#Local Veterinary Hospital

[concordveterinaryhospital]

Top5  Pet care  tips by Concord Veterinary Hospital

How to Keep Your Pet Active and Healthy:  here are some tips   1. Pet Hospital Preparedness

2. Purrfectly Picky : 

3. Choosing the Best Food 

4.  Dental Hygiene for Pets

5. Health Watch:  Concord Veterinary Hospital is a small veterinary clinic in Sydney, Australia, that provides various pet healthcare services. They offer pet consultations, vaccinations, surgeries, and treatments for various medical conditions. The hospital also provides cat boarding services, making it an ideal choice for pet owners who need to travel out of town. They have a team of experienced veterinary dentists who can treat pets' teeth. Concord Veterinary Hospital may be a good option if you are looking for a reliable and trusted pet veterinary hospital or cat boarding near you in Sydney.

[miffysrambles]

This isn't really a request, I've just had this idea worming it's way into my brain and I wanted to send it somewhere because I found the idea hilarious:

If you know the scene from wolf children where Hana's confused about whether she should take her sick daughter to the hospital or a veterinary office,

I got the funny idea of either Macaque or Wukong and their s/o arguing over to whether they should take their sick child to a doctor or a vet because the kid has so many monkey-like attributes.

I don't know if it's as funny as I think it is, but the idea had me cackling

it certainly is a funny idea, just picturing it makes me laugh!

wukong/macaque going into father mode over their sick child, confused whether or not the take them to the vet or to the doctor.

their s/o telling them to calm down, it’s just a light cold and that they can just take them to the local pediatrician.

silly arguments ensue as the child lays in their bed, confused as to why their parents are arguing.

wukong/macaque - “you don’t understand, we’re not supposed to get sick. what do we do?!”

s/o - “maybe calm down first…?”

they were interrupted by the sound of a cute small sneeze,

more panicking.

[73ghosts]

I'm sure many of you are already aware of this, but in case I have any newer tumblr users, pet bill donation scams are very common on this site. If someone DMs or sends you an ask asking you to reblog some sort of donation post for a sick/injured pet, it is most likely a scam.

Below the cut, I have included tips to spotting a scam, and why I believe the post by 507-on-queue is a scam. @kyra45 runs an excellent tumblr scam awareness blog, and has more information and tips here about spotting pet scams. I have archived the scam post in question on my side blog here.

Here's some ways to spot these scams:

Age of the blog - most scam blogs are a week old or younger, they are often under a day old

Similar urls being used for multiple blogs - scam blogs are typically blocked/deleted rapidly, and the OP makes a new account with almost the same name

The blog bio/pfp are not unique

You can only access the dashboard view of the blog so the post archive cannot be accessed (for example, my dashboard view is this, but you can also visit my webpage view and see my 9 years of post history via /archive lol)

The blog has never interacted with you before

The blog follows you and immediately sends a DM/ask

The DM/ask is overly polite and guilt trips (they often ask you to reply privately to reduce digital footprint)

Images of pets can be found via reverse image search

OP's story is inconsistent or unrealistic

The Paypal link does not match the supposed country OP lives in

Most recently, a scam post has been going around about a sphynx cat named Draven. This has been done using multiple urls, including:

meer-lion (deactivated)

507-on-queue (deactivated)

507onqueue (deactivated)

507-onqueue (current as of Jan 13th, 2024)

Here's how this blog meets our scam watch criteria:

The current blog (507-onqueue) is less than a day old (19 hours at the time of this post). The oldest post:

As listed above, OP uses multiple, similar URLs.

The bio of 507-onqueue is taken almost directly from another user (said user). Due to the same bio being used in previous scams, I suspect this is the same or related person to kappa-tundra/kappatundra (about this scam).

Scam blog:

Copied blog:

Only dashboard view is available.

The blog follows and immediately DMs/sends and ask. From my account:

The ask from the account is very polite, guilt trips, and asks me to answer to the post privately. The goal of being so polite is to win your trust and lower your defenses. This isn't the worst guilt trip I've been in a scam (that goes to the child support scam from several years ago). By asking me to reply privately, they're attempting to reduce their digital footprint (making them harder to google) and disguise how much they are spamming asks.

The information in that post was taken from a private Facebook account (source). I found the Facebook account in question and confirmed that the information was taken from there. I do not want to share the page because I view that as a further violation of the Facebook OP's privacy. For transparency, the images of Draven are not on Facebook OP's page any longer, but there are several other identifiable pieces of information that make it more than likely that the claims of her information being stolen are true.

The ask is inconsistent itself with the name of the cat (Draven vs Indie). This is also nearly identical to another scam ask from user captbridges. This user was using a real GoFundMe for a sick cat to scam.

The medical paperwork in OP's post is for a veterinary hospital in Wisconsin. However, OP's PayPal is based in the Philippines. The country.x= part of the url indicate the country of origin of the account; PH is the Philippines. The local.x= part of the url shows that the link was localized to the United States (making the donation currency USD). (PayPal's information page about country codes).

Stay safe out there and remain vigilant, everyone. If you don't already know them, try to pick up some boolean operators to refine your google searches when checking for scams. The tumblr search function sucks, so this is your best bet of finding information about scams like these online.

[welcome-to-green-hills]

Do you think that we’ll explore the town of Green Hills, Montana in the series and Sonic 3? Like slice of life stuff or more history? I don’t think that there’s a whole lot to the town other than it being described as a “dinky backwater town.”

Hi Honey! ❤️✨

Believe it or not, the town of Green Hills is very fruitful in its foundation! It may not feel like it, but there’s definitely a rich history of when the town was established. (Whew! Now y’all get to see how big of a nerd I am. That’s either a really good thing or a bad thing). I’ll hyperlink all of my sources/claims to specific information so y’all can review it at a later date. Hopefully, this add a bit more detail than what the Sonic Wikis have for the films.

Down below are bullet points and photos of Green Hills, Montana:

Green Hills was founded in the early 1800's by a group of explorers surveying and mapping that state of Montana. The rugged explorers took nearly 30 years in making a complete map of the state and claiming the area as home. Green Hills is located in the middle of the state and known to have fascinating geological features. The town was called "Green Hills" due to the unique shades of green found in its flora. Essentially, the town was founded by chance because it took so long to survey between 1806 to 1835.

One of the town's founders, Morgan McConnell, specifically wanted to build a town in the heart of Montana because of the area's geological feature--checkered patterns. Morgan McConnell was credited for charting nearly a quarter of the state, including the town, and coined as as THE explorer of Montana. His favorite location to sit and work at was the Devil's Pinkie (the ledge that Sonic stands at in the first and second film). Unexpectedly, McConnell fell off of the Devil's Pinkie and died. According to town legend, McConnell's name echoed through the valley ranges for hours after he died. It's unknown if these are still heard in the area today.

Between 1870 and 1883, the town of Green Hills became one of the firsts settled areas along the Northern Pacific Railway. The transcontinental railroad system stretched from the State of Minnesota, the Pacific Northwest, and along the main line opening at the Great Lakes. A town plaque describes Green Hills as a "golden spike" by former USA president Ulysses S. Grant and viewed as an important hub. The town is credited as a supply depot, as well as known for bringing in large immigration populations. The railroad system is still a crucial necessity of the town today.

The first settlers of Green Hills, Montana didn't start making their migration to the area until the 1860s. The settlers were faced with hardships of the land, lack of infrastructure, and brutal winters. Families were known to mingle together in small dwellings and form small communities. Polygamous families were common until Christian morality arrived to the area in later years (Welcome-to-Green-Hills, 2021).

Main Street features the town's first general store, a feed and gardening supply store, and post office.

Green Hills, Montana takes pride in country hospitality. The warmer months have communal events such as hoedowns, harvests and festivals, fishing derbies, farmers markets, and horseback riding events. The business district features Dr. Maddie Wachowski's veterinary clinic, antique shops, a brewery (AKA, the Beer Gardens), a stationary shop, a butcher's shop, and the Mean Bean Coffee Shop (the slogan: "drink mean"). (Tails Channel, 2021).

The Green Hills Community Theater is a town gem. It was established in 1905 and has been known to put on spectacular and successful productions for over 100 years.

The Green Hills Bulletin (the local newspaper) says that they've been the hot spot for a classic car show for the past twenty years, have a "Dog of the Week" section, a local artist guild that does mosaics for the town, recently had a worker's strike on repairing the railroad system in town, and are in the middle of a movement for accessibility laws for disabled residents.

In the first movie's novel, Green Hills is known for its massive Blueberry festivals in the fall. This is an event that's welcome to all of the farmers in the state and neighboring states. Tom is known to actively take part of the festival.

In the 1900's, the town saw an influx of United States veterans occupy the area. It's seen as a "retirement community" to those not actively serving.

The town as a population of nearly 2,000 residents, as implied by the "Welcome to Green Hills" sign at the speed trap.

There's definitely more that the town has to offer in terms of history. When I have the chance, I'll give this post some more attention and add to it. Until then, enjoy some historical facts about our Dinky Backwater Town!

[inthedayswhenlandswerefew]

North To The Future [Chapter 13: Don’t Look Back In Anger]

The year is now 2000. You are just beginning your veterinary practice in Juneau, Alaska. Aegon is a mysterious, troubled newcomer to town. You kind of hate him. You are also kind of obsessed with him. Falling for him might legitimately ruin your life…but can you help it? Oh, and there’s a serial killer on the loose known only as the Ice Fisher.

Chapter warnings: Language, alcoholism, addiction, murder, sexual content, medical stuff, discussions of suicide, chilling with the parentinis.

Word count: 6.5k.

Link to chapter list (and all my writing): HERE.

Taglist: @ladylannisterxo @doingfondue @tclegane @quartzs-posts @liathelioness @aemcndtargaryen @thelittleswanao3 @burningcoffeetimetravel @hinata7346 @poohxlove @borikenlove​ @myspotofcraziness @travelingmypassion @graykageyama @skythighs​ @lauraneedstochill​ @darlingimafangirl​ @charenlie​ @thewew​ @eddies-bat-tattoos​ @minttea07​ @joliettes​ @trifoliumviridi​ @bornbetter​ @flowerpotmage​ @thewitch-lives​ @bearwithegg​ @tempt-ress​ @padfooteyes​ @teenagecriminalmastermind​ @chelsey01​ @anditsmywholeheart​ @heliosscribbles​ @elsolario​ @killerqueen-ofwillowgreen​ @narwhal-swimmingintheocean​ @tillyt04​ @cicaspair418​ @fan-goddess​

Only 2 chapters left! 💜

“You need to go to the hospital,” Aemond says.

