#arizona middle school was indoors
Text
Resume
Vanessa Avila
Summary of Qualifications
______________________________________________________________
Human Behavior Degree, Proficient in Microsoft Office Programs, Leadership experience in the workplace. Bilingual. Over ten years' experience in medical and educational environments. Extensive professional development and training in autism, special education, developmental disabilities, school counseling specifically in transition, academic achievement, and post school outcome goals, social emotional wellness, and early childhood development. Therapeutic art life coach. I have held positions as a daycare teacher, teacher’s aide, medical office administrator, front office clerk, instructional aide, academic coach, educational coordinator, middle school and elementary teacher, tutor, special education specialist, substitute, and manager. My goal is to obtain my doctorate and become a clinical psychologist.
______________________________________________________________
Education and Certifications
Northern Arizona University 2023
Bachelors in Applied Human Behavior
The Applied Human Behavior Program (AHB) at Northern Arizona University is a unique degree that prepares you to work in a range of behavioral health fields including working with individuals and families, substance abuse, mental health, community development, public policy and human resources. The Applied Human Behavior Program examines operational aspects of social systems, how they impact behavior, and engages in real world problem solving of community challenges. Curriculum emphasizes developing critical thinking in order to create solutions to social issues through empowering individuals and communities in professional direct practice and administrative roles.
GPA 3.7
National Honor Society of Leadership and Success
Tri-Alpha Honor Society
Pima Community College
Emerging Leaders Pima Community College
Associate in liberal arts 2011
Direct Care Professional Certificate 2012
Professional health worker
Substance Misuse Certificate 2021
Understand drug and alcohol abuse and treatment methods
Social Work Services Certificate 2022
Understand the values and ethics of the social services profession, as well as the skills needed to work effectively with individuals and groups
Mental Health First Aid Active
CPR/First Aid Exp. 2025
Relevant Coursework
______________________________________________________________
Direct practice and documentation, practice and intervention, diverse work environments, addictions, recovery, and resiliency. Social Work, substance misuse, and medical terminology. Mental Health and suicide prevention. Delivery of social services, case report writing, and documentation. Behavioral Health, treatment plans, and case management.
Relevant Experience
______________________________________________________________
Childrens Learning Adventure- Lead teacher 2023-Present
Plan and implement activities that promote the social, physical, and intellectual growth of children
Responsible for the care, hygiene, diapering, learning, and developmental activities, and specialized programs
Communicate directly with parents regarding their child’s accomplishments and daily activities
Maintain classroom records, cleanliness and orderliness to align with state regulations and standards
Demonstrated skill in early childhood curriculum and implementation.
Maintain an environment (both indoors and outdoors) that is safe, clean, and inviting
City Center for Collaborative Learning and Paulo Freire University- Office Manager 2022-2023
● Attend to students at lunch, including at the park
● Enter and maintain student data in the school’s student information system (PowerSchool)
● Student Council Coordinator
● Afterschool Program teacher
● Communicate with parents/guardians and school personnel related to attendance, progress reports, and other school and student needs
● Provide front office presence and reception for students, families, visitors, guest instructors, etc.
● Collaborate with the instructional team to design and implement student supports
● Provide administrative support on all audits and school compliance
Recent Community Engagement
______________________________________________________________
Neighborhood Ambassador City of Tucson Current
Thrive in the 05 City of Tucson Current
0 notes
Photo
For KC Bingo @klaroline-events - “Throne”
He’s a Prince hiding out from a pending arranged engagement in downtown NYC and she’s a school teacher minding her own business. On FF and AO3
Art Imitating Life
St John Atelier: Soho (Manhattan) New York City, NY
“Please tell me Rebekah doesn’t know your whereabouts?”
“That’s really the first thing you’re going to say after I’ve travelled 3,500 miles to visit. I know my younger sister scares you but...”
“She doesn’t scare me, well not that much,” he mumbled. “Did I mention how good it is to see you, Niklaus?”
Klaus had barely stopped to think before hastily packing his belongings, offering a feeble excuse and boarding a private flight to the United States. First stop, Enzo St John’s Atelier in downtown Manhattan.
Klaus had met Enzo in Paris where they both studied art at the Sorbonne ten years earlier. They had immediately hit it off and formed a solid friendship that transcended many different time zones over the years.
Enzo moved to New York three earlier to start his own art school and gallery. He wanted to support and promote local and upcoming artists who couldn’t afford to do so themselves. Klaus had championed his friend’s endeavours over the years and wished he had the freedom to pursue something similar.
Unfortunately, the Prince of England had other more pressing priorities.
“Better late than never I suppose,” he muttered. “I hope you don’t mind putting me up for a few weeks?”
“How about I stay in the Royal Suite at the Waldorf Astoria, that your aides have no doubt already booked, and you can stay at my lowly loft in Tribeca?”
“Always about you, isn’t it, Lorenzo?”
“Well, when you’re the best friend to a Prince it seems fair,” he teased. “So, can I ask why you’ve decided to show up unannounced at my atelier? And might I also add, where is your usually extensive entourage? I may be fit but not enough to protect you from out of control females throwing their panties at you on the street.”
“You really love the sound of your own voice, don’t you?” He joked before answering one question at a time. “Vacation to avoid my upcoming, arranged engagement. They are in England but I have two bodyguards Scotland Yard insisted upon and my life isn’t a Tom Jones concert, there is absolutely no throwing of undergarments just FYI.”
“Damn, I always hoped there’d be panties.”
“Nice to see nothing ever changes with you,” he chuckled. “And if I didn’t mention it earlier, Rebekah sends her kindest regards.”
“I’ll bet she does,” he smirked knowingly. “Your sister really can’t get enough of me. Now, how about we get a drink and discuss this engagement? I’m assuming I'm the best man and have approval over all bridesmaids?”
“How about we drink here?”
“Worried about those panties, hey?”
“You know me too well. Let’s just say I’m keeping a low profile,” he murmured, tapping his New York Yankees hat. “Also, I seem to recall a bloody expensive bottle of single malt, top shelf whiskey I sent over for your birthday.”
“Do you really think I’d save that? Although, I do have a less expensive bottle of middle shelf whiskey, Your Highness.”
“I suppose that will have to do.”
2 seconds later
“I don’t understand why you can’t tell Esther and Mikael that it’s the twenty-first century and you’re far too old to be beholden to such an outdated practice like an arranged marriage.”
“You’ve met my parents,” Klaus growled. “Their greatest joy in life is to make me do something I don’t want to do and after Finn decided to elope with a questionable commoner and Elijah entered the priesthood, they’re worried I’m going to do something similar.”
“So, what you’re really telling me is that they’re more worried that, if you go rogue, Kol will be the only hope of carrying on the family tradition and it scares the bejeezus out of them?”
“Exactly.” Enzo didn’t respond immediately, just let out a knowing laugh. “So, you see my eternal dilemma.”
“Tell me with the impending nuptials you’ve at least met your bride-to-be for more than five minutes?”
“It’s rather difficult when she lives in Bulgaria,” he replied. “Tatia Petrova is beautiful, that much I know, but other than that we have nothing in common.”
“Now I know what this is about,” Enzo grinned. “You sly dog, you’ve come to the states to find yourself an alternative wife.”
“An alternative wife? Someone has clearly been watching too many of those romantic comedy movies.”
“It’s called a rom-com, Your Royal Highness, and one of the most popular movie genres.”
“Well, whatever they are, I am doing no such thing. Also, never call me that, it always seems so tawdry when you utter it. If you must know I needed a break from all the pressure, some time to unwind and pretend I’m not a Prince and have a life of my own.”
“Sounds just like the plot from a rom-com” he teased. “All we need is a strong, intelligent, independent, beautiful and slightly feisty woman to come into the atelier and sweep an unhappy Prince off his feet.”
“Do you ever think you’re working in the wrong industry?”
“So, what exactly did you tell Esther and Mikael you were doing?” He asked, choosing not to respond to his smart comeback. “They know from experience that I’m an incredibly bad influence over you, Niklaus.”
“Exactly why they have no idea I’m with you.”
“You lied to the Queen? Wow, I don’t want to be around when she catches you out and she will because, if you hadn’t noticed, everyone knows who and what you are.”
“I said I was going to a world-class meditation retreat in Sedona to relax before the big announcement.”
“So, not only does she think you’ve taken up meditation, she thinks you’re in Arizona and not with yours truly in New York?”
“That’s about the gist of it,” he replied simply. “So, I was thinking it might be best to stay indoors, order copious amounts of Uber Eats and paint so I don’t draw attention to myself. I’ll only burden you for a couple of weeks, Lorenzo.”
“Do you even know how to order UberEats?” Klaus rolled his eyes by way of response. “Wow, that’s my idea of a wild vacation, Niklaus,” he sighed. “Fine, I’ll keep your secret if you insist. But if the Queen finds out and tries to behead me, I am counting on you to organise a speedy pardon.”
2 days later
Klaus rolled out of bed trying to block out the invading sunlight peeking through the crack in the curtains.
Enzo had kindly offered Klaus his large loft on the top story of the atelier he used to store paintings. A passionate art fan, Klaus couldn’t think of a better place to spend his next two weeks.
He stumbled down the stairs and toward the small kitchenette on the floor below. Being half asleep and struggling with jet lag he didn’t bother to dress. The area was completely off limits to the public and Klaus figured his fitted, grey boxers would suffice in order to get his much-needed caffeine fix.
“Don’t come any closer, I have mace,” a voice warned. Klaus looked up, not expecting an extremely attractive blonde to be there rifling through her handbag. No doubt attempting to find said mace but, by the looks of it, failing miserably. Klaus was tempted to lecture her about carrying around so much junk, as Rebekah tended to do, but thought better of it.
“Hold on,” he murmured, finally finding his voice. “Why are you trying to attack me, last time I checked you’re the one breaking and entering.”
“And last time I checked, you’re not Enzo.” Her expressive, blue eyes ventured lower and Klaus was fairly certain she liked what she saw.
“What gave it away, love?”
“That arrogant self-assurance for starters.”
“Are we talking about the same guy?”
“I know what you’re doing,” she growled wearily.
“And what exactly am I doing, well you know besides trying to fulfil my caffeine fix to ward off this horrible case of jet lag.”
“You forgot to add barely dressed,” she shot back, as a slight blush crossed her cheeks. “No, you are trying to distract me so I don’t mace your ass.”
“And here I thought mace was meant for the face, you Americans are funny creatures. I’m staying here, love, no need to attack me, especially this early in the day.”
“It’s lunchtime,” she huffed.
“Really? It feels so much earlier. Now, maybe I should be the one asking the questions since you are encroaching on my space.”
“Glad to see you’re making friends,” Enzo interrupted. “As the welcoming committee you could have at least thrown on a shirt.”
“I wasn’t expecting anyone,” he hissed. “In fact, she broke in here and threatened to, and I quote, ‘mace my ass.’”
