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[wishesunderthestars]

Eunoia // Ch. 12

eunoia (noun): beautiful thinking, the possession of a well-balanced mind, which exhibits goodwill and kindness

Pairings: Hybrid! BTS x reader

Summary: You are a world famous director and you have dedicated your life to your job.You have everything you could ever dream of; wealth, recognition, talent, your friends and family. But loneliness ins’t cured by success. So what happens when you somehow rescue seven hybrids? Can they fill the void?

Genre: Angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, eventual smut

Word Count: 18.1k+

Warnings: Abuse and violence, mentions of past sexual abuse, mentions of putting down hybrids, discussion of insomnia caused by a traumatic event, panic attacks, derogetory language

Masterlist

Chapter 1, Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11

Phew, that was long one. Please comment and reblog it really motivates me to keep writing. And I always love receiving asks so don’t be shy ;)

"I can't believe this is happening! Why can't I receive good news for once?" After the initial shock, you were fuming. "Work of months has been destroyed and for what? Because someone decided not to take the proper safety measures to save some money. People could have been hurt in there! Seriously hurt. And it would have been on our heads!"  

Namjoon was holding your phone, the email you had received opened on the screen. "You didn't know they hadn't taken the necessary precautions. It wouldn't have been on your head."  

"Can you imagine what would have happened if we had been filming? If the actors and the crew were inside and the building collapsed on us?" The chair scraped against the floor as you raised to your feet. You couldn't stay sitting anymore. "I don't even want to think about that. How many people... If we would even get out of there alive. And it isn't only us. What if the earthquake hadn't hit at night? And the workers were still inside? What then? This is wrong on so many levels I can't even begin to count."  

Five point six Richter. That was the magnitude of the earthquake that had hit Virginia. It had been felt in Washington. They said it had affected a radius of two hundred kilometers around the center of the earthquake. No one had expected it and no one had been prepared. In the email there was a detailed description of how the earthquake had caused the sets for The Raven Cycle to collapse in on themselves, because the respective protection measures hadn't been taken. The earthquake had hit at night, waking up everyone in the area and causing panic as people flooded the streets. They had discovered the ruined sets in the morning.  

Protection measures were of utmost important in every environment and you were baffled that a film studio with such prestige would disregard them so easily. You had half a mind to storm into the building you had just returned from and make a scene in front of everyone. They had put everyone in danger, not only the actors and the crew and all the people working there but also the passersby who could have had metal rods falling on their heads.  

How could they allow this? How could they be so careless? It wasn't a building made for only a couple of days of use with light materials. Filming would take place there for the better part of the summer. In a few months you would have been there. You could have been there.  

"And now you have to leave?" Namjoon asked, jaw tense. "Can't you wait a few days and go later?" You knew what he was thinking. You didn't want to leave either. It was the worst time possible for you to leave. The two hybrids in the guestroom, the injuries you had to tend to, Jimin and Jungkook, Jimin's past. But it wasn't your decision to make.  

"I can't, they have already planned the whole trip. It isn't like I have a choice. The message is clear, I will be flying to Virginia in two days. As the director and showrunner, I have to be there. They have called everyone important in the project and I am one of the lucky ones. And it isn't like I can refuse unless I have a very important reason. And I can't exactly tell them I am nursing to health a stray hybrid until he and his friend can live on their own again, instead of reporting them to the hybrid services."  

Namjoon's face scrunched up at the mention of the services. They were anything but kind to hybrids. They thought they could do anything to them if they were strays before they had to give them to a center. The times he and his small pack had to run away from them weren't few. It disgusted you, the way some people behaved.  

You landed back on your chair with a huff, tired of pacing. Namjoon must have got a headache from the way his eyes were following you. "This is just what I didn't need. I thought we wouldn't have to go to Virginia until summer!"  

You felt like banging your head on the wall but you settled for laying you head on the desk. It collided with a dull thud.  

It wasn't only the destroyed set and what that meant for the show. Slowing down of the production, a larger budget needed (oh, the irony) and the bad press you would get if it got out.

People in the area must have suffered. Flashes of collapsed buildings, shattered windows and  cracks in the streets ran through your mind. No, it couldn't be that bad. You prayed it wasn't that bad.  

Namjoon frowned. "What are you supposed to do there? You aren't going to help rebuild the sets. What do they need you for?" You could see the worry in his eyes. His instincts calling him to protect you, to not let you leave. You appreciated the fact he was fighting it.  

With your cheek squished against the desk you said, "No, I'm not going to rebuild the sets, but they need me there nonetheless. There is a legal part of this whole thing I have to be there for. And me being there might help the ones doing the rebuilding."  

Namjoon sighed, giving up on trying to keep you here. "Will John come with you?"  

"Most likely," you said, raising your head from the desk and sitting back on the chair. Your back hurt from the awkward angle you had bent your body in. "I will ask him but I'm pretty sure he will say yes. He always comes with me when I'm working out of California. He has toured half of the world being my bodyguard. And this time.... This time I don't think he would let me go without him."  

 "It seems you do tend to travel a lot," Namjoon noted. There wasn't any judgment or disdain in his voice, he was simply stating a fact. If anything he looked at the cream and gold world globe on your desk with longing. He had told you he had never left California, created and bred in Los Angeles. You didn't like how he said "created" but you couldn't correct him. "It must be nice seeing all those places."  

 The gold of the globe caught the light, distorted figures moving on the polished surface. "It's nice when it's properly planned and when I actually want to go. And there aren't any natural disasters involved. I can't say that's true this time. It's the furthest it could be from the truth." You groaned. "What am I going to do now? I can't leave like this. There are so many things going on."  

 Namjoon was too close to what he looked like talking to you about the ending of the Book Thief. "How long will you be gone?"  

 "A week?" The email didn't specify. A week was how long most work trips that didn't include filming lasted, but this wasn't a normal work trip. This had never happened to you or to anyone you knew before. You had heard of disasters but nothing like this.  

 Your fingers had subconsciously started drumming a tune on the desk. A tune that had comforted you once. A tune he used to hum long before he turned it into a song. You stilled your hand.  

 An earthquake. Five point six Richter. Shaking buildings, rattling shelves, trembling chandeliers, cupboards opening and dishes and glasses falling to the floor. The kind of thing you see on the TV. The kind of thing you don't ever expect to witness. No one expects a disaster like that to strike out of the blue, but that's the way it is. There is no one to warn you, no one who can.  

 You didn't go to dinner. You told Namjoon not to wait for you, you would eat later. Climbing down the stairs, you stopped in front of the door and knocked. The reply was the same and Yoongi opened the door like every time.  

Every room had a medical kit in the bathroom, the one in this had to be restocked twice in the past few days.  

 Hoseok gave you a small smile and extended his broken arm. Sitting on the edge of the bed, you started telling him of the time you had spent in the Caribbean Sea. You had stayed there for a few months and had spent most of that time in Jamaica and Puerto Rico. The sandy beaches, the endless turquoise sea and the colorful houses didn't fail to bring a smile to your face. The people had been welcoming and kind, eager to help with any problems production faced. They invited you to nights full of dancing and music and included you in everything like you belonged there.  

 The movie you had filmed wasn't one of your biggest hits. It wasn't nominated for an Oscar and although it did earn much recognition and was played at multiple international film festivals, it wasn't as successful as your other films. But it was the most fun you had had filming. The actors were incredible both at their job and out of it. You had spent some of the best nights of your life there.  

 As you fastened the splint in place around Hoseok's arm, you told him of the night they had lit large bonfires along the beach and all the people in the area had gathered around to have a few drinks and dance. Your mind, however, wasn't on the story. A fractured arm and a rib wasn't something you should be treating at home. It didn't matter how many first aid classes you had attended, a lot of things could go wrong. But it was either this or nothing. When you had suggested taking Hoseok to the hospital, Yoongi had almost bitten your head off.  

Hoseok was laying back against the pillows with his eyes clothes when you were done. He was doing better. Having regular meals and being able to wash made the improvement more evident. He didn't complain when you were treating him but you could see his eyes clenching shut when you were applying salve to the most tender spots. The stories helped. They distracted him and you could work easier. He rarely spoke but lately he had been brave enough to voice any questions he had and you had readily answered him. Progress. Progress you hoped wouldn't halt now.  

"This is it for today," you said, rubbing your hands together and getting up. "In a few days you won't have any trouble moving around on your own. Not anything too strenuous, though, no running or jumping around."  

"Thank you." Hoseok spoke softly, like being any louder would break an unspoken rule. Like it would get him punished.  

Yoongi was sitting on the chaise lounge by the glass wall, facing away from you. The fire pits were lit all the way along the balconies, flames licking up the darkness of the night. He didn't look at you while you were there, only stealing glances when he thought you weren't looking. When his eyes met yours he would scowl and look away.  

"There is something I wanted to tell you," you started. You didn't know how else to say it so you jumped in head first. "I was called to Virginia for work. I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow." Yoongi's back stiffened, his tail stilling in the air. Hoseok's eyes turned impossibly wide. "I don't know yet how long I will stay there but it will be some time before I can come back. I thought you should know because I won't be able to treat you."  

Yoongi huffed. "Who will be our caretaker then?"  

You paused by the door. "Do you think you need one?"  

"Is this a joke?" Yoongi's fists clenched. There was no blood on them anymore.  

It wasn’t a secret that hybrids were treated like pets, that included having someone babysit them when the owner was gone. You had been through it before when you had left for New York shortly after you had adopted Namjoon, Jimin and Jungkook. Everyone had expected you to ask someone to take care of them. You hadn’t. They could take care of themselves and each other just fine.

It was the same now.

“If you think you need a caretaker I can hire one for you, but I doubt you do,” you said. “I think you can survive in the Castle without me for a few days. If I’m gone for longer than a week, Helen my housekeeper will come over to do some cleaning. She usually comes over a few times a week. And the gardener comes by quite often. ”  

Yoongi looked stunned but schooled his features quickly. Hoseok’s ears were pinned against his head. You closed the door behind you.

Why did your work’s timing had to always be that bad?

An earthquake. A fucking earthquake.

In the kitchen, the table was served. The mouthwatering smell of the food drifted in the air. Jimin, Namjoon and Jin were sitting around the table, Jungkook absent once again. No one had touched their plates.  

“You didn’t have to wait for me,” you said taking your seat. Your plate was filled with a generous slice of meat pie and fresh salad. Your stomach grumbled. You hadn’t noticed you were that hungry.

“We wanted to wait for you.” Jimin’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, it hadn’t since the day he had come running to you, begging you to take him with you to work. Jungkook spent most of his time at the atelier and he slept in Jin’s room at night. Every time he didn’t show up for meals, the light in Jimin’s eyes dimmed further.

You picked up your fork and knife and cut into the pie. The taste was heavenly, not that you had expected anything else from Jin. You told him so and delighted in the way he got flushed and tried to cover it by a terrible joke he must have come up with on the spot. While you ate, you didn’t speak much, thinking about the best way to bring up the news crawling up your throat. Namjoon squeezed your hand under the table.

When your plates were empty and Jimin was laying his head on Jin’s shoulder, you decided it was time. You put your fork aside. You started by the email, the email that had looked so inconspicuous at first because you received emails like that all the time. An email labeled “important” was often not as important as the people sending it thought it was. You couldn’t have guessed what it contained inside. You hadn’t been prepared.

Your leg was moving up and down on the metal foothold of the stool, mimicking your racing heartbeat. An earthquake had struck Virginia at night. You repeated the dry words of the email, of someone who hadn’t felt the terror of the earth shaking underneath their feet. Five point six Richter, strong enough to knock down the sets they had been building for months. You were required to be there in two days.  

Jimin’s bottom lip was trembling. “How long will you stay?”

You shook your head. It was the same question you were asking and had no answers for. Even if you called someone in the company they wouldn’t have anything but speculations for you. “I hope no more than a week.”

“Isn’t it dangerous?” Jin asked. “What if there are aftershocks, or if it was a warning for a larger one coming?”

Jin’s question brought an dreadful shine to Jimin’s eyes. You had thought of that as well but your mind was troubled already as it was. Questions of your safety would take this too far. For once, you didn’t trust the company you were working with to keep you safe. You would have to do research before you left and take all the necessary precautions. You wouldn’t risk it like they had.

Namjoon wrapped his hand around his glass but didn’t bring it to his lips. “John will be with her. They will be alright.” It didn’t calm down Jimin who hugged himself tightly, dropping his head to his chest.

You couldn’t watch him suffering anymore. Getting up, you walked to him and hugged his from behind, prying his hands away so they were over yours instead. “I promise I’ll call you every day and we will text. It’s like when I was in New York and you texted me every day about what you got up to and what you were thinking. Your texts made me forget all about work and how tired I was.” Jimin sniffled but his cheeks remained dry. “It’s only a few days. They’ll be over soon. You won’t be alone here.”

Jin ruffled Jimin’s hair and the cat hybrid wrapped one arm around the oldest, pulling him into the hug. You placed a kiss on both their head, making Jin flush again. He wasn’t used to physical attention the way Jimin was but he craved it too and you were trying to make sure he felt as loved as he was.  

Namjoon held Jimin while you and Jin cleaned the table. He grabbed Jimin’s thighs lifting him up and carried him to the living room. The younger laughed all the way there, telling him to put him down. His tight hold around Namjoon’s neck told him a very different thing.

But you weren’t done yet. You had one more person to tell.

The atelier’s door was half open. You knocked once on the wood before opening it all the way. The room could be described as an organized mess. Two canvases were set up in the middle of the room and three half-finished ones stood against the cabinets. The floor was covered in newspapers splattered with all the colors of the rainbow and paint tubes were lined on the tables in no particular order.  

“I finished dinner, you can take it,” he said, gesturing to the tray on one of the tables with the hand not holding a brush.

“That isn’t why I’m here.” One of his ears perked up as you walked closer. The canvas he was working on now was a blend of shades of purple, orange and yellow with no definitive details. “What are you painting.”

He shrugged. “Don’t know yet.” Moving forward with no destination. You knew how that felt.

Jungkook hadn’t distanced himself just from Jimin but from everyone. He didn’t run to you to hug you and scent you when you came back like he used to do. He didn’t come up to the living room to watch TV and talk until you were too exhausted to keep your eyes open. He didn’t show you his progress on the paintings. He didn’t annoy Jin while he cooked (the oldest liked it even if complained). He didn’t come to meals. Meals were family time.

Being in the atelier now was different to any other time. It was the stifling feeling of an empty page, which used to be ecstasy. It was wrong, something missing.

“I have to leave for Virginia the day after tomorrow,” you said, ripping the band-aid off. The times you had said it today were too many. Surprised doe eyes turned to you. You explained the story once again and waited.

Jungkook seemed to be bracing himself for something. “Can you take me with you?”

“Take you with me?” you repeated, dumbfounded.  

He nodded. The brush he had been holding had fallen to the floor at some point painting the newspapers in a shock of deep purple. Neither of you had noticed. “I won’t bother you. I’ll listen to everything you say. You can leave me at the hotel. I won’t cause any trouble, no one will know I’m there.” He lowered his head. “I need to be away from here.”  

“Jungkook…” Your hand touched his cheek and you felt the way he clenched his jaw under the touch. “If this is-”

“Don’t,” he begged, pulling away. A pained desperation coloring his voice. “You don’t know what I did. If you did-” He took a sharp breath. “Can I come with you? Please.”

Stifling. You hadn’t considered taking any of the hybrids with you now. You had planned on inviting them along when you would go there for filming, a much more fun part of your job. This would be a busy trip and most likely far from enjoyable. It could be dangerous. But Jungkook’s eyes were begging you. He was fading away locked up in the atelier avoiding everyone.  

“Okay. If you really want to, you can come with me. I’ll help you pack the essentials,” you said. Jungkook visibly relaxed. Maybe you should have pressed more. Insisted on him speaking with Jimin before you left or after you came back. But you were exhausted and a headache was brewing behind your temples.  

Jungkook glanced at a canvas covered with a white sheet at a corner. You’d let it go for now.

When Jimin sneaked into your room late into the night, you didn’t say anything pulling up the covers in a silent invitation. Jimin crawled underneath and hid in your arms. Against every expectation you fell asleep. Orange bottle untouched in the bathroom cabinet.

The days leading up to your departure were every kind of hectic. Panic had taken over the studios and the atmosphere was tense in every meeting. No one wanted to admit the colossal mistake that could have cost the lives of so many people. The press was another matter entirely. The project could get a bad reputation before it was aired. It was emotionally exhausting, your brain working in overdrive, coming up with solutions to problems that may or may not arise. You had to be prepared for the worst.

At home it wasn’t much better. You had started packing for the weird end-of-spring weather in Virginia. The Raven Cycle books and a little research had provided you with enough information about what to expect. Dry, warm and with a possibility of thunderstorms. It could also get cold at night so you made sure to pack a few sweatshirts.  

You helped Jungkook pack his things in a similar way. He had a habit of wearing long sleeves even when it was hot so you packed a few more sweatshirts and hoodies for him. He continued not talking much but he looked calmer now that you were leaving. All you wanted to do was hug him and tell him everything was going to be alright. But you didn’t think that would be welcome.

Jimin had timidly offered to take care of Hoseok’s injuries while you were gone. You hesitated at first. While they had been here Jimin and Yoongi hadn’t interacted much. You had expected they would talk, figure out the strange tension between them, but they had kept to themselves. You gave in in the end. The worst had come and passed and you trusted Jimin to provide the basic care Hoseok needed.  

He came with you to their room before dinner and you explained to him what you were doing. Hoseok was a little more withdrawn than usual but  he didn’t protest, smiling at Jimin.

You had a long talk with Namjoon in your office the night before the day you were scheduled to leave. There were a lot of things to talk about and you tried to get everything out. All your worries and all the things you thought he should know. When you were spent and his reassurances were buried deep in your chest, he brought you close to him, rubbing his face in your neck. He places light kissed on your skin, his lips trailing up until they were touching yours.

The house was silent. You opened your eyes blearily, staring at your phone. The ringing of the alarm had stopped, leaving large numbers reading the time on the screen. The blinds were closed hiding the morning from you.  

There was a weight on your chest. You looked down to find tired eyes staring up at you. Jimin made a small sound in the back of his throat and nuzzled against you. His blond hair was soft against your fingers as you combed through it. A loud purr escaped him as you scratched the base of his cat ears. He held on to you tighter but the alarm was clear, you needed to get up and get ready. You had a flight to catch.

“No, don’t go,” Jimin whined.

You massaged his head down to his neck. “I have to get up. I’ll miss the plane if I’m late.”

In the shadows of the room you could see the pout on his full lips. “What if you miss it?”

“If I miss it, I’ll get in trouble. And I’d rather not get in trouble.” Jimin snuggled closer to you and you could smell the vanilla shampoo he loved. Mia had said in the early days that she had smelt vanilla and muffins on you and you had guessed that was Jimin’s scent. The shampoo must serve to accentuate his natural scent.  

His cat ears lowered as his tail wrapped around your bare leg. You suppressed a shudder at the feeling of the soft fur against your skin. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“I know, that’s why I have to go.” You untangled yourself from the hybrid and pressed the button for the blinds to retreat. The morning light spilled into the room. It caught on Jimin’s curls painting them golden. You had an urge to capture the moment with your camera, the way he looked so soft, hair mussed and eyes still dreaming. Carving the image in your memory, you walked to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for the day.

Getting dressed for a flight was different than getting dressed for any other work day. You liked to wear something comfortable that wouldn’t look too bad on camera. You weren’t the kind of celebrity to get mobbed every time you went out but sometimes paparazzi could get wind of where you were going and show up at the airport. When you were traveling for premieres or events, fans and paparazzi would fill the place.  

The previous night you had set aside a pair of loose black pants and a red top. You would also take your leather jacket with you because it could get chilly on the plane.  

Jimin, wearing his stripped white and blue pajamas with the little pink hearts, clung to you like a koala all the way to breakfast. He only let go of you when you placed your large black bag on the floor and took a seat at the kitchen island. Jin was finishing up with cooking, taking the pots off the stove. Breakfast was almost ready.

John would be coming later to drive you to the airport. The black SUV had turned into a sign you would be traveling. Because of the sheer volume of the luggage you always ended up with, a large car was needed to drive you to and from the airport. This time you had packed two suitcases and your handbag. You had been tempted to fill a sac-voyage as well but you quickly abandoned the thought.  

Namjoon arrived, looking wide awake. The opposite of Jimin and his drooping eyes. Only one was missing. And you weren’t compromising today.

“Jungkook?” you asked. The others exchanged a glance. It told you enough. “I’m going to go get him. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Their gazes followed you as you left. They probably didn’t believe you could get him to come up. And any other day that could have been the case.  

The door of the atelier was closed but you were sure Jungkook was inside. The amount of time he had been spending in there was unhealthy but you were the last person who could judge him, having spent the majority of your so called break in your office. You knocked three times before opening the door.

Jungkook was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, lost in a place that used to scream comfort. Did it still? You couldn’t feel it anymore. The canvases were all in their places and the paints and brushes had been tidied up. Sitting on the paint splattered newspapers in his completely black clothes, Jungkook looked lost.

“We’re having breakfast upstairs,” you said.

Jungkook’s eyes cleared, just enough for most of the fog to disappear. One bunny ear drooped down and he swiped it away from his face. “Can’t Jin bring it to me?”

You shook your head. “Jin isn’t bringing anything to you. You will be coming to breakfast and eat with us like you used to.”

He lowered his head, both ears falling in his face. “I can’t.”

“You very much can and you will.” You tried to be gentle but you were firm on this. “You will come up and we will all eat breakfast together. We are leaving in a few hours for the other side of the United States and I have no idea when we will be back. You aren’t doing anything here and everyone wants to see you and spend some time together.”

“Not everyone.” It was so low he probably hadn’t meant for you to hear.

“Everyone,” you said, kneeling by his side. “Everyone wants to see you.” You brushed his bangs off his face, petting his ears in the process. He didn’t relax the way he usually did, melting in your hands, but he did lean into the touch. “One breakfast. That’s all I’m asking for. You said you’d listen to me if I took you with me to Virginia.”

He couldn’t disagree with that and when you offered him your hand he took it.  

Jungkook and Jimin had had a special bond. That first night you had seen it in the way Jimin cried begging you to help Jungkook, to heal him. You had seen it in the way Jungkook, beat up and having trouble breathing, was asking Jimin if he was injured, if he needed to be treated first and Jimin had cried every time Jungkook flinched but smiled and squeezed his hand to ease the pain. Nothing had changed the longer you spent with them, the way they loved and cared for each other only becoming more apparent.

Jungkook had gone to Namjoon crying, saying he had hurt Jimin but you couldn’t imagine him doing anything but loving him. Misunderstandings preyed on everyone and they were hungry for those who loved each other. They would get through it, you assured yourself. They were strong and they cared too much to continue hurting each other like this. You cared too much too, you wouldn’t let this get out of hand.

They needed a break, that’s what it was. Jungkook had been right, the trip would help put some distance between them to think clearer. You would make sure when you returned they would be ready to face whatever had happened between them.

Jimin lit up at seeing Jungkook but the light dimmed when the younger didn’t even glance his way. You sighed into your orange juice.

After breakfast Jungkook carried up his suitcase while you went to another room. Three knocks and a question of who it was. It had become routine. Hoseok smiled at you, he had been doing that more and more.  

You sat down at the side of the bed, Yoongi watching you from the chaise lounge, his ears standing alert. “I’m just here to check on you one last time before I go. Jimin will take over after this.”

Hoseok was sitting with his back against the headboard. He hadn’t been able to do that without hurting the first days. “When will you be leaving?”

Touching his arm to inspect it, you said, “John will be here in about thirty minutes but the flight isn’t for another two hours. We have to be early at the airport because the process to get on the plane takes a long time. Do you want to hear about the first time I got on a plane? That’s a funny story.”

Hoseok nodded enthusiastically so you started recounting the time you were sixteen and you had to take a plane to get to the film festival that was held in France. The short film you had directed would be played there. The only problem was that you had never been on a plane before and the prospect of flying wasn’t appealing to you in the least. It just happened that the flight was far from calm.

The check up was finished halfway through the story but Hoseok touched your arm, wordlessly asking you to finish it. At your arrival in France Hoseok’s smile dissolved.  

“I have to get going, John will be here soon,” you said getting up. Hoseok had met John only after you had told him of the time both of you had gotten lost in London. John had been insisting he knew what he was doing leading you deeper into the maze of streets. Because of that a few more stories the bodyguard had guest-starred in, the fox hybrid hadn’t looked as terrified as some people did at the side of the giant of a bodyguard.

“Thank you for,” he gestured to himself “this. And the stories. Thank you for the stories.”

You stopped by the door. “It was my pleasure.”

John was at the Castle right on time, parking the SUV close to the front door. He helped you carry everything to the car, which meant he carried the three suitcases while Jungkook insisted he could help. The bunny hybrid did help but only because John took pity on him and let him help with putting the suitcases in the trunk.  

You lowered your sunglasses. No wind and no cloud in sight. You would have a calm trip.  

You hugged all the hybrids, letting them scent you. Jimin’s eyes were growing misty and you hugged him extra hard assuring him you would be back soon. You rubbed your forehead against Jin’s and kissed his cheek in goodbye, his skin warming up under your lips. Goodbyes were hard and you’d thought you’d gotten used to them. Saying goodbye to Taylor and Zayn before tours, to your aunt the rare times you could visit her, to your friends, to the actors and the crew.  

And yet your chest was tight.

