#and she’s a nurse in a local hospital and engaged and like i said we weren’t really good friends so it was just really weird

[brattybottomdyke]

had the most awkward interaction with a girl i was barely friends with in high school at the grocery store today 😬

[fizzyxcustard]

Covert Eyes (14)

Prologue| Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6| Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13

Fandom: Spooks

Pairings: Lucas North x OC (Amy Holland)

Warnings: Stalking behaviour, anxiety, language, sexual references, angst, heartbreak, gunshot wounds and recovery.

Summary: Lucas takes notice of a young woman, Amy, but his obsession and want to get to know her begin to spiral out of control. Lucas and Amy’s domestic bliss hits a plateau, but then plummets back when someone from Lucas’ past decides to crash the party. 

Official soundtrack list:  here

Comments/Notes: If you wish to be tagged in any of my tag lists for fics or characters, please let me know, and stipulate what you want to be tagged in. The above image was located on Pinterest, with no link back to the original source. 

I also wanted to stipulate, and I don’t mean to be rude, but if you ask to be on my tag list and never interact (even if just a ‘like’ on the chapters I post) then I will remove you after a few weeks. Please try and show some kind of engagement, or ask to be taken off my list if you’re no longer interested.

Two days after seeing Lucas in person, Amy sat on her sofa and cried. Only nine days earlier, on the morning she was to meet Sarah Caulfield for the first time, she and Lucas were happy, engaged, ready to go shopping for a ring. They were constantly smiling, constantly aglow. Both of them felt free, unhindered by their insecurities in discussing the future. 

I cannot wait to put that ring on your finger and make this official. 

She still had his text message, and she’d read it each morning and night since they’d split. If only she hadn’t gone to the café that morning and met Sarah. If only she had stayed in bed with Lucas longer and missed out on her breakfast. Would it have all just happened another day? 

Amy hovered over her sister’s name in her phone, wanting to call. The whole relationship ordeal with Lucas needed to be discussed, but how could Amy tell everything? Without all the context of Lucas’ job, none of it would make sense. And despite Lucas having broken her heart in the way he had, Amy still couldn’t betray his trust. She felt as if she were floating in a limbo of pain and frustration, unable to find a shore of peace. 

Suddenly, Amy decided to call her sister. The dial tone buzzed in Amy’s ear, and she sniffed hard, not wanting her sister to know she’d been crying. 

“Hey, Aim,” Leah Holland said in surprise. “How are you, lovely? Everything okay?” 

“Yeah, just wanted to catch up and see how you are.” 

The conversation began with the normal pleasantries. Leah discussed the first day in her new job as a senior nurse at the local hospital where she worked. Amy smiled, feeling some of her sadness lift as she concentrated on her sister’s happiness. The sound of her older sister chatting away about something important to her brought about a sense of calm on Amy. It was almost nostalgic, as if they were both stood together in their old shared bedroom as teenagers, discussing a crush at school. 

“How are things with you and Lucas? Mum was talking about you bringing him up to meet the family,” Leah said. “How long have you been together now?” 

Amy bit her lip, feeling it quiver. “Umm, we broke up.” 

“What? Oh, I’m so sorry. What happened?” 

Amy explained her side of the story, however, omitted the fact he worked for MI-5 and that Sarah was with the CIA. But, she did mention him watching her over social media, and went with his initial backstory of being a policeman. The ordeal with Jonathan was something that Amy’s family were already aware of, but Amy didn’t mention Lucas’ involvement. “So I just don’t know what to do. I’ve agreed for us to be friends, but I love him. He promised not to watch me on social media anymore. Being a policeman means he has the resources to do this kind of stuff.” 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t excuse him for doing it, Aim.” Leah sighed loudly. “It’s a tough one. I suppose you need to really look at how you feel about him. I could tell you right now to stay away from him, but I don’t know him. Everything you’ve told me about him makes me think he’s a good man. He definitely doesn’t sound like he’d ever harm you.” 

“Oh, definitely not. I trust him implicitly that he would never, ever hurt me physically. We never told anyone, but three days before I bumped into his ex, he asked me to marry him.” 

Leah gasped. 

“Yeah. I said yes. I knew that I wanted to be with him, you know? I could picture us together married and starting a family. I’ve never felt so in love before or attracted to someone. And I still can’t believe that he feels the same way about me.” 

“We’ve been telling you for years, Aim, that you deserved better than Adam. And it sounds like you really did have something special with Lucas.”

“We did.” 

“And, seeing your photos of him, he is rather dishy.” 

Amy giggled down the phone. 

By the end of the conversation, Amy felt that a slight weight had been lifted from her shoulders. There was still a considerable remainder there, but it didn’t feel as overwhelming as when she first dialled out to Leah. One thing was certain, and that was that she needed to see Lucas. The conversation with Leah had put all of her thoughts into order and perspective; no matter what he had done, she still loved Lucas. In fact, she couldn’t ever see a day coming when she wouldn’t love him. 

The next morning and Amy arrived a little earlier than usual at the café. To her surprise, Lucas was already there, flicking through a newspaper. Every time she saw him and he made her breathless; that initial first sight of him made her breath catch in her throat. And her heart would speed up, the quickening dun-dun dun-dun resonating through her whole being. 

“I got you a coffee and bagel,” he said, smiling sadly at her. The pain seemed to become more fierce within his chest as she approached the table. It felt as if an entire herd of elephants, not just one, were standing on him. 

“Thank you for coming to see me,” Amy said, sitting down opposite him. Her text the night earlier had been answered within two minutes, a sure sign of his eagerness to see her. 

Lucas sighed and leaned in, his elbows balanced on the table. “I always want to see you.” His blue eyes locked with her gaze and they sank into each other for a few seconds. 

Amy knew that every meeting like this would be intense; the sexual frustration and sheer want for each other was reaching a supernova level. She knew she couldn’t back away. The way he looked at her always caused a pleasurable stir in her stomach, mixed with the fluttering of butterflies. It was a sensation that she had come to know all too well, and enjoy. 

Suddenly Lucas tensed as his gaze drifted behind Amy and out the window at the front of the café. 

Amy could see his jaw clench tight. “What?” she asked, scooting around in her chair. “Lucas, what is it?” 

“Wait there,” Lucas instructed, and shoved his chair out behind him. The legs screeched against the tiled floor. He stormed out of the café. 

Amy got up and followed. 

Customers turned around quickly to see what was going on, craning their heads to see the argument that had begun to brew outside the café. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” Lucas growled, his gaze dark as he stared at Sarah. 

“Hello to you, too,” she chuckled. “Aren’t you glad to see me, Lucas?” 

Amy stepped up beside Lucas, but was immediately pushed back by his arm. “Stay behind me,” he said softly to her. 

“Looks like you have her well trained,” Sarah replied sarcastically. “Like a little puppy that comes when you call.” 

“You say one more thing about her…” 

“Or what? You’ll kill me? You move fast from one lady friend to the next. Didn’t take you long to get over me, did it? Did you cry for me?” 

Amy stepped forward, shoving Lucas’ arm aside. “Maybe he just didn’t love you like you thought he did? Not every woman is that deceitful as to fake their own death, are they, Sarah?” 

“You’ve got a lot of nerve, you little bitch,” Sarah hissed. “You think he loves you? What are you? An overgrown kid who sleeps with stuffed animals? You know nothing of what he is or what he’s capable of. Go back to your toys and drawings, sweetheart.” 

“Don’t you say one more word to her!” Lucas shouted. 

Pedestrians began to stop now on the street, watching the spectacle play out before them. 

Sarah chuckled again. “Today’s the day that we finally kill each other,” she gloated. Within seconds, she’d reached inside her jacket pocket. 

A black object flashed into Amy’s vision, and her instinct immediately took over. There was a click. She shot in front of Lucas. Then a bang. All Amy remembered in the moments before she lost consciousness was Lucas shouting and another bang. Then darkness. 

Sirens. Beeping. Bright lights. Pain. Lucas’ voice. 

***

Lucas sat beside Amy’s bed, his head low. All he could hear was the sound of the beeping of the machine monitoring her heartbeat and blood pressure. Everything was normal. But it had only just become normal; after blood loss, surgery and resuscitation, Amy was finally stable. 

“Sarah was pronounced dead,” Ros said as she entered the room and sat down beside Lucas. 

“Good,” Lucas growled. 

“What happened?” 

“Sarah spoke with Amy over a week ago, trying to tell her lies about me. I don’t know how she faked her death, and why she then wanted to kill me.” 

“And Amy stepped in front of you?” Ros asked. 

“Yeah, she was too quick for me. I just saw red and shot Sarah.” 

“It was self-defence,” Ros replied simply. “That’s all we go with on the report.”  

“I shouldn’t have ever gotten her involved in my life,” Lucas said, tears falling down his cheeks. “I know that now. I should have stayed away from her. Everything I touch and I lose it. Everything.” 

“She obviously loves you otherwise she wouldn’t have stepped in front of you and took a bullet,” Ros reminded him. 

***

It was a full two days later when Amy began to wake. Her eyes fluttered open, which immediately became bombarded with bright, unnatural, fluorescent light. There was a deep seated ache in her stomach and she groaned as she re-entered the waking world. A dark shape was sat on her left hand side. She batted her eyelids to try and focus, but the voice immediately made her know who the shape was. 

“Aim,” Lucas’ relived voice came. Then she felt a hand curl around her cheek and a kiss on her head. 

She whispered his name and as he looked down at her, she took his lips against hers. As they kissed, she heard him begin to weep against her, and felt the tremor in his body. “It’s okay,” she told him. “It’s all okay.” 

“It’s not okay, Aim. I almost lost you.” 

Amy kissed his head and held it to her, allowing him to cry over her. “Shhh,” she cooed. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” 

Lucas looked at her through red and swollen eyes. “Why did you do it?” 

With a sleepy smile, Amy answered. “Because I love you.” 

A passing doctor saw what was happening and dashed into the room. “Miss Holland?” he asked. “How are you feeling?” 

“Like I’ve been hit by a train,” Amy said, studying the canula in the back of her hand which was linked to an IV bag and painkillers. 

“You’re very lucky. After a considerable blood loss and surgery to remove the bullet from your abdomen, you went into cardiac arrest, but we were able to resuscitate you. You’ve also had a full four units of blood in a transfusion. From here, we’ll need to keep you for a further few days.” The doctor began to write something down on a clipboard in his hand and studied the numbers and levels on the monitor beside Amy’s bed. “A nurse will be with you shortly to change your dressing.” 

The middle aged, balding doctor smiled and then left the room. 

“Does anyone else know where I am?” Amy asked. 

Lucas smiled. “A couple of my colleagues took care of it. Your parents are coming later today and your work have been told.” 

“Have you managed to get much rest?” Amy asked, batting her eyelids. 

“Only the odd nap here and there. But now you’re awake, do you want me to fetch you anything?” 

“I want you to go home and rest for a bit. And when I say go home, I mean our home.” Amy smiled at him and then took his hand in hers. “That’s if you want me…”

Lucas never replied and instead kissed her. 

Amy held Lucas in her arms for a few seconds, his upper body awkwardly lowered over the bars up the side of the bed. “Go and rest tonight, please. Have a shower and put your feet up.” 

“Not while you’re in here, I can’t,” Lucas protested. “How can I rest?” 

“Look, I don’t plan on going up there any time soon,” Amy chuckled, pointing upward. 

“Don’t even joke about it,” Lucas warned. “I’ll go and shower and grab some clothes, but I’m coming back. Do you want me to bring you anything?” 

***

Lucas took Amy’s key, after giving his own back to her when they split. He let himself into Amy’s flat and began putting together a weekender bag of clothing. Underwear, pyjamas, loose fitting trousers and tops. Next was a couple of books she’d asked for and her drawing pad. 

In her bedroom and Lucas couldn’t help but stop and look around. Her pyjamas which she had been wearing the night before she was shot, were over her desk chair. Her duvet had been pushed down the bed and a thin blanket with stars on it had been left, discarded in the centre of the bed. Due to it being summer, sleeping with a duvet would have been impossible. Lucas knew that Amy still needed to have something covering her, even during humid nights. 

Next to the frame photograph of her and her family all on holiday together, and another picture of her childhood dog, Lucas spotted a picture of him and her together. They were happy, healthy, in love. Hopefully that was where they would now be heading back to. Once Amy was out of hospital, he could focus on her again, and they could be back in their life of domestic bliss. 

***

Back at the hospital, Lucas entered with a bunch of fresh, red roses, and Amy’s weekender bag. Upon hitting reception, Ros called Lucas into a side room. “Amy’s parents arrived about ten minutes ago,” she began. “I explained to them that Amy was shot by a potential terrorist suspect.” 

“Okay, and what happens if they ask who the shooter was and where they are now?” 

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Amy knows not to include you in the story; it was purely a wrong place wrong time scenario for her. She came out of the café, saw the terrorist and they opened fire on her, possibly because of nerves.” 

Lucas sighed. “It’s not exactly the best cover story, is it?” 

A grey haired, sturdy built man came behind Lucas. He had stern eyes, but smiled at both Ros and Lucas. “Are you Lucas North?” he asked. He immediately recognised the younger man from Amy’s photographs that she had shared on their family WhatsApp group. 

“I’m Richard. Amy’s dad.” 

The two men shook hands and exchanged smiles. 

“Thank you for staying with her the last couple of days. We’ve heard a lot about you from Amy, but I just wish we could have met under better circumstances,” Richard said, sighing. 

***

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[thescribblingtourist]

From Chester to Cattlewash

Meet George and Barbara Wilson – unofficial Canadian ambassadors to idyllic Barbados.

Written By Richard Perry

Nova Scotia natives George and Barbara Wilson have made 27 trips to Barbados.

Driving north on the Ermy Bourne Highway it was becoming harder to keep our eyes on the road. To our right, three thousand miles of uninterrupted Atlantic swells were breaking on the beach. To our left, the sloping green hills of eastern Barbados displayed lush vegetation and the swaying leaves of breadfruit and coconut trees.

But as we passed giant Round Rock (an Instagram favourite), we saw the smiling Barbara Wilson, waving from her lawn in front of the big green cottage she had told us to look for “just across from the rock.”

We’d arrived in Cattlewash, named years ago when farmers walked their cattle down to the beach so saltwater could provide some relief to fly bites. These days it is a tiny rural neighbourhood serving two ends of the age spectrum: retirees looking to get away from it all and hipster surfers from around the world who ride giant waves in international competitions.

“Welcome to Cattlewash. Come on in.” said George. “May I offer you a drink…rum punch perhaps?”

The Wilsons have lived in several Maritime communities during their careers, but now make their home in Chester, Nova Scotia.

George is a tall, boyishly handsome 84-year old, a former head of sales for Kraft/General Foods in Atlantic Canada. With his velvety smooth, measured voice he could pass for a diplomat, well-suited to moving in high circles.

Barbara, now 80, was a nurse and wound care specialist who trained at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. More than once she’s had to treat friends on the island for everything from heat stroke to burns from a leaking gas stove.

Like her husband, Barbara has fallen in love with the Bajan people and their lifestyle.

“On some level, we equate it to the openness and friendliness of Newfoundland, which we both love,” she said. In their sailing days, they cruised the southwest coast, visiting outports and making friends with locals who helped tie up their boat. One couple invited them to their wedding.

We’d been tipped off about the Wilsons by fellow Nova Scotian John Cavill, a retired Air Canada public relations executive and a current representative for Barbados Tourism Marketing, Inc. In a country that relies heavily on tourism dollars and foreign exchange revenue, loyal repeat vacationers like the Wilsons are routinely feted at glitzy events hosted by the Prime Minister. This year marked their 27th trip to ‘Little England.’

“At our reception, two children in their school uniforms opened our car door,” said Barbara. “They were so polite and engaging. Inside, we were met with steel pan drums and children singing Beautiful Barbados.”

Beautiful, beautiful Barbados Gem of the Caribbean Sea Come back to my island Barbados Come back to my island and me.