You’re sitting on the threadbare floral couch in Aegon’s apartment, melting snow dripping from your hair like rain out of a bleak sky. You’re still wearing Aegon’s parka, but you’re freezing; you feel like you’ll never be warm again. Sunfyre, whimpering and pacing restlessly, periodically nudges your arm with his nose. “No.”

Aemond studies you. “Why?”

“I don’t want anyone else touching me.”

Aegon looks up from where he’s kneeling on the floor in only his green flannel pajama pants, skin and scars and ink. When he lifts the towel he’s had pressed to the outside of your thigh, there is a six-inch gash in the flesh: silent inferno, scarlet lightning. His palms are stained with your blood. “I’ll kill him,” he says, low and fierce.

Aemond sighs. “No, you won’t.”

“I will.”

You tell Aegon: “No, really, you won’t. You’re not going to prison for Trent.”

“Well something has to happen to him!”

“The hospital is really not negotiable,” Aemond says. “You need stitches.” And he shudders, just enough that you notice.

“We could call the cops,” Aegon starts. “We could—”

“You get to leave,” you say, and neither of them understand. For the first time, your eyes snag on the pattern of the couch rather than just skate over it: ivy, red roses, calla lilies white like bones. You take a trembling breath and begin again. “In a week, or a month, or whenever, you both get to leave this city, and it won’t matter what anyone here knows about you. But everything I have is in Juneau. And it’s too small for secrets. If I tell anyone about what happened, they’re going to end up hearing Trent’s side of the story too. The cops wouldn’t see this as a warning sign or part of a pattern of violent behavior. They’d see it as a domestic disturbance, at least in part caused by me. I’ll spend the rest of my life as the girl who got caught fucking around on the local football hero with some degenerate drifter. The same drifter who Trent saved from drowning in the channel a month ago.”

“He did what?” Aemond asks, confounded.

“It’s a long story.”

“Okay, okay, Appletini,” Aegon soothes. “Just tell me what you want. Tell me what you want and we’ll do it.”

“You should wash the blood off your hands.”

“Why? It’s just you.”

After a moment, you smile down at him. He smiles back. And suddenly you’re warm again, warm everywhere like there are embers tumbling through your veins instead of just biconcave cells and menacing lineage. Aemond’s gaze darts between you and Aegon, a little intrigued, a little scandalized, like it’s not something meant for him to witness. Sunfyre’s tail wags hopefully.

“So,” Aemond says. “Your preference for confidentiality notwithstanding, you do actually still need stitches.”

“I’ll do them,” you reply.

“You’ll…what…?”

“I’ll do the stitches myself. I have all the equipment at the vet clinic.”

“Okay,” Aegon agrees immediately.

Aemond stares at you, his lone eye narrow and incredulous. Then he turns to Aegon. “You think this is a good idea?”

“If she wants to do it herself, she can do it herself. She did a great job stitching up Sunfyre’s face. You can barely see where the bear clawed him.”

Aemond raises an eyebrow. “Why did I believe you might serve as the voice of reason? Why was I that delusional? Yeah, alright, let’s go do some impromptu surgery. That can only end well.”

You examine the wound on your thigh. It’s a relatively clean cut, but deep; it will leave a mark that you’ll carry for the rest of your life. It’s about the same size as Aemond’s scar, you think disjointedly, your skull clouded with shock and searing pain. The bleeding has slowed, but beads like rubies brim at the edges of the severed quilt of flesh. “I need to wrap it with something so it doesn’t bleed all over my Jeep.”

As you and Aegon improvise a solution—a fresh towel secured around your thigh with duct tape, the white fabric soon splattered with red—Aemond goes to the window, his arms crossed over his chest, his face grave and distant. Sirens build outside in the frigid darkness.

Aegon whirls to his brother. “Did—?”

“No. I didn’t call them.”

The police cars zoom by the apartment building in a screeching procession, heading north towards the lakes. Flashing lights paint Aemond’s ivory skin in shades of fire and sky. Lines etch across his forehead, perplexed, wary.

“What’s that about?”

“It happens a lot around here,” Aegon says. He tests the duct tape, making sure the towel won’t get jostled when you move. “It means they’ve found another body.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Lidocaine, povidone-iodine, scissors, forceps, tweezers, surgical thread, bright lights and no shadows. The bruises on Aegon’s face from where Aemond slammed him against that Dodge Ram last night are vivid blooms: violets, irises, blue-dyed roses, things that don’t grow here. He stands beside the metal exam table as you work, running his hands through his wild, white-blond, blood-flecked hair. You’re both wearing the clothes that you left on the floor of your Jeep; you’re both back in that moment, or at least halfway in it, soundless electricity in the florescent-lit air, longing drenched with maroon pain, rage, feverish anxiety. You cut the right leg off your blue flannel pajama pants so you could suture your thigh without being practically naked again. Aemond duct taped a black trash bag over the missing window of your Jeep to keep the worst of the wind and snow out. You’ll have to explain that to your parents eventually. You’ll have to explain quite a lot to them.

Aemond roams between the exam room and the lobby like a leopard behind iron bars, not really wanting to be in either. He is unnerved by your suturing, unnerved in a way that is obvious and deeper than words; yet he is irritated by the news coming from the television in the lobby. He’s turned it on to see if they’re reporting on the Ice Fisher’s latest victim yet. Instead, they’re covering the weather. The blizzard that’s expected to hit Juneau tomorrow has picked up speed, arriving by noon instead of the previously estimated late-evening. It will drop several feet of fresh snow, enough to shut down the city for two or three days. This is a great inconvenience for Aemond. This will delay his clandestine plans.

Aegon is watching you stitch with awe in his eyes. He’s nearly sober and must be desperate to remedy that, but he’s hiding it well. “You are so fucking badass.”

“I am so fucking stupid. I forgot all about the bear mace. It was right there in the front of the Jeep with my purse, I should have told you to grab it, I just…I wasn’t being especially logical at the moment. It completely slipped my mind.”

“I think that’s a very understandable oversight.” He skims his calloused thumb across your cheekbone, light and fleeting just like the rest of him. One of these moments will be the last time he’ll ever touch me. “How are you feeling?”

“Everything hurts. Not just the leg. My back, my ribs, all over.”

“Appletini,” he says, deadly serious. “What are we going to do if Trent shows up again?”

“He won’t come here.” You’re sure of that. “He won’t make a scene in front of my parents. He has a temper, obviously, and when it first hits it blinds him. We’ve seen that over and over again. But he’s not as stupid as he seems. He won’t want to ruin his reputation. Juneau is his whole world.” Just like it’s mine, you think unwillingly, horribly. “Maybe he’ll go home and unwind with a few Heinekens and realize the best thing he can do is move on. Maybe he’ll just consider us even and never speak to me again.”

“That’s optimistic,” Aegon says flatly.

“It’s a catch-22, right? He can’t tell anyone I was with you without it coming out that he attacked me and vandalized my Jeep. I can’t tell anyone he’s a violet psycho without admitting what I was doing when he found us.”

“But you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“You think that. I think that. But other opinions may differ.”

“You don’t belong in Juneau,” Aegon says suddenly, forcefully. “This place can be beautiful but it’s so fucking small. The people are small, their minds are small, any future here would be a waste of everything you’re made of. You feel that, right? I know you do. You don’t have to stay here.”

Aemond peeks into the exam room, observes that you’re still suturing, winces and vanishes into the lobby again. The news anchors are talking about snowfall, an estimated thirty to thirty-six inches.

“We should spend the blizzard at my parents’ house,” you tell Aegon.

“What, all three of us?” He remembers Aemond. “All four of us?”

“Definitely. We’ll have room to spread out in, we can shovel a section of the yard clear for Sunfyre, we won’t have to worry about Trent showing up for an encore. And…you know. I won’t have to be away from you.”

He grins. “You can’t get rid of me, Appletini. Not yet, anyway.”

“Not yet,” you agree, low and wistful. You finish suturing and bandage your thigh with gauze. Then you slide off the exam table, peel away your latex gloves, scrub your hands in the sink, and step out of your disfigured pajama pants. “Reach into that drawer. I keep an extra pair of jeans in there in case some animal gets its fluids all over me.”

Aegon passes you the jeans and pauses for a long time before he speaks. “Do you think Trent’s the Ice Fisher? It has to be him, right? After what happened tonight?” But his bruised face is full of doubt; his oceanic eyes are searching.

“I don’t think it’s him. I can’t really explain why, but I don’t.”

Aemond appears again, hesitating in the doorway. “Hey, idiot,” Aegon says. “We’re all going to wait out the blizzard at her parents’ house.”

“Why would we do that?”

“So I don’t have to spend three days alone with your oppressively stressful self, obviously.”

Aemond should jab back, but he doesn’t. He covers the damaged side of his face with one long agile hand and squeezes his remaining eye shut, flinching, uncharacteristically vulnerable.

“Nerve pain?” you ask.

“No,” Aemond snaps defensively.

“Here…” You paw though the cabinet and find a small white tube. “I have topical lidocaine, not just the injectable kind. It might help…”

“No,” he says again, stepping away from you.

“Aemond, let me—”

“No!”

“I’d leave him alone,” Aegon cautions you. You don’t listen. You follow Aemond as he retreats into the lobby and backs himself against a wall.

“Don’t touch me,” he lashes out, still holding his face in his hand, repulsed that you’re seeing him this way, repulsed by his own weakness.

“Fine. Then you do it.” Too swiftly for him to resist, you grab his wrist, squirt a plentiful amount of the lidocaine gel into his palm, and press his hand back to his ruined cheek, eyelids, forehead. He gapes at you, stunned. “Rub it in, then wait a few minutes. It should start helping.”

Aemond begins massaging the gel into the area around his scar. “Thank you,” he says huskily, averting his gaze from you.

“I don’t know what you have to be so shy about. You’ve basically seen me naked.”

Remarkably, Aemond smiles. He has dimples, you realize. He isn’t just marble or stone; he isn’t just formidable. He’s a little beautiful too. “I have things at home for it, but I forgot to pack them before I flew out of Miami.”

“Yeah, I bet you were in a real hurry to get here.” To find Aegon before he left for the next city. To bring back the long-lost prodigal son.