Namjoon was talking with John by the car and you heard him asking John to take care of you and Jungkook. John replied he would protect you with his life. John was your bodyguard but this had been more than a job to him for a long time.

From the corner of your eye you saw Jimin approach Jungkook. He reached to touch him, hug him. Jungkook flinched. Jimin’s hand hovered in the air before going limp. He backed away, his chin dropping to his chest and jaw trembling.  

You bit the inside of your cheek. A hand landed on your shoulder and you turned to find Namjoon standing next to you. You weren’t the only one who had watched the youngests’ exchange. You hid in his arms, forgetting about the world for a moment. The two hybrids who loved each other too much, the trip you had to take, production being halted, that godforsaken earthquake. He nosed along your neck, his warm breath tingling your skin.  

Jungkook got into the car first, an escape, and you followed soon after, a necessity. The house got smaller and smaller behind you as the car drove away. The Castle fading in the distance. Another trip. Different reasons, a different disaster, but familiar territory. Once you used to be excited about these trips, exploring a new place and living new experiences. Where had that part of yourself gone?  

But you weren’t alone this time. Jungkook was looking out of the window, his head laying against the glass. You would take him to that yogurt shop you had liked so much and you would show him the park you wanted to film at and take him to that endearing small cinema. Yeah, you would do that.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

The hotel towered over the rest of the buildings in the area. It wasn’t the same one you had stayed on your first visit last year, more grand and definitely more expensive. The company had gone all out. An admirable attempt to quell your anger, yet it continued simmering underbeath your skin. A young man was waiting for you outside, taking the suitcases from the car and leading you to the lobby.  

Jungkook looked around with wide eyes and an open mouth. There was so much glass and marble, almost everything was made using these two materials.  

The receptionist smiled at you wide, her teeth white and straight like her uniform. She welcomed you to the hotel and handed you two key cards, white with a gold line on front and the room numbers in cursive. Two cards.

“I was sure I’d forgotten something,” you muttered.

The receptionist’s smile faltered. “Is something not to your liking, miss?”  

Two cards. One for your room and one for John’s. You had notified the company about Jungkook accompanying you but you hadn’t requested another room. Granted, you had thought they would come to the conclusion on their own. One more room would have cost them a lot, though. Easy way out. But you couldn’t exactly blame them. At hotels, owners rarely bothered to spend money on a room for their hybrids.

You held the cards like a magician ready to do a trick, showing them to John.  

“Shouldn’t there be one more?” he asked.

The woman behind the desk blinked a few times. “More? Two rooms were booked in the name Y/N Y/L/N. Is there a problem?”

You sighed. “No, I guess there isn’t. Or there wasn’t supposed to be.” Jungkook watched the exchange shifting from foot to foot. His black hoodie was a size too big and he was drowning in it. “Do you have any available rooms in the same floor.”

“I’m afraid we don’t, miss. The rooms on the top floor are all booked for the night.”

“Great.” You couldn’t think of another solution, you would have to make do. “Thank you. We’ll be going now.”

“Have a nice stay,” the receptionist said.

The elevator was as luxurious as the lobby, a glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. John had your black bag slung over his shoulder. The man with your suitcases was already gone, you would find them in your rooms when you arrived. There was a mirror to your left and leaning your back against the wall your gazed at your reflection. With your black circles hidden with concealer and carefully applied makeup, you looked just a little tired from the flight. You had brushed your hair on the plane and it fell in waves over your shoulders, curling at the tips.

Jungkook hadn’t been to a hotel before and it showed as he tried to take everything in. The lights that were on even in the afternoon, the golds and whites, the mirrors and glass and the velvet seats. It was wonderful but still it wasn’t the best hotel you had stayed at.

The elevator’s doors opened with a ding and you walked into the well-lit corridors. Doors were on either side with a sitting area at the front. You had stayed in many hotels over the years but they were nothing more than a place for rest. Sleep and shower, that’s all you did in your room. And sometimes breakfast or dinner if you didn’t feel like going out.  

Stopping in front of a white door, you checked the numbers on the cards again. The two rooms were very close, only a few meters distance from each other.

Two rooms. Right.

You handed John his key card. “So, we’ve got two rooms…” Jungkook looked at you curiously. “I hope you don’t mind staying in my room with me for now. Unless you would prefer staying with John and his snoring.”

John pointed a finger at you. “Hey, I don’t snore.”

You hummed. “Sure you don’t. What I have been hearing all those years must be the pigs outside.”  

Jungkook was trying to hide his laughter behind his hand and doing a poor job of it.

John dropped your bag by your feet. “Do you hear her? No respect for me. That’s what I get for listening to your every whim for years. I’ll go to my room now and snore in peace.”

You giggled as John struggled to swipe the key card right. With an ‘aha’, he managed to open the door and get inside. You swiped your own card, the door clicking open at the first try. Both of you had been doing it for years but John was more of a fan of traditional keys.  

The company had booked a suite for you, which you guessed was one of the best in the hotel. The door opened to a grand living room with white velvet couches and armchairs and a 75 inch TV. You took off your sneakers before stepping on the wool carpet, it was white with veins of gold running through it.

You fell on the couch, taking off your backpack and placing it on the floor. “I’m sorry for this, I thought they would book three rooms for us.”

Jungkook looked at you from where he was still standing by the door, his hands pulling at the straps of his backpack. “Why would they book three rooms?” There was a gap here. Hybrids stayed with their owners, that was the norm. You realized that was what he had expected.

“We are three people. I thought you would want your own room. I told them you would be coming with me for the tickets but they didn’t change the rooms they had booked.” You threw your head back and closed your eyes. “Everything is going so well already.”

There a shuffling of feet from the door. “I thought… I can stay with John if he doesn’t mind or… I can…”

You opened your eyes. Jungkook was looking at the floor, his ears drooped at the sides of his head. “What are you talking about?”

Jungkook hugged himself. “I don’t want to bother you.”

And it clicked. You got up from the couch. “Oh, bunny. You aren’t bothering me. I only wanted one more room because I thought that’s what you wanted, that you wanted your own space.” You didn’t touch him, remembering him flinching and pulling away, but you stayed close to show him you were there for him.  

“Oh, I-” He flushed, not knowing what to say. You had been past that stage and it was unfortunate to see the shyness and hesitance come back.

“Come on, take off your shoes,” you said, motioning for him to come further into the room. “I desperately need a shower. Then we can rest. I don’t have to do anything until late tonight. Do you want to go in first?”

Jungkook sat down gingerly on the couch. “No, no, you can go in first. I think I’ll sleep a little.”

You stopped him before he could lay down. “Here?”

Confused, he looked around at the furniture. “Should I take the smaller couch?”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” you said. “But there is a huge bed in the bedroom. If you feel uncomfortable though, I could take the couch.”

Jungkook shot up at that. “No, no way. You have work, you should sleep in the bed.” The redness creeped into his cheeks again. “I would like… I would like to share, if that’s alright.”

You gave him a smile. “That’s more than alright. Come in, then.”

You were planning to make the most out of this trip.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

Jimin had memorized everything you had said about checking and treating Hoseok’s injuries. He had memorized the pills he was taking, the salves you used and the times you checked on him during the day. Before you left, he had even looked up all the injuries Hoseok had on Google and read all the information he could find. You had told him Hoseok was well on his way to recovery and he didn’t have to worry much. But he was worried. He was very worried.

He had thought he had been ready, that he could do this. But standing outside their door, second thoughts were smothering him.

What if he did something wrong and he hurt him? What if he made everything worse? If he pressed too hard, if he used the wrong cream, if he wrapped the bandages wrong…  

Seokjin would have been much better at this. He took care of them like a parent, he would have been a better choice than Jimin. But Seokjin was the one to cook all their meals, he had enough on his plate. Yoongi could have done it but… He had only glared at you and sneered something that sounded very much like a refusal.

Yoongi…

He hadn’t talked to him since the day he had chased him to the alleyway. The older didn’t leave the room he shared with Hoseok unless it was absolutely necessary. Jimin didn’t know what he had expected, but it wasn’t this… This stasis they were trapped in. He had expected someone yelling, accusing. Sharp words, that didn’t match the soft voice he had been used to. There had been none of that. Nothing at all. He wasn’t sure what he preferred.

Hoseok smiled a little at him when he walked into the room. He was sitting up in his bed with his reddish tail in his lap. Yoongi, laying in his own bed, didn’t acknowledge him but his dark eyes were burning Jimin’s skin when he wasn’t looking.  

Hoseok patted the bed with the hand that wasn’t in a cast. His smile was smaller than it had been in the morning. Your absence wasn’t affecting only them. Jimin had heard you telling stories to Hoseok, you had done the same with Jungkook. But he had no stories to tell, nothing worth sharing. He hadn’t traveled the world, he didn’t have interesting and famous friends, he didn’t have a job or childhood memories by the beach.  

Silence spread, only broken by his apologies every time Hoseok winced. He was holding back for his sake and it made his stomach clench. He left the room like there were hell-hounds on his heels.  

The second day you were gone everyone woke up early in the morning, like all the days they had to be up early to see you before leaving for work. You might not be there but his body demanded he wake up and drag his feet upstairs for breakfast. A book was laying cover up on the table. One of the leather-bound classics you kept on the top shelves of the library. Namjoon read it at night before going to sleep.

Seokjin placed a plate of pancakes in front of Jimin. Pancakes were his favorite.

Belly full, he trudged to the second level.  

“Good morning,” he greeted, coming through the door.

Hoseok’s fox ears twitched. “Good morning,” he said with a small smile. Yoongi remained silent, standing by the glass wall.  

Jimin fetched the medical kit from the bathroom. Everything he would need was in there. “Did you sleep well?” He tried to make conversation. It wasn’t easy when he felt like he could erupt at any moment with Yoongi’s gaze on him. If he hurt Hoseok, Yoongi would never look at him again. Or he could do so much worse. But Jimin had already lost him years ago.  

“Yeah,” Hoseok replied, fumbling with the blanket he was sitting on. “I had a weird dream. About being at the lake. There was a statue there and he was talking… It was good, though.”

There was a small Greek style statue on the half-empty shelves of the room, a Kouros you had explained to him. “It must be because of that.” Jimin motioned to the shelves. “There are pieces of ancient Greece all over the house. The first show Y/N directed was about Persephone and Hades, the Greek god of the dead. Greek mythology has a special place for her.”

“She talked to me about Greece a little but she didn’t say anything about the show,” Hoseok said.

Jimin opened the medical kit, remembering watching the episodes one after the next, hanging from every word the characters said. “The show is so good! I couldn’t stop watching it, I didn’t want to get out of the cinema room for anything. The characters were perfect, Persephone was so sweet and kind but she-” He stopped himself, cutting off his rambling. The cream in his hand was getting warm.

Hoseok sat up straighter to help his work. “But what? Why did you stop?”

Jimin startled. He could at least do this, he could speak about the show. He had watched the episodes multiple times and he had asked you so many questions, some of which you hadn’t talked your way around. Hoseok didn’t wince as much as the first time and maybe Jimin go a little carried away, but he didn’t make any mistakes and Hoseok even asked questions and talked with him.  

The cat hybrid had to suppress the shivers the eyes on his back sent down his spine.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

Greek gods, fantasy, romance and mysteries. That’s what made you rich. That’s what got you this huge house and more money than anyone would ever see in their lives. The Castle. Yoongi scoffed. What a pretentious name for an even more pretentious house, but that was the way it worked.  

Yoongi disliked rich people on principle. Privileged, arrogant and self-entitled were only a few of the adjectives he would use to describe them. They thought they could control anyone because they had money and money made the world go round. Money could get you everything and that’s what they wanted. Everything. In long coats and designer sunglasses looking for entertainment in the most dubious places, feeding off the struggle of the others. Watching enraptured as others fought for their lives.

All of them were the same. It didn’t matter if they were hiding behind smiling masks or surface philanthropic acts. They were the same. And you were just like them. He refused to believe anything else. Despite how hard it was getting. But every time he was slipping, he would remember the pleads and rough hands. His resolve didn’t crack.

He heard all the stories you told Hoseok. Not that he wanted to but there wasn’t a chance he would leave him alone with you. Most of them were funny and although he didn’t want to admit, there were parts the corners of his mouth had lifted up without his permission. He was grateful for those stories, they made Hoseok forget. One rare time, when you were telling him about a disaster on set that involved three spoons, a maraca and a lost script, Hoseok had giggled and Yoongi’s heart had come close to bursting out.  

Every morning and every night you would have a different story for him and it made Yoongi wonder if they were all true or if you were coming up with them on the spot. Not that it mattered, it made Hoseok smile and that was enough. Yoongi had found himself waiting for the times you would come into their room and start talking. You had a way with words.

And now you were gone, leaving them alone in the house, alone with no one watching over them like a guard dog (except that damned wolf hybrid, but that was another case entirely). There were a few things he knew about the world and one of them was that hybrids weren’t left alone in a house that cost more than his handlers would make in their whole lives. He didn’t like surprises and he hated how full of them you were.  

Jimin had been the one to take over and you must have been somewhere in Virginia laughing at Yoongi’s expense. The younger looked good, his cheeks were full and there was a certain glow on his soft skin. Jimin had always looked beautiful but now he was ethereal. He couldn’t keep his eyes away.

Hoseok pressed a few buttons on the TV remote and groaned. After Jimin’s excitement about the show in the morning, he had decided he would watch the show. Jimin had showed him how to put it on but Hoseok was having some trouble.

“Give that to me,” Yoongi grumbled, taking the remote. He searched for the title among the options (there were too many of them).  

Hoseok pointed at one of the pictures. “That’s it! That’s it! “Land of the Gods”.”

A girl wearing a flower crown was gazing at him from the screen. He clicked on the picture and the synopsis and the episode list appeared. “Are you seriously going to watch that?”

“It must be good if Jimin was so excited about it. He was so excited he got me excited.” A smile stretched his lips. Yoongi was weak.

“What do you know about Greek mythology?”

Hoseok shrugged. “Not much but I don’t think I need to. The show has to be good if it got her where she is now. I’m sure she must have been great at her job to be this successful.”

If anything, there was no doubt you were successful. He could see it everywhere he looked. One night he had been watching the news, Hoseok long asleep, and they had talked about your newest project set to start filming in May. One of the greatest directors of our generation, they had called you, predicting high ratings and large audiences. But success didn’t necessarily mean talent and Yoongi told himself he didn’t care enough to see if you had it.

Contemplating, he sat on the bed by Hoseok’s side. “We should discuss when we are leaving.”

Hoseok’s eyes widened, his tail fluffing up. “Leaving?”

“Yeah, leaving. You’re better, aren’t you? We should be gone before she comes back.” Yoongi threw the remote on the bed.

“Oh.” Hoseok’s fox ears lowered. “I wanted to thank her, it feels wrong to leave like this.”

Yoongi sighed. He could understand Hoseok, he didn’t want to leave either. He wasn’t stupid. Having a warm meal three times a day was more than they could dream of in the streets. It was more than they could dream of when they had a roof over their heads and murky water on their tongues. These few days Yoongi had eaten and slept more than he had in three years but it had to end. It was nothing more than a polished dream. He didn’t want your pity and he wouldn’t have accepted to come here if it hadn’t been for Hoseok.

“I think she would appreciate us leaving more than a thank you,” Yoongi said. “We don’t know how long she will be gone and we have already overstayed our welcome.”

“We… yeah.” Hoseok gave in. “But you should talk to Jimin before we go.” Yoongi stiffened. “I have seen the way you look at him, you know. I heard you that first day. He is the only reason we are here now. I can connect the dots. I don’t ask you about your past because I know it hurts you but I ask you this. Talk to him before we go. Jimin… Jimin looks like a part of your past that shouldn’t hurt this much.”

Yoongi clenched his jaw. Because Jimin was the most painful part of his past. Everything that had happened to him, everything he had been through didn’t hold anything to the pain he felt when thinking about Jimin and his delicate features. Nothing hurt more than the images of that night ingrained in his brain. He didn’t deserve to forget, he didn’t even try.  

“I can’t talk to him.”

Hoseok scooted closer and Yoongi reached to steady him. The fox hybrid would laugh at him, he had the all clear to move on his own and he didn’t need help with something as simple as this, but he didn’t push him away. “Why not?  

“I just can’t.” Hoseok raised his eyebrows at him. “Hobi, just let it go. Jimin wouldn’t want to talk to me, there is too much you don’t know.”

Hoseok turned his head away. “Yes, because you don’t tell me.”

“Hobi…” Yoongi placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbing comforting circles, there were no bruises there. “What happened, it’s better if you don’t know. I don’t want any more people being haunted by what I did.”

Hoseok’s eyes softened, taking Yoongi’s hands in his own. Every touch from Hoseok was like a brush with the sun. “If you think anything you say could change my opinion of you, you don’t know me at all. You saved me, Yoongi. You saved me when I thought I was done for, when I thought I wouldn’t live to see another day. If you weren’t there, if I didn’t have you…” A shaky breath fell past his lips. He squeezed Yoongi’s hands in his and Yoongi squeezed back. “I would have never gotten out without you. You are all I have.”

Yoongi touched Hoseok’s cheek, nosing against his neck and breathing in the scent of cinnamon. “And you’re all I have.”

The first episode of “Land of the Gods” played as Yoongi laid next to Hoseok with the younger’s head on his chest.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

The workers kept looking at you like children who had been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar and it wasn’t even their fault. They had been following instructions and using the materials the company had sent. The one who had decided to forgo the safety measures because they were too expensive had yet to admit to anything, but a storm was brewing and you would watch until the end. They could say whatever they wanted about you but no one’s life was at risk on your watch.  

You hadn’t been alone in the sentiment, most of your co-workers siding with you and calling meetings after meetings on the matter. You had taken it up to yourself to send a lengthy email to the president and were waiting for a reply that wouldn’t take long to come.

In the meantime, you were stuck with damage control. The meticulously designed sets had turned into ruins and rubble. A lot of expensive equipment had been destroyed and the replacements had yet to arrive. The first night you had a short meeting at a building the company was renting and then drove to the set to survey the damage. You had gritted your teeth at the sight of broken blocks like legos. There was nothing more to see.

You came back with heavy limbs and dust on your jeans. The air-conditioning was on and Jungkook was sitting on the couch watching a superhero movie. It wasn’t one you recognized, an older one than those you usually watched. You changed into your pajamas after taking a shower for the third time in a day (your skin barrier was set to be destroyed soon) and joined him in the living room. Neither of you had had dinner so you ordered food from the first place you found on the web. The delivery was fast and you settled on the couch, eating pizza and watching an old Samuel L. Jackson film.

Fortunately, the earthquake hadn’t caused any major disasters but you had heard that a couple of people had been injured. The most damage in the area had been to the TV show sets. That was alright, you could work on that.  

Your schedule wasn’t much different from usual. You woke up early, the sun peaking over the horizon and showering the room in its morning glow through the thin curtains. Reaching for your phone, you turned off the  alarm before it could start ringing. You woke up earlier but you scheduled it every night regardless of that. Jungkook blinked his eyes open as soon as you moved a little, he was used to waking up early too.  

At breakfast it was only the two of you, John and the hotel staff. It was way too early for anyone else. Jungkook didn’t leave the hotel and you spent most of the day outside. The first days were the most crucial and therefore the most busy. Go there, take this, fill this out, talk to him/her. An endless task list. And there were a lot of things you had to figure out yourself.

“You should come with me today,” you said, digging your spoon into the bowl of yogurt. You ate a generous breakfast to propel through the morning.  

“T-to work?” Jungkook stuttered, his hand loosening around the spoon. He was eating pancakes with maple syrup and you had a feeling about who he was thinking of.

You rolled the spoon between your fingers. “Well, you don’t have to come to work with me. We could drop you off at a coffee shop or a park if you want to. You can’t stay cooped up in the hotel room all day.”

John nodded in agreement. “I think it’s a good idea. You need some fresh air, staying in three rooms can’t be good for you.”

Jungkook dropped his head to hide his flushed cheeks. “I’m alright here, you don’t have to worry about me. Really.”

“But that’s what I’ll do at work if you stay in here for one more day,” you said. “You can go anywhere, there is a whole city to explore. And if I have any breaks I can call and I’ll come find you.”

Jungkook looked down at the pancakes. “I don’t think I should be out alone.”

“Of course you can. You can wear a collar and no one will say anything. We packed a few didn’t-?” Wearing a collar would protect him from the hybrid services, especially with your name and number engraved in the back of a charm. But you realized it wasn’t hybrid services he was afraid of. A hybrid alone in the streets could be an easy target, Jimin and Jungkook had been together that night and still… But it was broad daylight. “John could come with you,” you offered.

“No, no, he should be with you,” Jungkook protested weakly.

You exchanged a look with John, after years you were perfect at reading each other. “I actually think John would have a much better time with you. The only thing he does with me is follow me around and wait for the day to end. And it’s not like I’m in any danger there, I’m surrounded by a lot of people and some of the places have security so…”

“Or she’s trying to get rid of me,” John said, taking a bite of his sandwich. “Not that I’m complaining, waiting outside of those meetings gets very boring very quickly. Who will drive you?”

“It won’t be hard to find someone. I’ll catch a ride with Will, he has plenty of space in his car.” Will was the assistant director and he had been dragged to Virginia with you. When you worked it was rare to find one without the other. He had been with you for a few years and he was your right hand on set, he could get everything you asked done in a matter of seconds and often better than you could have done them yourself.  

Satisfied, John finished his sandwich. “It’s settled then, I’ll go with the guy while you run around like a mad woman.”

“It isn’t so much running around today,” you mumbled. In comparison to other days, that was.

Jungkook picked up his fork again, his nose twitching. “Thank you, but I really don’t know where to go.”

You smiled. “That’s the most exciting part. There are so many places you can choose from. John knows the area a little, he knows a few places worth visiting.” John saluted with two fingers on his temple. “Is there something you want to do?”

Jungkook shrugged. “The park maybe? I would like to walk a little if that’s alright.”

“Fine by me,” John said. “Let’s reconnect with Mother Nature a little.”

You shook your head. “As if the sets aren’t in the middle of nowhere. They’re like thirty to forty minutes from the city, I spend most of my day in a car.”

“Stop complaining. It’s partly your fault,” John reminded you, which only caused you to complain more.

Jungkook let out a cute giggle at your bickering. He looked small in his oversized hoodie, it was a gray one this time with design of black swirls interwining and forming a heart. He would have to change before going out. He would melt otherwise.  

They dropped you off at the set, having spent most of the thirty minute drive (John was a fast driver, always following the speed limit though) listening to music and talking about whatever came to mind. Jungkook had insisted on coming with when John dropped you off instead of waiting at the hotel for John to come back. He didn’t care that the drive would be more than an hour for him. You stepped out of the car, adjusted your backpack with all the papers and files inside and sent flying kisses to them while John rolled his eyes.

It was one of the good days, everyone was in a relatively good mood, they were listening to you and the conversations about the problems you were facing rolled smoothly. Will had taken over some of the most tiring tasks ignoring your protests so you were left to do most of the talking and the moral support part.  

They worked quickly but there was no doubt that the sets wouldn’t be ready for filming to start on the initial date you had set, you would have to rely more on the sets in Los Angeles and film some scenes earlier than planned. Time was precious and you couldn’t waste it sitting around doing nothing.

Will was more than happy to give you a ride back to the city, you had many things to discuss on the way. You hadn’t been at this park before. It wasn’t the one you were considering for filming but it was just as nice. John had texted you where they were and you had typed the address in Will’s GPS. It was way past lunch and you wondered if they hadn’t left the park since the morning. That was a lot of hours spent in a park.

You followed the cobblestone path, tall trees framing the way adorned with green leaves and tiny flowers. Sending a quick message to John asking him about more specific directions, you stopped at a bridge arching over a small river and rested your elbows on the railing waiting for the reply.  

You missed home in a way you hadn’t before. Home hadn’t always been Los Angeles, it had taken a long time for you to see it that way. It had been your hometown at first and that would always remain a part of you but it had been years since you had stayed there for more than two weeks. Home had been a suitcase and a vague idea of belonging for the most of your adult life. Being at a new place every few months, often more than that, you traveled and met people, you explored new places and learnt their secrets and culture. Los Angeles was just the base you returned to before you were gone again.

And then you had met Taylor and Zayn and suddenly you had a reason to come back other than necessity. They had become your closest friends and you held a new appreciation for the city because that’s where you spent time with them, strolling through the streets and going to the beach or staying inside watching movies or baking.  

And through Zayn you had met Jacob and Los Angeles became more and more to you. The two of you had decided to build your life there together. That was gone now but the City of Angels had sneaked into your heart and made a home for itself there. Yet you hadn’t missed it like this before.  

Texts and calls were fine for some time but not nearly enough. Jungkook was withdrawn while you talked to the other hybrids and Jimin’s voice got smaller and smaller every time the youngest refused to speak with him until he stopped trying. Namjoon and Jin tried to comfort him but the only person who could help was the one shutting him out. On top of that, Jimin tended to Hoseok’s wounds, the two hybrids were still at the Castle and you hoped they wouldn’t leave until you got back. You wanted to check in with Hoseok one more time before they were gone, back to the streets.  

The streets… Those damn streets. Where Hoseok had been beat up, where Jimin and Jungkook had been attacked, where they didn’t know which day would be their last, starving or being beaten to death. You had done all you could, when they refused any more help, but it wasn’t enough. It couldn’t be enough.

A whistle made you turn around.

“Are you going to stand there all day?” John called to you.