Please me come back where the night winds are blowing Come back to the surf and the sea You’ll find rest, you’ll find peace in Barbados Come back to my island and me.

“We shook hands with Prime Minister Stuart that night. I told him we’re from Nova Scotia, and that along with Newfoundland we’ve always had a wonderful history of trade with Barbados. I said ‘We always sent salt, fish and lumber. In return, you gave us rum and sugar. We got the better part of that deal!’”

The Prime Minister of Cattlewash

Not five minutes into our hors d’oevres and rum punch, it’s clear why this Canadian couple has no trouble filling the cottage with guests. They are gracious hosts and love to share stories. Their friendships with Bajan neighbours and other vacationers have led to some creative hijinx.

“We have had fun jokingly forming our own government at Cattlewash,” said George. “We had a prime minister who was from Montreal, a Dr. Doug Kinnear who was the doctor for the Montreal Canadiens. He and his wife Katie have been down for about ten or fifteen years, living near us. So we had our ‘government’ meetings'. Barb, as a former nurse, was going to be minister of health. I was minister or tourism or something along those lines.

“Unfortunately, Doug died just last year. So last night at our party we held our glasses up to honour Prime Minister Doug Kinnear of Cattlewash. He was a colourful character. He always had stories about the Habs.”

Dr. Doug Kinnear, the Prime Minister of Cattlewash, treats Habs captain Bob Gainey. Photo credit: Globe and Mail

I found an obituary of their friend. He led the Canadiens’ medical team from 1962 to 1999. During that time, they won an impressive 12 Stanley Cups.

All roads lead to rum

It’s said of Barbados that wherever you see a church, you’ll find at least one rum shack nearby. We checked. It’s true. There are said to be as many as 1,700 rum shacks – on an island only 21 miles long by 14 miles wide!

I was curious if our new friends were fans of the tried and true Bajan rum punch recipe of one part sour, two parts sweet, three parts strong and four parts weak. “Actually, we leave out the weak…the water or juice. Ice cubes are all you really need.”

Seated on their patio, with the ocean in full view and a noisy surf soundtrack, we got into some good stories. Like the time they showed up in the local church, the only whites in the congregation, and the pastor, Father Matthias, invited them to stand up and announce to the flock who they were and where they were from.

“We gave our names and where we’re from in Canada,” said George. “It was pretty quiet. I told them we came because of the warmth of the people, who are very special and then added that we also came for … the Bajan macaroni pie. That’s when they got excited and broke into applause.”

An inauspicious welcome

George still recalls their first day in Barbados back in the late sixties. “In all our excitement, in the darkness I rushed into the water and had no sooner stepped in when I told my friend Bill, a doctor, that I thought a shark had bitten my foot, the pain was that bad. I had stepped on sea urchins. I had 40 barbs in each foot. I spent two weeks with my feet in buckets trying to get them out.”

In Barbados, everything is close. At 432 square kilometres (166 square miles), the entire island covers roughly the same area as St. John’s, Newfoundland. One minute you’re facing the calmer waters on the west coast, where play is the order of the day. Pasty white tourists, mostly from the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States fill the beach chairs and restaurants.

The Wilsons’ front yard view, where the Ermy Bourne Highway skirts the Atlantic Ocean in eastern Barbados.

But head a few miles inland and the landscape changes dramatically. The terrain rises through sugar cane fields, past roadside neighbourhoods (with ubiquitous rum shops) past an occasional long-abandoned windmill. When you climb Cherry Tree Hill facing the wild east coast, the view is stunning – one of those stop and stare moments. It’s hard not to imagine the country’s colonial past and these very fields where slaves worked unbearable days in oppressive heat.

Soon, the twisty, bumpy roads wind down toward sea level and the untamed east coast where the Wilsons have found their Shangri-La, where it is quiet and scenic – just the way they like it.

George and Barbara point to where they like to go for walks. Cattlewash has a beautiful one mile stretch of unbroken beach – said to be among the longest in Barbados.

“We’ve stayed in Sunset Crest in Holetown, and we like to visit,” said Barbara. “and we’ve had a safari tour into places that are like jungles, so dense and gorgeous. But when we come over that hill and in view of the sea and feel the trade winds, ahhh…coming down the hill…everything falls off and it is so lovely seeing the sea.”

 -30-

[dreamescapeswriting]

BTS Reaction || You Faint Backstage [Request]

A/N: Okay so Namjoon’s is possible because YA GIRL did it not once, but twice by accident and it’s the worst feeling ever

Seokjin:

You'd flown out to surprise Jin and the boys, you'd been missing them all as if they were your kids which since you were dating Jin was kind of true. You were waiting backstage while they were finishing up their last set of songs, the stage managers were all coming to talk to you when Jin spotted you from his spot on the stage, you waved and he smiled brightly mentioning to fans that you'd come to see him. Your relationship had been out to Army for a year now, you'd been dating for five years and you both decided it was time to stop hiding it and bring it out to them, especially since you were engaged and it was going to be hard hiding a marriage from Army, you swore some of them could have worked for the FBI or something, all of them training to be secret spies.

"Y/n? Everything okay?" The main stylist you'd known just as long as Jin asked as she noticed you holding your head, you nodded and she watched as you stumbled backwards.

"Get a doctor." She yelled to someone around her, you started to blank out everything around you sounding further away than it was and you couldn't concentrate on what the stylist was asking you.

(X)

You woke up in a hospital bed with Jin by your side, he was asleep in the chair dressed in his Fake Love outfit from the stage, you groaned as you sat up. Jin woke up instantly and stared at you as he noticed you were awake.

"How are you feeling?!" He rushed out and you smiled at him,

"Fine. Why am I in a hospital bed?" You asked with a small laugh in your throat but the door opened and a nurse walked in carrying a clipboard with her.

"Ah, you're both awake, good." She put the clipboard down on the end of your bed and began to explain why you'd passed out backstage,

"Low blood pressure?" You questioned as she read off the chart, she nodded and then looked at Jin,

"Your partner gave us permission to run some tests on your behalf and I have the results." You urged her to continue and she flipped the clipboard over and began looking through it,

"It seems congratulations are in order, you're pregnant." Both Jin and you stared at her in shock, your mouth hanging open and Jin's eyes widened as soon as he heard the word pregnant.

"You're around 2 months along, I'll leave you to talk about." Two months seemed right to you, it was the last time you were with Jin and you'd had a night together, you turned to look at him and he was staring at the floor.

"Jin I'm sorry-"

"Sorry?" He questioned, you couldn't read his expression so you just nodded and stared down at the bed,

"I'm going to be a dad!" He screamed jumping up from the chair and talking to fast you couldn't understand a word he was saying, he took out his phone and began calling Namjoon to ask for parenting books and then he was making plans about telling family members while you were still trying to process the fact that you had a baby inside of you.

"We're going to be parents." You giggled as you ran over your stomach and looked at Jin who'd relaxed now, joining your side and placing his head on your stomach, both of you in awe about it.

Yoongi:

The staff member led you through the back of the concert, you'd been flown out by Jin and Taehyung as a nice surprise for your boyfriend Yoongi. You'd been dating for a year and it was the first time you'd ever gone to surprise him on tour, it was safe to say you were more than excited to see him. It had been a month since you last saw one another and you were dying for one of his famous hugs, despite the fact that you were feeling a little sick and dizzy you were happy to be there, you put the dizziness down to the fact that you'd been on a plane for who knows how many hours and came straight to the venue without stopping at a hotel first.

"He's practising right now but if you wait here I'm sure he'll see you." You thanked the member of staff and she walked away, talking into a headset as she mumbled something about the stage not being right. You watched from the side leaning against one of the speakers as Yoongi started rapping along to Cypher part 3 with Taehyung by his side, Tae spotted you first and sent you a sly wink before he continued rapping to Yoongi's part which made you giggle forgetting the dizziness in your head. You could always count on the boys to make you forget your worries.

"You alright?" You almost jumped out of your skin when Jin came to your side, his hands protectively holding onto your arms since he'd noticed you swaying in place a little.

"Yeah I'm uh, I'm...I'm fine." You could barely finish your sentence when the room started to spin and you felt your legs giving way as if the rest of your body was too much for it to handle anymore.

"Shit," Jin yelled as you dropped unconsciously into his arms, he yelled out for someone to come over with a wet cloth and a bottle of water, Yoongi turned to look at what everyone was rushing towards when he noticed you in Jin's arms, he shoved his mic into Taehyung's hands and raced in your direction.

(X)

"You'll be just fine, just keep taking some pain meds for your headache and try to stay grounded for a while." The on-call doctor said to you, Yoongi and Jin had called a doctor after you passed out and you all moved to the hotel going straight to Yoongi's room to make you comfortable.

"She's okay though?" Yoongi asked in a panicked tone, you'd never seen him this way before in all your year of dating. He'd been concerned before but this was something different, you could tell you'd really worried him and you started to feel guilty even though it something out of your control.

"It's just altitude sickness, She'll be a right as rain again soon." With that the doctor left the hotel room and you were alone with Yoongi again, he sat down on the bed next to you and smiled sadly at you.

"What?" You giggled as he stared at you he shook his head and looked around the room,

"I'll order us room service and a movie, we can watch movies and cuddle all night." You took his hand in yours and he stopped trying to run around the room,

"You have a concert tonight, you're not staying here." He sighed remembering that he had to leave you at some point but he didn't want to, he wanted to be able to stay with you and make sure you were okay.

"Yoongi, I'm fine. It's just altitude sickness, go out there and kill the stage." You giggled at him and he leant down over you to give you a kiss, a small yet romantic kiss which made you both smile uncontrollably,

"I've missed being able to do that," He whispered to you and you lightly pushed his chest so he would move away from you,

"Go to your concert lover boy, I'll be here when you get back." You giggled as he walked out of the room, rushing back in and giving you another kiss before leaving for the last night that night.

Hoseok:

It'd been a long day full of adventure, Hoseok decided that you could go sightseeing before the concert that night. You were in Paris, who wouldn't want to go sightseeing with their boyfriend so you spent the day hopping around all the local tourist's spots and then having a quick meal before the concert would start but neither of you had been paying attention to your hydration, it wasn't until you were standing backstage watching Hoseok preforming that you started to feel the effects of the dehydration. Jin was standing behind you while you watched Hoseok performing his solo dance,

"I think I need to sit down." You mumbled to him and he watched as you walked over to some of the plastic chairs they had for staff members, he frowned when he noticed your eyes starting to flutter and how your head was rolling a little.

"We'll take her," One of the stage managers said to Jin because his cue was coming, he watched as they walked with you over to the changing rooms, getting you bottles of water and trying to keep you conscious.

"Keep her in here, make sure she's drinking." You looked at the stage managers that had brought you in and they left the room, you grumbled something and someone handed you more water trying to make you stay awake but your eyes were feeling heavy and you were starting to fade in and out of the room.

(X)

As soon as Hoseok heard what happened he wanted to end the concert and come to your side but he knew you wouldn't that so he continued working and asking what was happening whenever he wasn't on stage but now he was sitting beside you on the sofa and holding you in his arms.

"Hoseok I'm fine." You grumbled trying to let go of you but he was acting as though you'd almost died,

"I passed out, it's not a big deal." You laughed as he cupped your face and moved your head around so he could stare at you.

"Next time we have an adventurous day we'll make sure to bring our own water and keep you topped up." You giggled as he pulled your head into his chest,

"You stink!" You groaned trying to push him away but he only tightened his grip on you, making you stay beside him as you pretended to die in his arms because of the smell.

"Hobi...Light...I must walk towards it." You joked before ''dying'' in his arms and making Jimin laugh from behind the sofa you were sitting on.

"Go shower!" You yelled once he let go of you and walked in the direction of the showers that were in the venue, you loved him a lot but Jesus did that boy smell after every show.

"Why don't you come join me?" He asked when he reached the door, you picked up the pillow from the sofa and threw it in his direction, making him duck and chuckle at you.

"You're so gross! There are people around!" He laughed evilly as he walked out of the changing room and left you alone with the boys all them asking if you were okay even though you repeatedly told them that everything was okay and that you were fine now.

Namjoon:

While you were on tour with your boyfriend Namjoon you liked to make sure you were staying as healthy as possible even though you were away from home. You didn't want to get sick and Namjoon didn't want you to get sick either, so you would both take multivitamins and you would also take a couple of other vitamins and sea kelp to help with nail, and hair growth. You would take them before he went on stage as the stage managers would have them in their bags for you both but that day you'd forgotten that you'd already taken some from one stage manager and took a second lot with Namjoon.

"Shit." You mumbled feeling the feeling you knew all too well, you'd done it before by accident and you knew what to do, the stage manager frowned as you started walking slowly in the direction of changing room, holding your head as you walked trying to steady yourself.

"I'm just gonna lie down here for a while." You whispered to one of the stylists as you entered the changing room, laying down on the black leather sofa that was in the room. Your head was spinning and you could feel yourself wanting to vomit,

"You alright?" The eldest stylist asked as she dropped to her knees in front of you and you nodded slowly, closing your eyes tightly as it hurt to move your head like that. Before she could ask you more questions you were out cold and she went to get you a blanket.

(X)

The concert was over and Namjoon was knelt on the floor beside the sofa, sweat dripping from his face and onto you,

"Gross." You grumbled sitting up and looking at him as he watched you, as soon as he got off stage the staff told him what happened and he rushed to your side,

"Do you need to see someone?! You passed out." He was trying to touch your head to see if you had a fever but you pushed him away from you,

"Joonie, I'm okay. I just took too many vitamins." You told him as you sat crossed-legged on the sofa and stared at him,

"I forgot I'd already taken some and I took them again. It's happened before I just had to sleep it off." You promised him but it still didn't calm him down, he was wondering how he was going to make sure you remembered that you'd taken them tomorrow,

"Joon." You warned as you could see the cogs turning in his head, his head snapped up to stare at you and you gave him a smile.

"Look...I'm okay, see." You took his hand in yours and he smiled at you a little,

"You're such an idiot." He groaned at you, he sat beside you and you laid your head on his shoulder, not caring that he was covered in sweat or that he stunk.

"I bet you did great, I'm sorry I slept through the whole thing." You laughed and he just wrapped his arm around your shoulder drawing you closer to his body and smiling as you snuggled against him.

"You're both gross." You heard Jin say to you as he watched you snuggle together despite Namjoon being covered in sweat and smelling as though he'd been for a five-hour-long run.

"You're just jealous." You winked at Jin and Namjoon leant down to give you a quick kiss, he knew he had to shower soon as he couldn't stand the way he smelt.

Jimin:

You hadn't been feeling right all day, your anxiety had been acting up since the moment you opened your eyes that morning but you pushed down the feelings so you didn't have to think about it much, deciding it was easier to focus on something else instead but now you were getting ready to be left behind while Jimin went on stage to perform. You'd done this plenty of times, waiting for him by the side of the stage but this time you were in a new venue, and it wasn't in Seoul, you were away from home and away from the regular stage managers who knew how to look after you.

"You'll be okay?" Jimin questioned as he heard his name being called, you lied to him knowing if you said no he would stay with you. You'd been together long enough and he knew how you got with your anxiety.

"I'll be fine, go." You giggled and watched as he ran to his spot and got ready to go up onto the stage, you leant back against a wall as you tried to steady your breathing. You were determined to stay cool throughout the concert, you'd done it a million times there wasn't anything you had to be anxious about but that didn't stop your fight or flight system from kicking in and deciding it was a situation you had to run from even though there was nothing for you to be scared of.

Jimin watched you from the stage as you looked around the area you were standing in, he wanted to sprint over to you but no one knew about your relationship yet, it was hidden from the fans so he continued working, trying not to make his glances at you too frequent.

(X)

The show was over and Jimin was racing behind the stage to try and find you, he looked away fro five minutes while they were giving speeches and you weren't there anymore. He found you in the changing room with the main stylist who was helping you breathe, handing you a bottle of water and feeding you some sweet looking foods.