On the television, the news has pivoted to the Juneau Police Department’s latest discovery.

“Reports are coming in now that officers have found the eighth victim of the serial killer known locally as the Ice Fisher. The remains were recovered from Dredge Lake late this evening. While we are waiting for the victim’s identity to be publicly confirmed once the family has been notified, Chief of Police Eugene Baker has shared that the victim is a female in her mid-thirties. He has also reiterated the vital importance of Juneau residents not leaving their homes alone—no matter how briefly—until the killer is apprehended. The impending blizzard is expected to temporarily postpone the investigation…”

“Mid-thirties,” you consider. “Not Heather or Joyce or Kimmie. The Ursa Minor coincidence lives on.”

“The what?” Aegon says.

“No one from the bar ever gets murdered.”

Aemond watches the blue-white glow of the television, the edges of his face smoothing as the lidocaine gel dulls the erratic electrical signals of his severed nerves: fire, blades, tremors like tiny cataclysmic earthquakes. “Hm.”

The wheels in his skull turn, and then faster, and then faster.

~~~~~~~~~~

It’s 11:00 p.m., and your parents are still awake. They’re working on a 1,000-piece puzzle at the dining room table and sipping Earl Grey tea when you walk in. The puzzle box is propped up so they can reference it as they click the jagged fragments together. The picture shows the skyline of London.

“Hey, ladybug!” your dad calls. “Want to help us? I can’t seem to finish this fucking clock.”

Your mom laughs, slapping his broad shoulder playfully. “It’s called Big Ben, you caveman.”

“You don’t complain about my caveman ways when you need wood chopped for the firepit—”

“I have an unorthodox request,” you say. They both turn their full attention to you.

“What is it?” your mom asks.

“I would like Aegon to stay with us until the blizzard is over. And Sunfyre. And Aegon’s brother.”

“Aegon has a brother?” your dad says.

“Yes, and he’s…um…” What’s the word for it? Is there a word for it? “Kind of…different. But he’s very well-mannered and won’t cause any problems. He’s nothing like Aegon. He’s essentially the complete opposite.”

“What’s his name?”

“Aemond.”

“So Greek,” your dad marvels.

Your mom blinks at you, clutching her cup of tea with both hands. Steam curls up around her face like smoke, like fog. “And you and Aegon are…getting along again?”

“Yes.”

She looks to your dad. “As…friends…?” he says.

“No. Not as friends.”

“Oh. Okay, yeah, that’d be just fine.” Your dad is trying to act nonchalant, but they’re both worried; they don’t understand, or maybe they understand too well, and that’s worse. You can hear Jesse’s ghost in the next room, in the attic, in the walls. He’s like that type of silence that starts to feel loud.

“I really, really appreciate it. They’ll be here soon.” Aemond drove himself and Aegon back to the apartment in your Jeep to pack up some essentials and get Sunfyre. “I’ll find the extra sheets and pillows. Aemond can sleep on the couch. And…there’s one more thing.”

“There’s a third brother and his name is Aristotle Onassis.”

No, Daeron. “If Trent shows up, don’t let him in.”

Now they’re really rattled. “What happened, ladybug?” your dad asks softly.

“I tried to end things with Trent. He didn’t take it well. He found out I was with Aegon and he smashed the back window of my Jeep with a rock. There was a whole…situation. I don’t want to talk about the specifics. I don’t need a hug or anything. I just need you both to know that he’s not welcome anywhere near me or Aegon.”

“Oh my god,” your mom gasps, her palm pressed to her heart. “Trent did that? Really?”

“Did he hurt you?” your dad asks; and his voice sounds nothing like the man who raised you. He sounds red and serrated and vengeful. He sounds like when he spoke to you about Jesse.

“No,” you lie, apparently convincingly enough. “But I’m afraid of him. I don’t think he’d try anything in front of you guys, but just in case…”

“Understood,” your dad says with a nod. “No need to elaborate. Trent is hereby banished from the premises.” He makes a cross with his hand like a priest performing an exorcism.

Your mom shivers as she drinks her tea, peering down at the half-finished puzzle. “Horrible. Just horrible. And he always seemed so nice…”

People aren’t always what they seem, Mom, you think bitterly, treasonously. Jesse seemed like he was getting better.

By the time you’re finished putting out food and water for Sunfyre and readying the couch for Aemond—your dad insists on helping you, though you try to refuse—there is a knock at the front door. The Targaryen brothers enter along with a frigid gust of Arctic air that blows the door wide open. Sunfyre, shaking snow from his fur, immediately makes himself at home by jumping up onto the couch and rolling all over it, kicking pillows to the floor.

“Great,” Aemond says tonelessly.

Your parents don’t even register the bruises on Aegon’s face, the dried blood on his hands and in his hair…not with Aemond in the room. They gawk at him: lofty height, long white hair, scar, sapphire, green Louis Vuitton suitcase, black Christian Dior sweatsuit. Eventually, your mom pulls her jaw shut and rises from the dining room table. “Hello!” she manages in an overcompensatingly enthusiastic warble.

To everyone’s surprise, Aemond goes to her and folds both of her hands into his own. “I wanted to personally thank you for welcoming me and my brother into your home. We will not forget your generosity, and it will be greatly rewarded. You will forever have the resources of Targaryen Enterprises at your disposal.”

“Have you ever tried not acting deranged?” Aegon asks him. “For maybe five minutes?”

“It’s our pleasure,” your mom stammers, transfixed by Aemond.

Your dad flashes a smile and gives Aemond a fatherly pat on the back. “Hell, if you’re ladybug’s friend, you’re our friend too. Do you have any pets, Aemond?”

“Yes, a Norwegian Forest cat. Her name is Vhagar.” He pulls a photograph out of his wallet to show them. The cat is freaking enormous.

“Goddamn, I’ve never seen one of those!” your dad exclaims. “How much does she eat? Do you let her outside? Does she hunt? What’s the life expectancy…?”

As they chat, Aegon rummages through the kitchen cabinets until he finds a bottle of red wine. You offer to get him a glass. “No point,” he says, winking. He drinks straight from the bottle, taking frequent little nips like taps of Morse code, sanding the edges off the present, the future, the past. When your parents retire to bed—no doubt to do some stealthy gossiping about their temporary houseguests—Aegon stumbles upstairs to shower, leaving you and Aemond alone. He sits down at the dining room table and moves puzzle pieces around with one index finger, linking them together faster than you would have thought possible.

“I forgot to tell you about him drinking wine,” you say.

“Well, wine is a given.” The rippling blue water of the River Thames is taking shape. “Make no mistake, it’s still suicide, what he’s doing now. It’s just slower. It’s the scenic route, sure, but it ends in the same place. You think he’ll make it to thirty?”

“No,” you answer quietly.

“He’ll overdose, or he’ll drive off the road, or he’ll fall into the ocean, or he’ll pass out somewhere and get claimed by the elements. He’ll be bones wrapped in roots and soil and we’ll never find him, we’ll never even have a body to bury. I’m not trying to hurt him. That couldn’t be further from what I want. Do you see that now? Do you understand?”

“You can’t fix him, Aemond. He has to want to fix himself.”

Aemond shakes his head. “He’ll never do it on his own.”

“You don’t think I’ve tried?” you say, heat like cinders in your throat. “I want the same thing you do. I’ve tried to get him to go to rehab, I’ve offered to help, I’ve given ultimatums, I’ve left him, I’ve come back, I don’t know what else there is to do. I’m watching him kill himself right in front of me, just like you are. It’s excruciating, loving someone like that. It’s hell.”

Aemond looks at you, a cold, razor-sharp warning. “I know.”

And he does love him, you realize. In a harsh way, in a tangled way, in a way that is burdened with years of betrayal and disappointment. But he loves Aegon too. If only that was enough. “He said that you were trying to protect him on the night of the accident. That your parents were always screaming at him.”

“They did a lot more than that. They hit him. My father harder, my mother more frequently. My grandfather broke his arm when he was ten.”

You can see Aegon as a sullen boy in a hospital bed, as an untamed streetlight-glowing teenager with the night wind in his hair, as a body floating in cold water. “And you think it’s a good idea for him to go back to that kind of environment?”

“Things are different now,” Aemond says, in a tone that offers no further explanation. “Is there a place where I can get some work done tomorrow?”

“Sure. The study is down the hallway, the second door on the right. There’s a desk and a phone in there and everything. Knock yourself out.”

“Oh, I don’t think it will come to that,” Aemond says, a sly smile on his half-ravaged face. And then he goes to the couch—not shooing Sunfyre away but merely shoving him aside to make sufficient space—and turns on the television so he won’t miss any of the news coverage, sliding his BlackBerry out of his pocket and clicking away on it.

When Aegon wanders into your bedroom—black Foo Fighters T-shirt, fresh green flannel pajama pants, dewy and flushed, aggressively rubbing his hair with a towel—you’re waiting for him. He holds up his hands to show you, grinning and proud. “No more blood. Happy now, vet lady?”

“Very.”

“It’s a problem, you know. I never seem to want to wash you off me.” His racoonish eyes flick to the mirror. It’s still decorated with the photographs he remembers, but there’s something missing: the magazine cutout of the Pacific Coast Highway, of California. “What happened to the convertible guy?”

“He got demoted.”

“Since when?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

But still, he knows: since New Year’s Eve, since everything started going wrong. Aegon glimpses his reflection in the silver glass and quickly turns away.

“Your face isn’t that bad. The bruises should start fading soon.”

He smirks. “You’re always looking in the mirror because you’re still trying to figure out who you are. I don’t like looking because I already know.” His eyes catch on the cardboard box full of Jesse’s journals, jutting out from under the bed like the monster of a child’s imagination. “Old birthday and Christmas cards? High school yearbooks? Hot Wheels? Legos?”

“No. Journals.”

His eyebrows shoot up, intrigued. “Yours?”

“Jesse’s.”

“Oh,” he says tentatively, treading lightly, not wanting to offend. “You’ve read them?”

“Bits and pieces. I think it would take years to finish them all.” And then you add: “If you’re ever curious and want to take a look, I don’t mind.” Maybe it would be good for you. Maybe it would show you what you have to look forward to if you don’t change. “Now come here.”

Aegon crawls onto the bed; the mattress shifts beneath his knuckles and knees. He takes your face in his hands and kisses you gently, unhurriedly, like you’re made of glass that’s already beginning to splinter. You hurt everywhere, yes, but one ache is worse than all the others. It is an emptiness rather than the pressure of trapped blood or the mending of skin and sinew. It is the cavernous void of a missing piece in the shape of him.

You reach out, graze the backs of your fingers over his bruised cheekbone, tuck his damp lock of hair behind his ear. “I guess we got interrupted earlier.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Aegon murmurs. He smells like wine and soap, your soap. The heat of his skin is rising and infectious, a swelling wave, a fever. He’s holding himself back. He always seems to be holding himself back with you.

“I won’t be yours forever. But I am right now.” You press your lips to his jaw, your fingerprints to the kaleidoscope of bruises on his face. “Take me, all of me, I want you to have it.”

