#scheduling risks and estimating

[asestimationsconsultants]

How a Construction Cost Estimating Service Helps Reduce Project Risks

Construction projects involve numerous risks that can impact budgets, timelines, and overall success. A professional construction cost estimating service plays a crucial role in identifying, quantifying, and mitigating these risks through precise financial forecasting and planning. This article explains how cost estimating services help reduce project risks and contribute to smoother construction management.

Identifying Cost Risks Early

A detailed construction cost estimate highlights potential financial risks by thoroughly analyzing project scope, material requirements, labor needs, and equipment usage. By identifying high-cost items and volatile pricing elements upfront, estimators allow stakeholders to prepare for uncertainties before breaking ground.

Accurate Budgeting and Contingency Planning

Accurate cost estimates help establish realistic budgets, which are fundamental for managing risk. Estimators include contingency allowances—reserved funds to cover unforeseen expenses such as design changes, delays, or unexpected site conditions. This financial buffer minimizes the chance of project stalls caused by funding shortages.

Managing Price Volatility

Material prices and labor rates can fluctuate rapidly due to market conditions, supply chain disruptions, or labor shortages. Construction cost estimating services monitor market trends and incorporate escalation factors in their estimates, allowing projects to anticipate and budget for price increases effectively.

Supporting Decision-Making and Value Engineering

With detailed cost data, project teams can make informed decisions about design choices and construction methods. Estimators provide value engineering options that reduce costs without compromising quality, thus lowering financial risks while maintaining project goals.

Improving Bid Evaluation

Accurate cost estimates provide benchmarks against which contractor bids can be compared. This helps owners and managers avoid low bids that might lead to cost overruns and ensures bids reflect realistic pricing, reducing the risk of selecting underqualified contractors.

Enhancing Schedule Risk Management

Estimators analyze how construction timelines influence costs, including potential expenses from accelerated schedules or weather delays. Understanding these impacts helps plan realistic timelines that balance cost and speed, mitigating risks related to rushed or extended projects.

Facilitating Transparent Communication

Detailed cost estimates serve as a common reference point among owners, architects, contractors, and financiers. This transparency reduces misunderstandings and fosters collaborative risk management throughout the project lifecycle.

FAQs

Can a construction cost estimating service prevent all project risks? While estimating services significantly reduce financial risks, they cannot eliminate all uncertainties like weather or unforeseen site issues.

How do contingency allowances work in cost estimates? Contingencies are percentage-based reserves added to estimates to cover unexpected costs. Their size depends on project complexity and risk factors.

Are cost estimates updated during construction to manage risks? Yes, estimates should be revised as design or site conditions change to maintain accurate risk assessments.

Conclusion

A construction cost estimating service is a vital tool for reducing financial and scheduling risks in construction projects. By providing detailed cost insights, contingency planning, and informed alternatives, these services support proactive risk management and contribute to successful project delivery.

[chipjrwibignaturals]

ougfh logistics..........

[mariacallous]

With vaccination rates among US kindergarteners steadily declining in recent years and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowing to reexamine the childhood vaccination schedule, measles and other previously eliminated infectious diseases could become more common. A new analysis published today by epidemiologists at Stanford University attempts to quantify those impacts.

Using a computer model, the authors found that with current state-level vaccination rates, measles could reestablish itself and become consistently present in the United States in the next two decades. Their model predicted this outcome in 83 percent of simulations. If current vaccination rates stay the same, the model estimated that the US could see more than 850,000 cases, 170,000 hospitalizations, and 2,500 deaths over the next 25 years. The results appear in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“I don’t see this as speculative. It is a modeling exercise, but it’s based on good numbers,” says Jeffrey Griffiths, professor of public health and community medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, who was not involved in the study. “The big point is that measles is very likely to become endemic quickly if we continue in this way.”

The United States declared measles eliminated in 2000 after decades of successful vaccination campaigns. Elimination means there has been no chain of disease transmission inside a country lasting longer than 12 months. The current measles outbreak in Texas, however, could put that status at risk. With more than 600 cases, 64 hospitalizations, and two deaths, it’s the largest outbreak the state has seen since 1992, when 990 cases were linked to a single outbreak. Nationally, the US has seen 800 cases of measles so far in 2025, the most since 2019. Last year, there were 285 cases.

“We’re really at a point where we should be trying to increase vaccination as much as possible,” says Mathew Kiang, assistant professor of epidemiology and population health at Stanford University and one of the authors of the paper.

Childhood vaccination in the US has been on a downward trend. Data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from state and local vaccination programs found that from the 2019–2020 school year to the 2022–2023 school year, coverage among kindergartners with state-required vaccinations declined from 95 percent to approximately 93 percent. Those vaccines included MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis), polio, and chickenpox.

In the current study, Kiang and his colleagues modeled each state separately, taking into account their vaccination rates, which ranged from 88 percent to 96 percent for measles, 78 percent to 91 percent for diphtheria, and 90 percent to 97 percent for the polio vaccine. Other variables included demographics of the population, vaccine efficacy, risk of disease importation, typical duration of the infection, the time between exposure and being able to spread the disease, and the contagiousness of the disease, also known as the basic reproduction number. Measles is highly contagious, with one person on average being able to infect 12 to 18 people. The researchers used 12 as the basic reproduction number in their study.

Under a scenario with a 10 percent decline in measles vaccination, the model estimates 11.1 million cases of measles over the next 25 years, while a 5 percent increase in the vaccination rate would result in just 5,800 cases in that same time period.

In addition to measles, the authors used their model to assess the risk of rubella, polio, and diphtheria. The researchers chose these four diseases for their infectiousness and risk of severe complications. While sporadic cases of these diseases do occur and are usually related to international travel, they are no longer endemic in the US, meaning they no longer regularly occur.

The model predicted that rubella, polio, and diphtheria are unlikely to become endemic under current levels of vaccination. Rubella and polio have a basic reproduction number of four, while diphtheria’s is less than three. In 81 percent of simulations, vaccination rates would need to fall by around 35 percent for rubella to become endemic in the next 25 years. Polio, meanwhile, had a 50 percent chance of becoming endemic if vaccination rates dropped 40 percent. Diphtheria was the least likely disease to become reestablished.

“Any of these diseases, under the right conditions, could come back,” says coauthor Nathan Lo, a Stanford physician and assistant professor of infectious diseases.

To evaluate the validity of the model, the researchers ran a scenario with recent state-level vaccine coverage rates over a five-year period and found that the number of model-predicted cases broadly aligned with the number of observed cases in those years. The authors also found that Texas was at the highest risk for measles.

One limitation of the study was that the model assumed that vaccination rates were the same across all communities within a state. It didn’t take into account large variations in vaccination levels. Pockets of low vaccination rates, like in the Mennonite community at the center of the West Texas outbreak, would likely lead to local outbreaks that are larger than expected given the overall vaccination rate.

The study also didn’t take into account the possibility that vaccination rates could rebound in an area in response to an outbreak. “That’s the thing that we have control over. If you’re able to change that cycle, then that disease won’t spread anymore,” says Mujeeb Basit, associate chief of the Clinical Informatics Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center, who wasn’t involved in the study.

Kiang and Lo say the full impact of decreased vaccination will likely not be seen for decades. “It’s important to note that it’s totally feasible that vaccinations go down and nothing happens for a little while. That’s actually what the model says,” Kiang says. “But eventually, these things are going to catch up to us.”

[literaryvein-reblogs]

When your Character is Sleep Deprived

Sleep Deprivation - occurs when you don’t routinely get sufficient sleep at night.

Seven to eight hours of quality sleep time is the baseline for most adults, yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one third of American adults suffer from measurable sleep loss.

This lack of sleep can lead to disruptions in everyday life, from grogginess and delayed reaction times to serious medical conditions.

Causes of Sleep Deprivation

Many factors can prevent you from getting a good night's sleep. These include:

Sleep disorders: Certain conditions like sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome can interfere with healthy sleep.

Mental health conditions: Depression and anxiety can be sources of severe sleep deprivation.

External stimuli: Loud noises, bright lights, and hot temperatures can all prevent you from getting enough sleep.

Work schedules: Shift work at night can clash with your natural circadian rhythms and trigger sleep deprivation.

Physical activity: Exercise can inhibit sleep onset if scheduled too close to bedtime.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation

The consequences of sleep deprivation can be serious. A person operating on insufficient sleep may face increased risk of the following effects.

Daytime drowsiness: A poorly rested person can go through the day feeling groggy. This can lead to drowsy driving, car accidents, mental slip-ups, and poor cognition.

Microsleep: In addition to general drowsiness, a person running on very little sleep can experience microsleep—very short bursts of unconsciousness that feel like blacking out.

Mood swings: A person overcome by sleepiness may be cranky and irritable, and they may also experience headaches that further sour their mood.

Memory issues: Poor sleep patterns that cause a person to get less sleep have the potential to affect memory recall.

Tips for Avoiding Sleep Deprivation

To ensure you get consistent and sufficient sleep duration, consider the following strategies.

Stick to a bedtime routine. Sleep difficulties can stem from inconsistent schedules and routines. Improve your sleep hygiene by creating consistent sleep habits and a bedtime routine. This may involve stretching, an evening shower, or a cup of tea.

Avoid digital screens before bed. The blue light of electronics can mimic the effects of sunlight and prevent your body from entering its natural sleep cycle. Keep digital devices out of the bedroom, and when you must use them before bed, use a blue light filter that keeps the most disruptive light out of your eyes.

Consider a natural sleep remedy. Supplemental melatonin can help you fall asleep when your routine sleep schedule has been disrupted. Take care to not build reliance on sleep medications that may dampen the restorative effects of REM sleep and non-REM sleep.

Lower the temperature of your bedroom. A nighttime room temperature of 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit signals to your brain that it’s time to sleep.

Practice mindful relaxation techniques. A bedtime ritual of deep breathing exercises and slow exhales can promote progressive muscle relaxation. Mindfulness can also eliminate tension while allowing your body to drift into drowsiness and get enough hours of sleep.

Monitor your health conditions. Certain medical conditions, like sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome, can impair sleep onset and deprive you of sleep over the course of the night. Seek medical advice for handling such conditions, and work with your healthcare provider to develop treatment and coping strategies.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[kkochigomi]

the ultimate guide to f***ing nomin

teaser (full fic here)

PAIRING: reader x jeno + jaemin

GENRE: producer!mc, smut, humor

ESTIMATED WC: 30k

TEASER WC: 1.8k

SYNOPSIS: DJ Juliette is over just being a DJ. She misses being a producer and working with artists but no one is biting anymore. She's living from paycheck to paycheck, so when MC receives a pink business card from that company, she should take it. But her fellow SHAWOLs are screaming at her and she knows better. So they send in the heavy arsenal wrapped in head-to-toe Chanel. This woman, named Lindsay Liu, knows she can talk her into it.

