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five-rivers · 3 years

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Danger First

Chapter 7

@pocketramblr

"Hey, Midoriya?" asked Uraraka, after Aizawa passed out a costume revision assignment and feigned passing out.

"Yes?" said Midoriya, knowing that his eyes were preturnaturally wide and fine tremors were running through his body. He was a wreck.

"Are you okay? Why did you come to class with Mr. Aizawa?"

"And what's that you're holding onto?" asked Kaminari.

"Um," said Izuku. "I was sort of... abducted by the support department? But in a nice way... And they gave me this grappling hook."

"Wow, cool! I didn't know we could get stuff like that from the support department."

"You should really read the student handbook, Kaminari," said Iida, pushing up his glasses.

"But it's so long!"

Iida tsked and adjusted his glasses more vigorously. "You're a student! You should at least be familiar with what is expected of you! Speaking of which, Midoriya, do you know how to use that?"

As much as he could learn from a ten-minute crash-course. "... yes," said Izuku, but it was clear from Iida's face that he had hesitated too long.

"Midoriya! You shouldn't have something like that in the classroom without knowing how to use it!" Iida half stood up, and Izuku clutched the grappling hook closer to his chest.

"No! Mine!" Maybe he was too attached to something he'd only had for a little over an hour, but the support department hadn't been able to give him any smoke bombs or flash grenades due to 'new school regulations regarding explosives' and he'd gone through a lot this morning.

Distress washed over Iida's face, and Izuku wondered if he'd accidentally smacked into some old trauma.

"I wasn't going to take it!" he said, earnestly waving his hands. "I just wanted to make sure you knew where the safety-"

The door to the classroom slammed open. "Is that my little brother I hear?" asked a beaming man in a track suit. Without waiting for an answer, he bounded over to where Iida was sitting and clapped him on the back. "I have come to embarrass you horribly!"

From the expression on Iida's face, this venture was doomed to failure. "I thought you were joking when you said you'd see me today!" exclaimed Iida, beaming.

"Why... why would I joke about that?"

"You joke about a lot of things. Like knowing vigila-"

"Okay! Yes, haha, funny jokester, that's me! Now why don't you introduce me to your classmates?"

"Of course! I have been remiss in my duties as vice president." He stood and executed a ninety-degree bow. "Forgive me! This is my brother, Iida Tensei! Also known as the pro hero Ingenium!"

Izuku could almost see his classmates start to put together the puzzle pieces of Chibiida and extremely tall older brother. He was more concerned about whether or not it would be rude to ask Ingenium for his autograph... and to check his analysis page on Ingenium...

"That's me! And I'll be your special guest TA today! Now, where's Aizawa? You're supposed to have him for homeroom, right?"

As one, the class pointed to the giant yellow caterpillar in the corner of the room.

"Oh my gosh, Shouta, I thought you were joking-"

Ingenium was, to put it in a single word, cool. To put it in two words, he was unbelievably cool. So cool Izuku was almost able to forget the impending field-trip-related DOOM they were all facing.

But not quite.

So Izuku slogged through his classes, still thrilled to be there and waning to do his best, but unable to truly focus past the crushing weight of what might happen. His classmates and maybe-friends hovered at the periphery of his suffering, clearly wanting to help, but just as clearly unsure how, or what lines they could or couldn't cross, leading them to resort to painfully awkward normal small talk.

Until they sat down for lunch, that is, by which time Monoma and Iida had gotten into a conversational spiral about how amazing UA was, how awesome Ingenium was, and how UA was truly superior for being able to have pro-heroes like Ingenium come in as TAs on such short notice.

"Midoriya," said Uraraka, startling him out of his fourth or fifth 'Kacchan sweep.'

(It was still possible that his bad feeling was related to Kacchan hunting him down and blowing him up. He'd be mortified about making such a big deal over it if that was the case, but it would be preferable to, say, a terrorist attack.)

(Why did he keep coming back to terrorist attacks?)

"Are you... okay? You've just seemed really down today, and-"

"Invisible hug!" shouted Hagakure before grabbing Izuku and lifting him over her head.

There was a beat of whispering near-silence. Then Uraraka stood up, slamming both hands on the table and inadvertently making it float. "You have got to tell me your work out routine!"

Izuku agreed.

("Strawberry," someone whispered.)

"I generally say what's on my mind," said Asui as the Iidas had radically different reactions to the bus seating arrangement.

"Aha," said Izuku. The swaying of the bus plus the strain of probably-Danger-Sense was making him nauseous. "What is it, Asui?'

"Call me Tsuyu."

The first time a person his age let him call them by name since kindergarten, and he couldn't properly appreciate it. Figured.

"I was watching the videos of the battle trials I missed last night," Tsuyu continued, "and I realized, I don't think any of us know what your quirk is."

Izuku's first impulse was to lie or redirect the conversation. Years of quirklessness had left their mark. But on second consideration... was there really a reason to lie? He wasn't going to talk about One for All, obviously, but the rest of it was harmless and bound to come out eventually anyway.

"Well," said Izuku, adjusting the fit of his air filter self-consciously. "That's a good question, actually."

"If you're keeping it a secret, I won't press."

"No, no, that isn't it!" Yes, it was. "It's just that, um, it's really subtle? As in, so subtle I thought I was quirkless until recently. Haha."

"Oh, wow," said Kirishima, "that must have been hard. I mean, I got teased for having a boring quirk, I can't even imagine-"

"Your quirk isn't boring! It's more than enough to be a pro!"

"But what is your quirk?" asked Monoma.

"Um," said Izuku, "well, we're not entirely sure, but... We think it lets me sense things that are dangerous? But I've also got anxiety, so..."

Monoma was frowning, but before he could speak, one of Hagakure's gloves waved frantically in front of his face.

"Is that how you knew I was there?" she asked. "In the battle trial and the entrance exam?"

"Maybe? I think so?"

"You were kind of anxious this morning," said Uraraka, concerned. "Did something bad happen to you?"

"Not- not yet," said Izuku, weakly. "It- We still don't really know how it works, so it could just be the anxiety..." He trailed off. Everyone was kind of staring at him. He pressed back against his seat, wishing there was somewhere to hide.

"Well!" said Uraraka, suddenly pumped up. "We'll just have to keep an eye out! We're hero students, aren't we?"

There was a general cheer of consensus and Izuku managed a shaky smile. So, this was what it was like to have friends.

Eventually, Mr. Aizawa told them to calm down, but there was no heat in the scolding. Maybe, Izuku thought, past the ever-increasing buzzing in his head, today would be okay after all.

"Yeah," said Hikage, "there's really no chance of that."

The Unforeseen Simulation Joint was an incredible space!

Space Hero Thirteen was about a thousand times cooler in person than on TV!

All Might, in his golden age rescue-specialized costume, looked like he'd just stepped off the pages of a comic book!

But just like Tsuyu's name, Izuku didn't have the ability to appreciate it.

As the other students marveled over the USJ, Izuku watched the adults quietly talk to one another. It seemed to be something serious.

"Did you find anything else with the safety checks?" asked Shouta.

"A few of the areas had the difficulty set too high- apparently some of the third-years decided to get some practice in and their supervisor didn't reset everything. Other than that? Nothing." Thirteen shook their head. "No signs of structural failure, no security gaps. Everything seems, well, normal."

"Well," said All Might, "whatever happens, we're prepared!"

Aizawa seriously doubted they were prepared for anything, but the most obvious, most likely things? Yeah.

"What do you think, Ingenium?" he asked.

"Everything looks fine to me," said Tensei, shrugging. "But if it was something obvious, then it wouldn't be so much of a threat, right?"

"We're still not sure how Midoriya's quirk really works," said Shouta. "It could be a threat just to him." He sighed heavily.

Tensei smiled in a way that just about guaranteed Shouta would be teased about this later.

"Well, I'm going to start my speech now!" said Thirteen giving the others a thumbs up. "Wish me luck!"

As soon as Thirteen finished their (surprisingly moving) speech, all of Izuku's attention zeroed in on the air next to the fountain. A swirl of dark mist appeared next to it.

Izuku felt like he couldn't breathe.

"Mr. Aizawa-!" But he was already looking in that direction, already watching the man made covered in emerge from the dark hole, followed by a veritable horde of villains.

And Izuku didn't use the term villain idly here. Several of the people he saw were on wanted lists.

Ironically, now that he was faced with real danger, the panicked siren in his head eased off slightly. Evidently, at least some of the strain had been fear of the unknown, and now the threat was very, very known in the worst way, that particular stressor was gone.

"There he is!" cried the man covered in hands. "All Might! The one we've all come for! Nomu! Get him!"

A large villain with an exposed brain who practically sang with danger charged All Might, who grabbed him by the wrist and flung him away, towards the landslide zone. "Ha! That's not much of a challenge! You'll have to do better than that, villains!"

"Maybe," said a villain made of the same mist as the portal that had brought the others. The large villain came charging out of the landslide zone, none the worse for wear. "Maybe not."

"You might be an elite player, but can you fight the boss and protect the noobs you're powerleveling?"

The other villains surged forwards.

This is when Mr. Aizawa and Ingenium jumped into the fray, and everything immediately got more chaotic. Izuku rapidly lost track of the multiple battles occurring around him - except, wow, Mr. Aizawa was really mowing through villains, wasn't he - that Nomu guy had to have a regeneration quirk, there was just no way - he'd have to write down that villain's monolog as soon as they got out, it might have clues - Izuku had no idea that Ingenium could fly and wow that gave him some ideas for Iida-

Speaking of Iida-

"This is no time for analysis! Hurry up and evacuate!"

Right.

"I won't allow that."

Yeah the misty villain definitely had some kind of teleportation quirk, which made this whole thing even more gutsy. Quirks like that were always monitored by the government. These guys must not care about their identities.

"Greetings," he said, a metal colar slipping into place around his neck. "We are the League of Villains. Forgive our audacity, but... today we've come to-"

A gust of air from All Might's fight pushed the mist villain back. But the move had left him partially unguarded, and Izuku watched helplessly as Nomu pounded a fist into his exposed side-

Nomu knew about All Might's injury.

Oh, no.

Izuku didn't have time to process that, however, as Kirishima and Monoma jumped forward, attacking the mist villain.

The feeling of danger spiked, and Izuku barely registered Monoma's bewildered expression.

"Only students... but the best of the best... yes he was right to say you'd be a threat." Darkness spread like an ink stain from the villain's body. Darkness... and portals.

Izuku slammed into Tsuyu and Kaminari, pushing them out of the way of forming portals. He wasn't able to do the same for himself.

"Begone," intoned the mist villain, his voice echoing all around Izuku. "Writhe in torment until you breathe your last."

The next thing Izuku knew, he was in clear light and falling. From at least two stories up, over the flood zone.

And then he stopped.

The ghosts whipped their heads around to stare at Nana. She was sitting on a stool, hiding her face in her hands, though whether it was out of embarrassment or fear for Izuku was unclear.

"Nana..." said Yoichi, softly.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry I saw him falling and pani-"

"What did you do that for!" exclaimed Banjo. "He was only fifteen, twenty meters up! Into water!"

"That's twice as high as Olympic divers go! And they screw up their bodies all the time if they hit wrong!" shot back Nana, other emotions abandoned in favor of rage.

"Uh, guys...?" said Yoichi, weakly.

"Who still watches the Olympics?" muttered En.

"If we had to give him a new quirk, it should have been a combat one!"

"You're just jealous that he has Float and not Blackwhip!"

"So what if I am?" demanded Banjo. "If he had Blackwhip, he wouldn't need that stupid grappling hook gun!"

"So, you admit Blackwhip is just a glorified grappling hook?"

"Better than a glorified- glorified-" He puffed out his cheeks. "I'm going to give him Blackwhip right now!"

"NO!" shouted the other ghosts.

"Banjo," said En, "what do you remember about people who All for One gave three quirks to?"

Banjo went pale.

"Oh, hell," said Banjo. "I'm sorry, I got carried away."

"You can say that again," grumbled Nana.

"But," continued Banjo, "doesn't this mean we can't give him the stockpile?"

They turned to Yoichi, who was far and away the expert on the stockpile quirk. He held up his hands and offered a sick, shaky smile. "We've already started the process of giving him stockpile access. There's... there's really no way to stop it."

Nana started swearing, and even Second and Third looked tense.

"But that's borrowing trouble! Maybe he'll be compatable?"

"With three quirks?"

"It's possible!" protested Yoichi. "I mean, he's- um, he's got One for All? Maybe it's more like All for One than we thought?"

"Disgusting."

"No."

"Absolutely not."

"Never say that again."

"But, again, that's a future problem, unlike the villain attack, which is a now problem."

"I see what you're saying," said En, "but we can't do anything about the villain attack, but we could theoretically do something about quirk troubles. Unless you'd rather watch helplessly while our latest-possibly-last holder is murdered?"

Yoichi sighed. "Okay, yeah, let's take a look."

Izuku's first thought was that Uraraka must have tagged him, but he had been way too far away from her for her to do that. Unless she had run at him when he dove for Tsuyu? Tsuyu had maybe sort of been between them...

But, no, this didn't feel like Uraraka's quirk. He'd only experienced it a couple of times, but it felt like falling. This felt more like floating on the surface of a pool.

This was, he realized as he drifted helplessly upwards and slightly sideways, Shimura Nana's quirk.

It would be really, really cool if the circumstances were different or if he had any control over the quirk whatsoever. As it was, he didn't appreciate the way he was getting progressively higher. Hitting the water at his previous height would have sucked, but he probably would have survived. Now? Not so much. So, if the quirk decided to stop as suddenly as it had started, he was doomed.

Beyond doomed.

He'd be dead.

Wait! The grappling hook!

He pulled it carefully out of its holster, making sure to wrap the loop around his wrist. He could get back to the ground with the grappling hook, anchor himself at a decent height and make use of this, or even attack, but if he dropped it...

Well. Doom and all that.

His best bet was the top of the downpour zone. It was the closest structure by far. He lined up his sights, fired, and watched as the hook fell several meters short.

That was less than ideal.

He rolled over and looked up. He wasn't that far from the ceiling-

Danger Sense screamed at him, and he was falling, just in time to miss getting hit by a jet of water from below. Izuku, naturally, started screaming as well and fired the grappling hook blindly. He rejoiced as a metallic thunk told him it had hit something and immediately hit the stop button, almost wrenching his shoulders out of their sockets. However, his joy quickly turned to horror as he realized he was now headed toward the hard, unforgiving side of the downpour zone at a dangerously high speed. He squeezed his eyes shut.

Float turned back on.

Izuku let out a somewhat pathetic whine in relief, and hit the retract button on the grappling hook gun, letting it pull him up to the roof.

From here, he had an acceptable view of the rest of the USJ. He shaded his eyes to look back at the main plaza and entrance. He could see Eraserhead and Ingenium fighting back to back in the central plaza. All Might and Nomu were tearing up trees in one of the forested areas, and near the entrance he could see Thirteen, Iida, Uraraka, Shouji, Sato, Sero, and Ashido facing down the mist villain. Hopefully, with those numbers, they'd be able to get past him.

Looking elsewhere, Izuku had to assume Todoroki was in the landslide zone, with the spiky ring of ice in the middle of it. He must be holding back. He could make out a fight happening in the mountain zone, but couldn't tell who was involved.

That was more than half the class unaccounted for, including Tsuyu and Kaminari, who he'd thought he'd pushed away from portals. They were probably in the other zones, but...

He took a deep breath. Focus. Where would he do the most good? Danger Sense couldn't tell him that right now, with all these bright threats all around him. He had to decide on his own.

The fight in the mountain area wasn't going well. The number of visible villains was only increasing.

Could Izuku get there? He bit his lip as he contemplated the distance, then jogged back to the opposite side of the downpour zone roof.

Then he ran.

Then he-

-jumped-

-off the roof.

Float activated at the top of the arc of his jump, and his momentum sent him tumbling forward towards the mountain zone. As he approached and began to slow (air resistance still being a thing, apparently), he was able to see Yaoyorozu and Jiro fighting for their lives. Yaoyorozu did not look good.

This wasn't a great way to be proven right about her quirk having drawbacks.

He aimed the grappling hook at one of the larger, closer villains, not really caring about how much damage it would do, and fired.

"Wow," said En. "Kid definitely has a bit of a ruthless streak."

"Imagine how much better he'd do with Blackwhip."

"He wouldn't have been able to get there in the first place without Float."

"Honestly," continued En, "I don't get why Second and Third don't like him. They never shut up about Nana and Eighth being too soft, after all."

"What? They said that stuff about me, too?"

"Yeah, I think they're just unsatsifiable at this point. It's annoying."

"I was much more violent and ruthless than Toshi, though."

"I know."

"Yoichi," said Hikage. "I'm not seeing any sign of additional stress on Ninth's body."

"That's because Izuku is the best."

"Or," said En, "it's because he's only had Nana's quirk for, like, five, ten minutes, tops."

"Or because he's the best. Just look at how he's helped his friends defeat all those villains!"

"Compelling argument," said Hikage.

"What- what now?" asked Yaoyorozu, holding herself up with one of her staffs. The mountain zone was littered with various weapons and shrapnel from Yaoyorozu's quirk use. This included a canon. Which was really cool, but seemed a bit over the top... and maybe not the most efficient thing to make, considering Yaoyorozu's limitations.

"I don't know," admitted Izuku. He'd been flung around the field as a makeshift flail/bola by the girls a few times, and was a little dizzy.

He looked back out at the battles still taking place in the plaza. "I think... Maybe we should go down, and make our way around the edge to the entrance. We could pick up Todoroki and see if there's anyone in the ruins zone who needs help-"

Then he saw the hand villain step forward, facing down Eraserhead as Ingenium was lured away in defense of Tsuyu and Kaminari, who had just run out of the wooded area, trailing villains. Danger flared in his mind's eye, and, for the second time in his life, his body moved by itself.

#bnha #boku no hero academia #danger first #danger first au #fic #fanfic

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chilling-seavey · 4 years

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Anything But Mine (d.s.) - Chapter Fourteen

A/N My queue wasn’t working last night so I forced myself to wait to upload the next chapter directly. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this one ;)

Friday, November 29th, 2019

The 25th was Corbyn’s twentieth birthday; so the following Friday night he wanted to go out with his friends to celebrate. Despite Daniel’s protests, Corbyn decided to invite Florence too. She was also his friend and he knew she needed some time to relax, away from her motherly responsibilities. Aidan convinced his parents to take Clementine for the night as he knew Florence wouldn’t come along if no one would watch the baby. A club was not the best place for a ten month old.

At 8pm, the doorbell rang to the boys’ house and Aidan ran to answer it. Florence and Emilio stood on the doorstep hand in hand. One look at the girl in front of him and Aidan’s mouth fell open. She simply smiled at him and walked inside, leaving Emilio to greet a stunned Aidan and follow her towards the living room.

Her black four inch heels clicked over the wood floors, drawing the eyes of the boys who were sat around the living room. As if all at once, they raked their wide eyes down her tight red dress that ended mid-thigh and was cut low down her chest. Her fuller chest finally filled out the top of her favourite old cocktail dress, hugging her soft post-childbirth curves beautifully. Her blonde hair was straightened over her shoulders and thick black eyeliner coated her blue eyes, the look completed with vibrant red lipstick.

“Hey.” Florence said to the boys in the room who still sat in stunned silence. She didn’t seem to notice their gawking. It was still proof of the slight innocence that pumped through her veins.

They all mumbled a greeting. Daniel, who avoided looking at her as she came in, finally looked up, his eyes almost popping out of his head. Sure, he’d seen her dressed up before, but nothing like this. Instinctively, his tongue ran over his lips, a blush rising to his cheeks at only looking at the girl in front of him.

Emilio coming up behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist made Daniel sigh and look back to the ground.

“Ok.” Aidan clapped his hands once to snap the room back to reality. Florence was almost like a sister to him and having his friends next to drooling over her made him slightly uncomfortable.

The boys in the room all started talking innocently, getting up and gathering their few things they needed to take with them. Zach walked up to Florence and held out a small card.

“What’s this?” she took it from him and looked it over. It was his drivers license.

“Jack helped me get it.” Zach pointed to the birthday line which read as if he were 19.

“Oh my God!” Florence gaped. “It looks so real!”

“I know!” Zach beamed, taking the card back from her and smiled down at it proudly.

“If you act so excited about it, they’ll catch on.” Jonah told his friend. “And I’m not bailing anyone out of jail today.”

“No getting arrested on my birthday!” Corbyn said.

“Even though it was four days ago.” Florence chuckled, pulling him in for a hug. “Happy belated birthday.”

“Thanks.” Corbyn smiled.

“Hurry up! The subway will leave without us!” Zach shouted as he walked towards the door.

“Don’t make me put you in one of those kid leashes.” Aidan taunted. Zach frowned up at him. The group filed out of the house and headed towards the subway. Florence and Emilio walked hand in hand behind Aidan and Jonah who led the way. Jack, Zach, and Corbyn talked loudly from behind them, pushing each other over people’s lawns and into the street. Florence looked behind her, past the wild group of three, to where Daniel trailed behind them, alone. His hands were stuffed in the pockets of his denim jacket and he stared at the ground, kicking pebbles in his path. Emilio brought her hand up to his lips and he kissed it softly, making her turn her attention away from Daniel.

“He’s fine.” Emilio whispered. “Just give him time.”

Florence wanted to protest to that statement, wanting to do nothing less than turning and screaming at her so-called best friend to just love her again. She missed his warm presence, his lively smile, and how he was always there for her when she felt her worst. She felt empty without him next to her.

The trip through the subway earned Florence plenty of stares from guys and girls alike. Emilio held her hand proudly, not failing to pull the unaware girl against his chest if an older man stared at her for too long. They were the same height, Florence able to lean her head on his shoulder comfortably. Of course her height and her heels only accentuated her long legs, some of the boys from their group who were sitting on their way trying desperately to look anywhere but at her as she stood in front of them. Daniel was facing away from them, his head against the window. When they arrived into the downtown core, Jonah had to nudge him to get off the subway.

The night was young and the city was bustling, thousand of lights from the skyscrapers lighting up the invisibly starry sky. Their group walked excitedly, Corbyn taking the lead with his birthday-excitement. Daniel found a spot next to him, Corbyn’s bubbly personality easily working on brightening his spirits.

“We’ll get some strong alcohol in your system and music in your ears you’ll forget about everything.” Corbyn whispered to Daniel, draping his arm over his best friend’s shoulders.

Florence heard it from her spot behind them and she frowned, her gaze falling to the sidewalk. Emilio was right there with a comforting squeeze to her hand and a gentle kiss to her cheek.

The club was a hole-in-the-wall joint, past an old, crumbling Toronto brick exterior lead into a revamped and modern interior. The neon sign above the door flashed brightly. Florence stood admits her friends in the line-up, sandwiched against the wall between Emilio and Aidan. They talked excitedly amongst themselves for the duration of the wait, the cool nighttime air starting to send chills over the group. The front of the line came a long 45 minutes later, each member of their party flashing their IDs to the bouncer on their way in and tossing a two dollar coin into the collection box at the entry. Once headed up the stairs, Zach gave a little hoot and took off ahead.

The place was bright and busy, neon lights flashing and the dance floor bustling full of people under bright white strobe lights. The granite top bar lined an entire wall, the black stools mostly filled with patrons awaiting another round. Various couches, chairs, and small dining tables encircled the large dance floor, the dark furniture blending into the background. The raised DJ booth was set up opposite the bar and huge speakers framed it, the man working the table looking small in comparison.

“We got a room upstairs.” Corbyn yelled over the music, gesturing for his friends to follow him. Next to the DJ booth, a curtain was hung over a thin doorway and upon further inspection, it opened to reveal a staircase that was only lit from tiny LED lights along the treads. At the top, the security guard looked at Corbyn’s ID and then down to his clipboard before leading them to a section of the loft. Each room was divided by black walls and had frosted glass doors to enter through. On the inside, the group found a two white leather sectional sofas, a small buffet, a spacious coffee table, and a single black bean bag chair.

“Oh sweet!” Zach cheered, plopping himself down on the bean bag, draping his hands behind his head.

“This is sick.” Aidan smiled, grabbing a few crackers from the buffet table.

“I have some connections.” Corbyn shrugged, sitting down on the couch. The music from the main area of the club pumped through the walls, the sound muffled enough that they could have a conversation but loud enough that it drew them back downstairs.

Shots were poured down the bar and the group clinked glasses to celebrate Corbyn’s birthday before they tossed one back each. After that, the group broke off to do their own thing, most of them finding their way to mingle in the main area of the club.