Aegon drags off your jeans agonizingly slowly, mindful of the bandage. He lifts away your oversized T-shirt, your doubts, your pain, your fear of the future. You strip him bare like winter pillages the earth. He is careful not to put any weight on your right thigh. He is tender and whispering, and when his hand slips beneath your blue silk panties you are stunned by how starved you are for him, how desperate, smothering moans against his throat, Aegon swearing that he won’t fuck you until you’ve come first; and then you do, so hard you see pinpoint stars like an unnamed constellation, like the glimmer of the Northern Lights. And then he is inside you, covering you like ivy, growing over you and through you and into dark needful corners that you hadn’t even known were there. He is freeing like an open sky, like the infinite line of the ocean. He is a memory you’ll never be able to mine from your bones.

When you wake in the morning to see white powdery snow falling heavily beyond your bedroom window, Aegon is sitting cross-legged on the floor and flipping through an olive green journal. The pages, riddled with spikes and loops of untidy ink, rustle against his calloused fingers.

“He’s funny,” Aegon says. “I don’t know why I didn’t expect that. I should have.”

“Why would you expect it?” Why would you expect anything but ruin, but tragedy?

He smiles. “Because you’re funny too.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Your parents are in full entertaining guests mode; the kitchen rings out with clangs and thumps as they try out new recipes, cookies and muffins and reindeer chili with green chilies and cheddar cheese. You and Aegon are playing Mouse Trap on the coffee table in the living room, one of practically endless board games your parents kept from your childhood. Intermittently, as commercials appear on the television, Aegon jots down notes on the back of a Taco Bell receipt he found under the couch. Sunfyre alternates between collecting pats from you and Aegon and licking up fallen scraps in the kitchen. He trots around the house buoyantly, tail wagging, eyes bright and twinkling; it’s not often that all of his favorite humans are in the same place. An Oasis album rotates on your dad’s record player. Don’t Look Back In Anger reverberates through the house like a heartbeat.

Aemond is working in the study. You can sometimes hear the low melody of his voice, or the beeping of his BlackBerry, or the jangling of the phone. Each time it goes off, he picks up on the first ring. About once per hour he appears in the living room to switch the tv channel from the X-Files or Buffy to the local news before retreating back into the study. The Ice Fisher’s eighth victim has been officially identified: Nikola Kozlowski, an adjunct professor of Marine Biology at the University of Alaska. She was snatched, strangled, sunk into water too cold for you to imagine. Aemond stares at the television, artificial light dancing on his face.

“Hey, you want to play Don’t Break The Ice?” Aegon says, swigging red wine straight from the bottle.

“That’s in poor taste,” Aemond mutters as he leaves.

Aegon shouts after him: “It was a joke!” He sighs, flips the channel back to the X-Files, observes the commercial with peculiar interest. “You like Chia Pets?” he asks you.

“I don’t know, I’ve never had one.”

“Interesting.” He makes a scribble on the receipt, takes another gulp of wine.

Just before lunch, you and Aegon venture out into the blizzard together to clear a space for Sunfyre to run around in, tilling fluffy mounds of snow until you can no longer feel your cheeks or your noses, catching snowflakes on your tongues, dashing back inside for steaming cups of Earl Grey tea and bowls of reindeer chili.

“Aemond?” your mom calls, knocking timidly on the study door. “Dear, would you like some chili? It’s homemade! It’s a brand new recipe! We have bacon bits!”

Perhaps reluctantly—although he tries to disguise it—Aemond emerges for a lunch break. At the dining room table, he sits next to you instead of Aegon. Your mom attempts to compulsively feed him cornbread muffins; your dad asks him about Targaryen Enterprises. Aemond answers quite a few of the questions, gracefully evades others. He is someone who has a genetic gift for holding cards close to the vest. After a while, Aegon takes his half-empty wine bottle and staggers off. He’s wearing his black crewneck sweatshirt, cuffed jeans, combat boots, and his white-blond hair in a man bun. Aemond palpably disapproves of this.

“That’s a fascinating setup you’ve got there,” your dad tells Aemond, pointing at his sapphire. “I hope I won’t offend you by mentioning it, but I couldn’t let you leave without ever saying how brilliant I think it is. It’s the sort of thing a tech magnate would come up with. Innovative. Futuristic, even. In a humble Alaskan’s terms, it’s really goddamn cool.”

“No offense taken.” No, and in fact, you think Aemond is trying not to let on how pleased he is, how…touched. “I was given something disfiguring and pathetic and made it an asset. Now people look at me with astonishment instead of pity. Tech and finance companies name their products after sapphires, after me. Teenagers dress up as me for Halloween.”

“I bet the women like it too,” your dad notes with a grin.

“Well…” Aemond stirs his chili, avoidant. “I’m a little too busy for women.”

Your dad mumbles, rubbing his forehead: “A sexy genius billionaire…too busy for women…now I’ve heard it all.”

And Aemond smiles, even blushes, dunking a cornbread muffin into his chili. It’s the strangest thing: you don’t suspect that he had any desire at all to eat lunch with your parents, but now he doesn’t seem to want to leave. When Aemond at last returns to the study, Aegon plods down the stairs and throws himself onto the couch, flipping lazily through the television channels. Within two minutes, Aemond bolts into the living room.

“Where’s my Visa?”

“Oh, whoops.” Aegon takes it out of the pocket of his jeans and tosses it to his brother. The credit card sails across the room like a paper airplane. Aemond grabs it off the floor.

“What the hell were you doing with it?”

“Buying thank you gifts to show the Appletinis how appreciative we are for their hospitality.”

“Thank you gifts…?”

“Yeah. A George Foreman Grill, a Rainbow Art set, some Ginsu Knives, a lifetime supply of Zoobooks, a BeDazzler—”

“A what?”

“A BeDazzler,” Aegon repeats impatiently. “It bedazzles things. A Kidz Bop cassette tape, a Betty Crocker Bake n’ Fill, a Chia Pet…five Chia Pets, actually…oh, and a Psychic Reading with Miss Cleo for me. She said I recently received an alarming and unwelcome visitor. Sounds like she really has talent.”

“You’re useless,” Aemond says, glowering at him.

Aegon guzzles his wine. “How’s Mom?”

“Oh, you’re suddenly interested?”

Aegon shrugs, gesturing vaguely with his wine bottle. He’s very drunk. “It’s polite to ask.”

“She’s terrible,” Aemond says. “She misses you, she worries about you, she blames herself for everything. It never gets better. It only gets worse. Every year it gets worse. She wants to make things right. She wants a second chance. We all do. Mom, me, Helaena, Daeron—”

“Dad?” Aegon flings mockingly, like he knows it won’t be true.

Aemond watches his brother for a long time before he answers. “He’s dying.”

The shock hits Aegon’s face, slow but marrow-deep, spreading beneath the surface like dark tendrils of blood poisoning. “He’s…?”

“That’s not public information yet. People will panic…stock prices, you know…but the company is in good hands. The company will still be here in a year. But Dad won’t.”

Aegon shakes his head, not understanding. “What happened?”

“Cancer. Pancreatic, inoperable.”

“Jesus Christ,” Aegon whispers, swigging his wine.

“He wants to see you before it’s too late. He wants to apologize.”

Again, Aegon shakes his head. He stares out the window at the falling snow, at the cold grey sky. “I have nothing to say to him.”

“Aegon, please—”

“He never liked me, and if he thinks he does now it’s only because of the omnipotent, looming threat of the Great Beyond. Me showing up in Miami won’t fix anything. Not for him, and not for anybody else.”

“It will,” Aemond insists.

“Because you’re so happy to see me, right?” Aegon says; and he grins, a horrible, dazed, triumphant, venomous grin. “You’re so proud of the person I’ve become, the person I’ve always been. You’re beaming with it. You’re fucking ecstatic.”

“Stop.”

“Admit it, Aemond. You should have been born first. You should have been the heir. It always should have been you, and now it is. Can’t you just enjoy it? Can’t you just go back to your little conference calls and your conventions and your equity negotiations and leave me alone?”

Aemond’s hand juts out, seizes Aegon by the collar of his sweatshirt, wrenches him to his feet. Sunfyre growls, showing long canine teeth. “Why, so you can destroy yourself in peace?” Aemond seethes. “No, not a chance. You’re not going to be the weight we’re all forced to carry on our backs. You don’t get to become the Targaryen family ghost. You don’t get to haunt us. You’ve already done enough. Do you hear me? You’ve done enough.” He shoves Aegon back onto the couch, storms into the study, slams the door behind him.

Your parents peek skittishly from of the kitchen. “Everything okay out there?” your dad says.

“Yeah,” Aegon slings back. He drains the last of his wine, takes your hand, presses his still-healing lips to your knuckles. His face is a wasteland, miles away, years away. Sunfyre, whimpering, rests his head in his lap.

“Aegon,” you begin, laying your palm against his cheek. I would do anything to help you, to fix you. What can I do? What can any of us do?

“I’m not going back.” He gazes out the window, cold grey void filling up his eyes. “I’m never going back.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The days are seasons: silent colorless mornings, snow-glare afternoons, violet dusk peppered with star-fire, nights as black as volcanic glass. Rumbling, monstrous plows pass by on the street outside. Trucks and SUVs begin revving back to life, exhaust fumes melting icicles that hang like fangs. The long hours that Aemond spends in the study yield no revelations that you can see. He is courteous to your parents, jarringly so. Before he leaves, he places an envelope on their dining room table. You open it while he and Aegon are loading their luggage into your Jeep.

“Don’t bang my suitcase around,” you can hear Aemond commanding, muffled through the house’s frosted windows. “Hey, what did I say—?!”

Inside the envelope is a handwritten note and a check for ten thousand dollars. The note reads:

Thank you so very much for your remarkable warmth and hospitality. You have a beautiful home, and an even more beautiful family. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you ever require anything. In Targaryen Enterprises, you have a friend for life.

Yours most sincerely, Aemond

P.S. I apologize about my delinquent brother. I am indescribably mortified by his conduct.

P.P.S. Your daughter is far too good for him.

Once back in his apartment, Aegon sets a pot on the stove. He gets two mugs out of the cabinet—the large blue mug for you, the green mug with tiny gold stars for him—and dusts a kiss across your cheekbone, one of his swift weightless kisses, the kind that feels routine and limitless, like he’ll be doing it for the rest of his life. Sunfyre frolics around you both, panting happily, accepting ear scratches and high-pitched praises.

Aemond goes immediately to the television. He turns it on, flips through the channels, finds the local news. There is a flurry of words you can’t get a grip on right away: breaking news, the Juneau Police Department, the Ice Fisher, suspect in custody.

What appears in the little black box doesn’t make any sense. There are random, disconnected fragments—flashing blue and red lights reflecting off fresh snow, Trent’s apartment, officers in uniform, florescent yellow crime scene tape, Trent being led to a police car in handcuffs—and then they all come together in a boom like thunder. And then all the pieces fall into place.