WARNINGS: threesomes, slight language barriers, hella campy/maybe even bad, mc is described as American and having a midsized body, explicit language and descriptions of sex, working at SM Entertainment, mc has a "stage name", Juliette isn't her actual name.

+ dialogue and text messages italicized in their entirety means MC is translating them from Korean!

NingNing are you not seeing the gc? Lindsay just sent something CRAZY

You choose to ignore Yizhuo’s text for one simple reason. It’s five a.m., which is much too early to translate. You’re already grouchy from being up this early, you’d rather just hurry and get ready for your first scheduled session. 

And throughout all three hours of said session, your phone is buzzing into oblivion. You have to wonder if a cartoony vein is popping out of your forehead when one of the members stops singing in the booth. You look up to see not only him, but everyone else in the studio staring at you. 

“Juliette, if you need to excuse yourself for a moment to answer your phone, please do so.” Says the group’s manager, looking unimpressed with your attitude. Embarrassed, you immediately stand up, bowing at everyone in the room and softly apologizing in Korean. 

You rush out in the hall, half of you just eager to be relieved of the tension you caused and the other half is eager to mute that group chat. You search for the app, forgetting what it’s called since you rarely use it.

An unfamiliar logo is grouped with the other messaging apps. SCR… right, you think, and what does that mean again?

You’re tempted to delete it since it’s collecting dust, but deep down you know exactly why you won’t. There’s a rabid fangirl constantly reminding you that your favorite idols only trust this app to send… private messages. Not always something inappropriate, just anything they can’t risk being exposed. You sigh and open the app to at least do what you originally set out to.

The group chat, cheesily named ‘Gossip Girls’, has over 999+ unread messages. You’re not sure just how much that plus is hinting at since you rarely open it, but you remember there being significantly less the last time you glanced at the home page. And that wasn’t that long ago. That’s when you see the previews of the messages flying by. 

their shoulders are so broad, it gets me… this is so strange Lindsay, do you know their type? I wa… kinda horny now lololol I bet they only like really skinny girls… So what’s their size? Don’t leave us… i’d pay just to see it lol god they would KILL on onlyfans

… What in the world is going on? You open the group chat at the speed of light. Frustratingly you’re positioned where you left off two months ago. You have to scroll through dating rumors and confirmed relationships, leaked songs, or whatever other hot gossip one of the girls’ heard. This app was created by celebrities for celebrities (and a select few normies). If you take a screenshot while the app is open, the picture is blurred just like snapchat and the other chatters are notified. There’s also an eyesore of a pattern in the background that supposedly distorts most phone cameras, so you can’t take a physical picture either.

Plus, it’s not really in anyone using this app’s best interest to blow its cover. Almost everybody has dirt on them from that very app. Everyone chooses to keep the peace for another reason as well, intel. You finally you find it. Lindsay even translated it, and you have a strange feeling that’s targeted at you. 

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Hello dolls, As some of you may know, I am moving back to Shanghai for the time being :*(. I know, I’m so sad! I’ll miss seeing your gorgeous, gorgeous faces in real life. Anyway, I’ve decided to leave you guys with a parting gift. Me being the only person to experience this feels like a waste. One of you has got to have sex with Nomin.

You gasp, hugging your phone against your chest. The door creaks open and you feel your soul threatening to leave your body. 

“Are you okay?” The manager peeks his head out, looking just as annoyed as he always is.

“I-I’m sorry, there’s an... emergency!” You give him a panicked smile after you find the word. Your face is sizzling hot as you lock your phone. His face gradually softens. 

“You don’t look too good, we can end early today–”

“Okay, thanks!” You rush toward a bathroom, any bathroom. Only when you’re locked in a stall do you feel yourself calm down. Your face is still hot to the touch as you unlock your phone. You have to admit, Lindsay really caught you off guard. God… if someone had glanced over your shoulder, you would’ve had your ass handed to you. Despite what their artists sing about and how they dance, SM is a very sexless place. Any innuendos or allusions to sex are strictly prohibited. A part of you felt like them explaining those rules was only targeted at you because you were American (not that you would blame them). But after being here for two months, you’ve gotten very used to the sterile environment. 

Opening up that message in the middle of work felt like watching hardcore porn at your work computer. Is she joking? If she is, it is a little funny. You make a note to message her that before you continue. 

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Don’t worry, I won’t be jealous or anything. If you know me, then you know I refuse to be attached to any man lol. But you should know that they don’t just fuck anybody. From what they’ve told me, they don’t look at most girls. They’re very particular about the girls they seek out. If you ask me, that’s exactly why they barely have threesomes heheh ;3.

The first of many thoughts to surface is that Lindsay is clearly not joking. The next is a glaring question.

Who is Nomin?

You know better than to assume the k-pop industry debuted a nonbinary idol, so you’re not surprised when your google search returns two men. You’re also not surprised that you don’t recognize them since you don’t know any groups who debuted after 2014. They’re handsome, though. Very much so. They’re both charming in their own way, and you can see why they’re paired up. The vibes are reminiscent of the classic cat/dog dynamic you’ve seen. You tap your index finger against your lips as you sift through the images. They have nice physiques...

They’re okay I guess, I’ll always be a Taemin girl, though. You spin your ring mindlessly, unable to tear your eyes away from Jeno’s bare torso.

Right, the message.

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Here, I’ve compiled for you the steps to attempt to get Nomin’s attention. Just to get it out of the way because it's obvious, you have to be up for a threesome. Even I couldn’t get one of them alone. Also, no idols. Upsetting one fandom is already horrifying, upsetting two is just reckless. Anyway, - Tip One: Don’t try so hard. If you look as good as they do, you get suitors constantly. And having to constantly deal with loud and unsubtle people is annoying. Besides, no one likes desperation. - Tip Two: If you’re going to change up your style and approach, don’t lay it on thick in either direction. Don’t become a BDSM dungeon master with your breasts practically falling out of your shirt. I bet you would look great, but you’d be ignoring tip one. But don’t put on that weird demure act either. If you’re covered head to toe and pretend to be sex averse, how are they supposed to know you want to fuck them? - (extra hint: dress casually, but give them something to… you know. A shirt just tight enough or a skirt just short enough they think their dirty thoughts were their own fault. Just off the top of my head, something like a graphic tee that’s slightly cropped with high waisted jeans that cover your midriff. Make sure the shirt hugs you just right 😉)

You laugh to yourself. Graphic tee she says. She could’ve just said t-shirt, but she’s making it very obvious. Perhaps on purpose? You pinch your jacket closed as if someone can see you right now. You’re wearing the same shirt you had on when you met her, now that you think about it. 

Tip Three: A quick Do & Don’t for you: DON’T pretend to be their biggest fan. Name a single idol who has dated a fan. Exactly. DO become the best fan fiction character you can be. And I mean best. Don’t go to their concert and read a book, that’s ignoring tip one again. Don’t say you hate their music or hate boy groups. Subtler. Say you love boy groups. Hell, say you love SM boy groups… but you’re not very familiar with new ones. Throw an older group out there like I don’t know… SHINee. I think that’s why they reached out to me, being a 2PM fan and all. I wouldn’t have even looked their way on my own and I think that excited them.

That tip is the final straw for you. That one message was correct, this is strange. If she wanted to recommend you… have sex with those two, why wouldn’t she just message you? And are they even aware of all this? It all rubs you the wrong way and you start to text her exactly that. Lindsay beats you to it, though.

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Have you read the group chat at all?

Yes. What the hell.

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ What did you think of the tips ;)

Lindsay. Don’t you think this is a little inappropriate?

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Hey, I said they don’t like the innocent act.

I’m not participating in this! It feels icky. Am I crazy?

You exit out of her chat to message Yizhou the same thing. You can’t be going crazy. This is weird. You fan yourself and exhale.

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ A little!! :D 

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ They’re already texting me that they’re going to be so lonely and horny when I leave… they may even have to play with each other to cope…

My GOD Lindsay.

You swipe the messenger away entirely, only noticing then how hard your heart is beating. You close your eyes and your mind immediately betrays you by painting the images you saw of Jeno and Jaemin together behind your eyelids. You ease onto the toilet, hands pressing against the stall one either side of you. The images refuse to cease and you let your thighs squeeze just a little. 

Your phone buzzes and you send a ball of saliva back to roll down your parched throat before opening the app again. 

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Last time I checked on you, you told me you haven’t been getting any play recently. They’re going to be in the same boat soon.

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Remember what I told you? Idols have to be picky about who they sleep with and how often they do it. I know you’re thinking about quitting because this job isn’t what you saw yourself doing, but you aren’t utilizing the perks, doll </3 !

LIKES AND REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED! `⎚⩊⎚´ -✧

◉ proofread cycle 1 ⃝ proofread cycle 2

[radioactiverats]

i love your writing style!! what're your thoughts on sleepy starscream?

Mentor Starscream x Seeker!reader (28/?)

*Blows dust off inbox* Thank you so much! Apologies for the wait but I loved this prompt :,)

———

You sprawl out on the berth, glancing over at where Starscream was hunched over datapads and contributing new lexicon to the standard Cybertronian dictionary under the category of swears.

Starscream was busy.

Well, Starscream was always busy. Except this recent period had hit him really, really hard, and the reason for it was obvious.

The groundbridge was broken.

“Slagging - bot fragging son of a Cessna - the Celestial Spires have never seen witnessed anything as moronic as - when I get my servos on those pistol-lickers-!”

You wince.

Firstly, the frustration was evident in his glitchy vocaliser.

Secondly, what he’d said made barely any sense.

Your optics narrow. Now that was cause for concern.

He’d been running on fumes for the better part of two weeks. You’d barely seen him in the daytime, let alone at night after curfew. Curling up on your own, shivering on a berth that felt far too big, had become your new normal. You drifted in and out of recharge until Starscream would, if you were lucky, come back at what you estimated to be close to sunrise to chide you for not switching the lights off.

“I left them on in case you came back,” You’d mumbled, after the third time. Starscream didn’t have the spark to tell you off after that.

Still, he never stayed long. The longest he’d stayed in those two weeks was when you, emotional centre thrown off balance from your fitful recharge, stubbornly clung onto his servo and refused to let go. Starscream stayed until you’d fallen asleep again, long enough to stop your crying. When you woke up again, he was gone, but you discovered that someone had cancelled your shift that day.

Anyway. You shake yourself out of memories to focus on the present. Chronic sleep deprivation was no good for any mech, but it seemed Starscream had taken that as a personal challenge. Had it been a competition, he’d surely have blown the opposition out of the water in terms of who-could-stay-awake-the-longest. The prize, however, was becoming kind of… loopy.