"You okay?! What happened?!" His voice was horse from being on the stage but he ran to your side and you looked up at him.

"I'm sorry." You whispered to him feeling bad for making him scared, the stylist went on to explain that you'd passed out after having a panic attack.

"You were hyperventilating too much, but they're okay now right?" You nodded and the stylist walked away so Jimin could take her seat in front of you and study your facial features, you'd been crying hard because of a panic attack.

"We'll go back to the hotel and watch some movies, order a pizza and get you relaxed." You nodded in agreement with him and he smiled tucking hair behind your ear as you bit down into a strawberry,

"I'm sorry I scared you." He scoffed at you, telling you it was fine. It was fine, you couldn't help that you had a panic attack and now he was going through a plan in his mind on how he was going to prevent it happening again,

"You can stay back here with the stylists, it'ss too much out there for you." You nodded too tired to reply in a sentence and he sighed before pressing his lips against yours and standing up.

"I'll change and we can leave." You nodded and watched as he walked over to the main shower room and disappeared, you didn't know how you'd managed to get Jimin but you thanked whoever it was that made it happen every day.

Taehyung:

It was the first time you were going to be watching your boyfriend from behind the stage. Taehyung thought it would be more fun for you to watch from behind the scenes and that way he could see you before he had to go on or spend a small amount of time with you between each set.

"Here," Namjoon said to you as he rushed over to your side, giving you a bottle of water and smiled at you. You'd been close with all of the boys since dating Taehyung, you'd only been together for five months but it was the best five months of your life. You spent a lot of time together with each of the guys not just Tae,

"Thanks." You whispered taking the bottle from him and almost finishing the entire bottle, you hadn't thought about how hot it would be down here so you were wearing one of Taehyung's hoodies and a pair of jeans.

"Namjoon 5 seconds!" A stage manager yelled and he said goodbye and ran over to the centre of the stage, getting onto the platform with your boyfriend and you watched as they ascended and heard everyone screaming in the crowd which made you smile. You loved how preforming made your boyfriend feel, it always brightened up his day to be able to put on a show for everyone.

The same stage manager that had yelled at Namjoon was now standing next to you and staring at you,

"What?" You questioned and she frowned at you, reaching out her arm and sitting you down on a chair,

"You don't look so good." She mumbled reaching for a bottle of water that Namjoon had given you and handed it to you, she wiped the sweat from your forehead and then looked around for one of the fans they would use for the boys.

"I remember my first time back here, you get used to the heat." She whispered trying to comfort you but you were starting to feel lightheaded and your head was starting to feel heavy on your shoulders.

"You feeling okay?" You nodded but then shook your head,

"I just feel...I feel-" You didn't get to finish your sentence as you went limp in the chair, the stage manager began yelling down her mic and the boys continued their set having no idea what was going on backstage with you.

(X)

Taehyung came rushing to the hotel room after the show, he didn't bother to change out of his last stage clothes all he cared about was finding you.

"What happened?!" He yelled as he walked into his room, you were laid on the double bed in one of his shirts, a fan pointed at your body as you smiled lazily up at him.

"I passed out, it was too hot." You laughed softly and sat up in his bed, he rushed to your side ready to play the nurse if you needed it but you smiled at him and he relaxed a little.

"I'm fine Tae." You promised him but it didn't make him feel better, he was feeling bad for making you sit backstage instead of in the crowd like you normally would and you could tell what was going through his mind by the look on his face, you reached out to touch him.

"Tae, look at me. I'm fine." You promised him and he stared down into your eyes, he still felt bad but he didn't want to show you.

"I never should have let you sit back there, I know how hot it gets." He started ranting but you touched his arm and he seemed to relax, sitting down next to you on the bed and watching as you laid down with your head on his thigh.

"Can you just have a shower and come and cuddle me?" You questioned him and he nodded, getting up slowly and walking towards the en-suite, coming to check on you while the shower was running to find you sitting up and waiting for him with a smile on your face,

"Go, you stink." You giggled and he rushed to have a shower so he could come back to you.

Jungkook:

Jungkook was pulling you under the stage in a rush, you'd just gotten caught in a makeout session behind one of the speakers and now Namjoon was yelling at you both for acting like children.

"Shh." Jungkook laughed as you began giggling like a child, you were still being pulled along but your eyes were closed because you couldn't stop laughing.

"Jungkook, wait." You laughed harder since you couldn't see and all of a sudden your head came into contact with a low hanging bar and you were knocked back onto the floor,

"Fuck." You cried out holding your head and trying to find Jungkook but he'd run off thinking you'd both split up to get away from Namjoon.

"Y/n?" Namjoon asked once he caught up to you, you looked up at him and his eyes widened, reaching from something in his pocket and holding it against your head,

"Shit." He mumbled as he held the once, white handkerchief to your head, pulling it away and looking at it you frowned as you noticed it now had red spots on it, it wasn't until you felt something drip down your face you knew you were bleeding. Namjoon had left you in the hands of stage managers because they were already running late to start the concert, you told him it was fine and not to tell Jungkook until after the concert finished.

(X)

The stage managers had tried to keep you awake but you passed out shortly after Namjoon left your side and now you were sitting in a doctors office while Jungkook waited outside of the door. No one told him what happened to you until everything was over like you wanted and now they were waiting for you to come out.

"I'm all good." You said as he rushed to your side, you smiled at him and lifted up your fringe to show him the butterfly stitches that were across your forehead.

"I should have been more careful." He groaned to you as he watched you put your fringe back down to cover the stitches.

"I should have been watching where I was going." You giggled, feeling a little giddy from the medication the doctors had given you, Namjoon shook his head at you both with his arms folded across his chest. You felt as though you were being scolded by a teacher,

"You shouldn't be making out backstage and it wouldn't have happened." He said to you both as he clenched his jaw,

"Sorry Mr Kim, in future I'll not walk into poles." You promised and he took his head at you as you erupted into a giggle fit,

"Let's get her back to the hotel," Jungkook said as he wrapped his arm around your waist and walked with you towards the exit of the doctor's office. He knew you would be fine soon but he still felt bad,

"I want ice cream." He heard you mumbled once you were inside the car and he laughed at you, getting in beside you and making sure you didn't fall asleep like the doctor told him.

tagline:

@yoongisdumplingcheeks​ @snowy-meowl​ @lynnthevirgo​ @yourguessisasgoodasminemate​ @kpopfanfictionhoes​ @lyoongx​ @mitzwinchester​ @callingmyangel​ @btsiguess-kpop​ @rjsmochii​

[swearwolf-writes]

Teen Wolf 2020

it’s 2020 and corona is a bitch :) the wolves might not be able to get sick but they still wear their masks bcs they could still be carriers so *clears throat* WEAR YOUR MASKS Y’ALL!! this is very much a no one dies/everybody lives au :)

[CROSSPOSTED ON: AO3]

Scott McCall - age 26

this cute nerd. he studied veterinary medicine which takes about 4 years so he graduated in 2017 and works as Deaton’s partner at the Beacon Hills Animal Clinic. he’s dating Isaac (bcs he came back from France with Argent, remember) and Kira (she came back from the Skinwalkers in 2019 and has a proper grasp on her powers). sorry scalia shippers but it’s not really my thing-

Stiles Stilinski - age 26

NERD. anywho- FBI dork became an agent in 2019 whoo and lives in DC with Lydia, Derek and Braeden. he’s dating Lydia and Derek and things are pretty chill - he yells at arseholes who refuse to wear their masks bcs ‘it’s uncomfortable :(’ like bite me karen no one cares

Derek Hale - age 32

grumpy sourwolf actually knows how to smile!! who knew- he lives in DC with Stiles, Lydia and Braeden most of the time but he and Braeden travel often to fight butthead hunters who need to mind their own business. he’s dating Stiles and he and Braeden are engaged - it’s cute and they’re being dorks about it. he likes to complain that they’d be married by now if it wasn’t for freakin covid

Lydia Martin - age 26

your local genius banshee~ 🥰 still awesome, still a harbinger of death - so yk, the usual. bcs she had extra credits she started as a junior studying maths and graduates in 2016!! 🎉🎉 she moved to DC after she got some money together while working as a tutor - the quartet splits rent (but usually it’s just Stiles and Lydia splitting it bcs the other two don’t technically have jobs and yk Derek is an unsub and Stiles is in the FBI which Lydia finds hilarious). she teaches adults in the local community college and helps supernatural folk on the dl - she runs a grief counselling service at the same place for people who’ve lost someone. she’s also trying to get a degree to become a high school maths teacher and it’s a lot but she’s got it handled.

Allison Argent - 24

accidentally brought back from the dead by the Dread Doctors. everyone could not stop crying bcs she’s back baby!! she died in 2011 age 17 and came back in 2012 so she wasn’t dead long thankfully - wanted to kill Theo bcs he messed with her pack even he did bring her back. she’s a chimera now lads- she needed a kidney transplant when she was young which was why she was kept away from the family business. she was a werewolf-werejaguar chimera like Hayden but stayed a chimera. Chris and Isaac stayed home and bcs she and Isaac never actually broke up, they kept dating - she found it funny that Isaac and Scott were dating at this point,, meanwhile they were panicking wildly :) she went back to school and said she wasn’t dead, just in the hospital for a really long time. she joined Liam’s year and again, wanted to very badly throw hands when she found out about Monroe- she’s the coolest, like she has claws and bow and arrows

Malia Tate - 26

our girl went to France as promised and hooked up with plenty of hot French people *le eyebrow wiggle* she found her beau there in France and it was not a love at first sight sort of thing - she wanted to punch them in the face,, in their very pretty face- she was basically doing her own thing when she smells them, another bloody werewolf and like don’t get me wrong, she’s fond of werewolves, but bloody hell do they cause trouble. and they smell her too and it’s like ‘eh-?’ bcs werecoyotes aren’t so common as werewolves. and they’re just there in a club in Bordeaux and they’re sniffed each other out and they kinda just pause like huh- bcs they were were not expecting to see someone that pretty- but that’s not the point of course- they pretend to leave together and as soon as they’re out of sight from humans, they start fighting in an alley, as you do. it ends up with the wolf tasting the wall bcs who the hell are you- once they figure out they’re both just there to party, things chill and they see more of each other, naturally, it’s all just a big coincidence and doesn’t mean anything. and then they’re dancing and it doesn’t mean anything. and then they’re sleeping together and it doesn’t mean anything. except it does. and they don’t know when it became normal to cuddle or wake up together or have breakfast together but it just was. and when the cute werewolf (who I still don’t have a name for-) plans on moving to the next place, she comes with. the pack are happy for her and they usually road trip from place to place so when the pack comes to visit in Prague? it’s fun to say the least

Kira Yukimura - age 25

she came back from the Skinwalkers in 2019 and she and Allison became good friends. she kept going with school from home and is dating Scott. her powers are strong and when she sneezes bcs yk pollen or wtv, there’s sparks and it’s hilarious and Scott finds it adorable. she doesn’t really know what she wants to do yet and that’s cool of her

Erica Reyes - age 25

they thought she was dead- think again bitch, she slowed her heart rate down so they couldn’t hear and everyone thought she was dead - when the alpha pack got rid of her body and Allison found it, she told her to tell the others to pretend she was dead bcs of the Alpha pack - they beat the Alpha pack but she and Boyd hid with Satomi’s pack while that went down and helped generally after. she kept going with school and bcs she dipped for a while, ended in Liam’s year and eventually became a nurse in 2017. she works with Melissa McCall and joins for family dinner a lot.

Isaac Lahey - age 25

went to France with Chris Argent but kept going with his studies at Chris’ insistence. was dating dating Scott before he had to leave with Chris but they didn’t actually break up,, it was more ‘i’ll miss you :(’. came back to Beacon Hills when Chris came to help with the deadpool business and stayed bcs of Allison and Scott 💞 his studies were mostly uninterrupted and he studied law, becoming a lawyer in 2020!! so at least one good thing came of this infernal year- he wants to specialise in family law.

Vernon Boyd III - age 26

yea no, Derek didn’t mercy kill him bcs he was fine :) de nile ain’t just a river lads he went into hiding with Satomi’s pack and came back when the Alpha pack was dealt with. went back to school and ended up in Liam’s year. he joined the air force when he was 18 and finished his rotc training stuff in 2018 and it’s pretty alright - he’s a pilot but was discharged in 2019 bcs someone started with him and bcs they were a superior, he couldn’t say shit. so now he likes to wear ‘fuck the army’ and ‘fuck the air force’ shirt. he has mad respect for the people out there but the people in charge? fuck em

Aiden Steiner - age 27

he lives bitches 😎 Ethan had a silver chain on so he plugged the wound with it - it counteracted the oni poison and the chain started melting into the would (he had mild silver poisoning but he was fine). school was normal and now he’s an engineer, living in Beacon Hills. he and Ethan left for London for a while bcs that town was crazy af. while Ethan was very happy there, he missed home so went back. he got an online ordination and learnt Japanese bcs why not

Ethan Steiner-Whittemore - age 27

got married!! whoo 🎉🎉 Aiden officiated (this is 2018 btw) and it was cute. the whole pack was there and the wedding was in London bcs as quaint as Beacon Hills is 

‘i’m only planning on getting married once so this is gonna be awesome’ - Jackson Whittemore, 2017

he’s dramatic but yk Ethan was a blushing mess bcs ~life partners~ he’s soft y’all. he’s a primary school teacher in London and they’re part of the South London pack.

Jackson Steiner-Whittemore - age 25

also got married!! whoo 🎉🎉 ngl he’s lowkey a trophey husband/sugar hubby bcs he’s rich af - he does business with his dad but it’s not a big workload. he and Aiden want to adopt and yk being rich will hopefully help

Theo Raeken - age 25

ah yes, the absolute nightmare bi enby returns. (i hc him with he/they pronouns ✌🏽 as you do) so he successfully gained Scott’s trust and is part of the pack - yay! he and Allison have a sort of ‘you’re a bitch’ ‘no u’ *saves each others lives* relationship at this point - it took a while for Allison to warm up to him but he did save Liam’s butt several times so,, anywho, he’s still a werewolf-werecoyote chimera and he’s cool with it. he went to an online school and got his high school diploma - Liam then snuck him into the school and he signed the bookshelf bcs yea he didn’t graduate there but he did go there and now he’s graduated so yay. speaking of, he and Liam are dating, yea ik we been knew. they started dating in 2014 and Theo now works waiting tables at a local restaurants bcs he lives with Liam and his parents (you best bet that when they found out he was living in his car, they made him move in so he pays rent, not at their request but his). that was till 2017 and they moved out into an apartment together. Theo chips in on rent but it usually ends up being split 60:40 (Liam: Theo) so he cooks and cleans a lot,,, mainly bcs Liam can’t cook and does laundry like a maniac-

Liam Dunbar - age 24

this werepup is just as chaotic as always - he cannot be trusted with laundry bcs he doesn’t split colours from whites :) honestly it makes me wanna cry a lil bcs he can’t even fry eggs either- he has Theo to cook for him tho so that’s all good. he’s a history tutor for the high school students bcs he likes history and he knows the pain of high school- *shudder* he got an online Spanish and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) degree and is now teaching at Beacon Hills High but yk his first year teaching is all online bcs 2020-

Mason Hewitt - age 23

he’s Emissary to the pack when they don’t have Deaton *wipes tear* he’s all grown up- he went to UCLA and majored in biophysics and minored in LGBTQ studies (graduated 2017). he lived on campus (kept the bat next to his bed lmao) and videochatted with Liam almost everyday - he would visit almost every weekend even tho it’s a 6 and half drive but hey. he got an apartment near the uni where he and Corey lived after he graduated. they’ve been engaged since 2018 (it was actually the day after the Steiner-Whittemore wedding). he’s helping work on a new drug delivery system and they moved closer to Beacon Hills (Sacramento)