“Me?” you called back. “How long have you been here? Did you eat lunch?”

“We went to a restaurant nearby, John ordered the best from the menu. I told him to wait for you but he said you would be late,” Jungkook said.

You ruffled his hair and he shuffled closer to you. “Late… I’m not late, I didn’t say I would be back for lunch.”

Jungkook chuckled. “When are you back for lunch?”

You gasped. “You have been spending too much time with John. He’s corrupting you!”

On the other side of the bridge, the path opened up to a large expanse of grass with a few trees sprinkled in. Jungkook had his sketchpad with him and sat down against a tree with pieces of black charcoal, a method he had been experimenting with.  

Next to him, you pulled out a notebook from your backpack, it was your personal space where you could write anything and everything. Drawing faint thick lines on the paper, Jungkook told you excitedly about his day with John, who was sitting at a bench talking on the phone with his family.  

A shine you hadn’t seen in a while was back in Jungkook’s eyes. You took photos and sent them to the hybrids at home and rolled around in the grass. He pointed at the clouds and what each of them looked like. There was turtle, an elephant and a vase, although you insisted it looked more like an Egyptian cat.

Jungkook came with you to work later and although he was shy and stayed away from everyone else, trailing behind you like a lost puppy, he was smiling. Fascinated, he listened to your conversations about the show and the sets and admired the designs. Your co-workers cooed at the cute bunny hybrid and he flushed hiding behind you.  

When the day was over and you were back at the hotel, you realized it was the most fun you’d had since coming to Virginia. Freshly showered with his wet hair sticking to his forehead, Jungkook slipped into the bed next to you.

“Did you have a good time?” you asked. In the quiet of the night it felt wrong for your voice to be louder than a whisper. “You can be honest with me. I won’t take it personally.”

A small smile simmered on Jungkook’s lips as he turned on his side to look at you. In the lights of the city coming through the window, his chocolate brown eyes seemed black. “I had the best of times. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. It was nice having you there, it was… different. A good different. You should come again tomorrow, to the sets outside the city this time.”

“I would like that,” he whispered.  

“Okay.”

“Okay,” Jungkook repeated in a breath.

It would be nice to have him with you. He wasn’t distracting you, on the contrary you were more focused because you knew he was there watching you, you wanted to show him the best of you. This was far from the most exciting part of the process of making a film but it was necessary. Well, it wouldn’t have been necessary if someone hadn’t decided to purposely forget all about the safety measures but you had already dedicated too much of your energy being angry about it.

Once the actual filming had started you would take Jungkook with you and show him the behind the scenes of how a TV show was made. If he was fascinated with this part then he would love filming. The actors were incredible and they had found their connections to the characters, channeling them at the table readings, it would be even better when they were in the costumes on set.  

“I liked it,” Jungkook said. “I really liked seeing you work.”

You smiled at the bunny. “You used to see me work every day at the Castle.”

“But it wasn’t the same.” Jungkook laid his head on his hand. “You looked different there,” he said. “You looked powerful, like you could do anything. Everyone looked at you like you had all the answers.”

“It was a good day, I guess. It isn’t always like that. I might look confident and like I have everything under control all the time but that’s far from the truth.”  

For all of your fame and the praise you received, you did make mistakes, you got stuck and felt helpless against some problems. Not everyone listened to you and you got into arguments with the executive producers sometimes. And you weren’t always the one who was right.  

“Looking confident is half of the job, even when you don’t feel like it. It’s one of those situations where ‘fake it till you make it’ is a requirement. When you want to be heard you have to look and act like you are sure of what you’re doing, especially when you are a young woman at an important position. If you don’t, people begin to doubt you and if they doubt you, they will begin to talk over you and disregard your opinions. That was the first lesson I learnt on this job.”

At seventeen, you had been in charge of directing “Land of the Gods” and it wasn’t all smooth sailing, much less at the beginning. You were young, too young for most of them. You couldn’t direct such a project they said. They questioned your every move and decision, every correction you made and everything you said to the actors during a scene. They didn’t take you seriously until halfway through filming and even then they didn’t hesitate to question your authority. A constant battle of wills.

But it had gotten you here. You couldn’t complain.

“You’ve done so many things,” Jungkook said as if in awe. “All those shows and movies. And they are all so good. You are so talented. I could have never achieved what you have even if I wasn’t…” He left the sentence hanging.

You adjusted your position, laying on your forearm. “I don’t believe that, I think you would be marvelous at whatever you did. You have the dedication and that’s half of the job done. About me…” You let out a small chuckle. “I was very young when I started, I’m still young considering my profession, and I had so many ideas. I still have so many of them.” Or you used to, before the buzz in your brain became just noise. “And I don’t want to wait so long the industry gets tired of me, I have to take advantage of the light as long as it’s on me.”

“I don’t think they can get tired of you, not when your movies and shows are… like that. I couldn’t get tired of them,” Jungkook said. “It’s just- I’m not-” Frustrated, he cut himself off. “You work too much. I’m just… When was the last time you had a break? An actual break without working in any form.”

You opened your mouth to answer and closed it again. It certainly wasn’t this year and it wasn’t last year either. When you had taken a break to buy and decorate the house, you had been answering calls about work when you had been choosing the paints for the walls and writing scripts while you discussed floor plans. Break for you wasn’t a time you didn’t work but rather a time they couldn’t call you to the offices or the set.  

“It’s been a while,” you said in the end. “I’ve got a lot of things going on, I don’t really have the time to take a break. I can’t leave them hanging, they rely on me.”

“Maybe they shouldn’t. Not so much.”  

But that’s how it has always been for as long as you could remember. You were involved in every single part of the process, in every decision, from the scripts, to casting, to the set and costume design, to the actual filming, the post-production and the editing. Supervising and making sure that everything was right. That was your charm, that was one of the reasons you were one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. Each project was a part of yourself. If you let those responsibilities go, what would that mean for you? What would they say about you?

The air-conditioning made a small sound as the room reached the desired temperature. The setting wasn’t too low, a pleasant coolness replacing the stifling heat. The thick walls of the hotel kept the heat of the day trapped inside, something that would be very beneficial in winter but a lot less so in spring nearing summer.

“Anyway, I think we’ll be done in a few days,” you said. “We’ll probably be home by the end of the week. The new plans have been drawn and there is only one more meeting I have to attend and that’s more for appearances’ sake than anything else. The rest is up to the crew here.”

Jungkook’s smile wavered. “So soon? Don’t you have any more work? The people here seemed to need you.”

“They don’t need me, there is nothing more I can offer them. My place right now is in Los Angeles, that’s where they need me.” You nudged his foot with yours, your knees were close enough to touch every time you moved. “But that’s not what you’re nervous about, is it?”

Jungkook shook his head, hiding half of his face in the pillow. “I don’t want to go back.”

“Kookie…” You nudged his foot again until your legs were intertwined underneath the thin sheets. “Staying here won’t help anyone. You have to talk to him.”

Jungkook closed his eyes as if the conversation pained him. “He shouldn’t want to talk to me.”

“But he does. You know he has been asking for you,” you said.

“He stopped.”

“Because you never replied. Doing this, pulling away and ignoring him, you’re hurting him more than whatever you feel guilty for. You didn’t see how sad he was every time you didn’t show up for a meal or when he called for you and you ignored him. You’re hurting him and I know that isn’t what you want so why do you keep doing it?”

A sob clawed out of Jungkook’s throat and he tried to muffle it with his fist. Your eyes widened at the sound, instinctively pulling the younger boy into your arms. He didn’t fight you, holding on to you like you were the only thing keeping his afloat, hiding his face in your neck as the sobs he couldn’t suppress fell from his lips.  

“What… What I did to him was h-horibble. I-I took adva-advantage of him,” Jungkook chocked out as his tears dampened your skin. “And I know, I know he’s going to forgive me. But I don’t want him to. He shouldn’t. He shouldn’t forgive-” A sob cut him off. “I don’t deserve forgiveness.”  

You run your hands through his hair, scratching gently at the base of his bunny ears, something that used to calm him down. “Baby… You should let him have that choice, you can’t take it away from him.”

“I can’t forgive myself,” he muttered, desperation and heartbreak seeping into his voice like water through the cracks of a dam until it breaks.

“If Jimin can forgive you then you can work towards forgiving yourself. All I know is that you love each other too much to continue like this.”

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

It was the fifth day you were gone. Seokjin had been keeping track, the equivalent of another line engraved on the wall of a cell. He had been going to sleep and waking up alone in a bed that felt too large for one person. He had added more blankets and stuffed animals decorating embellishing his nest but it did nothing for the feeling of emptiness covering it like a veil.  

You called every day and texted them religiously, it was more than he could have expected but much less than what he craved. Jungkook sent photos of the hotel suite and of every place he visited with short captions. Seokjin smiled as his heart constricted.

It was the fifth day you were gone and he was sitting at the large table in the back garden, drinking tea at the time he would have been bringing yours before you had to go back to work. Jin didn’t consider himself a clingy person. He was loyal and protective of the people he loved, he obeyed his past owners and he took care of them. But this was new. It had been five days, the number didn’t change but Jin felt like it had been much longer than that. When his past owners left it wasn’t for long, less than two weeks, he didn’t have the time to miss them. He hadn’t missed them. Two weeks. Five days.

Jungkook would be nagging at him by now, tugging his arm or foot or whatever part of him he could get and if Jin didn’t give in the bunny hybrid would sprawl himself next to the older with his head in his lap. Despite Seokjin warnings about getting splashed with tea or coffee in the face, Jungkook stayed there.  

If you were back from work, a rare occurrence, you would insist you all spent that time together. Like a family.  

Family. Such a peculiar word. It was one of those words Seokjin couldn’t grasp the real meaning of. He was a hybrid, he didn’t have parents, the one who had given birth to him had delivered him to the scientists earning a large amount of money for her services. His first owners had trained him harsher than a pet and treated him like a servant or a living piece of decor. It didn’t matter if he’d thought of them as his family to feel better for himself, they owned him and they didn’t let him forget.  

He didn’t know what having a family felt like. But he guessed it felt a lot like the mornings before you left for work and Jungkook was bickering with Jimin about how much he could eat while Namjoon was smirking into his coffee.

“A penny for your thoughts?”  

Seokjin startled, the mug trembling dangerously in his hands. Another hand enveloped his to steady it. “How do you do that? I almost had a heart attack.”

Namjoon smiled sheepishly. “You aren’t the first one to say that, about the heart attack. I’ll try to make more noise next time.”

There was only a tiny bit of tea left at the bottom of the mug so Seokjin placed it on the table to avoid any more surprises that could threaten its survival. “Are you going somewhere?” he asked, looking at the black backpack Namjoon was wearing.

“I’m going for a walk in the forest. Would you like to join me?”  

“Like this?” he gestured to his casual attire.

“Maybe you should wear different shoes,” he said referring to the slippers he was wearing.

Seokjin was tempted to say no, sugar gliders might be native to forests but he didn’t have the same ease among trees. But he was tired of being in his own company and something inside him was screaming to go and be with his pack. After all, it was impossible to not give into Namjoon’s dimples.

“Okay, I’ll come with you. Just don’t lead us so far away we won’t be able to come back.”

Namjoon’s smile widened as Jin left to change his shoes. His sneakers were in a box under his bed. He had worn them only once because he preferred wearing his slippers in the house or the gardens. These sneakers were the ones he had on when you had gone to the lake before you had to go back to work and be away for most of the day.  

The wolf hybrid was waiting in the back garden for him by the curtain of vines with the purple blooms. The mug was nowhere in sight.

“Ready?” Namjoon asked him.

“Ready,” Seokjin said, not paying any mind to the fluttering in his stomach.

Namjoon pulled the curtain of vines aside, the path stretching ahead. The forest was alive in spring, trees green and tall, creating shade for the small creatures roaming around to hide from the sun. And when a few sun-rays slipped through the spaces between the branches and the leaves, they looked like a touch from the gods.  

Namjoon navigated the forest with practiced ease and Seokjin had a feeling the wolf hybrid knew exactly where they were going. He just hoped Jimin wouldn’t look for them while they were gone, but knowing Namjoon he had probably already told Jimin. Or Jimin could call them. Seokjin wasn’t used to having his own phone and often he forgot he had the device.  

Staying close to Namjoon, he kept his eyes on the ground. A poor attempt to keep his tripping to the minimal. But the forest was conspiring against him. Roots, stones, sticks, everything he could trip over was in his path.  

“Where are we going?” he asked.

Namjoon stopped, turning to look at him. He smirked. “It’s a surprise.”

“No, I prefer no surprises,” Jin said. Rock. He stepped over it, avoiding a possible humiliating fall. “Tell me where we’re going. Is it far?”

“Not too far.” Not too far for Namjoon could be totally different from Seokjin’s idea of not too far. “I swear to you we aren’t getting lost today. I know this part of the forest like the back of hand and I have a good sense of direction. See?” He pointed to the direction of a large tree on his right. “That’s north,” he pointed to the opposite direction, “and that-”

Before he could finish, Seokjin had tripped over a protruding root. He hadn’t seen it, being too focused on Namjoon. He let a shriek as he tumbled to the ground, scratching his hands as they came in contact with the ground fist.  

Namjoon called his name but he hadn’t been fast enough. He grasped Seokjin’s elbows pulling him up so he was sitting instead of laying face down on the dirt.  

“Are you alright?” Namjoon asked, kneeling next to him, and Seokjin felt heat travel to his face and his chest tightening. He had an urge to flee and forget that had happened. Namjoon didn’t give him the chance though. He took his hands in his, turning them over and inspecting the damage. Dirt was clinging on the flesh and Namjoon blew on them to make some it go away. “We need to clean this.” He pulled out a water bottle from his backpack and poured water on his hands. It did sting a little but Seokjin was used to much worse than this.

Thin lines were etched on his palm, none of them bleeding. His hands had taken most of the burnt of the fall. The pride he had been piecing back together hurt more than his body did.

“We should go back,” Namjoon said, letting his hands go. Seokjin mourned the loss then reprimanded himself for it. “Maybe coming here wasn’t a good idea.”

“I’m fine,” he said. He didn’t like the frown on Namjoon’s face. “We don’t have to go back. I don’t want to go back.” He cleared his throat. His face, neck and ears felt impossibly hot.

Namjoon regarded him with careful eyes. “Are you sure? Does it hurt anywhere?”

“Really, I’m fine,” he repeated. He put one hand on the ground to steady himself and get back on his feet. It didn’t work very well because as soon as Namjoon saw him moving he was helping him up supporting most of his weight. “It wasn’t painful, more embarrassing than anything else,” Seokjin muttered. Despite the low tone, Namjoon heard him and his face smoothed. “Let’s go. We will never get to that place you want before nightfall at this rate.”

Namjoon chuckled shaking his head. “If you say so.” Seokjin expected him to start walking but instead he laced their fingers together. “Is this okay? I don’t want you falling again. If you trip again I’ll keep you up or at least we’ll fall together.”

Seokjin huffed out a laugh, lightheaded. Namjoon wasn’t distant but he wasn’t open with his affection like Jimin or Jungkook or even you and feeling his hand in his had ignited something inside him he was struggling to bury.

They held hands all the way to the secret destination. Seokjin tripped a couple more times, the rocks and the roots were still there and Namjoon was too distracting, but he kept his balance. Namjoon held on his hand tighter whenever he lost his footing and he allowed himself to consider it for a moment before banishing the idea.

The walk wasn’t too long and as the trees thinned out a little, a few large rocks emerged from the ground. They had climbed higher than the level of the house, the forest and the lake stretching under them. On the side the Castle peeked between the trees and the road leading to the city.  

Namjoon helped him up the rock while he complained for the sake of it. They sat down to rest and Namjoon offered him the bottle of water he had used before, plenty of water was left inside. Seokjin insisted they shared it, he had already used half of it on him anyway.

“You like being outside so much, you have walked through most of the forest. You go on walks every day. Why don’t you go out with Y/N? Or around the neighborhood?” he asked. Namjoon wasn’t someone who could be contained in a house, he needed to be outside, and the forest looked too small for him.

Namjoon crossed his hands over his bent knee. “Being in the forest is easier. I can’t explain it but it’s familiar territory. Outside the forest, outside the house, that’s different. I know the streets of Los Angeles, I’ve spent more time on them than I would have liked. And now things are different but those streets are the same. I don’t think I’m ready to go back there alone.”

Seokjin’s heart constricted at the reminder of what the three hybrids he held so dearly had been through. He was spoiled, he couldn’t have survived a life in the streets. But if he was with them… If he was with them maybe it would would have been worth it.  

It was a dangerous world for lone hybrids, people were eager to take advantage of them and hybrid services were always lurking in large cities like Los Angeles. Going outside alone could be an invitation for harassment from a few sick people who thought they were entitled to hybrids’ lives because humans created them, who thought they were lesser. Seokjin hadn’t been allowed to be alone outside, his owners believed it was indecent and disrespectful for hybrids to walk alone or stay alone.  

“Do you want to go outside in the city?” Namjoon asked.

Seokjin hugged his knees. “I wouldn’t know where to go or what to do. I’ve never been out alone.”

Namjoon nodded. “That’s alright. It was nice being out for Spring Cleaning, I saw the city in a different light.”

Seokjin smiled, for him it hadn’t been only the city he had seen in a different light. “I would like to go out one day.”

“I would like that too,” Namjoon said softly.

But Seokjin didn’t think of going alone. He thought of being with Namjoon holding his hand so they wouldn’t lose each other or an excited Jungkook hopping around with Jimin chasing him.  

Namjoon’s phone beeped with a message and he pulled it out of his backpack to read it. A smile spread on his face at whatever he was seeing. Seokjin wanted to lean closer and look at what was making him smile but he held himself back. There were only three people it could be from.

“Jungkook is playing her assistant,” Namjoon said, turning the screen so Seokjin could take a look at the photo. Jungkook was looking to the side, probably at someone talking to him, carrying two folders and a few loose papers. Seokjin’s heart softened at the sight, Jungkook looked content there. Excited and a little confused.

Seokjin took the phone in his hands. “I’m sure he insisted on carrying them for her. Doesn’t she have an assistant?”

Namjoon nodded. “Yeah, Will. But I’m not sure he’s that kind of assistant.”

“Maybe she should keep Jungkook on set, he could carry anything she wanted,” he joked. Their bunny could pick up all of them without getting tired, Seokjin had been his victim enough times to know that.  

Jungkook had been doing better, his messages were more frequent and he talked more on the phone. He had been doing better but Seokjin was missing him a lot. But he couldn’t be selfish with this, going away had been good for him and if it hurt a little that he needed to be away from them, Seokjin didn’t utter a word. He had heard him sniffling at night, covering his mouth to muffle the sounds. Seokjin didn’t know how to comfort him so he just held him tighter.

Namjoon sighed, taking his phone back and hiding it in the backpack. He sighed. “Jimin is hiding away again. He barely spoke to me before locking himself in the cinema room. I don’t understand what is going on between them. Jungkook had to travel to the other side of the States to get away.  I can’t get a word about what happened from either of them. Jungkook says he did something horrible to him and Jimin doesn’t want to say anything about it. And every time Jungkook pulls back from him I can see how much it hurts them both and I can’t do anything about it.”

“They don’t want us to do anything about it but they need us next to them,” Seokjin said, looking ahead at the sun slowly descending in the sky.  

Namjoon let the silence stretch before speaking, “I’m grateful you’re with us, that you chose to stay. I don’t like to think about how it would have been without you.”

Seokjin turned his head away. “I didn’t do anything special. I am not that important.”

A hand touched his cheek, leading him gently until he was face to face with Namjoon looking into his hazel, almost golden, eyes. “Listen to me when I say this; you are important to us. You are pack and your place is with us here. I’ll be honest, I was weary at first but you fit right in like you were always meant to be with us. You belong with us and we’ll never let you go or get tired of you. You give so much without even realizing it.” His thumb rubbed small circles on his skin leaving burning trails behind. A heavy cloud had covered everything around him and all he could see was hazel eyes. “All I ask you is to let us take care of you, too.”

And before his doubts could stop him he surged forward. Namjoon caught him in his arms, cradling the oldest’s neck as he hid his face in his neck breathing in his scent. Time was meaningless there.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

You were taking a short break. John had delivered your second cup of coffee for the day and a smoothie for Jungkook who disliked the bitter taste of coffee with passion. It was a mostly practical day that didn’t require a lot of moving around. You had been meeting up with people since the crack of dawn and discussing the best ways to cover up the disaster in a way that wouldn’t turn the public against the show or the studios. So far, you had been holding off any reporters from including the overlooked safety measures when publishing the news about the collapsed sets.  

After being inside all day, you had decided to take a stroll around the block. Jungkook was walking next to you sipping his smoothie. He was wearing a simple black chocker with a silver charm.

He was telling you about a video he had seen on YouTube when your phone started ringing. Your nickname for Taylor was displayed across the screen with a photo of her pulling out a tray of cookies from the over.

“Hey, Tay,” you said.

“I called at the right time, didn’t I?”  

“Just the perfect time, I have around twenty minutes before I have to go back. Work has been kicking my ass.”

Taylor laughed. “I’m sure you’ve been kicking its ass too. And better.”

You had told her around what time you would be taking your break. You hadn’t talked on the phone since coming to Virginia and you had missed her voice.

You stopped at a bench and Jungkook pulled out his phone. You felt a little bad for talking on the phone when it was the two of you but you had really missed Taylor and it wouldn’t take long anyway. She had been busy with Astrid, getting to know her better and helping her adapt to the new environment. When you had visited the hybrid had looked enamored with Taylor, you knew your friend would be amazing at taking care of a hybrid.

The conversation soon turned to you but you didn’t have much to share. Work was the same regardless the disaster but Taylor was more interested in other things.  

“It has been almost a year since you and Jacob broke up. Don’t you have your sight on anyone? Any flirts? It isn’t like you lost the one and only,” she said.

Jacob had been far from the one and only. And when she asked, your mind went to dangerous places.

“Just because you found your man doesn’t mean we are all that lucky,” you said. “And how am I supposed to find anyone? I’m too busy.” From the corner of your eye you saw Jungkook turning to look at you with an unreadable expression.

Taylor continued, “Aren’t there any cute boys on set? At work? There has to be someone. Don’t bury yourself in work and forget to live. I’m not saying you need a man to be happy or complete, but don’t you miss going on dates? Getting to know someone like that?”

The answer came to you unbidden but it wasn’t something you were ready to say. “Maybe after the TV show, for now I really have to focus. After that is done and I don’t have to worry about anymore earthquakes, I’ll see where I’ll end up.”

You knew Taylor cared for you and she worried about how deep you threw yourself into work. Maybe there was also a small part that was still uncertain about the way you and Jacob had broken off things and the way you had avoided the topic like the plague for the first months. Like you and Jacob had never happened. But looking at boys and dating had been the last thing on your mind.  

Ending the call with Taylor promising to text her when you got off work, you patted the small of Jungkook’s back. It was time to walk back. The smoothie was half-finished, the way it had been before, like he hadn’t taken a sip since sitting down.  

You asked him if there was something wrong but he replied that everything was alright. It didn’t look like that was the case. He stayed close to you all day, more clingy than he had been the whole time you had been in Virginia, wary of the men who talked to you.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

The blue sky and fluffy clouds reflected on the lake, a huge mirror creating another sky on its surface, a more vibrant but precise copy. No boats cut through the water, it was like there was a part of the sky that had made its home on the ground. Trees extended on every side of the lake, so many of them one next to the other with no end in sight.

The grass tickled Jimin’s palms swaying in the gentle wind. He breathed in the fresh morning.

“One day we’ll go on a boat ride.” Jungkook was sitting next to him, his long bangs falling at the sides of his face. “We’ll see every part of the lake, not just this. We’ll go everywhere.”

Flowers bloomed all around them, white and blue petunias, chrysanthemums and lilies. Jimin wanted to cut the most beautiful one and tuck it behind Jungkook’s ear. He turned to tell him but hands were holding the back of his neck and lips devouring his. He gripped Jungkook’s arms to steady himself from the force of the kiss. The sweet aroma of the flowers filled him up, engulfing every part of his being, the deepest crevices and the smallest of cracks.  

Jungkook pushed him back so he was laying on the grass and Jimin let him, too drunk off the flowers and soft lips. Touches on his cheeks and his sides, caresses under his shirt. He was burning.  

It didn’t take long for the panic to set in. With weak arms, he pushed Jungkook away. The air wouldn’t reach his lungs. The scent of the flowers turned stale and bitter.  

“We can’t,” he tried to say but his voice wasn’t coming out right, sticking in his throat and refusing to flow.

Jungkook pulled back. His eyes were darker than before. “Is this it? Am I too common for his highness? You didn’t have any reservations about the panther hybrid, did you? Are you attracted to power, Jiminie? Or do you open your legs only for him?”

There were sharp blades piercing Jimin’s chest. How did he know? Who had told him? No one was supposed to know.

Two figures were hiding between the trees in the darkness the day couldn’t chase away. Your hands were crossed in front of your chest and Yoongi was standing right behind you.  

Jimin took a step back colliding with the fountain at the entrance of the Castle. The house was looming over him, ominous and tall as if it could touch the sky. His clothes were torn, dirt and blood staining them. They were the clothes he had been wearing the day you had found them.

“I’m sorry but you can’t stay here anymore,” you said. You knew what he had done, you knew his dirty secret and he was paying for it again. He would be paying for it his whole life. A pain so powerful he felt like he was dying bloomed in his chest as rivers of tears rolled down his cheeks. His knees were weak. He couldn’t stand.  