Just as you’re pondering the best way to approach him without risking an instinctive null ray to the faceplate, a comm comes from Knock Out.

Is he asleep yet?

You scowl, displeasure mounting.

So I’m guessing he was released from duty out of necessity.

A pause.

Ding ding ding.

Another pause.

He’s not asleep, is he? Think you can get him to drink some spiked energon?

Why do you have spiked energon?

Sweetspark, spiked energon is the least of your worries on this ship.

You snort. All the same, you’re actually not too keen on the idea, even if Knock Out means well. NightByte had said something about it before - fliers didn’t mesh well with drugs used by grounder frame types. Something about it overstimulating the fight-or-flight response in flight frames - whose coding tended to be on edge as is. You sneak another glance at Starscream, who’s now adding new lexicon to the Vosian dialect. All the same, something had to be done.

Let me try to get him to berth. I’ll comm you if I need help.

Sure. Good luck.

Lol

Your scowl deepens.

“Sir.”

Starscream appears not to hear you, and the vocabulary grows increasingly inventive.

You slide off the berth and stomp over to him. Enough is enough.

“Sir!”

He whirls around, and you duck on instinct to avoid a null ray - but nothing comes.

You glance up, and Starscream’s staring almost confusedly at you, clearly too exhausted to even have instincts, let alone respond to them.

“Cadet. I’m working. What is it? Shouldn’t you be recharging?”

“You should be the one recharging. Come on, let’s go to berth…”

“I’m fine. I have things to do. Don’t you have an early shift tomorrow?”

Your spark warms. Despite his slightly loopy state, he’d still somehow remembered your weekly schedule.

“Sir, you need recharge. You’ve already finished most of your work tonight.”

You reach for his servo, hanging limply by his side. “Come on.”

“Cadet-“

“You needed recharge, like, ten days ago.”

“I have to finish this-“

“What could be more important than having a functioning frame?”

You abruptly give up on tugging at his servo and start trying to push his chair towards the berth.

Yes, you were fully aware that he was a full size class above you - perhaps even two - but it didn’t stop you from trying. The chair budges half an inch.

Starscream watches you, a bit to bewildered to respond.

“Cadet, what are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” You grunt. “Getting you to berth.”

Primus.

“Why are you so heavy?” You mutter.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, sir.”

Desperate times call for desperate measures. You activate your heel thrusters.

“Cadet-! For Primus’ sake-!”

Much better. The chair scoots a whole foot closer to your goal.

“Stop that!” Starscream roars, when it’s clear you’re not giving up. You tell yourself it’s because he’s so sleep-deprived that he hasn’t actually responded aside from gripping his chair for dear life - and not because it’s the first time one of his students has tried to rocket-propel him into berth.

Suddenly, two servos descend on your shoulders, and your thrusters sputter.

For a moment, your harsh ex-vents are all that fill the habsuite.

“Stubborn brat,” Starscream finally says, optics flickering as he stares at you. “Does it matter so much to you whether I recharge or not?”

You allow a bit of the offence you feel to slip onto your faceplate.

“Of course it does.”

Starscream studies you a klik longer, but you can see the exhaustion catching up to him now that you’d disrupted his momentum with work.

Good.

“Fine,” He groans, and finally, finally, gets up from his desk.

You watch as he practically collapses onto the berth. It’s a few kliks of watching him attempt to arrange his limbs into something resembling a comfortable position before you realize he’s literally too tired to even move properly.

Wow, you think. That was quick.

“Here,” You mutter, guiding his wings into a more relaxed position. His wings relax promptly under your touch, and he lets out a noise that sounds more like a crackle than any cohesive word.

You drag his chair next to the berth and climb up on it, pulling your knees to your chassis and shivering. Primus, did it have to get so cold at night?

“Don’t worry. I’ll let you know if anything happens.”

It takes a moment. You watch as Starscream scrunches his faceplate in confusion, struggling to comprehend your words before he struggles to blink his optics open.

“You’re not recharging?”

“I thought you’d feel better with me keeping watch.”

Starscream makes an admirable effort to keep his optics open before surrendering. Still, even with his optics shuttered, he has no trouble frowning at you.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Come here.”

“Are you sure…?”

“I won’t ask again.”

Well. Your chilled frame won’t say no to warmth, especially when Starscream’s so generously offering. Especially when he’s offering what’s probably going to be the best recharge you’ve had in two weeks. Especially when -

“…I missed you.”

“Hm?” Starscream mutters, as he wraps his arms around you. “What was that?”

You tuck your wings closer to your frame so you can press your back right against his chassis. Mm. Warm.

“Nevermind.”

Starscream just grunts - mildly irritated at not knowing yet too tired to really care - and ex-vents long and low. His engines purr, a low vibration against your back.

“Don’t wake me up.”

“Wasn’t planning on it, sir.”

He noses the back of your neck.

“And don’t think about sneaking off, either.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“…Don’t go.”

You pause. You could pass that off as mindless exhaustion, slurred incoherently against your neck cabling. But it felt strangely genuine, and you feel bad not responding to something that feels almost uncomfortably close to a confession.

“I’m not going anywhere,” you say softly.

You wait, but he doesn’t respond, instead just tightening his arms around your middle.

You tentatively settle your servos atop his own, but it’s too soon for you to relax. Air leaves your vents in a hard whoosh as the weight of his leg comes down to pin yours, effectively sealing your fate as the Air Commander’s glorified teddy bear.

Internally, you sigh. Of course, even incredibly sleep-deprived, he could only rest easy when he’d done something about it.

Oh, well. You might as well take a nap.

———

Your internal chronometer pings you a few hours later, rudely jolting you from what had been the best recharge you could remember in a long time. Your emotional centre tries to get it together as you try to convince yourself that a few more minutes of recharge would not be worth the consequences for being late - luckily, your logic centre comes online first, and you reluctantly push yourself up.

And freeze, when you feel a pair of arms tighten around you.

Starscream.

Right.

How had you forgotten? You look down, and see Starscream’s helm more or less in your lap, his arms circled stubbornly around your waist. Unfortunately, while Starscream could recharge as long as he wanted (Doctor’s orders), the same couldn’t be said for you.

“Sir, I have morning shift,” you whisper.

He responds with a noise that quite clearly translates to immense dissatisfaction. Rubbing his cheek against your thigh, his faceplate scrunches before he squints sleepily up at you. “With who?”

At the mech’s designation, his noise of disgust makes itself known against the soft mesh of your stomach.

“Useless son of a glitch. He could do with being left on his own for once. Then maybe he’ll learn something.”

His arms tighten possessively around you, like a petulant sparkling unwilling to relinquish his favourite toy to the servos of another.

“Are you saying that mech is more important than staying here with me?”

“N-no,” You stutter. “But-“

Starscream lazily lifts a servo to his comm. You watch, intake agape as he promptly and thoroughly, gleefully, smugly, even, abuses his powers as Second-in-Command to excuse you from your shift. All so he could have more cuddles.

You blink, still taking in what had just happened as Starscream stretches lazily beside you.

He insistently tugs you closer until you’re lying back down, frame curling securely around yours again with a self-satisfied ex-vent.

Oh, well.

You shuffle even closer to him, allowing yourself to relish the way his arms tighten around you.

Might as well take another nap about it.

Previous / Next

NightByte belongs to @quasarwake and will be a future flock member !!

[gorgiawrite]

BLACK SAILS, timeline study :

I.

One day, a captain named PARRISH came across a Spaniard named VASQUEZ, at a tavern in Port Royal. There the man, dying, told him of the treasure galleon Urca de Lima and detailed its schedule to him.

A spy of Flint’s overheard the conversation and sent FLINT the information : the tale, and possibly the name of the man who had the details of the schedule (PARRISH, captain of an english merchant), but not the name of his ship (both FLINT and GATES call it Parrish's ship in conversations together)

It then took 3 months for FLINT to capture PARRISH’s ship and he had to seize 3 other (GATES mentions this ship as the 4th prize worth almost nothing, captured in the 3 months they have been chasing the schedule).

FLINT boarded PARRISH’s ship 1 day away from Nassau (SILVER says he memorized the schedule in 3 days : one day at see on the Walrus, one day at Nassau meeting MAX and snooping at night on the Walrus to read Parrish’s journal in Flint’s cabin, one day starting with the Singleton fight and ending at The Wrecks were he burned the schedule).

So, between meeting VASQUEZ at Port Royal and getting boarded by FLINT 1 day away from Nassau, PARRISH spent 3 months, doing God knows what, with FLINT needing first to capture 3 ships to find him.

Parrish's ship (x)

THE WALRUS'S SPEED

the Walrus top speed is 7.5 knots. That speed was reached while chasing the Andromache (V.) by risking the masts's integrity (argument between FLINT and DE GROOT, the t'gallants should not have been unfolded in that wind). With a proper carrening, that speed could be reached safely ("A clean hull means an extra knot or two in speed" in IV.), but the carreening was not completed (in IV: "A few more days, we'll have the keel cleared and tarred and she'll be ready to go back into the water", but the very next day they were chasing the Andromache, as established by SILVER mentionning Randall's amputation being the previous day).

the Walrus chasing speed is 6 knots, in favorable winds (the speed reched before risking the masts's integrity, see above).

the Walrus average cruising speed is 5 knots (my estimate, somewhat arbitrary : I take into account the occasional slow wind and a lighter workload on deck to allow shifts for the men to rest).

PARRISH'S SHIP SPEED

very similar to the Walrus : it is also a frigate with three mast, square rigged, with as many sails on each mast), maybe slightly smaller ? : 5 knots on average.

NASSAU - PORT ROYAL TRAVEL :

Port Royal, Jamaica - Port of Nassau, Bahamas: 754 nautical miles

1 knot = 1 nautical mile / h

5 knots = 5 nautical miles / h

754 / 5 = 150.8 ; so it takes 150.8 h to make the travel

150 h = (6 x 24 h) + 6 hours ; so the travel takes 6 days at 5 knots

CROSS ATLANTIC TRAVEL

In the 18th century, it took on average six weeks to sail accross the Atlantic. If weather conditions were bad, it could take up to three months.

So, either PARRISH went to and right back from England after his encounter with VASQUEZ at Port Royal (6 weeks to cross the Atlantique one way + 6 weeks to cross it the other = 3 months) ; or he stuck around - maybe traveled along the coast to make commerce in the main ports (back then, only noteworthy were Boston, New York, Newport, Philadelphia, and Charles Town).

Map of colonial america in the 18th century (x)

THE ISSUE :

When would have SILVER boarded the ship ?

I can't imagine him being on Parrish's ship since the VASQUEZ encounter and not learning about it (the actual cook of the ship found out, so I doubt a man like SILVER - clearly used to gather information and manipulate - wouldn't have, had he been there around the time it happened).