Corey Bryant - age 24

he also went UCLA, studying comparative literature and LGBTQ studies, and lived on campus (for 3 years before moving in with Mason in 2017) before graduating in 2018. they’re engaged and moved to Sacramento. he’s writing a novel that will thankfully have nothing to do with their confusing ass lives

Cora Hale - age 28

lesbian queen *bows* still part of her pack in Ecuador, South America - she’s got a lady lover who I call Rosa (affectionately nicknamed Rosalita). they met when she first got there age 12 (Rosa being 13 at the time). Rosa taught her Spanish  and made her feel like part of the pack - after all the Alpha pack stuff, when she went back with Derek and Peter, she didn’t realise how much she’d missed them- how much she’d missed her. Derek asks if that’s her girlfriend and she’s like ‘wha- o.o’ and Rosa just goes ‘yup - nice to finally meet you guys’. she still visits DC to see Derek and Beacon Hills to see Erica and Isaac. even tho she lives in a different continent, Peter still looks out for her, sending anonymous donations in Talia’s name to the areas surrounding her pack’s territory

Brett Talbot - 24

*singsongs* ~he did not die~ the car swerved out of the way and the pack took him to Deaton who burnt the poison out of him (it was a long and painful process but he’s fine y’all). he’s the new lacrosse coach at Devenford Prep and he and Liam have a (mostly) friendly rivalry :) he’s a single pringle not bcs of lack of dates but just bcs he hasn’t found the one yet

Lorilee Rohr - age 22

also did not die :) she finished high school (2015) and went on to studying at UC Berkeley (art practice and theatre and performance studies, major and minor), graduating in 2018. she and Brett moved once he reached age 18. she makes and sells art from home

Nolan Holloway - age 25

after proving himself, same as Theo, he was eventually accepted into the pack. he and Gabe were dating and that’s that so he did mourn him for a long while. he works with hunters on the dl, trying to stop them hunting the supernaturals - he’s flipped 23 away from the dark side by 2020. he and Liam are friends which took a while but Nolan has his back (like there was that one time someone from the lacrosse team said they weren’t gonna ‘follow some mongrel’ so he reminded them that Liam was co-captain and if they didn’t wanna follow him, they could kindly fuck off :)) he’s a simp and has a raging crush on Brett like me too bruh

~the end~ for now

[antoine-roquentin]

However, the order does override state orders to suspend operations. And it gives the producers a big fat liability shield. From Mother Jones:

But here’s a theory. Already, 20 meatpacking and food-processing workers have died from COVID-19, and more than 5,000 have contracted the disease, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. What if workers and their families start suing, claiming that the companies’ practices made them sick? Already, one worker—at a Smithfield plant in Milan, Mo.—filed a lawsuit claiming management was not sufficiently protecting workers from the risk of COID-19, and demanding that it follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

A president invoking the Defense Production Act to require meatpacking firms to keep their plants running during outbreaks would provide a “solid basis” for shielding the firms from suits like this, said Jennifer Zwagerman, director of Drake University’s Agricultural Law Center. She noted that Walmart was recently sued for wrongful death by the family of a worker who died from COVID-19 complications.

And from Reason:

The big deal in the executive order and interpretations of it may be about meat processing plant liability for employee exposure. From [U.S. Solicitor of Labor Kate S.] O’Scannlain and [OSHA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Loren] Sweatt’s statement:

Courts often consider compliance with OSHA standards and guidance as evidence in an employer’s favor in litigation. Where a meat, pork, or poultry processing employer operating pursuant to the President’s invocation of the DPA has demonstrated good faith attempts to comply with the Joint Meat Processing Guidance and is sued for alleged workplace exposures, the Department of Labor will consider a request to participate in that litigation in support of the employer’s compliance program. Likewise, the Department of Labor will consider similar requests by workers if their employer has not taken steps in good faith to follow the Joint Meat Processing Guidance.

Even CBS worked out that the worker safety bits were a headfake; relevant agencies merely issued guidance.

Mike Elk’s PayDay report seems to be the only outlet covering Covid-19 strikes; his map now shows 153. Yesterday, Nebraska meatpackers struck. From Elk’s account:

It’s unclear how Trump intends to use the Defense Production Act to force meat packing processing workers back into the assembly line.

Organized labor immediately denounced the move.

“We only wish that this administration cared as much about the lives of working people as it does about meat, pork, and poultry products. When poultry plants shut down, it’s for deep cleaning and to save workers’ lives,” said Stuart Applebaum, president of Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union. “If the administration had developed meaningful safety requirements early on as they should have and still must do, this would not even have become an issue.”…

Shortly after Trump announced his intention to issue his executive order, more than 50 meatpackers walked off the job after 48 co-workers tested positive for COVID-19 at Smithfield’s plant outside of Lincoln, Nebraska…

The Nebraska action follows a wildcat strike Monday night at Pilgrim’s Pride meatpacking plant in Cold Spring, Minn.

Another meatpacker facing coronavirus pushback in JBS. In Green Bay, 189 coronavirus cases have been linked to its facility there. Elk informs us that JBS is playing hardball:

At a JBS meatpacking plant in Greely, Colo., 5 workers have died of COVID-19 [6 as of April 30] and at least 100 workers have tested positive for the virus.

However, now JBS is threatening to sue the UFCW because of the negative media attention that they have received.

From KUSA in Denver:

JBS has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the union that represents its workers, arguing that it “has adopted a strategy of generating negative media attention and public opinion” to gain concessions from the company while it battles an outbreak of the novel coronavirus at its Greeley meatpacking plant.

They provided a copy of that letter to the 9NEWS by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 on Tuesday, and a rebuttal from the union’s president, Kim Cordova.

“Unfortunately, your cease and desist letter, threatening to stifle our voice, and those of our members, as well as pursuing claims for unfounded, speculative, and unrecoverable damages is rife with numerous inaccuracies, suppositions, and erroneous conclusions won’t spend time rebutting in their entirety,” Cordova wrote.

Have no doubt that that’s also meant to deter the Green Bay workers from making noise. Trump has threatened to use the National Guard to replace strikers; Elk reports that Democratic Governor Tom Wolfe has called in the National Guard to replace nurses who walked out of a nursing home to demand better safety protections after 19 residents died. I wonder how much appetite members of the National Guard would have for the backbreaking pace of meat processing plants.

Here’s a well argued take:

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts suggested yesterday that workers at meat packing facilities should face loss of unemployment benefits unless they returned to work. This follows on the heels of President Trump’s announcement that he would invoke the Defense Production Act to reopen closed plants in an effort to protect the nation’s food supply-chain. Plants, regardless of safety, will be opened and workers will be coerced with loss of UI benefits so that Americans can get their pork, chicken, and beef in a timely fashion.

Don’t get me wrong. I like meat as much, and probably more, than the next guy and will start getting nervous when these products aren’t in my local grocery store’s refrigerator case. But this one-two policy punch from the White House and Governor Ricketts has a few problems with it. These plants are out of operation not because workers have refused to do their jobs but because of serious COVID-19 outbreaks that forced their closure. There have been hundreds of cases of COVID-19 associated with these facilities and a number of deaths. The counties where the plants are located are becoming their own hot-spots in the unfolding disease crisis. Cramped working conditions and hard physical labor seem to lend themselves to efficient viral transmission.

There’s an even darker side to the situation, though. Somewhere between 30 and 50 percent of the meat-packing workforce is made up of undocumented workers from Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador as well as immigrants from East African nations. As Smithfield Foods’ statement on the Sioux Falls outbreak indelicately put it, the living conditions of these immigrants are “different than they are with your traditional American family.” Get it? They are in overcrowded houses with inadequate sanitation. “They” aren’t like “us”. Since many — perhaps a majority — of them lack legal status, they are unable to defend themselves against exploitative or coercive labor practices. As recently as last August, ICE agents were rounding them up by the hundreds for deportation.

We need to make up our minds on a number of issues. On the one hand, we shower praise on “essential workers” in hospitals, grocery stores, sanitation and other occupations. On the other, we engage in acts of economic coercion with vulnerable populations who do some of the dirtiest, most difficult, and most dangerous work around. We build a fence along our southern border to keep out illegal immigrants but then seek to force those who are already here to do jobs American citizens simply will not do.

Why so coy about the source? It’s from Brent Orrell….at the American Enterprise Institute. That American Enterprise Institute. Orrell, at one of the bastions of “free market” ideology, gives a more straightforward statement in support of meatpacking plant workers than I have yet to see from any Democrat.

[briefololtragedy]

Say anything.

Itachi/Sakura

Popped into my head, inspired by: I didn’t even now what sound will come out of my mouth

Rating: T

Summary: It had to be a virus, no other cause made sense. They had tried for years for this, but hopes were shattered multiple times.

Sakura was frustrated.  No not just frustrated, but also confused. She was in the middle of a surgery when she became faint, which has never happened. The resident who she was watching was confused, thankfully they were in their last year of training and were competent enough to finish on their own. She had to brake her gown off and sit on the stool the surgical tech provided for her, one of the rotating nurses got her a cold cloth to put on the back of her neck. Nausea overcame her, but she was able to keep it together.

 Once the surgery was done, she was thankful it was her light day and her only surgery. She went to the lounge to get some water and crackers. Nausea started to overcome her again. Not wanting to get her patients or co workers sick she messaged Tsunade that she would have to take a sick day.

 Sakura was in the locker room changing out of her scrubs when she got a message from Ino asking what had happened.  Sakura didn’t know what brought on the nausea or feeling faint. Her and Itachi did have take out last night, due to their busy schedules neither of them felt up to cooking that night. However, this morning she felt fine and she hasn’t heard from him about falling into the blackhole of sickness that was sure to consume her.

 -What if you are pregnant? Sakura looked at the message and froze. Ino knew the struggle they have had for 6 years, before they stopped trying. She and Itachi had been married for 8 years. They had meet while she was in her first year of residency when he became a patient on the table. Gun shot wound, which would make more sense if he was a cop and not a lawyer. The pro bono case he was working on was more dangerous than anyone thought.  They had been acquainted before, but never said more than a few words to each other, which was strange considering Sasuke had been her friend since high school. Sakura blamed it on his older brother complex. He was hospitalized for a few days and it so happened to work out that she was the one who had to oversee him. They of course kept everything professional. It was a few weeks after he was discharged that he messaged her. He had gotten her number from Sasuke, who apparently put up the fight before handing over the number. That then lead them to getting engaged two years later, and trying to start a family shortly after getting married.

 After the first year of trying and nothing happened they went to a fertility specialist. After much testing they found that one of the medicines Itachi had to take when he was younger due to an illness in childhood caused issues with the quality of his sperm. It was something that had recently been discovered after years of the drug being available, a one in a million side effect.

 They had tried so many interventions after that discovery, but none worked or worse if they did it would result in her losing it. After 2 losses in the span of a year, they decided to stop trying. Itachi’s family did not take the news well, which led to tension between him and his family, excluding Sasuke and Shisui.

The ding of her phone brought her out of her thoughts. Ino was calling her. “if you two are doing the deed you know there is always the chance of being pregnant. Come on forehead you are a Doctor and should know this.” Sakura was quiet on the other line. “Sakura did I upset you?” Deep breath. “No Ino, you know that’s not in the cards for us. We have finally come to terms with everything. I just think it is a stomach bug that I got from the food we ate last night.”

 Inside her head she knew that it could be possible, since they weren’t do anything to prevent pregnancy. However, she knew the type of luck she had. Ino was rambling on about being more careful where they got food, before having to get off the phone for a customer.

 On her way home she stopped at the local drug store to get some crackers and sports drink if this was to become a full blown stomach bug. As she was placing her items in her basket she saw the pregnancy tests. ‘Stupid pig got into my head. It’s a virus and will pass. However, Ino’s words wouldn’t leave her head. She went back to the aisle and put a pregnancy test into her basket.

 Sakura felt like an idiot standing in the bathroom looking at the stupid box. ‘Why did I buy this again, it’s just a virus. Well I’ll just get it over with.’ With all her thoughts Sakura didn’t realize that Itachi would be coming home shortly.

 Sitting down she put the timer on her phone and waited. Feeling like an idiot once more. The soft chiming of the alarm alerted her. Yet again another sigh left her as she looked over to the stick. “Lets see I bet I know what you are going to say. “ Time stops at the moment she looks down at the stick. She feels like she doesn’t take a breath for an eternity.  Seconds after starting to breath again she hears the front door open and Itachi calling for her.

 Her voice was lost.

 “Sakura where are you? I saw your car in the driveway, did you leave work early?” The only sound coming from her at that moment are soft gasps.

 He could hear noise coming from the bathroom. “Sakura are you in there?” Opening the door before she could respond. He finds her sitting on the toilet, with something in her hand. Itachi has now become numb, possible hope and dread fill him at the same time.

 “Itachi…I’m pregnant..” He stares at her, eyes drifting down again not the little piece of plastic.

 Sakura doesn’t know what she is feeling at the moment. Doesn’t understand why he isn’t saying anything. He is also so calm and collected, not thrown off by anything.

 “You’re going to be a father.” She says after a few short seconds.

 “Can you say something? Anything?” She doesn’t know what has happened to her husband. She wants to know what is going on inside that head of his.

 Itachi doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t know what sound would come out of his mouth, so all he could do at that moment was pull her into a bear bug. Tears starting to stream down both their faces.

 “I’m going to be a father?” He mumbles in disbelief. They continue to hold onto each other. One hand goes to cradle her head, the other rubbing soothing circles on her back.

 “You are going to be an amazing mother.”

[girlwithshipsshitshow]

Part 16

(Misaki sat against the gate with his final exam in his hands, not only did he pass, but he got extra credit questions right as well. He smiled, he was so excited he was finally graduating, going on a trip with Usagi, building a home with him, and marrying him, his life finally beginning, he was insanely happy, the sound of a horn honking snapped him out of his thoughts he jumped a little and looked up, Usagi rolled down his window and looked at Usagi over the rim over his glasses).

Usagi: Hey hot stuff, need a ride?

Misaki: (laughs and stands up), shut up, (walks to Usagi's car and quickly kisses him on lips before getting in).

Usagi: So how'd the test go?

Misaki: (hands Usagi his test), see for yourself.

Usagi: (looks over paper then grins), Misaki! this is awesome! i'm so proud of you. (leans over, kisses Misaki on his cheek).

Misaki: I know, told you I was great at psychology.

Usagi: I know, I never doubted you. So what's next?

Misaki: Now I graduate. Oh and Monday I have to pick up my graduation packet. I really just need my robe and cap.

Usagi: Why didn't you get it today? Did they not have it in extra extra small.

Misaki: SHUT UP!! they aren't coming in until monday, so no one has them smartass.

Usagi: (Rolls eyes), whatever helps you sleep at night.

Misaki: (turns in seat to face Usagi), The only thing that helps me sleep at night is being wrapped in your arms.

Usagi: (Grins, places his hand on Misaki's warm face, rubs his thumb against his cheek). That's sweet, (whispers), you have no idea how much I want touch you right now.

Misaki: (softly), I think I do.

Usagi: (leans in for a kiss).

Misaki: (pulls away), Usagi, that'll lead to something more and, we can't.

Usagi: (Leans back in seat closes eyes sighing), I know.

Misaki: Let's just go get lunch.

Usagi: Okay,where do you want to go?

Misaki: Pizzakaya.

Usagi: Alright, (pulls car out of lot, heads down the street).

(Rose sat in the hospital cafeteria in her scrubs, she was biting on a fry wating for Eri, they decided to meet at the hospital for lunch because it would be easier for Rose, she also got called in early so she didn't have long, Eri rushed to Rose's table sliding into a chair almost knocking it over).

Eri: Sorry i'm late, and I know we don't have much time. (leans over and kisses Roses), I lost track of time.

Rose: That's okay, want some fries? we don't have much time for anything else.

Eri: Sure. (grabs a handful of fries)

Rose: How was your morning?