He searched in the faces of his pack, of the people he loved so much he thought his heart would burst. Nothing but sneers and gazes of pity. Whore, they whispered. Slut. Worthless.  

Jimin crumbled to his knees. He was dying. He was sure he was dying. Spasms wrecked his body as he sobbed. He had nowhere to go, he had no one but them. He couldn’t live without them.

And when he thought it was over, that it was the last breath he was taking. He opened his eyes. His chest was heaving, his heart beating like a wild animal scratching at the bars of its cage. He was in their room, the glass wall looking out at the forest. Only the moonlight fought the darkness.

The sheets were restricting him and pushing him down, tangled around his body. Frantic movements born out of desperation took over his body and he stumbled over the edge of the bed, falling hard on the floor with the sheets wrapped around his legs.  

And it overflowed.  

The sobs and tears. He pulled at his hair and scratched his skin. They couldn’t know. No, they could never know. You would never look at him the same way. He would lose the only home he has ever known.

He wanted to scream. Scream until his lungs were empty and his body stopped shaking. Scream until he didn’t feel worthless and used like an old toy forgotten in a corner of the attic.  

There were arms around him, prying his hands away from his hair and skin. He tried to pull away but they only held tighter until he gave in and sunk into their warmth. Blood was rushing to his ears and he only made out his name falling from the other person’s lips. He rocked in his arms, cursing himself and the world. Weak. He was so weak.

Fucking pathetic.

He gripped the hands holding him. He focused on the voice speaking although he couldn’t understand what it was saying. He choked on the bile in his throat, his body shaking with his sobs.  

“Jiminie, breath. Just breath,” the voice said and Jimin tried to listen to it. He did. But it felt like he hadn’t been able to breath for a while. “Just like this. Breath with me. That’s right, like this. Breath. You’re doing so well, Minie.”

Spent, Jimin fell on the chest behind him, shaky breaths leaving his lips. One of the hands rubbed his stomach over his nightshirt.  

“There. You’re alright. You’re alright.”

Jimin swallowed with difficulty down his scratchy throat. “Joonie?”

“I’m here. I’m here, Minie,” the other said. Jimin didn’t have the energy to look at him, laying his head on the older’s shoulder. “I’m right here.”

His breathing stuttered. Another tear escaping from his eyes, he thought he’d run out of them. “I’m sorry.”

“Shhh, don’t say that. Please don’t say that.” Namjoon’s voice was unsteady and it hurt Jimin knowing he had been the cause of it. “You’re alright. I’m always here for you but I can’t protect you from your head.”

Jimin’s tail wrapped around one of Namjoon’s arms as Jimin sniffled. “I don’t want to be alone. Please, please don’t let me go. Don’t make me leave.”

“Never. I’ll never leave you. We’ll never leave you. I’d do anything in this world to keep you safe.” Namjoon caressed his arm, moving upwards and pressing his fingers against Jimin’s left scent gland. Jimin’s whole body trembled, shivers overtaking him. Namjoon rubbed his nose against the other side of his neck, leaving kisses behind. Purring, Jimin arched his neck.  

“I love you,” Jimin whispered, unable to stop the tears from falling.

Namjoon kissed over his scent gland and Jimin felt it everywhere. “I love you, Minie. So much.”

[morihaus]

Folklore

Two apprentices make their way to the shore of the Isle of the Wise, basket and blanket in tow, already chattering away with one another. Although the College of the Sapiarchs has a reputation its rigorous and cutthroat academic atmosphere, even its most studious pupils are encouraged to take reprieves from their works, if not for their own benefit then for the benefit of the hardworking staff, those who have earned their own breaks from instructing and professing, as well as those who have important duties and research of their own to attend to.

Runalenwe and Pannolaire each possess their own cutthroat reputations, so it is with some surprise that their peers observe them taking these personal allowances of unstructured time not to get a leg up on their competition, but to get out from the halls of learning and into the natural splendor of the wild. They always take their breaks together, ostensibly to keep an eye on their most spirited and contentious academic rival, but also in the spirit of camaraderie; even as they have butted heads over their decades-long apprenticeships, they have found themselves rather transfixed on one another, interested, entertained, some might even say 'enamored.' It's true that they might consider themselves lovers, but they were not young or carefree, rather their love was ennobling and constructive, a means to an end- they would say- and all the fun they have along the way is merely incidental.

Runalenwe reaches what she considers a good place to rest, a nice shady spot under a tree, waves lapping at the shore before them. She unfurls the bright sheet they've brought at, inviting Pannolaire to take her seat before her, to which the other woman smiles and sets herself down very prim and proper. As Runalenwe joins her, she sets their woven basket down beside them, and continues on with their line of dialogue.

"Quite the ambitious project, a catalogue of Tamriel's famed magical artifacts," Pannolaire says. "Was her 12-page dissertation on the Flask of Lillandril not enough?" Her dark crest of brown hair seems to shimmer with life in the sun's light, as does the dress of decorative feathers and scales that she's donned instead of her apprentice's garb. Her companion thinks she cuts a figure rather like a bird of paradise, head held high against her collar of colorful plumage.

"Oh, I'd be fascinated to hear how many she can turn up." Runalenwe replies as she gets comfortable, propping herself up with an elbow against the blanket. "The research will be interesting- and her reports are always wonderfully detailed to be sure. The problem is by just 20 years time, I'm sure we'll be made aware of several new artifacts, or new qualities to the ones we already know, and all her work will be made obsolete. That's the problem with such presumptuous 'catalogues', better to channel your focus on just one thing. She clearly wishes she could be Sapiarch of just about every discipline!" She laughs, a few strands of her curly straw-colored hair swinging free of her top-bun. It's a noble laugh, haughty and mocking, yet it touches Pannolaire just the same as the warm bubbling laugh that came out of her honestly, most often when they were alone.

Pannolaire unpacks the food she'd brought, laying out the small spread as they continue to speak. Rolls of bread, fresh fruit, aged wine, and shellfish. "Which single artifact would you focus on?" Pannolaire glances up as she hands her a warm roll. "Some destructive staff? A weather worker?"

She chuckles, taking a small bite and clearing her mouth before responding. "Oh, Pannolaire, I've more interests than just shocking the daylights out of things! It's funny you should ask, actually."

"It is?" Pannolaire says.

"Yes, and I'll tell you why." Runalenwe grins.

Pannolaire smiles as well, cracking into a shellfish with practiced grace. "Please do."

"You are, I'm sure, familiar with the Ring of Phynaster? Artifact created by the ascended Aldmeri sorcerer Phynaster, great explorer and adventurer, a hero of the High King Aurthelel's court?" Pannolaire nods, not speaking for modesty as she samples some fruit. "It provides the wearer with protection against magics and poisons- it's popularly believed to have been created to facilitate in Phynaster's daring yet dangerous lifestyle, and even to have aided in his mythical long stride. But this story has been confused with time- it is misunderstood by so many of the scholars of Tamriel, those who forget that Phynaster was once one of us, a mortal, with mortal wants, mortal acquaintances."

Pannolaire watches Runalenwe as she orates, every word uttered with such a poise to belie rehearsal, and yet her character is so spontaneous, like an arc of lightning from a hand, or the first crackle of thunder. These qualities make her quite the speaker to spectate, and so she hangs on her every word.

"Phynaster himself was quite a cautious sort- his stride wasn't simply long, it was measured, well-conceived through careful calculation. His safety and longevity was more or less the product of a wise and careful mind. He did not forge his famed ring for his own sake, but for the sake of a lover." Runalenwe's lips curve into even more of a satisfied smile, the kind that tells Pannolaire she's hanging knowledge over her head right now, a coy mocking gesture. She shoots her a look as though to say 'don't leave me in suspense', and the other apprentice continues on. "A certain firebrand, another mage of Aurthelel's court, the oldest and most venerable court of Alinor, composed of only the most respected ancestors; Phynaster, Syrabane, Ruilil, Peregrine- even noble Trinimac brushed shoulders with her and counted her as his peer, as well as his comrade in arms. She was Eeartora the Tempest, queen of the skies, her words commanded storms and her spells sundered coral citadels to the depths of the sea, all to be forgotten as her own legend grew. It was she who caught the first Alinor Sunbird and brought it, unscathed, to the feet of King Aurthelel, and it was she who first mounted a great gryphon and rode it, as Welkynar, into battle."

Her audience of one helps herself to some shellfish as the other sings the praises of this noble and venerated ancestor. Runalenwe considers herself a woman of action, but Pannolaire finds her waxing lyrical on the matters of magic, of magicians, and most anything having to do with her noble clan of wizards. "That certainly sounds like the type of woman who could benefit from such a ring." Pannolaire remarks, smiling and discarding the now emptied remains of her morsel, golden eyes locked on her companion.

"Indeed!" Runalenwe agrees heartily, laughing softly to herself. "And that is what he must have thought, for with her in mind he endeavored to create the powerful artifact that we know today. She was its first holder, and she would go on to bequeath it to her descendants, before ascending to join with her lover in Aetherius..." Her smile lingers, Pannolaire can feel the purposeful pause she is taking and raises a hand to her lips as she chuckles for her lover's theatrics. "Eeartora's line would follow in her wake, living as war mages, welkynars, and studious heroes of their eras. What's more," She raises her chin proudly at this, the rays of sunlight giving a glow to her tan skin. "Her line leads directly to yours truly."

"Ah, I see... no wonder you were going out of your way to flatter her to such a degree." Pannolaire remarks, smirking behind her gloved hand.

Runalenwe scoffs, but smiles. "I can't be shamed for honoring my ancestors, can I?" And with that, she reaches down and helps herself to some fruit, satisfied with her piece.

Her lover gives her a moment's rest, then says something with no other goal than to prod at her ego. "I'm not sure I believe you. I mean, such a famed and legendary ancestor- I've known whole hosts of wizards who give her worship."

Runalenwe, true to form, almost chokes on her apple. "You don't believe me!?" She asks with raised brows, somewhat aware of the game they now play, somewhat genuinely scandalized.

"I'm not sure if I believe you." She corrects her.

"I'll have you know there are extensive genealogical records in my family's tomb!"

Again, Pannolaire laughs behind her hand, and her lover's eyes trace the glimpse of her lips. "Well then, you must take me there on our next sabbatical."

This time, Runalenwe's laugh is brash and untempered, her grin wrinkles her freckled face and her shoulders bob up and down. "Sabbatical! Oh, how rich- what are we, twelfth years???"

Pannolaire laughs along with her, laying beside her, sharing this bright and tranquil day all to themselves. Their hearts are light- they race when they stack their projects up against one another's, when they give presentations knowing that the other is watching, whenever they hold formal dialogue with their peers and mentors watching. How odd it is that their hearts race now, alone together, wearing no uniform and beheld to no observation, no assessment, free to be as they are. Runalenwe's hand finds its place in Pannolaire's, and after an interlude of silence and pecking at their meal, one speaks back up.

"...I'm no good with enchanting, but," Pannolaire says, dark lids drooping as her eyes wander out to sea. "I'm a fool for such romantic gestures... I would love to make you something, something just for you." With these words she shuffles up against Runalenwe's side, leaning against the other woman.

Runalenwe raises her arm to wrap around Pannolaire's waist, pulling her closer still. She leans in to press her head against the other's. "How sweet." Her forehead lies against her temple, her lips hover about her ear as she speaks softly. "What would you make for me, Pann?"

Pannolaire thinks on her skill sets, shifting about with a small bubble of nervousness. She lets herself fall closer against Runalenwe's soft embrace, letting out a long sigh. "A book on etiquette, perhaps."

The other woman chuckles. "I'm classically trained, love."

"In Aldmeri, sure. But would you know how to say 'good day' to a Nord?" Pannolaire retorts.

She laughs again, and for lack of a response presses her lips against her cheek. Pannolaire laughs too, forgetting the lunch they'd packed and shifting about to bury her face in the crook of her lover's neck, leaving a couple of black marks where she plants her kisses. Arms wrapped around her, Runalenwe replies. "Do they have those- good days- in that frigid country of theirs? Honestly, I'd be shocked if they see the sun."

Pannolaire pulls away only to smile and laugh at her peer. "Of course they see the sun!" The two chuckle on that point for a moment, before she settles in once again. "Well, actually, there is an interesting phenomenon that occurs at extreme northern latitudes- sunless days- they only happen at select parts of the year though..."

Runalenwe, content to hold her lover's body as she goes into a long tangent about novel astronomical phenomena and the Nordic holidays that coincide with them, closes her eyes and smiles. Her hand slowly traces Pannolaire's side, gentle and unobtrusive, as not to distract her from her speech.

She easily goes on for nearly half an hour, and it's only Runalenwe's reminder of the cooling food that makes her take pause, before the two resume their dialogue. They continue on like this until the sun dips down, embraced by the sea.

[omgkalyppso]

Coffee Shop AU writing prompt for your FE OT4: :"There is a big storm outside and yes, we were all warned, but some people have to work and now there is this group of people starting to make this small café their own for the next couple of hours till the storm eases up or we get rescued"

Hi. Thank you for this ancient ask. I struggled with this. Although I love reading coffee shop AUs, I've never written one. Why would you hit on a cashier? So. This is Something. 2,454 words below the cut; 2,600 words total.

.

"This puddle is disgusting," Fae said, in dark water past their ankles. A chill ran up their spine as they tried not to think of why it might be slushy.

"This is awfullll-ugh!" Hilda groaned from her place on Fae's back, tilting her toes to purposefully avoid it.

"We just need to go into the next open business," Lorenz repeated with a frown.

A wall of sandbags protected them from the veritable river flowing down the main road, where blocked and overworked catchbasins failed. The depth of the water had rendered it unsafe to use the rental vehicle, some distance away, and Lorenz wondered whether it would ever start again, when the storm had passed.

"But what if—" Fae started to object.

"There!" Hilda interrupted, pointing to where a bar, a pizza place and a coffee shop stood in a line across the next side street.

.

They were only out here because of a job interview that she should have refused, and Hilda was eager to get her friends out of the storm. Even if she got the position, if they were unwilling to reschedule in these circumstances, they seemed like they would be a nightmare to work for.

They waited as the wind scattered a few more sheets of rain between them and their destination, and ran in an arc uphill to avoid the depth of the water on the main road when they made their was across the side street. Still Lorenz leaned out as far as he could, to marvel over where the sea threatened to spill up into the city of Derdriu, a dozen blocks away.

The bar was actually full, extra sandbags by their patio ensuring the safety of a crowd who looked out at the trio in the storm with judgment and incredulity. Lorenz exchanged a glance with the others, and then they continued past. The pizza place was empty save the staff, and they likely wouldn't want to face three relative tourists.

This meant that they ducked inside Tall, Dark and Delectable: a three story cafe that boasted of comfort and meeting spaces.

Though they couldn't see it, the uppermost floor had signage requesting quiet, intended for library-like study, and though they didn't know it, the second floor was tragically treated like a high school cafeteria by their usual clientele, messy and loud. The main floor had the smallest amount of public space, three scattered tables, two couches and twin armchairs, and a counter meant for take out.

The tables had been pulled from the front of the shop, the floor damp and occupied by a Caution Wet sign, because the large windows were opened to the storm, allowing rain to scatter naturally. Upon their entry, two of the three people in uniforms stood, one rushing to a mop by the door to tend to the scant puddle, and the other approaching them with a customer service smile.

Besides the staff, one of the tables was occupied with another crowd of four, and it made the intruders feel a little less self-conscious about their entry. They were regretful about being soaked however, Fae and Lorenz especially from the knees down, but the staff seemed more sympathetic than anything about the muck and water they dragged in around them.

Hilda's heel slipped on the slick floor as Fae set her down from their back, and she threw a hand back to try and catch herself, but ended up slapping the door so that it opened half an inch, but, luckily, Lorenz caught her opposing wrist to stop her from falling through it or back outside.

The server held up a hand in front of his chest.

"Nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Me too," Hilda peeped, brow furrowed and lips pouting, humiliated and fighting adrenaline as she let Lorenz squeeze her wrist and shoulder, confirming her stability.

"You're okay?" Fae confirmed, feeling guilty, moreso when snickers came from the occupied table.

"I'm fine."

"Sorry about..." Lorenz trailed off, gesturing behind him.

"Excuse me?" Hilda exaggerated, insulted.

"The puddle!" Lorenz said purposefully, offended that she would think him so insensitive about her momentary slip.

"That's probably some of our fault," the other server said in apology, sweeping the mop around the caution sign.

"So long as you're alright," said the staff member who'd come to meet them. "Maybe take a seat and not a sofa, though? At least until you dry a little. I imagine you're here for the long haul?"

"Is it likely to wind down?" asked Fae.

The server chuckled softly. "Uh, no. You might want to walk uphill and call a cab, but rideshares are ... sparse, charging a premium, and the wait'll definitely be a few hours."

"So might as well have a coffee," Hilda said, in better spirits, or trying to be.

"Now you're getting it," the server teased with a wink, extending a hand as Hilda walked past him.

"Do you have a reduced menu, under the circumstances?" asked Lorenz.

"Not yet, anyway. Might be fun if you pick something complicated."

"Oh?" Hilda balked. "A lot of teas. I'll try rose grapefruit?" She looked at Lorenz as she added, "Whatever's your largest size?"

Lorenz nodded, and the server asked, "Name? Nope. Sorry, force of habit." He rolled a pen between his fingers in a fluid motion. "I'll know who you are."

"Black rose?" Lorenz requested. "And Fae?"

"I'll try the chocolate earl grey latte?"

"Perfect," agreed the server.

"Should we eat something?" Lorenz asked the others.

Hilda sighed, as if disappointed. She plucked a sandwich from the fridge in front of Lorenz and left it on the counter, and he and Fae followed suit. Lorenz added a chocolate bar that could be broken into squares, and watched as the server rang them up for small sized beverages.

"Oh! Wai—"

"Don't worry about it," the server said with a wink. "You look like you need to catch a break."

Lorenz sighed, feeling guilty about their circumstances. He tipped ten dollars on top of whatever change he was owed, and shrugged at the man behind the counter as he stepped away to sit with Fae and Hilda.

They moved to the table farthest from the windows, as their damp clothes and the continuous breeze had Hilda's teeth chattering. The temperature was warm, but for the most part, the wind had a cooling effect inside the business, and Fae sat Hilda beside them and across from Lorenz, where they could wrap a warm arm around her, and he could extend a hand if he were feeling bold.

.

"Hey Cyril, you going to help me?" Claude asked when their latest customers moved to sit.

"No, thanks," Cyril said simply, dropping back down into one of the armchairs.

Claude rolled his eyes, partly because he didn't really need the help, but mostly because he was frustrated that Cyril was still holding Claude's uncle's decision to keep the shop open against him, as if he'd had any say in it. Having an aversion to working with or for family, Claude had been at this job for less than two months, and if anyone should have argued on their behalf, it should have been Hubert, but he had his own reasons to enjoy the work.

Currently in hushed conversation with his friends, Hubert was as distracted as he always was when that fair haired woman came in.

Claude was pretty sure she was slowly leaving an abusive household, whether romantic or familial he couldn't guess, but he could appreciate why Hubert was slow and awkward about expressing his affection, and why he never objected when she and her friends came in to loiter.

The windows rattled, and everyone turned to look at them, but when nothing broke and the wind died down, Claude went back to working.

He'd been surprised by the tip, but figured that his concern about strangers in the storm had simply been mirrored by the customer's sympathy for workers in the storm. It was really flooding now, it wouldn't be the first time he'd expect a boat to sound out that supplies and medical attention were available, but for now, the loudest noise in the shop was him clattering away at the equipment, preparing three extra larges.

He walked over to the destined table, where they were in hushed conversation, and hesitated in a way that he hoped wasn't impolite, catching sight of the three joined hands on the table's surface before they all snapped back towards their owners.

"Here you are," Claude said, by way of offering them their drinks.

"Thank you," said the pink haired woman with the rain smudge eyeliner. Her eyes drifted across him, and she added, "Claude."

He ran a hand over his nametag absently, smiling as he realized he wasn't being scrutinized — maybe.

"No problem." He could've left it at that, but instead he asked, "Tourists?"

"Mostly," agreed the green haired patron.

"How'd you get trapped in all this?" he asked, gesturing with a finger.

"I had a job interview," confessed the pink haired woman, swiping her fingers through her bangs, "but now I don't know that I'd even want the job."

"Well, from personal experience, I've found that moving to Derdriu for professional reasons is ... challenging," Claude said, leaning on the free chair at their table, and then he didn't know what he was doing, feeling as though he should leave them alone. "I work on whatever projects I can pick up for underwater filming."

"You go diving?" asked the purple haired man.

"Not in this," Claude teased about the weather. "But whenever I can. Have three homemade cameras to take with me."

Was it because he'd felt he'd walked in on something personal that he felt it was only right to open up? Was it that they were easy to talk to?

Claude sat one table over, still measuring how invasive he was being, but the conversation seemed amical, and easy. They didn't formally introduce themselves, but he easily pieced together their names, and a little bit more of their business than he'd intended to collect, while gossiping about what Derdriu was like for foreigners, and where they might want to check out after the streets finished draining in about two days.

He only hesitated again when, halfway through their drinks, their sandwiches finished, Lorenz opened and snapped apart the chocolate, offering pieces to each of his companions. It should have been companionable, there wasn't anything decidedly un-friendly about it, but Claude still wondered about the ritual of it, and what else they shared, with care and practice.

He was glad Fae was telling a story then, realizing how dry his mouth had become. He raised a finger to request a moment and poured himself a glass of water before returning to the table.

Hilda opened her mouth to speak, but found herself interrupted by a bang, the sound of an accident less than a block away, and half the cafe yelped as the power went out.

Claude rushed to the door just ahead of Cyril, and after a moment or two of muffled yelling, Claude was cursing as he forced Cyril back inside as he chased after him, water rushing in behind the duo.

"What the shit, Claude?" called Hubert, standing.

"Someone drove into the hydro pole at the corner," said Claude as he and Cyril secured the door as best they could. "It hasn't fallen yet, but it might, and when the guy from the Venomous Knight came out on his cellphone to put in a call about it, he knocked over three of the sandbags."

Hubert growled and disappeared into the back, soon followed by Cyril while Claude closed the windows. Claude wondered how they looked to the patrons in the cafe, as he joined in the march, piling seven sandbags around the door while Hubert tried reaching his uncle.

To no one's surprise, they were going to close. One of Hubert's friends had a house, and the destination of their crowd was settled. Cyril had his bike and lived uphill, and he was raring to leave. That left Claude's new friends of mostly-tourists, staying at a hotel that was maybe a twenty minute drive down the highway, but at least a two hour walk on foot.

"Is there a closer hotel that you know of?" asked Lorenz, and Claude felt his heart fall through the floor. That was a far more reasonable solution than his mind rattling around with the idea of inviting them back to his sixth floor apartment. Even if it was more expensive.

The crowd was escorted out the back of the shop, and Hubert scoffed when Claude implied he was going to walk their three latest customers to a hostel six blocks away, but that was fine.

It was slow going, with Hilda's poor choice in footwear and the wind, but also because of the continued conversation. Claude had dark brown rainboots and a bright yellow raincoat to change into, but he kept the hood down, even as water saturated his hair and rushed over his eyes, gossiping about other harsh weather and assuring the others every few steps that they were nearly there.

Fae pulled Claude into the hostel when they arrived, so they could bring their phone to life in a drier environment, and ask him about sharing numbers, maybe to thank him later, or else to ask about scuba diving in a few days. He wasn't sure there needed to be a difference, and against Ignatz's advice, texted them once he arrived home, to assure them he'd made it through the storm.

.

The hostel had rules against sharing rooms, and so Fae, Lorenz and Hilda found themselves crowded in the communal living room with two other couples, for the sake of keeping each other's company a little later into the night.

Lorenz sat on a chair by a window, Hilda in his lap. She would be warmer wrapped in a blanket in bed, but she was making due with leeching off Lorenz, one hand on her thigh and the other holding the back of an upper arm, cradling her close and transferring body heat. Fae sat in the windowsill and when their phone buzzed again, Lorenz looked to the clock on the other end of the room before expressing his surprise.

"Are you still texting him?" It was nearing midnight, and while there was little else to do at the hostel, Lorenz worried about boundaries.

"He's still texting me," Fae said in their defense. "Besides, what's the harm in making a new friend in Derdriu?"

"He was very kind," Lorenz agreed. "He left a very good first impression. But I wouldn't you to be lulled into complacency. He is a stranger."

Hilda snickered as she sat up from Lorenz's chest. "You sound like an old man."

"You're worried he'd want sex?" asked Fae, so nonchalant that Lorenz scoffed.

"I'm worried he'd be obsessive, or otherwise hurt you. Or us."

"That's fair," Fae conceded, leaving Claude on Read. "I just thought he seemed fun."

"And cute," Hilda contributed, her tone making plain that she thought so too.

Lorenz blushed and swept a hand over his lips, squinting in his own meager defense when the other two looked at him. He murmured, "Did you see his shoulders while he carried those sandbags?" When Fae and Hilda giggled, Lorenz rolled his eyes and pointed at nothing as he said more forcefully, "That's not a character assessment."

"No," Fae agreed, "but it might be enough to invite him to get ice cream or something, as a thank you."