“I made a call reporting Trent for suspicious behavior,” Aemond explains calmly. “I got a judge to issue a search warrant. They went into his apartment with dogs and UV lights and found hiking boots with blood on them. A lot of blood. Human blood.”

Trent?

“And not just boots. There are trekking poles too, and snowshoes, and chisels, and fishing lines, things that match evidence left in the areas where the bodies were discovered. All with blood on them.”

TRENT?

“They’re waiting for lab results to confirm that the blood matches one or more of the victims’ DNA, but I’m confident they’ll find what they’re looking for. He’s their killer, the worst one Juneau has ever seen. He’s not a mystery, and he’s not a legend. He’s just a man.”

You and Aegon are staring at the television, horrified, hypnotized; you can’t look away. Your heart is racing. You’ve forgotten how to breathe. Your pulse is a deafening roar in your ears, a storm over the ocean, crashing waves and winds that capsize ships. Trent’s face isn’t colored with rage, audacity, remorse. When he flips his long hair out of his eyes, he looks bewildered. He wears the blank, fumbling confusion of a child.

It can’t be Trent, can it? Can it?

“No more excuses. No more delays.” Aemond turns to his brother. His pale eye is savage and determined. His sapphire glints like a blade. “It’s time to go home.”

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Makeshift shelter saves hundreds of dogs amid floods in southern Brazil

Hundreds of volunteers have set up a makeshift dog shelter in an abandoned, roofless warehouse in the Brazilian city of Canoas, one of the hardest hit by floods in southern Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state

Hundreds of volunteers have set up a makeshift dog shelter in an abandoned, roofless warehouse in the city of Canoas, one of the hardest hit by floods in southern Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state.

They treat and feed sick, hungry or injured dogs, hoping to reunite them with their owners, and they were working at full speed Friday morning as renewed heavy rains are forecast in the region over the weekend.

Authorities say more than 110 people have died, almost 150 are missing, and more than 300,000 people have been displaced by the floods. There is no official tally for the number of animals that have died or are made homeless. Local media estimated the number to be in the thousands.

The makeshift shelter, about the size of a soccer field, has taken in hundreds of canines from inundated areas since Sunday. Every hour between 20 and 30 dogs arrive, many injured after having been run over or nearly drowned. The shelter sends some to veterinary hospitals, but others that are in need of medical attention are too frail to be transported. Dog food is scattered throughout the facility, and dogs are chained at distances from one another to prevent fighting.

Continue reading.

[jtargaryen18]

The House of Shadowed Roses

CHAPTER 1

Words: 5.4k

Pairing: Edward (Loosely based off a "A Different Man") x Live-in Companion Reader M/F

Disclaimer: The author of this work claims no ownership of characters aside from the reader, and original secondary characters mentioned. This work is not intended for those under the age of 18 due to explicit sexual content and darker themes. By reading this work or any works on my blog (jtargaryen18), you agree that you are at least 18 years of age. I do not consent to have my work hosted on any third party app or site.

"You could have flown away A singing bird in an open cage Who will only fly, only fly for freedom..." - "Walk On" U2

A/N: This is my spin on Beauty & the Beast. Edward, at the beginning of the story, has the condition neurofibromatosis as he does in the film. But this isn't going to be used in a negative way, nor are we going to include depictions of him being mistreated by others as a result. (Edward has structured his life in a way to avoid that.)

As you were reading over the short list of rentals into today's paper, you felt your frustation rising. Were you going to find another place to live before you had to leave your current apartment?

It had been a long few years. 

You graduated high school, started college pursuing a degree in business.Your first year in the MBA program was at the smaller Michigan university not far from your hometown. Your grades had been fine. You just realized after five years of business you didn't feel anything about it, one way or another. Did you really want to spend your life like that?

You took a gap year, working part time jobs to pay your bills and to keep your tiny, dark little apartment. You'd started working as a kennel assistant at a local veterinarian's office and what do you know? You found something you loved doing. Sure, you started out walking dogs, scooping poop, and cleaning kennels. But after a few months, you were trusted with other tasks in the clinic. You helped pull kittens or puppies when there was an expectant mother, you looked after animals boarded there. You helped put together prescriptions, sometimes helped the receptionists get vacations or personal days.

It was an easy choice, you were going back to school. The vet-med program was in Virginia but in four years, you'd earn a DVM. It was a job that you knew you'd appreciate and that would allow you to make a real difference. 

The problem was, now you were heading for thirty and the student loans were piling up. After two years in the program, you earned a two-year technician's degree. It was as good a time as any to get some work in the field and pay some of that debt down.

The veterinary hospital in the small Virginia town was even nicer than the first one you'd worked in back home. It was female-owned with three female doctors, two other techs who were guys, and a competent staff of receptionists, kennel assistants, and even a couple of volunteers. After six months, your job there just fortified your desire to achieve a career as a veterinary doctor.

The problem? Living spaces.

You knew the apartment in the old -- really old -- boarding house was probably a risk. The building was a hundred and twenty-five years old, there were drafts, creaking floors, and leaks from the ceiling when it rained. The electric wiring needed repairs often.

When you received the notice that the building where you lived was being condemned, you panicked. You had just a month to make other arrangements which meant your living conditions probably weren't safe. But its affordable rent had really helped you put some money back. 

Where were you supposed to go now?

When someone called your name the next day in the break room, you walked in to see Dave, one of the other techs, sitting at the table eating the lunch he'd packed and scrolling on his phone. He looked at you expectantly when he spotted you.

"Weren't you looking for a place to live?" he asked.

"Sure am," you told him.

"There's an ad in the marketplace," he told you, looking back to his phone. "Room for rent. Looking for someone to help with shopping and small errands. In exchange, will rent space: a bedroom, office or living room, and full bath. Kitchen and laundry can be shared."

When Dave read the address and the rent price per month, you were floored. It sounded like an elderly person looking for a housemate to help them with shopping or cleaning. That would be perfect for you and it was just fifteen minutes away from the hospital. 

"Can you send me that?" you asked him. "When was it posted?"

Dave took another look at the ad he'd read to you. "Says it was posted today."

"Perfect! Thank you," you told him.

Grabbing your phone from your locker, you were going to call right now. Hopefully, it was still available. It had the potential to be a really good deal for you.

Your call went straight to voicemail. A digital voice told you to leave your message at the tone. You did. You probably sounded like an idiot, but you quickly asked if they could call you back about the rental. You left your number and name.

And then nothing. At the end of your shift, there were no messages. The next day, no return call. The day after that? Nothing.

Damn, someone beat you to it. 

You spent the weekend doing laundry and boxing things up. You did your normal search each day in the papers, marketplaces. Maybe something you could afford would come up. You had two weeks now. You were gettting desperate.

You'd been home for maybe an hour Monday when the chime of your phone had you fishing it out of your purse to see who it was. The number was private but since you'd called to ask about another apartment this morning, you assumed it was them.

A deep, rough male voice asked to speak with you. When you confirmed it was you, he mentioned his house on Garden Street. You were floored! It was the house from the ad Dave told you about, the one where the owner was looking for help and offering a really affordable price. 

"Yes," you responded. "I am very interested in your ad."

"Do you live in the area?" he asked. 

His voice was strange. He didn't sound old per se. It was hard to tell. His voice was rough and sounded a little garbled. You had a little trouble understanding him. But there was no way in hell you were going say that. You wanted what he was offering.

You explained your situation and the urgency of it. Then you told him you appreciated his consideration. There was a long moment when he didn't say anything. Was he still there? Was he considering your case?

"I'd like to interview you," he said finally. "Tomorrow."

Really? "Okay, I can do that," you said. "What's a good time?"

Whatever you needed to do, you'd do it. Take the evening off from work even. 

"Come at eight-thirty," he said after a long pause. 

"In the morning?" You wanted to make sure you got it right. 

"No, tomorrow evening," he said. "I'll text you the address."

Okay. It was a little odd. But you needed a place to live. "I'll be there," you told him.

When you got off the phone, when you went to  bed, you could rest easier. Sure, there was a chance that you wouldn't get the place. But there was just as much of a chance that you would. You got a good night's sleep. 

***

Nerves were about to get the best of you as headed down that narrow dirt road in your car, pulling up to what looked like an old southern mansion. Twilight still clung to the deepening colors on the horizon and there was just enough light left to hint at a magnificent old house, a few of the first floor windows were lit up with soft light. There was a huge, elegant weeping willow tree in the front yard and what looked like huge flower beds on either side of the ornate front porch, their colors swallowed by the night.

Summoning your courage, you climbed out of your SUV and headed for the front door. The heat of a hot August day still lingered on the humid air and the chorus of crickets all around you made you feel like you'd entered some enchanting storybook tale.

What a beautiful place. What would it be like to live here?

You had enough time to go home and change out of your scrubs. You went with a strappy summer dress and cute sandals, a soft, summer cardigan lending a demure look to the outfit. You'd ultimately decided to carry a small purse with your phone. If you needed to make notes, you were well prepared.

The soft notes of piano music reached your ears as climbed the stairs to reach the front door. For a moment, you just listened. It sounded like someone was actually playing a piano rather than a recording and you smiled when you recognized the song. "Dream a Little Dream of Me."

You hated to disrupt that but you didn't want to be late either. Your smart watch showed you it was eight-thirty-one. 

Here goes.

Three sharp knocks on the door, announcing your presence. And just as you suspected, the music stopped. Footsteps grew louder as they neared the door. You smiled when the door swung open, anxious to greet your host and hopefully your new landlord.

But all you saw was his back as he walked swiftly away from you down a long shadowy hallway. 

"Come in!" he called back over his shoulder in that strange voice.

You hadn't expected that, hoping you hadn't done something wrong already. With nothing else to do, you quickly closed the front door behind you and followed him down the hall. He'd turned to the right, light from the room casting a spotlight on the floor. Slowly, you went that same route, peering into the room before you walked into it.