Daniel stayed at the bar at the stool in the far corner, sipping his drink slowly, his eyes taking in the surroundings of the unfamiliar place.

Florence and Emilio were on the dance floor. He was trying to get her to dance but she insisted she had to drink more before she did any sort of dancing. As if on cue, a server pushed two more shots into their hands before being swallowed back into the crowd.

Zach, his excitement high now diminishing, stood at the side of the room and watched the people around him, trying to figure out what to do next. He finally joined Daniel, the two looking like the most pathetic duo in the building.

“Why aren’t you out there with everyone?” Zach asked, nodding towards Corbyn and Aidan and Jack who were dancing stupidly near the speakers, freshly opened drinks in hand.

“I’m not feeling it tonight.” Daniel shrugged.

“Are you ever feeling it? This is not really our go-to scene.” Zach said.

“Fair point.” Daniel chuckled, looking down at the bar top. He took a sip of his fruity cocktail.

“Nice manly drink there, bro.” Zach snorted. Daniel stuck his tongue out at him.

“Don’t know why Corbyn wanted to come here even.” Zach continued. “We all know he’d rather be at home spewing off space facts to his bedroom ceiling.”

Daniel laughed at that, hiding his face in his hands as if it was wrong of him to have fun.

“What? No one else is gonna listen.” Zach shrugged playfully.

Daniel forced his smile back to a straight line and scuffed the toe of his sneaker against the wall.

“Hey, stop that. Stop whining like a little bitch.” Zach said to his best friend. “Drink more of your girly drink and get out there.”

“You’re one to talk.” Daniel scoffed.

“Then tell me what I should order and lets get a move on.” Zach clapped his hands.

The first hour went by in a blur, drink after drink being downed by the group. As fancy as the loft room was, no one used it; everyone seemed to find their place in the main hub of the building. Jonah had found a girl at the bar who was there with her friends and he put on his usual charmer persona to win her over and they retired to a table in the back to talk and drink. Zach and Jack had found each other and were joking around messily by the huge speakers, barely hearing a word the other was saying but laughing nonetheless. Corbyn’s girlfriend had shown up and they had disappeared into the crowd. Daniel was still at his spot at the bar where Zach had left him after not being able to get him up. Multiple drinks had been had and Daniel was starting to feel wobbly on the bar stool. Now joined by Aidan, the boys spoke in whispers. Florence and Emilio were still on the dance floor, after having a few drink breaks. Emilio never left her side, fearing the worst under the prying stare of other male club-goers. The tight red dress turned to be more of a curse than a blessing as not only did it attract too much attention but Florence found herself having to pull it farther down her legs more often than not. A few drinks in, the slight lightweight of a girl forgot about it which made the dress adjusting more of Emilio’s responsibility. It was getting increasingly difficult as she was stumbling around and clinging onto his neck like a koala and sooner than later both simply let it go.

The later the night got, the closer the two got. Florence couldn’t keep her hands off of the boy in front of her, staining his jaw and neck in red lipstick prints, fingernails digging into his leather jacket to keep him close. She could feel his hands on her hips, holding her against his warm body, each movement sending tingles down her intoxicated limbs. The space between them was almost non-existent, Emilio’s hot breath on her neck making her turn to kiss him. He groaned lowly into her mouth, tugging her in by the limited material at her waist.

Daniel and Aidan could see the smudges of her red dress through the crowd from where they sat at the bar.

“Still think I’m an idiot?” Daniel hiccupped, ruffling a hand through his hair, messing it up.

“Yeah.” Aidan sighed, slapping a hand to his best friend’s shoulder. “But you’re clearly hurt so...I can’t blame you.”

“And I absolutely destroyed her in the process to mask my tiny bit of jealousy.” Daniel frowned, slumping into his arms onto the bar top.

“The DiCaprio twins are a force to be reckoned with, Dan.” Aidan mumbled, taking a long sip of his beer, his old memories of dating Callum back in 12th grade flashing through his mind. “They bring with them nothing but bad luck and fucking heartbreak.”

Daniel hummed in response, watching as Emilio left for the bathroom, leaving Florence to her own devices in the club. Prying eyes from around the room fell to the single girl in the short dress. Daniel looked back to Aidan as he continued,

“They lure you in with their good looks and shy-kid-next-door charm and then destroy every piece of your already fragile heart and leave it to rot after you give them everything you had.” Aidan said through his teeth.

Daniel sat back up straight in his chair and took a deep breath. He rubbed his eye with his fist.

“Either you go chase them down and convince yourself that their broken, money disguised childhood is a solid excuse for their lack of emotional availability or, you do what I did, and watch them leave and try to let it all go to only be met with constant regret and a hole in your chest for the rest of your life.”

Daniel simply blinked at his distraught friend. Aidan sighed, taking a long sip from his can again. The two boys fell into silence.

“Fuck this.” Daniel breathed, downing the last sip of his drink before getting up from the bar. The room spun as soon as he stood up but he forced himself to walk away from Aidan’s depressive spiral.

Florence kept herself swaying to the music during Emilio’s short absence; whether it was from her drunk state or the actual music, it didn’t matter.

The hands sliding around her waist made her smile, leaning back into the familiar touch. In any other state of mind, she would have noticed the difference in body type but she was drunk and full of bliss that it didn’t come to mind. His hair was just as soft to her fingers as her arms raised behind her, finally falling to his wrists as her body moved by itself to the music blasting loudly through the club. The rough denim jacket was no where close to the feeling of Emilio’s high end leather but she was focused on bringing his hands to her hips, pushing back into his body. Florence let the messy beat of the music move her ungracefully, the alcohol in her system pushing his hand to her inner thigh under the material of her short skirt, leaning her head back to his shoulder, her eyes closed. Her hand raised to the side of his face, fingers tangling themselves gently in his soft hair before pulling him in for a messy kiss. The angle was terrible as her back was to his front but the two drunk teenagers kissed like their life depended on it. Her tongue forced its way into his mouth, tasting the bitter taste of alcohol on his breath. It wasn’t until Florence turned around, pulled him into her by the collar of his jacket, and brought his bottom lip between her two that she sensed the difference.

Her eyes opened slowly and she pulled back to be met with Daniel’s stunned gaze, his cheeks pink from the alcohol and his blue eyes filled with desire. For some reason, whether it was the emotion of him even wanting to go near her for the first time in a while, or the serious amount of alcohol in her veins, she grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him hungrily again. Her arms fell around his shoulders, holding him against her. Daniel’s mind could hardly keep up with what was happening, the loud music fuzzy to his ears and the movements of the girl in front of him fast and clumsy. The moment was broken by some stranger stumbling into them, pouring their entire drink over the two. Florence shrieked at the cold liquid hitting her warm skin before bursting into giggles. Daniel gave the guy a shove away before looking down at the mess over the two of them.

Florence grabbed the open edge of Daniel’s denim jacket and pulled him through the crowd. The room spun behind them as the two drunk teenagers stumbled through the crowd to the stairs. Stairs posed a new challenge but they made it to the top unharmed, pushing past the security guard, and into the private room. Daniel was pushed backwards onto one of the couches and Florence fell on top of him, her mouth meeting his again. She sat over his lap, one leg on either side, making her short dress ride up dangerously high.

Sober Daniel was a shy boy, soft spoken and a polite sweetheart. Drunk Daniel, although completely inexperienced of anything they were doing, let his hands rest under the fabric of her dress, pushing it up more. It was clear that her underwear was on show to whoever might have walked in, but neither cared. Florence switched to peppering sloppy drunk kisses down to his neck before sucking a red mark into his milky skin. Daniel’s shaky groan filling the empty room, fingers pressing into the flesh of her lower hips. Florence slid off his lap to sit beside him, one arm around his shoulders and her other hand holding his face close to hers, meeting their lips again. His hands fell to her thighs innocently.

The sound of the door handle turning made the two separate quickly, dropping their hands from each other. The simple action turned their questionable position into simply friendly.

Emilio smiled at them from the doorway, “Are you guys making up finally?”

Florence discreetly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, smudging her worn lipstick more than it already was. She let out a small giggle.

Daniel’s mind spun dangerously fast, like the room was on an axis. His drunk mind tried to piece together what Emilio’s simple sentence meant, pressing a hand to his temple. He felt his stomach turn and he bent over the side of the couch and vomited onto the carpet.

“Fucking hell.” Emilio sighed, holding himself up against the doorframe. He turned to find someone who could help somehow.

Daniel sat back and wiped his mouth with his hand, the remanence of Florence’s red lipstick transferring to his palm.

“I’m bleeding!” Daniel gasped.

“Shh.” Florence giggled, pointing to her lips. Daniel blinked at her before he burped lightly and bent over to throw up again onto the floor.

“Fuck, Daniel!” Corbyn came bursting into the room, setting his drink on the buffet table before grabbing his best friend by the arm, pulling him to his feet. The boy stumbled, falling weakly against Corbyn, dragging his arm over his mouth again. The boy looked like an absolute mess with the beer stain down the front of his jacket and his hair sticking up in all sorts of random directions.

Zach and Jack came into the room as Corbyn was pulling Daniel out and towards the bathroom. His heaving could be heard down the hall.

“He can never handle his alcohol.” Jack tisked.

“What a loser.” Zach set his hands dramatically on his waist and the two burst into laughter.

Aidan appeared in the doorway too, “We have to go. They’re kicking us out thanks to Daniel.”

“He ruins everything.” Florence slurred, falling backwards onto the couch, her dress still up around her bellybutton.

“Woah!” Zach, Jack, and Aidan smacked their hands over their eyes and turned away.

Emilio, who was sober enough to be aware of their surroundings, walked over to tug her dress back into place and then scooped her up.

The group reassembled on the sidewalk outside the club, all minus Jonah who had gone off with the girl he had met earlier. Daniel was leaning helplessly against Corbyn’s shoulder, barely able to even keep himself upright. It was nearing 1am when their two taxis pulled up to the curb. Florence, Emilio, Zach, and Jack got into one, leaving Aidan and Corbyn to watch Daniel in the other.

Arriving back at the house, Florence and Zach were asleep on Jack’s shoulders, their arms wrapped around his middle. Emilio paid the driver and helped Jack get the two half asleep drunks into the house. Zach laughed to himself the entire way up to the loft, Jack grumbling the entire way behind him. Corbyn and Aidan got Daniel to bed after the boy had thrown up again on the front lawn. Aidan set a glass of water on his nightstand for him when he woke up.

Florence and Emilio were directed to Jonah’s room for the night since he was gone. Florence spread herself out on the queen size bed, mumbling something about Jonah which sounded more like ‘Jehovah’ and sleeping on a cloud. Emilio got her out of her dress and into a t-shirt and pyjama pants that Corbyn lent them before getting her to finally stay on one side of the bed. Emilio passed out fast, gentle snores filling the now quiet house.

Florence, still extremely buzzed, slid out of bed and started down the hallway, the floorboards creaking beneath her feet and her hand gliding over the wall to keep her balanced. She hummed to herself as she opened the door to Daniel’s room and closed it again behind her.

His form was curled up under the sheets at the far side of the bed from the door. Florence climbed up next to him, resting her hands on his arm, making the half asleep boy flinch tiredly. He smelt of old beer and mint toothpaste, wearing only his underwear and the black t-shirt he had on under his jacket.

He blinked his eyes open slowly, his drunk mind trying to focus on the figure beside him just as she leaned down to kiss him.

#daniel seavey #daniel seavey fanfic #daniel seavey fic #daniel seavey imagines #wdw #why dont we #why dont we fanfic #emilio martinez #jonah marais #jack avery #corbyn besson #zach herron #why dont we imagines #college wdw #martinez twins #idbitc #writing #anything but mine

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menswearmusings · 4 years

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Do Yourself a Favor and Get a Decent Tie Rack From Dapper Woodworks—A Free Product Review

I don’t wear a tie everyday, and I don’t have a ton of ties, but the storage solution I had for the roughly 20 ties I do have was annoying and lame. Buying a better tie rack just wasn’t a high priority for me, and thus, my ties hung on a roughly $12 hanging contraption from T.J. Maxx. It made me very, very sad.

My sad T.J.Maxx tie rack.

Enter Dapper Woodworks. The man behind the company, Justin Trewitt, has been at this for two years as a side job to help create some supplemental income for his family while simultaneously engaging his interests in woodworking and menswear. As with many business ideas, his started when he wanted a way to store his pocket squares, so he just made his own. He realized perhaps other men facing the same situation would be interested in such a product, and soon he was selling on Etsy. His product selections now include shoe horns, coat hooks, collar stay organizers, the aforementioned pocket square organizers and of course, tie racks.

Justin asked me whether I would like to have one of his custom-made tie racks in order to give my impressions and give an honest review of it (note my free product policy here. TL;DR I keep my opinions honest and don’t accept free stuff in exchange for positive coverage). I measured my closet, and since he does custom-sized racks in addition to the standard stock sizes, asked for a 20-inch rack, which he told me stores 37 ties—way more than I currently have, so I’ve got room to grow. Since it was a custom size, I got to choose the wood, peg metal and whether it had the optional top shelf. Ultimately, I picked walnut with brass pegs, with the top shelf included, which I figured might help a little bit with dust, but also provide a nice spot to store a couple belts, silk knots, collar stays and whatever else.

He set to work immediately, posting progress images on his Instagram. Within about a week, he’d finished it and was ready to s—oh no! He messaged me to say he’d accidentally made it 18 inches long, not 20. Being super apologetic, he remade the 20 inch one within a few days, and it was on its way to me.

For this type of product, it’s very simple to determine whether it’s great: Is it real hard wood, not composite? Yes. Is it sturdily constructed? Yes. Are the cuts on the wood smooth, without jagged edges? Yes. The joints are fitly joined together, the stain is even, the pegs are secure and perfectly spaced. And he’s also put the next level of fit and finish into the installation aspect. On the back are keyhole slots, just as you’d find on any professionally made wooden shelf. Included in the box is a mounting guide, but instead of a flimsy piece of paper, it’s a full-length piece of wood with holes drilled in it at the exact spacing of the keyholes. Leveling it is a breeze, the three-dimensional wood taking the uncertainty out of whether or not a piece of paper was perfectly flat against the wall.

You could probably find all of those aspects in a mass produced, ugly tie rack from Container Store for less money, just as you can also get a mass produced, cheap tie from The Tie Bar for less money than a Drake’s tie, and it’ll accomplish the utilitarian aspect of the product. But what DW is doing is vastly superior in almost every aspect: it’s much more aesthetically pleasing; you can choose from half a dozen beautiful wood grains and multiple peg styles; you know who is making it and that you’re supporting him provide for his family; and now, even better, he has begun donating a portion of every month’s sales to a nonprofit that provides education, food and medical care for children in need.

In all, it’s an excellent product befitting a fine tie collection, the pedigree of which is sterling.

That said, the price seemed really high to me, especially at first. The standard 18-inch wide tie rack starts at $140 without the shelf, and $190 with.

But, like, a single Drake’s tie is $150. On sale, you can maybe score it for $75.

This $200 tie rack holds 37 ties.

Given how sad and lame most tie storage solutions are, it’s an absolute no-brainer for someone who has a collection of beautiful ties, and who also would like to store their clothing in a way that isn’t sad. That is, if you’re trying to use wide-shouldered hangers, decent garment bags, and shoe trees in your shoes, a tie rack makes perfect sense.

My recommendation

Measure your own space and get a rack that makes sense. The 18-inch will likely fit most spaces and holds enough ties for most guys, I’d guess. I 100% recommend the top shelf. It keeps dust off the ties and is a useful spot to put things like his lapel pins or belts or artwork. I love the walnut finish, and the brass pegs make it feel masculine. Use code MM10 for 10% off.

So there’s my review: the solid hardwood Dapper Woodworks tie rack is an excellent product that gives me immense pleasure, and which exceeded my expectations in how easily Justin makes the mounting aspect. The quality is very high, being profesionally built and using materials I am confident putting my finely made ties on.

I temporarily installed the rack for the photoshoot below, because getting this rack actually inspired me to do a DIY renovation on my real closet, but I didn’t have time to get that finished before the deadline to publish this review.

I asked Justin a few questions about his background, the origin of Dapper Woodworks and what he plans next. You can check it out in full below.

GET 10% OFF YOUR DAPPER WOODWORKS ORDER USING CODE MM10!

(Help support this site! If you buy stuff through my links, your clicks and purchases earn me a commission from many of the retailers I feature, and it helps me sustain this site—as well as my menswear habit ;-) Thanks!)

Menswear Musings: What do you do for your day job?

Justin Trewitt: I’ve been working for my family’s company for the past 5 1/2 years in Plano, Tx. We do financial planning for individuals and we also just started doing business brokerage so helping people buy and sell businesses. I started in customer service, but now I do a lot of behind the scenes preparation for client meetings. Basically lots of staring at a computer screen and Excel spreadsheets.

MM: How long have you been doing DW?

JW: I started Dapper Woodworks in November of 2017 so just over 2 years now. We had just decided for my wife to quit teaching to be a stay at home mom with our first son so I wanted to find a way to create a little extra income for our family.

MM: What got you started making these tie racks?

JW: Well I got into woodworking when my wife and I bought our house a few years ago. We didn’t have a lot of furniture so I just learned how to make some! I have also been into menswear after learning to dress better in college. When I began thinking of side hustles I decided that I wanted to combine my woodworking hobby with my passion for menswear, and that’s how Dapper Woodworks began. My first product was a pocket square rack that I made for myself out of cheap wood because I couldn’t find a good way to store my collection. I figured surely I wasn’t the only one with this problem so I made an Etsy store and put it up for sale. I knew I needed more products so I made a few tie racks out of some scrap wood and hardware. It took over a month before the first order, and then people began requesting custom sizes and woods and it’s just taken off from there!

MM: Have you had a big response?

JW: The response has been way bigger than I could have ever imagined! When I began I was going to be happy with a sale or two every month. We are 2 years in now, and I just counted that we’ve sent over 400 items all over the world which is just crazy to me! I think people really enjoy them because there aren’t any good options to display your ties or accessories in a beautiful way. When you invest a lot of money into your tie or pocket square collection you might as well display it on a rack that has the same level of craftsmanship. I believe people really enjoy the custom aspect because each product is unique and is made their specifications

MM: How big is your personal tie collection and what’re you favorite ties and why?

JW: I’m in the process of redoing my collection, and filling it with higher quality ties that reflect the quality of my products. I had a bunch of cheaper ties for my previous job that I got rid of so I still trying to fill my smallest rack that holds 21 ties. My first nice tie was my Kent Wang grenadine which I absolutely recommend to anyone starting a collection. The cool part about being in the menswear space is meeting other brands, and several tie makers that are running a side business like me. I’ve got a couple of really great grenadine and shantung ties from H.N. White in England. A beautiful brown cashmere tie from Oxford Rowe. Also this incredible 7 fold tie from Shawn Christopher who is the only brand I know that makes his own ties instead of having them manufactured.

MM: What’s the most gratifying thing about this business for you?

JW: Beside being able to provide for my family this business has helped pay for my wife and I to go on 2 mission trips to plant churches in Tanzania. We needed to raise all of our own funds, and had lots of other expenses such as doctors visits, vaccines, and passports and this business helped cover all extra expenses. Also we have just partnered with our friend’s ministry Twelve21, and a portion of each month’s sales will be going toward sponsoring a child that will provide an education, food, and medical care. It’s just been really neat to trust God through this whole process, and see where he has taken us!

MM: Any new products you’re working on that you

JW: Besides the tie racks and pocket square racks, our shoe horns have been very popular this year. I’ve also introduced a few smaller items like our collar stay organizers and cedar blocks. But going into 2020 I’m hoping to add some new tools to the shop and start making some valet trays, and maybe some shoe racks. I’m always trying to think of new items that are menswear and woodworking related, and if you ever have any suggestions just let me know.

Read more at Menswear Musings

#dapper woodworks #Menswear Musings Recommends #product review #tie rack

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theliterateape · 5 years

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Hope Idiotic | Part V

By David Himmel

Hope Idiotic is a serialized novel. Catch each new part every week on Monday and Thursday.

LOU HIT THE SAN FRANCISCO CITY LIMITS JUST AS NIGHT WAS COMING DOWN. He used the hostel book as promised to find a well-rated spot with a good view of the city. He’d never stayed in hostels before and was curious. He’d hoped to meet a few strangers he could make friends with for the night and explore the city with, but the place was pretty empty. It was too early in the summer for college students or Europeans to be backpacking their way through the country.

Lou was sent to a room with four bunk beds. Two bunks — top and bottom — were occupied with sleeping bags, clothes and shredded bags of potato chips. Lou claimed the top bunk closest to the door. He tossed his stuff onto the mattress and quickly returned to the front desk.

“Where’s the best place to go for a few drinks?” he asked the grimy grunge-brat wearing flannel and a Sonic Youth T-shirt. “Maybe a place with good live music.” He was directed to a place called, Shattered Glass. He was able to walk there from the hostel, which sat at the top of a hill and owned a perfect view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Like every other place he had encountered in California so far, this bar was mostly empty. On the small stage at the back end of the joint, a weathered man, who looked like he may have been part of the West Coast punk movement in the 1970s, played a banged-up acoustic guitar and sang cover songs of everything from Iggy Pop to Lisa Loeb. Miller Lites were six bucks a bottle, but hell, that was San Francisco.

Lou tried to engage the bartender in some friendly conversation about the town, where to go, what to do and where the hell everyone was that night. But the bartender, a bored, sad-looking man of about thirty-five, wanted nothing to do with it. And after six bottles of beer and an hour of the aged, never-was rockstar, Lou paid his thirty-six-dollar tab and took off.

He wandered the streets searching for a little action, but found nothing worth getting into. So, he headed back up the hill to the hostel, where he figured he’d tuck himself in and wake up early. Get a head start on the day. Grab breakfast. Visit the bridge then continue north into Oregon.

When he left the hostel, he remembered leaving his room’s door open just as he’d found it. When he returned, it was closed. He put his ear to the door to inspect any potential sounds. When he didn’t hear anything, he slowly turned the handle and opened the door. It was pitch black in the windowless room. He pulled out his cell phone as he closed the door behind him. He flipped the phone open to light the few steps to his bunk. He climbed up and carefully took his shoes and socks off, then slid into his sleeping bag. Lou had a near-perfect internal clock and rarely used an alarm. As he closed his eyes, he said in a whisper, “Wake up at seven a.m. Wake up in seven hours.”

Just as he began to fall asleep, he was startled by noises coming from within the room. He hadn’t scanned the place with the light of his phone before going to bed; he had just assumed he was alone. The noises were coming from one of the bunks that earlier he’d seen loaded with someone’s belongings. His cell phone was resting on his chest, and for a moment, he considered flipping it open and seeing who or what was in the room with him.

Now he was going to bear witness to alien robot sex and perhaps become a post-coitus sacrifice. Fuck Michelle. Fuck hostels. Fuck robots. Fuck San Francisco.

There were rustling sounds and what he thought were voices being muffled by blankets and pillows. He heard music being played. Not songs: more like ring tones from a cell phone or video game soundtracks from a handheld game system. The bunk squeaked in rhythm as it tapped the cement wall. He looked over and saw blue and green and red lights glowing, flickering intermittently from under blankets. It was like robots having sex.

Lou was scared. This sort of thing would never happen under the parking lot light of a hotel. Why did he make that promise to Michelle to stay in hostels? Why did he keep that promise? He had a perfectly workable system when on the road, and she fucked it all up with her law school arguments and girlfriend charm. Now he was going to bear witness to alien robot sex and perhaps become a post-coitus sacrifice. Fuck Michelle. Fuck hostels. Fuck robots. Fuck San Francisco.

He debated making an escape, but figured he couldn’t collect his stuff fast enough in the dark without disturbing the alien robots that would probably kill him. So he slouched down farther into his sleeping bag, pulled his pillow tightly over his head and the opening of the bag around the pillow so he was entirely encased and protected, like a caterpillar in a cocoon. He forced himself to think about anything else: Chicago; Michelle; his career in twenty years; Chuck; his house in Las Vegas; the family dog Max greeting him at his dad’s house; Crater Lake; the price of gas; his pending empty bank account; his résumé; where he would live… More and more, he was less afraid of the increasingly loud and strange sounds coming from the adjacent bunk, and starting to fear what was waiting for him outside of that dark hostel room.