[incarnateirony]

The government only allows the person working to cross over for quarantine so at the earliest Mish won’t be in Van until tomorrow so he’ll only be able to be in like 2 days of 15.20. We know 19/20 are filming somewhat simultaneously and scene 46 (probably the last scene since most epis have around 42) was already filmed. I’m worried that even if he films part of 20 it’s minimal and not part of the grand finale. The possibility of Cas not getting his toes in the sand with his family just hurts.

What part of “you’re completely lacking the rest of the context of whether that’s a directly experienced story, a relayed story, a zoom call during wife driving story, or any other potential context of that second to the fact that we already know he’s been quarantining in a hotel for weeks” missed you?

I know you guys want really, really, REALLY bad to be upset and imagine worse case scenarios, but he’s /already been quarantining./

Stop.

Or at least stop spamming my inbox trying to get validation for the whackadoo because you’re not going to get it here. If you want to get reason and points where you’ve possibly missed discussion options, that’s fine. But if you’re going to double down, I say again: save my previous ask if you’re so certain, come back at me with I TOLD YOU SO if I’m wrong in like 4 months, but don’t clutter my inbox with some weird dedication to taking the worst possible read ever.

Even IF you're right with amount filmed while already there and "only two days" he could easily be in a third of the episode like most of his eps. Ffs, stop.

Which, by the way, you’re not. All you need to get to Canada is an eTA right now which the Collins could easily afford to do. It’s like 7 freaking bucks to apply and go through due process right now.

Travellers coming from outside the US who are exempt from the travel restrictions (list truncated to ones the Collins’ could fit within)

temporary foreign workers

any person who does not pose a significant harm to public health, in the opinion of the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, and who will provide an essential service while in Canada

any person whose presence in Canada is in the national interest, in the opinion of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship; Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness; or Minister of Foreign Affairs

a person who is authorized, in writing, by a consular officer of the Government of Canada to enter Canada for the purpose of reuniting immediate family members

Who is an immediate family member

An immediate family member is defined as a

spouse or common-law partner

dependent child

dependent child of a dependent child

parent or step-parent

guardian or tutor

Public health measures for travellers to Canada

If you’re travelling by air, you need to

pass a health check conducted by airlines before you’ll be allowed to board your flight

wear a non-medical mask or face covering during travel (including to the place you’ll quarantine)

*jazz hands* I think you all forget that the WB is one of the most powerful companies in the world and all it takes is one plea to a Canadian official to let their families come along and that’s it, it’s done. Covid test before flight and still quarantine by agreement and it’s not hard.

When you arrive in Canada by air, land or sea, we’ll assess your health before you leave the POE. If you’re a foreign national, and you have symptoms of COVID-19, you won’t be allowed to enter Canada.

You must have a plan to quarantine for 14 days when you arrive in Canada, including

a place to stay

how you’ll

get to your destination

get your groceries

access essential services and medical care

This plan is mandatory, even if you have no symptoms. If you don’t have a plan, you should not travel to Canada. Otherwise, you may not be allowed to enter the country. A border services officer will determine if you can enter the country.

Seriously.

And again all of THIS is a huge aside on people not getting how powerful the WB is and how easy it would be to wiggle them in, which again *is not necessary* to approaching the matter because *we don’t even know if Misha was there for the story he retold or if he’s trolling the fuck out of you over something his wife just said the kids did while he was calling her*. 

And again, even with THAT, there would be a total of 4 days total filming at anywhere from 4 to 12 shots per day based on your worst case scenario, so again, I really don’t know why someone is coming to basically lowkey argue through anon just to post sad stuff at me after I showed the many ways this is being blown out of proportion. I’ll say it again: save my posts, if I’m wrong and Misha just totally isn’t in the finale at all, come back in 4 months and Told You So’ed me. Otherwise, like. Seriously, stop insisting on posting negativity at people and doubling down at them when they clearly disagree with you, wtf?

This shit is ENDLESS guys, wave after wave, year after year, upset after upset, panic after panic, and somehow nobody ever catches a clue about it, and it starts all over again every season, every finale, sometimes every episode, and more bafflingly every tweet that people leap several football fields of conclusions in a single step over. Every time. *wHY*

The logic of “WHY DON’T THEY JUST SPOIL ALL THE ENDING STUFF FOR US RIGHT NOW WHILE WE GET SUPER LOUD ABOUT IT” is roughly tantamount to “WHY NOT JUST POST THE SCRIPTS FOR THE ENDING NOWWWWW” and I’m so very very tired of trying to be gentle and logical with everyone. I was gently logical last ask, but this doubling down, I’m not gonna just keep going “Yeah ok pls keep sending me stuff that’s arguing out the side of your mouth and spamming my ask box with things you know I clearly disagree with”

You have a right to feel feelings, hell, you have a right to be sad about ideas. But as much as “it just hurts to think XYZ”, I think there’s an absolute lack of consideration that people spraying their incessant dark takes at people in the middle of a pile of global crisises for the sheer dedication to said dark take is itself one emotional black hole for the people on the receiving end, even if they very confidently disagree with you, it’s e x h a u s t i n g

Imagine being stuck on a loop having ten thousand emo takes being thrown at you even if you have an answer to all of them, but once you answer them all, they loop back over again from different people, and all the people try to argue with you. Doesn’t matter how confident you are, you can and will be depleted of energy and give a damns by the end of it.

Add in that chunks of this fandom try to make it seem like a cardinal sin to post positively in your own space or want to maintain your space as a positive space, while going around and negging on other people’s shit, and calling it positivity policing if they literally don’t want people dropping flaming poo bags on their doorstep, and somehow this has been entirely normalized. Holy fuck I’m tired of this fandom and honestly couldn’t be gladder the show is ending.

If people wanna spend months hurting themselves with things that hurt to think about and feel that’s their prerogative, I can’t control that, but a simple point to ask is if it hurts to think it, why be so dedicated to staying on a specific interpretation that is far from the only viable one? So you... don’t get hurt in several months? So you spend several months choosing to hurt yourself and other people? Sounds self destructive, can’t relate.

So one last time: There is no recent image of Misha with his kids. Misha has posted a picture of his kid with a spatula with no proof it was him that took it. As recently as Aug 19th he was confirmed to be at “someone else’s place” than his own when Yang was talking about quarantine, has had that background for a few weeks (he had the same painting--or painting style, such as a persistently decorated building--behind him Aug 6 and 8 from a different angle), and even implied pre-GISH that he was going to be in vancouver at the end of GISH. His recent streaming is not his house environment, does not match recent images of where his kids last were, we don’t know if he was even there in person for the convo, and even if he was, he could get his kids there if he really needed to. The entire crew has been intentionally cryptic about his location for a damn good reason and that alone should tell you everything, but if it doesn’t, just save these goddamn asks and come back months later if I’m wrong, instead of wasting my time and energy.

So your options are: 

Misha is in a large suite, or rotated suites, in a hotel with extremely stock decor across its rooms or

Misha is malevolently finding copies of mountain art and matching hotel furniture to move around pretending to be in quarantine and getting a politician to help him lie about being with someone else in a machiavellian plan just to fuck with everyone.

QUICK HE TWEETED A PIC OF HIS KID WITH ENTIRELY DIFFERENT BACKGROUND AND POSTED A NO CONTEXT TWEET ABOUT A KID BEING A KID IN THE CAR, SLAM THE BREAKS. 

The quarantine info is just extra, because I’m like 99% sure the kids aren’t even there with him right now. And that he is in fact in Van. But just a little note about how people don’t consider the full spread of potential before going off.

The logical answer to all of this is simple:

Misha went into quarantine only about 2 days behind the other guys (who started aug 4thish), to attend either day 3 or 5 shooting for episode 20 shoots mixed into ep 19 shooting which is why his colors are recently visible on the tape ball THEY ZOOMED IN ON DURING THEIR SONG WHEN HE SAID HE WASN’T ON SET “today” (Aug 20th -- a day they were doing NO EPISODE 20 FILMING UNLIKE THE DAY BEFORE AND THE DAY AFTER), because he’s paid by episode and not by day/hour, and the three stars will be fitted to what costars need flown in for a scene or two; Misha is trolling the fuck out of everyone’s anxiety, either with the kids being legally entered to Canada (unlikely) or by just second hand relaying some silliness that happened while he was calling his wife over the phone bluetooth (likely), or something else in that wheelhouse (likely.) and will be in Van a few more weeks.

The least logical answer to all of this:

In direct conflict with other script leaks earlier this year, Misha came in just to die deadeded in episode 19 instead of 18, and instead his death is the feature in 19, and he’s already shot his scenes and been totally happy with it as a cas ending despite being thrown into the trash the way fans keep imagining because of a random tweet with no physical evidence for the conclusion they jumped to from the tweet, and went home before even episode 19 filming is done, because people want to envision the worst case scenario.

He wasn’t documented in Van/quarantine location until Aug 6. He couldn’t have attended shooting until day 3, by all odds. Like I said, he came a few days behind the others. Almost like, gee, he was aiming to be there for day 3 of filming or something.

if you really think they’re gonna fly Misha out early just to literally film, like, scene 46 of episode 20 or something too as the new argument--I really don’t know what to tell you beyond the fact you’re dedicated to being upset.  Another logical read of this is, as one of the three stars that’s going to have a sizable impact on the final episode, he’s going to need to meet other guest stars that will have a few scenes between 19 and 20, so days 3 and 5 probably have someone like Billie or Bobby or some other character that needs to be in both in the related scenes so they only have to be on site for one day of filming instead of weeks as opposed to the core stars. Take note several of the 28PartWhatevers are on the multifilming days, for example. Do some detective work. Figure this out past initial kneejerk when you literally know the entire cast is fucking with you at this point.

Whoever’s in 15.19 28pt4 and 20 also needed to be around for a Misha shot for 15.20 shot 46 which will be hella close to the end. Bet your ass. Be that Billie or Mary or what, I don’t know. Hell, maybe they got JDM to show up for one final shot, we don’t fucking KNOW. Same for 15.19 28pt7 and 8, the fact 28pt4 was shot AGAIN, and possibly 23pt2 with possible overlaps of 15.20 11, 12, 43.

Coincidentally, day 3 only had like 4 shots while we do know Misha had availability at his quarantine spot from PST onward. Of course, that would make sense, if the 15.20 scene 46 shot being listed first on the board means they did it first and Misha was home before lunch. Hell, his hair was still Cas-styled on his time on with Yang, as opposed to “I kinda brushed my hair today”. Light scruff, check, but full beard, nope. 

Read as: That would mean he was filming for late/final shots of 20, not 19.

[waywardwrestlewritingwaif]

TheGuardian’s Oath, Part Ten

I’m definitely making progress... You can get caught up on previous sections by following the links in the Master List. 

Pairing: Feargal Devitt/ Finn Balor x OFC

Word count: 3,035

Content advisory: Some sexual content, not as graphic as in previous chapters. 

At first, I wondered if Sophia might have made them when she first started talking of her lost younger brother, but even a quick look dispelled that idea. The needlework was that of a skilled worker, a grown woman, not a child. The fabric was very soft and fine and the blanket was edged with a distinctive type of lace. Even the thread used for the embroidery looked expensive. Whoever had made these pieces had done so with the aim of making something very special and had the knowledge of what was needed to do so. Whatever had become of Colin, someone had gone to great lengths to make him something to show that he was loved. 

Perhaps the proper thing to do would have been to put everything away and wait to discuss these matters with my husband but I knew myself well enough to know that the thought that Kate might have lied to me about the origins of “Colin” would eat at my heart until I knew the truth.  So I gathered up both items, carefully folding them because I hated the idea of showing them any disrespect, and went downstairs to the kitchen. 

“Good morning ma’am,” Kate greeted me with her customary cheer. “Can I fix you something to eat?”

“Not right away,” I stammered, laying the mysterious garments out for her to see. “I was making some room in the cedar chest upstairs and I found these inside it. I’m not quite sure what to make of it.”

Kate stepped closer and her eyes widened. She looked every bit as shocked as I was, her jaw falling slack as she turned to face me. 

“These were upstairs? They were with… her… things?”

I nodded. “I remember what you told me about Sophia and I thought at first she might have made them but… there’s no way…”

Kate shook her head, rubbing her hands on her apron as she often did when she was anxious. “Oh no, these are her doing… the first Mrs. Devitt. That lace is from her part of the world. She brought some with her and she made blankets and wraps for Miss Sophia and Master William just like these. It’s been years since I’ve thought about it but doing such work was one of the only things that made her seem happy.”

She pursed her lips a little, as if she felt she’d said too much. 

“So there must have been some background story then, something she shared with Sophia,” I mused. “Is it possible that Mrs. Devitt had a younger brother who died? Perhaps Sophia heard the story when she was very young and confused it in her mind?”

“I suppose it could be something like that, ma’am. Although that name, Colin… that was the Reverend’s late father.”

“True. And the late Mrs. Devitt’s people were French.”

“I suppose they might have chosen that name for their son and then decided to change it to William afterwards,” she offered. 

We puzzled in silence for a few minutes before we were startled by a sharp gasp. We hadn’t heard Susan make her way into the kitchen but more unnerving was the expression on her face when she saw what we were looking at. 

“Oh she can’t have kept those,” she exclaimed breathlessly. “With the name and everything.”

“Do you know what these are, Susan?” I asked her, a little more sharply than I had intended. 

The girl’s face could hardly have looked more shocked if she had seen an actual ghost. 

“I’m sorry for speaking outside my place, ma’am but it caught me off guard. I never realized that they named it.”

“Named what?”

“Well when the Reverend’s first wife disappeared, when she died, she was expecting a child.”

“What on Earth are you talking about?” Kate snapped at her. “Who told you such a thing?” The cook turned her attention to me before continuing, “Ma’am, I’ve been here many years, and I was here during both of her confinements and I knew practically as soon as she did when she was in the family way.”

“I know she never shared the news,” Susan retorted, “but there were people in the village knew about it all the same.”

“Shame on you for listening to idle gossip!”

“Wait,” I interjected softly, trying to make sense of what I’d just heard. “Susan, why would Mrs. Devitt have told people in the village about this?”

“Why indeed?” Kate huffed. 

Susan shot the older woman a hot look but addressed her comments to me. “It wasn’t that she told people there, ma’am. She went to see my Aunt Anne because she was having a terrible time of it. My aunt always helped ladies in distress that way.”

Kate shook her head a little, her dark eyes furious and I was worried that any word she spoke would cause a fight.

“Your aunt helps with the lying-in?” I prompted. 

Susan nodded, looking a little gratified that I was taking her seriously. “She does whatever’s needed along the way.”

I didn’t need to ask Kate for her opinion because her disgust was painted across her face for all to see. 

“I can’t say what the problem was exactly but she asked me to set up a meeting for her with Aunt Anne and that’s what I did. I never knew what they discussed, as it wasn’t my business.”

Kate ejaculated a hard little laugh and I held up my hand to calm both of them. 

“Clearly, we’re not going to be able to learn anything more on the subject and that may be for the best. I am going to place these back where I found them and I don’t think we should any of us speak on it any further.”

The rest of the day unfolded under a sort of dark cloud that was reflected in the weather. A squall rolled in by late afternoon and everything for miles around was battered by wind and rain. I entreated Susan to stay until the storm passed for her own safety but she remained in such a mood that she refused. Dinner was quiet, with Kate a little tart that I had given any credence to Susan’s story and, I imagined, a little annoyed that she was unable to come up with an argument to categorically refute it. 

“Will you have a cup of tea with me?” she piped up once I had put the children to bed. 

“I would enjoy that,” I sighed. 

She sat with me and asked friendly enough questions about how I was managing and whether or not the children were afraid of the storm, but it was clearly all a prelude to what she really wanted to say. 

“I hope you don’t think I’m being impertinent, ma’am, but that girl’s story about…”

I nodded and bade her continue. 

“I don’t know if you’d decided on saying anything to the Reverend about those blankets you found, but if you do, for pity’s sake don’t start talking about his former wife going to see that old woman in the village. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with her helping young mothers when their time comes but it’s well enough known that she’s hardly better than a witch. You know I don’t believe that the Reverend’s first wife was any saint but there’s wild and then there’s ungodly. I don’t think there’s a hair of truth to that tale Susan told us. I don’t believe she meant any harm because she’s like a lot of the village girls, a bit simple and a measure too fanciful for her own good. But I’ve heard enough about that old woman and goings-on there to know that if you tell the Reverend that people are saying that his wife went to see her because of a family problem that it will be like a knife in his heart.”

“I understand, Kate. I wish I hadn’t found those things and started any of this. When I feel the time is right, I show them to him and ask what he wants me to do with them. As far as I’m concerned, that’s the end of it.”

We sipped our tea, both clearly ruminating about the fact that this was likely the end of nothing. It seemed that whatever I tried to do for this family, now my family, I was forever disinterring their dead. 

Then, from upstairs, there was a bloodcurdling scream followed by a loud crash. Kate and I leapt to our feet and ran to the children’s room, finding them both wide awake and in tears. 

“What happened? Did something fall?”

Both children shook their heads frantically, both of them trying to grab hold of me. 

“It came from upstairs!” William wailed, burying his face against my skirt. 

“Very well then, I’ll go and look.”

As best as I could with the children attached to me as they were, I made my way to the door leading up to the garrett. It felt strange that I was so intimidated, considering that I had still slept more nights in the attic than in the master bedroom. But the narrow door seemed like it led to something dangerous and I found myself hesitating before it. 

“Leave it ma’am, I’m going to go for the watch,” Kate mumbled, grasping my shoulder. 

“There’s no need for that,” I answered, as much to convince myself as her. “If someone wanted to break in, they’d have come in through the ground floor. We are in no danger.”

I managed to extricate myself from the three of them and cautiously opened the door. I could immediately feel something different than I remembered. I could feel the wind and the scent of the sea was thick in my nostrils. I slowly ascended the stairs to my former room, my breath quickening. I wanted to tell Kate to bring the children back to their room, although I knew they would never go. Unlike them, I had no fear of burglars. I knew that something else could be lying in wait. 

The attic was oddly bright and it took my eyes a moment to adjust and understand what I was seeing. The little window from which I had been able to see the ocean was completely smashed and part of a tree hung through it. In the end, I was alone and this was nothing more than a common accident brought on by the storm. As much of a mess as it was, it was neither physically nor spiritually threatening. Nevertheless, I was filled with unease as I observed the carcass of the tree and the shards of glass glittering like stars across the floor. 

“Well I won’t be easy to clean up but it’s nothing too bad,” I sighed, giving Kate and the children a weary smile. “That big Scotch pine’s fallen and taken out the window.”

Kate shook her head. “The Reverend’s been asking Mr. Jones to cut that thing back for two years now. He’s going to be fit to be tied when he finds out.”

“At least I’ll be able to get the worst of it dealt with before he gets home.” I smiled to reassure everyone that I had things in hand. “Please get yourself some rest, Kate. I’ll get these two settled again.”

William and Sophia went back to bed easily enough, their tears dried and their rush of excitement quickly fading. I gave them both a kiss and promised them again that all was well. I was about to leave them when something occurred to me about the sequence of events from earlier. 

“Sophia,” I began, trying to recall every detail of what had happened in perfect clarity, “what was it that made you scream earlier?”

“I was just frightened by the noise,” she answered tensely. 

“Of course, it’s just that I thought… I thought I heard your voice before the tree fell.”

Her dark eyes met mine and, even in the shadows, I could see her brow twitch and furrow just a little. 

“I must have been mistaken,” I whispered. “Good night, sweet girl.”

As I returned to bed, I replayed the events of the night in my head. I tried to convince myself that I’d made a mistake but it was no use. Sophia had screamed and then the tree had fallen. She had seen or heard something that scared her but it was something else, something that had disappeared in the commotion afterwards. It could easily have been that she awoke and was frightened by the grotesque shadows cast on the wall by the trees outside. But there was that other possibility; I knew that there was that other figure who lurked here and now it seemed that he had approached the children. 

“The arrangement is that you don’t touch them,” I whispered aloud. “You do what you want to me but the children and their father are spared.”

I realized in my heart that I had no power over him and that I could not depend on him honoring our bizarre ‘contract’. Still, I repeated the phrase again in the hopes that he would hear: 

“They are to be kept safe.”

*

I shouldn’t have been surprised that the following day I had a terrible headache. Shifts in weather often had an effect on me and with the stress of having to deal with Mr. Jones and arranging the repairs, along with another sleepless night, I was in so much pain I found myself having to squint. 

Mr. Jones was none too happy about being called in to deal with the tree, all the more so when I insisted on hiring men from the town to repair and replace the window rather than allowing him to bring in members of his family to do the job. He cursed at me under his breath whenever he thought I was out of earshot. 

Strange men were in and out well into the evening, filling the house with the sound of shouts and heavy footfalls. The men who had come to work on the window were aggravated that Mr. Jones insisted on cleaning up the remains of the tree at the same time. Kate and Susan were aggravated that there were so many people coming in and out of the house. An argument broke out when Mr. Jones fell from his ladder and insisted that one of the men inside the house had distracted him and caused the accident. The foreman was equally adamant that none of his men had been in the room at the time and that our old gardener was trying to stir up trouble. 

By the time everyone was done for the day, I was so exhausted I could barely speak. Seeing the state I was in, Kate ordered me to bed. I did not like to impose on her any further, since she hadn’t had an easy night either, but I was in no state to put up a fight. I retired early and would have fallen asleep right away but for what I saw when I entered the bedroom: three lines scratched roughly into the floorboards just inside the doorframe. 

I wanted to cry out but there was nothing that I could say. Although the workers hadn’t been in our bedroom, they had been moving throughout the house. The marks could easily have been an accident. Even if they had been made on purpose, there was no sinister meaning to such markings that I was aware of. Still, their presence was a torment to me. It wasn’t enough that he could come and claim me whenever he wanted, Balor needed me to know that he was always there, always watching, even when I couldn’t see him. 

I fell asleep quickly and found myself dreaming of a walk in the coastal forest, of wandering and trying to find something, my way home or something I had lost. As I walked, I found myself growing shorter and shorter of breath, until I realized that I was underwater, that I was struggling to breathe because there was no air for me. I awoke some time after dark, gasping, aware only of a weight on top of me and rapid, hot breaths on my neck. His claws were wrapped in my hair and I could feel his sex pressed close to mine. His shoulder pinned my face to the pillow and kept me from seeing anything. I might as well have been running through the underwater forest still. 

His touch was rougher and more insistent than ever but I felt a little relieved because if he was focused on me, it meant that he wasn’t marauding through the house or targeting the children. I even slipped an arm around him, pressing my hand against the base of his bony spine and encouraging him to take what he so obviously wanted. He bit down hard on my neck, enough that I felt blood droplets form and trickle from the wound as he thrust into me. 

As always, I tried to resist surrendering to the ecstasy he made me feel and, as always, I failed, becoming an eager participant in our ungodly coupling. 

He was exceptionally animated, a stream of filth and curses flowing from him amid declarations that I was his and no one else’s, that I had been made for him, body and soul. I wanted to tell him that he was a monster and I was meant only for my husband, and at the same time, I felt connected to the very force of life when I was with him in a way that I never could without. In the end, my mind seemed to become confused as it shifted between Feagal and Balor and all I could do was mewl and whimper in reply to his goading. 

When it was finished between us, Balor ran his tongue slowly over the length of my collarbone, sucking gently at the hollow where it connected to my throat. He spoke in a rough whisper, tapping his fingers against my shoulder, a beat for each word he uttered. 

“One. Two. Three.”

And then he was gone. 

[torispencerkeene-blog]

Masks: Myths and Facts

Personal Rights/Politics/Fake News/Conspiracy

Myth:  Covid-19 is a government/left-wing conspiracy. Covid-19 was designed by China to destroy America. It is China’s fault we are dealing with Covid-19.  Fact: There is absolutely no evidence that Covid-19 is any of those things. 

Myth: Covid-19 has been stopped. We are doing fine and there is no need to continue wearing masks. Fact: Covid-19 is still raging in the United States and several other countries. We as citizens must do what we can to help. Just as we vote to elect officials to protect us, we also need to do our part in protecting each other.  

Myth:  Doctor Fauci and the CDC have said I don’t have to wear a mask. That means I don’t need one.  Fact:  Yes, that was the original statement. It has since been explained that those statements were made at a time when medical professionals didn’t have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) and the government was hoping to avoid creating a panic and to avoid people buying all the remaining products that doctors, nurses, and first responders needed.  Also, since the time those statements were made, months of research has shown us that masks do reduce transmission (by as much as 85%). 

Myth: Masks are a symbol of tyranny. Masks are stepping on my personal rights under the constitution. Fact: No one is asking you to wear a mask because they want you unheard, because they are trampling your rights, or because of socialism. The reason people are encouraged to wear a mask is to protect those around you. Your family, friends, neighbors, store clerks, etc. 

Myth: Wearing a mask makes me look weak (my husband said to put this one in).  Fact:  While I have no science to back this up, I can tell you, wearing a mask doesn’t make you look weak. It makes you look smart. Kind. Considerate. Raffish maybe. Dangerous. It certainly doesn’t make you look weak. 

Are there Dangers to Wearing a Mask?

Myth:  My breath gets caught in the mask, trapping carbon monoxide and making me sick.  Fact:  Only particles are stopped by the face masks. Your breath cannot be stopped because it flows through the tiny spaces in the material. No fabric you would use to make a mask is air-tight. Masks don’t stop your breath, only bacteria and particles and the moisture that is carried on your breath.

Myth:  Masks trap harmful bacteria against your face and can make you sick.  Fact:  On the inside of the mask, only your own bacteria is caught. Since it is yours, and you’ve already been exposed to it, there is little chance it will cause you to become ill. 