How did FLINT track the ship ?

Flint had to capture 3 other ships to get to it. I somehow doubt he randomly followed a route and hoped for the best, attacking ships at random intervals.

IF PARRISH WENT BACK TO ENGLAND :

It would have been a round trip (no delay in the timeline for more than a stop).

Did FLINT have words that Parrish went to England and right back from it, and hit 4 ships in a row on the right route at the calculated time frame of his return? It sounded, from MR SCOTT that it was a while since FLINT made a good earning. That would go against this theory : the 3 ship attacked to track Parrish's ship would have been spaced over 3 months.

Which means FLINT knew exactely the route PARRISH would take, and probably an approximation of his scheduled stops. How would 3 ships attacked in the Bahamas, or even the continental colonies's coast, know of the schedule of a captain on his way to of back from England? Even if Parrish told someone in England, he left right away, so no one could have preceeded him with the info.

This case figure also implies SILVER would have joined Parrish's crew in England.

IF PARRISH MADE SEVERAL STOPS IN THE COLONIES :

If all FLINT had - and it seems to be so - was PARRISH's name and the fact that he sails an english merchant, it could explain the 3 month to track him. The spies mentionned in the show (his, Guthrie's, Max's) are all in the West Indies (Jamaïca, Cuba). So it stands to reason that FLINT had a hard time tracking Parrish's ship.

The most likely scenario would be that FLINT spy in Port Royal knew in which port of the colonies PARRISH was headed, and FLINT attacked every ship he knew came from that very same port, until one of them told him that PARRISH was finally underway, at which point Flint could finally go after him now that he was back on the water.

But that would imply PARRISH spent three months not working : unlikely. Maybe FLINT had to track him from one port to another, but couldn't attack because he stuck too close to the coast guarded by the colonial navy?

That theory does imply SILVER joined the crew from an English colony port (most likely Charles Town, Philadelphia, Newport, New York or Boston). That, or he was picked on a recent new stop at Port Royal right before FLINT caught them.

--

And this, this is why I have avoided writing anything in the past decade. I overthink shit way too much.

Still, I'm doing this. So if anyone feel like going crazy with me, feel free to message me. Otherwise, ignore this, I just need to put it in writing to figure it out.

[rouge-the-bat]

yo would anyone be able to help out and send me and my girlfriend ( @ashtwinproject22 ) some money for some kitty-wellness?

TLDR; we need help to get 3 female stray cats fixed asap as its mating season, and get one of my cats lump checked at a vet before fixing him too. this all can cost anywhere from approx $157 to $253+ the unknown price for potentially removing the lump. if you can help, my girlfriend's cashapp is $nalathequeen2186 and paypal is @nalathequeen2186 !

(also please check the reblogs when you can, in case i have any updates about prices, if we reach the amount we need, changes to the situation, etc. will also show updates of the kitties when we can get them fixed/to the vet, to prove were getting it all done!)

the strays weve been trying to help out ⬆️

my sweet silly boy with the lump (ft. me) ⬇️

full explanation under the cut:

one of my brothers and his girlfriend moved in with us until they can find a place, and they brought over the cats that were living under their house that theyve helped take care of, but theyre mostly stray, and unfortunately my brother is very "let nature run its course" about outside cats 🙄

its 3 sister mama cats, and we already took in their 3 surviving babies, and have gotten 2 of the babies fixed and have the 3rd one scheduled to be fixed in less than a week. so atm, we have 7 cats in this house, and as much as i would love to, we just cant take in the 3 mamas as well, even though theyre incredibly sweet.

im unsure what our full plan will be about the 3 mamas, especially since im unsure what my brothers plans with them will be once he and his gf move back out (were not exactly on speaking terms right now since hes been a total piece of shit about me and my gf struggling with mentall illness- which he doesnt even believe is real 🙄🙄🙄). im hoping we can get them nice homes, but at least for now were wanting to get the three of them fixed so there wont be more stray cats, and especially not more kitties dying out there. and unfortunately, mating season slipped my mind and is now upon us, so we REALLY need to get these mamas fixed ASAP.

and in addition to that, one of my cats has this large-ish lump on his right side that were wanting to get checked out, and get him fixed as well. i suspect that its nothing serious, considering it doesnt seem to cause him any issues- he'll even lay on it without a problem- but im worried about it nonetheless, and we'll need to get it checked out and potentially removed before we can get him fixed in case it could cause complications during the neutering.

unfortunately, as you can imagine since im making this post, we dont really have the money for this. my mom, who we live with, rarely has much extra money and certainly doesnt atm, and me and my girlfriend have been struggling with too many mental health issues- and for her, physical health issues as well- to get a job for a while now. things will be improving soon now that we have adhd diagnoses, but my gfs insurance is dragging its feet to finally get her adhd medication approved, and i only JUST finally got my own a few days ago, and am basically playing extreme catch-up with trying to get stuff done around the house right now and help out my mom more.

im really not sure exactly how much everything will amount to, but so far ive figured up getting all 3 mamas fixed should be either about $75 if a certain program the spay/neuter clinic nearby has for strays/ferals can be used, or if not itll be between $111-171, and getting just an exam to check out my cats lump would be around $55, and i dont know how much a potential fixing/removal of the lump could be as i cant get an estimate until hes examined. then itll be $27 to get him neutered.

so if this is all right, and were able to use the program, theres no health risk with the lump, and no other additional charges for anything else, all of this can cost about $157 or so as the minimum, OR it could be around $253 PLUS however much it may cost to fix up the lump.

(also as a bonus pic, heres the 3 precious babies we took in that the mamas were collectively taking care of. theyre living a nice cozy indoor life now and are very happy and SO sweet <3)

[winchesterwild78]

Broken pt 5

Master List

Characters: Jensen x Reader (wife)

Warnings: a little bit of angst, but mostly fluff.

A/N:  Idea given to me by @cheekygirl2309. This one is a little different than what I usually write. This chapter has a little bit of sunshine for our couple.

Minors DNI 18+

Jensen grabbed me and pulled me close to him. “Pregnant? Really?” Tears filled his eyes. “Yes, Jens. We’re going to have a baby.” 

He took me by the hand and led me to the couch. “Sit here baby. I’m gonna fix you something to eat.” I chuckled, “Jensen, I’m not hungry right now.” “Well you haven’t eaten much, let me get you some fruit or something, please.” His green eyes flicked to mine, “Please baby. Let me take care of you and our baby.” 

I nodded and my hand instinctively went to my belly. “Okay Jensen. How about some apples and water?” 

He smiled and went to the kitchen. A few minutes later he came back with a plate of apples and a bottle of water. 

“Thank you, Jensen.” He smiled and sat next to me. 

“Jensen, I think we should wait to tell everyone. It’s still very early and I want to make sure everything is okay before we do.” 

“Whatever you want, baby. 

Jensen and I had decided to head back home, well Toronto since we wanted to see the doctor right away. 

He booked the plane tickets and we were heading home the next day. I was ready but really didn’t want to leave our little cocoon we found ourselves in. 

Being here with him, in the silence of the mountains made everything else seem to disappear. He however, needed to get back to work too. 

The flight home was uneventful and Jensen let Eric know he was back. His filming schedule was set to resume in two days.

We were able to get set up with a local doctor who thankfully had an opening today. As we walked into the office Jensen was immediately recognized, but thankfully everyone was professional. 

The nurse immediately took us back to prevent us from being bombarded by people. I was thankful. Dr Ellington was sweet. She was obviously a fan of Jensen’s and was a little star struck, but maintained her composure. She confirmed the pregnancy and she ordered an ultrasound. Checking the heartbeat and measurement she estimated I was about 5-6 weeks along. 

We talked to her about my endometriosis and asked if it would have any effect on the pregnancy. She explained that with endometriosis I had a higher risk for pregnancy loss and complications that could lead to delivering via c-section. 

I grabbed Jensen’s hand and squeezed. She saw the fear in my eyes, “It’s okay, sweetie. We will just keep you coming back every week and keep a close eye on you and the little nugget.” I nodded and let out the breath I was holding. 

Jensen asked more questions as I took in everything she said. I was terrified and wanted to make sure I did everything right. We scheduled the next appointment, next Wednesday and we left. 

“Jens, what about work? You can’t take off every week to go to the doctor’s office with me.” He grabbed my hand and held it tight, “Yes I can, and yes I will. I told you, you and this baby are a priority. I’ll talk to Eric and we will work it out.” 

I nodded. Thankful for such an amazing husband. I could see he was really trying. I knew he was worried about what the doctor said, but I also knew he wouldn’t burden me with the worry. 

“Jens, I’m scared.” He glanced over at me and nodded, “I know baby. I am too, but we will do whatever it takes to keep both of you safe and healthy.” 

The next few months Jensen and I fell into a comfortable groove. He would go to do his shoots and on days I had an appointment he would go in late. Some days I’d go with him, others I would go back to the apartment. 

As my pregnancy progressed the doctor wanted me to rest as much as possible, so that meant on set I was confined to the trailer. 

I was laying on the couch in Jensen’s trailer as he was on set. He had brought lunch and we snuggled on the couch until he had to go back. The baby was active today so he sat with his hand on my belly for most of his break. 

I loved watching him sing and talk to the baby. He was made to be a father. I had a late afternoon appointment today so Jensen was working on getting his scenes done before we had to leave. 

Laying on the couch I fell asleep. I dreamed of my father again. 

“Daddy. It’s been so long.” I ran and threw my arms around him. “Hey peanut. Looks like you’re growing a bit.” He chuckled as he touched my belly. “Yeah. The baby is growing and is healthy. They are just keeping an eye on us to make sure we stay that way.” My dad nodded, “Yeah. Don’t worry, sweetie. He’s going to be just fine. I promise.” Before I could ask him what he meant I heard Jensen’s soft voice, “Baby, wake up. It’s time to go to the doctor.” 

I stretched and looked at him. He had already showered and changed. I was a little disappointed. I loved seeing him in his Soldier Boy costume. “Did you have a good nap, baby?” Jensen asked as he helped me get up. 

“Yeah, I dreamed about daddy again. He called the baby a “he”.” 

Jensen smiled, “Well, maybe it is a boy. That would be fine with me.” His green eyes sparkled. 

Arriving at the doctor’s office it was a bit busier than I expected. Unfortunately that meant we had to wait in the waiting room for a bit. It always made me nervous, but most of the people there were respectful and left us alone. 

My leg bounced nervously. Jensen smirked and placed his hand on my leg. He leaned over and kissed my cheek, “Hey, it’s okay baby.” I looked at him and nodded. 