“Why do you have a conceited, half dressed, smart ass in your attic, Enzo?”
“Tell me what you really think, sweetheart,” he chuckled. Klaus thought she was beautiful but her feisty and unapologetic charm was an unexpected and not wholly unwelcome surprise.
“Okay, children,” he chided. “Kl..” Klaus gave him a knowing look, he was supposed to be undercover after all.
“Caroline Forbes this is an old friend from England, although I use the word friend sparingly, uh James.”
“What? Just James? Like Madonna or Cher?”
“Has anyone ever told you that you ask too many questions, Caroline?”
“Says the guy half dressed.”
“You seem incredibly distracted by that fact, love.”
“I have no idea what’s going on here and to be honest don’t really want to know,” Enzo groaned. “But Caroline is one of my students and does a few errands around the place, hence why she has a key.”
“Oh, so you two are...” Klaus trailed off, gesturing between them.
“No!”
“Ew, yuck.”
“Gee thanks, darling, give a guy a complex. We’re friends, well except when she says things like that, it has been since Care Bear demanded I share my artistic gifts with her and I was kind enough to oblige.”
“Yeah, that’s exactly how it went,” she drawled, rolling her eyes for extra effect. Klaus couldn’t stop thinking just how adorable she looked doing it. “I teach at the local public school and given the complete lack of funding for an art program Enzo offered his atelier for weekly classes. Turns out it wasn’t just the children interested in learning.”
“Who knew you had a heart, Lorenzo?”
“And who knew you had a freckle right above…”
“How about I go get dressed? Will that make you both happy?”
“Well, I’m bringing kids here in two hours so I think that might be a good idea,” she replied, a slight smile tugging at the edges of those pink lips. Klaus didn’t respond just shook his head as he took the stairs one-by-one, his caffeine fix a long and distant memory.
2 hours later
Caroline Forbes wasn’t the kind of person to get distracted, in fact she liked to think that her ability to focus was second-to-none. Well, that was until two hours earlier when a shirt-less, English Adonis decided to interrupt her daily routine.
He was clearly a big fan of himself. overly opinionated and frustratingly cocky but Caroline couldn’t stop imagining what it would be like to do more than look at his partially naked body.
Yes, maybe it had been too long, as Katherine would say, but those crimson lips curved into a knowing smile, those disarming dimples and those messy, blonde curls she wanted to run her hands through were flashing through her mind with no sign of stopping.
“Miss Forbes,” she was broken from her thoughts by someone tugging on her dress. “I need to go bathroom.”
They’d arrived at the atelier not long ago. Her class, excited to see Enzo, were milling around the room but her attention was on something else. Or someone else.
Caroline figured he probably had better things to do like sight see but she really didn’t know much about him at the end of the day. She didn’t even know his last name.
There was something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on either, he seemed so familiar, like she knew him from somewhere, which was crazy. Well, she kept telling herself that.
“Okay, Hudson,” she said, “let’s go to the bathroom.” Hudson always needed to go to the bathroom so Caroline wasn’t altogether surprised. As they made their way down the long corridor, she took in the walls filled with art not paying much attention to where she was going and running straight into something. Or someone.
“Oh, I’m so sorry…” Before she could finish her apology she saw his smirk. It was the kind of smirk that screamed you ran into me on purpose.
Bastard.
“Well, that tends to happen when you’re not looking where you’re going.” His smirk only grew wider at that point.
“I’d say it was a pleasure but I’d be lying,” she shot back, that same feeling of familiarity returning. “Has anyone ever told you that you look like someone?”
“Well, we all look like someone,” he answered, his awkward pause not lost on Caroline. “And who is this? A friend of yours?”
“I’m Hudson and I really need to pee.” Caroline watched the discomfort cross his face and couldn’t help but gloat inwardly. That would teach him for smirking at her like that.
She sent him her best counter smirk and ushered her mini companion to the nearby bathroom. At least he was clothed this time but why did he have to smell so damn good?
What she wasn’t expecting was for him to be taking part in the class when she returned with Hudson in tow. It was like he was doing it to frustrate her and it was working.
“I set you up here,” he smiled, gesturing to the easel.
“Oh, I don’t paint during this class,” she stumbled. Caroline loved to draw but only when she was alone and not surrounded by seventeen sets of prying eyes. As a teacher, Caroline knew full well that kids could be the worst critics.
“You should, I can help out with your class if you like?” His blue eyes were gazing into hers now, imploring, pleading almost. What was this guy doing to her? “Or we can share?”
“You don’t want to share with him, Miss, he’s got boy germs,” Lucy cried out from across the room. Trust her children to make an awkward moment more awkward.
“I wouldn’t want you to be subjected to my boy germs, love,” he smiled, his mouth dipping low so he could murmur it in her ear.
“Am I interrupting you two?” Enzo asked, clearly amused by the situation. “Do I need to punish you both because I will.”
“Not at all, Mister St John,” he mimicked, placing a paintbrush in her hand gently. Caroline was struggling to breathe now and not just because of his close proximity but the way his hand grazed hers.
“Miss Forbes and the teacher sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” Chanting broke out from the corner of the room and she knew it had to be Claudia, Sienna and Scarlett leading the chorus.
“Ew, gross! Girl germs!” That was Liam, Cory and Jack attempting to drown them out.
“You are unbelievable,” she muttered under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear.
“You really need to stop complimenting me so much, Caroline.” She was trying to ignore just how good her name sounded rolling off his tongue but was struggling to say the least.
“For embarrassing me in front of my students you will pay, mark my words.” He didn’t respond just laughed.
Class passed relatively quickly with only a few more interesting observations from her kids. Caroline found herself enjoying his company, not that she’d admit it.
It was after she’d left the atelier and finished classes for the day that Caroline began to revisit those niggling thoughts at the back of her mind. The ones that kept reminding her just how familiar he looked.
Then it came to her.
2 hours later
“I really should have suspected something, given that pathetic introduction. I mean besides celebrities who really goes by one name?”
“Excuse me?” He asked. Klaus had been minding his business, sitting by the window and nursing a cup of tea. He hadn’t stopped thinking about her since she left with her class and now here she was. “Does Lorenzo know just how much you use his key?”
“Stop changing the subject, Your Highness.”
“Oh, I see,” he murmured knowingly. Klaus would be lying if he wasn’t a little disappointed his cover had been blown. He was enjoying being around her and conversing like two normal people and then she had to throw in those two dreaded words. “You don’t need to call me that. Between you and me I actually preferred conceited, half dressed, smart ass.”
“So do I,” she grinned.
“Please tell me this isn’t going to change things between us because I happen to like those adorable eye rolls and steady stream of choice insults.”
“As long as the fact that I threatened the Prince of England doesn’t come with any kind of serious punishment.”
“Well to be honest, Caroline, I don’t think anyone would believe me if I said you threatened to ‘mace my ass’ between you and me.”
“You’re being awfully cocky for someone who finds himself in a precarious position.”
“And what position might that be?”
“Well, I could blow your cover, tell everyone the Prince of England is hiding out in an atelier in downtown Manhattan.”
“Well, you could but I don’t think you will,” he murmured.
“Well, you did embarrass me in a room full of my students, they may be young but that doesn’t mean they are not going to hold this over me for some time given their extremely long memories.”
“I’ll admit, I could have been less embarrassing i suppose. So, how exactly can I acquit myself?”
“Well, I am behind on my life drawing assignment.”
“So, what exactly are you suggesting?”
He was standing now, his gaze trained on Caroline. She looked beautiful in jeans, ballet flats and a sweater that matched the colour of her eyes perfectly. Klaus had to admit, his mind was going to places they probably shouldn’t be but he decided to blame it on another part of his body that was threatening to betray him.
“You could pose for me, I mean it’s not like I haven’t seen it before.”
“If you liked me all you needed to do is admit it, sweetheart.”
“We’ll arrange some fruit for your nether regions don’t worry, I wouldn’t want to inflate that already sizeable ego any further.”
“So, let me get this straight. I pose for your assignment and you keep my secret?”
“And you also tell me why you’re here hiding out in Enzo’s atelier.”
“Wow, you drive a hard bargain, love, but I’m up for the challenge.”
Turns out one complicated story about an impending engagement and life drawing later, school teacher Caroline Forbes and Prince of England Klaus Mikaelson took commoner/royalty relations to the next level.
In fact, they were both fairly certain they fell in love then and there.
Although his parents fought his wishes initially they came to love Caroline just like he did. Not only that but her grace, kindness and passion for humanitarian causes made her one of the most admired and beloved members of the British Royal Family.
Meanwhile, Tatia Petrova who was also against the arranged marriage, married her bodyguard whom she’d secretly been in love with for years.
And they all lived happily ever after.
#kcbingo2020#klaroline fanfic#klaroline fanfiction#klaroline drabbles#klaroline#my writing#misssophiachase#art imitating life
91 notes
·
View notes
Text
Im a super vivid dreamer, idk whats wrong with me. Ive always been like this. I keep having reoccurring dreams about places. The situation is always different but im always in the same places. I need to write them out, so I apologize for the long post. But yeah~ if you do happen to read these and they make any sense to you—enjoy my anxiety filled up brain.
#1 is super strange, its this room in a observation tower type home where im in the tower room and its a round room and theres red and gold striped antique wall paper and ornate dark oak details everywhere and a grand princess bed. Theres curtains draped around like its a fancy renaissance themed room. The situation in this dream always comes down too me trying to find the false wall that has the bathroom behind it, so I can change my clothes or look in the mirror or something. Its so bizarre and such a beautiful room. Ive never seen anything like it but my best guess is it comes from rewatching the show Galavant 100 times, and my brain just likes it.
#2 is the one ive had the longest now. Its a school. Its a huge massive sprawling campus, futuristicly hidden in between 4 hills/natural rock formations. The building is tall and glass. The setting is like an Arizona desert, red orange sand everywhere and its always hot. This ones pretty obvious, im always lost. Im aways looking for my classes. Im always late or I have no idea where im going or what day of classes it is. The school is mostly an indoor school with winding long hallways with connecting classes inbetween the long hallways that lead into other classrooms and its usually an endless panic down the hallways or walking around the building trying to find my way in.
#2 1/2 sometimes, this school becomes an airport on the inside, and instead of classes im rushing down long black iron walkways that layer other walkways or bleechers. Surrounded by giant windows out to an airport scene. Im always hitting the iron railing in this one. Not like im going to fall off, but more like my normal clumsy self, amplified x100
#3 similar to the top two I have this one about an amusement park sometimes, its either this large indoor rollercoaster in a warehouse and ive lost most of my stuff off the rollercoaster but i just keep getting in line. Sometimes its this outdoor park, its heavily themed like a jungle, im always in line for a water ride so its misty and humid and hard to breath. Sometimes im just sitting on the railing watching the ride/passangers drop into the misty ‘waterfall’ under the constructed jungle biome backdrop. Im always with my mom in this one and sometimes my brothers.