Myth:  I don’t need to wash my masks.  Fact: You should wash your masks after each use (and only use them once). While your own bacteria is caught on the inside of a mask, the bacteria other people carry might end up on the outside. That is why you should always remove masks by the loops that circle around the ears and wash them with soap and hot water (a washing machine is fine). 

How to Wear a Mask

Myth: Homemade cloth face coverings are ineffective, and shouldn’t be worn in public. I should be using an n-19 respirator.  Fact: Wearing a homemade facemask might not stop a healthy person from getting Covid-19, but it does reduce the risk. Also, wearing homemade masks can help prevent those who are Covid-19-positive from spreading it to others because the fabric can trap some, or all, of the particles that spread the virus.  While respirators would work better, they should be reserved for medical workers and first responders. 

Myth: I only need to cover my mouth. A loose-fitting mask is fine.  Fact: You should always cover both your mouth and nose with your mask. Make sure the mask fits snug against your face so nothing can get in or out around the sides. 

Where to Wear a Mask

Myth: If I don’t feel sick, I don’t need to wear a mask.  Fact: Many Covid-19-positive people have no symptoms, or have delayed symptoms. Wearing a mask protects others in case you have Covid-19 with no symptoms. 

Myth:  You don’t have to wear a mask at home. Fact:  If you are Covid-a9-positive (or are waiting for results and feel ill) you should isolate yourself in a single room. Any time you leave that room, you should be wearing a mask and practicing proper social distancing and safety precautions. 

Myth:  If you’ve already had Covid-19, you don’t need a mask.  Fact: The antibodies for Covid-19 have been shown to reduce greatly over time. More information is needed to discover how long they last, or how likely it is that someone will be infected a second time. 

Myth: I don’t need to wear a mask outside. Fact: Sometimes it is necessary. While it is true that the risk of spread is lower outdoors, there is still a possibility of transmission. In any crowded space, or whenever you are within six feet of other people, you should wear a mask. 

Myth:  If I wear a mask I don’t need to stay home (or social distance). Fact:  Limiting exposure reduces risk. While masks and proper protective measures are extremely important, they are not foolproof. In any enclosed space, your risk of transmission is greater, even with a mask. Maintain social distancing whenever possible, stay home (or alone) as much as possible. Your are only helping yourself and the ones you love. 

Myth:  You have to wear a mask when you swim. Fact:  It’s probably better not to get your mask wet, especially with sea-water. If you are going to go swimming, keep the mask on when you are on the beach or at the pool-side, and any time you are around people. You can take it off to go into the water, but remain away from people who do not live with you. This should reduce the risk. Remember, six feet is considered the minimum safe distance. 

How to Wear a Mask:

Wash your hands before putting on your mask. If you can’t wash them, at the very least, use some sort of hand sanitizer and avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes until you can. 

Start at the top. Cover your nose to your chin, then loop it around the ears. 

Make sure the mask fits close to your face to avoid contaminated air from leaking around the edges. It doesn’t need to dig into your skin, but fit snug against it. 

Whatever mask you use, make sure you can breathe easily through the material. (I have found spandex material fits better around the nose and covers it easily without fogging up your glasses, but it should be reinforced over the mouth so no particles can get through. 

If at all possible, keep the face covering (mask) on the entire time you are out. If for any reason you can’t do this, keep a clean spare in your bag, purse, briefcase, or even in a zip lock bag in your pocket. (I take mine off every now and then to smoke a cigarette, but I make sure I am far from other people when I do so. 

When removing the mask, only touch the ear loops. This helps you avoid getting anything on your hands (but to be safe, you should wash them or use hand sanitizer). Put it directly into the laundry, your place for dirty masks, or into a zip lock bag so that no germs will spread to the rest of your things. 

Wash your masks before reusing them. Moisture allows bacteria to grow and they can smell if you don’t clean them quickly (have enough spares that you can wash some while having others for use). 

For more information (Sources) Note: The CDC has directions for making your own face covering. 

www.CDC.gov www.WHO.int University of Maryland Medical System - Wearing a Mask: Myths and Facts Pacific Northwest University - Fact vs. Fiction: Face Masks TriCare - Face Masks, Stress: Covid-19 Myths vs Facts AARP - 7 Myths about Face Masks

[realityhelixcreates]

Lasabrjotr Chapter 62: Brood XVII

Chapters: 62/? Fandom: Thor (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: Mature Warnings: Death mentions, Snap flashback Relationships: Loki x Reader (There We Go) Characters: Loki (Marvel), Thor(Marvel),  Additional Tags: Post-Endgame: Best Possible Ending (Canon-Divergent), You Don’t Know What You Got Till It’s Gone, Never Miss The Sun Till It Starts To Snow, Other Ironic Lyrics About Being Disrupted By The Loss Of A Mundane Thing

Summary:   Sometimes the things everyone complains about become a comfort. Without them, you can't sleep. Loki, however, can't stop being sneaky, even if it's for your own good.

The days marched on into late summer, the sun finally beginning to fully set again. The nights in Iceland were clear and cold, the sky stretching unbroken from horizon to horizon. It reminded you of home in its scope, but was alien in its silence.

That was becoming a problem.

The nightmares came and went every few months, building up to a peak that left you sleepless and discombobulated. You could power through it with sleep aids sometimes, but you had none right now.

The silence of Iceland must seem like a boon to most people, but the lack of late summer cicadas filling the air with their sawing reminded you far too much of the silence of that lost year.

The first dream found you wandering the barren fields, following the sound of a song, desperate to find who was singing, who else had survived. It wasn't until you felt a soft crunch under your shoe, and the song stopped, that you realized that in your scramble, you had accidentally crushed a cicada. Your only other companion in this whole dead world.

You had woken up, weeping in Loki's arms, to his clear confusion.

After that, it was the song of crickets floating over empty hills, with you seeking, always seeking the paradise they must be living in; a tree, a patch of grass, even an old log. Something living, anything. But you could never find it. Every hill you crested only brought you to more hills, the soft chirping drifting on the wind.

Or you waded through drifts of insect corpses, the tiny bodies turning into dust as you walked, until you were drowning in a sea of it.

You moved back into your own room after a few nights, tired of waking Loki up, and tired of not being able to present him with some kind of solution to your problems. He could not make it possible for noisy insects to live in Iceland, he could not remove your nightmares, and if a reality restructuring event couldn't take away your terrible memories, neither could he.

But if you just had to endure this, you could at least do it without waking him up every night. Even if his little questioning “Have I done something wrong?” broke your heart a bit. Though he must know that you weren't lying when you told him he hadn't, he didn't seem to believe it himself.

But in your own room, you could get up and pace, or mess around on your phone, or just sit at your desk and stare out the window at the stars. They seemed so bright and close.

A bit of inspiration one night led you on a Youtube search for 'ASMR Cicada Song 10 hrs'-a boon for your sleepless nights. You also found frog song, and crickets, and even cardinals. All four seasons of nature's singing...at least in Iowa. You lay your phone next to your pillow every night after, just letting the cicada recordings play. It helped a lot, but it was hard on your phone, and it meant you still couldn't go back to Loki. He surely didn't want to have to listen to this every night.

You still joined him for breakfast every day, and sometimes in the bath, allowing yourself to become more comfortable with the intimacy he so ardently wanted to share with you. In fact, despite the disrupted sleep, your schedule remained fairly normal. Magic practice and physical training, lessons with Saga, and paperwork with Loki. You even sat in with him as he saw to the needs of his petitioners, becoming more familiar with the values of the different divisions of Asgardian culture

You and Loki worked side by side on the Trolekaerhalla longhouses, not just supervising, but placing stones, and hauling earth. Some nights, when you looked out at the stars, cicadas singing from your phone, you could not get the sight of him out of your mind: hair braided back, hands dirty, carrying loads his worshipers couldn't manage by themselves. He wore workers clothes, and traced spells of blessing into the foundations, an Asgardian work song on his lips.

You had never wanted him more than when he was like that. When he just looked like a man.

That was another reason for your withdrawal into your own space. You needed time to think about what you really wanted out of this relationship.

Loki, bless him, was very patient and proper; he didn't push, and seemed more than happy to accept whatever level of affection you were comfortable giving him. It was clear that he was terribly vulnerable now-his insecurity was like a raw wound. You wished you could soothe it, but you had to figure yourself out first.

It seemed like all the pieces were there: the desire for closeness and intimacy, both physical and emotional. The mental connection. The respect, the pride, the admiration. The feeling of safety, the excitement. But something still caused you to hesitate.

It was Todd, you knew it was. Or rather, it was the baggage he had left behind. The horribly intimate knowledge that someone you trusted so deeply could treat you that way. That if one person you loved and trusted so much could do that, so could someone else. So could Loki.

You wanted so much to believe he wouldn't, that his gentleness and fervency was real, and would last.

But Todd had been the same way, at first.

And then there was the whole immortality thing. You weren't and Loki was-or lived on a time scale that meant he might as well be. If you were lucky, you might get another whole fifty to eighty years. But with your family's medical history, you might be very unlucky indeed. If a tumor began to form, if it was inoperable, like your mother and your aunt, you wouldn't even get a full year after that.

It hadn't happened yet, but it could happen at any time.

But Loki knew that, he knew about it and he wanted you anyway. Perhaps, with all of the things he'd been through, he understood the preciousness of time.

You had to think of the future too; if you didn't die young, if both you and he decided to make the relationship permanent, what would be required of you? No doubt Thor would make marriage between humans and Asgardians legal, but would the people recognize you? Would you be able to be a good wife? A good princess? With all your problems, would you even be able to keep up with your responsibilities? At that point, this relationship would effect far more people than just you and him.

And then there was the subject of children. You weren't having any. You decided long ago that you weren't suited to raising anything more complicated than a houseplant. But how disappointing would that be for Loki? Wouldn't the wife of a prince be practically required to produce at least one child to further the dynasty? Would half-Asgardian children be considered legitimate heirs? It didn't matter, because you weren't having any. You'd gotten that IUD when you'd first arrived here to make sure of it.

But would Loki be able to accept that?

How the people felt about it meant less to you. For one thing, Loki seemed perfectly willing to circumvent tradition for what he felt was right, and for another...well, you would die of old age, and he would not. He would have plenty of opportunity to marry a nice Asgardian girl and have some heirs after you were gone.

That would be fine, wouldn't it?

Well...you didn't like thinking about him with someone else, but at least you wouldn't be around for it. He shouldn't have to be lonely when you were gone, anyway.  

That was only if you two decided to stay together until you died though. You were looking for permanence and stability now. You'd been through so much that you just wanted something reliable. But did you think Loki could provide that?

He was like you, in that he had endured some dark and terrible things. But was he like you in wanting something lasting? All you knew about his previous relationships was that almost all of them were based on lies and social climbing. Had Loki ever had someone who just wanted him?

Because you did. All the time. You couldn't help but think about it; about squeezing his hips with your thighs, biting his lip, curling your fingers in his hair. About his thin slash of a mouth, his long fingers, his searing eyes.

But also his little drawings, his soft sighs when you cuddled him, the effervescent buzz of his magic. His almost-familiar accent, and his excitement over you.

He was just so...good.

He had to be better than Todd. Had to be.

You wanted to go to him at night, you wanted to let him explore you more, but the little insecurities grabbed you and pulled you back before you could get to his door. What if you changed your mind partway through, and he didn't stop? What if he was just too strong, and he accidentally hurt you?

And what if somehow you didn't measure up? A thousand years was plenty of time to get into some weird kinks, and you didn't have any that you knew of.  There were some very, very pretty ladies in the Asgardian court, and Loki had been with some of them. He never indicated which ones, but it didn't matter. They were gorgeous, and probably smoking hot in the bedroom, and you were average and vanilla. What if he found you boring in bed? Just meh. A disappointment.

No, that was Todd talking. Just some of the bullshit he cooked up to make you try harder, to control you, to enslave you to his desires.

But what if it was actually true? You hadn't been with anyone since then; there had been no one to confirm or deny it.

Maybe you should just leap?

That night you were just reaching out for the doorknob when an image of Loki filled your vision. Disheveled and beautiful, but declining to look at you. Rolling over with his back to you instead.

You went back to bed and fell asleep to the sound of cicadas on loop.

                                                                                                       *****

Something was wrong with his lady, Loki knew.

He could see it in your sunken eyes, your sluggish movements, and dampened enthusiasm. You still worked hard, but you yawned harder.

And you, blasted, stubborn mortal, would not allow him to help!

He assumed you were losing sleep, and knew it was nightmares. He was familiar with that kind of thing. He couldn't stand to leave you alone with that suffering, locked inside the darkness in your own mind. He didn't care if he ended up sharing them with you; at least you wouldn't be alone then.

He also simply missed you. Of course, you were right there during the day, available to talk to and subtly caress, but there was something sublime about sleeping next to someone you cared about. Feeling their warmth, and the solidity of their presence. He missed the reassurance of your body next to his.

But you didn't want to be in his bed anymore, you only wanted your own. Did you not feel safe next to him? Did you not feel comfortable? Did you not trust him anymore? Despite your assurances that he hadn't done anything wrong, he still felt like he must have. You'd been very earnest when you'd said he hadn't, but maybe it was an instinctual thing: He must have done something you didn't realize you didn't like, and your subconscious was telling you to pull away.

Or maybe it really was just the nightmares. He had just gotten used to it being him. If only you would talk to him about it! But you just kept telling him not to dwell on it, that it was just something you had to deal with. It drove him mad. There had to be something he could do to help.

Advice was scarce for him. Thor had shamefacedly admitted that he hadn't been able to tell what Jane had needed from him, and it was a big part of the reason why she didn't love him anymore. Loki was too preoccupied with his own worries to roll his eyes. His brother was still a fool about some things.

Brunnhilde wasn't much help either. She was a woman, like you were, but she was not like you. Her idea of love and courtship was a lot more rambunctious and...well... Asgardian.

Loki didn't know any human women who would be willing to talk to him about this. He barely knew any human men who would. Eventually, he reached out to two people-Saldis, whom he asked to report any odd behavior on your part back to him, and the only human man who he both got along with, and thought might have some knowledge of human women.

Barnes.

Barnes had told him that human women could be complicated, but from his experience, if a lady had a problem and would not talk about it, it was because she didn't think the man in her life could actually do anything about it, and didn't want him to waste his energy trying, or raise his anger through failing. So he had to decide if he wanted to risk it.

He did, of course. He wanted to do everything he could for you.  

So he waited as patiently as he could, allowing his passion to go cold and calculating, so that he could better glean through the information he was given. Saldis, so excited to be part of a secret royal plot, had discovered that you were listening to bugs on your phone, and she had sneaked a peek at your Youtube history.

Cicadas. Crickets, Tree frogs. Creatures that came alive at night, or dusk. Creatures from your home. None of them were found here. He was reminded of standing in the lovely Akureyri botanical garden, as you reminisced over a patch of inelegant but joyful coneflowers.

A taste of home. He understood. The fragrant breezes off the mountains of Asgard were no more. There were types of birdsong that would never be heard again. You needed these familiar sounds to soothe your mind.

And he needed your presence to soothe his.

He had an idea about what to do; a special present for you.

It was time for him to learn more about the mysterious land known as Iowa.

[greenyachtcrewsolutions]

Hi there! 

Visit Site

 Please note this is an in-depth explanation intended to inform you of what you can expect from this dashboard and lifetime access to the Dashboard That Defeats Dockwalking.

Below you will find what tools you have at your disposal to craft the person you desire to become one day. Whether it be now, tomorrow, or ten years from now, this material, the community of like-minded and motivated individuals, continues to grow, expand, and increase standards. The Only question I ask myself as the developer of the dashboard is, how big can this thing go? 

Before We Even Get Started, there are a few things you should know. 

Qualifications required to work on a Yacht. 

The Yachting industry is continuously expanding. Thus, the demand for qualified yacht crew has also increased. Working on a yacht is a dynamic, exciting, and rewarding career, and at the same time, it's an exhilarating opportunity to explore and circumnavigate the world. To become eligible to work in the yachting industry, professional qualifications are required depending on the niche you are interested in, be it on the deck, in engineering, or the interior.

Either you are an aspirant who wants to launch their career in the maritime industry or a professional striving to progress in their career, professional qualifications will make you stand out from the rest of the candidates.

Yacht Deckhands:

This is an entry-level position on the deck. The minimum requirements for this role are STCW Basic Safety Training, and ENG1 Seafarer Medical Certificate, which, combined with the following essential certificates and skills, will strengthen your resume to beat the competition.

MCA Efficient Deckhand (EDH)

Deck / Yacht Rating

VHF Radio

RYA Radar

RYA Competent Crew

MCA Proficiency in Designated Security Duties (PDSD)

RYA Powerboat Level 2

RYA Tender Operator

PWC Personal Watercraft Proficiency

General GRP and carpentry repairs

Yacht Stewards/Stewardesses:

Usually, a chief stew leads a group of assistant stews responsible for the yacht's interior. To become a stew, STCW Basic Safety Training is the minimum requirement. However, to improve their skills, stews can further pursue the following certificates:

An interior crew-training course or courses, such as the PYA GUEST Program

STCW Proficiency in Medical First Aid

STCW Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats

MCA Proficiency in Designated Security Duties (PDSD)

Yacht Chefs:

Chefs are responsible for preparing quality food for the crew and guests. In addition to STCW Basic Safety Training and ENG1, and substantial experience, the chef must complete the Ships Cook Assessment if cooking for ten or more crew-members. Moreover, chefs will be required to obtain pertinent health and hygiene certificates, such as the Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (HABC) Level Two and Three.

First Mates/Chief Officers:

The First Mate/Chief Officer is in charge of the deckhands and other exterior crew members and is Captain's right-hand person. To become a First Mate/Chief Officer, it is compulsory to acquire the STCW II/2 and Medical Care on Board Certificate. In addition to these two certificates, the following certificates are valuable for this role:

Deck / Yacht Rating

Master 200gt

Yachtmaster Theory

Yachtmaster Practical

Sea Survival

GMDSS GOC

Navigation Radar

General Ships Knowledge

Oral Preparation

Oceanmaster Theory

Advanced Firefighting

Medical First Aid

Oceanmaster Cert Comp

Yacht Engineers:

Yacht engineering is a highly rewarding career. They are responsible for the smooth operation of the yachts. To become a junior engineer on the yacht MCA STCW III/1 Officer of the Watch Certification is required. Additionally, the following certificates are valuable for this role:

Deck / Yacht Rating

AEC Approved Engine Course

MEOL Marine Engine Operator License

Y4 Yacht 4

Skills Test

Marine Diesel Engineering

Operational Procedures & Basic Hotel Services

Auxiliary Equipment & Basic Ship Construction

MCA Sea Survival for Yachtsman

Advanced Fire Fighting

STCW Proficiency in Medical First Aid

Chief Engineer Statutory & Operational Requirements

Marine Engine Theory

Applied Marine Engineering

Captains/Masters:

To become the Captain, leader of the boat, it is mandatory to have the STCW II/2 and the Medical Care on Board Certificate. Along with extensive onboard experience, training and following certifications can be pursued:

All STCW Certificate levels

Deck / Yacht Rating

Master 200gt

Yachtmaster Theory

Yachtmaster Practical

Sea Survival

GMDSS GOC

Navigation Radar

General Ships Knowledge

Oral Preparation

Navigation and Radar

Stability

Medical Care

Business and Law

Seamanship

Oral Preparation (500T)

Oceanmaster Theory

Advanced Firefighting

Medical First Aid

Oceanmaster Cert

Your Basic Breakdown.

To work as a crew, you will require two compulsory certificates STCW Basic Safety Training and ENG1 Seafarer Medical Certificate.

ENG1 Seafarer Medical Certificate, a U.K. medical examination, is issued by an MCA-approved doctor.

This certificate establishes that individuals are fit to carry out their duties at sea and are allowed to work on U.K. flagged yacht. A person with an ENG1 certificate is allowed to work on most non-UK flagged yachts. Nowadays, to fully cover the yachts, insurance companies want yachts to comply with safe-manning requirements, thus requiring all crew to be fully STCW compliant and that ENG1 is a prerequisite. 

Cost Of ENG1 ( South Africa ) R2500.00

List of Doctors approved to do the ENG1 

 STCW 2010

All crew working on a commercial or charter yacht is required to have STCW. This certificate, however, is not demanded by a team working on a private or non-chartered yacht. Day workers and delivery crew are also excluded from this certificate. Still, it is highly recommended to obtain this certificate as it will increase your chance to get a job because hiring managers prefer candidates with this certificate. All seafarers must undertake the 5-day STCW Basic Safety Training course (STCW95 & STCW 2010) under section A-Vl/1 of the STCW Code. The course is intended to ensure that seafarers are aware of the hazards of working on a vessel and enables you to respond appropriately to an emergency. The course modules below make up the mandatory familiarization, and basic safety training requirements for all seafarers is an ideal course for anyone looking for Seafarer basic safety training at a recreational level or those wishing to make a career at sea.

Cost Of the 11day STCW 2010 ( South Africa)  R8750.00

Here is a list of schools in Cape Town That Offer the Course:

https://www.maritimesafety.co.za/

https://www.sstg.co.za/

https://www.certifiedtraining.co.za/

https://www.pulsetraining.co.za/index.htmla

 Competent crew:

Experience living on board and get to know the boat. Virtually all the course is hands-on. You are the crew - without you, the sails won't go up, and the boat won't be steered. By the end of the course, you should be able to steer, handle sails, keep a lookout, row a dinghy, and assist in all day-to-day duties on board. You should also have visited some interesting places and had an enjoyable holiday. R8 800.00

 Day Skipper:

RYA Day Skipper is a qualification that enables you to safely take charge of a 30-45ft sail cruising yacht and its crew by day in familiar waters. There's no getting away from it – passing involves some work, some practice, and some dedication. But RYA Day Skipper is your ticket to freedom.

Yachtmaster:

What's the difference between RYA Yacht-master Offshore and RYA Yacht-master Coastal? The RYA Yacht-master qualification has long been recognized by many as the premium sailing qualification for the experienced leisure sailor. In recent times, the Yacht-master qualification has been further defined and is now split into three subsections, namely Yacht-master Coastal, Yacht-master Offshore and Yacht-master Ocean. Unlike the RYA Day Skipper qualification,

all three qualifications are gained through external examination.

The holder of a Yacht-master Coastal qualification should be competent to skipper a yacht of up to 24 meters L.O.A in waters up to 24 miles from a safe haven. A Yacht-master Offshore is qualified to skipper a vessel of the same size up to 150 miles from a safe haven. Yacht-master Ocean extends the Yacht-master Offshore qualification and qualifies the holder to skipper a vessel of the same size and up to 200t anywhere in the World. As one would expect, each examination requires that the candidate have a minimum level of experience prior to the examination.

Prior to the Yacht-master Coastal examination, a candidate must have a minimum of 30 days at sea, with 2 days as skipper and at least 800 miles logged, including 12 night hours. If you hold the Coastal Skipper course certificate already then this is reduced to 20 days at sea with 2 days as skipper, 400 miles logged, and 12 night hours. Half the qualifying sea time must be conducted in tidal waters. To qualify to undertake the Yacht-master Offshore examination, you must have a minimum of 50 days at sea, 2,500 miles logged, including at least 5 passages over 60 miles measured along the rhumb line from the port of departure to the destination, acting as skipper for at least two of these passages and including two which have involved overnight passages.

The candidate must have 5 days' experience as a skipper. At least half this mileage and passages must be in tidal waters. All qualifying sea-time must be within 10 years prior to the exam. In both instances, you will also need to hold a GMDSS short-range radio certificate.

 RYA Day Skipper Theory. Duration: 6 days High Season Price: R9,990.00

RYA Day Skipper Practical. Duration: 5 days High Season Price: R9,990.0

RYA Yachtmaster Coastal/Offshore Theory. Duration: 7 days High Season Price: R10,490.00

Yachtmaster Coastal/Offshore Mileage. Duration: 5 days High Season Price: R9,900.00

RYA Yachtmaster Coastal/Offshore Practical. Duration: 5 days High Season Price: R10,490.00

 RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Exam Prep & Exam Duration: 5 days High Season Price: R10,490.00

RYA Yachtmaster Career Package: Duration: +/- 9 Weeks:

•             Accommodation for the full duration of the course

•             All course materials and training with Sail Due South

•             STCW (Including PDSD)

•             RYA Power Boat Level II

•             RYA VHF

•             RYA Competent Crew

•             RYA Day Skipper Theory

•             RYA Day Skipper Practical

•             RYA Coastal Mileage

•             RYA Coastal/Offshore Theory

•             RYA Coastal/Offshore Practical

•             RYA Coastal Skipper Exam Prep & Exam

 Excluded Costs: Exam Fees (not included)

RYA Coastal Skipper Exam Fee: £200 (payable to RYA) RYA VHF exam fee: £60 (payable to RYA) RYA Online PPR Course (commercial endorsement): £39  RYA Commercial Endorsement: £34 (payable to RYA)

Visa Fees: Pending on Covid.

Flights and Other Costs are complicated to price right now, but seeing as we have some time, we can monitor and check it out. 

My Services, Software Solutions, Affiliates, and Coaching costs are listed below. 

Package #1:

Price:

R5000.00 once-off or

R1000.00 for 6 months.

12 calls a month for 60 days. (60min) Calls

Lifetime Access to Dashboard.

Access To Marketing Software. Note: You will have time within your 60min calls to use the software. I will be using it on your behalf.