Eri: Good, busy. I'm almost done editing one of four books that Akihiko wrote.

Rose: That's good.

Eri: Yeah, how was your morning?

Rose: Pretty good, I did a lot of chores around the house, since I work a double and won't be home until tomorrow night.

Eri: Okay, good.

Rose: (grabs a handful of fries), Yeah. (pager beeps, she glances at it), Oh hey i gotta go, shift is starting. (stands up, kisses Eri on the lips softly), i'll call you later.

Eri: Okay, I better go too, Akihiko is working his ass off, if he keeps this up, i'll never get a break.

Rose: (laugs), Why is he working so hard anyway?

Eri: (stands up, grabs Rose's hand, they walk towards the elevators), It's for Misaki.

Rose: He really loves that little dude doesn't he? (presses the call button).

Eri: (Smiles), more than anything.

Rose: (they step onto the elevator, she presses the button for the fifth floor). That's really sweet.

Eri: Yeah, i've known him for a long time, he's never felt this way about anyone.

Rose: what do you think makes Misaki different?

Eri: Well he's never been in a relationship, ever. But I don't know there's something about Misaki, Akihiko's never let anyone in or close before, everyone was surprised when we found out he had a roommate or a boyfriend.

Rose: When he was in the hospital, did you mean it?

Eri: (confused look), what are you talking about?

Rose: When you offered to be their surrogate, did you mean it?

Eri: Of course, I mean if they want kids, I would be happy to do that for them.

Rose: (nods), well if they do Ren, his doctor can help with that, he has a ton of specialty's.

Eri: good to know.

(Rose steps off the elevator heading towards the nurses station while Eri heads to the first floor, she exits the building heading back to work).

(Usagi and Misaki sat down at a table at Pizzakaya, Usagi cleared his throat as he opened a menu, shut it, placed it on the table and grinned at Misaki).

Misaki: (Tilts head and smirks), Can I help you.

Usagi: You're so cute did you know that?

Misaki: I do, you tell me at least fifty times a day.

Usagi: I love this place, especially the garlic fry pizza.

Misaki: I know, you love that pizza, it's so gross.

Usagi: Yeah, but I get to pick this time because you picked last time.

Misaki: I remember. But I want garlic balls. And we have to get beer.

Usagi: I wish they had wine here.

Misaki: yeah, well they have beer, we have wine at the house.

Usagi: I know, but I still want wine.

Misaki: Okay.

Usagi: Fine, i'm going to the counter to order, what beer do you want?

Misaki: (Shakes his head to get hair out of his eyes before looking up at Usagi), whatever you get is fine.

Usagi: (clicks tongue, giving Misaki a thumbs up, heads to the the counter).

Misaki: That was weird. (His phone rings, it's Eri) Hey Eri.

Eri: Misaki? I didn't tell you could call me Eri.

Misaki: Hey, you're like one of my closest friends, i'm going to start calling you Eri now.

Eri: Okay, so I called because you did take the roll of being Usagi's assistant right?

Misaki: (Glances at counter were Usagi is wating for beers to be poured), yeah I did.

Eri: Okay, well I need to you to help him write the speech for your graduation, I know they typically want it long but you know Usagi.

Misaki: People also don't want to sit through long speeches, i'll make sure it's at least two minutes.

Eri: Give me a sec, let me check the email... Yeah that should be fine

Misaki: Okay, I'll have him write it by Wednesday.

Eri: That should work. Has he said anything about-

Misaki: I gotta go. (hangs up,places phone on the table as Usagi hands him his beer). Thanks baby.

Usagi: (sits down in front of Misaki), yeah of course. (sips his beer), so who was on the phone?

Misaki: Oh, Eri you have to write your speech for my graduation ceremony, you should have it done by Wednesday.

Usagi: Okay.

Misaki: It doesn't have to be long, I know you hate public appearances, just like two minutes.

Usagi: Okay. I don't know what to talk about.

Misaki: weren't you at the top of your class, didn't you have to make a speech for that? (Sips his beer, gently sets it down, takes Usagi's hand).

Usagi: I choose not to make the speech.

Misaki: Well talk about that, talk about being at the top of your class, and discovering your passion at a young age, talk about stuff like that, it's a two many speech, you're a local famous young author, they want you there, all the girls are really excited, and the guys are upset that their girlfriends are blushing over you.

Usagi: How do you feel?

Misaki: I just want to graduate.

Usagi: I mean about my giving a speech.

Misaki: (Reaches over to touch Usagi's face), I already told you, I want you speak, if I didn't want you there you would know, (pulls hand back), I want to get a new suit, I know I have a lot but this is a big deal.

Usagi: Okay.

(A bell dings in the restaurant and their pizza comes out to them, Usagi grins grabbing three slices of pizza and plopping it on his plate, Misaki rolls his eyes and picks at the garlic rolls).

Usagi: How do you feel about people fanning over me?

Misaki: Please, i'm used to it. Usagi I realize how you look, i mean you're hot, you're sexy. I am aware of your looks I get it, and i'm-

Usagi: (grabs Misaki's hands), You are so fucking cute, and sexy in your own way.

Misaki: Not like you.

Usagi: (snorts), i'm not with you because of your looks, you know I love you and I love your personality. But you are so cute Misaki, and you really are sexy. I mean your not with me because of my looks right?

Misaki: Nah, i'm in it for the money.

Usagi: Funny.

Misaki: (Smirks), I'm with you because as annoying as it is I am really happy that you're always here for me, and you make me feel brave, and I love you, and yeah maybe we aren't the best idea, and people might look at us weird because of the age difference, but I think even without my brother, no matter how we met, you and I would be sitting right here today engaged enjoying a pizza.

Usagi: Wait, say all that again, i'm going to use it for my vows.

Misaki: Shut up, that was supposed to be a meaningful moment.

Usagi: I know, it was really sweet, but I had to say something funny because I didn't want to cry.

Misaki: I love you so fucking much.

Usagi: I love you too. (sniffs) Let's finish up and go find a suit.

Misaki: (smiles) Okay.

Usagi: What about this one?

(Misaki turned to face Usagi, he was holding a red suit, Misaki laughed and shook his head, they were at the store that Usagi loved getting all his Suits from, and all the ones he special ordered suits from, they had good quality suits and did good business).

Usagi: Why? (he held it up), what's wrong with it?

Misaki: (scuffs), It's red Usagi, and it's not even a good red, it's a bright red, I am so not wearing that. I need like a light blue, or a dark blue, but not navy blue a little lighter than that. (Misaki turned around looking through the racks of blue suits, he found a suit the color of the ocean.) Like this, but it's not in my size.

Usagi: (walks over to Misaki, takes the suit from his hand) We can get it sized for you.

Misaki: yeah, by the twenty-second?

Usagi: That's next sunday sweetheart, I think we can do it by then.

Misaki: Okay, because I think it's perfect.

Usagi: Speaking of perfect, should we start planning our wedding?

Misaki: Uh, no.

Usagi: Why?

Misaki: (Twists engagement ring) well we just got engaged and what's the rush?

Usagi: (takes his hand as they walk to the front of the store). Well I mean, I healed, almost and your graduating soon, and we are going to look at the place where we will be building our dream house. (they stop at the front and Usagi places the suit on the counter, Usagi leans against it as they wait for someone to come up to take the suit).

Misaki: Right, I know but I want to wait.

Usagi: Until we tell the public?

Misaki: (laughs nervously), Exactly.

Usagi: okay well, I think we can just leave this here with your size, i've done it before. (He writes down Misaki's sizes and his number on a piece of paper, then takes Misaki's hand and they walk out of the store).

Misaki: Thank's Usagi.

Usagi: Anytime.

Misaki: (Smiles at Usagi, looks at his car then pulls him into the ally beside the store).

Usagi: What are you doing?

Misaki: (pushes Usagi against the wall, stands on his toes, wraps his arms around his neck passionately kisses Usagi, he runs his fingers through his hair, he can feel himself blushing and getting hard, and pulls away, places his hand on Usagi's face softly caresses his cheek).

Usagi: M-Misaki, what was that for?

Misaki: Because I love you, and I really wanted to kiss you.

Usagi: (short laugh) In an ally?

Misaki: Yeah.

Usagi: Do you want to go home?

Misaki: Yeah, can we cuddle on the couch? Maybe take a nap? Watch Grey's Anatomy?

Usagi: (Smiles) That sounds like a perfect afternoon.

[theworldoffostering]

My parents got home from Florida on Sunday. My brother convinced them they would be better off here than FL with COVID-19 happening. Yesterday I tried to reach my mom several times and she just seemed angry which is not like her. I also told her no to go out and when I talked to her very briefly around noon she had already been to like four stores.

Last night she texted me around 10pm and said she was "off." She eventually told me she was going to bed but then called me and I walked her through taking her blood pressure. She said she didn’t have a blood pressure cuff (she does). Then she took her pulseox instead of her blood pressure. She was VERY out of it. She couldn't tell me what month it was. She was sure my grandma had died (she hasn’t although she’s not lucid either and is totally bed ridden).

Eventually I was able to walk my mom through where her blood pressure cuff was and how to take it. Her blood pressure was over 200-like 205/117. I called the on call nurse who told me to take my mom to the ER or she was going to die. I expressed concern over COVID-19 and having a medically fragile child at home with underlying lung issues. The nurse was awful on the phone. She would not even engage me in conversation about COVID-19. I asked her to get a doctor to check her chart so they could see the pattern of this happening before and then we could weigh that against the risk of COVID-19. The nurse said that she was going to disconnect the call. Eventually I told her that I knew the call was being recorded and I would be filing a complaint tomorrow and hung up. It was so discouraging.

Eventually, I called my mom back and her blood pressure wasn't going down so I called an ambulance. DH went over to meet the ambulance. They couldn't get her pressure down so they took her to our local hospital.

Our local hospital staff is openly stating that they are re-using personal protective gear. I had to be present at the hospital because I am my mom’s power of attorney and she wasn't lucid. I am uncertain as to whether or not they gave her medication for her blood pressure before I arrived at the ER or not. After I arrived they did a CT which came back normal, gave her a bag of fluids and a couple of migraine medications through the IV as well.

The hospital eventually released her and I got her home around 3am. Went to bed about 4am after stripping naked at the front door and tip toeing to the shower. My mom couldn't be left alone at the house with my dad because he does have memory issues so my brother stayed overnight at the house. She was the most out of it I've ever seen her. She was super repetitive and had no idea what COVID-19 is. It was all very scary but also similar to some incidents that she's had before.

I am terrified that I’ve somehow brought the virus home to our house and E. I’m convinced that if she were to get the virus she would die.

[naturaldisasterfanfiction]

26. Part 2

I have just witnessed Robyn being fingered by another woman, like I mean I shouldn’t be shocked, but I am still. Like she was deep in there, the nurse knew what she was doing and was quick with it but still, she fingered Robyn “did that feel good?” I had to ask “it wasn’t in pleasure Chris, get off my hand” Robyn snatched her hand away from me “so the good news, you are dilated by two centimetres, this can be like this for weeks so this doesn’t mean you’re in labour but this is why you are getting more and more different emotions, you’re feeling the heaviness in your lower abdomen. She is in position; you will feel lots of back pains. Try and sleep on your left hand side, you may sleep better” the nurse sat back down, Robyn is very moody “but I like sleeping facing Chris and that is on my right” oh look how she is blaming me “then we can switch sides, to make you comfortable. You know I got you” fixing the blanket over Robyn “you can actually check your dilation yourself, but we are always at hand to do this, for you. So I am happy with how it is going, she is engaging. She is ready, but it will be on the baby’ time until it gets too much so we can then induce you, but I don’t think that will happen at all, she is literally there ready. Which brings me to the fact that you have haemorrhoids which is from the struggle you are having right now. It’s fine, part of pregnancy but you need to start having fibre, more fruits and vegetables, we can provide some supplements to help relieve you, it looks very sore so I can imagine how much pain you are in, so I will also provide creams to help with the pain. Put that after a warm bath with no soap or anything, it will soothe it. Then you can apply the cream” that is a lot “or I can provide pads if that would be best for you” I have to sit down myself after hearing that “I can help her with the cream, it’s ok” I don’t mind it at all “after calling me struggle poop all this time? No, I want the pads” I tried not to laugh but I did “ignore her, I will apply all the creams she wants, I will let you sleep on my side. I think the baby needs to come now, it’s making Robyn grumpy” she is too grumpy “having a baby Chris can make her like this, it’s a lot. But women are amazing, but you will understand the pain when you witness it. It can be a scary process” the nurse said.

The nurse is writing things down so I just looked at Robyn, she is grumpy and in pain “shall I run you a warm bath? I am sorry, I just joke a lot. I will go out and get you a lot of things to make you poop” Robyn sniggered “to make me poop, I feel like you know too much now” shaking my head “I know enough, I love you. This includes the things around it, I said I would wipe your butt. I didn’t know you was in that much of pain, like the nurse said it looks bad. Sorry” maybe I make too many jokes “don’t be, it’s you. You make me laugh” least she admitted that “so water birth, it will be myself here on the day, it can a long process but these will be the reason why it wouldn’t happen and that is infection, breech, induced, high temperature, waters have been broken over twenty four hours and there is no signs of giving birth or bleeding just to name a few. We need to be sure you are safe, safety is key. If that happens then we would escort you to the hospital, to me I see it not being a problem” this is some scary shit “can you die from childbirth?” I just said it, I don’t like it, but I had to say it “it can happen from severe bleeding, sepsis, eclampsia, labour that had some type of obstruction, this is why we need to be careful. Things can change so quick. This is why we celebrate when it goes fine. No need to worry” staring at the nurse “why would you ask that? Like you don’t think” putting my head down “It’s ok but the water can help to support your weight, making it easier to move around and feel more in control during labour so there is a lot of good, but I am happy to go with the water birth” I wish I didn’t ask now “do you have the birthing pool ready? And prepped?” I don’t even know that “yes, it arrived” Robyn knows “and the room you’re going to have it in? Water must be normal body temperature but I will be here on the day but if it happens quicker then I arrived, then it has to be that” licking my top lip “that is your job Chris” the nurse pointed at me but Robyn laughed “he is going to be shouting my mom, I got a feeling” she knows already, this is a lot of responsibility.

Waving off the nurse as I closed the door, well that went well. I am excited but also scared “are they done?” Dennis asked, nodding my head “yeah, tell Monica to come back. Where is she?” she left the room which I didn’t think she would have but she did, probably giving us space “she went to her room, how is baby Fenty? Is she making movements” walking towards the living area “yeah, she is dilated I think two centimetres. So she is ready I guess” Dennis cooed out “I am so excited, like the way I have been here for the whole process, it’s like my child. I told my family that I am spending Christmas with my best friends, so they are sad but it’s ok. Oh my god, you could have a Christmas baby” nodding my head “I could, I am excited too. A little nervous, the things I need to do. The nurse was just sticking her fingers in Robyn, just like it was nothing” Dennis chuckled “I don’t think it’s because of nothing but there is reasons to it, probably touching the baby” it was weird to see “oh yeah, the nurse gave me this. We need to get it for Robyn to make her butt better” Dennis took the paper from me “ah, yes. I know places. They are all local here, we good. No need to go into the city. Local is better” least he knows “let me help you” I said, Robyn is up already “I am ok, don’t fuss” clearly she needs it but Zeus barked at me “settle down” I pointed at him, he is there getting all hype for nothing.

It is very cold out there, so I don’t want to dress dumb “you don’t need to go and get anything Chris. It’s fine” shaking my head “no, I want too. Make it all cute, we will be back before you know it. I will bring your medication back too, just rest” pressing a kiss to Robyn’ lips “thank you so much husband” she had to add that “you’re beautiful pregnant” zipping up my coat “my one and only” she winked at me “and she will be the most wanted, I will be back. Do you need anything else?” she shook her head “just you back, be good though and don’t go into the city. It will be hell for you” I don’t want that either, I just want to get the tree and then come back home “love you” making my way out of the bedroom “love you too!” my phone pinged in my pocket but I ignored it “ayo! You ready? Why don’t you leave the camera here?” he is forever taking that shit with him “no way, I have so much to film. Also Robyn said she may consider it on a bigger scale so, move it” I guess I have no choice, but I don’t mind it.