#4 this is the one ive had the most frequent; im in an apartment that looks much like my last one, but its bigger, taller and in a nice area. It looks similar to a hotel and the pools inbetween are resort style, covered in palmtrees. (Like an atrium with the apartments in a rectangle around the pools areas) The walkway is winding. The apartment inside looks almost exact to my old one but im almost never inside, usually im in the ‘backyard’ which is a huge empty plot of dirt with massively tall walls around it and a single basket ball hoop in the middle. Just a big old dirt&stone box like a prison yard. When im in the court yard area for the dream, its often in the jacuzzi area, or walking around the winding paths with some friends. and my ‘neigbors’ are usually watching me from their windows. This one always leaves me feeling weird when i wake up because it puts me back in an old mindset where i feel angry and confused constantly. The backyard area is always in the hot sunny afternoon and the courtyard is always at night.
#5 this one i havnt had as much since covid started but before covid it usually was the dream i had instead of the one above. Its this city scape, and im in the suburban area, the house i start at always looks the same, satellite dish on the roof, garage door, second story overhangs the garage/driveway. I always would get in my car to pick something up and i would get stuck on this long fucked up one way road thats a huge parralellagram that only has turn offs for the streets on one side. So you have to go all the way around every single time you want to go somewhere and i always miss my turn and have to go around and around in this long traffic jam. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ never been inside the house at the beginning but i feel like maybe i was playing to much GTA5 at the time+driving to work everyday.
#6 this giant bizzare store. Its massive, its bigger than ikea.the front half is a fancy grocery store, i grocery shop here in my dreams once a week, please send help. And once you pass the grocery area, its this massive costco-type budget/overstock warehouse-type store with electronics, clothes, bedding, random niknaks. Usually im trying to find someone/something in this store but distracted by different things that keep coming up in the store untill i am lost as well. And just to throw this one in because i have it often but its boring, im always going into this fucking weed clinic thats this really basic store that looks like a skate shop, but its always the same looking clinic and ive never been to one like it so idfk.
#i know why im having most of these dreams#but if you took the time to read them#give me your opinion on what you think each could mean!#ill tell you if your close#nothing could hurt my feelings lol#were all human here.#i have no idea why i have such vivid weird detailed dreams#ever since i was a kid#id have dreams of conversations with people#or id have dreams of going somewhere or doing something with a person#and the next day i would need to remind myself that shit happened in my dream#¯\_(ツ)_/¯#do i have problems?#probably#personal#future me-i hope you read this and cringe#ok bye
1 note
·
View note
Text
Ravenvale, Chapter 1
Word Count: 3103
Rating: This chapter: G; overall story: explicit
Warnings: None at this time
Summary: On their way home from another case, Agent Seaborne and Agent Roach find themselves in the strange, fog-covered town of Ravenvale.
Notes: Seaborne and Roach AU where, years after the events seen in the YouTube series, they manage to become FBI agents.
Also available on ao3
It was some time after midnight when Seaborne starting hearing the light snoring. A glance to the right confirmed his colleague, Roach, was sound asleep in the passenger seat. Seaborne didn't blamed him; it had been a long day for both of them. After driving for six hours to Tucson, Arizona for a supposed alien-sighting, it turned out to only be some jerk in a modified Bigfoot costume. Now they had to drive another six hours back to Vegas and then take a four hour plane ride just to get back to their home state. It was days like these that made the brunet in his mid-thirties wonder why he became an FBI agent in the first place.
He looked over at Roach again. The answer, of course, was obvious. While Seaborne was perfectly happy being a private detective, when his blond friend applied to join the federal bureau of investigations he had to apply, too.
‘Someone has to keep an eye on you,’ he rationalized. The truth was that anywhere Roach went, Seaborne would follow. It had been that way ever since they are kids. Even now, as he looked over at his 6’7” companion, he still saw that young boy with a dopey bowl cut that he had met way back in first grade. Under that chinstrap beard and ever-rising pompadour, deep down Roach hadn't changed much, not where it mattered.
It had been Roach’s idea to accept this case, just like all the paranormal cases they investigated. He was, had always been, obsessed with aliens and the supposedly inexpiable. Sometimes it was downright irritating but there was this other side to him that Seaborne found irrationally endearing. Roach saw the world in a unique way, like there was mystery and intrigue everywhere, which gave him a strangely attractive quality, and was one of the many reasons his FBI partner loved him.
Of course it was that curious spirit that now brought them to this lonely road, in the middle of nowhere, with only their headlights to light their way. Not even the moon was shining. It and the stars were completely obscured by dense clouds overhead. The desert road was so straight and the scenery so bland and unremarkable that if it weren't for the occasional mile marker, Seaborne might have sworn they weren't getting anywhere. The extreme monotony was starting to wear down his resolve to stay awake. He thought about turning on the car radio but he didn't want to disturb Roach. The tall man deserved a rest as much as anybody and wasn't going to get any on the long plane ride later.
Rubbing his eyes, Seaborne tried to keep himself from drifting off to sleep himself, but he wasn't sure if he was going to last much longer. He didn’t know exactly where they were, or how far it was to the next town. He had half a mind to pull over and sleep in the car until morning instead of waiting until they found a motel. It wouldn't be comfortable, but it was a better alternative than falling asleep at the wheel.
‘No,’ he told himself. ‘We can't be that far away from civilization. Just a bit further.’ He blinked hard and readjusted his hands on the steering wheel. He was certain that any moment now an exit sign for some town or another would appear on the horizon, leading him somewhere with a bed and indoor plumbing. He wished he could check his GPS, but both his and Roach’s cell phones had died hours ago, and neither had thought to bring a car charger on this trip.
Seaborne didn't know how much longer he drove with only his thoughts for company. Eventually he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. Sighing, he pulled over and parked the sedan a few feet off the road so that they wouldn't get rear-ended by any passing traffic. Putting back the seat of the tan rental car, he did his best to get comfortable. After one last glanced at Roach, he closed his eyes and seconds later he too was fast asleep.
~
Roach woke first. He stretched his neck, slightly stiff from leaning against a car door all night. Pulling his large framed glasses out from the neck of his white buttoned shirt, he put them on and looked out the window. He expected to see some unknown parking lot or, at least, a few buildings. What he did not expect was to see nothing. Nothing but white.
Seaborne, to his left, was laying back and sound asleep. His mouth was slightly ajar, sure proof of his unconsciousness. Roach gave him a gentle shake to rouse his companion awake and the brunet just moaned, groggily.
“Uh… Matthew…” he muttered. Roach made a face then shook the man harder.
“Wake up, man. You're having that dog dream again.” Finally Seaborne opened his eyes and looked up. For a moment he didn’t know where he was but he quickly recalled the events that led him to be lying down in a strange car.
“Morning,” he managed with a stretch.
“Morning. Did I miss anything last night?”
“Just a long, boring nothing.” Seaborne closed his eyes, unsure if he wanted to be fully awake just yet. “Most boring state ever.”
“I’m guessing we didn’t make it back to Vegas,” Roach noted, looking back out the window.
“Yeah, sorry. I couldn’t stay awake. You want to take over driving?”
“On what? I can’t even see the road.” Seaborne’s eyes snapped open and looked up at his friend in confusion. “I didn’t know you could get fog in the desert.” After a moment, the brunet pulled his chair back straight and got his first look at the new view. The fog was so thick, he could barely make out the street just a few feet away.
“Must be a lake nearby.” He rolled down the window of his car a few inches and stuck his hand out. A few tiny droplets collected on his fingertips. “It’s still cold from last night. I’m sure the sun will eventually evaporate this away. Until then, we can just take it slow.”
“You want to drive in this?”
“You want to walk?” Roach grimaced and thought about this for a second. He didn’t have to answer vocally. His feelings on the matter were all too obvious. “That’s what I thought,” Seaborne continued. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a hot shower.” After making sure his seat-belt was firmly in place, he brought his hand to the car keys, still in the ignition, and gave them a good turn.
Nothing happened.
Frowning, he pulled the keys out and put them back in before turning the ignition again. Still nothing. No whine, no click, nothing. The whole thing seemed dead.
“You ran outta gas,” Roach suggested.
“Impossible; I had at least half a tank left when I pulled over.” Frustrated, he turned the key again. Nothing.
“Battery must be dead. You leave the headlights on or something?”
“I don’t think I did.” Another turn, but to no avail. He thought back to the night before, trying to remember if he had left the lights on or not. He couldn’t remember.
“I guess we’re walking after all,” Roach grumbled, unhooking his seat-belt. Seaborne fell back in his chair, defeated. “How far to the next town?”
“I have no idea,” Seaborne bemoaned.
“Great. Let’s go, then.” With an angry sigh, Roach opened the glove compartment. There were two glock 22’s inside, standard issue. He passed one to his partner before taking his own and stepping out of the car. He didn't think they'd need to be armed but he didn't want to leave them in the car either. It wasn't protocol. Seaborne locked the car out of habit, noting internally how pointless it was to lock a car that wouldn't start when there weren't even any valuables inside.
Roach buttoned up his dark blue suit jacket and stuffed his hands into his pants’ pockets. For being a desert, it had gotten amazingly cold and the thick, damp air wasn’t helping. Seaborne wasn't any better off with his own brown suit, but he still wished he had a hat or something to protect his ears. The two men exchanged a quick look before they started to trudge down the road, hoping their journey to the next town would be a short one.
They walked on in silence. Seaborne was too busy chastising himself for letting the car battery die to make any sort of conversation and Roach was trying to remember what he learned in high school science class about how fog formed. Normally it required both low temperatures and high humidity but he couldn’t understand why either of those things were in the desert. It just didn’t make any sense.
The car quickly faded from view and soon they could only see the roadside and each other. It was like the rest of the world ceased to exist completely leaving an eerie stillness that permeated the air almost as much as the fog itself. Seaborne lost track of time just watching himself place one foot in front of the other, over and over. Roach did much the same, occasionally bring a finger up to wipe the water droplets that collected on his large-rimmed glasses.
Despite Seaborne’s hope that the heat of the sun, somewhere in the sky beyond his sight, would cause the thick vapor to dissipate, the haze remained unchanged as they walked along. They continued to venture forward into the unknown until, finally, a strange light began to emerge in the distance. Seaborne nudged his companion who pulled his gaze from his feet to look where his partner was pointing. It was a sickly, red color, but they couldn’t quite make out it’s source. Without a word both men increased their pace to investigate.
Slowly the origin of the light came into view. A sign, about forty feet up, was adorned with tall letters blazing out two words in red neon: ‘Motel’ and ‘Vacancy’. Seaborne let out a deep breath of relief. He didn’t know what town they were entering or if this was just a truck stop motel. He didn’t care. All he wanted was a hot shower, a simple breakfast, and the use of an indoor toilet. He was certain he would be able to find at least one of those and he was more than looking forward to it.