Customer Value Journey Analysis and the 12A's to Online Success And Influence.

 List Of Software Available:

Skillshare:

2 Months Free Skillshare Account. Download Classes on any category of your choice.

https://www.skillshare.com/r/user/chadschannel

Marine Traffic:

Augmented Reality ( live viewing of vessels in port. )

Vessel Locations In Any port - Arrivals and Departures.

Ships Particulars.

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-2.2/centery:38.4/zoom:7

Connectio:

Facebook Audience Extractor using Keywords. Take the guessing game out of it.

Audience Tester.

https://connectio.io/

SocialMakeo :

Content studio – Content Marketing is by far the best method of gaining a larger and more engaging Audience. Content Studio is a content-generating machine! Find topics and articles regarding your industry in seconds and post it to all your platforms with 1 click.

Schedule Posts on all your platforms for weeks in advance

https://contentstudio.io/

Video Blaster:

Have your videos Rank #1 on youtube and google within minutes.

Extract Keywords.

Get The Best and Most Recommended Video Details.

Niche Analysis.

Video Report.

Rank Tracker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkCumK8lGYg

Social Kickstart Live

Social kickstart – Facebook and Youtube live videos get ranked much higher than any other type of content. With Social Kickstart, you can record a video, and I then schedule it, so it appears live on these platforms.

https://socialkickstart.co/live/

Email Scraper:

I have software to extract email addresses from websites and from Facebook legally! Then you upload them to your email marketing platform and watch how your audience grows.

Find any email address you want.

https://skrapp.io/

Dashboard Contents:

Creative Designing

Videos on how to create logos, stationery, letterheads. You name it.

Learn how to write an eye-catching resume and where to find incredible resources and top-class resume templates.

Learn how to make your photography more engaging.

Access over 100 000 powerful and industry-leading templates to use for resume designing, ads, contracts, marketing, planning events. The list goes on.

Details on how and to do a software search. - Find the correct filter for functionality.

Learn Copywriting.

A 24-month Content Calendar.

 Social Media Marketing:

Utilize Social Media Marketing and get hired from anywhere in the world.

A How-To Digital Marketing Library.

Facebook Business Page.

Learn how to use a CRM ( Customer Relationship Manager )

Learn how to install, read, and use Analytics. (Facebook and Google).

Facebook Business Manager account – Run ads on Facebook and only have the people that are most likely to buy, see your ads. Access software to extract people via the keywords and their demographics.

You will understand how to grow your audience organically and how to use Facebook ads.

You will discover how to fully Integrate Facebook Business Manager and Marine Traffic To Find A Yacht Job.

You will learn how to build a brilliant brand for yourself and showcase online authority.

You will learn how to get an incredible amount of followers and grow your audience in your sleep.

You will learn how to prospect employers on social media.

You will learn how to use Facebook groups to find work.

You will learn How To Convert Leads Into Jobs While You Sleep.

You will learn How To Attract More Recruiters.

SEO optimizer technology – The Best Tool for ranking and checking what your competitors are using to scale their businesses. You can also extract keywords and within minutes you can be #1 on google. This is obviously doable once everything else is in place.

Coaching:

Understand what level of commitment you require.

How to Leverage Your Past Story to Accelerate Your Future.

Customer Value Journey Analysis and the 12A's to Online Success And Influence.

How To Make A Powerful Impact With Effective Communications.

Understand the definitions of all courses related to your department.

The correct and incorrect way of looking for work.

Body Language. - You will be equipped with the necessary body language to flawlessly speak with an industry senior. By giving you updated information related to the industry and by exposing you to the raw power of body language, you will be far better prepared to thank your competitors.

Understand what level of commitment you require.

Jordon Belfort a.k.a. Wolf of Wall Street was and is my sales coach. I shall be yours.

Which jobs to accept and when to be more patient.

What to expect from the crew.

How to initialize banter and not offend anyone.

Which information to keep confidential.

What questions to ask Captains or the interviewer.

Marine Traffic and Facebook.

Find out particulars in order to plan your approach perfectly. eta’s, port calls,

Weather Reports.

Ship Particulars.

Arrival and Departure Destinations.

Past and future tracks - Place yourself in port before the boat even gets there.

Augmented Reality ( live viewing of vessels in port. )

Vessel Locations In Any port - Arrivals and Departures.

Ships Particulars.

 Package #2: Includes All Package #1 Content.

Price:

R10 000.00 once-off or

R1000.00 for 12 months.

18 calls a month for 60 days. (60min) Calls

Access to Dashboard.

Access To Marketing Software. Note: You will have time within your 60min calls to use the software. I will be using it on your behalf.

Customer Value Journey Analysis and the 12A's to Online Success And Influence.

One Time Payment and Lifetime Access Too Pipeline Pro CRM.

Facebook Business Manager Account Done For You Set Up With Ad Account and Audience Extracted.

The Most Insane Library Ever - Marketing Madness. Access to 500 gigs of every Marketing Strategy Course By Every Marketing Guru Ever Created.

There you have it!  You will have the following Modules Included in any package: As a free gift, I have included some templates for you to use.  I hope you consider my assistance. 

[itslmdee]

Fiction: Hugging is a Human Right

He was young enough to accept this dystopian existence in a way no adult could – or should...We should have fought harder, Maya thought. But no one had.

Maya was careful to wait until they'd left the shopping centre and turned onto the side street away from the designated Public Gathering Space (PSG: Commercial) before she pulled down the mandatory face covering. She couldn't afford another fine; three months ago a near hysterical shop worker had screamed at her for not being behind a line that had been so worn as to be near invisible, and demanded her citizen card. The fine had been taken immediately from Maya's account and left her almost overdrawn, and two more fines within a nine month period meant jail time and her son permanently placed in foster care.

Still, she wanted to breathe freely and to feel the air on her skin. It was only a few yards from the side street to the dirt track by the slow moving river where the only CCTV camera had been vandalised. This desolate place, away from the traffic and most pedestrians, was one of the few places free of the government's oversight.

She bent and pulled down her son's dinosaur patterned mask and held his hand tightly, the other hand clutching her shopping as they walked along the riverbank. She'd been able to buy him strawberries this week but many items had been out of stock and everything cost more than a year ago. Her budget was struggling as the government payouts decreased but the restrictions did not.

Across the river was a playground, the gates still padlocked. Graffiti covered the roundabout, the climbing frame was nearly devoid of paint, and the swings had been burned, the rubber seats melted and the metal struts scarred and twisted.

"I liked playing on the swings," Joey said matter of factly. It broke her heart that he didn’t even seem sad anymore at the loss of this simple, joyful, activity. This was his life now and he was young enough to accept this dystopian existence in a way no adult could – or should.

"I know darling." She squeezed at his hand as they passed under the road bridge, cars thundering overhead. Further graffiti lined the concrete walls, mostly tags and crude cartoons but there were a few slogans of the minimal resistance movement urging "No New Normal" and "Wake Up!"

With protests banned and social media censored the resistance had struggled against a full blown media hysteria which whipped up public opinion to demand this new world. One in which cash was outlawed as dirty, unreliable, untraceable. Replaced with the mandatory citizen cards which let the government know every single thing you purchased and every single place you went.

A world in which human contact was now too dangerous to exist and so there were no family visits, no dating, no restaurants, no playgroups, no concerts nor sports – had there ever truly been a time you could sit in a packed stadium or a field and watch someone play a guitar or toss a ball? So dangerous that getting within arm's reach of another human was forbidden, and faces had to be covered in any place deemed to be a Public Gathering Space (PSG).

She still hugged Joey but the public service announcements that ran before every Home Learning Module were priming him to reject this simple act of affection; "Hugs are for babies," cartoon rabbits said scornfully. Young children might need touch to survive but the sooner they were weaned of it the better, was the prevailing opinion.

The light coloured soil of the river bank reminded Maya somewhat of the seaside. She barely recalled the feel of sand on her toes or the salt smell of the sea. There were a handful of beaches not designated Public Gathering Spaces and she longed to visit one and walk, bare faced and barefoot on the sand and paddle in the sea, but no beach at all was within walking distance of her home and unnecessary travel was strictly forbidden.  No train ticket could be purchased with her citizen card without her providing proof of it being an essential journey.

"Duck," Joey said, pointing and Maya smiled as the sight of the emerald headed mallard swimming along the river, free in a way she and Joey would never be.

She loved Joey and he was the only reason she got up in the mornings now, but if the Safety Measures had happened before he'd been born she knew she would never have brought a child into this world.

Her friend Clara felt differently. Clara was actually an acquaintance selected by JUNO, the computer who had replaced all the messy business of human affairs with algorithmic computations that facilitated virtual contact with those deemed compatible.  Maya had doubts about their compatibility especially given Clara's recent calls.

Clara had been video chatting with one of JUNO's matches for her, a man named Jake, for several months now and was thinking of asking for him to father her a child via IVF, the only safe (i.e. permitted) way to reproduce. Maya had not been able to convince Clara otherwise and didn't dare push harder lest the communications, always at risk of being monitored, got her flagged for dangerous behaviour or another misinformation offence.

They reached the main road and turned toward home, Maya and Joey both pulling up their masks again before they passed the "PSG: Residential Zone" sign.

We should have fought harder, Maya thought as she opened the door to the tiny flat. I should have done more. But everyone kept saying it was necessary and temporary and anyone who disagreed was a murderer…we didn't just let them take our rights, we gave them away willingly.

Such thoughts were such treasonous dissent that she would never voice them aloud, never write them in a diary, let alone post them online. Others had to feel the same way, but they were kept silenced.

"You were away from home for: 1hr and 43 minutes", the Home Assistant flashed at her in red text as she locked the door behind her. This was well within her limited rights, so Maya ignored it, though Clara took great pride in keeping her time away from home to an absolute minimum, gushing when she could keep it to zero minutes.

Maya scrubbed her hands and began to make lunch while Joey washed up and checked his Home Learning Schedule. Her heart lifted when she looked out of the kitchen window and saw a new piece of graffiti spray-painted on the fence of the housing tenements opposite: "Hugging iz a Human Rigt". It was vandalism and it was misspelt and yet Maya knew that others out there – young people, most likely – knew what had been taken from them and, better still, were furious about it.

Perhaps there was still hope.

[inbonobo]

For nearly two decades at the Grand Canyon, tourists, employees, and children on tours passed by three paint buckets stored in the National Park's museum collection building, unaware that they were being exposed to radiation.

Although federal officials learned last year that the 5-gallon containers were brimming with uranium ore, then removed the radioactive specimens, the park's safety director alleges nothing was done to warn park workers or the public that they might have been exposed to unsafe levels of radiation.

In a rogue email sent to all Park Service employees on Feb. 4, Elston "Swede" Stephenson — the safety, health and wellness manager — described the alleged cover-up as "a top management failure" and warned of possible health consequences.

"If you were in the Museum Collections Building (2C) between the year 2000 and June 18, 2018, you were 'exposed' to uranium by OSHA's definition," Stephenson wrote. "The radiation readings, at first blush, exceeds (sic) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's safe limits. … Identifying who was exposed, and your exposure level, gets tricky and is our next important task."

In a Feb. 11 email to Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall, Stephenson said he had repeatedly asked National Park executives to inform the public, only to get stonewalled.

"Respectfully, it was not only immoral not to let Our People know," he added, "but I could not longer risk my (health and safety) certification by letting this go any longer."

According to Stephenson, the uranium specimens had been in a basement at park headquarters for decades and were moved to the museum building when it opened, around 2000.

RELATED: Understanding radiation: 6 key things to know about public exposure

One of the buckets was so full that its lid would not close.

Stephenson said the containers were stored next to a taxidermy exhibit, where children on tours sometimes stopped for presentations, sitting next to uranium for 30 minutes or more. By his calculation, those children could have received radiation dosages in excess of federal safety standards within three seconds, and adults could have suffered dangerous exposure in less than a half-minute.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission measures radiation contamination in millisieverts per hour or per year. According to Stephenson, close exposures to the uranium buckets could have exposed adults to 400 times the health limit — and children to 4,000 times what is considered safe.

Emily Davis, a public affairs specialist at the Grand Canyon, said the Park Service is coordinating an investigation with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Arizona Department of Health Services.  

Davis stressed that a recent review of the building in question uncovered only background radiation, which is natural in the area and is safe.

"There is no current risk to the park employees or public," Davis said. "The building is open. … The information I have is that the rocks were removed, and there's no danger."

Davis declined to address Stephenson's assertion that thousands of people may have been exposed to dangerous levels of radiation, or his allegation that the Park Service violated the law by not issuing a public warning.

"We do take our public and employee safety and allegations seriously," she said.

Clean-up with dish-washing gloves?

Reached by phone at the South Rim, Stephenson said his only concern is the safety of everyone who spent time in a danger zone, and he alerted them only after failing for eight months to get park officials to act.

"I've never seen anything like this in my life," he said.

Stephenson said the uranium threat was discovered in March 2018 by the teenage son of a park employee who happened to be a Geiger counter enthusiast, and brought a device to the museum collection room.

Workers immediately moved the buckets to another location in the building, he said, but nothing else was done.

A few months later, Stephenson said, he was assisting with a safety audit when employees told him about the uranium. As a former Army helicopter pilot who later worked as a safety manager in the Navy, Stephenson said he knew it was "bad mojo" and instantly called a National Parks specialist in Colorado.

Stephenson said specialists apparently had no Geiger counter, so they drove to Utah to pick up a Ludlum meter, which also measures radiation output.

The technicians reached the Grand Canyon several days after his call, on June 18. Lacking protective clothing, they purchased dish-washing and gardening gloves, then used a broken mop handle to lift the buckets into a truck, Stephenson said.

Those details are corroborated by photographs Stephenson included in a 45-page slideshow created to document the radiation exposure and alleged cover-up.

Stephenson said technicians concealed the radiation readings from him and dumped the ore into Orphan Mine, an old uranium dig that is considered a potential Superfund site below the Rim, about two miles from Grand Canyon Village.

Stephenson said he drove to Phoenix in November and filed a report with OSHA, which sent inspectors to the museum building in yellow protective suits.

Stephenson said they detected a low-level site within the building and traced it to the three buckets, which Park Service technicians had inexplicably returned to the building after dumping their contents.

"You could hear their meters going off," Stephenson said.

Davis, the Park Service spokeswoman, declined comment on those details.

A spokesman for OSHA confirmed an investigation is underway, but declined to provide any other information.

A 'secrecy pact'?

Stephenson, a military veteran who is certified as an occupational safety and health technician, was in a similar controversy during his time in the Navy. According to court records, he began calling for action to prevent falls after a series of accidents in 2016.

As complaints escalated, Stephenson was fired. He turned to the Office of Special Counsel, a federal agency that protects whistleblowers, and his termination was stayed. It is unclear how that case was resolved, but within months, Stephenson had a new job with the National Park Service.

Stephenson said the uranium exposure saga developed while he was pursuing a racial-discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity office. Stephenson is African-American.

He said high-level officials in the Park Service developed a "secrecy pact" to conceal radiation exposure data despite his insistence that a "Right to Know" law mandates public disclosure.

"My first interest is the safety of the workers and the people," he added.

Stephenson eventually obtained a report submitted by the Park Service's regional safety manager, confirming the area was "positive for radioactivity above background" and showing high levels near the taxidermy area.

The report indicated radiation levels at "13.9 mR/hr" where the buckets were stored, and "800 mR/hr" on contact with the ore. Just 5 feet from the buckets, there was a zero reading. The abbreviation, "mR" typically stands for milliroentgen, a measurement roughly equivalent to a millirem, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The NRC says average radiation exposure in the United States from natural sources is 300 millirems per year at sea level, or 400 at high altitude.  

The commission lists a maximum safe dosage for the public, beyond natural radiation, is no more than 2 millirems per hour, or 100 per year.

The report's recommendations did not call for public notification, but suggested guidelines for handling and storing geology samples in the future.

Stephenson calculated potential exposures over 1,400 times the NRC's safe level for children, and over 140 times the safe level for adults.

He said he pressed park superintendents to take action, submitted an Inspector General complaint, contacted the FBI, and wrote to every member of Congress.

In his letter to colleagues, Stephenson apologized for the untimely notice. He stressed that exposure may not be severe depending on how close individuals got to the source, how long they were exposed, what they were wearing, and other factors. He also emphasized that employees will not necessarily suffer health consequences, but should consider receiving a medical screening.

"Of particular concern are 1000s of children attending 'shows' in very close proximity to the uranium," he wrote. Those presentations lasted a half hour or more, he said, yet radiation dosages could have exceeded federal safety standards within seconds.

Stephenson said he's heard nothing from superiors at the Park Service since he sent the warning letter.

"They're in cover-up mode," he said. "I've been cut off from any kind of information."

(via Grand Canyon tourists exposed to radiation, safety manager says)

Since the news broke that three buckets of uranium ore sat in a Grand Canyon museum for years, alarm has been spreading about the radiation “cover-up.” But it’s tough to figure out exactly how dangerous the uranium truly was to visitors and staff.

The buckets had been sitting next to a taxidermy exhibit at the National Park Service’s Grand Canyon Museum Collection, a location where groups of schoolchildren stopped on tours, according to The Arizona Republic. After a visitor with a Geiger counter discovered them, they were moved to a hallway, and eventually their contents were dumped in an old uranium mine, whistleblower Elston “Swede” Stephenson told The Arizona Republic. Stephenson did not reply to a message on LinkedIn; the museum told The Verge to contact Emily Davis at the National Park Service, and Davis did not respond to emailed or phone inquiries.

Uranium ore is a naturally occurring rock with a high concentration of uranium, which gives off a mixture of different types of radiation. Uranium can also break down into other radioactive materials, like radium — and it can release the noble gas radon, which can cause lung cancer in large concentrations. That people, especially children, could have been unknowingly exposed to radiation is worrying, because radiation can damage DNA. “If that damage isn’t repaired correctly, then you potentially set the stage for cancer,” says Kathryn Higley, head of the School of Nuclear Science and Engineering at Oregon State University. The Republic reported that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had opened an investigation into the situation.

There’s no reason buckets of ore should have been hanging around without anyone’s knowledge, and apparently without a radiation label on them, Higley says. “People should have been more mindful of them,” she says. But the question is whether three buckets of ore produced enough radiation — and if people were close enough to them for long enough — to suffer health consequences. The Arizona Republic’s story also cites a report by a National Park Service safety manager that said radioactivity was measured in the ore and “where the buckets were stored.” But the radiation dropped to zero five feet away. Based on that information, Higley says, “The likelihood of people receiving serious radiation exposures is extremely unlikely.”

The Verge spoke with Higley about uranium, cancer, and what uranium ore might be doing in a bucket.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Please tell me all your thoughts about the uranium ore in a bucket.

Without knowing exactly how it was stored, looking at some of the measurements that were taken, the radiation readings certainly are above what you’d consider the normal background. But the likelihood of people receiving serious radiation exposures is extremely unlikely. People work around uranium in the process of manufacturing fuel, for example. But also I’m looking here on the radiation levels taken by some park personnel, and it says five feet from the bucket is basically a zero reading.

So you see the dose rate drops off really, really quickly as you move away from the source. It’s a combination of dose rate and the length of time that they would’ve been exposed to it. And they’re not going to be hugging this thing and lugging it around for extended periods of time. I’m not seeing a health risk. I’m seeing people being sloppy and did some things that they really shouldn’t have done. And they’re probably going to get a nasty note from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, like “Why do you have this in a closet? What are you doing with it?”

How hazardous is uranium ore? Can it give you cancer?

It’s a complicated answer, because we know at a high enough dose that you have an increased risk of getting cancer, but in the low environmental ranges, there’s not a strong relationship between dose and emergence of cancer. We’ve looked at data from people that mined uranium in the past. They went down into the mines and just like coal mining, they would dig it out and ship it off for processing. There has been a relationship of those miners getting lung cancer, because they were inhaling some of the radioactive gas that was coming off. Also, a large number of them happened to be smokers at the time, too — so there was kind of a double whammy in terms of them getting cancer.

We know that prolonged exposure to one of the decay products of uranium or radon gas in high concentrations increases your chance of getting cancer. But three buckets of ore sitting in a basement or in a closet is a lot different than somebody going down into a mine and working for 30 years mining uranium ore. It’s not just the dose rate, but it’s the total dosage you get is what determines your risk.

Why is the ore less worrying than, say, if there had been three buckets of spent fuel?

It’s like having a little, tiny warm rock sitting in a bucket in your living room versus having a massive slug of molten metal in your living room. I mean, one is like, “Oh, yeah, okay. I can feel it. It’s a little warm.” And the other one’s like, “Holy crap, it’s going to destroy my house.”

“HOLY CRAP, IT’S GOING TO DESTROY MY HOUSE.”

With nuclear fuel, the uranium is fissioned. So it’s put into a reactor and it’s bombarded with neutrons and the elements actually split into pieces and the pieces, the fissioned products, are extremely radioactive. And so not only is that fuel, depending on how fresh it is, thermally really, really warm. But it is emitting a lot of radiation — way, way more than this ore would. Particularly if the fuel is reasonably fresh out of a reactor, for example. And so the radiation field around it would be extremely dangerous. And if you had a fuel rod, depending on the type of fuel, it’ll probably kill you if you stood by it for even a brief period of time. This ore will not do that. So that’s the difference — the concentration of radiation coming off of it.

Why would someone keep uranium ore around in a bucket?

There are some uranium sites around the Grand Canyon. There’s some mining activity. If they were teaching geologists, it could be to show “here’s what uranium ore looks like.” You could use it as a tool, to say here’s what kind of radiation count rates you’re going to see if you find this kind of grade ore. Or they may have brought it in if the museum was associated with a lab and they wanted to do an assay to see what the concentration of uranium was, because all the detector would do is give you a rough indication of the quality of the ore. There’s a lot of reasons why there might be ore in a bucket that somebody then forgot about and set in a closet.

“IT’S A LEGITIMATE TEACHING TOOL. IT REALLY IS.”

Ore in a drum was part of a teaching tool when I was getting my master’s and my doctorate in radiological health sciences. We wanted to understand how radon was produced and how you measured the activity concentrations of radon, and in order to do that, you need a source. The cheapest source is to get a 55 gallon drum and have some uranium ore in there and you let it decay and the drum is sealed and the radon can build up and you can actually pull off some of the radon and do measurements with it. It was in an area where they could control air flow. For that particular situation, you’re concerned about inhaling really high concentrations of radon gas. It’s a legitimate teaching tool. It really is.

What’s the route of exposure — is the concern being in very close proximity to it and touching it? Is the concern eating particles? Is the concern inhaling the gas, or dust?

It’s not something that in small quantities is going to kill you. You’d have a small increase of cancer risk. There’s natural uranium outcroppings all over the United States — for example, where the Navajo Nation is. A lot of the Navajo worked in the mines. Some of the rock that wasn’t good enough quality to ship off for processing could be used in building structures. They’ve had issues where families would build hogans out of rock that had elevated levels of uranium, and that would then result in elevated levels of radon in the homes. And so the EPA has been working with the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency to actually identify homes and areas that have elevated uranium and radon concentrations and remediate homes and get them in safer building structures. But again, it’s a much larger quantity than three buckets sitting in a closet or in a back room.

What about the risk from radon gas? How long does the radon stick around?

Radon has roughly a three-day half life. It’ll diffuse out of the buckets into the room, but if the room is ventilated, then the concentration drops and it’s not really a large issue. If you have it in a room that has really crummy ventilation and then potentially you could have an elevated radon level that exists. And so again, that would be something that people would take a look at and say, “Okay, is this in a closed space where folks would be sitting for prolonged periods of time? What is their potential risk over the long-term from inhaling any radon that’s coming off of that?” It’d be an elevated risk of lung cancer, and again, it takes a pretty large dose to get to a level where we can actually see evidence of cancer causation in populations.

What sort of cleanup would make the museum 100 percent safe?

“TAKE THE BUCKETS OUT.”

Take the buckets out. Say one of the bucket’s lids didn’t close: take a survey and make sure you don’t have little particles of soil that have dropped out. You remove it from the museum, there’s no hazard there. You move it back to the natural environment, and there might be an elevated level in the environment. But again, unless you build your house on top of the ore body and you live there 100 percent of the time, you’re going to be fine walking around.

via

[towin-js]

Types of water lifesaving supplies 1

What are the parts of water lifesaving equipment？

1. Floating equipment

Floating equipment mainly includes lifeboats, life vests and waterproof and cold-proof flight suits. A lifeboat is an inflatable rubber boat that can carry about 4-7 people. After the air boat of the rubber boat is inflated, it generates buoyancy on the water, so that it does not sink. When not in use, the lifeboat is folded and packed in a canvas bag. In emergency use, the canvas bag can be opened, and the lifeboat can be automatically inflated. Floating gear worn on the body. The cold-proof flight suit can protect the people on board from freezing in the zero-degree water temperature. Once the waterproof flight suit comes into contact with water, a layer of waterproof suit is formed on the surface to ensure that the personnel on board will not be soaked by sea water after falling into the water.

2. Communication equipment

The communication device is a small transceiver telephone. After this small transceiver phone is soaked by sea water, the performance of the parts does not change, and the communication distance is 100 kilometers.

3. Signal equipment

There are many types of signal equipment, which can be divided into visual signal equipment, audio signal equipment and signal flags. The visual signal equipment includes reflectors for daytime, seawater dyes, smoke, etc., and firelights, flashing lights, incandescent lamps, flash bombs, tracer bombs, signal bombs, etc. for nighttime use. Audio signal equipment includes pistols, whistles, sirens, and shouting microphones for shooting. The signal flag is divided into three sides: red, green and white. The onboard crew used these devices to signal various signals and call for assistance.