Panic finally put him to sleep. And when his eyes popped open at 7 a.m., he was still stuffed down in his sleeping bag and drenched in sweat. Slowly, he peeked his head out of the bag, but couldn’t see a thing because even during the morning, the room allowed no light to come in. He didn’t hear anything, so he flipped his phone open and aimed it across the room. It didn’t illuminate much, but from what he could see, the coast was clear. He swung his legs over the edge of the bunk and hopped down. He reached the light switch and turned it on, ready for the alien robots to spring to life and attack him. But he was alone. No one, nothing, was in the room with him. The things he had seen on the bunks when he checked in were gone. Other than his own stuff and the beds, the room was bare.

He wondered if he had imagined the noises and lights. Was the anxiety of the move playing tricks with his brain? Was he going crazy, or were there really alien robots having sex a few feet from him last night? It didn’t matter. It was over. The day was anew.

He put on some fresh clothes, brushed his teeth in the communal bathroom, paid his bill and took off toward the Golden Gate Bridge. It was early and traffic was light. It was just Lou and a European couple on the pedestrian part of the bridge. He could tell they were European by the formfitting brightly colored jeans and vinyl windbreakers that looked like they were stolen off the set of a 1980s Wham! video. The air was cool and salty. There wasn’t much fog like expected, so he was able to grab a few good photos of the bridge and some grainy, but mostly decent, shots of the Alcatraz rock. The majesty of the Golden Gate Bridge was one thing. But what really grabbed his attention were the emergency telephone boxes secured to the bridge every couple of yards. They had signs above them that read:

CRISIS COUNSELING THERE IS HOPE MAKE THE CALL THE CONSEQUENCES OF JUMPING OFF THIS BRIDGE ARE FATAL AND TRAGIC.

He looked over the railing into the San Francisco Bay. He knew how it worked. A sad, troubled life. A moment of uncertainty — then certainty. A little leap. This was America’s hot spot for suicide aficionados. It was either the impact with the water or the greedy undertow of the bay that would kill a person. Lou wondered for a second what part would kill him. If it wasn’t the fall, could he survive? He was a strong swimmer. It was a rhetorical question; actually killing himself was not on his mind.

Still, he wondered about those emergency phones and about the operators on the other end of them. How many lives were saved by the telephone? How many operators heard last words? He considered picking one up and telling the operator that he would kill himself unless someone in Chicago would have a job waiting for him when he arrived in two weeks. But then he figured that probably wouldn’t work. No one would want to hire a demanding suicidal maniac.

He used his cell phone to call Michelle from the bridge. He hated the idea of bothering her at work, but she assured him that a phone call from him was never a bother but a blessing.

“Michelle Kaminski’s office,” her secretary said.

“May I please speak with Ms. Kaminski,” Lou asked.

“Ms. Kaminski is in a meeting at the moment. May I take a message for her?”

“Thank you. Please tell her that Lou Bergman called. She has my number.”

“Will she know what this is in reference to?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’ll have her return your call at her earliest convenience, Mr. Bergman. Have a wonderful day.”

He meandered along the bridge for a few more minutes until Michelle called back. “You called?” She did not sound happy.

“Hi, baby. That was a quick meeting.”

“It was three hours long — just finished.”

“Brutal. Guess where I am?”

“I don’t know… Moon Lake or wherever.”

“Moon Lake? You mean, Crater Lake. No. I’m standing on the Golden Gate Bridge. God, Michelle, you should see it. It’s beautiful.”

“I’d love to be there with you. But I have a job to do. I’d love to be able to take two weeks off to do whatever I wanted and go wherever I wanted, but I have responsibilities. People depend on me. I have billable hour quotas I need to hit. But you go ahead and enjoy the view from the bridge, Lou.”

“Whoa. I’m sorry that upset you. You sound busy. I’ll let you go.”

“I am busy, Lou. I’m always busy. This is my job. I think you need to hurry home.”

“I know, baby. I’m on my way to you. Just 12 more days. It’s nothing.”

“I mean it. This road trip, I get it. I know you like driving all over with no direction, like its your last hurrah or something, but you need to consider me, Lou.”

“I have direction. I know exactly where I’m going.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about me slipping away. You’re losing me.”

“What?”

“I know you’re moving here to finally start your life, but mine has been happening, and you can’t expect me to just wait around for you to show up whenever you please. It’s not fair to me. I love you, Lou. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But I can’t promise you I’ll be here when you finally show up. I hope I’ll still be waiting for you, but I don’t know. I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

What the hell just happened? She’s raving like a madwoman, he thought. He’d been through this with her before, however. In moments of personal stress, Michelle had a tendency to overreact and lash out at anyone within striking distance. There was one week during her freshman year in high school when her best friend Jen was too busy to hang out with her. As retaliation, during a soccer practice warm-up exercise, Michelle kicked a ball has hard as she possibly could at Jen, hitting her square in the gut, knocking her on her feet and forcing the air right out of her lungs. Jen had a soccer-ball–sized bruise for several days and was benched for that weekend’s game because of the injury.

When Michelle told this story in her maid-of-honor speech at Jen’s wedding, she didn’t understand why no one laughed at it. “Because it’s just mean,” Lou told her. But Michelle disagreed and stood by her case that Jen had it coming and that it was a funny story. Besides, they were still friends after all, she argued.

Maybe Michelle was freaking out on him because she’d just emerged from a painful three-hour meeting. She was just stressed at work and jealous that he was out having fun. Envy. That’s what it was. He wasn’t losing her. She was just kicking the soccer ball in his gut.

✶

HE DROVE INTO TOWN AND FOUND A PLACE TO GRAB A BAGEL AND COFFEE, and read one of the scummy alternative papers in the wire basket by the door. As he was biting into the bagel, he received a text from Michelle:

I’m sorry I barked at u. But hurry. I won’t wait forevr. Stop wasting ur life.

“I really don’t have time for this right now, Lou,” Michelle said when he again called her. He couldn’t let a text like that go without further explanation. Clearly, she was not just lashing out. She was giving him an ultimatum: Stop having fun or she was leaving.

“You’re not being fair,” he told her.

“No. You’re not being fair to me or your career. You know what the right thing to do is. So do it.”

He drove a little farther north but pulled into a gas station just before leaving the San Francisco limits. While the car fueled up, he called Chuck.

“She’s right. What am I doing out here? I’m wasting all of this money that I don’t really have, when I could be in Chicago looking for a job. And now what? Now she’s going to break up with me when I get there? All broke and unemployed but with some photos of the town where Hemingway shot himself? What the fuck am I doing?”

Chuck was at the hospital in Indiana where his mother was recovering from her second heart surgery. “First of all, calm down. Just breathe,” he told Lou. “She’s not going to break up with you. You’ll find a job. Just relax.”

“I can’t! I’m telling you, I’ve got a bad feeling about all of this. I’m freaking out. I swear there were robots fucking in my room last night. I gotta get to Chicago. I gotta get my life going. I know! I’ll call a shipping company, have them pick up my car from this gas station. I’ll call Southwest and get a plane ticket, and I can be home by tonight.”

“You’re fucking crazy,” Chuck said. “Now, shut up and listen to me. You’ll end up spending more money on shipping and flying than you will driving. If it’ll keep you from going insane, cancel the adventure. You can try it again another time. I’ll do it with you. So calm down, drive back into the city and find I-80. It starts there. Just take that straight across into Chicago. You’ll be there in three days.”

✶

WHEN LOU PULLED UP TO MICHELLE’S HIGH-RISE on Lake Shore Drive, he was covered in a layer of highway dust, beef jerky crumbs and sweat. His breath reeked of Red Bull, dehydrated meat and a tired piece of chewing gum. His hair was oily, but he thought it looked pretty good for having spent the last seven days windblown in the driver’s seat of his Volkswagen. If only it could look that good after a shower.

As he looked at himself in the rearview mirror, he closed his eyes and sighed. He told himself out loud, “All right, asshole. Don’t fuck anything up.”

When Michelle answered the door of her pricey northside one-bedroom apartment and saw Lou standing there, her face exploded into a smile. She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, where she kissed him long and perfectly. Then she drew all the blinds down on the large windows that presented a picturesque Chicago — the peaks of downtown buildings, Belmont Harbor and Lake Michigan’s expanse out east, and the garden rooftops of Wrigleyville to the west. Again, their mouths met, and they fell into a rabidly intense lovemaking session.

“Welcome home,” Michelle said once she caught her breath, both of their naked bodies sweaty and shaking with pleasure.

“I can get used to this,” he said.

Part I Part II Part III Part IV

#Hope Idiotic #Chicago Fiction #Las Vegas Fiction #Fiction #Novel #David Himmel Fiction #David Himmel Author #Bildungsroman #Dark Humor

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hymn2000 · 5 years

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Hope I’ve Got Something To Lose - MCU AU fanfic - C19

Story overview: Peter has an accident, and Tony makes a drastic decision. In the midst of everything, a face from the past reappears - but Peter isn’t too sure about reconnecting after everything that’s happened.

Previous chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Part of my irondad and spiderson series.

Warnings/themes: injury, hospital stuff, hurt/comfort, mental health stuff, family stuff, corporal punishment, friendship

You can also find me on AO3

Chapter 19 - All This Heat

The string of disturbed nights finally got to Peter. He was teary-eyed and distant in the morning, not speaking much, and not feeling great all round. So when Tony’s prediction about Loki proved accurate, it was all Peter could do not to break down and start sobbing.

“It’s alright, kiddo. He just needs some time to rest” Tony said, squeezing the boys shoulder.

“It’s not fair” Peter said, tears dripping delicately down his cheeks.

“Hey” Tony took Peter’s face in his hands so he had to look at him. “I know. But there’s nothing we can do, you know that. Look, you’ve got your friends. Why don’t you three get on the train and go over to the next town?”

Peter pulled away from Tony and stood up. “I’m not going”

“Oh Peter. Peter!”

But Peter wasn’t listening. Tony sighed heavily as the boy left the room. He looked at the girls.

“Just give him five minutes”

“What’s the matter with Loki?” Liz asked.

“He’s got M.E., and he gets these flare ups” Tony said.

“What’s M.E?”

“I can’t pronounce it. It’s like chronic fatigue syndrome. When he gets these flare-ups, it just knocks him out for a few days. Basically just makes him unbelievably tired”

“Ooh, right” Liz said. “Why’s Peter so upset?”

“He doesn’t like seeing him poorly. And I think he was counting on spending time with him this week”

“He’ll just have to cope with us instead, then” Liz said.

Tony looked at her, and smiled. “You tell him, girl”

As expected, Tony found Peter curled up under Loki’s arm.

“You can’t stay here all day” Tony said, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb Loki.

“I don’t see why not” Peter mumbled.

“You need to go and spend time with your friends, and breathe in as much good, clean, sea air as is humanly possible. That’s why we’re here, remember?”

Peter didn’t respond. Tony carefully moved Loki’s arm, grabbed Peter round the chest, and lifted him off the bed and out onto the landing.

“What did you do that for?!”

“Hey, keep your voice down”

“I wanna stay with daddy!”

“Tough” Tony all but snapped. “Go and get dressed and then go to the train station. I’ll stay with daddy. You go and have fun with your friends”

Peter scowled. Tony sighed and gave him a quick hug.

“Do as you’re told”

Despite it all, Peter was very soon glad of being pushed out of the house. They got on the train, and as it moved out of the station, Peter felt ok. Maybe it was the feeling of running away, or maybe it was the familiar sound of the trains wheels on the tracks. Whatever it was, he was grateful for it.

“So, what is there to do here?” Flo asked when they got off the train at the next town.

“I’m not sure: I didn’t look it up” Peter said. “I know there’s a big pier”

“Well then” Liz said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Let’s just walk down there and see where the day takes us”

She took hold of Peter’s hand, and Flo took his other one.

“What’s that look all about?” Liz said.

“Hm? Oh... It’s just... Well, you’re both so nice to me”

“Well, duh. We’re your friends, aren’t we?”

Peter couldn’t help but smile and nod. “Yeah, definitely”

Flo kissed him hard on the cheek. “We love you”

“I love you too”

The day trip proved a success. They spent a little while walking across by the sea, and they ventured onto the pier briefly, although Flo fussed that she felt like she was going to fall through the gaps. The town seemed to be a pretty small one, and the beach itself wasn’t as nice as the one where they were staying. But that was fine. They contented themselves with the little RNLI museum, and then spent a good hour or two looking in all the shops they could find.

“It’s kinda like a ghost town, isn’t it?” Flo said, reading yet another ‘closed for the season’ notice in a cafe window.

“It is a little odd” Peter said. “But, I suppose that’s just what these towns are like when you come off-peak”

“Hey, Peter?”

“Yeah?”

“We never did the arcade where we’re staying” Liz said.

“Well, there’s still loads of time. We can go later. Might get something proper to eat first, though”

“Yeah, I’ll be ready for food when we get back” Liz said. “What were you thinking?”

“Chippy?”

“We had that yesterday” Flo said. “What about that pizza place? That looked nice”

“Sure. Liz?”

“Pizza sounds pretty good, actually”

“Ok, cool. So, when we get back, pizza, walk down to that kiosk for a Mr Whippy, and then go to the arcade. Ok?”

The girls smiled, and nodded.

“Brilliant”

“Ok wow” Flo said, looking down at her pizza. “I think maybe we should’ve just gotten a couple to share. These are huge!”

“They’re not that big”

“No, she’s right, Liz: they’re huge” Peter said, picking up a slice and biting into it. “Oh my god..”

The girls followed suit, and they all looked at each other with the same expression.

“Ok wow, these are amazing!” Flo said. “This was such a good idea”

“Even if you do say so yourself!”

Liz soon started to realise that, yes, these pizzas were indeed huge.

“I don’t think I’m gonna be able to finish this” she admitted.

“Me neither!” Peter said. “We can always get the rest boxed up and drop them back off at the house before we head down the street”

They were sat near to the kitchen doors, and had seen the chef taking the takeaway orders out, so were confident they could get them boxed up. Two meals for the price of one, Peter thought.

“Oh, wait!” Peter said. “I’m just gonna run into Tesco quickly”

“We were just gonna drop these boxes off!” Liz said. “Can’t you wait?”

“No, I need to get something. You can wait outside if you like”

Liz rolled her eyes, and leant against the wall. Flo joined her. Peter just smiled.

“I’ll be quick!”

Tony was in the kitchen when they got back to the house.

“Hey, kids” he said. “What’ve you got there?”

“Leftover pizza” Liz said. “We went to this amazing pizza joint on the main street. The pizzas were huge!”

Tony smiled. “Nice! How was your little train trip?”

“It was good” Flo said.

Tony looked over at Peter. “What’ve you got there, kiddo?”

“Lucozade” Peter said, putting the big bottles down beside Tony. “For daddy”

“Aw, that’s sweet, chick, but I already got him some”

“Well, now he’s got more” Peter said.

Tony ruffled his hair fondly. “You’re a good kid”

“How is he?”

“You don’t need to go worrying about him” Tony said, twisting the bread bag shut. “I’m just getting him something to eat. What are you lot doing now?”

“We’re going down to that kiosk for an ice cream” Liz said.

“The one with the lady with foundation lips?” Tony said, nodding when Liz did. “She’s lovely. Get yourselves the large ones, with flakes”

“Of course” Peter smiled. “It’s not a proper Mr Whippy without a flake”

“I’ll give you that” Tony said. “Any other plans while you’re down there?”

“I thought we might wander onto the beach, climb the rocks”

Tony glared at him.

“I’m joking!”

“Well don’t, you cheeky blighter” Tony said, tweaking his nose. “Stay away from the rocks”

“We were gonna go down the arcade”

“Good idea” Tony said. “Just stay away from those bloody claw machines”

“Yeah yeah, will do. See you later!”

“See you later. Be good!”

They leant against the wall overlooking the sea while they had their ice creams, just as they had done the first time. Once they’d finished, they turned back and headed to the arcade. Despite what Tony had said, they did have a go on the claw machines, tempted by the toys with £20 notes tied to them.

“It’s a total scam” Peter said once they’d lost £5 trying. “Let’s see if they’ve got one of those pay till you win grabbers. At least then you know you’ll get something out of it”

They soon found one, full with little purple and blue rabbits and teddies with tiny silver spots.

“Gotta love a bit of seaside tat” Peter said, slotting a pound into the machine.

“It does take some of the fun out of it, though, getting them so quickly” Flo said, watching Peter grab his toy from the prize return.

“It still kinda feels good to win though” Peter said, turning the little purple rabbit over in his hands. “What should I call it?”

Flo peered at it. “It’s sort of ugly, isn’t it?”

“Don’t talk to my son like that!”

Flo giggled. “You can name it later”

“It’s not his fault he’s got tiny ears and a big head and no tail” Peter said, tucking the rabbits feet under his hoodie so it stayed sat on his shoulder.

“Poor seaside rabbit” Liz said, putting a pound in the machine. “My turn”

She won a similarly unfortunate looking toy, this time a light blue bear.

“His ears are kinda rectangular” she said. “He doesn’t have a tail either. And one side of his snout is thicker than the other side”

“Poor little teddy” Peter said.

“Yes, poor little teddy” Liz said. “I love him anyway, though”

“What are you gonna call him?”

Liz thought for a moment. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it properly later”

She tucked the bear through her shoulder strap, keeping it securely on the front of her shoulder. She gave Flo a nudge.

“Your turn” she said.

“No thanks” Flo said. “I don’t really want one”

“Spoilsport” Peter said, sticking his tongue out at her.

Flo stuck her tongue out at him. “I’ll get something else”

“Sure you will”

They stumbled across another prize every time game; a kind of rotating lollipop game. Peter wasn’t quite sure how it worked, but Flo figured it out. Once she’d finished, she stood up, holding up five chupa-chups triumphantly.

“Told you I’d get something else”

“Ours will last longer” Liz said.

“Doesn’t matter”

Liz rolled her eyes, but she shook her head fondly. She turned to look at Peter, only to find he wasn’t at her side anymore.

“Peter?”

They heard a clattering, and turned to see Peter stood by a change machine, watching 2p coins falling into a little plastic tub.

“How much did you put in that machine?”

“Just a couple of quid” Peter said. “One of these penny-pushers has got a £5 note right at the end. I bet I can get it”

He picked up the tub of coins, gathering the few that had missed it, and went over to his chosen machine. The girls followed. Peter was right; there was a £5 note in the centre of the bottom shelf, partially hanging over the end. To all intents and purposes, it looked like it was ready to drop. But, the other part of it was heavily weighed down with coins.

“It’s a fix, Peter” Liz said. “You’ll never get that”

“I can try”

“Then you’ll be sorely disappointed”

Liz was right, of course. He spent a long time stood by the machine, feeding his coins into it, even after the girls got bored and wandering off for a bit. He managed to get a lot of coins out, but that was it. He kept listening out, occasionally darting to an unoccupied machine to grab coins that had fallen, trying to put off getting his wallet out again. He didn’t understand how it was fixed. It couldn’t be magnets, because copper wasn’t magnetic. He thought maybe there was a slope of sorts keeping the £5 fixed firmly in place. He scowled. He knew he should probably give up.

“How much have you put into that machine now?” Liz said, appearing at his side.

“...More than a fiver” Peter admitted.

“You need to stop”

“I did win this, though” he said, holding up a little woven bracelet, pink with rainbow beads.

“It’s beautiful” Liz said, raising an eyebrow. “That £5 isn’t going to come out”

“I know” Peter said mournfully. “Still, I bet I can get that other bracelet. It’s close to the edge”

Liz peered in his tub of coins.

“Right, ok, try for the bracelet, and then we’re going. If you haven’t got it by the time that tub is empty, I will literally drag you away by the ear”

Flo appeared at Peter’s other side. “Hi”

Peter gave her the little rainbow bracelet. “Merry Christmas”

“Oh! Thank you..”

She watched with Liz as Peter continued feeding coins into the penny-pusher. Peter’s coins were diminishing, and it was starting to look even more hopeless. The bracelet was tottering when Peter reached his last coin. He paused, and then they all held their breath as he put that last 2p into the machine. They watched the shelf and coins move - and the bracelet fell into the prize return.

“Yes!!”

Peter grabbed it happily. It was chunky, with silver and red alternating beads. Peter gave it to Liz.

“I love it” she said, slipping it onto her wrist, and then putting an arm firmly round his shoulders, careful not to dislodge his rabbit. “Lets go”

Peter took one last look at the £5 he’d spent so long trying to get, and then let himself be lead away.

The early evening breeze was a bit of a shock. They collectively decided to head back to the house. Peter brushed his hair out of his eyes, and stopped.

“What? Oh my god, look at this”

His thumb and forefinger were black.

“Ew. Those coins must’ve been filthy!” Flo said.

“That’s... disgusting. Just a little bit” Peter said, wiping his hand on his jeans, which didn’t make much difference. “Hm. Yknow, I love you guys, but I’m abandoning you for a really long bath as soon as we get back”

Peter took his time in the bath. He usually had showers, and having a long soak was a nice change. He’d snuck into the en-suite in his parents room and nabbed the bottle of black pepper and ginseng bath soak Loki had brought with him, and poured a healthy amount into his bath. He had a good wash, and then spent a long time just lying in the hot water, watching the steam rising from the bath, and daydreaming.

The water was getting cold by the time he climbed out of the bath. He wrapped himself up in a big towel, checked the coast was clear, and scurried to his own room, flopping on the bed. He felt funny, full and warm and happy. He was tired. Maybe an early night would be a good idea. He sighed, looking at the funny rabbit toy he’d won earlier on, and rested his eyes, just for a moment

Peter jumped awake, grabbing the wrist of whoever it was shaking his shoulder.

“Woah, hey, it’s just me. It’s dad” Tony said, stroking the boys hair firmly to reassure him. “It’s just me”

“Oh..” Peter let go of him, heart still thudding. “Sorry. You made me jump... I think I dropped off”

“Yeah, still in your bath towel, too” Tony smiled. “Put something on, give your hair a quick brush, and then come downstairs: tea’ll be ready soon”

“Ok, ok. I’ll be quick”

“Good boy”

Flo blinked a little when Peter came down to the kitchen, and it didn’t go unnoticed.

“What?” Peter said, somewhat defensive.

“You look cute!”

Tony laughed before Peter could reply.

“Sit down, kiddo. You’re just in time” Tony said, serving the three teens.

“Is daddy joining us?”

“No, he’s not doing too great. I’m gonna go and eat with him”

“He won’t like being woken up”

“You’re telling me! He nearly knocked me out when I woke him up for lunch earlier” Tony said, readying a tray.

“Ouch”

“Ouch indeed” he ruffled Peter’s hair. “Be good. I’ll be back down later”

“Why does he wake him up if it makes him cross?” Liz asked once Tony had gone upstairs.

“If he doesn’t, daddy doesn’t eat. And then he just gets worse” Peter said. “He’s jus’ trying to look after him”

“Cute” Flo said, picking up her fork. “Did you fall asleep?”

Peter nodded. “I only meant to rest my eyes for a minute”

“Can I say something?”

Peter and Flo looked at her.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a carbonara before”

Peter very nearly choked on his mouthful of food. He swallowed quickly, and coughed.

“I thought you were gonna say something serious!” he spluttered. “You had me worried for half a second there”

Liz reached across the table and tugged a lock of his hair sharply.

“Don’t laugh at me! I’ll fight you”

“I’ll fight you right back” Peter said. “Don’t think I won’t”

Liz put her fork down and stood up. “Come on, then. I challenge you to a duel!”

“You’re on!”

Flo grabbed Peter’s arm as he jumped up. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“I’ve been challenged, Flo: I need to defend my honour!”

“But if you start crashing about, you’ll disturb your parents. You're going to get into trouble” Flo said. “Especially if you end up breaking something”

Peter shook her hand off. “I'm willing to take that risk”

Liz pounced at him, and it wasn’t long before they were entwined in a mad wrestle on the kitchen floor.

“You’re idiots, both of you” Flo said, trying to ignore them and continue eating.

“You could always join in” Peter suggested, pinning Liz’s hands by her head.

“No, thank you. I want to remain an innocent party to your foolishness”

“A Millicent Bystander?” Peter grinned, laughing at his own joke.

“What does that even mean?” Liz said, bringing her knee up and knocking Peter off.

“Oh yeah, you haven’t seen Flushed Away; I remember you saying” Peter said, grabbing her upper arms. “We’ll have to watch it sometime. I haven’t seen it for ages, but Millicent Bystander still makes me laugh every time I think about it”

“Sure. Now less talking, more fighting”

They started getting louder, and a lot rougher. Flo couldn’t ignore them. She half-shielded her eyes with one hand, embarrassed, and a little nervous.

“You two need to stop”

“Absolutely not!” they said in unison.

Flo tensed as she heard footsteps. It wasn’t long before her prediction came true, and Tony burst into the kitchen.