“About time,” Roach murmured, wiping his glasses again. “I hope there’s a gas station nearby.” He strained his eyes to see through the fog but besides the sign, he could still see nothing. It wasn’t until a short walk later that the motel building came into view. The two-story structure was painted an ugly, faded pink and was shaped like a square U. The parking lot, situated in the center, didn't seem to have any cars parked in it, but the fog was just as thick here as anywhere. There could have been a semi truck in the lot and the two men wouldn't have seen it.
“They should at least have a phone so we can call a tow.” Seaborne checked his wristwatch. He mostly wore it as a fashion piece, but with his cellphone dead he was glad to have it. “If we’re lucky, we still might make it back in time for our flight.”
“They probably only have a pay phone,” Roach commented. “This place looks like it was built in the seventies. You got any change?”
“No, but they've got to have an office phone we can use.” ‘I hope,’ he added to himself. The building did look a bit run down, but if the sign was on that meant it was still in business and any motel still in business surely had a reliable telephone.
As they opened the front door to the lobby, a tiny room with a short counter and a potted plant, they expected to see someone, anyone, around. A small, metal bell rang out as the door opened and closed, but no one came to see the two men arriving. Seaborne stepped up to the counter while Roach looked around, straightening his red and grey striped tie.
“Hello?” Seaborne called out. Another door, behind the counter, was closed and marked with a small plaque. ‘Employees Only’ it read. Beside the door were rows of numbered cubbies, obviously for housing keys to the various rooms. There was a clock on the wall, but all the hands were missing. Neither man saw any sign of a telephone either.
“Check it out, Seaborne.” Roach motioned towards the potted plant, grabbing and rubbing one of the giant leaves. “It's fake.”
“Guess they're not big on watering,” Seaborne replied, not really listening. He turned back towards the closed door. “Hey! Is anyone there? We could use some assistance, please!”
“They should get a cactus then,” Roach continued. “I mean, we are in a desert, and you don't have to water them much.” Ignoring his companion’s vocalization of internal dialogue, Seaborne stepped around the corner to knock on the door behind the counter.
Just as he brought up his hand to knock, the door swung open and a very short, old woman was on the other side. Her grey hair was poofed up like cauliflower, and she wore a floral blouse with an almost matching pleated skirt. On her face sat a large pair of pink-framed glasses that made her grey eyes seem twice normal size. Barely coming up to Seaborne’s chest, she seemed to be the essence of sweet, little old lady.
“Oh! Hello, dearie! I didn't know we had customers.” She gave the brown-haired agent a sweet smile. “You staying in town for awhile? We have lots of rooms!” She walked easily under Seaborne’s still outstretched arm and looked over the row of cubbies.
“Uh, no… Ma’am, we…” Seaborne cleared his throat, collecting himself before continuing. “Our car broke down and we could use-”
“I've got some nice, east-facing rooms,” the woman continued, as if she had not heard him speak. “You can see the sun rise in the morning. Don't you love that? Oh I do love the sunrise.”
“Ma’am?” Seaborne asked again. The woman finally looked up, confused for a moment.
“Hmm? Oh! No customers behind the counter! No no no, not allowed.” Gently she grabbed his elbow and guided him back around the counter. “There you are. Rules are rules, dearie. Now. Do you gentlemen want two rooms? One? I can give you-”
“No!” he interrupted, a bit louder than he intended. The old woman stopped immediately, but just looked up at him, expectantly, waiting for him to continue. “Uh, I'm Agent Seaborne and this is my partner, Agent Roach.” Roach smiled and offered a small wave. “Our car broke down. Do you have a phone we could use?”
“Agent? Oh my, are you spies?” The woman smiled, a slight tone of titillation in her voice. “How exciting.” Before Seaborne could correct her, Roach spoke up.
“That’s right, ma’am. We’re on a secret mission but we could use your help.” Seaborne gave him a confused look but he ignored it and the woman didn't notice.
“Oh, well I'd love to help you if I can. I'm Miss Marble.” She offered her hand and Roach stepped forward to shake it. “How can I help you boys?”
“Well, Miss Marble, our car broke down. We could use a tow. Do you have a phone we could borrow?”
“Oh, our phone hasn't worked in years, I'm afraid. But there's a gas station just up the road.” She pointed for emphasis. “Doug and his brother Darrell should be able to get you two fixed up in no time. Nice boys. Known them since they were in diapers, you know.”
“Thank you very much, Ma’am,” Seaborne cut in, as kindly as possible. “I guess we'll go to talk to them then.”
“You sure you two don't want a room? The festival’s tomorrow and they fill up fast.”
“No thank you. We have a flight to catch and we won't be-”
“What festival?” Roach interrupted.
“Oh it'll be a lovely time, you'll see. Everyone in town will be there.”
“What town are we in, exactly?” Seaborne asked, suddenly realizing that he hadn't before.
“You're in Ravenvale, dear. We're not a big town but we've got big hearts. Oh you must stay for the festival tomorrow, especially if you've never been. I promise you've never seen anything like it.”
“We'll see,” Seaborne said before Roach could promise anything. “We do have a, uh, important case were on. Right, Roach?”
“Very important.” Roach gave Miss Marble a sly wink. “Very top secret.” The woman blushed and gave a little giggle.
“Well, you boys stay out of trouble then. Be careful out there in the fog. It's awfully thick out there today.” Roach opened the door and held it open for Seaborne who moved to leave but then paused for a moment.
“Is there often fog around here?”
“Oh always around this time of year. I'm sure it will clear up soon.” Not quite satisfied, Seaborne smiled and nodded goodbye before ducking out, quickly followed by Roach. As they headed along the road once more, Roach shook his head.
“She’s hiding something,” he stated, matter-of-factly.
“What?”
“I don't know what, but she’s up to something. I can tell.”
“She looks almost seventy. What’s she going to be up to? Running a drug cartel?”
“No, of course not, but she is hiding something.” It was useless for Seaborne tell his partner he was being paranoid. It would be like telling a sloth it's being lazy. Trying to think about something else, he changed the subject.
“You ever hear of Ravenvale?”
“Nope,” Roach replied, pushing up his glasses. “But I didn't memorize all the towns in the United States before I left town yesterday.”
“I guess.”
“What're you thinking?”
“I don't know. It's probably nothing. I just want to get back home. I'm sick of this fog. The whole damn state to be honest. This whole trip has been a big waste of time.”
“I still say that farmer in Tucson was working for the government.” Seaborne gave his friend an incredulous look.
“We work for the government,” he reminded him.
“You're so naive, man. You think just because we’re FBI now, that the government tells us everything they're up to? Wake up, man.” Seaborne sighed. The argument was old and tired. Shaking his head, he let it go. There were just some things that never changed.
-------------------
Next Chapter
More Fics
#rhink#seaborne and roach#fic#fanfic#fanfiction#ravenvale#in progress#starts slow#but#hopefully will be worth it#details are subject to change
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
If You Can’t Stand The Heat, Get Out Of The Kitchen (Tyrus Fanfic)
Hi!! So I was inspired by @scientifthicc‘s headcanons for Tyrus to write this fic! After writing the first chapter, I realized I loved where it was going, and decided to make it a chaptered fic! :D I only have the first one done, but if you could read and it leave me comments/kudos/reblogs/suggestions, I would be so grateful! I’ll post it on here, and the link for the AO3 version, as well!
LINK: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15287934/chapters/35465793
Snowflakes littered the Goodman's front yard as Cyrus watched the little white flecks dance by the window. It was a lazy Thursday morning; the snow fell hard enough the night before that the administration decided to cancel school. Cyrus, of course, was ecstatic when he heard the news, and couldn't go back to bed, so he spent time looking out the window. His mom and stepdad had already left for work, leaving him alone for the day. His mom had left food in the fridge for him to warm up, but Cyrus wasn't in the mood for reheated matzo soup. He thought about texting Andi or Buffy, but remembered that they were away on a trip to Arizona to help Buffy move in, so that was a dud. He took out his phone, and mindlessly clicked on Jonah's number, the cursor blinking monotonously;
[Cy-Guy: hey jonah, wanna hang?]
Cyrus sent the message without hesitation, and drummed his fingers against the table waiting for a response.
“C’mon, Jonah, answer the text,” he mumbled impatiently, “we both know you’re not ‘out with Andi’ today,” he added, mildly defeated. Ever since the Open Mic and Jonah and Andi’s kiss, Cyrus had been a little, err, a lot jealous, even though he tried to smile through it. He’d avoided Jonah for a while, but decided that the best way to handle the situation would be to talk to Jonah, openly and honestly. Why Cyrus didn’t feel as though he was going to faint was beyond him. Suddenly his phone buzzed, and Cyrus opened his text messages with anticipation.
[JoLamaJama: can’t. out with family. won’t be back till tomm. sry cy]
Cyrus sighed, almost in relief, as he extended his legs out over the edge of the couch. “Great, now what?” he grumbled, his stomach doing the same. Oh, shoot, I didn’t eat breakfast, he thought to himself, the house’s deafening silence hurting his ears. He needed to be hanging out with someone, anyone , for that matter. He scrolled through the limited list of his contacts and hesitated on one.
“I know the chance is really low,” he admitted, already typing out a message, “but what have I got to lose?” he added, hitting send, and reading the message he just sent.
[Cy-Guy: hey tj, do you wanna come over? my parents are out and i’m making breakfast, so you can have some too, if you like. if you don’t i get it that you don’t wanna hang out with a loser like me but, whatever]
And after he sent it, he immediately regretted it. “Geez, could you be any more desperate, Cyrus?” he scolded himself, “You were just starting to have TJ not dislike you, and you just send a text out of the blue? This is so sad, Alexa play Despacito,” Cyrus sighed, and the Alexa on the coffee table responded, Cyrus bopping his head to the rhythm. Just as the song reached the chorus, Cyrus’ phone buzzed, and his heart felt like it stopped.
[Not-So-Scary-Basketball-Guy: yeah sure, im down for that. be there in like 10]
“Oh my gosh,” he uttered, almost paralyzed with shock. TJ actually wanted to hang out with him? How? Why? Before he got too lost in his train of thought, Cyrus hurried around the lower level of the house to organize everything a little. He adjusted the pillows on the couch, arranged the chairs in the dining room to be just so, and then advanced towards the kitchen to get ready for breakfast.
“What do sports people eat? Kale?” Cyrus wondered aloud, looking through his fridge as well as his pantry. “TJ’s just going to have to suffer next game because we’re making pancakes,” Cyrus decided, getting out the ingredients for his famous Chocolate-Chip Strawberry Pancakes. He made them every year for his birthday, as well as his parents’ birthdays, and they were always a hit. To speed up the work, Cyrus pre-diced all the strawberries into small pieces, and ate a few in the process. In the middle of his preparations, the doorbell rang, and Cyrus nearly dropped the bowl of strawberries on the floor he was so startled. Wiping his hands quickly on a towel, he rushed to the door as to not keep TJ waiting.