Looking around the store, this is crazy “it’s like some Harry Potter shit, it’s weird” Dennis laughed at me “but you ain’t getting harassed, look how nobody cares for you. We been sat here with normal people for like five minutes now, it’s a good feeling. This is what Robyn loves about it, she hates being harassed when she is not working” Robyn is right actually, smiling at the white couple and they smiled at me, oh this is nice “how long you been waiting here for?” looking over at Dennis, he got his camera out “about ten minutes now, they don’t do quick service. Everyone here is waiting, just getting Robyn’ medication. She is in pain a little so I thought I would do it for her” I explained “they deliver your medication too if you’re busy, the service I use too” some guy said, looking at him “I just heard you say you had to wait but the deliver service is very good” I chuckled “thank you, I will use it if she needs more medication” I have no idea of this shit “I’m new around here, I was telling my friend here it’s like Harry Potter” rubbing my chin “where did you live before?” he asked “California, I am from Virginia really but my wife wants to live here” this white guy is an elder gentleman, I don’t think he cares for celebrities “it’s peaceful, you will like it. I think I saw you walk a dog; it was beautiful. I have been California, not my style. I am Steve, it’s a small place, I am sure we will meet again” reaching over to shake his hand “Christopher” I thought to change it up “Robyn Fenty” the lady shouted, I got up from the seat “can you confirm the date of birth and postcode?” I breathed out “yes that is February twenty, nineteen eighty eight. And I just moved here so I don’t know, I think it’s eighty seven avenue road?” I dead ass don’t know “in other circumstances I would say no, but that is fine. Here you are” taking the packet “thank you” I need to learn that, turning around “nice seeing you Steve” I waved him “we gonna make Robyn’ booty better now, take that out too” Dennis is about to get my ass beat by Robyn if he adds that.

Dennis be knowing all the stores, I am impressed “is there anything I can do to help?” this white lady came over to me “I mean the obvious thing is a tree” she laughed “yeah, well I need a tree, late I know. What is left?” I mean we are last minute “we have one multi LED seven foot tree if you would like to come. We can come to your home and set it all up, it comes with a little train set under it too. This is the only tree we have left; it’s all dressed up as it was a display model but it’s not been touched. You can see for yourself. I can imagine you would want one that makes a statement” following behind her to see the trees she is speaking about “this is my fault, I should have thought about it” seeing this seven foot tree in front of me “this is nice actually, like it would fit in just fine. It’s not the smallest I’ve seen” the lady chuckled “I am sure you have seen plenty of larger ones, they are out of stock sorry but I can sell this to you but make it a little cheaper for you, with delivery and install?” she is kind “nah, sell it full price. My Christmas gift to you, also it’s cold out here. You should go home now, but if you can get this delivered to my home tomorrow I will appreciate it” she nodded her head “he’s a lovely guy, look at him” turning around to Dennis, he is videoing us “thank you so much, I can tell the husband I can go home now but if you are happy with it” nodding my head “I am, I appreciate it” shaking her hand.

Dennis and I have been walking for while but it’s worth it, to see the sunset going down on the London skyline “that is amazing, how do you know so much about London? Like all these stores and stuff?” it looks amazing “walking and sightseeing, being here with Robyn” holding my phone out “take a picture of me” actually I didn’t get to read the notification, it’s Amikka of course. Unlocking my phone seeing the message ‘If you see pictures of me in US, the boy is being taken care of by my mom. Don’t worry about me’ reading it to myself, she is dumb and I don’t care “here” Dennis took my phone stepping back, holding my arms out smiling hard “you look so happy” the camera flashed, walking over to him as he held out my phone “I have always liked you Chris, I never had any issues with anything” looking down at the picture “is this you professing your love to me?” flipping the camera over “come here” holding the phone up and taking a selfie of us “I look awful here” Dennis laughed, I don’t care if he does I am adding both of these pictures. Typing out the caption ‘I found this white guy in London! Apparently he takes pictures @DennisLeupold’ pressing send on the picture “shit is dope here though, thank you for bringing me out here. You smoke weed? You want a blunt my fellow white man” I am out now so I might as well.

Monica said Robyn is upstairs, so I made my way up the steps, well ran up the steps “Riri!?” I shouted walking into the bedroom “you back, I was waiting. Help me into the bathtub, I just finished filling the tub, oh for me!?” she pointed as she saw me with the flowers “yes, I thought why not. I saw some lady on the side street selling flowers and they look so nice. They cost me a lot. Need to get used to the currency here, and your medication” I held it up “you did good, so you had a nice time there” Robyn took the flowers from me “I did, it was amazing. Pretty cool spots in London” Robyn examined the flowers “I love them, thank you baby. Come down to me” leaning down to her, pressing a kiss to her lips “I saw your Instagram post, you and Dennis are creating a close brotherhood. I like it” nodding my head “we always been cool but then you stole him from me!” I spat “I did no stuch thing, put the medication on the side table. And can I sleep on your side of the bed?” throwing the medication onto the bed “sure, I don’t mind it. Also that should help you, the thing she gave you” I hope it does.

Sitting on the edge of the bath “I feel so exposed, got my coochie out and all that” placing my hand on her bump “well she said the warm water will help you, is it?” I hope so “I suppose, it is soothing my ass. This is so shameful at times, like doesn’t it turn you off?” shaking my head “nope, you are extremely sexy pregnant, like it’s hard to just not get a boner at times but I am trying to not be childish, wow! Why is she violent” moving my hand away “she’s not, probably wanting to mimic your hand movements, she does that a lot when I do that. You didn’t mention, did you get a tree?” nodding my head “I did, they are delivering it tomorrow. The people here aren’t phased, like they know but they don’t attack me on it. The lady selling it me was cool, she just made me smile. Also Amikka text me, she is going to the US and leaving Aeko in Germany, odd, I don’t get it” dipping my hand in the water and held onto her hand “she is testing you but like who got the time for that, I think she wants you to jump and go to Germany to get him” that is odd “I don’t care, this is important right now. I am not having no kid here just this” I think she does, she wants me to want Aeko now “I think she is going to act out to make you react too” digging into my pocket with my free hand as my phone rang out “who is it?” Robyn asked because I laughed “it’s Royalty” answering the call “hi stalker” she is a stalker now “hi dad, I finally got my phone back. Mom punished me because for lying when she said I already know your dad is lying and then I kept-” I cut Royalty off “wait” putting it on speaker “now say it again” Robyn can hear it now “so mom punished me because I lied when she said she knew you are married and you already told her, I said it was all lies, we don’t believe rumours and blogs are the devil mom. But I didn’t listen properly that you told her, dad you never said! Then I got in trouble for it, I was trying to help you here” I snorted laughing “yeah, she told me that you got punished for lying, which I said in your defence wasn’t fair but you continued the lie, you got big ears and you still don’t listen” Royalty gasped “meme said it’s because you got big ears! Where is Riri? Is she there?” Royalty whispered “she is naked in the bath” Robyn let my hand go and hit my leg “dad that is nasty why would you say that, is she really busy? Mommy said I got a special present because you can’t see me, tell me!” she yelped out, Robyn is side eyeing the hell out of me “she is meditating in the bath” moving away from the bath before Robyn hits me again “I am joking, Robyn is busy baby so you can’t speak to her. And the extra special gift is from Robyn and I, hope it makes you extra happy with that” I think I have annoyed Robyn enough.

Placing the cap on the cream “that wasn’t demeaning at all” Robyn didn’t like it “I can be good when I want, I am going to go and wash my hands” placing the cream on the side “and don’t think that, I am ok to eat your pussy but not put cream there? It’s stupid and I just want you to be good, it looks weird though. Anyways be back” wash that cream off, whatever that is, her butt is sore as hell. I just didn’t want to say anything or make it worse; I would do anything for her anyways “you know Royalty is going to forget the whole not coming to see her for Christmas after she sees that!” Robyn said as I washed my hands “she is going to go crazy; I mean the fact you gave her all those lip glosses. She is going to go crazy seeing the amount of Fenty things you gave her, she is spoilt but thank you for that” Robyn didn’t need too “it’s ok, she needs to be awarded for how much she loves you and she kept up with the lie too” drying my hands off “I know, she is my biggest fan. I am blessed. I got some wonderful women in my lives” I am blessed, that is thanks to Robyn because she has opened my heart.

[softbiker]

Born to Run - Chapter 2

Warnings: some language, secondhand embarrassment

Word count: 1.5k

A/N: What a gif to use amirite ;) Thank y’all so much for your responses to the first chapter! It was so encouraging, which is why I’m 2 chapters ahead on the writing for this fic lol. So keep telling me what you think! <3

“We have a few appointments set for today,” Charlotte, the front desk nurse, was saying. “But they’re just wellness checkups, so nothing crazy.”

Y/N nodded, tucking a pen into the pocket of her lab coat. “So these are regular patients?”

Charlotte nodded. “Yep, the usual. It’s a small town, so you’ll see the same faces plenty while you’re here.” She sipped water from her large tumbler as she pulled a floral desk calendar from under her keyboard. “But we also provide some urgent care services, since it’s a 30 minute drive to the nearest emergency room. So don’t be surprised when we get some walk-ins.”

“That’s alright I guess,” Y/N shrugged. “Good to stay busy.”

To say she was nervous about her first real day as a real doctor would be an understatement. Sure, she wouldn’t have many patients - not in a primary care clinic in the middle of nowhere - and the stakes were probably low, but still. She had tossed and turned the night before, eventually hopping out of bed at 5:00 am and slipping her running shoes on. Jogging through her little neighborhood and down the highway for an hour or so before dawn had transferred her first day jitters into adrenaline, but she couldn’t distract herself now. This was the real deal.

But it turned out the real deal moved at a glacial pace - at least in a town like this. Y/N saw a grand total of 5 patients, all of whom were in mostly good health, with the exception of one boil that needed lancing. The rest were just fine, a bit chatty when they met their new doctor, undoubtedly a subject of town gossip. They were eager to fill her in on the local news and suggest churches and social clubs for her to try. She nodded and made noncommittal comments to every invitation. No unscheduled patients had wandered in either, so she had far too much down time to sit in her office and refresh her inbox, waiting for emails from friends and former colleagues as they all settled in to new lives and new cities and new hospitals. None came.

Y/N sighed as she climbed into her car, and leaned her head back against the seat. Doing nothing was almost more exhausting than being busy. She just wanted to get home, pour a glass of wine, and lay around on her couch. And eat dinner. Which she would have to cook...with groceries she didn’t have. Fuck.

Grocery store it is.

Even a remote town like this one managed to have a Walmart somehow - not a huge one, but big enough to have the necessities. The fluorescent lighting made the inside of the store look dingy and gray, desperately in need of a remodel. Y/N pushed her cart up and down the aisles, grabbing items at random now that her growling stomach made everything look appetizing. She made sure she had quick ingredients for the night’s dinner - a simple chicken spaghetti, a mouthwatering recipe from her best friend.

She turned up the baking aisle, ready to head back to the front of the store. While mentally calculating the time left standing between now and her dinner, a box on the right caught her eye. Top shelf. Brownie mix. Supreme fudge. Oh hell yeah.

The shelf seemed a little high at first glance, but surely they wouldn’t put common items like brownie mix out of reach of the customer? Y/N left her cart parked in the middle of the aisle and stepped up to the shelf, lifting up on her tiptoes and stretching her arm as far as she could. The tips of her fingers could just touch the bottom of the box, but it wasn’t enough to get a grip on it. Tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth, she strained harder, her other hand gripping the lower shelves for support. No dice.

A little grunt of frustration passed her lips and she stepped back, hands on her hips. Now it was just a matter of pride - she couldn’t just give up and walk away from these brownies. That was more pathetic than buying them and eating the batter alone in her kitchen, which was her original plan. With a sigh, she stepped back up to the shelf and jumped, trying to knock the box over into her hand. The first attempt failed, as did the second, but on the third she managed to tap the box enough to make one corner stick out a quarter inch over the edge of the shelf. Just as she was preparing for one last jump to claim her prize, she heard a throat clearing behind her.

She whipped around, feeling exposed as she had left her dignity behind before the first desperate hop for her brownie mix. Her cheeks burned even hotter as she met the eyes of her witness...her very tall, handsome witness. Broad shoulders under a buttery soft leather jacket, his long hair brushing the collar and

Oh shit that’s my neighbor

“Um,” he smiled, shifting his weight. “Do you need some help with that?” He gestured to the frustrating box on the top shelf.

Y/N’s brain needed a moment to catch up - she hadn’t yet seen him this close, hadn’t heard his voice, hadn’t seen him at all since that one moment in the driveway on the afternoon she arrived. He was a lot to take in.

“Yeah, uh sure,” she backed up from the shelf and pointed. “It’s that one. The, um, ‘supreme fudge’ kind.”

His smile widened (was that a dimple?) and he stepped forward, easily reaching up and plucking the mix from its place. Y/N forced her eyes away from his abs as his t-shirt lifted away from the hem of his jeans. When he turned back and offered her the box, his bright blue eyes were on her face.

“Here you go. One supreme fudge,” he teased, smirk creeping up the side of his mouth. Y/N took the box with both hands and held it to her chest.

“Thanks, you’re a real life-saver,” she laughed, self-conscious.

“And here I thought that was your job?”

Y/N’s brow wrinkled, until he nodded towards her clothes and she remembered she was still wearing her scrubs.

“Oh! Right,” she wrinkled her nose in embarrassment. “Well, I definitely didn’t save any lives today, so. You’re doing better than me.”

“Hm. I doubt that.”

The conversation lulled, but he stayed planted in front of her cart. He settled his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, seeming to have no intention of leaving. Y/N took a deep breath and forged ahead.

“It’s...Mr. Barnes I think? I’m sorry I never got a first name.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Oh, it’s just, uh, just Bucky. How’d you know…?”

“Oh, Mr. Van Horn told me you were my neighbor when he gave me the keys the other day. I’m living in his mother’s house -”

“Across the street, yeah!” he blurted, a blush creeping up his cheeks. “That’s how I recognized you, I just couldn’t place it.” He shook his head, laughing at himself. “God, I’m sorry, must’ve seemed rude, I didn’t even introduce myself or ask your name.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” she waved him off, sticking her hand out and giving him her name, still relishing the ‘Dr.’ title. “But you can just call me Y/N.”

“Y/N,” he repeated, his grip gentle but firm. His eyes flicked back and forth between hers, bright and searching. He took a breath to say something else, when his gaze shifted, locking on something behind her. His posture stiffened and he jerked his hand back, jaw tightening.

“See you around,” he said coldly, shoulder bumping hers as he strode past her down the aisle. Y/N turned in confusion, trying to see what had changed his mood so abruptly. But the only thing she could see at the end of the aisle was a discarded candy wrapper, soon crackled under Bucky’s heavy boot. Then he was gone.

Y/N’s lips pursed in a frustrated pout. Two strikes Barnes.

That night, as she sipped wine from her grandma bed in her grandma house, she scrolled through social media on her phone in a vain attempt to feel close to her friends. Engagement, pregnancy, travel, engagement. Scoffing, she tossed her phone to the side and hunkered down in the bed. She stared at the popcorn ceiling, tiny glitter particles glinting in the lamplight. The wine in her glass was drained to the last drop and she twirled the stem absentmindedly.

She went over the scene in the baking aisle again and again, wondering if she had said something wrong and offended Bucky somehow. His dismissal was just so strange. On a whim, she snatched up her phone again and typed his name into Facebook. A few Bucky Barnes’s, but none that looked like him. She tried Instagram and Twitter with the same result. No social media presence, in this day and age? So fucking strange.