You couldn't help but smile to see all the beautiful antique furniture, a gorgeous Tiffany lamp in delicate shades of pink and purple glass adorning a small table by the window. There were no photos on the walls, which you found strange, but there were gorgeous paintings of beautiful nature views. The floor was polished wood, gleaming under your sandals as you slowly walked further into the room. You also spotted the small piano, it's dark wood catching the soft light around it.

Finally, you spotted your host sitting in a shadowy corner of the room in a huge leather chair.  He sat there so still that it startled you a little at first. It took you only a second to understand why. Your host's face... It was horribly disfigured. Swollen and misshapen, covered with bulbous areas beneath his skin. His hands were normal, telling you he probably wasn't that old. He was dressed nicely in slacks and a black dress shirt, looking ready to curl in on himself under your scrutiny.

Only one eye was really open, the other buried in the odd landscape of his face, and it was blue. That one-eyed gaze was fixed on you and you instantly read the fear and anxiety there. 

The poor man. Was it Proteus Syndrome? Or something else?

Instantly, you smiled. Years of seeing all sorts of animal injuries and conditions had you switching into the same objective mode you used at work and school. You noticed a chair sitting off to his left by a beautiful, large window. It was oddly placed several feet from him, but you understood why. You wanted him to feel comfortable with you.

"Thank you for agreeing to speak with me," you said in a tone you would have used with anyone else. Motioning toward the other chair, you asked, "May I?"

"Of course," he said, that fearful gaze on you as you took a seat. "I'm Edward. Thank you for coming out. I appreciate your... kindness."

With a nod, you told him your name, maintaining eye contact as you took a seat. 

"So, your ad mentioned needing help with shopping and small errands," you said, realizing why now.  "What are you looking for there?"

"Not a lot," Edward replied. "As you can imagine, going out can be difficult for me at times. My condition is called neurofibromatosis. I've always had it so I'm used to people's reactions. It's just, the older I get, the more I just... You'd think I'd be used to it by now."

Your heart cracked a little in your chest. You couldn't begin to imagine what life had been like for the man before you. What did you say to that?

"And forgive me, but," Edward paused for a beat. "You're just so lovely."

Saying "thank you" didn't feel right. You certainly didn't see yourself that way so you waited for the uncomfortable silence to pass.

"I'd like a weekly grocery run," he explained. "During spring, I'd like someone who could run to the garden center for me to get supplies. That would be quite a few trips actually. I enjoy gardening. It's a place of peace for me."

That had you smiling. Everything around you, the home, the landscape outside, looked gorgeous. Maybe his condition had condemned him to a life in the shadows because of his appearance. But it sounded like he enjoyed making his environment beautiful and it really was. You found that inspiring.

"It's a little dark outside," you said. "But the flower beds around the porch are gorgeous. I bet they're even more beautiful by day."

Slowly, he nodded. "Thank you."

"That's mostly it," Edward finished. "I might ask for take out once in a while. Not often. I'll make sure you have plenty of money to get everything on my list and whatever you might want for yourself."

None of that sounded like a problem at all for you. It was incredibly generous.

"You'd mentioned you were taking a gap year from college," he said. "How old are you? If you don't mind my asking."

"I'm turning twenty-nine soon," you said. 

Edward nodded, seeming to consider this. "How long do you plan to be here?"

"Oh, a while I'd think," you explained. "I'm about three months into my gap year right now. I'm going to the vet-med college. I still have two or three more years to get my DVM."

"The goal is to be a veterinarian?" he asked.

"It is," you told him. "I really love the hospital where I work now. I'm kind of hoping once I finish my degree that maybe I can stay and work there."

"So you're planning to live here," it wasn't a question, "instead of just passing through."

"I'm hoping to, yes," you said. "I work there full-time as a vet tech. I'm there by six in the morning and I get out around four. Most days. Some days we have last miute emergencies that keep us longer but it's not often. Maybe a couple of times a month. It shouldn't interefere with getting you what you need when you need it. If I get the accomodations that is."

Edward nodded, seemingly considering your words.

"Do you have any pets?" you asked him.

"Not at the moment, no."

That was a shame. The love of a pet could be good for someone like him. 

"If you ever decide you'd like to adopt a dog or cat, let me know. We work closely with the county shelter and a few different rescue leagues. There are a lot of pets in need of good homes."

"I'll keep that in mind," Edward said.

You nodded, feeling a little awkward. You felt like he was smiling. There was no way to know for sure because his face...

"My offer is this," Edward said, pulling you out of your thoughts. "You live here. Like the ad said, you get a bedroom, living room, and full bath. They are very spacious rooms. The kitchen is here on the ground floor and it should be equipped with anything you need. The laundry is in the basement. Washer, dryer, ironing station."

An ironing station? That had you smiling.

Thinking about room in this house, you felt a small spark of excitement growing. Not yet. You didn't know how much he was going to ask for rent. You could just hope that if you were willing to run errands and shop for him, he'd take the price down a little. His house was incredible.

"You run errands for me, help me when I need you, and do the shopping," he went on. "We'll call it even."

What?

"Even?" you asked.

"I don't need your money," Edward said. "I have enough for a couple of lifetimes. My father left me quite an inheritance."

From the looks of everything around you, that appeared to be true. But you could stay for free?

You knew your confusion had to be showing on your face. Edward made a rough sound. Was it a chuckle?

"I have a couple more rules," he said after a moment. 

"Of course," you said, still waiting for the punch line. This man didn't know anything about you and he was just going to let you live in his old-fashioned mansion for free? Just for running his errands and getting his groceries?

"I enjoy a peaceful life here," Edward said. "No loud television or music."

That wasn't an issue. You enjoyed peace yourself. You nodded.

"I don't mind if you have deliveries here," he went on. "But no visitors."

No one at all? That wasn't a huge problem. Still, there was your sister Monica, her husband and your nephew Lucas. They stayed so busy with work and Lucas's little league games that a visit wasn't something you had to worry about right away. But if they wanted to visit? Were you were supposed to just meet them in town?

"Does that pose a problem?" Edward asked, his gaze with that one blue eye intent on you. "Is there a boyfriend?"

"No," you said instantly. Dating was hard these days with an endless array of guys on dating apps looking for Miss Right Now and tasteful nudes. You weren't into one-night stands. You were hoping one day to find someone to be friends first because friendship was the foundation of every great relationship you'd ever witnessed. With the right person, intimacy and love came later, building a beautiful life on top of that all-important foundation. That was what you wanted. And you weren't in a big hurry. Not right now while you were still in school, building an occupation and a life for yourself.

Was that a hint of surprise in that single blue eye?

"No?"

"No," you repeated. You didn't elaborate. You didn't know Edward but for some reason, you sensed that your relationship - or lack thereof - was important to him. 

Edward studied you for a long moment. "I'm surprised."

Okay, you were a little uncomfortable being put on the spot about your personal life. You were looking for a place to live for a while. That usually involved signing a lease and a credit check. But this?

"I've been busy between school and work for a while now," you explained awkwardly. 

"You're beautiful," Edward was blunt. "That's why I was surprised."

Beautiful? 

You blew out an exhale. See? He was just being kind.

"Do you accept the offer?" he asked.

Wouldn't you be stupid to refuse him? Free rent would help you put back money for school that much faster. If you wanted to see your sister, you could go visit her. If you did meet someone? Well, you could evaluate your situation then.

"Yes," you told him. "Thank you... Is there an agreement or lease or something you want me to sign?"

"There will be," he said. "I'll have my attorney put it together for us."

Just like that, huh? No one else was competing with you for this?

"When can I expect you to move in?" Edward asked. 

"Well, I only have two weeks left," you explained. "I don't have a lot so I should be able to get everything packed up this week. I could maybe move in this weekend. If that's okay with you?"

"That sounds perfect," he said in his strangely distorted voice. 

"Would you like for me to run errands or shop for you this week?" you asked, grateful for the offer he made you. He was lonely man and you understood that. Compassion for a beautiful place to stay sounded like a good deal to you. 

"No." You sensed he was smiling again. "Make your preparations. You can move in this weekend and we'll sign the agreement then."

"Thank you," you told him. "I really appreciate this."

"I'm hoping this situation is one we will find mutually beneficial," Edward said softly. 

You nodded, rising to leave. Smoothing the skirt of your dress as you stood, you felt his gaze on you. Again, that sense of foreboding hit you. But why? Edward didn't feel like a threat to you. He was a lonely man looking for companionship maybe, some help in getting the things he needed.

"I'll call Friday," you told him, "to arrange a time for this weekend."

Edward shook his head. "No need. Come anytime you want this weekend."

"Thank you," you said, ready to go. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

You turned to leave, the piano catching your eye as you approached it. That had you turning back.

"You were playing the piano earlier," you said.

Edward nodded.

"Your playing was beautiful," you admitted.

Some emotion flashed in his eye. It was a little frustrating because you really couldn't read his expressions. You only had intuition to go on. But you sensed that you pleased him.

"Thank you," he said, adding your name. "Be careful on your way back to your apartment."

Nodding, you turned back to make your exit. When you walked out the door of Edward's mansion, you felt the cool night air wash over you. It was darker now but the moon was bright overhead. It lit the way back to your SUV. The night was gentle, peaceful when you climbed back into the driver's seat and started the engine. 

With one last look, your gaze roamed over what was going to be your new home. A beautiful old house and a gorgeous southern landscape. Free rent all for being quiet and getting whatever your new landlord needed. 

It was more than you could have hoped for.

You didn't notice Edward standing in the window, watching you leave. 

[exuberantocean]

Spearhead from Space

I've never seen Three's run straight through (actually never saw any of the Old Who Doctor's serials in order) and I decided to watch them in order. I've seen several of Three's but not all of Three's.

I have seen Spearhead from Space before, but I've forgotten just how batshit crazy the whump is in this episode.

We start with Three swooning out of the Tardis and faceplanting into the local vegetation.