A younger woman came in and sat near us. She kept looking up at Jensen and then over at me. She gasped softly, realizing who he was. We hadn’t officially announced the pregnancy yet, so her seeing us made me even more nervous. 

I looked over at her and pleaded with my eyes. Jensen saw the concern on my face. He decided to be his charming self. “Excuse me ma’am?” He flashed that killer smile. She looked up and blushed, “Yes?” he extended his hand, “I’m Jensen, and this is my wife Y/N.” 

She nodded, “Yeah, I know who you are. I’m a fan. Sorry for staring. I didn’t know she was pregnant.” Jensen smiled and nodded, “Yeah, we haven’t announced it yet. We’re just trying to make sure everything is okay with her and the baby before we do. She just recently lost her dad and we’ve been grieving and working on keeping the baby safe. I would really appreciate it if you didn’t say anything to anyone.” 

She looked at me and then back at Jensen, “Oh I am so sorry to hear about your dad, but yes, totally. Your secret is safe with me. I promise. I’m having a difficult pregnancy too, so I completely understand. I hope everything works out with the baby.” Jensen placed his hand on her shoulder, “I’m sorry you’re having a difficult pregnancy. That has to be scary, and thank you for keeping our secret. We really do appreciate it. What’s your name, darlin’?” “Oh Karly Johnson, and this little bean is going to be Samantha Jane.” 

“Well it’s nice to meet you Karly, and I hope Samantha continues to do well. Thanks again.” She nodded and he sat down.

A few minutes later we were being called back. After being checked, bloodwork done, and other tests done it was time to move to ultrasound. 

Jensen helped me lay back on the table and the ultrasound tech got the machine ready. 

“You two ready to see your baby?” She asked as she grabbed the wand. We nodded. Jensen held my hand as we heard the heartbeat. Tears filled my eyes. It was so strong and steady. 

“So, do we want to know what we’re having?” I looked at Jensen and he looked at me, we both said yes at the same time. 

She moved the wand around and then turned the screen more towards us, “So it looks like it’s a boy.” I gasped softly and Jensen chuckled. “A boy?” I whispered. She nodded and showed us how she knew. It was clearly a boy. 

She printed pictures for us, I got cleaned up and changed then we left. 

I couldn’t take my eyes off the pictures. Jensen couldn’t stop smiling. 

“Jens we’re having a boy.” I beamed. “Yeah baby we are.” He couldn’t contain his smile. 

A little while later we were back home and I kept looking at the pictures. Jensen stood with this body leaned against the doorframe watching me. 

She’s so beautiful and now she’s giving me a boy. I can’t believe it. I’m the luckiest man alive. 

He pushed off the doorframe and sat beside me. “Baby?” I looked up at him, “Hmm?” “Are you ready to go public? Once we tell our family it’s a boy.” 

I took a deep breath, “Yeah. I guess we can’t hide it forever. Especially after being recognized today.” 

He nodded. We called our families and they were over the moon with the news the baby was a boy. 

Jensen wanted the announcement to be cute. So he grabbed a sign and wrote 1978 on it and had me take a picture, then he wrote Y/B/Y on it and took a picture, then wrote coming soon and the due date on it and took a picture with a pair of blue booties. 

He put it in a collage and posted it on social media with the caption: “Baby Boy Ackles joining the family soon.” 

The comments, likes and shares were instant. The love was overwhelming. One comment really melted my heart, “Aww that’s perfect. She just lost her dad and now she’s having a boy. I bet her dad sent him to her. 💙 Can’t wait to meet baby boy.” 

Jensen smiled as he pulled me close. “I love you so much baby.” “I love you too, Jens.” 

He placed his hand on my belly, “I love you too. So much.” I smiled and he kissed me softly. “Come on darlin’, let’s get you something to eat.” I smiled and nodded. 

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[poietaes]

unspoken

summary: the one where two methodical routines stumble upon the quiet risk of affection. warnings: angst (mentions of childhood trauma); fluff. wc: 3.5k a/n: i wrote this one listening to “4only” by leehi and some songs by baek yerin, but i suggest you read the story listening to “the only exception” by paramore. enjoy! :)

Gaara was used to solitude. In a way, he had grown up alone, under the constant scrutiny of a society that saw him as a monster. That was a common experience for jinchuuriki, after all, and Gaara felt a little less misunderstood when he looked at the situation from that perspective.

But he was still alone. Compared to his — now — friends, and even his own siblings, he didn’t have a constant companion. For him, there were no expectations of dramatic love confessions, grand weddings, baby showers or bridal teas, a first child running through the house and another one on the way.

No. For Gaara, there were only bureaucratic duties related to the administration of the Sand Village. His role as Kazekage was the only thing that lay ahead of him, both as a perspective and as an expectation. Treaties, travels, meetings — most of his time was devoted to politics.

The idea of hiring a personal assistant came up when Temari and Shikamaru made their relationship official. Even back then, his sister had told him to start looking for someone who could help with scheduling and interactions with the other Kage, since she would be moving to the Leaf Village after the wedding, and Kankuro was already in charge of the village’s finances.

The idea lingered in his mind for a few days; the thought of having a stranger privy to such critical bureaucratic matters unsettled him. He even suggested that Temari handle the advisory work remotely. She refused. A minor argument ensued, and Kankuro had to step in to calm things down.

In the end, it was decided that Temari herself would look for someone trustworthy to take her place.

You were hired a few months before her wedding.

Your unfamiliar presence was reasonably unsettling. Your interactions with him didn’t go beyond the usual greetings and strictly professional conversations. Sometimes, he even missed Temari when he looked at you — so focused on digitizing old files or sending scrolls to schedule and confirm meetings. Because Temari wasn’t a stranger; she didn’t treat him merely as a boss — and there was no reason to, since they were siblings.

He didn’t know you.

There was a small folder with your information in one of the drawers of his desk. He had skimmed through it when Temari handed him the documents. They were trivial things: your date of birth, who your parents were, your blood type, where you studied, what your professional skills were, etc. Obviously, he didn’t want a full report on your personality and preferences. Those things wouldn’t help him trust you. He just wanted to feel a little more comfortable in your presence — to see you as something more than a walking enigma.

When he told Kankuro about the situation, his brother said he was being too strict. Temari agreed. Shikamaru, who had been present during the conversation, pointed out that the circumstances weren’t as extreme as Gaara made them out to be.

— Coworkers need time to build some level of trust. Has she at least been doing a good job?

— Yes, of course...

— Then chill out, little bro — Kankuro cut him off. — She’s not going to bite you... unless you want her to.

Gaara frowned, appalled by the crude remark, as if you were there to hear it. Kankuro flinched slightly under his younger brother’s scolding gaze, raised his hands in mock defense, and apologized for offending the ghostly presence of the assistant.

Shikamaru’s words proved true after a few months of collaborative work. Gaara, ever observant, noticed that the two of you were quite similar in the way you handled your tasks: every movement seemed carefully calculated — from the estimated time for completion to the effort required for the task. Post-its over the desk, dates marked on the physical calendar — color-coded for easier visualization —, reminders and alarms set in the digital one.

You shared a planner. A small red notebook, soft-covered, lined with silk, with a small clasp like a brooch. At the top, the kanji of the Kazekage. The planner stayed with you most of the time. Your handwriting filled most of its pages. You scheduled his appointments — professional or otherwise — and yours as well, so that both of you would know when not to disturb each other. Sometimes, Gaara would write a few words above yours, adding information you hadn’t noticed or hadn’t yet received.

However, there was an undeniable distance between you — which was, in a way, paradoxical. Even though Gaara knew the days you worked remotely because of menstrual cramps, and you knew the days he didn’t come into the office because he was in therapy, you didn’t talk much. What you did was interact — the typical behavior of the first weeks of work still lingered.

But there was a certain familiarity in those interactions, a quiet sense of comfort on both sides, as if the strangeness between you had faded.

Gaara liked that feeling.

As the days went by, working with you became something pleasant — even enjoyable. Following his siblings’ advice, he allowed himself to be less rigid and mechanical around you, since you’d be seeing each other fairly often. Of course, he didn’t expect you to become close friends. Above all, you were coworkers — a boss and his assistant; there was a clear hierarchy between you. Every bit of information you exchanged, every conversation you had, was shaped by that social dynamic.

But one time, while reading through some long reports, he asked you to bring him a cup of chamomile tea. When you handed him the drink, you asked whether he’d like you to bring other types of tea in similar situations. He thought for a moment and nodded, silently.

From then on, a cup of tea always accompanied the reports. And in a brief, casual conversation about different types of tea, you mentioned that you had learned about the properties of certain herbs from your grandmother.

On another occasion, Gaara needed your company at a meeting with the other Kage, but the two of you had mixed up some of the dates in the schedule, and the meeting had ended up being set for the exact week you were on leave — working remotely, and only when the pain allowed. To make matters worse, the meeting would take place outside the Sand Village.

You only realized the scheduling conflict on the eve of the trip. There was no other trusted employee who could go with him, since the meeting’s agenda was confidential. You and a few assistants had been allowed to attend only because you had helped draft the agenda and coordinate the meeting.

You couldn’t go, of course, so you stayed in Suna and made sure the office kept running smoothly. When Gaara returned, he sent a small box to your home containing a copy of the meeting minutes and a few sachets of chamomile tea. On the sealed envelope that held the minutes, a small post it was stuck:

Thank you for your hard work.

Small and simple acts of care gradually became part of your routine, as if your shared love language were acts of service. But Gaara didn’t think of it as love, and you behaved similarly. Those actions — meaningful when seen from the outside — were just actions, to both of you. Like marking an appointment and circling a date on the calendar for emphasis. Methodical, calculated, necessary — never beyond the limits you had silently agreed upon.

And curiously, you both felt comfortable with the arrangement. As if, in some way, you even enjoyed it.

— You two are weird — Kankuro remarked one day.

You both lifted your eyes from the map you were examining and looked at him, curious.

— Ah... I mean... — he stammered a bit, as if realizing he had just said something intrusive out loud. — It’s just... Come on, guys... You know intimate details about each other’s health, you go practically everywhere together, official and unofficial, and you still haven’t started dating?

You shrank back a little, embarrassment painting your cheeks with warmth, but turned your gaze back to the map, choosing to ignore the question.

Gaara, on the other hand, stared at Kankuro coldly. By his count, that was the second inappropriate comment his brother had made about his assistant — the first being the one about her biting him.

— Kankuro — he began, icy indignation slipping through each word —, if you embarrass my assistant again, I’ll have to ask you to leave.

Kankuro blinked, stunned.

— The way ____ and I cooperate at work is none of your concern — he concluded.

You gave a quiet laugh through your nose.

Kankuro remained frozen, mouth slightly open at his brother’s reply.