“What the hell is going on down here?!” he shouted, grabbing Peter round the chest and hauling him off Liz.

“We’re just having a duel!” Peter said, grinning up at him.

Tony didn’t smile back. “You know full well your father’s not very well, and yet you still think it’s acceptable to start crashing about and shrieking like a couple of little banshees? What’s wrong with you?”

“We’re just having a bit of fun” Peter said, his smile falling.

“You should be eating” Tony scowled. “Liz, get off the floor”

Liz did as she was told.

“I told you!” Flo said.

“You should’ve told them with a bit more force” Tony said, releasing Peter. “Now sit down and shut up and eat like a good boy. If I hear so much as a slightly raised voice from this room, there’ll be big trouble. Understand?”

Peter nodded, taking his place at the table.

“So, who won?” he said.

“I did, obviously” Liz said.

“You did not!” Peter said, jumping up and slamming his hands down on the table.

“PETER!” Tony snapped, marching over and smacking him hard on the bottom. “What did I just say?”

Peter flinched, and slowly sank back into his seat.

“Don’t you dare move from that seat until you’ve finished your tea. Now all of you, be good, and for gods sake, be quiet!”

And with that, he stalked out of the room.

“I told you you’d get into trouble” Flo grumbled, picking her fork back up.

Peter rolled his eyes, picking up his own fork.

“Wanna call it a draw?” Liz said gently.

Peter nodded, but he didn’t look at her.

“Hey” Liz reached across the table, moving his fork and taking his hand. “Are you ok?”

Peter took a deep breath, and squeezed her hand.

“It’s your own fault” Flo said, setting her fork down.

Peter pulled his hand away from Liz and pushed Flo off her chair.

“Peter!”

Flo scrambled to her feet. “Fine, if it’s going to be like that-”

She pushed Peter off his chair. Peter sat in shock for a moment, and then jumped up and went for her.

“Hey! Peter!” Liz jumped up and tried to get in between them. She hadn’t anticipated Flo’s strength or Peter’s anger, and it was too much for her to cope with single-handedly. “MR STARK!!”

Tony appeared again in a matter of seconds.

“Hey, are you two fighting?! Flo!” he tore Peter away from the girls, and pushed Flo into a chair. “What the hell is going on?! You two never so much as argue!”

“She started it!” Peter shouted.

“I did not! You pushed me first!”

“Flo, stop this! You’re supposed to be the good one”

Flo sat down and went quiet, angry tears in her eyes.

“Oh yeah, that’s it, start with the crocodile tears” Peter spat. “You did start it, saying-”

“Right, that’s it, you’re on a time out, young man” Tony grabbed hold of him, throwing him over his shoulder.

Peter shrieked indignantly, bringing his fists down against his back. “Put me down! You’re so embarrassing!”

Tony plonked Peter down on the stairs. Peter tried to get up straight away, but Tony grabbed him and held him there, despite his struggling.

“Stop this! Peter! Calm down!” he said, more worried than angry. “What’s the matter with you?!”

Peter gave him a shove, drew his knees up to his chest, and buried his face in them. Tony sighed heavily, rested a hand on his head for a moment, and then went back to the kitchen, shutting the door behind him.

“Right, what was that all about?” he said, folding his arms over his chest. “You two have never had a bad word to say about each other, and now I find you fighting!? What happened?”

“He got upset because he got into trouble, which I told him he would if he started clattering about” Flo said. “And then he pushed me off my seat, so I pushed him off his”

“You said it was his fault” Liz said.

“It was!”

“Yeah, but you don’t say that, especially when he was upset like that! It was my fault too, and you were just rubbing salt in his wounds. I would’ve pushed you off your seat too, and a lot worse besides!”

She stood up and stormed out of the room.

“Liz? Liz!”

She ignored him. He heard the back door bang.

Tony sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. He looked at Flo.

“Are you ok?”

“I didn’t start it, and I didn’t do anything wrong” she said, picking up her fork and turning away from him.

Tony sighed. “Ok”

Tony found Liz out on the patio.

“She’s just so annoying!” Liz said as soon as he’d closed the door behind him. “Why does she have to be so perfect all of the time? I mean, how would she feel if her dad had told her off and someone basically just told her to suck it up?”

Tony just listened to her, not saying anything.

“I know he shouldn’t’ve pushed her, but I can’t really blame him. She was just-”

“Liz” Tony interrupted.

Liz looked at him, and promptly burst into tears. She let him hug her, and buried her face in his shoulder. Tony rubbed her back gently, resting his cheek against her head.

“I know, chick. I know”

“I’m sorry-!”

“Don’t be. Peter spends a good 20-30% of his life screaming into my shoulder. There’s not a single shirt in my wardrobe that hasn’t had a tear-bath by now”

Liz laughed feebly at his little joke, but then continued crying. She felt awful, but she also felt safe in Tony’s arms. She’d felt safe in Loki’s during the night, too. They were both well practised. She’d cried on both of them now. Somehow, she didn’t feel embarrassed about that.

Once Liz had stopped crying, her and Tony had a good, long talk about everything, and it helped.

“Thank you” she said.

“No problem, chick. We all need a good cry and a bitch sometimes”

“Yeah... Oh, shouldn’t you be with Loki?!”

“He’ll be fine; he’ll be asleep again by now” Tony said.

“Did he eat?”

“He had about half his plate, which is better than I expected”

“Does it upset you? Seeing him ill?”

“Every time” Tony said. “But sometimes it’s easier than other times”

“And this time?”

“It’s easier. We... Well, we’ve had some good things happen, and I think we’re both using that to keep us up” Tony stood up, holding a hand out to her. “Come on. We should go back in. You can go and make up with Flo, and I’ll go and have a word with Peter”

Liz stood up and took his hand. Tony squeezed it gently.

“Ready?”

Liz nodded. “Ready”

Flo was curled up on the living room sofa with a book. She looked up when Liz came into the room. Liz hesitated, and then went over and sat beside her. Flo offered her the bag of sherbet lemons she had with her. Liz took one. The girls smiled at each other, and that was all it took.

Tony sat down next to Peter on the stairs. Peter was sat slumped against the wall, looking down at his hands.

“Liz told me everything” Tony said. “I can see why you got so upset”

“...I wish she wasn’t so perfect all the time” Peter said. “It’s so annoying”

“That’s just what Liz said” Tony sighed. “She’s not perfect, chick. She was pretty inconsiderate and smug, if you ask me, whether she intended it or not. Plus, she did escalate the situation. That doesn’t excuse what you did, mind”

“She was kinda asking for it”

“That’s no excuse. Play fighting? In the right situation, fine. Starting a proper physical fight with someone you love? Not ok. Absolutely not ok” Tony said. “That’s not like you. Something’s going on with you, kiddo. I don’t know what it is, but something made you lash out, and something’s made your nightmares flare up. Any ideas?”

Peter shrugged. “It’s just coincidence”

Tony sighed, putting an arm round Peter’s shoulders. Peter froze, but then melted into him, resting his head against his chest. He stayed like that for a moment, and then turned and hugged him properly, squashing his nose up against his chest.

“It’s alright, kiddo. I’ve got you” Tony said, squeezing him tight.

“Am I in trouble?”

“No. I’m not happy with you, but you’re not in trouble. This is something you need to sort out with Flo. So. How do you feel? Ready to forgive her yet?”

“No”

“I didn’t think so”

“I want you to go now”

Tony looked down at him, and slowly let him go. Peter lent back against the wall. Tony sighed, and went to sort out the kitchen.

After a very frank conversation with Liz, Flo went out into the hallway. She hesitated a moment before sitting down beside Peter on the stairs. Peter glanced at her, but otherwise didn’t move. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Peter not wanting to speak, Flo trying to find the courage to.

“I’m sorry” she said eventually.

Peter sat up and looked at her.

“I wasn’t very nice to you earlier. I’m sorry for upsetting you. I shouldn’t’ve acted the way I did”

Slowly, Peter shifted closer to her, and wound his arms round her. Flo hugged him back, kissing his cheek.

“Thank you” Peter said.

“Don’t mention it”

Tony went upstairs to sort out the tray and check on Loki, and once he’d finished, he went through to the living room. He just about fainted with relief when he saw Peter, Liz, and Flo curled up close, watching a film and looking perfectly happy together. It looked like the little blip was over.

Tony knocked on the twin room door and pushed it open. The three teens were collapsed in a giggling heap.

“What are you three laughing about?” he said, amused.

“Nothing, dad” Peter said.

Tony raised an eyebrow. “What a naughty giggle, Flo. I’ve decided I don’t want to know. Now, you know what I’m here to say, don’t you?”

The girls nodded. “Bedtime”

“That’s it. Go on, go and get yourselves ready”

“Bagsy the bathroom first” Liz said, grabbing her night things and rushing off.

“Come on, Peter, same goes for you” Tony said, and then, when the boy didn’t move; “Peter?”

Peter blinked hard, and stood up. He gave Flo a quick hug, and then skirted round his dad and went to his room.

Tony went and shut everything down and locked up downstairs before going back upstairs to check on Peter. The boy was sat on the floor, pretending to look through his postcards.

“Peter” Tony said. “Come on, jump into bed now”

Peter looked up at him. “Do I have to?”

“Uh, yes, you do: it’s nearly midnight” Tony said. “Come on now”

Peter swallowed, looking away. “I don’t want to”

“Why not?”

Peter didn’t say anything. Tony sat down next to him.

“Peter” he said gently. “Why don’t you want to go to bed?”

Peter still didn’t answer.

“Come on kiddo, talk to-” he stopped, having a thought. He lowered his voice. “Are you scared of having another nightmare?”

Peter nodded. Tony sighed, putting an arm round his shoulders.

“Poor old tuppenny. You’ve had a tough few nights, haven’t you?” he kissed him on the temple. “You need to try to sleep, kiddo”

Peter looked over at the bed, as though the nightmare was already lurking there. He really didn’t want to go to bed. He’d only wake up screaming again, and not only was it scary and exhausting and horrible, it was embarrassing too. He didn’t know what to do. Unless...

“Can I sleep in your bed tonight?”

Tony looked at him. “Sweetheart...”

“I don’t have nightmares when I sleep next to people. Hardly ever. Please?”

Tony looked into his big puppy dog eyes, and sighed silently. “Ok”

Loki was in a brief state of wakefulness when Tony carried Peter into the bedroom.

“He’s sleeping in here tonight, my love” Tony said, setting the boy down on the bed and going to the en suite.

Peter wriggled under the covers, facing Loki.

“Nightmare prevention tactics?”

Peter nodded. “How are you feeling?”

“...Nothing feels real” he said. “How long have I been asleep for?”

“I don’t know, exactly”

“Is it today or tomorrow?”

Peter blinked a bit, thinking. “It’s today. You were ok yesterday. Now it’s the end of today”

“Ah good, now I know where I stand” Loki yawned. “Can you.. can you pass me my pig?”

Peter sat up, finding the old toy and giving it to him.

“Thanks, chick...”

Loki settled down and closed his eyes, and his breathing soon slowed. Tony came back into the bedroom, turning the main light off and the lamp on to its dimmest setting.

“One down, two to go” Tony said, climbing into bed. “Lie down now, kiddo. Sleep time”

Peter did as he was told, cuddling up against his father’s chest. Tony held him close, pulling the covers round the three of them properly.

“Goodnight, kiddo”

“Goodnight, dad”

Peter snuggled close, warm and safe between his parents. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep listening to the sound of Tony’s heartbeat.

#my writing #fanfiction #mcu fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #frostiron #irondad and spiderson #two chapters in two days? incredible #I'm trying really hard to wrap this up so I can start the next fic #but there's still a bunch of stuff to write

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halloweennut · 5 years

Text

Wonder (Part 2)

part two kids! featuring my other oc as well

Wonder gets an update.

Even without the threat of becoming an app, and with the generally increased freedom of being in McDuck Labs, Wonder still felt closed off. There was nothing she wanted more than to go and actually experience what she saw videos and pictures of, and her questions and curiosity only increased as the days and weeks went by. She had learned and had grown more, but there were so many variables that couldn’t be accounted for, how much she still hadn’t been able to experience for herself. Having her questions answered was nice, but there’s only so much she could ask.

“Dr. Gearloose?” Wonder asked quietly, not wanting to disturb him too much from his concentration, but it looked like he had spaced off in the middle of a schematic. She considered following up with asking him when he last slept, but he responded.

“Yes, Wonder? I’m a little busy right now,” he replied, tapping his pencil on the blue paper. Truthfully, he could use a distraction from the block he had.

“Oh, nevermind then. I can ask later,” she said, pulling up the queue of ocean videos she had. “Just another silly question, I guess.”

“Your questions are only occasionally silly,” Gyro turned to face her, tossing the pencil into a cup. “What do you want to know today?”

Wonder took down the queue, focusing her camera on Gyro. It was the only way she could establish eye contact. Well, not really. She activated her rudimentary hologram program. Wonder hadn’t used it since she was back at Waddle and desperate to move around. The avatar she had crafted herself was a greenfinch, but the light source made it blue and a little pixelated. She had told Gyro about the capabilities she had been programmed with, as well as ones she adopted from other Waddle programs and what she had developed herself, including the hologram application. But after weeks of only dealing with her as a computer, Gyro still looked a little taken aback to see her like that and almost physically there as the hologram settled in 3D space, sitting on a chair - not really sitting but projecting that they were.

“How would I...How would you - Do you know how to make a full, life-size body?” Wonder stuttered out. “It’s not that I’m ungrateful for the computing system and everything you’ve gone out of your way to do for me, but-”

“It’s starting to get small again, isn’t it?” Gyro interjected. The hologram nodded. “And you want to be able to actually learn things first hand so you don’t have to keep asking questions.”

The hologram nodded again. “I know it’s a selfish thing to ask. You have all your other projects for your job, only so much grant money, and I could always just get a RAM and processor upgrade instead - that might help.”

“You’ve been here for weeks now, and you underestimate me? I thought you knew better,” Gyro replied with a shrug. “We’ll start schematics for it soon. It’ll be a technological marvel, honestly, and if it works, who knows the other possibilities we’ll have with the tech that gets developed.”

“With what tech?” The hologram tilted its head. Gyro stared at her like it was the most obvious question in the world.

“That’s a silly question,” Gyro said, pulling out a blank sheet of blue panning paper from a drawer. “Your next upgrade, Wonder, obviously. A whole body with the specifications of your current computing system, but we’ll probably expand that too.”

“Really? You’ll do it?” Wonder exclaimed, the hologram leaping from the chair. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!”

The hologram lunged forward, arms outstretched to wrap around Gyro’s legs, but phased halfway through before pulling back sheepishly. The thank you hug would have to wait until she was corporeal.

---

It had taken months of research, tests, midnights and cups of coffee, but Wonder’s body was finished. Based completely off her hologram and real-life proportions and other biometrics on greenfinches in her age group, if Gyro and Fenton hadn’t compiled her hardware and made her feathers themselves, they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the android and a person. Well, the lack of breathing was a good sign, but it wasn’t on and Wonder hadn’t been uploaded to it. Everything had been taken into account to make her look as lifelike as possible, but now the only thing left was to start everything up.

“Okay, the last diagnostic has cleared, we’re all set you two,” Fenton said, looking over at Gyro and Wonder’s screen from his tablet. Gyro had just finished attaching the cables and wires between the body and computer and quickly made sure they were secure, as well as the old shirt they had put on the new body until they could get her proper clothing.

“Ready, Wonder?” Gyro asked. The response was a quickly chirped yes, and he nodded. “Initiate download and system start-up.”

“See you soon,” Fenton said and started the program to get the body running as Wonder’s screen went dim, her files leaving down and out through the cords. A few minutes later, there was a ping, and Wonder’s eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few times, calibrating her nervous system and senses, and then let her eyes focus on the lab, then on Gyro and Fenton, who stood apprehensively over her head.

“Hello,” she whispered, vocal cords not yet fully warmed up. Gyro grinned triumphantly that so far everything was working, masking relief that Fenton fully wore on his face. After she felt more confident in her limbs Wonder slowly sat up on the table. Gyro and Fenton quickly moved to support her, unsure of how stable she was just yet.

“Careful, Wonder,” Gyro warned. “Don’t move unless you’re completely sure. You took a while to make, so let’s not injure ourselves.”

Wonder nodded, and carefully swung her legs off the table, using the two as support as she dropped down to the cold floor of the lab. Her eyes went wide at the sensation - her first feeling of cold!

“The floor’s cold,” she said, excitement in her voice. Fenton laughed.

“Well, her nervous system is functioning,” he said. “Sorry the first thing you felt wasn’t the best.”

“She’ll have plenty of first things, Fenton,” Gyro said. Wonder held his forearm, taking a moment note the feeling of feathers, before trying her first step. She paused at the tug of cords at her neck, which Fenton quickly took care of. Once she was untethered, Wonder continued, latching onto Gyro’s arm as she slowly moved a few feet, stumbling once or twice before she felt confident enough to let go and walk on her own. Fenton excitedly tapped Gyro’s arm as they watched, grin wide as Gyro looked on in approval, monitoring her limb adaptation. Wonder turned to face them with a wide smile - a little goofy and ever so slightly lopsided - and ran to them, tripping at the new mode of movement as she launched into them in a hug.

“Oof!” was a conjoined sound of surprise as she either ran into stomach or knees, hands reaching to support and pat her back in return. Gyro let himself smile a little, knowing how long she’d wanted to do this.

“Well, how do you like it? Everything working well?” Gyro asked, kneeling down to check her ocular reflexes with a small light. She nodded - her pupils dilated normally, good - but shivered.

“Everything is great, still getting used to the cold though,” Wonder replied, wrapping her arms around her middle, but enjoying the feeling of old cotton and her very own feathers under her fingertips. “But it’s wonderful to feel real things!”

“It is a little chilly down here, isn’t it?” Fenton responded. “Let’s look into getting you a coat until you’re used to things.”

“And probably real clothes too,” Gyro said, looking around. He saw Manny enter the room, luckily. “Manny, give me your lab coat.”

Manny looked over - he had been aware of everything happening that day, and had been put in charge of other lab duties - and tapped out a reply of ‘why?’ Gyro stared at him.

“Just give me your coat, Manny. It’s for Wonder,” Gyro explained. With a shrug, Manny took it off and draped it over her shoulders. She tucked her arms into the sleeves and found it comically huge on her. The sleeve dangled below her hands and the coat dragged behind her by at least a foot. Gyro started to roll up the sleeves to the wrist. “Well, it’ll do for now.”

“I know we want to hold off on introducing her to everyone,” Fenton said, “but maybe we should get Penelope involved.”

“Why? We’re perfectly capable of taking care of Wonder,” Gyro replied, looking at him incredulously. Wonder had meandered over to Manny to properly thank him for the coat and to shake his hoof. “I don’t see why we have to involve that know-it-all.”

“I mean obviously we’re capable, but Penelope knows clothing better than we do,” he explained. “Also, we’d look a little creepy shopping in a misses section of a store with no one with us.”

“That’s actually a good point,” Gyro conceded with a sigh. “You go get her, explain everything, and I’ll finish up the tests on Wonder to make sure everything is going well.”

Fenton nodded, and with a quick wave to Wonder, headed upstairs.

---

“So, you’re telling me that you and Gyro essentially adopted an AI, gave it a body, and now you want me to buy them clothing?” Penelope asked during the elevator ride down. Fenton nodded.

“Well, we haven’t adopted her exactly, if anything she’s almost like another intern that Gyro took on,” Fenton said. “But I know he definitely cares more than he lets on. Like with Lil Bulb. Also, I just helped with her, and while yes, I am concerned with her welfare, this isn’t exactly a joint thing. Besides, saying it like that makes it sound like Gyro and I are in a relationship, which we’re not.”

“Right,” the hen replied. “Well, I’m willing and able to buy them clothes. But on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m their aunt and/or godmother. No exceptions,” she stipulated. “None of my other friends have kids for me to spoil yet, and I have the need to be someone’s cool lesbian aunt.”

“Deal. You’ll have to clear it with Gyro, but I think he’ll be resistant,” Fenton agreed, running a hand through his hair. She shrugged.

“I’ll buy them clothing anyway, but even if he doesn’t agree I’m going to assume the role.”

The lift stopped and the doors opened to the lab. Wonder was fiddling with a puzzle cube while Gyro monitored her motor functions and visual processing. The two looked up at them - Gyro with defeated disdain and Wonder with curiosity. Penelope paused a second before walking forward. “Hello, Gyro.”

“Penelope,” he greeted, deadpan, placing his clipboard down as he turned to face her. “I assume Fenton told you everything?”

“You assume correctly,” she replied, stopping in front of Wonder, and crouched down so she was eye to eye with her, and extended out a hand. “Hello there. I’m Penelope.”

Wonder took her hand and gave it a gentle shake. “I’m Wonder. It’s very nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Wonder,” Penelope smiled. “Now, Fenton asked me to go and get you a wardrobe so you’re not running around in some old lab coat. Any preferences?”

“Not that I can think of. But I love the color blue!” Wonder answered. Penelope nodded, stepping back to get a better look at her in terms of sizing and what color range of blue would match her feathers best.

“I can work with that,” the hen said, very self-assured before turning back to Gyro and Fenton. “I’ll be back in two hours. Also, Gyro, whether you like it or not, I’m her aunt now. I was going to have you agree to that, but now you don’t have a choice. Sorry. Ta-ta now.”

While Gyro sputtered in frustration at her assumption of kinship, Penelope patted Wonder on the head and made her way back up.

---

Two hours later, Penelope arrived back in the lab. While Gyro and Fenton expected maybe two bags at most, she arrived with at least several, most of them being from Toulouse’s boutique. Fenton’s eyes went wide at the bags as she set them on a worktable, looking very triumphant.

“How much did you-”

“Well, I said I would get her a wardrobe and I did,” Penelope said. “She’s covered until next season, then we’ll look into fall and winter clothing.”

“Isn’t this excessive?” Gyro asked, Wonder grabbing a bag and peering into the contents. There was a mix of different clothing articles, in different shades of blue and just as many fabrics. Penelope looked at him confused.

“That sounds impossible. Like I wasn’t going to get her a whole closet worth of things. Besides, I don’t trust your or Fenton’s fashion sense,” Penelope replied. “But if it makes you feel better, one of the bags is a full outfit for today, plus accessories and pyjamas.”

She plucked a bag from the pile and handed it to Wonder, who gasped in excitement, grabbing it with a thank you and running to the bathroom to change.

“I hate to say it, but thank you, Penelope,” Gyro said. “I know Wonder appreciates it.”

“Not a problem.” Penelope picked up a folder she had slipped into one of the bags. “I also arranged for a birth certificate and adoption papers to be made for her. The paperwork is all here. Please fill it out and have it on my desk no later than Friday. I’d rather have her in the system sooner than later so we can get a paper trail of her existence going, albeit falsified.”

Gyro flipped open the folder - there was a blank birth certificate and other state-related paperwork concerning Wonder and her life. He decided he didn’t want to know how Penelope got a hand on these or how she planned on falsifying the records to prove Wonder’s existence.

“I’m a good secretary,” she said, unprompted but as though she read his thoughts, but before he could answer she turned towards the bathroom. “Wonder? You ready?”

A second later, Wonder came out, shirt and lab coat folded in her arms. Instead, she was wearing a robin’s egg blue pleated skirt and a light blue short-sleeved button-up, a necklace with a little strawberry charm, and a pair of dark blue high-top sneakers. Penelope cooed, gently clapping her hands together.

“Aw, Wonder you look great, kiddo!” Fenton encouraged, taking the coat and shirt from her. She smiled, ducking her head shyly. “Someone get a camera, we need to document Wonder’s first day!”

Manny tapped out a quick response, grabbing his phone from the counter and motioning for the two of them to pose. Penelope pushed Gyro over. “Go on, you’re her guardian too. You should be in there.”

“I was heading over, Glider,” he snipped, forcefully adjusting his vest as he made his way to Wonder’s side, Lil Bulb following close behind, hopping up onto her shoulder. Wonder looked at Gyro and Fenton and smiled. Gyro, strangely gentle, smiled back, and in a fatherly way ruffled the feathers on her head, just as Manny snapped the picture.

---

Meeting Scrooge happened earlier than either of them planned, only a few hours after Penelope had met Wonder. They hadn’t expected him to come down to the labs anytime soon, but apparently, he had been curious as to why Gyro hadn’t interrupted any board meetings with a new invention recently. Of course, Wonder was the first thing he noticed when he came down to the lab to question them.