Which is followed by a ride to the the local hospital.

Of course all the test come back weird and the Doctor's doctor slowly realizes his patient isn't human. Dude actually says something like "I don't know if this makes me a doctor or a veterinary, all I know is that it's my job to heal him!" to the blood lab people. I do have to admit, he handles having an alien patient aplomb though.

The Doctor then goes in and out of consciousness for a while. When he is awake, he obsessive over his shoes (because he has a Tardis key in it).

The Brigadier comes in and has an entire conversation at the foot of the Doctor's bed, but despite only being six feet away at the most, fails to realize the Doctor looks different until he walks over. I think he should get his eyes check.

I still think Tennant wins the prize for sleeping through his first story the most, but Pertwee is a close second.

He gets his shoes! He gets his Tardis key! He gets kidnapped!

He gets shot in the head!

...and that's just the first episode of this serial.

[tangledinink]

i dont usually wear pajamas, i just wear whatever i wore that day to bed. on the rare occasion that i do decide to put on pajamas, however, they're not actually pajamas but rather hospital scrubs that i stole from a local VCA veterinary clinic.

[petspeopletogether]

From @jaglever ⁣on Insta: As many of you know, my dogs are my family. I wanted to show them just how much I love them by making a barkuterie board with their favorite treats!⠀

It’s so important that pets are always connected with their families. Whether you’re a pet owner or an animal lover, there are steps we can all take to keep pets and people together:⠀

🐾 Reunite: In New York, I’ve seen so many dogs escape their harness and it truly feels like my mission is to help out. I’ve helped friends find lost dogs by posting online and scouring the streets. If you find a lost pet, other helpful tips include checking for ID tags or microchips and knocking on doors nearby where the pet was found.⠀

🐾 Donate: There are many community organizations that could use some help. Consider donating pet food to local human food pantries so a family with a pet can receive full assistance for the whole family. Pet groomers, pet hospitals, and local veterinary clinics may also accept donations to help those who need assistance in caring for their pet.⠀

🐾 Short-Term Fostering: Fostering is also a great way to help a pet and studies from the APA show that 86% of people see a positive impact on their mental health when having a pet. I can truly vouch for that! Fostering doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment either. Sometimes a pet just needs temporary care from someone in their community while their owner travels, recovers from being sick, and/or is hospitalized.⠀

I got Finn as an emotional support animal when I suddenly lost my brother. He means the world to me. According to the APA, 69% of pets owners said their pets help reduce stress and anxiety, and offer companionship. The bond that we can have with our pets is truly something amazing, and it’s also why it’s so important to keep people and their pets together.⠀

I encourage all of you to #BeAHelper with me! For more information, check out the link in my bio or visit PetsandPeopleTogether.org.⠀

Have you ever helped reunite a pet with their family? I’d love to hear your stories and experiences 💕⠀

[concordveterinaryhospital]

Are you looking for the best vet hospital nearby?

Concord Veterinary Hospital is your trusted local veterinary hospital in Concord. Located in the Inner West of Sydney, Concord Veterinary Hospital is conveniently located between Strathfield and Concord West.

In addition to annual checkups, consultations, and vaccinations, we also provide a full variety of veterinary services, including dentistry, ophthalmology, digital imaging, ultrasound, and a fully functional hospital. Our skilled veterinary nurses and seasoned team of compassionate veterinarians are here to take care of the four-legged members of your family.

Why not look online to find a vet hospital near you that offers the best in patient care and, of course, the most affordable prices? Concord Veterinary Hospital offers many services for your pet, including routine checkups, tests, surgery, and more, depending on the severity of your pet's condition. It's important to find a vet hospital that will give your pet the utmost care and the best chance for a full recovery. You can find a vet hospital near you by looking online at Google or Yahoo, or by calling your local veterinary hospital in Sydney. You can ask friends, family, and neighbours for recommendations, too.

A pet is a member of the family and should be treated as such. Pets are very dear to us, and anything that happens to them is like a personal loss to us. So, while choosing a vet hospital, you should always keep the best interests of your pet in mind and always keep your pet's health and social well-being in mind. Vet hospitals should have at least the following things.

There are a variety of pet clinics in the area. If you are looking for the best vet hospital nearby, then you should check out Concord Veterinary Hospital. Concord Veterinary Hospital offers a variety of services, including emergency care, surgery, diagnostic testing, digital radiology, ultrasound, therapeutic laser treatments, and many more. Concord Veterinary Hospital has a team of animal wellness experts who are dedicated to providing compassionate care for your pet. The clinic is open around the clock to provide care for your pet at any time.

[cosmereplay]

Happy Fanfic Friday!

I got to thinking about all the fun AUs in this fandom and ended up wanting to do two things: show off the creativity of Stormlight fanficcers, and encourage the authors by letting them know that we care about their work.

So here's a list of 10 unfinished AUs that I found particularly creative and fun. If you have fun reading them, please leave a comment for the author and let them know. It means the world to an author! (Please do not demand an update or shame the author - just let them know what you enjoyed about their story!)

The Art of Motion by The_Great_Deprussian Rated Teen, 27,000 words. Kadolin. Dance AU, High school AU Adolin and Kaladin go to different high schools, and their dance teams are paired together for an upcoming competition. Adolin is ready to put in the work, but Kaladin is having trouble committing, and he won't say why.

The City of Kings and Heroes by SorchaSolas Rated Teen, 5000 words. Superhero AU (Modern with Magic) Kaladin has wings and breaks the law, Shallan can actually shapeshift, and Sylphrena is a human who's just really blue.

Blood Money by Anonymous Rated Teen, 62,000 words. Kaladin/Moash. Cowboy AU Deputy Sheriff Kaladin tries to keep his head above water as his past starts to catch up with him, setting off a series of events that start to unravel the carefully curated history of the town, and baring Kaladin's complicated feelings about a man he lost.

Bridge Boy and Pretty Boy by JoysWordcraft Unrated, 2000 words. Kadolin. Veterinary clinic AU Kaladin was working just another normal shift at his vet clinic when a disheveled blond stranger rushed into his veterinary with a hurt golden retriever. 'Help me,' the stranger said, and Kaladin's peaceful life was no more.

Sunshine in your eyes by elsecaller_muu Rated Teen, 21,000 words. College AU Kaladin thinks it's fine to study constantly and never sleep. Then he meets Adolin, with his curly hair and crop tops and warm smiles, and his life is turned upside down.

Take Your Own Advice by coinshotmisting Rated Teen, 5000 words. Coffee shop AU An introductory look at the world of Kholin State University, and the backgrounds of Adolin, Kaladin, and Shallan as they each approach the same coffee shop. I love the little worldbuilding touches in this!

Soulmate Archive by RydiaAsuka Rated Teen, 30,000 words. Soulmate AU Injuries show up on the bodies of their soulmates. Adolin's life turns upside down when suddenly he gets slave brands, and his body looks like it's beaten every day.

Mature and Explicit fics below the cut:

rooting in your heart by Stormcursed Rated Mature for stark depiction of mental illness, 6000 words. Kadolin. Flower shop AU Kaladin buys flowers for Tien's grave and gets annoyed by the unflappable blond working the counter.

A Brewing Storm by azurehue22 Rated Mature, 5000 words. Kaladin/Tarah; Shadolin. Modern AU Civil unrest starts to spread across Minneapolis. Kaladin sees its effects first hand at the local hospital. Shallan ignores it and tries to stay focused on her art school studies. (Runs parallel to another fic with Mistborn characters, in the same city!)

Transference by presage_bloom Rated Explicit, 2500 words. Shallan/Beryl. Therapy AU Shallan gets in trouble and ends up seeing Dr. Jasnah Kholin for therapy. Meanwhile she's in a D/s relationship with Beryl.

[tauforged]

Hi I gotta ask, how did you get a lab tech job at an aquarium? I am a lab tech in a hospital, and I’m rly not a fan of the environment/people, but it has always been my dream to work at an aquarium. Do you need a specific degree/expertise?

depends on the institution and what lab exactly you’re going for. i personally don’t have any schooling or a degree of any kind (rather, i dropped out of art school after a semester and a half in 2018 LOOOL) but i happen to have several years of hands-on experience as aquatics department head at a pet store beforehand, and years of hobbyist experience before then, and so between that and a passion for the field i caught some attention and got the position. if you’re looking to be in one of the bet labs, i’d say you probably wanna have some degree of veterinary experience, but something like a water quality lab could be a bit more lenient as long as whoever you’re working with is willing to take the time to train you. i’m very lucky that my supervisor is a wonderful person who saw potential in me despite me not having the most impressive qualifications on paper, and i’m eternally grateful that she was willing to hire me on despite me having absolutely 0 lab experience and needing a good amount of guidance and advice for the first month or so before i started getting the hang of things. every situation is different - some places will help pay for relevant schooling if needed, some don’t require schooling at all. i know a lot of places, my own workplace included, are working to make the field more accessible and in the process of establishing more robust outreach programs to really make it less intimidating to get into, so i’d say chances are getting better and better if you’re willing to put yourself out there!

as general advice, i’ll always recommend looking into what sort of volunteering/internship programs your local zoos/aquariums/museums offer!! they can be a good way to get your feet wet and see what it’s like to work in a certain department without immediately diving into a full time job, and i know at my facility were always happy to get the help whenever possible. most of my coworkers either started off as volunteers or interns or transferred from another department at the same place, so it happens a decent amount. while i personally didn’t have the fortitude to stay in the customer service side of things for very long (so much respect for everyone who does. you’re braver than every US marine 🫡) my prior employment ended up being a decent factor as well, since i already knew the building and general goings-on. i say go for it! believe in yourself!! you’ll never know what opportunities are out there unless you look :3

[lacolonia]

No Greater Love

Vaguito goes every day to this beach in Punta Negra, south of Lima, Perú, to await his friend and master, a local fisherman who sailed away to fish but alas will never return. Vaguito stares at the site he last saw his owner heading out to sea.

Since his owner died in a Manila hospital a year ago, the dog Morgan stayed in the vicinity of the building, waiting for the owner who will not return. He has now been rescued by the Animal Kingdom Foundation organization that got him veterinary services and is looking for someone to adopt him.