— Let’s get back to work, gentlemen, please — you said. — There are a few points on the map I’d like to highlight.

Kankuro’s comment, although made behind closed doors, seemed to set a precedent for similar remarks — which, to your misfortune, began to be made in public. Suddenly, there were too many pairs of eyes and ears on you both, analyzing your actions, scanning your behavior, dissecting your words in search of answers to a question no one dared to ask.

Gaara felt small again — once more, the child who was watched and hunted. And that was one of the feelings he hated most.

Maybe hate wasn’t even the right word; in truth, he felt disgusted at those stares, those whispers, that feeling of not being able to move even a single inch left or right without causing a stir.

He deeply resented the fact that his life, personal or professional, had become the subject of speculation. And he hated even more that you had been pulled into the melodrama.

Because now, you seemed tense, withdrawn, almost afraid to approach him in public. And he knew you were not afraid of him. Since the day you started working together, you had never shown fear. You were simply doing what you always did: taking well-calculated steps, one after the other, to avoid fueling any more rumors.

He found himself aligning his own actions to yours, silently, until, from the outside, the two of you looked like nothing more than strangers forced to work together.

You looked at each other as if silently apologizing — as if carrying a guilt neither of you could explain.

It was exhausting.

But it was intimate, too.

Forced to behave as nothing more than coworkers, you created a private channel of communication. Not an entirely new coded language. In fact, the conversations between you, already rare, became even scarcer. Still, there was something that kept you talking, without audible words, in plain sight, like a secret that stubbornly refused to stay hidden.

You had become more attentive to each other’s needs.

It started with small things, still within the scope of work.

Little post-its were stuck to the back cover of some documents:

“We need to go to Konoha as soon as possible. The Hokage won’t stop making noise about our presence for a ‘matter of great importance.”

“Don’t forget to get a gift for Temari. Shikadai’s baby shower is coming up.”

“We’re running low on tea sachets and herbs. May I contact Kankuro-sama and request a restock?”

He kept each post-it in the folder with your personal file.

The replies came through short emails. Your visits to his office — and his to your desk — were replaced by those emails. At first, they held only two or three lines: the usual greeting, a response to a post-it, a request, a closing. They got longer over time. But the most significant change wasn’t the length — it was the sender address: you started using personal email instead of the official one.

Suddenly, a distinction that had never existed before slipped into your interactions.

You found yourselves discussing topics that didn’t quite fit a corporate inbox.

Like how emotional Rock Lee looked when he greeted you both at Konoha’s gates — because he hadn’t seen his “battle companion” in ages. Or the time Kankuro, in a rush, approved the purchase of five hundred tea sachets instead of fifty. Or when Gaara asked about a song he’d heard you humming, and you sent him a long reply — almost an essay — about the singer’s career and discography.

You didn’t use honorifics in those emails. Not anymore.

There were now two relationships.

On one side, a boss and his assistant. On the other, two people.

And even though managing both things — the work and the privacy of what was slowly being built — was undeniably exhausting, there was a certain relief in it. Because you were experiencing it together, like soldiers shielding each other in the middle of a battle.

— Do you think we’re something?

Gaara looked up from the stack of documents in front of him and gazed at you, contemplative.

You were in his office. The workday had ended hours ago.

Earlier, he had sent you an email, from his official address, asking for your help after hours, to catalog some fiscal documents that would need to be handed to Kankuro in a few days. Normally, you would handle that on your own, or with Kankuro himself. But he was out of town. So Gaara took the lead — and asked for your assistance.

— Did someone bother you again? — he asked.

— Not exactly. I’ve just been thinking a lot about it these past weeks. I get the feeling that we are something.

Gaara blinked, intrigued by your reasoning. But there was no reprimand in his expression, no sign of objection. Silently, he urged you to go on.

— The rumors about us keep spreading, like flies on food. They’re mostly just gossip and speculation. But every now and then, I catch myself overthinking one thing or another.

You frowned at the information on one of the documents and slid the page toward Gaara. Your hands brushed briefly as he reached for it.

— Set this one aside for further review, please.

He nodded, placing the document on a small pile to the left — eyes still fixed on you.

— Temari spoke to me the day before yesterday to schedule a visit from you to her home. Strangely, she insisted I come along, which, at first, confused me. After all, why would I need to accompany you on a visit to your sister? And why would your sister feel comfortable enough to open her home to me?

You handed him another sheet of paper.

— And why did I feel comfortable enough to open my home to you and Kankuro when we bumped into each other at the market — and you not only helped me carry the groceries home but even helped put them away? We had lunch together that day. And Kankuro got attacked by Rumi because he tried to pet her after I’d already said she didn’t like it. Oh! This one’s missing your signature.

Gaara gave a soft laugh, while signing where indicated, remembering how offended his older brother had looked when the cat had scratched his face.

— Forgive me if this sounds insolent, but your family acts like I’m already part of it, Gaara. And I’m flattered by that, I really am, but I can’t shake this... unease. Should I be part of your family?

Though Gaara was still looking at you, you didn’t return his gaze.

Instead, your eyes moved restlessly, not focusing on anything in particular. They scanned the documents only superficially, as if some complex equation lay before you, and you were sketching out a possible solution, using every bit of your mental capacity.

Gaara liked watching you when you were focused.

He had learned to quietly observe you, in fact — and, strangely, his chest would tighten slightly at the sight, as some indescribable, inconceivable feeling crept in through the back of his mind.

Gaara liked watching you.

But at that moment, he wished you would look back — because your unease was no different from his own.

He had already noticed how much closer you had become to his siblings. Temari had sent you a basket of books and chocolates on your birthday. Kankuro often joined you for lunch and sometimes walked you home. You even made plans together now — and Gaara always ended up being dragged along on those small adventures. You had even won over his nephew, who was just as serious and reserved as his father.

And Gaara wasn’t surprised that you were confused.

Because, after all, it had started with just the two of you.

Somehow, what began between you had spilled over into other connections — filling spaces you didn’t even know were empty, until they weren’t anymore.

So yes, the questions were valid. At this point, any question was valid if it could shed even a bit of light on the situation because, apparently, neither of you knew how to feel about it. And without knowing how you felt, you couldn’t figure out how to act.

Because actions were what mattered to you both.

Actions always came first — as if life were a giant chessboard, and you were just players, following logic and trying to keep the game safe, comfortable, under control. Only when you met did the game stop being safe. It became slightly adventurous, a bit freer, though, at first glance, there was still some resistance to that freedom.

And yet, here you were.

You, confused. Him, contemplative. Too many questions — and not a single answer.

— It’s... comforting to know that my family trusts you. I can’t speak for them, but I feel at ease when I see you all together. I don’t really know how to answer your question either, because I’ve been asking myself something similar for the past... few weeks? I think so. Have you seen the brown folder?

— Here.

— Thank you. I think I’ve been wondering what we are ever since Kankuro made those remarks about us. It all felt natural, until people started pointing it out. I began to wonder if I was being naïve, missing something. I’ve never had many people in my inner circle — I imagine you know why. So emotional nuances aren’t exactly... clear to me. Most of the time, it feels like I’m learning how to feel — how to live, to be more precise. In that sense, perhaps you’re wiser than I am.

You shook your head gently.

— Then I guess neither of us has the answer.

You looked at each other.

The documents were already sorted, ready to be filed. Some would go straight to Kankuro; others would be returned to the department that had written them, for further review and correction of inconsistent information. The rustling of paper and scratching of pens gave way to introspective silence.

Your eyes scanned each other’s faces, as if searching in the strands of color within your irises for the unspeakable words, the unnameable feelings. The initial question grew heavier as the scene stretched on, uninterrupted, like a film forever paused. The unspoken doubt shimmered in your eyes, sent chills down your spines, tingled across your skin, and flowed through your veins like a silent ache instead of blood.

Yet your hearts didn’t race.

Your minds didn’t work too hard to stay alert.

Truthfully, you were calm — like a quiet stream, bubbling with every sensation, delighting in them, savoring this still-unnamed thing that tickled the back of your minds and gently woke something neither of you knew had been sleeping.

You were the first to speak.

— Then let’s leave it open. I’ll store the review files in my cabinet. Tomorrow, I’ll send them to HR so they can follow up with the departments that have pending issues. I assume you and Kankuro will go over the verified documents once he returns, so I’ll leave them with you. Is there anything else I can help you with?

— No. I think we’re done for now. I’ll send an email if I need anything else.

You nodded, gathered the files and your things, and headed toward the office door. Just before touching the handle, you turned on your heels and looked at Gaara one last time, catching him slightly off guard.

— The email. Should I wait for the notification on the work address or...

— Your personal one.

You blinked, a bit startled by how quickly he’d cut you off.

Gaara himself seemed just as surprised — unsure whether he was more unsettled by the abruptness of his response or by the fact that his first instinct had been to contact you through your personal account.

He looked so flustered, so awkward.

And you knew he was your boss, but at that moment, he looked like a kid caught playing with something he shouldn’t have touched. It was funny.

Your laughter flowed like water. It began as a quiet nose-laugh, then rose a key higher and spilled into a soft chuckle. It wasn’t loud or sharp, but just enough to fill the awkwardness that had settled between you.

His laugh was quieter. He was laughing, in truth, because he’d made you laugh.

That moment eased the urge to define the nature of the relationship quietly forming between you.

At the same time, it pointed to a possible answer — an interpretive path. Could it be that, in those soft-spoken seconds of laughter, the first lines of two confessions were beginning to take shape?

Expectation lit up both your eyes.

Your smiles grew just a little wider.

Perhaps the confessions were already written.

© poietaes, 2025. (english is not my first language.) don't copy my works.

[asestimationsconsultants]

How a Construction Cost Estimating Service Helps Minimize Project Risk

Risk is an unavoidable part of construction—but with the right tools and expertise, it can be effectively managed. One of the most proactive ways to reduce risk early in a project is by hiring a professional construction cost estimating service. From budgeting to procurement, these services create financial clarity that helps avoid delays, disputes, and cost overruns.

What Are the Main Risks in Construction?

Common project risks include:

Budget overruns

Scope creep

Material and labor shortages

Unforeseen site conditions

Poor contractor pricing

Scheduling delays

Each of these risks can lead to added costs, contractual disputes, or missed deadlines. An experienced estimator helps manage and reduce these variables from day one.

How Estimating Services Reduce Risk

Accurate Budget Forecasting By analyzing drawings, specifications, and historical cost data, estimators deliver realistic budgets that reduce the chance of surprise expenses.

Contingency Planning Estimates often include contingency percentages to account for design changes, market volatility, or hidden conditions. This buffer helps prevent budget shocks.

Detailed Takeoffs and Cost Breakdowns By providing itemized quantities and pricing for materials and labor, estimators eliminate guesswork. Contractors and clients alike benefit from clear scope alignment.