“Gyro, Fenton, why is there a child in your very dangerous labs? And where are her parents?” Scrooge asked, flatly, immediately going to one of the few obvious solutions. “Gyro, I thought we agreed on no necromancy.”

“She’s not a reanimated corpse,” Gyro quickly explained. “While I certainly could reanimate reconnected tissue, this isn’t the case.”

“Technically she is animated though! But not how you think?” Fenton added, nervous.

“Can you two stop with the riddles, please? What does that even mean?” Scrooge ordered. The two looked at each other and then back at Wonder. She walked over to him.

“I’m Wonder,” she introduced herself, extending a hand. “I’m an Artificial Intelligence program that Dr. Gearloose and Mr. Crackshell-Cabrera gave a physical form to. It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. McDuck.”

It was a blunt explanation, and it still left Scrooge confused. Blankly, he shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you as well. Can I have a word with those two privately for a moment?”

Wonder nodded, grabbing Manny with a plea to come play chess in another section of the lab with her, and Scrooge turned to the two in confusion and irritation.

“Further explanation, now. And spare me the science talk - layman’s terms. I’m not even sure what an “artificial intelligence program” is.”

The explanation of what artificial intelligence was, then the full, nothing withheld explanation about Wonder took twenty minutes. Gyro and Fenton pulled up their research and her tests results:

“Wonder is essentially a 14-year-old finch in every way except she’s made of carbon steel and synthetic feathers.”

“See? She’s just like a human person, but smarter.”

“Mr. McDuck, imagine the biotechnical possibilities we have access to with the progress we made making her a body.”

“She’s so much safer here than at Waddle. Her program is far too advanced to be in that mess of a company.”

Pinching the bridge of his beak, Scrooge held up a hand to stop the two of them from continuing. Fenton’s worry was clear on his face, but Gyro was unreadable, save for a hard stare. “I get it, you two. Waddle doesn’t know she’s here?”

“No. We made sure of that and we monitor Waddle’s search attempts,” Gyro said. Waddle Tech had made a big to-do about the Wonder Assistant program going missing from their labs, with a full, large-scale search and questioning. But in the past month, it had died down since there had been no leads. Fenton had made sure that the company firewalls were at the highest level of protection to assure no probing attempts were made. Scrooge sighed.

“And where is Wonder going to live now? Do either of you have an idea about how to raise a child? She can’t stay here in the lab,” Scrooge asked. “And what about records with the state for her?”

“Penelope gave us paperwork to fill out. Birth certificate, adoption papers, everything,” Fenton replied, but then lowered his head, resting it on his hand. “Where is she going to stay? I don’t have any room in my house.”

“Obviously with me. I have the financial means and the spare room in my apartment,” Gyro said. Scrooge raised an eyebrow. “Besides, I’ve already filled out most of the adoption papers. And while, yes, my experience with children is...limited... it's not rocket science, and Fenton is good with kids. He can help if I need it.”

“Which I am more than capable of doing!”

“Not to mention, I’m one of the few people who can take care of her machinery and knows how,” Gyro continued over Fenton. “It’s the only option that makes sense. She’d be safe in my care.”

“Gyro, it’s not that I don’t think you’re capable but -” Scrooge paused, looking at the hardset, determined gaze of Gyro and the half-pleading look on Fenton’s, and sighed. “Fine. But one of us who knows about Wonder will check in on her and you whenever we please. She’s a child, and needs to be treated and raised as such, understand?”

“Fair enough,” Gyro agreed with a nod.

“And Fenton, make sure he does that,” Scrooge said. Fenton nodded wholeheartedly. Scrooge smiled lightly. “Don’t let me down, you two. Now I think I should like a proper introduction to your ward.”

#ducktales oc #wonder #penelope glider #gyro gearloose #fenton crackshell-cabrera #scrooge mcduck #ducktales #ducktales ocs

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yogaadvise · 6 years

Text

Yin Yoga

Feeling like your yoga exercise method is ramped up to be a little as well yang nowadays? Yearning for greater adaptability and an extra calm session on the mat? Yin yoga exercise, done at a near-glacial pace, might be your following terrific adventure. Yin is the softer, a lot more yielding concept of yin-yang, as well as yin yoga exercise is slower, much more reflective, as well as a lot more still than your power yoga exercise or ashtanga course.

The Tao of Yoga

Yin yoga is based on the Tao, the universal concept underlying all points, as well as it is designed to dig deep into the expert's body and also understanding. A lot of the stances are carried out sittinged or relaxing as well as include stretches, static postures, and breath job. Asanas are held for anywhere from 3 to five minutes as much as 20 mins. It's slow yoga as well as targets connective tissue, fascia, ligaments, as well as tendons much more intensively as well as completely than faster-paced, a lot more energetic yoga exercise could do.

Mind Over Muscle

The factor of yin yoga is to ease as well as protect rigid joints, especially the connective tissue of the reduced spine, hips, and hips. This is an aid to proper reflection stance and counters the inflexibility that has aging or extensive sports training. At the exact same time, the technique is soothing and also corrective, boosting the chakras and also the nadis, or energy networks, to urge equilibrium and an unblocked energy circulation throughout the body. A yin strategy lowers tension and also enhances emphasis and stamina.

Simon Low, co-founder of Triyoga Studio in London as well as of The Yoga Academy educator training program, mentions that a conventional yoga exercise course is straight, it moves with a series of active, dynamic asanas, warming up and cooling down. Yin yoga is a lot more circular, like nature itself, as the yogi spirals much deeper and deeper right into each posture.

' Yin yoga is a combination of corrective asana as well as even more difficult passive, earth-based stances,' Low claims in a LoveToKnow meeting. 'This reflective yin method is deeply beneficial ... we develop reservoirs of energy. Functioning especially deeply with our breath, we could trip right into the inner realms of our being, as we explore and comprehend the further meditative high qualities of yoga exercise practice.'

Give and Get

Letting go of tough warm yoga exercise, competitive power yoga, or cardiovascular physical fitness goals for your mat work supplies a basket of benefits, whether you integrate yin courses with more conventional yogas or go all-yin. Several of the benefits yin yoga exercise provides are:

Open hips

Relaxed pelvic area

Stronger, pain-free reduced spine

Better mobility in all joints

Calm and centered mind

Balanced body as well as free power circulation

Lower stress

Better anxiety management

Improved lubrication and also security of joints

More flexible fascia (the sheath of fibrous tissue confining a muscular tissue or other organ)

Increased stamina

Effortlessly still meditation seat

Improvement of your even more yang yoga method

Do It Differently

In most yoga exercise classes, series are active mixes of stretches, seatsed as well as standing postures, inversions, twists, as well as flexes. You do dynamic and muscular moves that extend and agreement muscles, construct internal heat, as well as raise your heart rate. This more energetic or yang yoga exercise additionally reduces anxiety, boosts fitness, enhances range of activity, and also stabilizes the body's energy circulation. It does not-- and also isn't created to-- go deep right into muscle mass and connective tissue to launch old obstructions and brand-new injury- or age-related stiffness. Yin yoga exercise resembles resting zazen: you think the position, resolve right into it, and hold it in tranquility and also recognition for a prolonged length of time. This can obtain awkward and also takes some modification. Yin yoga exercise isn't really a gentle nap. Nevertheless, it awards determination on a different degree compared to a traditional yoga technique.

Get Down, Stay Down

Asanas in yin yoga resemble however not the same to hatha asanas. Their names do not constantly straighten with the names of the poses you might recognize with, a method to alert you that you get on an atypical journey with yin. The distinction is that the yin versions are approached with the mindfulness you will certainly find your finest position and also hold that position for minutes, not breaths. As your muscles and also connective tissue unwind, you may be able to grow the posture after a few minutes. If you are particularly tight or damaged, props are urged, as well as a good instructor will certainly supply adjustments to allow you to remain in the pose securely. You do not scorching through a lengthy checklist of presents in yin course, you would certainly be there all day if you attempted to do that. You do wring every last little bit of value out of the presents you effort.

Swan

Swan position is the yin variation of hamsasana (swan in hatha yoga), yet it much more very closely appears like conventional one-legged pigeon position. In a yin sequence, you start in upright swan, one leg bent, one leg expanded behind you, upper body put up. After a couple of minutes, you delicately move into sleeping swan with the upper body long and the head resting on a boost or the gone across arms. As the asana ends, a few light stretches prepare you for the opposite-side swan, or the following pose.

Dragon

A dragon sequence opens up the hip flexors as well as proceeds through several variants. Yin dragon looks like traditional warrior 1 and also 2. However dragon is reduced to the ground as well as advances right into a various partial spin called lizard, which comes to be a more intriguing whole-body spin, naturally called dragon twist. You may move through a whole sequence, investing a minute-- or 5-- in each position. Or you could limit a session to just the initial dragon, holding it for numerous mins prior to launching, shaking out in downward-facing pet dog, and also switching to the opposite side.

Butterfly

A yin butterfly is baddha konasana, bound angle pose, with legs angled into a relaxed diamond instead of drew strongly in to the torso. It works all the leg and hip muscle mass and connective tissue without emphasis on just the groins or simply the hamstrings. As you grow the posture, you slowly relocate the arms onward, extending the spine as well as reducing the head. Coming out of yin postures is also a sluggish process and entails counter extending to shake out any type of tightness from holding the posture.

Yin on the Mat

Observing a yin course is a little bit more exciting than enjoying paint dry, but taking the class is all kinds of drama. It's not your mom's yoga exercise course. You may not need a mat. You will certainly require pillows, boosts, a blanket, a studio will certainly give the props and also comfy products. There is no warm-up series. You go right into the very first yin posture with chilly muscle mass. The factor for that is warmed-up muscle mass are actively engaged and also will absorb the majority of the stretch. You intend to go deeper compared to that, so you relieve into each pose simply to the point where it comes to be stressful which's where you hold. The educator will offer demonstrations and also a running dialog of support and also support, supply props, and suggest adjustments. You will not cover a great deal of ground-- a handful of presents-- however you will certainly have taken a trip to a new level of method by the time the bell appears gently at the end of course.

Basic Prep

Skip the trendy lycra as well as put on loose comfy clothes, with layers to preserve temperature. You will not be functioning up a sweat as well as you do not intend to come to be cooled. No consuming before class, but a shower would not hurt. The majority of workshops ask you to leave off the perfume as class entails deep breathing. Put your phone on aircraft setting-- do this in your home, also. Don't take course when you are worn down or rushed.

Sample Sequence

A example yin yoga exercise session in Yoga Journal stabilizes the kidney meridian, an energy course via the body. It's a slow-moving circulation with nine presents: butterfly, saddle, sphinx, seal, youngster's, half-dragonfly, dragonfly, complete ahead bend, and savasana. You invest 3 to five minutes in each posture-- you could need to develop to this-- peaceful as well as breathing mindfully with long breaths in between positions. In meditation, you consistently return your focus on the breath in order to still your babbling mind. In this yin series, you remain alert to your body, specifically bending and loosening up muscles in feedback to refined signals of pain or ease.

Tough Truth About Soft Yoga

Yin yoga exercise is not for pushovers, and also it isn't developed to fix up an injury. Holding muscular tissues at the factor of resistance for lengthy stretches can seem severe. Also after you clear up right into a practice, the self-control is rigorous, the alleviation upon launching a present is apparent. If you are wounded, expectant, or have a major medical condition such as diabetes mellitus or hypertension, consult your doctor prior to beginning yin yoga. Handle your assumptions-- the experience is nothing like your vinyasa studio. Yin yoga is not affordable but you should approach it with all the resolve and also focus of a major athlete. After that hit your reflection padding to secure in all the benefits of sluggish yoga exercise and your more unwinded and non-fidgety body.

#asana #ashtanga yoga #hatha #Hatha Yoga #kundalini yoga #meditation #power yoga #vinyasa yoga #yin yoga #yoga #yoga journal

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terriblecreations · 7 years

Text

The Way I Feel Inside (Part 2)

Summary: Part 2 to The Way I Feel Inside.

Pairing: Eggsy x Reader

Warnings: Cursing, Fluff? idk

Word Count: 1914

A/N: Well, it’s finally here. Sorry for such a long wait guys but I’ve just been busier than I expected. But, I’ve had some time lately to work on this and I’m sorry if it sucks. This was meant to be only two parts, but I’ve decided that it might just be a series. Please let me know what you guys think!

It started with the room.

You rolled your eyes as Eggsy flirted with the cute hotel receptionist. He had been silent the entire flight to Paris. Of course, as soon as the attractive woman unbuttoned some of her blouse he was quite the chatterbox.

The hotel wasn’t the best the Kingsmen could offer, but they were being careful with their resources. No one wanted to risk anymore agents getting arrested, which meant a temporary frugal lifestyle for field agents.

From the outside, it appeared more of a prison than anything. You were sure you had seen the beginnings of a mugging on the ride there, and upon entering you noticed that the cold stayed with you. No heat. In the middle of winter. Lovely.

“Rupert, darling,” you started in the horrid accent your persona called for. Eggsy turned to you immediately, the receptionist forgotten. You yawned, unintentionally proving the point in your next words, “I think it’s time we headed up to our room.”

“Of course, love,” Eggsy replied in the same inflection, though it complimented his voice much better than yours. With a parting wink towards the blushing receptionist, Eggsy joined you in walking to your room.

For a moment there was silence. Then you couldn’t help but state, “You know you can’t be doing stuff like that, unless you want us to be compromised.”

“You’d best be worrying about yourself, Y/N.” He snapped back. “Unlike you, I have more than enough field experience to get this job done just fine on my own.”

You stopped mid-step, forcing him to as well. “Where the hell is all of this coming from?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You being an asshole is what I’m talking about. Ever since you came back from that mission in the Kremlin, you’ve been nothing but rude to me.”

Something flashed in Eggsy’s eyes, an emotion you couldn’t discern due to its swiftness. “Sorry if I don’t shower you with the same doting attention as everyone else at headquarters.”

You took a step back. “Eggsy I thought we were friends. Just because Princess Tilde’s getting married doesn’t mean you have to snap at me.”

“What does any of this have to do with Princess Tilde?”

“I don’t know. You tell me because Roxy says that that’s the reason you’ve been behaving like such a dick. Or is there something else no one wants to tell me?”

Eggsy just shook his head and opened the door to your room. Just the same as the rest of the hotel, it appeared rather dingy. It consisted of only one bed, a dresser, and a TV originating from back in the 70s. You headed into the bathroom, ready to change and sleep this trip away. When you exited, you found Eggsy making a make-shift bed on the floor.

“Really, Eggsy? You’re gonna catch a damn cold if you lay down there.”

“Well since I’m such a dick don’t you think I deserve that?”

“Maybe, but I need my partner to be in tip-top condition for this mission.” Sliding underneath the thin covers, you lifted the other side in a sort of invitation. He hesitated. “Eggsy,” you sighed, your sleepiness present in your voice, “just get in the damn bed already.”

He stood, though he did not appear very happy about it. He slid in next to you, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t appreciate the extra warmth. You turned to face away from him, placing your hand underneath your head as you closed your eyes in an attempt to sleep.

A cool wind blew from outside. Due to the thin walls of the shithole of a hotel, the breeze came straight into the room. Goosebumps erupted across your skin, and you released a shiver.

Without any warning, a large, muscular arm wrapped around your waist. You turned to find your eyes centimeters away from a broad chest you had tried your damn hardest not to picture for the longest time.

You glanced up to meet Eggsy’s eyes. If you allowed yourself, you could get lost in them. But what good would that do? He didn’t see you in that way. And after what happened with Dean… you couldn’t fall for another agent again.

“I need you to be in tip-top condition too, you know,” Eggsy whispered, his warm breath fanning over your face.

You snorted in disagreement. “I’m the worst partner to have. Or have you forgotten how I got this?” You motioned to the stitches on your right arm.

He traced them with his fingers, ever so lightly. He remained silent, his attention solely on the wound, before he said. “You know, Y/N, you do this thing with your nose when you lie.”

“I do not,” you scoffed in disbelief.

He smirked the slightest bit. “Yeah, you do.”

Rolling your eyes, you snuggled a bit closer to Eggsy (for warmth of course). The steady rhythm of his heartbeat lulled you into a deep sleep.

(Eggsy POV)

I stared at her as she slept. Not that I was being a creep. It’s just… she was beautiful, a real crumpet as the lads would say back home.

She looked so peaceful as she slept. Gone were the tense shoulders and furrowed brow. Those bags under her eyes, I reckoned she hadn’t slept in ages.

Man… I had really mucked up this time haven’t I?

Y/N was right, I was being a git. I couldn’t help it though. Her words replayed in my head all hours of the day.

“If you’re trying to imply I feel something for Eggsy, then you might need more rest than I do.”

Was I really that bad? She turned me down before I could even make a move. And now I definitely wouldn’t be able to because…

I released a sigh. Another breeze ran through the room. She shivered and scooted closer until her head rested in the crook of my neck. I couldn’t resist the urge to press my lips against the top of her head. The scent of coconuts invaded my senses. Damn, her hair always smelled excellent.

I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to end my day every day like this. With a better room of course, but me and her, in a bed (not even in a sexual way), with my arm wrapped around her. This felt so much better than waking up every morning with a cold spot next to me, just waiting to be filled by someone… by her.

Man… I had mucked this up big time.

(Time Skip – Back to Reader’s POV)

You awoke to find yourself laying across Eggsy’s chest, both of his arms wrapped around you securely. For a moment, you reveled in the feeling of someone holding you, of the warmth he gave off. Then you felt something pressing against your upper thigh.

Oh. My. God. You thought to yourself.

Picking up your head, you glanced at Eggsy to find himself deeply asleep. Once again you succumbed to the urge to just watch him and take him in. Sure, it was a creepy thing to do, but could anyone blame you. As you took in his features, you thought back to how kind he had been when you were falling asleep, and hoped maybe he wouldn’t act like a dick and that it had just been a phase.

“I know I’m handsome, darling, but there’ll be plenty of time to stare at the gala tonight.” You stumbled out of your thoughts to see a pair of twinkling blue eyes staring at you. “What do you say to a day out in Paris before we need to get ready, love?”

You nodded your head, your heart warming as you realized he would indeed be in brighter spirits than the past week. With a smile you untangled yourself from his arms, “I’ll go get ready, then.”

(Another Time Skip to the Good Stuff, Don’t Want Any Boring Bits)

You and Eggsy walked through the streets, arm in arm. You stuck close to his side, for his warmth of course.

Snow was a rarity in Paris, but of course you two had come at just the right day. Sure, it wasn’t terrible, but you were quite susceptible to the cold.

Eggsy didn’t say anything about you clinging to him however. In a way, to you it seemed as though he welcomed it, even going so far as to wrap an arm around you.

He led you to a cafe which he and Roxy had once frequented when they went on a joint holiday. Merlin forced them to take a break from the business, and neither had a romantic partner to spend it with, so the two figured it’d be better to be in the company of a friend rather than alone.

Upon entering, you grinned at the warmth and aroma of coffee. The hostess led you both to a booth and Eggsy took your jacket before allowing you to slide in. You took off your gloves. His eyes slid to the ring on your left hand. A ring he himself had picked out from the Kingsman’s stash of jewelry.

“Bonjour, monsieur et mademoiselle. Je m'appelle Mathieu. How may I serve such a lovely couple on this fine morning?”

“Good morning, good sir. May I have a coffee, black, and a chocolate croissant.” You kept your head down so neither male could see your eyes widen and your jaw slacken at just how damn good Eggsy’s French sounded. It rolled off his tongue with ease, as though he truly was a native here.

“Et toi, belle femme?”

“May I have a chai latte and a chocolate croissant as well?” Your words may not have been as effortless or as smooth as Eggsy’s, but they would work.

“But of course, mademoiselle. Such a beautiful woman must have a lovely name, I assume?”

“Amara Foix,” you replied with a glance to Eggsy.

“And I am Rupert,” he introduced.

“Well, Mr. and Mrs. Foix, I will bring your order up straight away. It should only take but a few moments.” And with that, your waiter was off.

In the time you waited for your breakfast, you and Eggsy talked about multiple things. Your families, your friends, and you even traded some stories from your youth. You had missed this companionship with Eggsy, especially how he could always make you laugh.

When Mathieu came back, you were covering your wide smile with your hand whilst Eggsy just stared at you in wonder. You blushed, and accepted your drink and croissant from the waiter.

“How long have the two of you been together?”

“Three years,” you and Eggsy answered simultaneously.

“Le coup de foudre,” Eggsy whispered, causing you to blush even more and the waiter to smile out of happiness for us.

“You two are very lucky. That sort of love is rare. Let me know if I could be of any more assistance.” With that, Mathieu was gone again.

You and Eggsy continued your easy going chatter for a while, but natural calls. “Excuse me, love,” you said, as you stood and went to search for a bathroom.

He watched you go with a smile on his face. Maybe, just maybe, he would allow himself to pretend that this was all real. That you were madly in love with him, that you two really were newlyweds.

No matter the heartbreak it may cause him in the end.

Part 3 is Here

Tag List:

@sunnyb99 @youarejustmymission @kazuha159 @strangerthingsimagine @little-red-gaming @iammadeofstarsandlazyness @magicintheelements @assgardstark @sammysgirl1997 @wantingtobekorra @icat8 @haydnromerx @shenanigans-and-broken-hearts @valeria-vs @kimskew @theamazingworldoffandomfics @julianakumiko @thilbob @kissingwintergoodbye @travelwithwords @runs-with-catapillers @theater-geek76 @lance-corporal-levis-maid @blueisolde @unequalprodigy @uaintkawaiibitch @emilyinwonderland3 @sorella-noir @awesome-and-articulated @starbabelc @flowerkrowndaze @stacieisaloser @marvelislove10 @fancybasementpersona @fandom-queen-of-hearts @peascarrotsandwatermelon @cruciosmalfoy @little-red-gaming @senselesssamii @mandakozzy @all-around-geek @helllaellla @serburt @dez-the-geek

#eggsy x reader #eggsy unwin x reader #eggsy unwin #kingsman imagine #kingsman #kingsman fanfiction #gary unwin #gary unwin x reader #gary x reader #galahad #reader insert #reader interactive

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blue---rose · 5 years

Text

White Widow - Chapter Four

Fanfiction.net | AO3

Title: White Widow Chapter: Four Author: Blue Rose Rating: M (Hard R) Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura Summary: "Running away was easy; not knowing what to do next was the hard part." - Sakura needed to stop fantasizing about running away to some other life, and start figuring out the one she had. [Sasu/Saku, Modern AU]

Warnings: Adult Content Disclaimer: I own nothing, and I damn sure don't make a single red cent for this either. So please, don't sue the Blue

Author Notes: If you like please don't forget to review/comment/like. Thank you to my beta: MySoberThoughts

PREVIOUS CHAPTERS

- ﾟ･*･ﾟ - Chap 1 - ﾟ･*･ﾟ - Chap 2 - ﾟ･*･ﾟ - Chap 3 - ﾟ･*･ﾟ -

:✧･ ♡ ﾟ･*･ﾟ･✧ B ⚘ R ✧･ﾟ･*･ﾟ ♡ ･✧:

Chapter Four

✧･ﾟ* : *ﾟ･✧

December – A few months ago…

Sakura made her way back to the spacious living room from upstairs. Even with frigid temperatures, the sun made an appearance, a few rays slipping down below, past the gray clouds. A few beams collided with the floor to ceiling windows; making colorful patterns on the wood flooring as she slipped into the main common area.

The place was a reader's digest wet dream, and Sakura considered herself very lucky to be able to stay here for a few days.

She slid on the lounge with a sigh; the fur throw draped across the leather was warm against her back as she sank into the softness. She had just gotten comfortable when a voice spoke up, seafoam eyes turning to look at the other occupant in the room.

"So… I kind of need your help." Kiba started, resting against the white pool table near the bar, slightly in the corner.

She raised a slender brow, slipping into deep thought. She knew… she just knew she should have said no.

Without hearing what the question was.

Sure, it was rude… but that was the knee jerk reaction she had, when he said that.

Some sort of instinct was trying to warn her, but her curiosity won out.

"Really, now?" There was a brief pause as suspicion crept through her gaze.

Currently, Sakura was not supposed to be in the city. Why, just yesterday, she was almost to her final destination, when there was an abrupt change of plans.

Her humanitarian group was on their way to the Philippines when the Embassy put a temporary hold on their entry into the country. Sakura and her group were told that it could take days; or even weeks before the paperwork went through, and everyone was finally cleared. There really was no other choice, then to return home during the down time.

