitated before he raised his hand and knocked three times on the door.
Simon was so wholly unprepared for the person that answered the door. Seeing her face again, so beautiful and loving as she looked at him in utter shock. A wave of emotion suddenly upturned him, and the tears welling up in her eyes as she reached up to gently cup his face were enough to destroy his dam. Tears of his own aching behind the backs of his eyes as they were drawn forward before streaming down his cheeks in thick rivulets.
โSi?โ
โMom.โ
[Y/Name] couldnโt help the grin that tugged at the corners of their lips as they watched the reunion unfold. A traumatized and deeply hurt man reverting back to a little boy in the arms of his mother. This is what gave their job purpose and meaning, this was what they had stuck around as Anubisโ avatar for so long for. This.
โWell done, my little jackal.โ
And they were gone, back to the real world with their God and back to the duty of helping others find their peace as they had done for Simon.
Simon who turned back to the forest to thank the reaper that brought him here only to rear back when he saw they were no longer there.
โWhat is it?โ
He exhaled quietly at the disappointment he felt at his reaperโs disappearance but didnโt push it past the minor feeling in his chest. A feeling that was overwhelmed by the feeling of joy, happy finallyโ
โNothing Ma.โ
โCome inside, everyone will be so happy to see you.โ
And Simon followed without fight, no longer reluctant to be here so long as this is the Afterlife that awaited him. Still, mentally he offered his gratitude and hoped somewhere, wherever the reaper was due next.. they could feel it.