Market-Specific Cost Data Estimators use regional pricing data to ensure the estimate reflects actual market conditions—critical for preventing underbidding or underfunding.

Bid Analysis and Comparison Some services assist in reviewing contractor bids, helping clients identify errors or inflated pricing before contracts are signed.

Scenario Planning and Value Engineering Estimators can present alternative design or material choices that lower cost without sacrificing quality—adding flexibility to respond to unforeseen issues.

Who Benefits from This Risk Management?

Homeowners with tight budgets

Commercial developers with financing milestones

Government agencies with strict cost controls

General contractors managing multiple trades

Architects needing early-stage cost guidance

Conclusion

Construction cost estimating services do far more than generate numbers—they provide critical risk-reducing insights that support sound decision-making. By identifying potential financial pitfalls early, estimators help ensure projects stay on track, on budget, and on time.

[translatemunson]

when my depression works the graveyard shift • ttfd

chapter five of the tortured firefighters department

previous chapter | masterlist | next chapter

cw: fem!reader, afab!reader, no descriptions of reader, struggles with depression and anxiety, intrusive thoughts, reader is definitely not having a good day (but she'll be fine)

It was a bad day. Actually, more like a fortnight of bad luck, headaches and terrible days. You were running behind your PhD schedule, probably risking an extra semester or two to take all the obligatory classes. Your shifts were taking everything from you. Major events were terrible, but when the whole floor was focused on three pile-ups on major roads, two major fires and one minor power outage because of an illegal truck snapping all of the power wires instead of one major event, the overload of information was the first symptom of burnout. You’d leave your table and work all over the area and the white board to give the best instructions and estimates for your colleagues. But in the end of the shift, the feelings of mission accomplished would be turned into stratospheric levels of exhaustion.

No surprise you were worn off to the bone. Your place was a mess, you were too tired to cook and you stopped ordering take outs two nights ago — maybe three, you couldn’t tell —, you couldn’t sleep for more than three hours in a row because closing your eyes meant being close to reliving the last few days in form of nightmares. With the curtains closed, you couldn’t even tell if it was day or night.

When someone knocked on your door, they were lucky you were in the kitchen, drinking some water before going back to bed for the night. Or day. Not sure of it anymore.

“Brains. Open the door. Maddie is worried.”

And of course it was him.

“I told her I’m fine. Go away, Buckley.” You closed yourself inside your blanket.

“C’mon. You haven’t left your place since wednesday. What is going on?”

“Nothing. Leave me alone.”

You got closer to the door, hoping to hear him walking away, back to his own place, just down the hall.

“Ok, you know I can use the balconies to get in there, right?” 

“Have you heard of trespassing?”

“I’ll say you were in danger. Also, I’m a firefighter.”

“I don’t care. Leave. Me. Alone!” You punctuated your words with the pauses. He had to get the clue and get the hell out of there, before things started to get too messy.

“Hey, I really have no idea what’s going on with you,” he kept his voice low this time, “but everyone noticed you didn’t show up to family lunch, didn’t reply, even skipped Hen’s birthday celebration. You better open this door, or I’ll find my way inside your place.”

“I’m gonna call 9-1-1.”

“And tell them what?”

“That there is an annoying firefighter at my place, threatening to risk his life to commit a felony. Goodbye, Evan!”

All that talking made your legs feel like jello. You slowly slid to the floor just right beside the door, holding your remaining pieces together. With all the curtains drawn closed, and lights off, you were starting to find the floor a little too much more comfortable than your bed.

“Hey, Brains. I’m concerned about you. Can you please open the door and let me check if you’re ok? I promised I’ll be in and out very fast, and I’ll tell everyone not to worry.” It felt like he was, even on the other side of the door, so close. “Please. I don’t wanna be the one having to take down the door to rescue your dead body.”

“I’m not dead, asshole.”

“Not right now.” You could hear him smirking as he spoke. “I promise I’ll get out of your hair, for now. Open the door, please.”

You lifted your arm to reach the door key and turn it. “Give me a second,” you requested as you moved your legs away from the door. He waited for your signal to open it.

“I don’t care if your place is messy. You should’ve seen mine after the tsunami, I had no energy to do anything.” He entered your place too focused on everything else to notice you were right beside him. “Brains?” He called once he didn’t find you standing.

“Down here, Buckley.”

Buck was on his knees the moment he saw you were on the floor, asking you “Are you hurt? Do you feel anything?”

He looked around your place: maybe not messier, but a lot darker than his own. He removed the blanket from your shoulders, checking for any visible wounds or anything that would potentially kill you. 

“Have you eaten today? Any water?” For sure the first responder’s instinct would kick in as fast as a racing car.

“You got your proof of living, now leave.” You turned your head, refusing to look him in the eye.

“Don’t make me bring Hen all the way here to check on you. Food?”

“Don’t remember. But I just drank water.” You weakly pointed to the empty cup.

“Good, but you should save your energy.” He gave you two pats in your leg. At this point, you’re not even sure if he’s still checking for injuries or just making sure you are still made of bones and tissues, not just some ghost. “Why are you on the floor?”

“Annoying neighbor wouldn’t leave me alone.” You smirked.

“Not funny. I’m gonna take you to the couch, ok?”

Your eyelids were starting to get heavier by the minute. You gave him a nod, and Buck passed his arms under your back and knees. Maybe it was a bad idea to lay on the floor, now the slightest movement made you sick and weaker. He moved past your dining table, and set you on the couch. 

“Do you have any symptoms? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?”

“No, no hospital, Buck. I’m just sad. And tired. And probably looking like I was held captive for hours.”

“More like weeks. What?” If you had the energy, you would’ve slapped his arm, but all you could do was roll your eyes at him. “Ok, what do you have in your fridge?”

When the answer to his own question came in the form of an empty fridge — beside two water bottles, a rotten apple and some leftover food you were sure had been there even before the beginning of his nightmare, you saw him put his hands on his hips, wondering what he should do next.

“I’m gonna go to my place, grab something for you. Don’t move, ok?”

“Where else could I go?”

“And I’m taking your keys. As a precaution.” He jiggled them, and your head pulsed. Now a headache? You never wished to disappear that much.

“Whatever!”

He closed the door and left you alone with your wondering thoughts. Well, it wasn’t a surprise you had a full mental breakdown, having a few in the past decade kinda suited your workaholic and overachiever persona. Was it avoidable? Maybe, sure, everything is with a regular sleep schedule, therapy sessions and some ‘I need help’ talks. Were you ready for that? No, not at all.

Your mom was always the first one to clock your “I’m gonna lose my head anytime now” moods, and now she was the last one to know about them. Your dad was always too busy with work to care about those, and being a single child meant there was no one sneaking into your bedroom to check on you. You always fought those alone, you shouldn’t be having trouble pulling yourself out of the slump.

But maybe it was scary this time because it was your first time having one of those after bringing people close to you. Life was lonely during college, your dispatcher coworkers didn’t get too much into your life, you made sure to keep the trouble out of the icebreaker topics when you were on the dating scene.

And now you had the whole 118 crew asking for you, because you were M.I.A. for days, and avoiding them even before that. That for sure was a recipe for a certain firefighter, who just happened to be your neighbor, knocking on your door and dozens of unanswered calls on your phone.

“Gave Chim a call?” You asked Buck as soon as he was back.

“Am I that predictable?”

“My phone rang upstairs, and I bet 20 it’s Maddie.”

“Busted. Ok, I need you to eat this,” he gave you a plate with a slice of bread, “before you eat proper dinner.”

“Ok.”

“I’m gonna…” he pointed to the apartment, a complete chaos. “Small clean up, ok? I just wanna help.”

“Suit yourself, Buckley.”

He opened the curtains, threw the empty takeout bags away, did the dishes and changed your bed sheets. He did all of that while you were your couch, trying to eat the slice of bread without vomiting.

“Do you think you can shower?” He leaned on the railing, checking if you were still on the couch.

“Maybe?”

“Ok, I’ll get you some clean clothes.”

“Already going through my stuff, hm? At least pay me dinner first.”

“Dinner’s gonna arrive any second.” He got down the stairs and stopped in front of you. “Ok, how are we feeling?”

“I can’t eat more than this now. Makes me sick.” You left the plate on the empty seat to your left. He checked it and didn’t look too satisfied with your efforts. “Can you help me get to the bathroom?”

“Sure. Do you think you need a stool or something like that?”

“No, I just need some help to go up.”

“Say no more.” He picked you up, just like minutes ago. As you opened your mouth to complain, he whispered, “Just like you said that day, I’m the muscles”

He carried you, bridal style, to the bathroom upstairs. He got you a chair, just in case you needed a pause. “Scream if you need help, ok?”

“Ok.” Before he left you alone with your thoughts, you called him back.

“I thought you’d prefer some dinner before,” he joked and motioned as if he was implying you needed help with your clothes.

“No, it’s not that. I—thanks, Buck.”

“Anytime, Brains.”

You kept the door a little ajar. Finally getting rid of your pajamas, you opened the shower and enjoyed some freshness. While you were busy taking care of yourself, Buck told you that he’d be finishing cleaning up your apartment. He tried to find the right places for your stuff, got the clothes in the basket, and made the kitchen look pristine. Dinner arrived as you were closing the shower.

You brushed your teeth — couldn’t even remember the last time you did it — and combed your hair. You looked miserable, but that would have to do. Maybe this would convince Buck that you were better. You left the bathroom and walked to your nightstand to get your phone.

“Brains, dinner’s here!” He announced once he saw you moving upstairs. “Wanna eat in bed or…”

You got close to the stairs and froze. No, you couldn’t do it.

“Buck.”

“Hey, hey, hey.” He took two steps at a time to reach you as fast as he could. And just in time to wrap his arms around your body, tears and muffled words taking over. “What’s going on, Brains? You can tell me, it’s ok.”

“I’m exhausted. I’m… I can’t take this. I am… failing. Everything.” Your hold tightened around his shirt. “I’m failing my classes. I can’t take the calls without long breaks because even a small complaint makes me cry. My life is a whole mess, and I can’t… I am tired.”

“I promise I’ll stop asking questions. Just… Did anyone hurt you?” You nodded negatively. “Are you having any alarming symptoms?” Same thing. “Do you need help?” A positive nod. “Ok. I’m not going anywhere.”

Buck did actually go somewhere. After helping you sit in bed, your back against the headboard for support, he went downstairs to get you some dinner. He ordered Thai food — some noodles and soup — and brought you more water.

You two sat side by side, and he started telling you about the lastest calls on his shift. A couple went way too hard on experimenting, a car crash with no deaths, a rescue on a cliff. You listened to him quietly, taking small sips of your soup until the bowl was empty. He left your dishes on your bedside table.