Outside the house, an engine started up, revving a couple of times before the sound retreated down the street.

Good riddance.

[thechanelmuse]

College Student Sentenced to Over 12 Years In Prison For Rape But Didn't Have Sex With Victim

The case of Albert N. Wilson sounds like something out of an episode ofLaw and Order SVU. Wilson, a former University of Kansas student, attended a bar with a friend and met a girl who was visiting a family member who attended KU. The two were underage and under the influence when they left the bar to go back to Wilson's apartment. What happened next has changed both of their lives, leaving Wilson with a sentence of over 12 years in prison for rape, despite the notion that the two didn't have sex.

Lawrence Journal-World reports Wilson was given the sentence on Wednesday (April 3) in addition to a lifetime of probation and a mandatory sex offender title for the events that transpired in September 2016. Wilson, who was 20 at the time, met the then-17-year-old girl at popular college spot Jayhawk Cafe. While Wilson used a friend's ID to get into the bar, the young woman and her cousin who attended KU weren't carded.

Both parties agreed that they met while heading to the dance floor (weirdly titled the "Boom Boom Room") and danced with one another. Wilson allegedly lifted up the girl's skirt and touched her while they kissed. Shortly after, Wilson invited the girl back to his place, which was walking distance from the bar. Neither party apparently asked about each other's age.

The victim claimed Wilson took her back to his place where he raped her but Wilson shared a different story with the jury. “She didn’t seem intoxicated at all,” Wilson said as he claimed the two kissed and engaged in other sex acts but never had sexual intercourse.

Kansas Bureau of Investigation scientists testified that Wilson’s DNA was found on the girl’s chest — where he said he kissed her — but no seminal fluid or DNA was found. Swabs were collected from the girl the day after the incident from a nurse a local hospital. Photos of bruises were also taken on her inner thigh.

During the trial, Wilson maintained his innocence and explained why he initially claimed he didn't remember what happened at his apartment. “I don’t know how to explain this, but I come from a different background than you, ma’am,” said Wilson, who is black to Judge Sally Pokorny, who is white. “… I just felt like the police [were] against me at that point.”

Wilson's court-appointed attorney Forrest Lowry stated that the former student wasn't the man he was painted to be in the trial. The now 23-year-old was a Wichita Southeast High School football player with no criminal record. He earned his associate degree from a community college before transferring to KU and had dreams of becoming a sports journalist.

“It was a chance meeting. Obviously, my client misread what was going on,” Lowry said in court. “…If there was ever a case that deserved a departure of any kind, I think this is it.”

After a six-hour deliberation, the all-white jury convicted Wilson of rape. Wilson was given the reported "lowest end of what’s called for by Kansas sentencing guidelines for rape."

The case has gained attention, including supporters creating a website detailing some questionable aspects of the incident. Video surveillance showed the two engaging with one another throughout their encounter and that they were only at the apartment for five minutes before they headed back to the bar.

Read more

It’s not about race, y’all. It’s never about race...

We’re no longer in the slavery and Jim Crow days of “keeping an uppity nigger in their place.” It’s not about race.

Stop being silly. This is not the New Jim Crow. It’s not about race.

A white girl’s claim (carrying on the tradition of her white women ancestors) about a Black man sexually violating her despite the DNA and video evidence showing otherwise. But it’s not about race. 

An all-white jury and a white judge (carrying on the traditions of their white ancestors). But it’s not about race.

Twelve years for kissing and touching a white girl. But it’s not about race.

Having a lifetime of probation, paying a lifetime of probation fees, going back to prison if he’s at the wrong place at the wrong time or misses a probation fee, and having to register as a sex offender for not sexually violating a white girl. But it’s not about race.

Brock Turner, a white man who was labeled a “boy” by news outlets, was sentenced to six months for indeed raping an intoxicated, unconscious woman behind a dumpster because the judge “believed the defendant felt genuine remorse and didn’t want to ruin his life.” But it’s not about race.

He only did 3 months. But it’s not about race.

There are no codes in place against Black people to make sure they are continually oppressed and fulfill the standards created for Black people (i.e. mass incarceration, legal servitude in prison) by white people for centuries. It’s not about race. It’s just about class now, right? We live in a progressive society...

If you’d like to see the full timeline on what happened that night between Albert and that now-white girl woman who’s identity is withheld for this bullshit, go to freealbertwilson.com. 

Where is his appeal? Will he get one?...

[jenniferdiazisatransgirl]

UK Followers

Hey guys, I emailed Liz Truss on Monday regarding “The Sunday Times” headline and received this reply (The numbers didn't copy and paste all that well);

"Dear Lily

Thank you for your correspondence about this extremely important issue. The Government believes that transgender adults should be free to live their lives as they wish, with dignity and free from discrimination. That is why we are carefully planning our next steps on reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA), so that any changes can have a positive impact on transgender adults who live in the UK. We have listened closely to all those who engaged with our consultation on the GRA, and we plan to publish our response this Summer.

We are currently dealing with an extremely high volume of enquiries about the Gender Recognition Act, the single-sex exemptions under the 2010 Equality Act and about healthcare for transgender people. The Government Equalities Office is also working with reduced capacity at the moment as many of our staff are supporting the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given this, we have produced a ‘Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)’ document to reply to correspondence on these topics. We hope that you might find the answers to your questions in this FAQ. It is not exhaustive, and if you do not find this FAQ helpful in answering your questions or the issues you raise, then please do contact us again. It may also be worth being aware that the Government’s response to the GRA is imminent, and you may find it helpful to consider that response before contacting us again.

Thank you for your patience.

Kind regards,

Government Equalities Office.

FAQs

Gender Recognition Act

What changes will the Government be making to the Gender Recognition Act 2004?

Changes to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 are intended to make the process of applying for a gender recognition certificate less bureaucratic. The exact details of what this entails will be published in our response.

We have seen recent coverage on 14 June 2020 in the Sunday Times about the GRA consultation response - are the details of that coverage correct?

We intend to publish our response to the consultation before Summer Recess, which begins on 21 July 2020.

The Minister for Women and Equalities has also made clear that she will be bringing forward plans to end conversion therapy shortly.

The Minister has said that it is important to maintain “proper checks and balances” when considering reforms to the Gender Recognition Act. What does this mean?

We believe that the process of legally changing one’s gender is a serious and legally meaningful undertaking which requires appropriate checks and a level of formality. We are carefully planning any changes to the Gender Recognition Act so that they can have a positive impact on transgender people who live in the UK, whilst remaining a serious and meaningful undertaking.

Equality Act 2010 exemptions for single-sex service provision

How do the Equality Act 2010 exemptions for single-sex service provision work?

The Equality Act requires people providing services to the public to do so without discriminating against people because of their sex or because of their 'gender reassignment'. Exceptions in the Act alllow provision of services to one sex only (for example men’s or women’s toilets or changing rooms).

Exceptions in the Act also allow for the exclusion of transgender people from single-sex facilities where this is necessary and proportionate .

The Minister for Women and Equalities recently gave evidence to the Women and Equalities Select Committee in which she referred to single-sex spaces. What did those comments mean?

During the consultation on the GRA which we ran in 2018, we asked how any changes to the act might affect women, providers of single-sex services, transgender people themselves, and other groups. Some people raised concerns that some men might misuse a gender recognition certificate to access women’s spaces to harm women.

In this context, the Secretary of State’s comments at the Women and Equalities Select Committee were intended to reiterate the importance of maintaining single-sex spaces, as provided for in the Equality Act. If any changes were to be made to the Act – as with all legislation – they would go through the appropriate processes of engagement.

Will the Government be amending the single-sex exemptions in the Equality Act?

We know that some stakeholders have highlighted a desire for greater clarity from the Government about the law and guidance on single-sex spaces. We are looking into how we might provide greater clarity in this area as part of Government’s response to the Gender Recognition Act consultation.

Healthcare for transgender people

What steps is the Government taking to improve healthcare for transgender people?

This Government is committed to improving services for those undergoing gender reassignment and to challenging transphobia in the NHS.

NHS England have funded the development of specialised training through the Royal College of Physicians’ accredited credential on trans health, aimed at encouraging medical and non-medical professionals (including nurses) to work in gender identity services.

The Government Equalities Office have appointed Dr Michael Brady, of Kings College Hospital, to be the first National LGBT Health Adviser. Dr Brady is focusing on improving the health outcomes for the LGBT population and is advising on ways to improve the care LGBT people receive when accessing the NHS and public health.

Is anything being done to address the long waiting times for gender identity services?

We are aware that the current waiting times for gender identity services are unacceptable. NHS England are working to improve this by establishing a more modern and flexible care model, and by moving routine gender identity services away from specialist centres, to more local provision.

Will the Government be restricting healthcare for transgender young people when it responds to the Gender Recognition Act consultation?

Healthcare for young transgender people does not fall within the scope of reform of the Gender Recognition Act. The Minister for Women and Equalities has stated, as a separate matter, that we also wish to ensure under-18s continue to be protected from taking life-changing decisions before they are capable.

We are clear that protecting young people is about ensuring the appropriate processes are in place, rather than withholding support, and we will be exploring what this means with the Department for Health and Social care who lead in this area. We are absolutely committed to making sure all young people have access to appropriate and timely psychological and medical support. The wellbeing of all young people is our priority.

The current minimum age limit for legally changing gender is 18 years, which is set out in the GRA itself, and will not be changed.

I am concerned that any potential restrictions to healthcare and access to single-sex spaces will have a detrimental effect on the mental health of transgender people, and may lead to an increase in suicide attempts. What is being done to protect mental health?

We know that transgender young people are more likely to experience poor mental health than people who are not transgender. The wellbeing of all young people is our primary concern. We are taking action to improve mental healthcare for LGBT people and we are working with DHSC to develop plans for reducing suicides amongst the LGBT population.

Will the Minister for Women and Equalities speak to both transgender health experts and children’s rights experts before making any decisions around access to healthcare?

Yes. We are clear that protecting young people is about ensuring the appropriate processes are in place, rather than withholding support, and we will be exploring what this means with the Department for Health and Social care who lead in this area.

Detailed discussions will take place with DHSC, NHS England, DfE and other relevant experts, and more information will be available in due course.

Clinicians should continue to provide support to people accessing Gender Identity Clinics and the Gender Identity Development Service in the same way as they have done till now - based on clinical need.

Is the Government conducting research into the rise in the number of young people referred to the Gender Identity Development Service in recent years?

We are aware that the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation has seen an increasing number of individuals, particularly natal born females, referred to its Gender Identity Development Service in recent years.

We are exploring this, along with a number of other healthcare issues, as part of a wider piece of work rather than as one issue in isolation.

The GIDS is the responsibility of the NHS. Like all trusts, the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust (running the GIDS) is subject to CQC inspections, monitoring and regulation. The Department of Health and Social Care is committed to ensuring thorough accountability and oversight.

--

Government Equalities Office

Correspondence Team

@WomenEqualities | www.gov.uk/geo"

[katvontea]

"Would be a shame if I was sick."

Abortion clinic staffers and patient escorts watched in horror last weekend as anti-abortion protesters in North Carolina continued to gather in large numbers, hold hands, invade others’ physical space, and—in at least one instance I witnessed—joke about spreading the coronavirus while the government pleaded with people to do what they can to stop the spread of COVID-19.

And even now, they don’t plan to stay home.

The Triangle Abortion Access Coalition in Raleigh, North Carolina, met and continued our normal clinic defense and escorting services on Saturday, March 14, even though the realities and concerns of the rapidly developing COVID-19 outbreak were on our minds. We took extra precautions, such as sanitizing the vests and equipment we share.

We arrived to smaller numbers of protesters, took our normal positions, and began the morning as usual.

Many of the regular protesters began to arrive, and our hopes for physical distance began to diminish. A protester whom I’ll call Sally took a position by the clinic driveway, a spot allowing her to wave away cars. While this might seem like a minor disruption, rerouting patients from entering our private parking lot allows other anti-abortion protesters to confront the parked car and pass along a pamphlet or “blessing bag,” a gift bag filled with scripture, brochures for local anti-choice clinics, and often a single diaper, described by our protesters as a “diaper of remembrance.”

We often station a volunteer on that corner (but not in the protester’s immediate space), and task them with showing cars where to safely park to avoid anti-abortion harassment. This particular morning, a newer volunteer who can handle the direct harassment took the spot and stood stoically, ignoring the protesters and hoping to provide support and guidance to patients navigating a chaotic scene. Protesters will often move their bodies as close as possible to our volunteers, crying foul about their personal space being violated. Our volunteer was ignoring the taunts and holding ground as he has a right to do, especially when standing on clinic property.

I watched in shock as Sally pressed closer to this volunteer, a man in his late 60s or early 70s. The poster she carried was pressed against his arm, leaving her face eight to ten inches away from his face. Sally began to cough without covering her mouth in the direction of this volunteer, whose space she had already invaded.

“Would be a shame if I was sick,” she said, before coughing a few more times in the direction of a man who is clearly in the at-risk groups you hear about in the news.

It was 8:15 a.m. and already I was witnessing an unthinkable scenario: A “pro-life” protester was either making jokes about spreading COVID-19 or, even worse, was possibly trying to get us sick. While I’d like to say I was surprised by these actions, anti-choice protesters were once again demonstrating the true nature of their beliefs.

The morning had just begun and already we were facing an uncertain danger, one we had no guidance or advice on how to handle. We knew the worst was yet to come. Later that morning, a “prayer march” that often numbers between 50 and 100 people was expected to arrive. This group has turned out in large numbers in terrible weather, heat waves, and more. “Love Life,” as this protest movement calls itself, would be at our doorstep before we knew it.

Clinic escort groups across North Carolina faced the same problem. While Raleigh has a robust showing for the “Love Life” prayer marches, this is not a local movement. Love Life has roots in Charlotte, North Carolina, where their prayer marches have happened for years, often in ways that shut down physical access to the clinic. The protests have become so abusive they resulted in the city drafting a new sound ordinance to cut down on the disturbances created by these protests. Love Life expanded to Greensboro and Raleigh in 2018, and began organizing mass prayer marches across the state in 2019.

As our morning went on in Raleigh, escorts in Charlotte and Greensboro faced their own uncertainty created by anti-abortion protesters and the Love Life prayer marches.

In Charlotte, clinics were open as usual, and clinic escort groups were volunteering as usual.

Angela Anders, director of Charlotte for Choice Clinic Escorts, told Rewire.News she counted the anti-abortion group at well more than 100 people at its peak, and that the group was in no way practicing physical distancing: She said they were holding hands, forming prayer circles, and engaging in other forms of bodily contact (Love Life did not respond to Rewire.News‘ request for comment.)

Anders said the clinic escorts in Charlotte regularly witnessed people with symptoms of illness (sniffling, running noses, coughs) handing out pamphlets and sticking their hands and heads into stopped cars in an effort to “counsel” patients about their options and to share stigma and shame around abortion.

An hour away from Raleigh and two hours from Charlotte, another major metropolitan area was facing a similar reality. Greensboro has only one clinic regularly hounded by protesters. With a particularly rough clinic setup due to neighboring businesses allowing protests to occur on their property, protesters often divert and stop cars, shoving unwanted pamphlets and gift sacks into confused patients’ hands.

Volunteers in Greensboro had already been anxious about the effect of these intrusions on patients’ emotional health, but now these one-on-one interactions could spread a dangerous virus. Greensboro volunteers reported the anti-abortion group grew as large as 80 people this past Saturday, down from 400 the previous weekend. Despite the smaller numbers, volunteers said protesters were still shoving pamphlets into car windows and making direct contact with patients and their companions.

After our shift concluded this past Saturday, I checked out chatter from Love Life and other protester groups on their public social media accounts. What I found was not comforting. While I had been watching a protester in Raleigh cough in a clinic escort’s face, the leaders of Love Life were outside the Charlotte clinic, broadcasting on Facebook Live under the heading, “Bold Christians Witness despite coronavirus.”