“Hey,” Cyrus said, awkwardness creeping into his voice as he tried to find something for his hands to do. “Come on in, Not So Scary Basketball Guy,” he joked, cracking a weak smile and stepping aside for TJ to enter.
“Oh, so now we’ve added ‘Not So Scary’?” TJ teased, taking off his shoes at the front door, “Thank goodness I’m not terrifying anymore,” he added, flashing a smirk of a grin as he shut the door behind him.
“Oh c’mon, you’re all bark and no bite,” Cyrus reminded him, crossing his arms in defense. His stomach growled and it sounded like there was a dying whale trapped in his gut. “And that means we should start making breakfast,” Cyrus mentioned, mildly embarrassed, as he led TJ into the kitchen. The countertop had all the ingredients for pancakes neatly organized into a small corner, and all the utensils were by them, ready for use.
“I’m really hoping you’re not going to make me eggs or something healthy like that,” TJ warned, taking a seat and propping his elbows up on the countertops.
“Whaaaat?” Cyrus drawled, happy he didn’t find kale in the fridge, “No way...Jose,” he added. Of course Cyrus would quote a musical, being the theatre nerd that he was. “Only pancakes, of course. The breakfast of champs!” Cyrus proclaimed, slamming his fist on the countertop, wincing in pain.
TJ laughed breathily, pushing his blond locks back. “Don’t hurt yourself before the food is made, Underdog. Afterwards, as long as I have my pancakes, you have my permission to roll down the stairs,” he joked, his eyes smiling along with his lips.
Cyrus merely rolled his eyes, putting his hands on his hips. “Okay, okay, I see how it’s gonna be,” Cyrus snickered, his eyes narrowing and his lips pulling into a devious smile, “you want me to slave away and make you pancakes?” he sneered jokingly, nearly dissolving into laughter.
TJ shrugged, looking down at the bowl of strawberries. “Basically,” he replied, popping a few pieces in his mouth, smiling while he chewed.
“Alright, well let’s make this a little more interesting, shall we?” Cyrus suggested, waltzing around the kitchen mischievously. “How about a challenge, oh competitive one,” Cyrus quipped, glancing at TJ, “you and I are gonna have a pancake battle. And if, or should I said when I win, you have to buy me baby taters for a week,” Cyrus said. “You in?”
TJ looked up at Cyrus and smiled, the shorter boy starting to wonder if this was such a good idea anymore. “You know what? Yeah, bring it on,” TJ accepted, cracking his knuckles, “And when I win, you need to come to my basketball games for a week, with those megaphones,” TJ dared, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms and legs. Nevermind the fact that TJ had never in his life cooked anything other than eggs (which he burned, by the way); he wanted to win.
“Deal,” Cyrus confirmed extending his hand for TJ. They shook hands and only then and there did Cyrus realize how soft TJ’s hands were. He didn’t expect from someone who probably lifts weights and handles a basketball all day.
“Alright, Underdog,” TJ started, carefully tugging his sleeves up to his elbows, “let’s do this thing,” he added with his signature smirk, the one that looked like he’d punch the living daylights out of you.
“On your mark, get set, bake!” Cyrus cheered, rushing for the ingredients. He’d made the recipe a thousand times (well, more like 15) so he knew exactly what he was doing, expertly measuring the dry ingredients, and combining them with the wet, tossing in strawberries.
TJ, on the other hand, had literally no idea what he was doing, so he tried to copy what Cyrus was doing. When Cyrus added some white powder (baking soda, he later learned), TJ would try to do the same. What he couldn’t properly see, he would eyeball the amount; unfortunately, this lead to him adding ¼ cup of baking soda. TJ lunged for the flour, accidentally knocking it down in the process, and a cloud of flour formed, looking like it was snowing indoors, as well as outdoors. After the cloud had settled and the boys had finished their coughing fits, they looked at each other and laughed, doubling over.
“You look like Frosty the Snowman!” TJ snorted, ruffling the flour out of his own hair. “Here, let me,” he started, brushing through Cyrus’ hair, Cyrus shutting his eyes to block out the flour, as well as to not embarrass himself in front of TJ. He kept his eyes closed for a few more moments, before opening them, the light a little brighter than he remembered.
“It appears you may not be as talented as you thought, Kippen,” Cyrus chuckled, setting his bowl of pancake batter by the griddle, already smoking from the heat. Muttering something under his breath, TJ grabbed his bowl of what one could consider pancake batter, and set it on the other side of the griddle. TJ’s batter looked much lumpier than Cyrus’s, and it didn’t have as many strawberries or chocolate chips, since TJ ate most of them before he started. Cyrus poured a few ladles of the batter onto the griddle, the sound of them hitting the metal filling the air. TJ attempted to replicate what the shorter boy did, but the pancakes ended up being misshapen, and he burned almost all of them. The boys stacked their pancakes on plates, and set them on the table, both of them looking at them for a while.
“Well,” Cyrus said, feeling mildly bad for TJ, “I, uh, do you wanna try mine?” he asked, pushing the plate towards him. TJ pushed his plate of pancakes towards Cyrus, the look on his face one of fear.
TJ took a bite of Cyrus’ pancake, and you could practically see the serendipity rush into his body. “Good lord, Underdog,” TJ started, finishing the rest of the pancake in one swift bite, “open a breakfast business,” he complimented, grabbing a second pancake. “Now you have to try mine,” he urged, munching on Cyrus’ pancakes.
Tentatively, Cyrus grabbed one of TJ’s pancakes; it was soft to the touch, but one side was almost completely burnt, and it felt quite dense. He took a careful bite and immediately regretted it. Waaaay too much baking soda, he thought to himself, trying to smile. “Mm, it’s uh,” he mustered, faking a smile, “an interesting flavor...and texture,” he added, forcing himself to swallow, shuddering.
“I know that it’s garbage, don’t even try,” TJ corrected, Cyrus immediately dropping the act.
“I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to hurt your feelings,” Cyrus admitted, quickly pushing TJ’s pancakes aside and stuffing one of his own into his mouth, visibly relaxing.
“Guess you won,” TJ muttered, defeated, “just let me know when you want baby taters,” he added, getting up to leave.
“Wait!” Cyrus exclaimed a little too excitedly, grabbing onto TJ’s sleeve to try and pull him back, his face heating up. “I-uh, you know, I could showyou how to make pancakes, you know, better ones?” he suggested, letting go of TJ’s shirt and fiddling with his own.
TJ knitted his brows together in confusion. “You seriously want to teach me , TJ Kippen, kitchen disaster, how to make pancakes? ” he questioned, crossing his arms.
Cyrus felt himself shrink into his own body. “Uhm, yes?” he squeaked meekly, clearing his throat to sound more confident. “Uh, I mean, s-sure, if you’d like to. Anyone can cook. Says so right in the movie Ratatouille,” he mentioned, testing the waters with a weak smile.
TJ thought it over for a few moments, before grinning. “You know what? Sure, let’s make some more pancakes. Anything is better than those ones,” TJ muttered, pointing to the stack of monstrosities that were TJ’s batch of pancakes.
The duo got to work, Cyrus reading off the proper measurements to TJ, and TJ following the directions exactly. This time, thankfully, none of the flour spilled on the ground. By the end, TJ had a luxurious batter ready to be made into pancakes. He spooned the batter onto the griddle, and waited until they were ready.
“Okay, I think they’re ready to be flipped,” Cyrus informed him, handing him the flipper for the pancakes. TJ tried to flip the first one, but it ended up folding in on itself and turning into a pile of batter.
“Told you I couldn’t do it,” TJ sneered, putting the flipper down in frustration. Cyrus walked up to him slowly and took it into his hand.
“Here, let me help you,” Cyrus suggested placing TJ’s hand near his own and walking over to the griddle. Gently, he helped TJ slip the flipper under the pancake, and successfully flip it on the other side.
“See!” Cyrus chirped, not letting go of the flipper, “I told you I could teach you,” he added with a knowing smile. Glancing down at the flipper, he tore his hand away, feeling tingly on the inside.
“Uh-huh, whatever you say, Underdog,” TJ scoffed, placing the flipper down, and breaking the pancake that they had just made in half, handing one half to Cyrus.
“Mm, see? So much better!” Cyrus exclaimed, swallowing the rest of the pancake. “You may not be half bad at this, Kippen,” he chuckled, taking a seat on one of the kitchen stools.
“Mm-hmm,” TJ murmured with a tiny smile, sitting by Cyrus in one of the other stools. The boys ate their pancakes in relative silence, save for the hum of the heater. When they were all gone, the boys leaned back in their seats, letting out simultaneous sighs of satisfaction.
“I, uh,” TJ started, hopping out of his seat, “I wouldn’t want to overstay my visit,” he added, almost inaudibly, but Cyrus caught it. Was TJ actually capable of saying something, dare he call it, polite? Cyrus scrambled to get out of his chair, taking a step towards TJ.
“You’re not overstaying your visit, dude,” Cyrus reminded him, looking up at the taller boy, “ I asked you to come over, remember? I mean, you can leave whenever you want, but I’m not gonna kick you out. Besides my parents won’t be home till late, so you’re welcome to stay as long as you want,” he offered kindly.
“Oh,” TJ said lamely, putting his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. “Thanks,” he added after a slight pause, unsure of what to say.
“So, what do you wanna do? We can watch TV, or, I mean, if you’re still hungry we can eat something else. We have leftover matzo soup, but I wouldn’t recommend that,” he suggested.
“TV sounds nice,” TJ agreed, and went to take a seat on the couch, slumping down in his seat and putting one leg over the other. Cyrus made a comment on how that was bad for his back, but TJ just shrugged it off and flicked through the channels, finally settling on watching Family Feud.
“Legs! Just say legs, my gosh,” TJ said exasperated. The question asked about what body parts men might describe as “long” on a woman, and the second person had just said forehead.
“You’re really into this, huh,” Cyrus observed, glancing over at TJ. His face was slightly red from yelling at the TV, his knuckles losing color as he gripped the edge of the couch.
“It’s not my fault I can’t handle their stupidity,” TJ half-joked, before his smile faded, “Can’t even handle my own stupidity,” he added, biting down hard on his lower lip, ignoring the TV for the first time.
Cyrus frowned, feeling his heart audibly break for TJ. They both knew that TJ has dyscalculia, but that didn’t mean that he was any less of a person, or rather, a student.
“TJ,” Cyrus said softly, shifting slightly towards him, “you’re not stupid. So you need some help with math, so what?” he added, TJ’s gaze not leaving the ground. “You’re not stupid, and you never were, TJ,” Cyrus continued, tapping his fingers on the edge of the couch. What had started out as an innocent hangout had turned into a more serious conversation about TJ’s “stuff”. Cyrus hadn’t noticed through all his therapeutic messages, but hot, angry tears were streaming down TJ’s face.
“Stop,” TJ croaked, and Cyrus immediately turned his attention to TJ, seeing how upset he was. “Let’s face it, Underdog,” TJ muttered, his voice breaking when he spoke, “I’m pathetic. I mean, look at me,” he added with a squeak, peering at Cyrus. His face was pale, his cheeks wet with tears, and his eyes were red and puffy. He looked so...defeated.