Cuchufleto was adopted by Gonzalo Cruz, a miner from Rancherías, Coahuila, México, and became close. "Cucho" would accompany Gonzalo to the mine in the morning and look for him in the afternoon if he was late coming home.

On 4 June 2021 the mine collapsed, fatally trapping Gonzalo and six fellow miners. Cucho stood outside the mine for two days until rescue workers pulled out Gonzalo's body June 6.

Cucho has been spotted sniffing and scratching at the surface of the mine, as if expecting Gonzalo to walk out as he did before. He remains at home with Gonzalo's widow, depressed and hardly touching his food.

Hachikō, an Akita Inu, was acquired by Hidesaburō Ueno as a pet. Hachikō would meet Ueno at the Shibuya Station every day after his commute home.

One day Ueno died of a cerebral hemorrhage while at work. For 9 years until his death, Hachikō would return to Shibuya Station every day to await Ueno's return.

There is no greater love than that of a loyal dog for his master.

» La•Colonia Home Page

» Site map

[incoldbloodsblog]

High-Profile Murder Cases of India: What We Know So Far

In India, there have been lots of crime cases that have made headlines in the news and it have also triggered debate across the country. These cases aren’t all about crimes but they’re more about justice, fairness, and the way they are affecting society. From horrific murders to enormous corporate frauds, these events have turned into tragedies that affected and stayed in our country forever. Focusing on what happened behind the curtains, on the judgments, and the consequences that occurred as a result. Hence, now we are on the way through the roller coaster of these thrilling events, that became the focus of the nation’s attention.

https://blog.ipleaders.in/

1. Transsexual burns childhood friend alive in Tamil Nadu

Transsexual burns childhood friend alive in Tamil Nadu On Christmas day, last year, 27-year-old Vetrimaran (born as Pandi Maheswari), burned his childhood friend, R Nandhini alive, suspecting that Nandhini was not romantically interested in him. The incident took place in Chennai's Thazhambur, on Nandhini's birthday eve. Vetrimaran, who underwent a sex reassignment surgery to marry Nandhini, took her out on the pretext of a birthday surprise. Vetrimaran then blindfolded Nandhini, tied her with a chain and slashed her wrist using a blade before setting her ablaze. Locals heard her screams and rushed her to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Vetrimaran confessed to the crime during police interrogation.

https://indianexpress.com/

2. Shraddha Walkar murder case

Shraddha Walkar (27) was murdered by her live-in boyfriend Aaftab Poonawala on May 18, 2022, in Delhi. Aaftab strangled Shraddha over an arguement and dismembered her body into 35 pieces using different kinds of weapons, which he disposed off individually in the Chhatarpur forest. He stored her body parts in a 300-litre fridge. Poonawala was held on November 12 by Delhi police and confessed to the killing during interrogation. The case came to light after about six months, when Shraddha's father filed a missing person's complaint. He demanded capital punishment for Aaftab and a thorough probe against the Poonawala family.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/

3. Hyderabad doctor raped, set ablaze

A 26-yr-old veterinary doctor in Telangana was sexually assaulted, smothered and set ablaze. According to police reports, the victim after parking her two-wheeler, hired a taxi and went to a dermatologist's office. The four accused noticed her while parking and deflated her vehicle's tire in her absence. Upon returning the victim was offered help by the accused who then ambushed her. Three of the accused pushed her into the nearby bushes, poured whiskey into her mouth to put an end to her screams for help, and sexually assaulted her until the victim bled and lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness, she was smothered and her corpse was carried for 27 km. The victim's body was wrapped up in a blanket and set ablaze at 2.30 am on the Hyderabad Outer Ring Road under a bridge using furl. The four accused were killed in a police encounter, at 3.30 am on December 6, 2019.

https://www.indiatoday.in/

4. Nithari serial killings case

The Nithari killings case came to light after the disappearance of several children from Nithari village in Noida and when 8 skeletal remains of kids were found from the drain of Moninder Singh Pandher's house on December 29. Investigations pointed to Moninder and his domestic help Surinder Koli who were arrested. After 60 days of police custody, Koli confessed to luring and murdering the victims. The confession included necrophilia, cannibalism and dismembering of the corpses. The duo was convicted of rape and murder but were acquitted due to lack of evidences.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

5. Tandoor murder case

Naina Sahni, wife of Sushil Sharma, was shot by her husband over suspicion of an extramarital affair on July 2, 1995. Her body was chopped into pieces and stuffed into a tandoor which was managed by Sharma's friend. Smoke from the tandoor attracted police who were patrolling in the area. Sharma was arrested after Naina's half-burnt body parts were found. He was awarded the death sentence, but the Supreme Court commuted it to life imprisonment. Sharma was released from prison after 23 years.

https://theprint.in/

6. Sheena bora murder case

Sheena Bora (24) was allegedly strangled in a car by Indrani Mukherjee, her then-driver Shyamvar Rai, and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna in April 2012. Sheena's body was later found burnt in a forest in Raigad district. Financial disputes as well as Indrani's opposition to Sheena's relationship was the motive for the killing. The crime came to light 3 years later when Shyamvar was arrested in another case and turned approver in the Sheena Bora murder case which led to Indrani's arrest. The CBI convicted Indrani but the Supreme Court granted her bail citing that she had already been in custody for six-and-a-half years.

https://www.thehindu.com/

7. Sanjay & Geeta Chopra murder case

Siblings Geeta Chopra (16) and Sanjay Chopra (14) were kidnapped and murdered in 1978 in New Delhi while they were on their way to the All India Radio (AIR) office to participate in a programme called 'Yuvavani'. Kuljeet Singh (alias Ranga Khus) and Jasbir Singh (alias Billa) were convicted for the crime. They abducted the siblings for ransom, on the pretext of giving them a ride to their destination, but later killed them upon knowing that their father was a naval officer. They first killed Sanjay, then raped and killed Geeta. Ranga and Billa were sentenced to death and were executed on January 31, 1982. The body of the siblings were found in advanced stage of decomposition and so the evidence of sexual assault could not be gathered. However, forensic evidence such as hair, fingerprints, and bloodstains were found. The siblings were awarded the Kirti Chakra on April 5, 1981, and two bravery awards 'Sanjay Chopra Award' and 'Geeta Chopra Award' were instituted in their honour.

https://www.ndtv.com/

8. Delhi biryani murder case

A video of a 16-year-old boy stabbing another boy in Delhi's Welcome colony went viral on social media. The allegedly drunk 16-yr-old stabbed the victim 55 times with a knife. According to the Delhi police the victim was attacked over money for biryani. The perpetrator had asked money from the teen who refused. The accused strangled the victim and killed him by stabbing him in the face, neck and below the eyes. CCTV footage showed that the perpetrator, in an inebriated state, dancing around the dead body. He was arrested immediately by the Delhi police.

https://indianexpress.com/

Conclusion

Criminal cases not only reveal the darker side of society but also shed light on the complexities of human behavior, justice, and law enforcement. As these stories unfold, they remind us of the ongoing fight for truth and accountability. Each case is a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance, social responsibility, and the role of the legal system in ensuring justice. By staying informed and engaged, we contribute to a society where crime is confronted, and justice prevails.

Sources:

www.hindustantimes.com

www.britannica.com

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - March 22-28

Like these weekly compilations? Support me on Ko-fi! Also, if you tip me on here or Ko-fi, at the end of the month I’ll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn’t use each week - almost double the content! (I’m new to taking tips on here; if it doesn’t show me your username or if you have DM’s turned off, please send me a screenshot of your payment)

1. Scimitar-horned Oryx: A Story of Global Conservation Success

“Eight years following the first reintroductions of the species in a protected range in Chad, the species has been downlisted to ‘Endangered’ [an improvement from “extinct in the wild”] in the most recent IUCN Red List update.”

2. Thailand moves closer to legalising same-sex marriage

“Under the law, it describes a marriage union as one between two individuals, rather than a man and a woman. It will give LGBTQ+ couples the ability to adopt, have equal access to marital tax savings, rights to property and the ability to decide medical treatment when their partner is incapacitated.”

3. Juvenile platypus found in NSW: a sign of breeding success

“A baby platypus was discovered in the Royal National Park less than a year after 10 were reintroduced to the area, marking the end of a half-century local extinction. […] “Finding the juvenile platypus is a clear sign the reintroduced population is not just surviving but thriving, adapting well to their environment, and contributing to the genetic diversity and resilience of this iconic species.””

4. New Laws Protect Bird-Friendly Yards From Neighborhood Rules

“A blossoming legislative trend prevents homeowners associations, which set landscaping rules for a growing number of Americans, from forbidding native plants.”

5. Bookstores Around The World Are Flourishing Again

“[I]t’s not just the major chains like Barnes & Noble that are flourishing, as the US book sales market continues to both grow and diversify, the majority of the retail book market is controlled by small indie stores.”

6. 'Like a luxury condominium': Providence zoo unveils new red panda habitat

“"Kendji and Zan's new home boasts a spacious two-story, climate-controlled indoor space designed to mimic their natural Himalayan habitat," the zoo said in a news release. "This ensures their well-being regardless of fluctuating Rhode Island temperatures and humidity."”

7. The first CULTIVATE Mobile Research Lab on food sharing in Barcelona

“[Volunteers] engaged in growing, cooking and eating food together, and redistributing surplus food, as well as other actors involved in food sharing and sustainable food systems in Barcelona and its surroundings.”

8. New Methane Rule Will Reduce Natural Gas Waste, Generate Money for Taxpayers, Help Address Climate Change

“The Bureau of Land Management’s final rule on reducing methane waste from oil and gas production on public lands will conserve critical energy resources, with the added benefit of decreasing toxic pollution [….] The rule will benefit wildlife, public lands, water resources, and nearby communities. By requiring royalties for wasted methane, the rule will also generate more than $50 million each year for American taxpayers.”

9. 'Exceptional' Two-Headed Snake Undergoes Surgery in Missouri

“Tiger-Lily's [the snake’s] abnormal ovaries were then removed during surgery at the Saint Louis Zoo Endangered Species Research Center and Veterinary Hospital on March 11. The procedure went smoothly, with her ovaries being successfully removed, and the snake is recovering well.”

10. Aruba Embraces the Rights of Nature and a Human Right to a Clean Environment

“A draft constitutional amendment would make the Carribean nation the second country in the world to recognize that nature has the right to exist.”

March 15-21 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)