“You have been feeling like this since that day, right?” he asked, changing the subject of the conversation. While you were done with your food, he took his time with the cold noodles.

“Yeah, and I didn’t even tried to change things. It was easier to stay on the same track. Look where it led me.” Your hands traced irregular paths on the clean covers. “I’m sorry I made everyone worried. And that I missed Hen’s birthday.”

“It’s ok. They get it, we also have bad days,” he tried to take the guilty off of your shoulders.

“I promise I’ll do better by the morning. I’ll be better,” you repeated those words until they felt real. Because the thought of changing a ruined routine wasn’t enough anymore. Buck could tell you just needed some decent rest, so he let you go quiet, and he didn’t push you for more details.

You hate how you fell asleep too fast, too easily. This close to someone that felt real and human, and not some damn disaster like you were feeling. With one of his arms around you and pulling you closer, his voice talking about something random about his sister, you were too far gone to pay attention.

+++

He noticed when you fell asleep. He thought of leaving you there, but he was too afraid all progress would be thrown out of the window. So he got comfortable in your bed, with you close to his heart, and promised himself he would move to your couch in a few hours. He didn’t want to make things weird, but he managed to kiss the top of your head, very lightly, just so he could know the feeling.

When you woke up the next morning, he was on your couch, and you could barely remember much of anything after he arrived.

a/n: hi loves! how have you been doing? i'll have to admit this is the most self-insert chapter i'll write in my life bc something similar happened to me a few days ago. and it sucks. but i'm fine now. hope you liked this chapter. see y'all soon!

[reading-writing-revolution]

On June 30, the medical journal The Lancet published an analysis of the impact of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and consequences of its dismantling. The study concluded that from 2001 through 2021, programs funded by USAID prevented nearly 92 million deaths in 133 countries. It estimates that the cuts the Trump administration has made to USAID will result in more than 14 million deaths in the next five years. About 4.5 million will be children under 5. On June 30, Dr. Steven H. Woolf of Virginia Commonwealth University warned in the New York Times that a health catastrophe is brewing in the U.S. as well, as “[t]he administration has upended the operation of almost every agency that deals with our health and medical care, leaving behind fewer staff members and programs to address critical needs, and changing policies in ways that could endanger us all.” Woolf lists cuts of 39% to the institute that researches heart disease, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and diabetes; 37% to the institute that researches cancer; 40% to the institute that researches stroke, 40% to the institute that researches Alzheimer’s; 38% to the institute that researches drug overdoses and suicide; and 36% to the institute that researches covid, flu, and pneumonia. Those cuts, along with the deregulation of industries that pollute our environment and the destruction of programs and agencies that address mental illness, suicide, chronic diseases, poisoning, car accidents, and drowning, Woolf writes, are putting Americans at risk. In May, Laura Ungar and Michelle R. Smith of the Associated Press noted the elimination of 20,000 jobs at national health agencies as well as cuts of $11 billion in covid-era funding to state and local health departments that inspect restaurants, monitor wastewater, and so on. In a New York Times op-ed on July 4, Dr. Perri Klass added that changes to the childhood vaccine schedule under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. threaten to bring back diseases that routine immunizations had all but eliminated in the U.S. Yesterday, Deidre McPhillips of CNN reported that measles cases in the U.S. have surged to a record high since the country declared the disease eradicated twenty-five years ago. There have been at least 1,277 confirmed cases of measles in the U.S. this year, passing the previous record of 1,274 set in 2019 and likely a “severe undercount.”

July 6, 2025 - by Heather Cox Richardson

[ask-philgraves]

Hey guys! You will be getting a post from me soon. I have a gnarly throat infection and was vomiting, had an estimated high fever of 104.2 (we don't have a thermometer, but i was screaming in pain saying i felt like my blood was boiling at the height of my fever) so boyfriend graciously took me to the hospital, and I'm got a bag of fluids, steroids, tramadol, and some amoxicillin through an IV. We didn't get home until about 1am last night and I'm just focusing on scheduling my tonsillectomy because this is my 8th tonsil infection within 6 - 8 months 🫠

The recovery process is absolutely horrid for the surgery as an adult, and the chances of stitches being loosened and choking on blood/blood loss is a huge issue with it at my grand old age of 21, however it's needed because they are becoming antibiotic resistent, and I'm at risk for MRSA since I had it before as a baby and I have 2 autoimmune diseases.

I will try to keep everyone in the loop, but I promise you'll get some ZAHF HDHRL content soon!!!

Please wish me well ❤️‍🩹

Cassie

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Anne Applebaum :: @anneapplebaum

This was the moment that mattered. Trump's political movement relies on total impunity for liars, and mostly gets it. The lies bind them together, cement their feeling of power.

* * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

October 1, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Oct 02, 2024

More than 45,000 U.S. dock workers went on strike today for the first time since 1977, nearly 50 years ago. The International Longshoremen's Association union, which represents 45,000 port workers, is negotiating with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group over a new contract. The strike will shut down 36 ports from Maine to Texas, affecting about half the country’s shipping. Analysts from J.P. Morgan estimate that the strike could cost the U.S. economy about $5 billion a day. The strikers have said they will continue to unload military cargo.

Dockworkers want a 77% increase in pay over six years and better benefits, while USMX has said it has offered to increase wages by nearly 50%, triple employer contributions to retirement plans, and improve health care options. In the Washington Post, economics columnist Heather Long pointed out that the big issue at stake is the automation that threatens union jobs.

Although the strike threatens to slow the economy depending on how long it lasts, President Joe Biden has refused requests to force the strikers back to work, reiterating his support for collective bargaining. He noted that ocean carriers have made record profits since the pandemic—sometimes in excess of 800% over prepandemic levels—and that executive compensation and shareholder profits have reflected those profits. “It’s only fair that workers, who put themselves at risk during the pandemic to keep ports open, see a meaningful increase in their wages as well,” Biden said in a statement.  

In the presidential contest, the Trump-Vance campaign is trying to preserve its false narrative. In Wisconsin today, Trump accused Vice President Harris of murder—although he appeared to get confused about the victim—and claimed that she has a phone app on which the heads of cartels can get information about where to drop undocumented immigrants. He also said that Kim Jong Un of North Korea is trying to kill him.

When asked if he should have been tougher on Iran after it launched ballistic missiles in 2020 on U.S. forces in Iraq, leaving more than 100 U.S. soldiers injured, Trump rejected the idea that soldiers with traumatic brain injuries were actually hurt. He said “they had a headache” and said he thought the attack “was a very nice thing because they didn’t want us to retaliate.”

Trump also backed out of a scheduled interview with 60 Minutes that correspondent Scott Pelley was slated to conduct on Thursday. 60 Minutes noted that for more than 50 years, the show has invited both campaigns to appear on the broadcast before the election and this year, both campaigns agreed to an interview. Trump’s spokesperson complained that 60 Minutes “insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.” Vice President Kamala Harris will participate in her interview as planned. 

The campaign’s resistance to independent fact checking of their false narrative came up in tonight’s vice presidential debate on CBS between Minnesota governor Tim Walz, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s running mate, and Ohio senator J.D. Vance, running mate for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. CBS Evening News anchor Norah O'Donnell and Face the Nation moderator and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan moderated the debate.

Walz’s goal in the debate was to do no harm to Vice President Harris’s campaign, and he achieved that. Vance’s goal was harder: to give people a reason to vote for Donald Trump. It is doubtful he moved any needles there. 

The moments that did stand out in the debate put a spotlight on Vance’s tenuous relationship with the truth. When Vance lied again about the migrants in Springfield, Ohio, who are in the United States legally, Brennan added: "Just to clarify for our viewers, Springfield, Ohio, does have a large number of Haitian migrants who have legal status."

Vance responded: "The rules were that you guys weren't going to fact-check.”

There were two other big moments of the evening, both based in lies. First, Vance claimed that Trump, who tried repeatedly to repeal or weaken the Affordable Care Act, “saved” it. Then, Walz asked Vance directly if Trump lost the 2020 presidential election. Vance refused to answer, saying he is “focused on the future,” and warned that “the threat of censorship” is the real problem in the U.S. 

Walz said: “That’s a damning non-answer.” 

Former chair of the Republican Party Michael Steele said after the debate: “I don't care where you are on policy…. If you cannot in 2024 answer that question, you are unfit for office.”

It was significant that Vance tried to avoid saying either that Trump won in 2020—a litmus test for MAGA Republicans—or that he lost, a reflection of reality. While this debate probably didn’t move a lot of voters for the 2024 election, what it did do was make Vance look like a far more viable candidate than his running mate. Waffling on the Big Lie seemed designed to preserve his candidacy for future elections.

It seems likely that the message behind Vance’s smooth performance wasn’t lost on Trump. As the debate was going on, Trump posted: “The GREAT Pete Rose just died. He was one of the most magnificent baseball players ever to play the game. He paid the price! Major League Baseball should have allowed him into the Hall of Fame many years ago. Do it now, before his funeral!” 

Former Cincinnati Reds baseball player Rose died yesterday at 83. 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[dertaglichedan]

EXPLOSIVE REVELATION: Elon Musk Exposes $100 Billion in Annual Entitlement Payments to Individuals Without SSNs or IDs — Warns Half Could Be Fraudulent

Elon Musk has revealed what could be the largest financial scandal in American history.

Musk has exposed the Treasury Department’s lax oversight, revealing that over $100 billion annually is being funneled to individuals without traceable Social Security Numbers (SSNs) or identification numbers.

Even more alarming, Musk shared that Treasury staffers estimate at least half of these payments—approximately $50 billion per year or $1 billion per week—to be unequivocally fraudulent.

This announcement comes after a federal judge threw a wrench into Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) crusade against government waste, fraud, and abuse, blocking the team from accessing a critical Treasury Department system.

US District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, a Barack Obama appointee, cited a risk of “irreparable harm.”

The injunction, which came into effect on Saturday, was pushed by 19 far-left state attorneys general, who apparently prefer maintaining the status quo of unchecked government expenditure over transparency and accountability.

Engelmayer has scheduled a hearing for February 20, leaving DOGE with limited access to data that’s vital for exposing the misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Following Engelmayer’s ruling, Musk took to X, exposing the rampant government incompetence and fraud festering within the Treasury Department.

"Yesterday, I was told that there are currently over $100B/year of entitlements payments to individuals with no SSN or even a temporary ID number. If accurate, this is extremely suspicious," Musk wrote on X.

He continued, "When I asked if anyone at Treasury had a rough guess for what percentage of that number is unequivocal and obvious fraud, the consensus in the room was about half, so $50B/year or $1B/week!! This is utterly insane and must be addressed immediately."