“You’re not pathetic, TJ,” Cyrus assured him, pondering as to whether or not he should give him a pat on the shoulder, “emotions are normal to have and to show. I am literally a walking sack of emotions,” he joked, earning a small chuckle from TJ. “But seriously, don’t beat yourself up like that, man,” Cyrus warned him, giving a gentle pat on his shoulder to cheer him up.
TJ shrugged, pulling his sleeves down and wiping his tears, trying to make himself look more presentable. “Thanks Underdo--Cyrus,” he edited, smiling weakly, “for not, you know, freaking out and not thinking that I’m stupid,” he added, the episode of Family Feud coming to an end as the clapping faded. Cyrus just nodded, happy that his friend was feeling a little better.
“I actually should get going, this time,” TJ told Cyrus, standing up, “I have basketball practice soon,” he said, advancing towards the door. Cyrus followed him to say his goodbyes.
“So, uh, I’ll see you later?” he asked, unsure if TJ would want to hang out with him again, judging by today’s events.
“Of course, dude. Remember, I owe you baby taters for a week,” TJ reminded him, slipping on his boots. He opened the door and was greeted by a flurry of snowflakes, littering his hair.
“Oh, wait one sec,” Cyrus sputtered, rushing towards the closet and pulling out a black beanie. “Take it...it’s cold outside, and it’s snowing,” he observed, handing the beanie to TJ, who took it and adjusted it on his head.
“Thanks,” he mustered, his smile evident in his crinkling eyes. “I’m, uh, I’m free later today, say around 6?” he suggested, already on the other side of the threshold.
“Yeah, sure! That works,” he chirped, bubbling up inside at the fact that TJ actually wanted to hang out with him again.
“Cool. Thanks for having me. I’ll see you later,” he concluded, giving Cyrus a small waves before heading out the door and braving the cold and the snow. Cyrus watched as the little white speckles dotted the black beanie that TJ sported. Once he was out of sight, he shut and locked the door, and took a deep breath. Today is going to be one hell of a day, he thought to himself, sitting on the couch and watching the next episode of Family Feud.
#tyrus#tyrus fanfic#tyrus fanfiction#cyrus x tj#cyrus goodman#tj kippen#dyscalculia#andi mack#andi mack fanfic#andi mack fanfiction#i wrote this!!#boost please?? if you like
98 notes
·
View notes
Text
Chapter Two, Passage 1
Forbidden Fruit
Rosalyn took a moment before opening the large double doors and braced herself. School had started quickly after New Years and even after falling back into routine, Rosalyn dreaded it every morning. It wasn’t that she didn’t like school, she was quite good at it actually, it was just that it had become boring and dull. She’d taken most of the classes required to graduate, plus some in her earlier years, making her senior year filled with electives she didn’t have much interest in. Senioritis was kicking in. On top of that, she still hadn’t made any friends at school.
While it was true her and Kaleb had grown closer over the last week and a half, he was 20 and graduated as well. While they texted on a daily basis, she only saw him when she made it out to the Yellow House and her other Hutterite friends, like John, were homeschooled.
Sighing, Rosalyn pulled open the doors, her lack of interest in going into the building resolved by the cold harsh air of winter.
The indoor school seemed larger on the outside than it actually was. Inside there was only a number of classrooms down the long hall and a large gym square in the middle. Her favorite part of the school was the upstairs common area that held a barlike seating area placed against a large window. It overlooked the parking lot and gave a beautiful view of the small town. Rosalyn often wandered up there to escape the student body and read a book, as it was often abandoned.
A shrill bell rang, indicating the end of lunch and the hall quickly became busy. Letting out her breath Rosalyn jumped into the crowded hall and made her way quickly to her next class.
•
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” Rosalyn huffed as she hiked the snow filled mountain in bulky overalls.
Kenna laughed beside her. “It is fun. Sledding is always fun. Lighten up.”
“It’s cold. Sledding is cold. And where’s Lucy? Isn’t sledding supposed to be a group thing?”
Kenna rolled her eyes, “Lucy is working and there are no rules. Anyone can sled at anytime.”
They reached the top of the mountain and Rosalyn dropped her sled and placed her hands on her knees, trying to regain her breath. She glared at Kenna in disdain she knew she didn’t mean, but felt strongly at the moment.
Rosalyn has been friends with Kenna for as long as she could remember. Although most of her family lived in Arizona, Rosalyn had a grandpa and a couple of cousins in Montana. Her grandpa being her mother’s father was the reason they constantly moved back to Wayland. Each time she could at least always count on having her one friend, Kenna. Kenna had practically been a member of the family and remained so, even after the break up between her and Rosalyn’s cousin Jerry, a relationship that lasted almost four years.
Rosalyn finally stood up, catching her first glance atop the mountain. Wow, she thought with awe. The beauty of the snow spread out over the rolling hills and hanging off the ever lasting pine trees made her forget her hatred of it as it glistened beautifully in the sun. For a moment, she loved it.
Then she remembered how cold she was. “Alright, lets do this.” She turned to Kenna and placed her hands on her hips, “But you’re going first.”
Kenna smiled and shrugged her shoulders. She placed her sled at the top of the moutian slant and carefully climbed on. “Give me a push.”
Rosalyn stepped forward and shoved the sled, watching as it tilted first then raced down the slope. Kenna screamed and threw her hands in the air before quickly reaching back down to best steer herself away from a rogue tree.
Rosalyn shook her head, “This is going to be the death of me.” And watched as Kenna huffed her way back up the mountain.
“Your turn.” Kenna said with a wicked smile when she reached the top.
Kenna’s caramel brown hair with streaks of blonde reached down to her shoulders and was stuffed under a beanie. Kenna was taller than Rosalyn and had broader shoulders than most skinny girls. Her bronze skin indicated the Indian in her and set off her green, gold eyes.
Rosalyn grumbled as she climbed onto her sled, feeling nervous as she looked down the steep mountain.
“You know how to steer right?”
“Um, I think so?” She bit her lip, how hard could it be?
“Good!” And with that Kenna gave a hard push, sending Rosalyn flying down the mountain.
Rosalyn’s stomach flipped inside her, throwing her heart into her throat and making her feel like she was on a roller coaster. She began to laugh, enjoying the free feeling it created.
She vaguely could hear Kenna calling out to her but she couldn’t make out what she was saying. As she began to turn to Kenna, the same rouge tree caught her eye, coming straight at her. She grasped the sled and attempted to steer herself away from the tree as Kenna had earlier demonstrated, only to find out that it wasn’t as easy as she’d thought. Her sled hit the tree, spinning her in a complete circle before dumping her in the snow. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop her descend down the steep slope and she began to roll. When she finally reached the bottom she was covered from head to toe in white, and thankfully uninjured.
She struggled to her feet and attempted to brush herself off but quickly gave up when she realized nothing was happening. There was just simply too much snow. Looking up Rosalyn could see Kenna doubled over laughing and she flipped her the middle finger before she too began to laugh.
•
Rosalyn was showered and currently warming herself at the kitchen table with a cup of hot chocolate when Kenna sat across from her. “Okay,” she admitted reluctantly, “it was fun. The snow isn’t that bad.”
Really the only reason she hates the snow so much, other then constantly being cold, was because of her car. She had a red, 1998 mustang that she brought up with her from Arizona. It was a rear wheel drive vehicle and pretty low to the ground, making it almost impossible to drive in the Montana winter. Almost everytime she drove she ended up in a snow bank on the side of the road, requiring rescuing from her cousin Jerry. It was infuriating and quickly caused her hate for the snow.
Rosalyn looked up from her cup as the sliding class door opened and Lucy popped her head in.
“Finally off work.” She muttered as she plopped in the bench next to Kenna.
Kenna began to recall their day to Lucy, elaborating Rosalyn’s failure when her phone buzzed beside her.
Making a face at them she picked up her phone and stared in surprise. It was from Derek.
DEREK 5:42PM
Hey, want to go for a drive tonight?
“What is it?” Lucy asked, peering over Rosalyn’s phone. She handed them the device so they could see and sat, unsure how to respond.
“Derek?” Kenna asked, handing back the phone. “I thought you and Kaleb were getting close?”
Rosalyn waved the comment away and peered at the phone, making sure she had read it correctly. “Kaleb has a girlfriend. But I haven’t heard from Derek in a few weeks now. Close to a month actually.”
“Well, are you gonna go?” Lucy asked excitedly, “I mean, come on, he’s pretty hot.” She wiggled her eyebows at Rosalyn, earning a laugh and an eye roll.
“Probably, yeah. What are you guys doing tonight?” She couldn’t deny the butterflies in her stomach as her excitement began to grow.
“Gonna hang out at Lucy’s with the other hoots.” Kenna replies, using the term “hoots” short for Hutterites, though Rosalyn suspected they didn’t really care for the nick name.
#writers things#writeblr#writing#writers on tumblr#words#spilled words#writers#writer#my writing#my words#romance writing#romantic#my fic#fiction#romance#rosalyn grey#forbidden fruit
1 note
·
View note
Text
This Week’s Horrible-Scopes
Aries
What’s the difference between an Elephant and a Flea? The obvious answer, of course, is that “Elephants can have Fleas, but Fleas can’t have Elephants.” The less obvious answer is, “Elephants kill People, but Fleas kill Populations.” Which is just a nice way of saying, “don’t piss off sub-five-foot red-headed women. They WILL end you.”
Taurus
There are plans in the making of a BioPic movie about Billy Joel - but the company doesn’t have the rights to use his name, his likeness, or his music. So here’s your chance to help them out, and we won’t claim credit for this. Tell them they should name it, “Piano-Man” - a story about how a high school dropout was bitten by a radioactive piano, moved to California, and had his first big hit singing about all the gay guys drinking in a bar. SHEER BRILLIANCE!
Gemini
You want to do things your way, but that’s not always the way to go. Sure, you can argue that your system is easier for everyone to follow, but when confronted with entrenched modalities, tradition has a tendency to win out. So, you keep using Metric measurements if you want. Just remember that you’ll need to convert for everyone else around you.
Cancer Moon-Child
There are songs in your music collection now that used to be part of a Cassette Mix Tape from 1987. They were not all as good as you remember. “La Bamba” by Los Lobos… Good! "Heart and Soul" by T'Pau… STILL Good! “Songbird” by Kenny G? (*Pause*) Look around you, Cancer. See how many of your friends are nodding off just thinking about that song? Throw that one away.
Leo
Why do you want to fill a bathtub with Jell-o and float yourself in the middle of it? You know what? Fine. A standard tub is 42 gallons. That means you’re gunna need 336 boxes of Jell-o at about a buck -and-a-quarter each. And for what? TikTok clicks? Do you have any idea what colour your skin is gunna be after that? Just eat the stuff like a normal person!