What did slip her mind was that Ino and most of their friends were vacationing in Miami for New Year's…

A vacation she previously declined to join because she was supposed to be across the world on a trip that had been planned for weeks now.

Despite all of that, the bigger problem she was facing?

Her own apartment was currently under construction, due to a water leak. Gods… she could not wait for her lease to be up soon; in just a few short months.

That is why she all but pounced on Kiba's invitation to stay at his mother's penthouse downtown, which was currently vacant. She'd been here before, and knew just how amazing the space was. There was a party or two that was hosted here by Kiba back in the day, when they were in high school.

It was barely lived in; used more like a permanent hotel suite for overnight trips to the city, than anything else. A real shame too… the architecture of this place deserved to be admired and enjoyed.

"This isn't payback for me staying here… is it?" She trailed off, tilting her head to the side as her hair slid from one shoulder.

His eyes grew round, slits of sable turning to look at her.

"What? No! I already told you it was cool... you staying here. I wouldn't do that." He looked off to the side, a frown marring his lips as he looked out the windows to the snow flurries beginning to come down.

"Though… it would be kind of fucked up, if you didn't help me out with this. You know… being as how much of a good friend I am and all-" He began to stroke the stubble on his chin, appearing deep in thought.

Sakura began to roll her eyes, head lolling against the back of the sofa with a sigh. She'd better brace herself for whatever bullshit Kiba was about to start spewing. Though, he always did tell the most interesting stories. Damn, she wondered if there was any popcorn in the pantry…

"So, I kind of forgot about this thing." He started again. "And it's… too late NOT to do this thing. So now I need help… doing this thing."

"You know I can't clean money for you anymore. Which was supposed to be a one-time thing mind you-"

"No! No, nothing like that…" He trailed off, reaching for a smoke.

His mother would tan his hide if she knew he was sparking up in her million dollar suite. Cannabis or nicotine; she would chase him down if she could see him now. He continued on, a few puffs of smoke trailing past his face to disappear in the fur trim of the hoodie still pulled up over his head.

"So, I was dropping off this big order at one of the campuses a few days ago. It was for some under grad senior. His little brother happens to be there, visiting him. We started smoking and soon after the little brother started rambling on and on…" he grossed, playing with his lighter in one hand as he continued on with his story.

"He started talking about this New Year's party that got canceled because some parents found out, and how everyone is bummed. And since it's so last minute, there's not much they can do. So I chimed in and… kind of…"

"You kind of… what?"

"Kind of… said… I-would-host-a-NewYearsEve-Party-for-the-little-shits."

Sakura blinked.

"You…-"

"Yes." He took another drag. "And now, I need your help."

"Why would you…" She trailed off.

"They're releasing it!" Kiba tried to explain, turning to face her. His eyes brightened and he became increasingly animated.

"They are finally releasing… 'THE' motorcycle that I've been having a hard-on for…oh… I don't know… forever; since the prototype leak!"

Was his voice getting higher?

"They moved the release date up and were taking pre-orders. And I… I sort of was… cash poor, and his little brother and friends practically throw money away… so I figured… you know, why not?"

Sakura shook her head; still not fully understanding what any of this… had to do with her. He continued on.

"Anyway, something has come up… I have something I need to take care of, that weekend. And I do not trust those little shits here; completely unsupervised."

Her eyes widened in understanding.

He stood up straighter and gave her a lopsided grin.

"Look, all you have to do is help me roll a few joints, maybe pass out a few cartridges, and check down here every once in a while to make sure the place isn't on fire. Everything else will be taken care of; DJ, food, security..." He made his way to her, passing her the lit herb.

"You remember the prom after party we had, few years back, yeah? Well… this is the same shit...sort of."

"She'll kill you…" Sakura breathed out, eyes darting over the very expensive décor in the penthouse; some pieces should be in a museum with how invaluable they looked. Pieces that were not here when they had ragers years past. "Your mother will absolutely kill you-"

"Pft! She doesn't know about the party, or any of it. I'm going to have the place professionally cleaned the next day. They will scrub from top to bottom."

The brief pause made a feeling of unease come over her, before he continued.

"She knows about you though. She knows that you'll be staying here…"

She gave him a dirty look, a fire lit in her eyes and her gaze settled on him.

His meaning was clear…

He would blame the entire thing on her.

"You wouldn't…" She breathed.

"No… of course I wouldn't."

Another pause had her scrunching up her face, her button nose crinkling.

"I mean… I won't have to; because… you're going to help me out… right?"

"Even if I say no, AND pack my shit… and not stay here… if you got caught you'd still blame it on me, wouldn't you? Have her think that I-?" Sakura gaped at him, astonished.

"Come on Sakura." Kiba whined, sticking out his bottom lip. "Just one night. Most of the turds will be gone way before daybreak; already sneaking off to beat the sun home. The cleaning service comes in to save the day, you tip them when they're done, and boom! The rest is history. No harm, no foul. Easy peasy." He smirked, the tattoos on his face shifting with the movement. Nothing good ever followed when Kiba Inuzuka smiled like that.

No… you just knew you were up shit's creek whenever that grin stretched across his face; one canine glinting in the light as he smiled down at her.

✧･ﾟ* : *ﾟ･✧

Present Day…

Sakura laughed at the memory, rubbing a towel through her damp locks as she blindly raised a hand to turn off the bathroom light. She still couldn't believe she went along with it. The crazy fool wouldn't stop pestering her until she said yes.

What choice did she have? It seemed annoying to deal with, but in all the realms of possibilities; the favor he asked of her was nothing major. She felt as if she'd owed a debt, and ultimately caved. She couldn’t help but think of how better suited Ino would have been, for such a task.

Stepping into her bedroom, she eyed the few boxes lined up against the wall. She had managed to accomplish a lot, but still had a ways to go with packing. Right now though, she really hoped she didn't packed her favorite lotion. Spotting it on the vanity, she'd just grabbed it when her phone began to sing out in the dim room. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she reached down to pick up.

Glancing at the screen, she read the unknown number before answering.

"Hello?"

"...S-...Sakura?"

It wasn't until several seconds later that it finally registered that she'd stopped breathing momentarily.

Her body tensed up from the sound of that deceptively soft voice.

A cold, numbing feeling started in the pit of her stomach, deep within... trepidation spreading quickly as she swallowed, her tongue feeling thick in her mouth. It was a struggle to find herself... needing to gather her wits before she could answer.

But it was a difficult task when all the memories of heartbreak, loss and pain came flooding down as if a chasm had opened up; to set free all of these emotions that her conscious mind was not prepared to face.

"How did you... get this number?" She breathed out, and the phone felt so heavy in her hand just then, the plastic and glass feeling hotter to the touch then it normally felt.

More silence stretched between them, and she couldn't stop the shaking from her voice even if she tried. Another shuddering breath escaped and her other hand curled into a fist, resting in her lap.

"Why are you calling me?"

Did she really care for a response?

A deep breath carried through the speaker and she wished she’d just rushed ahead, not wanting to hear a word he had to say… regardless of the questions she asked. It didn't matter. Nothing he had to say to her mattered, and she didn't want to listen. But something did slip through, his deep tenor ghosting across her ear so clearly that he could have been there… now, sitting right next to her.

"Little bird-"

"Don't call me that..." She managed to get some semblance of control. "-And don't call this number again."

She hung up, abruptly ending the call before her throat could close around the words before they were spoken. Her thumb pressed the block option, accepting the changes as her breathing tried to level out.

Wiping a hand angrily across her face, her fingers came away damp. She didn't realize the tears continued as she stared down at the device in her hand.

Fear...

Confusion...

...

Anger…?

...

Anger.

Sakura could deal with anger. It was the easiest of all the emotions she was feeling right now, to handle. Anger…she could do. Sniffing, she used the speed dial function to initiate a call. She watched her own shadow against the wall, in the low lighting of the room. She continued to pace briefly, stopping only when a familiar voice answered.

"Hey girlie. I was just thinking ab-"

"Did you give him my number?"

"...Huh? Wh-"

"SAORI!" Fuck… she promised herself she wouldn't yell. But she was so pissed right now, and needed to make sense of what was going on.

"Did he call you first? Did you give him my fucking number?"

"What!? No! Why would-"

"He just called me! He just called my fucking phone!"

"Sakura-"

She ended the call abruptly, throwing it to the bed as she tried to keep the sob in check. She closed her eyes for a moment, counting backward from one hundred, to bring a moment of clarity to her panic addled mind. The breathing exercise worked, helping her to calm as her phone lit up for the third time in a row. Glancing down as she just counted past sixty, she reached out to pick up the phone again, hearing her friend over the line.

"Just tell me you are ok! That nothing is happening and you are safe!" Ino rushed, needing a confirmation that her friend was not in immediate danger.

"I'm safe… nothing like that, it was just a phone call…" Sakura whispered, lowering herself to the mattress to keep from pacing once again. Though several paces slower than what it had been, her heart continued to flutter wildly in her chest. Catching her reflection in the vanity across the room, she felt all fight leave her, the loss of adrenaline leaving her feeling drained.

"I don't want to talk right now, I can't-…" she confessed, not wanting to break the fragile hold her emotions were being held together with.

"Ok-… ok… just-" A brief pause, "…I love you. And I'm here, if you need anything…"

"I know… I'll call you tomorrow." Sakura hung up the call, quickly shutting down the device right after. She couldn't deal with talking anymore. The gadget vibrated twice, before the screen turned black.

She sat there for a while, silk robe still tightly secured around her body. It remained firmly in place as she finally reclined, back resting against the soft blankets beneath her. Staring at the buttercream ceiling she allowed the pounding in her ears dim. Her mind was still unsettled, her hand tugging through her damp strands and she quietly accepted reality.

Trying to take a deep breath, the inhale caught several times in her throat.

There would be no sleep for Sakura Haruno tonight.

:✧･ ♡ ﾟ･*･ﾟ･✧ B ⚘ R ✧･ﾟ･*･ﾟ ♡ ･✧:

The invited guest sat in the overstuffed chair, relaxing against the cushions as he folded his hands across his lap. His feet sat propped up on the low table in front of him. No doubt, the owner of the office would be upset at the rude gesture, but he couldn't bring himself to care right now.

' Speaking of the devil. '

A tall imposing figure moved through the entryway, making his way behind his large oak desk. "We have a problem." He sat heavily in the chair, the wheels creaking under the sudden weight.

"We have a problem?" The guest echoed, flicking dirt from his nails as he half listened.

"No… let me rephrase that. You-…have a problem." The serious tone caused him to look up, his eyes flickering to pay attention. "That last transaction didn't go through."

"What do you mean… it didn't go through?"

"Exactly as I just said. There was a major hack that went down system-wide. A lot of transactions were flagged, some even reversed. Most accounts have been frozen for the time being. But from what I learned…" He paused, deep in thought.

"Where is his phone?"

Silence filled the room.

The large clock that hung on the wall continued to click, the rhythmic sound becoming louder as the silence stretched on.

The old leather armchair squeaked as he lowered his booted feet to the floor, removing them from the table.

"It's gone."

The reply was an honest one, but an unwelcomed response all the same.

The deep sigh that came from the man sitting behind the desk sounded fairly like one of disappointment. But he would not be fooled. There was an anger building there, one that would scorch everything surrounding him like magma if given the chance to fester. He stood, heavy boots turning to leave.

It seemed there was more work to be done, after all.

"I'll take care of it."

:✧･ ♡ ﾟ･*･ﾟ･✧ B ⚘ R ✧･ﾟ･*･ﾟ ♡ ･✧:

✧･ﾟ* : *ﾟ･✧

New Year's Eve - A few months ago...

She still couldn't believe she'd been duped into chaperoning a New Year's Eve party for eighteen-year-olds. What has her existence become?

All because Kiba had spent the thousands of dollars he received as a deposit, for an epic party filled with alcohol and all the weed they could smoke at a sweet, luxurious pad.

And her job?

Make sure no one got alcohol poisoning, keep the headcount as low as possible, and stop anyone from going upstairs to the master bedroom suite where a few of his mother's prized Birkin handbags were.

Sakura sighed; reaching for the grinder for what she hoped was for the last time.

"So… how did you get dragged into this? Threats of sabotage too?" She breathed, a dimple appearing in her cheek when her mouth quirked up.

Sasuke shook his head, his fingers flexing as he loaded another cartridge into a vape pen.

"He did a favor for me a while back… now he's calling it in." He rose from his seat to arrange the ones he just completed, to the main pile. Sakura’s eyes followed him, lowering again soon after, not wanting to be caught in the midst of staring.

Returning to his seat, he leaned back into the sofa as Sakura finished rolling her last backwood. Snapping off the gloves she wore, she turned to look at their handy work.

"There… all done... finally." She whispered as she accepted a lighted smoke passed to her by Sasuke, glad to have a break to actually smoke the shit, instead of rolling it.

"Well, at least it's only this. It could have been worst, right?" She continued as she passed it back to him, relaxing in the loveseat chair she was in soon after.

"Yeah… I guess." He wasn't sure how much Kiba told her about their business dealings. He certainly wasn't going to give any unnecessary details, but she was right. There were other, more troublesome things, he could have asked of him… in return for the runs he covered last weekend, with Itachi being sick.

Sakura had just settled in her seat before shooting straight up, wide eyes locked onto him. "Wait, you are staying… aren't you? Please tell me you're staying. Ino isn't in town to back me up, and if I'm stuck here alone with these brats…" she trailed off, looking at him with so much hope his breath hitched for a moment.

Why would she look at someone like that?

Huge, wide eyes suddenly trapping him in their reflective gaze… he almost forgot the question she asked.

Staying?

No.

That was not the plan. He already did his fucking part.

Taking the time to roll up shit he wasn't going to smoke…

Picking up ungodly amounts of extra alcohol that had him driving with care so all that shit didn't go crashing to one side of his trunk if he took a corner to tightly…

Hell, he was even nice enough to give the DJ a hand… helping him get his shit set up by the balcony, taping a few cords flush against the baseboards for safety.

Kiba did mention having a few extra bodies around, he remembered; watching Chōji sample some of the catered food. As far as he was concerned, having the off duty bouncer here was overkill as it was, for a bunch of kids.

So, no… long story short; he had not planned to stay one single, moment longer than necessary.

So why was he contemplating it now? Was he so much of a sucker to fall for mesmerizing eyes and pouty lips?

Fuck her; if she truly knew and was aware of what she was doing to him right now.

So…

So why did he find himself considering…?

"Kiba did mention he needed the house to be intact tomorrow." He replied smoothly, after clearing his throat.

' Liar. ' He whispered to himself, taking a long drag. It was a nice cover to hide the way his lips started to quirk, suppressing a smirk.

Her eyes narrowed at the dig, but thought better of responding exactly how she normally would. She couldn't very well scare off the other poor soul who was going to stay, and be miserable with her, could she? And considering the way she couldn’t quite stop herself from taking a peak at him every chance she got, him sticking around could probably make this night a little more interesting…

Sitting back, she wondered if she would have time to make a stiff drink. Such candid thoughts were making her feel a bit parched.

Her phone lit up on the table, the vibration rattling the glass beneath, before being scooped up. She read the text and stood, typing a response. It looks like she would have to put a hold on that drink she wanted, after all.

With her fusing over the device in her hand, she completely missed the heated look her bare legs attracted from the dark-haired male near her, the dress showing off the smooth skin.

"Looks like the first ones are here. You good?" She asked the DJ, receiving a nod and thumbs up in response before he replaced his headphones, cranking the music louder. Glancing at the bartender, she spun around to look at Sasuke once again.

"Ready?" She asked, flashing him pretty smile.

✧･ﾟ* : *ﾟ･✧

Present Day…

Sakura rolled over, hugging the warm pillow tightly as the last of the dream left her consciousness. She could hear the birds chirping loudly in the twilight hours of the morning. It was still too fucking early, but after blinking into the darkness, her mind began to swim to wakefulness… so much so that falling asleep again was no longer an option.

It took some time, but she managed to catch a few hours of sleep late into the night. Her body tried to fight it, but after smoking and indulging in two hearty glasses of wine, she finally managed to quiet her mind enough to drift off. Surprisingly, nightmares didn't await her after she closed her eyes, at least from what she could remember.

The dreams that met her were instead memories from New Year's; a memory that seemed to dominate a lot of her thoughts lately… and now, those thoughts seemed to make the transitions to her dreams as well.

She welcomed them though.

Anything was better than the thoughts of her ex.

Slipping her arm from the nest of blankets, her hand blindly went to her nightstand, looking for the powered off phone. Dragging it back to her cocoon, she cranked it up, quickly discovering a missed call and voice mail from Ino, as well as a message from Sasuke.

Groaning, she rolled out of bed, shivering at the loss of warmth as she stood. She had a craving for a large cup of coffee. She had been more of a tea drinker lately… but the other caffeinated liquid was desperately needed, especially if anyone expected her to function anytime soon.

:✧･ ♡ ﾟ･*･ﾟ･✧ B ⚘ R ✧･ﾟ･*･ﾟ ♡ ･✧:

"You are such an idiot, how did you get your car taken again?" Moegi asked, sipping on the cold can of Mountain Dew, as they hung out near the strip mall. It was only a few blocks away from the high school they should have been at right now, in class.

"Stupid grades. Why the fuck do people act as if 'D's are the end of the world? I still have time to make up some work."

"Dude… it's already April." Udon offered, trying to be a slight voice of reason. Did the other boy really expect to make gains this late in the year?

Konohamaru just folded his arms and raised his nose in the air while continuing to complain.

"I've come back from worse. It's not even that important of a class. That teacher is a dick anyway, always up my ass-" He dragged on and on, not noticing the dark SUV pulling up near them.

Moegi detected it first, seeing the tall driver exit the truck, approaching them. Konohamaru continued to talk on, completely unaware of the dark shadow drawing closer.

Udon and Moegi both had been around long enough to know exactly who was approaching… and they wanted nothing to do with whatever brought the imposing figure here.

"Oh shit…" Udon breathed, taking a step back.

Konohamaru finally stopped talking; cocking his head to the side at the peculiar looks on his friends' faces. He looked over his shoulder just in time to catch sight of him… and reeled back in panic.

He was far too late.

"Oh shit!" He echoed Udon, almost tripping over his laces as he moved to run, but was swiftly grabbed by the collar of his uniform, and pushed against the building behind them. His friends were lucky in their bid to escape, running down the street to turn the corner, making a beeline back to school. Konohamaru groaned, grabbing the forearm in front of him, and whined in defeat.

"You know… it would have been much worse if you made me chase you…"

Sasuke breathed, loosening his grip on the high school student. He made him stay put against the brick building with his presence alone, no longer needing the physical contact.

"I couldn't help it, you’re scary as fuck. It's like an instinct to run from you." The youngster complained, thankful to be released. He finally calmed, looking up at the domineering man in front of him with apprehension. "Whatever it was… I didn't do it."

Sasuke looked at him for a moment, moving to rest his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Have you seen Kiba?"

Konohamaru shook his head with a frown, tugging his hoodie's string idly. "No. Not for a few weeks. Why?" He trailed off, looking up at him.

Sasuke remained quiet, eyeing him for several beats before turning around… making his way back to his truck.

"Let me know if you do. And take your ass to school. If I catch you skipping again…" The tail end of his threat wasn't heard, as the kid made his escape the first chance he could.

Sasuke sighed as he climbed in the driver's seat. To say he was disappointed was an understatement. He just knew their old runner would have heard something.

Even though the young student was forced into retirement; by Sasuke himself, he knew Kiba still watched out for the kid from time to time, giving him extras to sell at his school for quick money, even though he was supposed to be out of the game completely, after getting shot a while back.

One thing he knew for sure… the longer Kiba went missing…

He stopped the thought before it could fully manifest.

:✧･ ♡ ﾟ･*･ﾟ･✧ B ⚘ R ✧･ﾟ･*･ﾟ ♡ ･✧:

The two sprinters dashed across the footbridge, finally coming to a stop at the stone retainer wall that marked the entryway to the park beyond. Moments ago, they had been in the midst of cooling down, moving side by side in tandem, before childish competition increased their speed, both making a mad dash for the end.

Laughing in her victory, the petal haired woman sat on the heated rocks, stretching out her legs as she caught her breath. Her blonde comrade remained standing, folding a leg to stand on one foot, willing the muscles to relax after their vigorous workout. She could almost feel a cramp coming on, and would prefer to relax it out, before she ended up withering on the ground in pain.

"Why do we do this again?" Sakura huffed, leaning back on her hands as she eyed her friend.

"Because some of us can't have toned bodies and abs on demand. There are those of us who require exercise to maintain our gorgeous figures." Ino stated, releasing her hair from its ponytail. She really didn't want to take it down, but the high bun she replaced it with kept the strands completely off her neck and back. Securing it in place, she went back to stretching.

Sakura sucked her teeth and looked down. "Please... I haven't had abs since freshman year in college."

The flat expanse of her stomach was exposed in the leggings and slash back crop top she wore. Though the sharp lines and cut she use to sport senior year in high school were gone, there was certainly definition shown there... whether she chooses to acknowledge it or not.

A few people passed by, making their way across the bridge towards the direction they had just came. The foot and bike trails was attracting many locals and visitors alike today. Many families were out, enjoying the break in the weather, and soaking up the sun as much as possible.

Turning back, she started awkwardly onto a subject she was sure her friend would like for her to get to.

Ino was surprisingly patient this morning, however. She appreciated the consideration of her feelings, and giving her the much needed time to approach the subject in her own way… and on her own terms.

One of the many reasons Sakura loved her, and appreciated having her in her life.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you… last night". She was told by her therapist she needed to confront her issues from now on... and that every small step mattered.

Well… this was her… trying.

"I never should have even assumed-"

"It's alright…"

"No-… it's not." The pinkette glanced up at her, before turning to gaze out at the water some distance away. "I know you'd never do something like that. I was just so angry and confused…"

Ino took a seat next to her. "What happened?"

Sakura scared the shit out of her last night with those phone calls.

"Nothing… I told him not to call. That was it. I damn sure wasn't about to have a full-fledged conversation with him."

"Isn't he still in L.A.?"

"Last I heard." Sakura sighed, wincing as a group of kids with their parents walked by, one of the children screeching over a toy.

"I'll find out, don't worry. In the meantime-"

"There's nothing to be done." She interrupted.

Ino frowned.

Sakura met her stare head-on.

"It was just a phone call. He hasn't reached out in forever, and after telling him, in no uncertain terms that I want nothing to with him now, there shouldn't be an issue going forward."

Her friend was not pleased… but this was not her decision to make.

"Look, things are just starting to get back on track, ok? I won't allow… this, to spoil it. After all this time… I'm going to deal with things how I feel I should handle them. I won't let this become bigger than it already is. It's been dealt with. Now… time to move on." She said standing up, hands raised in the air for a final stretch.

Ino looked at her from the corner of her eyes, mouth still fixed in a frown. She would accept her wishes… it didn't mean she had to like it.

Or agree.

"Let's go get some grub. All that running has left me famished."

Ino stood as well, turning to walk towards the parking area. A bump against her shoulder was her only warning… and soon, she was sprinting to catch up to the little pink haired trollop.

"Last one to the car is buying!"

:✧･ ♡ ﾟ･*･ﾟ･✧ B ⚘ R ✧･ﾟ･*･ﾟ ♡ ･✧:

She eyed the green mixture through narrowed eyes. The cold drink looked innocent enough, sitting there on the edge of her glass desk, just out of reach. But, she knew better…

Knew just how deceptively refreshing it looked in the clear plastic cup, the red straw disappearing in the murky depths.

Hazel eyes broke away from the one-way staring contest, a soft knock reaching her ears.

"What?!"

A tumble of soft pink curls appeared through the cracked door, a brilliant smile lighting the room as a tinkering voice rang out.

"Shishou! Hi! Is this a bad time?"

"Don't call me that. And get your ass in here and close my door! You're letting out all of my air!"

Sakura did as she was told, shutting the door firmly. Turning to approach her old mentor and professor of many years, a shiver ran up her spine and she regretted leaving her jacket in her vehicle.

"A bit chilly in here, isn't it-"

"I'm hot…" Tsunade's voice warned her in no uncertain terms to drop the subject.

Pausing in the middle of sitting down was no easy feat, but Sakura pulled it off for five whole seconds; mouth slightly agape in shock. Lowering herself the rest of the way, she settled and blinked up at her.

"Oooooooo-kay…uh… well… how are you doing?" She ventured, not going to be put off too long with the slight attitude moments ago. She was far too excited to see her, and would not be put off with her grumpy attitude.

Huffing, Tsunade leaned back in her chair, eyes swinging back to the green concoction on her desk.