In the Facebook Live video that morning, Love Life founder Justin Reeder asked one of the leaders of the Charlotte’s clinic protest movement, Daniel Parks, to speak to supporters who could not attend because they were sick or in an at-risk category.  “With the fears of the virus, we have to use wisdom; we get that,” Parks said. But then he reminded them that they are “called as believers in Jesus to lay our lives down … and that involves risk.” He told listeners, “We have to look past the fear,” said protests would continue as long as the clinics remain open.

While I hoped Love Life might reconsider as the week went on, in a video posted to Facebook the morning of Thursday, March 19, Love Life confirmed they will continue to host prayer walks and “sidewalk outreach” as long as abortion providers remain open. Reeder, the Love Life founder, explained that this should be considered “essential and vital work,” not a social gathering.

“The ministry must go on,” he said, though he clarified that they planned to operate under the CDC recommendations, would split into “very small groups” to gather, and had spoken to the local police departments. And while Reeder told supporters to practice physical distancing, he also encouraged people to do “prayer walks” outside hospitals and nursing homes to pray for people vulnerable to COVID-19.

Our concerns are not only rooted in the risks these groups present to patients, staff, and volunteers at clinics but also to the risks they pose in their own communities—especially to the children that often get dragged along to the protests and are forced to share close quarters with people outside their immediate family, exposing them to COVID-19. And then there are the risks these folks bring back into their immediate communities. When sharing my frustrations with my friend and fellow volunteer Raquel, she said something that has stuck with me: “It speaks volumes about how not pro-life our protesters actually are when they still choose to come out in large numbers, despite all warnings and guidance from local and federal officials, endangering everyone in their own communities without a single moment of consideration.”

One of the most important roles we have as clinic escorts is doing what is needed for our most vulnerable and marginalized communities. Clinic escort groups are being faced with decisions they often don’t feel prepared to make. As the week progressed, we learned of more restrictions being put into place by our local and state governments, had emergency virtual meetings, and met with clinic staff.

Thankfully, the clinics are doing everything they can to support us. Clinics are stepping up and offering training in how to use protective gear like gloves and masks, offering sterilizing wipes and sprays to escorts to help keep common areas as clean as possible, and responding quickly when volunteer groups have questions or concerns. Despite all of this, some clinics have suspended escort services, and some clinic escort groups have suspended services on their own.

Anders in Charlotte and the volunteers in Greensboro said they’re taking many of the same steps we’re taking to stop the spread of COVID-19: monitoring the size and risks presented by our protester groups, increasing our own awareness around sanitizing shared equipment and shared vests, and encouraging volunteers who are at risk or folks who have had potential exposure to stay home. As a leader in the Raleigh clinic escort group, I scheduled a virtual check-in after our shift last Saturday and asked our clinics, which have the ear of local government and local law enforcement, to reach out to find out what can be done if protesters continue to gather in groups large enough to violate the statewide executive order banning gatherings of more than 100 people.

While we wait to learn more about what, if anything, can be done, it’s hard to ignore the anger and frustration that many of us who do this work are left with. We want to stay home. We want to keep our communities safe. We want to keep our families safe. We also want to keep ourselves healthy. I have no idea what this coming weekend will look like for our clinic escort team in Raleigh; I heard much the same from the organizers across the state. We are planning to operate on a skeleton crew, avoiding any spaces where protesters can get close enough to cause problems, and hoping our limited presence will be enough to keep the most abusive anti-abortion protester behavior at bay.

Over the coming weeks, our volunteer group may be preparing to head out into the world, or we may be sitting at home, anxious about what patients will face that day. No matter what, we hope abortion clinics stay open.

[ladylilibet]

Tainted Love|Chapter 1.

I/II/III/IV/V

Tainted Love -- How can you tell a lady no? The White Wolf claimed he needed no one, but his collection of misfits started with Lady Helena of Oxenfurt... and ended with her, too. 

                           Chapter One: 𝕷𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝖂𝖍𝖔 𝕮𝖆𝖒𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝕯𝖎𝖓𝖓𝖊𝖗

Helena pricked her finger on her embroidery needle yet again. With a curse, she threw her hoop down in frustration. Her governess shot her a glare but said nothing as she worked on her own stitching. The girl mouthed an apology and picked up her book.

Being the daughter and the only heir of a duke had its perks. Besides having the best education on the continent her fingertips, she had the wealth and splendor to go with it. And yet here she sat, still feeling empty. She wanted to live like the characters in her books. To fight with a sword, sleep under the stars, travel. She felt trapped.

'I bet that the heroes in these narratives didn't have to wear a corset that was too tight.' She thought as she fidgeted in her chair. Now she would be allowed to walk along the main road in town and do her daily window shopping. But her mother recently set a curfew, forbidding her to even leave the villa at sundown.

Lately, those who partake in too much drink and wander the streets during the night have been found dead and drained of their blood. Witnesses can only recall large shadows moving at quick speeds. The beast, with its penchant for only partaking in drunkard's blood, has been aptly named The Oxenfurt Drunk.

She only ever seen monsters in her books -- just mere illustrations lazily drawn. Curiosity ached in her bones, but she knew she couldn't dare sneak out to get a glimpse at the bloodsucker. The Drunk defied the knowledge of the local academy's scholars as well as the swords of my father's commanders. Because of this, King Radovid V ordered her father to post a contract for an experienced monster hunter to slay the beast. The reward: 200 crowns and dinner at the Duke and Duchess of Oxenfurt's villa.

"Helena!" The Duchess called for her down the corridor. She knew it was best to not shout back, so she tucked a ribbon in her book, marking her place. As she stood, he smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress and gave a quick goodbye to the older woman before leaving the study.

As she walked down the hall, she was greeted by my parents and a stranger. In addition to standing a head taller than my father, he had long white hair and bright golden eyes. He was beautiful in a way she'd never describe most of the men around here. He looked like a knight straight out of her books and she was aware of how plain others looked in contrast to him.

"Aah, there she is! Geralt of Rivia, meet my little daughter, Lady Helena." Her father gleamed as he gave Geralt a hearty smack on the back, "The White Wolf has slain the Oxenfurt Drunk! Can ya believe it? A Witcher in my home!"

A Witcher? That explains his looks. He's a mutant. And yet... She would never want to use that word to describe him.

She curtsied after my father introduced her and held out a hand for him to kiss. But rather than bring her hand to his lips, he gave the girl a firm handshake. She furrowed her brow at this response but ignored it. She heard that Witchers cannot feel nor understand human emotion and assumed this applied to manners as well .

"Thank you, kind sir, for slaying the beast. I am very fortunate to be able to walk the streets once more and do so safely ." Helena repeated the words she could see her mother mouthing. She clapped happily once she finished.

"I didn't do it for you. I did it for coin."

She huffed but her father interrupted her before she could say anything smart to the man.

"And for a hot meal," He told him as he gestured for them to follow him to the dining room. "I hope you like suckling pig, Witcher. Little Lena over here saved the piglet when it wouldn't latch on to its mam's tit. Spoonfed it and all, thinkin' she would be savin' it from death. Turns out she was savin' it for our dinner." Her father's boisterous laugh made her stomach turn.

Dinner went about as well as expected. Her mother and father tried to masque their bragging as hospitality. But Helena could see through their guise.

'Look, Witcher! Look what we have that you don't. Take a look at your dirty reflection on our shiny, silver spoons.' I could imagine them saying.

Geralt was hard to read but he at least had a realness about him. With him, a grunt meant 'yes,' and a 'hmm' meant 'no.'

"Witcher, can I call ya Witcher?"

A grunt.

"Ya got a little lady back home?"

A 'hmm.'

"Would you like to stay in our guest chambers?"

Another 'hmm.'

"Would you like a hot bath before you take your leave?"

A pause, a ponder, then a grunt.

A servant escorted him to the bathroom, leaving them to sit in silence.

Helena waited for Geralt to be out of earshot before breaking the silence and mimicking him with a grunt.

She received a glare from my father and her mother stood and leaned across the table. With no hesitation, she delivered a smack onto the girl's cheek.

"Don't continue to embarrass us, girl."

"Once he's finished, go get washed up." Her mother commanded, "You're to have Poppy escort you to Samson's mother and father's home. We're to celebrate both the killing of the beast and your engagement, so be prompt."

She waited to hear my parents' carriage pull away before standing and stomping up to the second story. She waited in front of the bathroom's door before taking a deep breath, covering her eyes, and barging in. Water splashed as Geralt was surprised by the sudden intrusion but she kept her hand placed over her eyes .

"Oh nooo. I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were in here!"

"So you enter all empty rooms with eyes covered?" She peaked out behind my hands to see his amused smirk, "Or did Little Lena wish to join my bath?"

She turned beet red and threw her hands to her side in protest with a scoff. Despite the temptation to look down, she locked eyes with him.

"I need you to help me escape." His smirk faded and he now donned a glare.

She waited for him to give her a response, but when none came, she proceeded with her monologue, "I hate it here. Oxenfurt may seem progressive, but I'm not granted the same liberties... My elder sister, she got pregnant out of wedlock. Died during childbirth along with her baby. They say it's a curse, punishment, I say it's just bad luck. But that didn't stop them from tightening the reins."

"And you think you're the first girl to beckon me that I rescue you?" He asks as he lounges back, "You're well-fed, well-dressed, and live in a great city. Why leave?"

"I'm not happy. I want to live a life worth living. Not to be some man's wife, seen merely as a womb."

Geralt slowly stood and she clasped a hand over my eyes once more, eliciting a chuckle from him as he grabbed his towel . Once she knew he was covered , I looked to him once more.

"They'll say I kidnapped you."

"They already say you're a monster. What's wrong with conforming to their narrative?"

"I don't need some girl to slow me down, to get in the way."

"I can learn to fight. I've studied some nursing and can take care of you... Plus, the two hundred crowns you received from my father, well... I have broaches you can pawn off that's worth double.

Geralt stared hard at her, seeming to challenge her, but she didn't back down. After silence, he huffed, "Go. Pack a bag and meet me at the stables. I leave in twenty, with or without you."

She turned on my heel with bouncing excitement as I rushed to the door. As Helena left, she heard Geralt grunt and utter one phrase:

"Fuck."

[youthincare]

A third-year student at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus says she was handcuffed by campus police while at the Health and Counselling Centre seeking help for suicidal thoughts.

The incident happened five days after a student died by suicide at the downtown campus on Sept. 27, and amid students voicing concerns about mental health services on campus.

The student says it left her feeling traumatized and feeling like a criminal.

"I felt like this was basically all my fault for coming to get help. I feel like that should be a thing that people should never feel when they ask for help," she said in an interview.

Due to the sensitive nature of the incident, CBC News is protecting the woman's identity.

The woman's friend, Anita Mozaffari, says she went with her to see a campus psychiatrist, but they were told getting an appointment could take months.

"That's not something that you say to someone who's already feeling suicidal and very hopeless," Mozaffari said. "So [my friend] began to cry and felt very distressed."

'It doesn't feel human': Students angry U of T not acknowledging campus suicides

They were informed the first step is seeing a nurse specializing in mental health issues, but who wasn't at the campus clinic, so they met with another nurse, according to Mozaffari.

The student says she and the nurse came up with a "safety plan," which included staying at Mozaffari's home that evening. The nurse told her that before they could leave, it was protocol for them to speak briefly with campus police.

'I started to panic'

The student says that as soon as the two officers heard her mention a physical location where she was thinking of dying by suicide, they told her they had to arrest her. She told them it was unnecessary and she would go with them to Credit Valley Hospital.

"[They] told me to stand up and turn around. In that moment, I started to panic," she said. "I had no mental health professional with me to tell me what's happening ... I had to ask them why this was happening and they let me know that it was protocol."

Mozaffari says her friend was calm until that point, but once she was arrested, she started hyperventilating. The officers put Mozaffari's jacket over the handcuffs and escorted her through a busy building on campus as she cried, according to Mozaffari. The student says she was humiliated and felt as though others were wondering what she did wrong.

I felt like this was basically all my fault for coming to get help.- Student who was handcuffed

She and Mozaffari waited for a police car so the officers could take her to the hospital. Mozaffari wasn't allowed in the back of the car, which made the student panic and feel uncomfortable, she says. She vomited in the back seat.

The student says the officers wouldn't take off the handcuffs until a nurse at the hospital deemed it OK. She spent the night there and was prescribed medication.

Safety of students is top priority: U of T

When asked about the incident, the University of Toronto said in a statement it can't comment on specific cases, but students' safety and well-being are the primary consideration.

A spokesperson didn't confirm whether the use of handcuffs is part of the university's protocol in certain mental health incidents.

"Situations are sometimes fluid and evolve quickly. The steps taken depend on the officers' assessment of the situation," the statement reads.

"Campus medical professionals are trained to work with individuals who are experiencing a physical or mental health crisis. Hospitalizations are relatively rare, and most are voluntary."

The statement goes on to say campus police become involved when someone makes specific statements that indicate they have an intention to harm themselves and are unwilling to go to a hospital.

"In such cases, we have a responsibility to keep individuals safe."

The university says it's reviewing its police practices "in this respect" and its existing practices are consistent with those of local municipal police services.

We have a responsibility to keep individuals safe.- University of Toronto

Beverly Bain, a gender studies professor, teaches Mozaffari at the Mississauga campus and has shared the incident with administrators. She says she's heard of a handful of similar incidents.

Bain says she'd like to see policy change so law enforcement isn't involved in mental health situations on campus, leaving it up to mental health professionals.

"[This is] criminalizing our students for trying to get help or for having mental health issues. The administration needs to intervene in terms of the practice of campus police."

Improving mental health services

Second-year U of T student Ashwini Selvakumaran, who has been calling on the university to improve mental health services since September, says she hasn't seen any substantial change at the school, but notes student groups are taking action.

She'd like to see shorter wait times to see professionals, more communication with students when an incident happens, and a larger conversation about mental health and the services available.

"A lot of students don't really know that there is a crisis going on and therefore they don't know how they can get involved."

After the student suicide at the end of September, Selvakumaran co-founded UofThrive, an advocacy group aimed at giving students a voice about mental health.  

The group held its first event last month. Mozaffari and her friend attended and shared their experience. Selvakumaran says she was shocked and angry, but it was inspiring.

"We really want to do something to make sure no student ever goes through that or feels that way again."

U of T students demand change in wake of suicide on campus

U of T open to ideas for better student supports after suicide, president says

The university says it's reviewing the services and supports offered to students and looking at how to improve them. It also points to the mental health task force that is gathering input across all three campuses.

U of T recently released its Draft Summary of Themes, which outlines what the task force heard from students, staff and faculty while doing engagement over the last few months

The draft lists seven areas to improve on, including communication, services and culture. Pop-up feedback sessions about the themes are being held across the three campuses this week. The task force is set to provide recommendations to the university's administration in December.  

The student who was handcuffed  says she wants others who are dealing with mental health issues to know things can get better.

"No matter what your life looks like right now, you can restart it again," she says. "There are mental health professionals out there who will not put you in handcuffs and who are there because they want your life to be better."

Where to get help

Canada Suicide Prevention Service

Toll-free 1-833-456-4566

Text: 45645

Chat: crisisservicescanada.ca

In French: Association québécoise de prévention du suicide: 1-866-APPELLE (1-866-277-3553)

Kids Help Phone:

Phone: 1-800-668-6868

Text: TALK to 686868 (English) or TEXTO to 686868 (French)

Live Chat counselling at www.kidshelpphone.ca

Post-Secondary Student Helpline:

Phone: 1-866-925-5454

Good2talk.ca

Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre

If you're worried someone you know may be at risk of suicide, you should talk to them, says the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. Here are some warning signs:

Suicidal thoughts.

Substance abuse.

Purposelessness.

Anxiety.

Feeling trapped.

Hopelessness and helplessness.

Withdrawal.

Anger.

Recklessness.

Mood changes.