Virgo
Time is an enemy: it robs you of life as it TICK, tick, TICK, TICKS AWAY! Keep that in mind when you take a Spring Break vacation in Arizona. Which county is on Daylight Savings Time? Which town inside that county ISN’T? You could have just stayed home and gotten drunk in the comfort of your own bathroom, you know.
Libra
Your parrot is dead. We’re sorry to have to break the news to you, but it’s true. She tried to attack another parrot she saw in a mirror and, well… Anyway, we have a taxidermist on call for just such an emergency. His name is “Terry”... he CLAIMS he’s from Minnesota, but speaks with a British Accent, and specializes with Dead Parrots.
Scorpio
A Flock of Seagulls will be performing at a club in your vicinity and tickets go on sale this week. You don’t have to worry about buying seats in the Nosebleed Section - it’s not that big a venue. It should only have a $10 cover charge at the door, though. Do not bring french fries to throw at them!
Sagittarius
Let’s take a shot in the dark at this one; you want things to go well for you, but are worried it’s not going to happen. Not to worry! The most problematic things are already in motion and beyond your ability to stop. So go get that clove of garlic that’s sprouting and plant it indoors now. You MIGHT get some bulbs by the end of summer!
Capricorn
Crows and Raven can be taught to like and trust humans, but seagulls will forever be little opportunistic shits. Don’t throw a small order of Burger King fries thinking it’ll distract them and leave you alone. That doesn’t work. That NEVER works. But if you see gulls flying well inland, there’s a storm coming. Get Ready!
Aquarius
After a couple months of us being upset with you, we’re going to cut you some slack and give you an actual Horrible-Scope this week. Just remember! This is us being nice to you. (*Ahem*) Life is like a box of chocolates for you this week. Think less “Ghirardelli” and more “Whitmans”. Be super careful if you have an allergy to “Deetz”, though.
Pisces
Get yourself a Friday Fish Fry. It’s been a long time since you’ve had one and Arthur Treacher’s Fish and Chips isn’t exactly common anymore. And if you can’t get one locally, make it yourself. Just be mindful of the oil this time. The term “Flashpoint” isn’t just for comic books.
0 notes
Text
COVID19 Updates: 08/12/2021
Arizona: Three Arizona police officers pass away due to COVID in one week LINK
US: Rand Paul discloses 16 MONTHS LATE that his wife bought stock in company behind coronavirus treatment. LINK
Japan: Japan reports 18,822 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase on record - NHK
Louisiana: Fully vaccinated man released from ICU after battle with COVID-19 says vaccine saved his life LINK
US: "in this fourth wave, it's become a lot harder to recruit nurses." Hospitals struggle with staff shortages in #COVID19 hot spots LINK
World: Randomized Trial of a Third Dose of mRNA-1273 Vaccine in Transplant Recipients LINK
Australia: Another school student in Dubbo has tested positive for COVID-19. Dubbo College South Campus will be closed on Friday to allow for deep cleaning. LINK
Australia: Australia’s capital city to enforce snap lockdown after one new COVID-19 case - Fox News LINK
Colorado: It ain't over, folks. Colorado COVID-19 Outbreaks Increase, Three Tragic Deaths Revealed LINK
Australia: Here we go... Of Thursday's 345 COVID-19 cases in NSW, children and teenagers accounted for 114 of the infections. There were 44 cases in the 0 to 9 age bracket and 70 cases in the 10 to 19 age group. LINK
World: COVID-19 infection linked to problems in thinking, attention: Study LINK
Singapore: All children, staff members at Superland Pre-school in Chinatown to be swabbed after COVID-19 cluster detected LINK
World: Nurse: I’m in covid ccu these days and wallahi this variant is no joke. 22, 25, 30 yrs old patients are expiring in a day or two with sudden drop of oxygen saturation . No co-morbids, no history of respiratory infection BUT THEY ARE DYING. But this variant has nothing to do with the vaccination available here. Numerous people who are done with their vaccine are still getting either Covid-19 variant or the new variant.
US: 'I'm going to miss my friend': Southwest Airlines flight attendant, 36, dies from COVID-19 LINK
Iowa: "An estimated 600 patrons a day will make their way to the #Iowa State Fair carrying coronavirus" Epidemiologist Dr. Meghan Schaeffer "estimates hundreds will be infected with the virus at the fair, and each person could infect two to four others"
UK: Even youths with *mild or asymptomatic* initial #COVID19 infections may experience #LongCovid—affecting schooling, sleep: 11-15% of infected youths might “end up with this long-term consequence—pretty devastating for school performance” says NIH chief LINK
World: U.S. officials estimate about 40% of people who died with #COVID19 also had #diabetes. But those numbers don’t reflect the full devastation the pandemic inflicted on diabetes patients LINK
World: A lab study showed that antibodies triggered by Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine declined below a key threshold from around six months after a second dose for most recipients
New Zealand: New Zealand will open its borders in early 2022 to some vaccinated travelers, says PM Jacinda Ardern. Its borders have been shut for 18 months, with strict #COVID19 lockdowns. It has reported just 2,913 cases and 26 deaths, with 0 current community cases.
US: Fauci says it is likely everybody will eventually need a Covid vaccine booster short LINK
Texas: Straight to the Oh Shit file: Texas Hospitals Are Already Overloaded. Doctors Are ‘Frightened by What Is Coming.’ LINK
US: BREAKING: Stanford will require weekly COVID-19 testing beginning Aug. 15, regardless of vaccination status. The University is potentially the first in the country to mandate testing for fully vaccinated individuals. Story to come.
World: Covid Patient Zero may have been a Wuhan lab worker after all, WHO chief admits LINK
World: CDC: Vaccinated people spread COVID-19 Delta variant as easily as unvaccinated LINK
China: China's Ningbo airport has suspended flights to and from Beijing due to 'public health incident' LINK
Israel: Israel, with a nearly entirely vaccinated adult population, now expects this coronavirus wave to be the worst yet - up to 2,500 serious cases compared to 1,200 in January. Note: the article doesn’t mention vaccines once. It’s like they never even happened. LINK
US: A majority of Americans in highly vaccinated counties now live in covid hot spots LINK
UK: UK government Scientific Adviser Prof Dan Altmann says he is “strongly in favour” of mixing jabs. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “Delta variant and other variants really stress test our vaccines to the max”;
UK: Fully people in England no longer be legally required to self-isolate upon contact w/positive Covid case from Monday, and will instead be advised to take a PCR test – in a marked shift from rules that have led to more than 14m instructions to stay at home;
Israel: Israel to require covid tests from next week for children as young as 3 to enter schools, swimming pools, hotels or gyms, as cases rise despite extensive adult . already required children aged 12 & over to show a green pass, after they were re-introduced late last month;
Texas: Coronavirus: Texas has surpassed 10 thousand COVID hospitalizations for the third time during the pandemic. LINK
Israel: Israel Defense Force: The IDF has announced that there are 1,088 service members sick with coronavirus. There were none in March.
Tennessee: 27% of new daily COVID-19 cases in Tennessee among youth, nearly 7,000 school-aged LINK
China: All inbound & outbound container services at Meishan terminal in Ningbo-Zhoushan port have been halted. This is the world's third-busiest port and a sign that Covid's resurgence in Asia will likely add to supply chain headaches for the rest of the world. LINK
North Korea: The starvation deaths of three ethnic Chinese residents of North Korea, who were cut off from their economic lifeline to China by a border closure to fight the coronavirus pandemic, has shocked North Koreans by showing that the economy is failing even privileged groups, sources in the country told RFA. LINK
Iran: IRAN: CATASTROPHE. “Chairman of the society of Emergency Medicine in Iran: "The health system already imploded - even private hospitals - and the officials know it. Patients with 50% O2 level in ward beds, waiting for ICU patients to die. There is nothing we can do." Patients admitted but lying on the floor. CPR on the floor. Not just no beds. Run out of coffins and morgue vehicles. And Iran turned down American and U.K. vaccine DONATIONS. Yet just 4% vaccinated
California: BREAKING: San Francisco will require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 for a number of indoor activities including visiting restaurants, bars and gyms. The mandate will be more stringent than the requirement announced for New York City last week. LINK
World: Children may be at risk in COVID-19 fourth wave, Niagara infectious disease specialist warns LINK
US: U.S. health secretary mandates COVID-19 shots for health care staff LINK
Florida: Florida COVID-19 Update for August 12, 2021 Total Confirmed Hospitalizations: 15,358
Florida: DeSantis unveils monoclonal antibody centers in Florida COVID-19 battle LINK
US: Immigrant Detention and COVID-19: How a Pandemic Exploited and Spread through the US Immigrant Detention System LINK
Washington: TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — An outbreak of COVID-19 cases that started in June at a facility for detained immigrants in Tacoma, Washington, has continued to worsen. LINK
Texas: There are now NO staffed pediatric ICU beds available in the DFW area, according to the DFW Hospital Council. It reports 73 COVID-19 pediatric patients now being hospitalized in the area, the highest number local hospitals have ever treated at one time. @cbsdfw-blog-blog
US: JUST IN - YouTube deletes a press conference video of U.S. Congress member @NMalliotakis announcing a lawsuit against @NYCMayor's vaccine passport. (typical)
Australia: JUST IN - Australian capital #Canberra enters "hard" lockdown. Melbourne extends lockdown as Sydney introduces "no jab, no job" policy.
US: #BREAKING The Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals will require fans to show proof of vaccination in order to attend, festival organizers have announced. LINK
Texas: NEW: Our Harris County Local Health Authority has issued a Health Order requiring masks in schools and childcare centers. Pediatric COVID19 cases are at all- time highs in Texas, and most schools haven’t even started yet. We have no choice.
Mississippi: BREAKING: After one week, Pearl River Central High School has quarantined 40% of its entire student body. When classes began, the school board made masks optional for a more "normal" school year. Now, the entire school district is going virtual.
Florida: 4 Broward County Florida Educators die from COVID in 24 hours. “Within a 24-hour span, we had an ASSISTANT TEACHER pass away, a TEACHER at her school pass away, an ELEMENTARY TEACHER pass away and another TEACHER at a high school.” LINK
Nevada: More than 80 students were potentially exposed to Covid-19 in Reno, Nevada, on Monday after a parent sent their child to school, despite both the parent and child receiving a positive Covid-19 test just two days earlier, school district officials said. LINK
Tennessee: BREAKING FROM TENNESSEE: "There are no beds. In Middle Tennessee right now it is impossible to find an empty, staffed ICU, ER, or med/surg bed," says chief medical officer for Sumner Regional Medical Center in Gallatin. #COVID19
Australia: NSW recorded 390 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
1 note
·
View note
Text
Are you interested in setting up an aeroponic Tower Farm? We can assist you with that! Agrotonomy Corp has partnered with True Garden Ltd. @truegardenaz for the development of Tower Farms outside the USA and Canada. 🌍
Together, we have set up Tower Farms indoors and outdoors in the USA, in Europe, in the Middle East, in Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America. While True Garden handles Tower Farm greenhouse training at our facility in Mesa Arizona for our worldwide clientele, Agrotonomy specializes in international onsite Tower Farm installation and staff training.