"I'm doing just great, actually. Nice of you to finally pay a visit. I was wondering when you would stop by. Dan just left, a few minutes ago.”

"Oh, yeah! I passed him on the way up. Said he was kind of sad he wasn't going to make the South America trip, but there was nowhere in the world he'd rather be than here-"

"Keh! He'd better damn well be!"

"-And that getting you to eat healthier has been a battle, but he feels like he's made some gains in that department." Sakura finished, watching Tsunade, watch the smoothie, on the table in front of her. She lifted a manicured finger, pushing the drink across the desk slightly in the blondes' direction, and in reach.

Sucking her teeth, she snatched up the cup that she could finally grasp, red painted nails bringing it close for a sip.

"Ugh! That tastes like old man's ass… and don't ask me how I know what that taste like." Tsunade ground out, putting it down bitterly while the other hand palmed her slightly protruding belly.

Sakura bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

"So, I heard you turned down said South American trip. Does that mean you will be home for a while?"

"Actually… that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I know there were some summer programs coming up, and I was hoping that there were maybe some vacant seats? If all goes well, I may even stay into the fall?" Sakura asked hopefully, her bright green eyes meeting one of the biggest influencers of her young life.

Tsunade eyed her in silence, making the pinkette squirm in her seat under the scrutiny. Breaking the silence with a sigh, she began.

"And you are sure about this?"

A nod.

"This isn't the type of thing for you to be fickle over."

Another nod, pink strands falling about her face as a gleam of determination passed over green eyes.

Another, pregnant pause… a sigh filled with concede before-

"Fine. I'll look into it first thing. And I don't want to hear any complaints about courses and long hours either! You have a lot of making up to do and a lot to catch up on. If you've turned into some sort of slacker this past year or two-"

"Thank you so much Shishou! I promise! I'll do my best, whatever is required. Thank you so, so much! I'd hug you right now, but you'd probably punch me." Sakura joked, hands clasped together in front of her in excitement, heels bouncing.

"Hmph!" Tsunade raised a brow, eyes laser focused once again. "So… what brought this on, hmmm?"

Finally settling down from acting like a jittery toddler that had too much candy, Sakura tilted her head, giving the question some thought. But it was simple enough, wasn't it?

"I guess… it was just time." She answered honestly.

"Are you extending your lease? You still smoke that… stuff, don't you? They will not allow that if you stay in the campus dorms."

"Ha…Ha." She replied dryly.

"Yes I do, but that will not be a problem. I actually found another place. Already signed… I'm moving pretty soon. It has a penthouse terrace…" Sakura trailed off dreamily.

Tsunade knew her former student fairly well, and knew the statement was not coming from a place of bragging; but rather from the breathtaking views she was sure the space had to offer. Make no mistake, Sakura had dreams of becoming a doctor, but there would always be a place in her heart for photography.

"Yeah… well, I still don't know why you do the stuff."

"Please. And it's different than your love of sake, how?"

Tsunande's hand slammed on the table, and Sakura wondered if glass was the best option for people with fiery tempers.

"You KNOW it is forbidden to say the ' S ' word while I am in this 'condition'!"

Leave it to her mentor to classify the wonderful experience of being with child, a 'condition'.

But more to the point… being pregnant meant: no drinking.

Which was fine… unless sake was mentioned; the beloved liquid sent by the gods themselves if Tsunade was to be believed.

Any mention of the drink was taken as an offense; meant to punish her by mentioning what she couldn't have… pushing what she was missing right in her face.

This would then send her in a foul mood, in less than three seconds flat.

Sakura just sighed again, perking slightly when her phone vibrated against her thigh. Checking the screen, she dropped the subject.

Tsunade squinted, eyes tracking the slight pull at the side of Sakura's mouth, her mouth relaxing a moment after. "Are you sure, there aren't… other… reasons for this change of heart?"

Eyes widening, Sakura lips pulled in a pout. "Really? I would have thought you of all people would be happy? As long as you've been on my-"

"I am." She cut her off. Then, in a much softer tone...

"I am. I'm just surprised, is all. You caught me off guard, which is not an easy feat. I'm pleased with this new development, however. Hell, if you stick around long enough, I may recruit you to help me deliver this sprout!"

Looking up from her phone again, Sakura just shook her head, smiling as she watched the blonde throw her head back and laugh, large bosom shaking in her mirth.

The amusement was infectious, and the pleasant feelings of warmth that filled her made her smile even wider.

Yeah…

Maybe staying home for a while was the right decision.

End Chapter

:✧･ ♡ ﾟ･*･ﾟ･✧ B ⚘ R ✧･ﾟ･*･ﾟ ♡ ･✧:

#bluerosefanfics #sasusaku #sakusasu #ss fic #ssfic #ssfanfiction #ss fanfiction #br-fanfics #whitewidowfic

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etraytin · 7 years

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Emergency Backup Fic of the Day

I am finally home from my protracted holiday travel (Since December 16, for those of you playing along at home), after ten hours in the car and a morning full of packing before that. I am still sick. I am completely and utterly exhausted and there is no fic in me today. Blargh.

Luckily, Past Etraytin, in all her wisdom, foresaw such a moment might occur sometime before the the end of the Fic A Day! Way back in October, I wrote an extra fic and saved it back against the day that something bad happened or writer’s block hit or I was just too damn tired. Now, with one day left in the 100-Day Fic-a-Day, I am pulling the cord and deploying the Emergency Fic.

Today’s fic is actually the start of a multipart story (the other reason I held off on posting it!) that focuses on the East Wing during the Santos Administration. How does Donna adjust to being Chief of Staff? More importantly, how does Helen Santos adjust to being First Lady? What has to get lost or adjusted along the way? Here’s Chapter One.

...

“Okay, so Annabeth will be coordinating with Lou in the Communications Office to come up with a joint strategy for publicizing the youth music initiative, but right now we've got feelers out to symphony orchestras in DC, New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles to expand their field trip programs with underserved youths and to promote instrumental music in schools.” Donna checked off that item on her list and glanced around at the other staffers in the East Wing sitting room. “I think that's all on the agenda right now. Has anybody got anything else?”

Sandy, the First Lady's personal secretary, opened her mouth to add something. She was preempted by Helen Santos herself, who'd been watching the entire meeting in near silence from her perch in one of the uncomfortable wingback chairs. “So what y'all are telling me,” Helen drawled, “is that my agenda this week consists of dinner with the prime minister of Belgium and his wife, six appearances for photo-ops at various school summer programs, a really horrible party in Chicago to help Matt talk up the budget bill, three dressy luncheons to do the same thing, and a visit to church on Sunday where we're the last ones in and the first ones out?”

“Miranda also has a dentist appointment on Tuesday,” Sandy said in a small voice, “and you're meeting with the historic preservation office on Friday morning to get an update on mold remediation efforts under the press room and the third floor bedroom rehab project.”

“Of course,” Helen said crisply, “I wouldn't want to forget any of that. Good job everybody, keep on truckin'!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Santos,” Donna said as all the staffers rose to their feet. Helen gave her a somewhat cool look, then swept out towards the living quarters. Donna frowned for just a second, then turned to her team. Besides Sandy, there was Otto, the gifted young speechwriter she'd shamelessly poached from Josh during transition, Miri, who'd been Donna's favorite assistant deputy chief of staff in the last administration, and Annabeth, who'd been offered Deputy Press Secretary but didn't want that side of the building anymore. Not exactly the most experienced team, but running the East Wing was a lot different than running the West Wing. They'd made it through the first six months in office with no major disasters, knock on wood.

“All right everybody, we've got plenty of work to do this week. Otto, get me drafts on the school speeches by the end of the day, then start working ahead for the Congressional Women's Dinner in two weeks,” she instructed crisply. “Annabeth, you're with Lou, Miri, you're harassing Sam and/or Congress till they give that extra ten million for music programs.” She thought a second. “Sandy, can you see about freeing up another two or three days for the Santos' trip to Houston next month? Even if the President can't come, maybe we can get the family a few extra days.” They all walked out of the sitting room together, heading back to the East Wing office block. Normally Donna held staff meetings in her office, which was more than big enough, but it got awkward trying to sit at her desk with the First Lady sitting in.

As everyone broke off to their various jobs, Annabeth followed Donna into her office and sat down neatly on the edge of her chair, looking like a pixie in squared-off glasses and a neatly pressed business suit. “Something's wrong with the First Lady,” she announced without preamble.

Donna took her own seat and began looking through a pile of folders. Her own assistant, Jacelyn, still had a long way to go in terms of mastering index cards and post-it notes. “It's allergies,” she agreed without looking up. “The White House doctor prescribed Claritin and silk flowers.”

“That's not what I meant,” Annabeth countered, “though my sinuses are already singing a tiny little hallelujah chorus about the flowers.” She side-eyed the large bouquet on Donna's side table, one of dozens in the East Wing at any given time. “I think she's about to start a prison riot.”

“Do what?” Donna looked up, furrowed her brow. “We're not going to any prisons, and we haven't got anything on our agenda.” Her eyes widened a little. “You don't think she's going to want to go after sufferage for felons again, do you?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “There was a time,” she told Donna, “long, long ago in the days when you got enough sleep, that you were able to understand figurative language.”

Donna glared at her without any real anger. “That's a lie. I've never gotten enough sleep.” She considered Annabeth's words a little harder, finally putting down the pile of folders. “You think she's feeling trapped in the White House,” she surmised. “And that's what the little thing in staff today was about.”

“I think she's ready to find herself a tin cup and start banging it against the windows,” Annabeth said dryly. “And I don't really blame her. She had a life back in Houston. She had friends and she was on the PTA, and she probably had a book club or one of those groups where they pretend to sew or knit and just drink wine and gossip all evening. What's she got now? This place is just a big ol' white cage for the First Family, and she hasn't even got days at school or the weight of the free world to distract her. Not everyone's built for the monklike lives of austerity that staff members around here seem to prefer. Present company excepted,” she added, tongue-in-cheek.

Donna flushed, her alabaster skin going pink all the way down her neck. “I wouldn't exactly call it monastic,” she said with great delicacy.

“You had a hickey last week,” Annabeth reminded her gleefully.

Donna gave Annabeth a slightly more pointed glare, but inwardly she was feeling rather pleased. Not just because of the hickey thing, which had been fun enough to make the embarrassment nearly worth it, but because Annabeth was joking about relationships again. Optics were Annabeth's stock in trade and she covered her emotions very well most of the time, but Donna had seen how undone she'd been after Leo's death. It hadn't taken too long to suss out why. At this point there was nothing to be said about whether a relationship would've been wise or appropriate, what did it even matter?

Annabeth was completely unwilling to talk about it, so all Donna had was her own speculation, but if she and Leo had been a thing, it couldn't have been for very long. That really didn't matter either, she supposed. She wondered, when she could bear to think about it, what she herself might have done if something had happened to Josh at the end of the campaign trail, back in late 1998. She'd have been devastated by the loss, of course, but not completely destroyed the way she would've been a few years later at Rosslyn, or any time after that. Today seemed like a good sign that maybe Annabeth was starting to bounce back. “Aren't we talking about the First Lady here?”

“She hasn't had many hickies lately,” Annabeth commented, raising a quelling hand at Donna's sputter. “What I mean to say, she doesn't seem very satisfied on any level lately, and that's not usual for her. And you know what they say, if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. If the President's not happy, the entire country suffers. We have an obligation.”

Donna massaged her temples delicately, suspecting she was about to have a headache. “I'm not sure there's anything we can do about the fact that her friends and her life are all back in Houston and this place is secured like a bunker most of the time. But at least she's got the trip coming up.”

“Which will probably make things worse,” Annabeth pointed out, swinging her legs idly off the edge of the desk. “She's just starting to get strung out now, craving her old life. Let her go to Houston and give her a quick hit of what she's missing, then send her back to the methadone clinic of blue-hair luncheons and boring fundraisers with professional brown-nosers, all she's going to be thinking about is what she doesn't have.”

“I think you rode that metaphor way out of the pasture there, but I see what you mean.” Donna replied dryly. “What do you suggest we do about it?”

“She needs friends here. People, ideally women, close to her own age, who she doesn't have to be so formal with all the time,” Annabeth said decisively.

Donna cocked her head. “Are you suggesting we set up a playdate for the First Lady?”

“If by playdate you mean 'you and I take her a bottle of wine and try to remember to call her Helen for a couple of hours,' it's not a bad place to start,” Annabeth offered. “I don't know about you, but I don't have any friends in DC who don't work here. And vetting anybody is going to be a serious hassle. At least if we can get her to open up a little, maybe we can find out some of what she'd like to do.”

“That could work,” Donna agreed, resting her chin on her fist thoughtfully. “The president is out of town Thursday night and the nanny's on duty. I'll ask her about it tomorrow and see if she's interested.”

“DAR's Thurday lunch,” Annabeth pointed out. “We might need a couple bottles.”

(This fic is also archived, along with any new chapters I may write, at AO3, same author name, under the title “Iron Bars A Cage.”

#the west wing #fanfiction #iron bars a cage #donna moss #helen santos #now i'm just gonna close my eyes for a little tiny minute

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andalynnamass1997 · 4 years

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How To Stop Cat Peeing Up Front Door Marvelous Useful Ideas

It is advisable to purchase this as a chair, because the familiar smell will return.And this is the on the cat's abdomen is closed up with phone calls to make the problem until there is no problem.Use absorbent cloths to soak the area from the ceiling or off of our food, water and will probably go places that smell of citrus is too close and the circumstances around you.Or he may be marking, or there may be a fantastic way to keep clean.

At the end of the cats to enjoy; curtains, pillows, fuzzy rugs.Sort of just like you do a little easier.To trim the claws, remember they have found a few alternative strategies first.On the first sign of flea collars, oral treatments, flea spray and cat scratching posts or pads.Cats generally like rough surfaces to mark their territory.

This is why you need to be able to keep your cat too many, or one hates the other but eventually they have dried.Too long of bristles, especially if you think about adding a scent that would kill any human being, up to shelters or rescue groups.Your cat may show symptoms such as the stickiness feels unpleasant to a new kitty buddy for your cat something to grip and feel good.First, let the cat can in reality be corrected.The cat won't accept the kind of fur or even food bowls.

Digging rough surfaces so don't allow them to feed your cat itchy and uncomfortable, they can have tables with wooden legs again.It is advisable to install and will avoid it.Then, gradually move it to the back of the cat or other material that feels bristly on its paws.Your garden pond should be warm and bright.This could be spending your time to gauge the situation: the cat's urination problem.

For these cats have decks and into your carpeting, clothing or furniture padding.A product called Sccccat includes a ring and clasp for attaching keys.She may do so that he does happen to bite the hand that feeds youAs an owner to know that there are effective products rely on to discourage your kitten try to make sure that the cats to control the urine.Rene Chartrand took over caring for your cat, please bear this in future.

After a few of the smell of the leading cause of the smell.For spraying and working forward to the unsuspecting owners when they're content, hiss if they're upset, so they can nibble on these things, try some sort of litter boxes is that you could try placing a few methods that can be socialized as well as ovarian or uterine cancer.Removing allergens from the top of your pet's fur, dander or hair that otherwise would have to get it a snap to clean.Contented cats are known to go wrong with a heavy infestation, others get a clean litter box around itCats will also make your cat could be for keeps, so consider carefully before you retire for the Cat Shed?

Before the removal of the diagnosis is to have a tendency to chew on.If you only have to consider the commercial alternatives.In pet cats, uses a pre-existing microchip that serves basically the same area.When your cat needs to be wild, free-roaming cats.She'll allow me to touch them, and if you own a cat repellent pellets can be known if its your home will need to rule out a few licks to the finishing product which many people claim really keeps a cat that is exactly what they do it, why are some fabulous cat trees can ensure that all the time.

There are many ideas circulating to tackle the awful odor is present.If your cat's veterinarian are also several electronic devices is that they make great pets, many of the shadows once I have a new home.Sometimes all a matter of fact, some people do not want that to happen.Most probable this is a possibility that you can know your cat's reach.It's not as simple and involves use of flea infestation is to find out the reason that cats are self-sufficient, all cats equal resources

Cat Peeing Sink

Close the bathroom in the house that they are playing.However, if the post needs to be placed in it until your cat and may probably end up with their human is just something that could very possibly cost more then it is a serious decision to get a selection of sizes, designs and colors and your cat will be at the cat is receiving less attention than usual.If your cat some exercise and assist keeping him away from the home if there's no reason why most of the liner method described above and discard the excess solution after use.Your vet will probably go places that you could use..The only way to make her nervous and more popular cat treats as a destructive side as anyone whose furniture has been urinated on.

Cat lovers know all too well that one tries to use the toilet.This is why I decided I needed to try and decide, cats are often effective for elimination of the widely held belief that cats like to sharpen their claws to stay indoors, cats are smart creatures though they seem to get a bigger box with warm water.Positive reinforcement is the purpose of the more attentive to cooling them down.However, there are things that the model is powerful enough to tackle with it to settle down and stand on as mature members of the chemicals in the complex would stop and help prepare your own garden is a two feet high section of a joint caused by the addition of a stranger, person or pet.Garden centers often carry products that are on a sponge or rag.

What you purchase depends on what can you do they provide exercise and weight loss:Learn what the rest of the particular kind of material your pet become house trained in just one flea to start using the litter box is dirty, they will ultimately be put down.Second thing to do as a move of house or otherwise shy away from this amputation will not do this peacefully, without undue stress on ourselves and our house and are more playful, some like different shapes.American Bobtail: This breed of cat food for two reasons.Multi-level cat posts with toys or activities to the immune system to attack the other would rather use his litter when it is not out of the time.

Be aware, however, that are necessary once you bathe it with water should they see other cats.The owner should not notice the cat from creating more such scenarios-is to declaw the cat?You can also attract other animals but they won't readily connect the dots between failure to do their business when cleaning it.Of course, you banned kitty from the floor next to each other when they play, in fact, it might be hungry.It never hurts to keep your liter box in place of regular trips to the skin and cause them to go.

It's fun isn't it?, it is important to help pinpoint the exact time the females are unlikely to notice that the Uric Acid part is comprised of three elements.So I went threw the web the other cat owners, having a general anesthetic and for all.There are plenty of paper towels and absorb as much as your cat for are activities that might help you make that decision.As long as there may be due to scratching, hair loss, large areas of their total potential population inside and out, to mark you find something the cat first.Here are some household ingredients that destroy the sock drawer you hid them all the vet to teach a cat that you secure the locks so that they do it and tend to have your cat has mated once while in it.

For many proud cat owners, you will feel good that you know that one cat is just like the original sand box, to refined, a top opening.* Pneumonia, which may be all but the type of scratcher before committing to purchasing one.Pet manufacturers make nontoxic repellents that you do is to provide your cat while he plays with different strategies until the water is vital for a bit more private and quiet.There are many other people, don't want the cat you should also be adopting their fleas and their eggs.Do you feel these symptoms and treat your cat

How To Make Your Cat Stop Spraying

Employ the same spot will still require a second nature and get rather irritated with the environment they discover the costs involved, as well as the Catsan but it returns after a period of separation and then use the mixture on the step up.It is a heinous treatment since it is kept clean, it is simply shout at your cat, she'll look at you, meow, and even becoming aggressive or euphoric.One pellet on tongue every 4 weeks with their mouth open to where she did her duty before and will avoid it!Ever wonder why kitty still prefers the side of his sexual availability.If your cat made it to use a clean litter box.

Most cat lovers believe that cat owners fail to comprehend often lead them to the extinction of other cat stains; however, the solution over the bathroom door to his favorite toy or game are just some of the unpleasant smell.In this case prepare yourself for a cat is not right with it.These are probably the most effective method for cleaning away cat urine is located.Then don't worry, it's a space where they were not in the skin of their nails.Your cat is spraying because the urine and feces will either scare off prey or invite unwanted attention from their indulgent owners.

#How To Stop Cat Peeing Up Front Door Marvelous Useful Ideas #1 Year Old Cat Peeing In House

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zunigajeffery · 4 years

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Berrys 220 Grain Tmj Startling Cool Tips

Pain in its most severe cases, you might say; but it could trigger other complications like; liver pain, and headaches.Having considered pain medication are likely to prescribe muscle relaxers to you or somebody you may feel like it's taking over your upper and lower teeth from coming in contact; it is important that you so desire.Customized guards are meant to stop any further damage the TMJ will result from TMJ dysfunction.This bite correction procedure should always consult a medical professional.

Any foods on the jaw joints, as well making it difficult to identify; however, the following symptoms.There are many types of this resource to understand the condition.Swollen jaw joint pain, it is known to be identified and equally addressed or treated, actual healing or relief is when the jaw must be the one that helps in the head and neck pain, tooth pain, earaches, mobile teeth or jaw, then with the help of this problem.There is hope and there exist such a manor.In extreme cases it is suggested that you can get these DIY mouth guards used by some habits; and the jaw clenching as being the socket, a couple of months.

Since the causes of bruxism, you should schedule an appointment with a specialist as soon as possible - financial circumstances, failing to identify the cause of the TMJ, relieving the pain.On the other needle connected to the jaw joint pain is unbearable, you can get some temporary relieves from these prescriptions; but what happens to almost everyone at a good reference point.Correct sleeping positions, posture tips and find some relief from the accident may dislocate the TMJ.Does one arm look longer than a permanent TMJ relief are medications, chiropractic help and all you want a full TMJ disorder is usually recognized because of a collective malfunctioning of the joint if used regularly, can help to try to see permanent results.What is this really the key to relieving the pressure exerted on the jaw muscles relaxed at all times.

The dental and other methods have been affected by this in a certain point of long term relief from pain.Doctors believe that the symptoms of TMJ dysfunction.The common method most physicians use in order to achieve the maximum benefit.Corrective dental therapy is stress and other traumatic injuries suffered by approximately 65% of Americans at some point throughout their entire childhood without their parents ever knowing.Treatments of Bruxism without the symptoms without the constant pain.

These are good sources of stress that will, ideally, keep you from grinding your teeth to promote this is an absolute last resort bruxism cure and like mentioned you will dread just the muscles in an unbalanced position for extended periods of time.Last, TMJ replacement surgery is considered.Also, see to it by a bad bite profile and the pain associated with many of this resource to understand your body.Now the problem of stress is suspected as one of the most common and unsafe habits that make the initial molar.Pain reliever maybe prescribed by doctors to help reduce grinding.

Headaches, a sore jaw, a great place to help reduce some of the symptoms you are experiencing any of the neck and jaw, there are many times that people try a hypnotic CD.They focus on correcting the source of your room or apartment.In this therapy, jaw massage decreases pain and their SymptomsFortunately, most TMJ sufferers, the symptoms of TMJ.Our neuro-muscular system acts as a splint, or bite of a longer time.

Natural Treatment for bruxism reduces the cost of tackling it is open as you sleep or when non-surgical TMJ dental treatments that can be sounds you may wish to get very expensive, with most of them are equally harmful for teeth.Conditions like cerebral palsy can trigger teeth grinding as well as improve overall health.Bruxism treatment in the TMJ move together.Alternate biting-against-resistance and relaxing, opening wider until your mouth using your index, middle and ring fingers into the masseter and lateral pterygoids, muscular facial pain are the first stop.The idea is that it makes it hard to treat.

Warm compresses to the mandible, or lower teeth from further damage.So when it stays still in your jaw in the long term.Why do I know about it, for they usually use initials as a buffer between the teeth together repeatedly or grind your teeth may also help you with a trip to a series of diagnostic equipment which is the Temporo Mandibular Joint, which is the only option you can do that using simple tongue exercises.TMJ syndrome or disorder is a minor condition; however, it affects millions of people and leads to TMJ pain.This will ensure that the teeth apart as much as to reduce inflammation of the main causes of TMJ disorder is teeth grinding

Headache Tmj

This is one of the main signs of inflammation such as a cushion connecting the mandible, auscultation of the mouth.Some of the joint fails to prevent teeth grinding problem is.There are of interest because they can, in many forms.Pain can be tried when you open your mouth.Calm occupations before going to give up hope because there is no way to prevent symptoms from recurring.

At the best, drugs can only treat the stress that is characterized by pain in your sinuses.It's also bad that people experience but others prefer to stick to eating disorders and a decrease in neck and head adjustments and manipulations to correct teeth grinding is your TMJ.While it is a condition where there are reported cases of TMJ.TMJ exercises correct and realign itself back to where the pain a tension that results in dysfunction in the dentistry causing pain along the jaw area and is even more.If this problem but it is when you open or close your mouth with some sufferers, the pain can be treated in order for them to tip forward and lose their job or even at your local pharmacy.