Although the water lifesaving equipment is relatively complete, its life-saving ability is limited. After the accident, the crew on board should contact the poor as soon as possible, and take measures to survive for a long time to wait for rescue.

Towin is a professional company specializing in providing related technologies and various safety protection products for outdoor workers and rescuers. The company has many years of experience in producing labor protection products. If you need to buy water lifesaving equipments, please contact us.

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[anthonybialy]

Worst Coerce

You can't make me. At least, you shouldn't. Leave me the hell alone, and I angelically promise to gladly return the favor. We could trust each other more easily knowing we won't be involved in each other's affairs. Our mutual pact isn't a mob deal, or even a government one.

The difference between whether something is a good idea and it being compelled is lost on organizations that pride themselves on intimidation. Wondering why fantastic notions must be made compulsory is a violation of omerta. It's better to offend the mafia than Nancy Pelosi.

Trusting others as little as they trust themselves is the sort of politician projection that doesn't involve phony numbers. Regular humans aren't scoundrels like office-holding parasites are any more than workers keep trying as hard when a higher percentage of their compensation is seized. Professional mooches who are unwilling to grasp how motivation works at least extend the courtesy of doing so thoroughly.

Mandates skip asking the permission of both the public and legislatures. It would be bad enough were they not able to force their projections by edict. But present endless emergencies have been used to justify pushy executives getting to ink their own stamps. Benevolent aspiring tyrants don't even bother pretending to go through the lawmaking process. The lack of cooperation is taken as a sign that more force will perfect humanity.

Good ideas stand on their own. It's undoubtedly wise to get vaccinated. You should probably wear a parachute while skydiving, too. But you don't need to make it a requirement before jumping. Anyone who ignores basic safety is begging to face consequences. Those who remember being told this would be over if we went to CVS and got stabbed while picking up chips wish promisers would trust the shot enough to not make us get queue up again.

Making subjects do something is fun. Your rulers just needed a reason. There is nothing our governors enjoy like making any notion communal. A disease that spreads by human contact is something those with access to emergency workarounds have to pretend to not find thrilling. Regulating icky beings is behind every pushy initiative that presumes people can't figure out solutions. A pandemic is Christmas for the inherently bossy.

Acting like individuals can't make decisions to protect themselves from viruses conforms with the left's dreams of measuring well-being as one unit. The seeming care for all exacerbates the creep factor. Even more disturbing is the notion of parental politicians guarding the infantile electorate from sticking wet forks in light sockets.

Smart notions you had on your own become bad ones when someone thinks they came up with them for you. Take how insurance is undoubtedly a good idea ruined by appalling quality and accelerating costs by those who claimed to preserve it. Making someone else pay for what they've made costly only seems clever to liberal politicians. The country goes broke instead of individuals, so there's nothing to fear.

You must want the young to die. Explaining just how little risk children have faced gets drowned out by those shrieking about them like Helen Lovejoy.  I'd rather listen to the Sea Captain.

The minuscule percentage representing true potential peri. would be the sort of thing whippersnappers would learn in school were math not a violation of social justice conventions. Very caring adults thus have to force kids to get shots, as otherwise they'd find themselves admitting that the freakouts to which they've subjected children from the pandemic's start have been nothing but child abuse. Right now, there are brats breathing unrestrained if you weren't living scared.

Billing those who use something sure seems mean. Do we really want to make consumers feel guilty? That sounds expensive. Sure, insulating prices from consumers precisely what makes products unaffordable. But a medical detective show isn't thrilling when the criminal is so obvious.

Here's yet another freaking special exception where normal interactions between buyers and sellers for some reason don't work in the particular case. Panic is not an acceptable reason, although it's the only one provided. Compulsion junkies are not helping their case by putting every single issue on their reserve list.

It's unfortunate that nobody ever thinks to do anything for their own good. Nobody had the idea to attend college or buy a home before the government promoted them. Mandating a higher wage makes it tougher to find work at all. The thought you'd be so rich will have to suffice. Most retailers won't accept dreams as payment.

Now, there's confidence. Forcing everything is an ideology in itself. We're blessed with representatives who know that everyone but them is a blithering dolt who can't be trusted to spend wisely or conduct everyday business. Bullies overcompensate for insecurity by demanding compliance. Thankfully, that coincidence is totally the only thing they share in common. Subjection is to make us rich and healthy. To be brutes, they'd have to make our days worse, and that's unlawful.

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Governments Worldwide Gorge on Record Debt (WSJ) The pandemic has pushed global government debt to the highest level since World War II, surpassing the world’s annual economic output. Governments, especially in rich countries, are borrowing still more, partly to erase the damage of Covid-19. Advocates say the spending, also encouraged by new economic thinking about debt, could usher in a period of robust global growth, reversing the malaise many wealthy countries have felt this century. But if those theories are off-base, the world could be saddled with debts that can be absorbed only via inflation, high taxes or even default. Either way, the combination of huge debt and markets’ lack of concern is unprecedented. The U.S. government is on course for a budget deficit of $3 trillion for the second year in a row. The U.S. has led the world with aggressive government borrowing to power recovery from the pandemic. Even before this year’s stimulus measures, the Congressional Budget Office projected that federal debt held by the public would reach 102% of GDP by the end of 2021, the highest level since just after World War II.

Pandemic-driven hunger is making the world more unequal (Washington Post) Worsening inequality, as poorer people and nations lose years of gains in the battle against hunger and poverty, is likely to be one of the lasting legacies of the pandemic. New data released by the United Nations on Monday illustrates the unequal impact as measured by access to a basic human necessity: Food. Global hunger shot up by an estimated 118 million people worldwide in 2020, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, jumping to 768 million people—the most going at least as far back as 2006. The number of people living with food insecurity—or those forced to compromise on food quantity or quality—surged by 318 million, to 2.38 billion. In North America and Europe, formal employment, social safety nets and the widespread availability of remote work cushioned the blow. In those parts of the world, the percentage of people living with food insecurity edged up from 7.7 percent to 8.8 percent. But the developing world, home to billions of informal workers and gaps in government assistance, fared far worse. Asia and Africa are home to the majority of people in the world who are food insecure. But the region hit hardest by the coronavirus—Latin America and the Caribbean—saw the biggest one-year spike in food insecurity: a jump of nine percentage points, to 40.9 percent. “The developed world had the advantage of being formal economies, where if you do a lockdown, people have access to unemployment insurance or social aid,” said Máximo Torero Cullen, chief economist of the U.N. food agency. “That did not happen in much of the developing world. You saw a middle class move into poverty and the poor move into severe food insecurity.”

The kids are all right (New York mag) The kids are safe. They always have been. It may sound strange, given a year of panic over school closures and reopenings, a year of masking toddlers and closing playgrounds and huddling in pandemic pods, that among children the mortality risk from COVID-19 is actually lower than from the flu. The risk of severe disease or hospitalization is about the same. This is true for the much-worried-over Delta variant. It is also true for all the other variants, and for the original strain. Most remarkably, it has been known to be true since the very earliest days of the pandemic—indeed it was among the very first things we did know about the disease. The preliminary mortality data from China was very clear: To children, COVID-19 represented only a vanishingly tiny threat of death, hospitalization, or severe disease. Yet for a year and a half we have been largely unwilling to fully believe it. Children now wear masks at little-league games, and at the swimming pool, and when school reopens in the fall they will likely wear masks there, too. But the kids are not at risk themselves, and never were. Over the course of the pandemic, 49,000 Americans under the age of 18 have died of all causes, according to the CDC. Only 331 of those deaths have been from COVID—less than half as many as have died of pneumonia.

Western wildfires (USA Today) More than 300,000 acres are burning across six states across the western United States on Sunday as the region battled yet another brutal heat wave that shattered records and strained power grids. The largest, the so-called Bootleg Fire, burned across 143,607 acres in Oregon and was 0% contained. Officials in neighboring state California asked all residents to reduce power consumption quickly after the fire knocked out interstate power lines, preventing up to 4,000 megawatts of electricity from flowing into the state. Further south, the equally formidable Beckwourth Complex Fire measured 83,926 acres and was 8% contained in California, edging along the border with Nevada. It’s the largest wildfire of the year in the state. NV Energy, Nevada’s largest power provider, also urged customers to conserve electricity Saturday and Sunday evenings.

California to Pay Sterilization Victims (NYT) Leonard Bisel was 15 when the state of California decided that he should not have children, threatening to lock him up and force him to do hard labor if he did not submit to sterilization. In the middle of his operation, recalled Bisel, now 88, he woke up. “It was really painful,” he said, “and the doctor told me to shut up.” Under the influence of a movement known as eugenics, whose supporters believed that those with physical disabilities, psychiatric disorders and other conditions were “genetically defective,” more than 60,000 people across the United States were forcibly sterilized by state-run programs throughout the 20th century. They included more than 20,000 people over seven decades in California, under a eugenics law enacted in 1909. Almost all of the state’s procedures were performed through institutions, like the one where Bisel lived, and none were legally required to have the patient’s consent. Some of those sterilized were as young as 11. Even after California repealed its eugenics law in 1979, it continued to sterilize women in prison, sometimes without ensuring that their consent was lawfully obtained, according to a 2014 state report. Now California is prepared to spend $7.5 million to find and pay an estimated 600 surviving victims of coerced sterilization, both under the eugenics law and in prison, an estimated $25,000 each.

Red tides on Florida’s Gulf Coast (Washington Post) “Harmful algal blooms,” better known as red tides, occur as a result of a rapid increase in the population of algae in freshwater or marine water systems. Algal blooms are the result of a nutrient, like nitrogen or phosphorus from fertilizer runoff, entering the aquatic system and causing excessive growth of algae. Toxic red tides produce harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota are all on Florida’s western coast, abutting the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In 2018, a long-lasting red tide afflicted residents of Sarasota County, causing sharp drops in tourism and hitting its economy hard. The event killed at least 19 dolphins and 239 sea turtles in Sarasota and Manatee counties, and about 2,000 tons of dead marine life in five counties were hit by the red tide. 100 manatees died statewide. This year, Florida’s Gulf Coast is suffering through an even worse toxic red tide. Dead fish were washing up on the shores of Tampa Bay before Tropical Storm Elsa swept through the state last week. Elsa’s strong winds pushed dead eels, dead baby sea turtles, and tons more lifeless fish onto the shores of St. Petersburg, surrounding residents and visitors in a cloud of rotting death. By Friday, St. Petersburg cleaning crews had collected 15 tons of dead fish, and still dead fish were everywhere—out in the water, on the shores, and in the mangroves. A lifelong fisherman looked out over Tampa Bay, but all he could see was endless death. “Never, ever, have I seen it this bad,” he said.

Biden, domestic politics, and Cuba (Washington Post) The anti-regime protests taking place throughout Cuba delivered yet another jolt to the White House. Just as the Biden administration was grappling with the near-unprecedented events in Haiti following the assassination of the country’s president, it now has to reckon with what could be a historic uprising taking place in nearby Cuba. Power outages and food shortages led to outpourings of anger in various cities in the island country. The question for the White House is what should be done next. In March, 80 Democratic lawmakers sent Biden a letter urging that he revoke some of Trump’s “cruel” sanctions, including ending restrictions on travel and the payment of remittances. “With the stroke of a pen, you can assist struggling Cuban families and promote a more constructive approach,” they wrote. But the Biden camp is wary of restarting the Obama-era thaw that saw new trade contacts develop between the countries and the glimmer of a detente. Domestic politics and the electoral significance of Florida make such overtures now a non-starter. Instead, Biden presides over a Cold War status quo that leaves the asphyxiating U.S. embargo on Cuba in place—a decades-long blockade that has for years hobbled the country’s economy and given the regime an external excuse for its travails. Last month, the United States found itself once more virtually alone at the United Nations, as the General Assembly voted almost unanimously—as it does annually—against the continuation of the economic embargo. “The truth is that if one wanted to help Cuba, the first thing that should be done is to suspend the blockade of Cuba as the majority of countries in the world are asking,” Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said on Monday. “No country in the world should be fenced in, blockaded.”

France rushes to get vaccinated after president’s warning (AP) Nearly 1 million people in France made vaccine appointments in a single day, after the president cranked up pressure on everyone to get vaccinated to save summer vacation and the French economy. President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday that vaccination would be obligatory for all health care workers by Sept. 15, and held out the possibility of extending the requirement to other parts of the population. With infections on the rise again around France, expectations had mounted in recent days that Macron would announce some kind of vaccination requirement, driving new demand for appointments.

Heavy rain floods Zurich streets, causes travel chaos (Reuters) Switzerland suffered one of its heaviest rainfalls on record during a thunderstorm that caused flooding and travel chaos on Tuesday in its financial capital, Zurich. Sections of Zurich’s bus and tram network were halted because fallen trees blocked lines, and some streets were flooded. The Meteo service at SRF said further rain was forecast and that flooding was likely to worsen, especially around lakes and rivers. It also warned of landslides.

Taliban surge in north Afghanistan sends thousands fleeing (AP) Sakina, who is 11, maybe 12, walked with her family for 10 days after the Taliban seized her village in northern Afghanistan and burned down the local school. As the Taliban surge through northern Afghanistan—a traditional stronghold of U.S.-allied warlords and an area dominated by the country’s ethnic minorities—thousands of families like Sakina’s are fleeing their homes, fearful of living under the insurgents’ rule. In the last 15 days, Taliban advances have driven more than 5,600 families from their homes, most of them in the northern reaches of the country, according to the government’s Refugee and Repatriations Ministry. In Camp Istiqlal, family after family, all from the Hazara ethnic minority, told of Taliban commanders using heavy-handed tactics as they overran their towns and villages—raising doubts among many over their persistent promises amid negotiations that they will not repeat their harsh rule of the past.

Iraqi health officials: 64 dead in fire at coronavirus ward (AP) The death toll from a catastrophic blaze that erupted at a coronavirus hospital ward in southern Iraq the previous day rose to 64 on Tuesday, Iraqi medical officials said. Two health officials said more than 100 people were also injured in the fire that torched the coronavirus ward of al-Hussein Teaching Hospital in the city of Nasiriyah on Monday. Earlier, officials had said the fire was caused by an electric short circuit, but provided no more details. Another official said the blaze erupted when an oxygen cylinder exploded. It was the second time a large fire killed coronavirus patients in an Iraqi hospital this year. At least 82 people died at Ibn al-Khateeb hospital in Baghdad in April, when an oxygen tank exploded, sparking the blaze. That incident brought to light widespread negligence and systemic mismanagement in Iraq’s hospitals. Doctors have decried lax safety rules, especially around the oxygen cylinders.

Japan warns of crisis over Taiwan, growing risks from U.S.-China rivalry (Reuters) Growing military tension around Taiwan as well as economic and technological rivalry between China and the United States raises the prospect of crisis in the region as the power balance shifts in China’s favour, Japan said in its annual defence white paper. The Japanese defence review, which was approved by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s government on Tuesday, points to China as Japan’s main national security concern. China’s recent increase in military activity around Taiwan has Japan worried since the island lies close to the Okinawa chain at the western end of the Japanese archipelago. But there was an angry reaction in Beijing which said Japan has “for some time now” been making baseless accusations about China’s normal defence buildup and military activities. Chinese President Xi Jinping this month pledged to complete the “reunification” with Taiwan and in June criticised the United States as a “risk creator” after it sent a warship through the Taiwan Straits separating the island from the mainland.

Worst violence in years spreads in South Africa as grievances boil over (Reuters) Crowds clashed with police and ransacked or burned shopping malls in South Africa on Tuesday, with dozens reported killed as grievances unleashed by the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma boiled over into the worst violence in years. Protests that followed Zuma's arrest last week have widened into looting and an outpouring of generalised anger over inequality that persists 27 years after the fall of apartheid. Poverty has been exacerbated by severe social and economic restrictions aimed at blocking the spread of COVID-19. The South African Police Service (SAPS) said late Tuesday that as many as 72 people have lost their lives and 1,234 people have been arrested in the last few days of protests which have now turned into rampant looting and riots. Hundreds of looters raided warehouses and supermarkets in Durban, one of the busiest shipping terminals on the African continent and a major import-export hub. Aerial footage from local channel eNCA showed black smoke rising from several warehouses, while debris lay strewn. Troops were moving into flashpoints on Tuesday as outnumbered police seemed helpless to stop the unrest. Columns of armoured personnel carriers rolled down highways.

[realyoungdarius]

The O*NET® Content Model  -- Worker Requirements

Worker Requirements

https://www.onetcenter.org/content.html

Descriptors referring to work-related attributes acquired and/or developed through experience and education.

Worker requirements represent developed or acquired attributes of an individual that may be related to work performance such as work-related knowledge and skill. Knowledge represents the acquisition of facts and principles about a domain of information. Experience lays the foundation for establishing procedures to work with given knowledge. These procedures are more commonly known as skills. Skills may be further divided into basic skills and cross-functional skills. Basic skills, such as reading, facilitate the acquisition of new knowledge. Cross-functional skills, such as problem solving, extend across several domains of activities.

Folder (open)Basic SkillsDeveloped capacities that     facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge

Folder (open)Cross-Functional SkillsDeveloped     capacities that facilitate performance of activities that occur across     jobs

Folder (open)KnowledgeOrganized sets of principles     and facts applying in general domains

Folder (open)EducationPrior educational experience     required to perform in a job

Folder (open)ContentBackground structures needed     to work with and acquire more specific skills in a variety of different     domains

Folder (open)ProcessProcedures that contribute to     the more rapid acquisition of knowledge and skill across a variety of     domains

Reading     ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work     related documents.

Active ListeningGiving     full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand     the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not     interrupting at inappropriate times.

WritingCommunicating     effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

SpeakingTalking to others     to convey information effectively.

MathematicsUsing     mathematics to solve problems.

ScienceUsing scientific     rules and methods to solve problems.

Critical ThinkingUsing     logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of     alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active     LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current     and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Learning     StrategiesSelecting and using training/instructional methods and     procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new     things.

MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing     performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make     improvements or take corrective action.

Folder (open)Social SkillsDeveloped capacities     used to work with people to achieve goals

Complex Problem Solving SkillsDeveloped capacities     used to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings

Folder (open)Technical SkillsDeveloped capacities     used to design, set-up, operate, and correct malfunctions involving application     of machines or technological systems

Folder (open)Systems SkillsDeveloped capacities     used to understand, monitor, and improve socio-technical systems

Folder (open)Resource Management SkillsDeveloped     capacities used to allocate resources efficiently

Social     PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they     react as they do.

CoordinationAdjusting     actions in relation to others' actions.

PersuasionPersuading     others to change their minds or behavior.

NegotiationBringing     others together and trying to reconcile differences.

InstructingTeaching     others how to do something.

Service     OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.

Complex Problem     SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to     develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Operations     AnalysisAnalyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.

Technology     DesignGenerating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.

Equipment     SelectionDetermining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

InstallationInstalling     equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.

ProgrammingWriting     computer programs for various purposes.

Operation     MonitoringWatching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a     machine is working properly.

Operation and     ControlControlling operations of equipment or systems.

Equipment     MaintenancePerforming routine maintenance on equipment and determining     when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

TroubleshootingDetermining     causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

RepairingRepairing     machines or systems using the needed tools.

Quality Control     AnalysisConducting tests and inspections of products, services, or     processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Judgment and Decision     MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to     choose the most appropriate one.

Systems     AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in     conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

Systems     EvaluationIdentifying measures or indicators of system performance and the     actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of     the system.

Time ManagementManaging     one's own time and the time of others.

Management of Financial     ResourcesDetermining how money will be spent to get the work done, and     accounting for these expenditures.

Management of Material     ResourcesObtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment,     facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.

Management of Personnel     ResourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work,     identifying the best people for the job.

Folder (open)Business and ManagementKnowledge of     principles and facts related to business administration and accounting,     human and material resource management in organizations, sales and     marketing, economics, and office information and organizing systems

Folder (open)Manufacturing and ProductionKnowledge     of principles and facts related to the production, processing, storage,     and distribution of manufactured and agricultural goods

Folder (open)Engineering and TechnologyKnowledge     of the design, development, and application of technology for specific     purposes.

Folder (open)Mathematics and ScienceKnowledge of     the history, theories, methods, and applications of the physical,     biological, social, mathematical, and geography

Folder (open)Health ServicesKnowledge of     principles and facts regarding diagnosing, curing, and preventing disease,     and improving and preserving physical and mental health and well-being

Education and     TrainingKnowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training     design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the     measurement of training effects.

Folder (open)Arts and HumanitiesKnowledge of facts     and principles related to the branches of learning concerned with human     thought, language, and the arts.

Folder (open)Law and Public SafetyKnowledge of     regulations and methods for maintaining people and property free from danger,     injury, or damage; the rules of public conduct established and enforced by     legislation, and the political process establishing such rules.

Folder (open)CommunicationsKnowledge of the     science and art of delivering information

TransportationKnowledge     of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or     road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Administration and     ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in     strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling,     leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and     resources.

ClericalKnowledge of     administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word     processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription,     designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Economics and     AccountingKnowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices,     the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial     data.

Sales and     MarketingKnowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and     selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and     tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control     systems.

Customer and Personal     ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and     personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting     quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Personnel and Human     ResourcesKnowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment,     selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and     negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Production and     ProcessingKnowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality     control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective     manufacture and distribution of goods.

Food ProductionKnowledge     of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food     products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including     storage/handling techniques.

Computers and     ElectronicsKnowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic     equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and     programming.

Engineering and     TechnologyKnowledge of the practical application of engineering science     and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures,     and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

DesignKnowledge of     design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of     precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Building and     ConstructionKnowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the     construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as     highways and roads.

MechanicalKnowledge of     machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and     maintenance.

MathematicsKnowledge of     arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their     applications.

PhysicsKnowledge and     prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and     applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics,     and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and     processes.

ChemistryKnowledge of     the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of     the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes     uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production     techniques, and disposal methods.

BiologyKnowledge of     plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions,     interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

PsychologyKnowledge of     human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability,     personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological     research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and     affective disorders.

Sociology and     AnthropologyKnowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and     influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and     origins.

GeographyKnowledge of     principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses,     including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships,     and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

Medicine and     DentistryKnowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose     and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes     symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and     preventive health-care measures.

Therapy and     CounselingKnowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis,     treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for     career counseling and guidance.

English     LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language     including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and     grammar.

Foreign     LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English)     language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition     and grammar, and pronunciation.

Fine ArtsKnowledge of     the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works     of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

History and     ArcheologyKnowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and     effects on civilizations and cultures.

Philosophy and     TheologyKnowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This     includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking,     customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

Public Safety and     SecurityKnowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and     strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security     operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Law and     GovernmentKnowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents,     government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic     political process.

TelecommunicationsKnowledge     of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of     telecommunications systems.

Communications and     MediaKnowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination     techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and     entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Required Level of     EducationThe level of education required to perform a job.

Job-Related Professional CertificationCertification:     A credential awarded by a certification body based on an individual     demonstrating through an examination process that he or she has acquired     the designated knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform a specific job.

Instructional Program     RequiredThe instructional program required for this job

Folder (open)Education Level in Specific SubjectsThe     amount of education required in 15 subject areas to perform in a job.     Subject areas cover most of the courses that occur in high school, junior     college, college undergraduate degree programs, and other education and     training programs

Job-Related Professional     CertificationPossession of an occupational or industry certification to     perform the job.

Technical     VocationalCourses focus on non-business technical skills, such as     Agriculture, Industrial Arts, Automobile and Shop, and ElectronicsData not     collected

Business     VocationalCourses focus on basic business skills, such as Word Processing,     Filing, Bookkeeping/Basic AccountingData not collected

English/language     ArtsCourses focus on reading, interpretation, and writing, such as     Literature, Composition, Journalism, and Creative WritingData not     collected

Oral     CommunicationCourses focus on oral communication and speech, such as Oral     Communication, Speech, and Interpersonal CommunicationData not collected

LanguagesCourses focus     on reading, writing, and/or speaking languages other than English, such as     French, Chinese, German, Japanese, Latin, Russian, and SpanishData not     collected

Basic MathCourses focus     on basic and applied math, such as General Math and Business MathData not     collected

Advanced MathCourses     focus on advanced topics in math, such as Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, and     StatisticsData not collected

Physical ScienceCourses     focus on the study of matter and/or energy, such as Physics, Chemistry,     and AstronomyData not collected

Computer ScienceCourses     focus on computers and their uses, such as Programming, Information     Systems Management, and Software ApplicationsData not collected

Biological     ScienceCourses focus on the study of life and living beings, such as life     science, biology, anatomy and physiologyData not collected

Applied ScienceCourses     focus on the application of science, such as Engineering, Health, and     MedicineData not collected

Social ScienceCourses     focus on the behavioral sciences, such as Social Studies, Economics,     History, Psychology, and SociologyData not collected

ArtsCourses focus on     visual and performing arts, such as Arts and Crafts, Music, Painting,     Sculpture, Theater, and VoiceData not collected

HumanitiesCourses focus     on cultural and philosophical aspects of humans, such as Minority Studies,     Philosophy, and ReligionData not collected

Physical     EducationCourses focus on physical fitness and sports, such as Aerobics,     Jogging, Weight Lifting, and Specific Sports