At True Garden and Agrotonomy, we also offer greenhouse consultation and purchasing services for international CEA projects. 🌱💚 We are international resellers of Tower Garden®️ & Tower Farms worldwide. In partnership with Agrotonomy, we can help you plan your Tower Farm and/or designing your greenhouse regardless of the scope and size of your project!
We can assist you in outsourcing the best quotes from reputable greenhouse manufacturers. From the US to the Netherlands, we are connected to the most experienced greenhouse manufacturers in our line of industry. We can consult with you from greenhouse conceptualization to supervising its implementation. Visit Agrotonomy for more info!
Aside from an average of 75% space-saving, our towers allow to grow fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers using 95% less water than what is required to grow plants in the soil: these aeroponic towers are the perfect gardening and farming option for water restricted areas! Tower Farms by Tower Garden®️ are perfectly suitable for professional growers, charities, restaurants, hotels, schools, universities, cafeterias, convention centers, etc. They can be set up in a greenhouse, outdoors, on rooftops or indoors using a LED grow light kit.
#TowerGarden#TowerFarm#Aeroponics#GreenhouseFarm#AeroponicFarm#VerticalAgriculture#PrecisionFarming#VerticalFarm#SustainableFarm#WaterSavings#SpaceSavings#AeroponicTowers#TowerGardenFarm#BeyondOrganic#IndoorFarming#OutdoorFarming#RooftopFarming#AeroponicGreenhouse
0 notes
Text
Analysis: What's behind Texas governor's 'Neanderthal thinking'?
New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/analysis-whats-behind-texas-governors-neanderthal-thinking/
Analysis: What's behind Texas governor's 'Neanderthal thinking'?
“I hope everybody’s realized by now, these masks make a difference. We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease because of the way in which we’re able to get vaccines in people’s arms,” Biden said when asked about the decisions by Abbott and Reeves.
“The last thing — the last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything’s fine, take off your mask, forget it. It still matters,” Biden told reporters Wednesday in the Oval Office.
What Abbott really meant was: An Abbott spokeswoman clarified Wednesday that the governor was not saying, by ending the mask mandate, that Texans should not wear masks.
“The Governor was clear in telling Texans that COVID hasn’t ended,” his spokeswoman said.
“We must now do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans.”
What medical advice did Abbott get? The truth may be more political maneuvering than Neanderthal thinking, which is more sinister. There are smart people in Texas who know better. The governor just didn’t talk to them. That Abbott, still reeling from the power and water shortages that called his leadership into question last week, reportedly didn’t consult his state’s chief medical officer before ending the mask mandate makes it hard to see the decision as anything but political.
Let their people go. Sen. John Cornyn rejected Biden’s criticism and said Texans are ready to throw off the yoke of government intervention, if mask mandates can be considered onerous.
“At some point, the government needs to quit making arbitrary rules that do not have any demonstrable connection with the public health,” the Texas Republican said.
Dude. Arbitrary? Recent CDC data suggests the most effective masking is double masking, or knotted masking, not optional masking. Here’s their mask guidance. Read it.
The list of people and corporations disagreeing with the end of mask mandates is long.
Don’t leave your mask at home yet. As Appradab Business reports, masks won’t exactly be going away.
“Leading US grocery chains, pharmacies, retailers and auto manufacturers, including Target (TGT), Kroger (KR), CVS (CVS), Walgreens (WBA), Best Buy (BBY), Macy’s (M) JCPenney (JCP), Toyota (TM), GM (GM) and others, say they will continue to require mask wearing at their stores and facilities by both employees and customers.”
“There are exceptions, however, and some business advocates are concerned that the end of these states’ mask mandates will create new challenges for companies and their workers.”
Where is the middle ground?
Opening too soon. While it’s easy to roll your eye at Abbott ending all restrictions and allowing businesses to open at will, it’s also completely legitimate to wonder where the right place is.
Texas will allow all businesses of any type to open 100%. In many other places in the country, any sort of indoor dining and exercise is prohibited.
Taking so long to open. In my neighborhood in Virginia, parents are looking at the possibility of sending their kids to in-person public school for the first time in a year after the governor issued an order requiring schools to open by March 15. Arizona’s governor issued a similar order Wednesday.
The details border on farce. It appears my two elementary schoolers will go to school two days a week, but they’ll be getting virtual instruction there either from teachers not returning in person or teachers in different rooms.
My middle schooler’s teachers are split in half between those returning and those staying virtual. He may get some in-person instruction, but since the school district is hewing strictly to the CDC’s guidance on 6 feet of separation for children, he may be getting instruction from a teacher streaming from a different room in the school.
It won’t be the grand return to school any of the 40% of students who opted for in-person instruction might have envisioned.
Vaccine priorities. Virginia has been vaccinating teachers for weeks, although many in our district are not returning. I was flabbergasted to see Wednesday that Texas announced it would prioritize teachers only after the governor announced the end of restrictions on businesses.
Texas reality vs. Virginia reality. I went to Appradab’s superstar Dallas-based national correspondent Ed Lavandera to ask not only about Abbott’s move, but also what he’s seen in his travels this year. Our conversation is below.
Shifting the burden for safety away from the government
WHAT MATTERS: What’s going to be the practical effect of this order by Gov. Abbott on Texans and Texas businesses?
LAVANDERA: The governor’s executive order ends all the restrictions and operating limits placed on businesses during the coronavirus pandemic starting on Wednesday, March 10.
Gov. Greg Abbott is essentially shifting the burden and responsibility of enforcing medical guidelines over social distancing and mask wearing.
Businesses will now be allowed to operate at full capacity but can still require employees and customers to follow public health safety measures, like mask wearing.
The governor has made clear in the last year that local jurisdictions at the county and city level do not have the authority to issue stricter public health measures, which has caused tension between many city leaders and the governor. However, the latest executive order does say counties can tighten business restrictions, in a limited capacity, if the hospitalization rate reaches a specific threshold. (If the number of Covid-19 patients in a hospital region reaches more than 15% of total capacity for seven straight days, then the restrictions can be implemented.)
A big question mark moving forward is how will the public respond? When Abbott started reopening the state last spring and issued the mask mandate last summer, there was great confusion over enforcement and many businesses were put in a tough place. We’ll be watching closely to see how businesses that choose to require masks will deal with customers who refuse to wear them.
Texas cities vs. red Texas
WHAT MATTERS: The view from here in Washington is that Texas is a state rapidly changing from deep red to purple. Do those changes factor into how Texans have viewed Covid restrictions and mask requirements?
LAVANDERA: The pandemic has exposed the growing divide between the Democratic leadership in the most populated cities in Texas (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin) and the conservative Republican officials fully in control of state government.
Texas is a rapidly growing state that’s seen its population explode to roughly 29 million. The myth is that these new transplants are making the state more liberal, but in my conversations with political observers that’s a questionable theory. It’s not a purple state, yet.
When you drive around the state, as I have extensively for the last year, there is a clear divide in how politics has clouded perceptions of the medical guidelines during this pandemic. Gov. Abbott is leaning heavily into the idea that government should not be telling businesses and people how to do things. That sentiment plays well with a large segment of the population.
The governor said during the reopening announcement that “Texans have mastered the daily habits to avoid getting Covid.” That’s quite a statement in a state that has seen 2.6 million cases and 44,000 deaths. But the governor’s decision has left many local leaders, especially in the state’s biggest cities, dumbfounded by his push to ease pandemic restrictions so soon.
The old rule of Texas politics applied to Covid
WHAT MATTERS: There are reports Abbott didn’t consult all of his medical advisers, which only amplifies the feeling that this is a political decision by a governor already struggling after the power and water fiasco.
LAVANDERA: The way Gov. Abbott rolled out this decision is a revealing window into the political forces at play. Instead of calling a news conference in Austin and taking questions from reporters on the intricacies of how this reopening would roll out, Gov. Abbott announced the reopening of the Texas economy at a restaurant in the West Texas town of Lubbock surrounded by a political friendly crowd. He took no questions.
Gov. Abbott faces a difficult political reality. On the left, Democrats have been inspired by big gains at the local level and the surprising performance by Beto O’Rourke in the 2018 Senate race against Ted Cruz. (Although that excitement has been tempered to some extent by Donald Trump’s performance in the 2020 presidential election.)
Those big city leaders have pushed for more government-led efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus. And on the right, Gov. Abbott has received a great deal of heat and pushback from the most right-wing, Trump-like elements of the Republican Party in Texas. These are the conservative voices that have opposed the governor’s pandemic restrictions on businesses and lampooned mask wearing. Gov. Abbott finds himself in the middle of those political winds and there is talk that a more conservative figure could challenge him in the 2022 gubernatorial primary. An old Texas progressive activist named Jim Hightower once wrote, “There’s nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.” No politician wants to be the armadillo.
What else?
We won’t know the toll these restrictions will have on US communities for some time. States are looking at extreme revenue shortfalls, which could affect funding for schools, roads and all sorts of projects for years.
The first year of the pandemic was not as devastating on state coffers as expected, probably because of federal aid to businesses and the unemployed.
Now Democrats want to keep the spigot of federal money running, although what they can pass through the Senate remains very much in question. Republicans, now in the minority at the federal level, are looking to move on from Covid.
Fewer will get checks with Senate bill. Democrats in the Senate and the White House have agreed to a more narrowly targeted set of stimulus checks and will cut out couples making more than $160,000 and individuals making more than $80,000 per year. Those additional families would have gotten partial payments under the House plan.
People need health insurance. There have been hundreds of thousands of sign-ups for Obamacare exchanges during a special enrollment period ordered by Biden.
Pence was targeted by rioters! But he’s not rejecting the big lie. Pence pushes false election fraud claims in denouncing Democratic reform bill
First look — The 10 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2022. Writes Appradab’s Simone Pathe: This cycle, only one senator is running for reelection in a state carried by the opposite party’s 2020 presidential candidate: GOP Sen. Ron Johnson. His Wisconsin seat is the third most likely to flip, but the two-term senator is the most vulnerable Republican incumbent.
Unsatisfactory — Lawmakers raise concerns over reports of National Guard troops being served ‘raw, moldy food’ at Capitol
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo apologizes again. He had spent a week away from cameras.
This is going to be hard to achieve. Biden’s energy secretary vows to ‘leave no worker behind’ in the clean energy revolution
Why is the National Guard still camped out at the Capitol? Conspiracy theorists think March 4 is the real Inauguration Day — it was, until the 20th Amendment changed things. There’s chatter online that has authorities concerned.
0 notes
Last Seen Blogs
orc3dprint
Orc3DPrint
mearichaaan-blog
Mearichaaan
its-a-lovestory1025
Wonderland
cvroldnvers
higher, further, faster
gozaimachi
midnight sky