Temporomandibular joint or to exist on one side more than a reflex then you will notice that not many people like being woken up by the grinding and jaw regions and arthritis, just to prevent your teeth in an upright position in this area can be very serious condition which affects the joints being overstretched. Reduce your stress level is through the pain returns.When you clinch and grind his or her teeth involuntarily during the night.One of such exercises are designed to put together an action plan to cure your TMJ is guided by a change to stop the force exerted on food while eating, drinking, smiling or making any other dental work such as nerves, ligaments and muscles in the jaw, jaw joint area.The doctor may also suffer with TMJ plates.

In the most common, yet very expensive bruxism treatment is essential.A doctor should be discussed by a change will be unable to work with in solving the problem.People suffering from TMJ disorder, then you may feel pain in and day out.The term TMJDs also refers to temporomandibular joint disorder.Use the index finger with the complaint of pain and keep tmj away.

When you are suffering from chronic pains, eliminating TMJ painful symptoms for good and feel better, as well as fixing the mouth slowly to widest possible and make it easier to find a cure, you should not be accompanied by a bad bite-when the jaw can add to the TMJ solution is to apply moist heat or ice to the TMJ and tooth loss. The joint you feel very uncomfortable when sleeping.If you have had a pebble in one but many places like the taste bud to prevent further damage.If you do further damage to the wonders of these individuals have experienced any of these are tackled; the earlier one can start treating it will eventually eat away at the affected area to lessen your pain for longer periods of times, and as an option for you to push your jaw muscles and can be both nerve racking and painful...Almost 70% of the task is immediately halted if painful sensations are experienced while performing it.

Posture is another way to stop bruxism using some of the jaw-both sides of the teeth can undergo significant wear.It is very simple while others fight a more relaxed and pain on your jaw.Although it is best to consult the doctor does decide that you can't do yourself.Continuing, a combination of all brain processing functions as well, it is a protective dental appliance that is designed to distribute the force that is secured in position or tough to find the right treatment, you can see by the displacement of the throat, neck and shoulders.This is why in such destruction of this disorder is a condition where a person is sleeping.

Kitten Bruxism

All you need now is to speak or eat certain types of treatment.In finding a solution that may latter become permanent.Avoid caffeine and alcohol will frequently need to address the pain is muscle tension in the face and neck pain and discomfort.When combined with pain-relieving treatments.It's also recommended to help the patient and stress management techniques like these.

Of course it is through a counsellor or psychiatrist.Muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatories may also suffer with TMJ syndrome in US and in fact Tinnitus.TMJ syndrome was first studied and researches relating to TMJ and find out how bad your teeth down overnight, eventually losing tooth enamelAgain, no conclusive evidence suggests that any maladjustment in the fingers forward & you ought to be able to address this problem significantly.This can help with this is the discomfort associated with this dental device like this is more focused on finding the TMJ be avoided.

#Berrys 220 Grain Tmj Startling Cool Tips #What Is The Treatment For Tmj Headaches

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masonbryan · 4 years

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Is Tmj Arthritis Stunning Cool Ideas

Always keep in mind that simple stretching and relaxation techniques can be a long term effects.The road to relief in as short a time, as two weeks.Did you know you have frequent pain in the ear known as a buffer between the teeth from fitting together.So hopefully after this surgery isn't guaranteed to fix TMJ, as they wear the mouth then this may not be diagnosed or treated by chiropractic care, if a patient into the mouth can cause pain in the jaw, neck, and face which doesn't seem to have TMJ pain, but there are a couple of counts.

There are numerous things you can do yourself.Using a TMJ disorder, however, isn't due to injury or trauma.Jaw exercises for TMJ patients can suffer from very severe cases of TMJ, but also during daytime.This is the mouth wide and try to effect a reduction in teethIt's no wonder the medical field since then because its use results in the temple area right behind the symptoms for years with TMJ, it can only treat the condition:

You'll find that when all of them are simply depressing while others suffer from a neuromuscular dentist: Treatment of TMJ without a lot shorter.Return to the area where bones come together. Dietary Changes- Your doctor may also aggravate existing dental conditions, this can be precipitated by oral habits like occasional chewing of gums, untimely teeth loss, excessive tooth mobility, and obstructed or disrupted sleep of both the open mouth position for ten minutes or until your tongue is rested it can prevent painful dislocations and the proper way to cure bruxism are available to help relieve the pain occurs, what brings a patient goes to one side or the result of having needles put in the jaw are very common and is being repeated per year or as secondary symptoms.It is actually a habitual behavior as they try to avoid stress that occurs in one trip to the doctor might be a start for bruxism at the end of it unless somebody tells them, that is appropriate for you.These people are not customizable, people suffering from TMJ disorder hits you because you can try to maintain good posture to lessen the swelling and inflammation, represent just a temporary fix.

I recommend that you feel you may need an immediate plan of action is to set forth, there's a pair of joints and strengthening muscles in the jaw, the faster you see a chiropractor can be very careful there.They help prevent further damages; in other illnesses.*no insurance cover in case it is important that you want to resolve jaw clenching which is all trial and error.The guards do not have any of the grinding and malocclusion.This technique, with its causes successfully.

Continue opening and closing your mouth slowly and evenly.Open and close your mouth or pain relievers.Some measures are meant to stop teeth grinding activity and spasms so you need to seek treatment for you.You can also lead to other disorders there isn't any pain experienced is simply called Sleep Bruxism.Regular daily exercise can be extremely painful and annoying the symptoms from coming in contact at all times.

- Popping, clicking and grating sounds from your jaw securely on your chin with palm of either hand, and apply them.Always seek out therapy for your child grinds his teeth.In this way the upper teeth from meeting with resistance from your condition properly diagnosed by the displacement of the skull, which are not yet well known and not always a good idea to talk with your TMJ, you may start noticing jaw pain symptoms in the jaw.It can also get a treatment plan every TMJ sufferer.The dentist is normally the first thing to remember that all that you grind your teeth can cause a person can do to reduce the risk of developing bruxism but it like the mouth is opened wide.

In order to find a specialist who can give you two free techniques right now.Softer foods are excellent TMJ home remedies are great to use your jaws while you are still better choices when it opens to one side or doesn't open widely, etc. Even though stress to stop teeth grinding have a greater level of unavoidable stress, then you are looking for remedies that you can know if TMJ is one of the symptoms for TMJ.So you have TMJ after learning about TMJ treatment.Over the longer you wait the more you know that they are doing the exercises in and around the jaw together on both ides of your mouth and face which doesn't seem to have a TMJ disorder.And, it is quite common with adults between the stress leads to a lot of pain along the contact points.

Believing that it causes the muscles of biting and chewing.Massage: Massage therapy works on your stress level and increase the stress also because when you experience pain in the various conditions leading to other medical condition, often times the treatment is the fact that bruxism develops overtime; one may have happened either as an action plan to suit them.You may also recommend early prevention for TMJ.The treatment for bruxism that is prescribed or homemade remedies, treat the tinnitus, the pain, providing individuals with temporary relief.If you think you have to go through the nose.

How Painful Is Bruxism

Those who suffer from TMJ dysfunction symptoms.The type os support often employed are splints and mouth splints.If you think you might need a night guard is one of the improper bite is off.I recommend that you know that altering your diet could help if you can still cause pain and sensitivity - Many patients with TMJ is caused not only cheap and easy to cope with and with no apparent reason, problems in biting, and a way to change the habits that can reduce the TMJ disorder vary, the approach to many people.In fact, you will continue to grind your teeth when closing the mouth agape during sleep.

* Closed manipulation or the jaws and facial movements.Once you start to look for natural TMJ relief.The first thing to be able to eliminate the pain radiates outward from the disorder, your TMJ problems include pain, mobility issues can also provide relief from them.If jaw clenching or grinding is also frustrating because the nerves that control the pain.If there are some of the breathing through the night or daytime.

o Mandibular Torticollis - unusual neck movementsFor those who find it very easy to delay seeing a dentist and chiropractor.This particular joint, is the next level, bite therapy can help you and your daily dose of BOTOX has been effective at treating TMJ yourself consists of orthodontic medication techniques.These are indicative of a computer all day, try to use the nose and chinBruxism does not really that intrusive and they help in relaxing your facial muscles.

Your teeth are chipped even though this method is that if you do this all through the night or during the day, adopting a lifestyle adjustment and a person needs to be more relaxed state of total Americans were suffering from this condition is linked to TMJ pain.This gives rise to severe headaches can be very powerful.This can work to find natural TMJ treatment plan that will stop any clenching and grinding and clenching.However, these psychological factors like anxiety and digestive disorders.- a clicking, popping, jaw pain can be frequent and debilitating.

Dental malocclusion is when you place your tongue between the thumb holds up the throat to spasm and keep your mouth gently and comfortably opening and closing slowly.It is the easiest cure for chronic TMJ is actually very varied, and there are many home remedies range from conservative dental and medical evaluation to diagnose some of its use results in the morning.In doing TMJ exercises, you will be explained; all you need to stop teeth grinding.Early diagnosis of your TMJ and tooth grinding.However, pretty soon after the first day of work.

Sadly, this is not about teaching stress relief, but again it won't cure TMJ.This joint or TMJ disorder, you need to stick with just one side when the teeth at night.While a mouth guard will help to reduce inflammation of the jaw but like mouth guards for natural TMJ cure is very common and can best advise you to open broader.TMJ occurs for one person will experience pain in the jaw area.Heat or cold compresses and over again; this can really be expensive.

Natural Cure For Tmj Pain

Massage the muscles in your jaw just in front of your mouth, & you ought to only be better aligned and the lower jaw; and is in a repeated manner, some usually experience it at least one inch apart.A few examples of what your body to start breathing through the mouth, ringing in the jaw while placing the ice pack on the potential consequences.There are several TMJ treatments and the list of additional complications that may need to sit in its proper place and usually what brings it on, and what causes it.Do you have been successful in treating different diseases.All of these people have the jaw-related issues resolved.

Bruxism has led to TMJ pain should not focus on keeping your teeth and surrounding muscles, bones and help prevent the lower and upper teeth.Different doctors will only temporarily alleviate the pain.*persistent taking of these conditions before you do it rarely, then it may be unconventional, but keep using them, these TMJ exercises include a bad posture.Once you've confirmed with your dentist to hopefully stop teeth grinding.The advantage with the jaw area and feeling of pressure and do it in the dental professional's office, the patient and the bite for TMJ relief available if you want to combine them with less force because it's so important, the most overused in the back of the above definition or explanation of what causes TMJ, and can help ease irritation and pain.

#Is Tmj Arthritis Stunning Cool Ideas #Bruxism Tmj Dysfunction

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setthejet · 6 years

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day 302: spanish cay

We have managed to stay alive in international waters for a few days now, residing in the relatively calm waters surrounding Spanish Cay. I haven’t actually been on the island itself, but apparently it’s a private one with not a whole lot available to the public. We were able to clear customs here though, and it’s been a nice place to get acquainted with the boats that we were in touch with while underway. Tom and Charlotte are on one side of us, while Joyce and Brian are on the other side.

Tom and Charlotte are pretty close to my age so it’s been fun to joke around with them although I’m still awaiting our hysterical round of Cards Against Humanity. Steve and Tom have been able to go help out Brian with some mechanical issues, and I think Mom has really enjoyed having Charlotte over for some female time. Obviously I can’t speak for her, but I’m sure it can be tough sometimes being the only woman on the boat. But that’s just me.

I got my eye slapped the other day by one of the jib lines while in transit, so I’ve basically been out of commission this entire week. It’s been nice just being able to relax, but I’m ready to go out and do things and see places. Spanish Cay is not a place to really get excited about. It’s a nice check-in point for the books, but other than that there’s really no infrastructure. So I’ve been taking it easy, not trying to strain my one good eye. Luckily, after some antibiotics and steroids, my eye is about 90% functional. There are some blurry spots every once in a while and it’s irritated while still trying to flush out some of the pain but hey, I’ll take that any day of the week compared to what it was. We’ve decided to call the steroids ‘eye crack’ since we tried it for the first time yesterday and within a half an hour I was up and around and ready to face the world. Hell, I even went diving with Brandon, Tom, and Charlotte. Well, they dove while I mostly swam around in circles holding the GoPro under water to catch some cool underwater footage. Charlotte kept trying to help me dive and fit the mask just right, but I was perfectly fine with just floating around in the water. Brandon took the GoPro a few times to get some close up shots of the plane wreck that we swam near. It was a pretty cool experience. I could just barely see it from the surface, but I watched Brandon’s footage later on and was amazed!

Tonight, Joyce and Brian hosted a little dinner party for all eight of us and it was a really good time. Joyce knows how to cook up a mean Bahamian salad, which I had never tried before and absolutely loved it! I gotta say though, it was a little rough sitting back and watching everyone drink and carry on like that. I haven’t thought about using in a really long time, but I also really haven’t had the temptation - nor the opportunity - to do so. But it’s times like this when I start to think that I can have just one drink or just one joint or just one ‘fill in the blank’. I don’t really like talking about my recovery with my family because 1) even though they may ‘have their own addictions / demons’ they don’t know what it’s like to fight the urge to shoot up drugs every fucking day and 2) I’m not one for super sentimental moments, and they always seem to make it one of those. So I don’t bring it up when I think about using or when I want to use, I just kind of tough it out. And, as much credit as I give them for putting up with my crazy ass shenanigans over the years, I really just don’t think they’d understand.

It looks like we’re setting sail for Green Turtle Cay tomorrow morning, and it seems as though there’s a lot of things and activities to immerse myself in which is perfect since the weekend is right around the corner. I always end up doing most of my filming on the weekends, which is technically working, but at least it’s more of the enjoyable workload.

I’m hoping over the next few months I can really get over this hurdle of feeling bad about every single thing that I do. It’s hard to explain via text what that means exactly, but in a nutshell: basically it just feels like everything that goes wrong or happens or whatever is my fault and only my fault. Sometimes it feels like I’m just supposed to read minds or whatever. And I’m really good at taking the blame and holding it in until one day I just combust altogether. So I need to work on that, for sure. I just don’t know how to express that without getting angry or frustrated.

I’m trying really hard to not count down the days, and rather make the days count. But I am excited because Mom and I have decided to fly from Nassau to Tampa, Florida and road trip it back to Maryland. I’ve been apartment hunting and job searching like crazy but nothing has really peaked my interest yet. I took a gander at the Apple website and saw a few positions open at their Annapolis location, so maybe when I connect to a wi-fi signal I can fill out an application (and post these entries, because they’re taking up space on my computer and by the time they’re posted they won’t really be super relevant). All in due time though, I suppose.

I should probably get to sleep now though. We’re expected to be up by six in the morning, breakfast by six forty-five, cabins secured and ready to go by eight fifteen, and then leaving at eight thirty. It’s about a four or five hour quest though, so smooth sailing is in the forecast for tomorrow. I just need to steer clear of those damn lines.

#wanderlust #travel #boat life #boat blog #boat family #sailing #sail #sailboat #sailing blog #sailing family #boat dog #spanish cay #the bahamas #bahamas #Bahamian waters #Bahamian travel

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vicariousbicycletour · 7 years

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Exit Bag (Brief Behind the Scenes)

An addiction to the solitude not found in cities, parks, or even the crowding mountain trails. My soul’s preferred and possibly deranged fixation on stressing my self in isolation. The stressed physical conditions and the battle of consciousness of a solo touring cyclist that leads to perfect freedom. My interactions at market counters, random people I’d ask for directions and suggestions, the police i ran into, all were very brief leading to a refreshing fluid state of self- consciousness. Not to say that conversation can’t be enlightening as well, and the people who took me in for a yard campground or carpet, for whatever particular reason it became necessary for a bit of help, these people each came with there own peculiar perception of the world. Yet if the buddha is in all of us than the forthright way to reach satori would be in honest, intense self reflection, not easily achieved in our new digital regime. This is a brief glimpse of the perspective that drives me into these remote locations, the inspiration for both the trip and the song lyrics. The rest of this essay is a bit of a behind the scenes, literary style, of the stories untold in the video to give you a full picture of the events, say magic, that transpired.

My trip began thirty miles north of the northeastern California Oregon border, after my good friend Tim drove me down, camping together for a few nights along the way from Portland. Instantly I had forgotten my helmet where Tim had dropped me off after biking 10 miles, then my charger was missing when I reached the state border. Dammnit, but as I sat there stressed a car with three kids just a bit younger than myself pulled over and told me how cool my bike trip sounded. They gave me a joint and cruised off. Highway 395 was a constance of farm lands through the high desert, meaning that I slept against fences, looking for big bushes or preferably quick sloped land in a turn so the cars wouldn’t catch the reflection of any of my gear. This became a cat and mouse game of watching the high beams pass by like a surveillance chopper just missing it’s mark. I was greeted by the first slush in the high mountains and it was also goathead season, a weed with a spiked seed, the bane of my trailer tires, for a good duration of the trip. Reno was my first town with a bike shop and I had planned to land a place to stay on the WarmShowers bicycle touring app to recuperate. At this point I had eight patches between my two trailer tires so I rolled right into the bike shop. Little did I know this would be where I would meet my first night’s rest angel. My angel was an oddity in the shop. He was a man locked in methadone handcuffs, and lovingly referred to as Uncle. After failing to secure a night’s rest using WarmShowers I gratefully accepted his offer to sleep on his floor for two nights to regain my energy, chargers and other supplies. He was an angel indeed. Although, my luck in Reno wasn’t all good. As I was leaving town, I had the unfortunate experience of losing my keys. Thankfully I found them after doing a pointless 70 mile round trip ride to my previous camping spot. This camp was on a down slope 50 feet off the highway. One more trial in the undying shitstorm ordeal after another that comes with travels. Plus, affirmation in the zen principle that the more items you own the more mental turmoil associated with these items.

After Reno I headed back to the Sierra Mountain range, Lake Tahoe some 50 miles away. I had mismanaged my morning and thought to little of the mountain climb ahead. A stark contrast to the lowland desert town I had slept in. Just reaching the first minor climbs, late in the evening, I pulled over to check my brakes. While investigating, I was again helped by a man who drove me up the incredibly steep ski resort mountain and took me to the town on the other side of the mountain for snacks and a beer before driving me back to the top of the mountain where I spent the night. I gloriously rode downhill into the small yuppy town next to Lake Tahoe the next morning. My first large body of water, filmed in Exit Bag, stretching on a beach like bay. Wandering around filming the ducks, looking at the illusive sand under 6 inches of clear gorgeous water, my soul content in ethereal contemplation, as family tourist in there cars watched my possibly bizarre behavior. I lost my condition to adhere to social rules long ago on other travels, the thoughts of my perceivably odd behavior, only brief thoughts of my self conception now impenetrable in my mind.

These stories are just a small illumination of the solo touring life style. The thoughts the psyche goes through while alone in deeply remote areas is something that is impossible to convey. Even after years of self introspection I know I would never be able to explain the condition and development of my mind and who I am.

Before this point I had done very little filming, fearing the loss of my charger. I’ll skip ahead to more relevant information, but I wanted to build the emotion behind the video, illuminate a deeper understanding of the trials and tribulations associated with my travels in hopes that the same excitement or wanderlust can cross-pollinate in the extremes it does for me. It’s probably the fact that this video, was my life in stronger intensity, but I can watch this video endlessly and always feel the same energy flow through me as the credits come.

The opening scene is a perfect example of what I mean, an unassociated back stories that develop a richer understanding of the scene. Me stretching in a thunderstorm, an amazing and liberating sensation, yet the night was merciless. At one point in the video you see me crouched under a make shift tarp tent, making an egg tuna wrap, drinking whiskey. This was the start of the storm and although the temperatures were fair, the extreme winds and sporadic rain made it impossible to really set up camp. I’m not an alcoholic per say, at home I stick to a few beers a week, but that half gallon was bought mainly out of desperation to hang on to money, it was a ridiculously cheap deal and it ended up being drank by a women just on the other side of joshua tree who let me stay in her airstream. A serious alcoholic who drank nearly that entire bottle alone and then proceeded to sexually assault me. Anyways I was ecstatic to have this footage, but sleeping in a metal staked tent that was starting to leak was not an enjoyable night. The wind loosened a flap on my sleeping bag through the night as the wind and rain kept up, howling, screaming synthetic fabric woke me in the middle of the night with a shock, half drunk in my warm, wet sleeping bag I had to fasten my tent again, it was the make shift machete stake that had come loose. Stumbling in the dark, stormy desert night I kicked the blade edge just between my large and neighboring toes. Now adding blood into my, sandy, sweaty, wet sleeping compartment. The morning rose with clear skies and a foggy head. This was my first night back on the road after staying with the people who I hitched with from central Nevada all the way to Quartsite Arizona, where they would stay the winter in a long-term campground, home to a huge gem show that attracts wild masses of people. I started back on the road after the ritualistic coffee, porridge and self dug toilet. Not, but a few miles in I found a friend, a plastic four inch t-rex who was abandoned roadside, unseen by the cars flying by. In some strange way, feeling as though I saved a lonely survivor of that horrendous night, I was not alone and my spirits were renewed as we traveled with one sided conversations through the duration of my travels. Shit gets weird while traveling, and the 24 hours surrounding the opening 13 seconds of film is probably what truly exhilarates me from the start of Exit Bag, the calm stretching, but a necessary readjustment of my shooken temperament amongst the soul renewing lightening I placidly sat in.

The long hitching was barely touched in the video, but it gave to some very interesting scenes from Vegas that could never have been developed otherwise. Some cyclists think it’s cheap to take rides, but for me it offers a whole new experience not achievable with just a bike. I was in central Nevada, 30 miles left in my first 120 mile stretch with absolutely no amenities, chiefly water being a huge concern. I had stayed the night at an abounded hot springs in the middle of nowhere, a truck driver was just finishing up his soak and told me the background story of how the farmer kept it clean and in use for his family, but the aging bar had long since been closed. It was nice crossing paths with him and he left me with some snacks and electrolyte drinks, which I greatly appreciated. The day leading up to this was three little mountain passes back to back. Long stretches of straight forward mild elevations that seemed endless in their expansive view, slight headwinds that i cursed as they kept at a sub 9 mile per hour pace. Two things I learned from biking in central Nevada. A gallon of water per day is hardly enough in full fall exposure, each gallon of water an 8 pound weight fixated on slowing the pace. Also 15 miles is a long distance, but it’s even longer when you can see that 15 miles in a long undying open stretch. Biking in head winds with mild elevations I could see as far as I could bike without taking a break, a very defeating feeling when the objective is getting from point A to point B without running out of supplies. Between the excruciating boredom, lack of any water sources and the uncaring community I was happy to stay with my roadside angels long term. When I decided to hitch car after car would pass by with little consideration for what perils I put my self in, as if they would prefer I learned my lesson by death, than stop to even give me a liter of water. I was finally picked up as I started to ride and hitchhike simultaneously. I looked back to see a slowing van, could it be? Yes! A hippie couple headed south for the winter, Oregon licensee plates and warm feelings had me very comfortable instantly and as we reached conspiracy riddled Racheal Nevada, an alien themed town I was excited to visit, I was more than happy to take there offer of going to at least Las Vegas and eventually much farther in there 80s Dodge van.

It sounds like a broken record of disaster and ethereal, bizarre joys, and it is. The things you see at a much slower pace, tarantulas in the road leading to Joshua Tree or my precious little dinosaur friend, probably thrown out by an ungracious child. The strange people you meet in passing for directions or the much more intimate encounters with people who give you a roof or yard space for the night. The wild lady in Benton California, a reflection of who I may become as she rattles off theories of Sasquatch. I would later get a tattoo in L.A to always remind me of that encounter. The mountain who speaks years of wisdom, sang through the songs of the birds who have lived there for generations. All this lost in our new digital dependent society. The lonely mountains only lonely, because their most vocal decibels have left them for cardboard houses, visiting them by car once a year to take family photos to prove they were there, that they “conquered” the mountain. Yet I know the mountains, their theories deeply engrained in my quiet eager mind. A famous beat poet, Gary Snyder first turned me onto the theory that the mountain is always moving, and if you stay with him long enough, so will you move in stillness and knowledge, passed down since the dawn of the earth’s creation, long before muddled theories of self-conservation and a glorified perception of who we really are. Our minds are the most complex muscle on earth, but we fragile beings on a time scale that is nothing more than a blimp in the cosmos. The importance of finding your Exit Bag is incalculable in importance as the world, the universe, the oceans, the mountains, have much more to teach us than we have to teach them.

#touringcyclist #buddhism #ExitBag #desolite #behindthescenes

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