#as i need a refresh prescription for them

[missygoesmeow]

i adore sharing media i love with friends and having them go insane over it :) is this how jesus felt when he spread the word of god?

[frvnkcastles]

heyy i love you writing 💓(reader and frank who are dating) and she is diagnosed with anxiety and starts shaking uncontrollably during a meeting with friends and Frank notices and helps her.

YOUR SWEET HAVEN ➵ F. CASTLE

Summary: Frank helps you through a peak in your anxiety during a night out.

Warnings: Anxiety, mostly fluff, feminine nicknames

Word count: 2.1k

Author’s note: Anxiety is such a bitch, I swear. Like I wrote in the fic, I feel like Frank would/does struggle greatly with anxiety about losing his loved ones but I don’t think he’s really a socially anxious person? Just a very introverted kind of guy. So I feel like he’d totally understand some aspects but others he’d have to learn about a lil more and he’d gladly do it for his partner. Just my two cents on it :) Hope you enjoy, anon, and I’m sending you lots of hugs!! You’re not alone <3

Frank’s first impression had been that you were sweet as hell but extremely, highly shy. His attempts to get to know you had required some effort as you had always steered the conversation away from yourself or given him half-answers, but when he had told you he could leave you alone, you had quickly protested. It wasn’t that you didn’t enjoy his company — you just weren’t the best when it came to having attention on you.

When you spent more and more time together, it dawned on him that you weren’t shy. It was anxiety driving you to stutter and apologize over and over again, even about things that weren’t your fault, and it made you fidget and overthink and feel nauseous; all things he either noticed with time or you shared with him. It was embarrassing sometimes, the way your anxiety limited you and turned the simplest situations into ordeals, but Frank was understanding. For him, anxiety manifested through his fear of losing people, but he didn’t really struggle with the social aspect, being a bold, direct person who didn’t really care what people thought of him, yet he still knew it wasn’t a choice. You couldn’t help it, and he didn’t make you feel any lesser for that.

Even before you started officially dating, he went out of his way to reassure and encourage you. Whenever you got stuck in a loop of apologies and overexplaining yourself, he shushed you softly and promised you that he knew exactly what you meant and that there was no need to be sorry for what you had said or done. This happened often when you talked about his family and you were afraid of overstepping or upsetting him, only for him to calm your racing mind down and insist that he wouldn’t have brought the topic up if he wasn’t ready to talk about it.

But he wasn’t too careful with you. He also knew when and how to be firm, and it often came out when you had a phone call to make or an appointment to attend. Especially if it was something important like getting your prescription refilled or seeing your doctor about the palpitations in your chest, he wasn’t playing around — he made you do it, convinced that you had it in you, but holding your hand through it, regardless. If you ever felt too anxious to go anywhere alone, all you had to do was call him and he would be right there.

He understood and listened to your worries, and that was probably why you fell so hard for him. No one had ever been so open-minded and judgment-free with you, and it was refreshing and left you thinking about him day and night. In fact, your anxious thoughts had to step aside to make room for Frank. He could tell you were into him, and the feeling was very much mutual, and so, you both took a leap of faith and decided to give it a go.

He met your friends early on, and they all approved of him pretty quickly, as they could see just how head over heels he was for you. It was no surprise that he was invited to multiple outings — while you still had girls’ nights every now and then, they really didn’t mind Frank tagging along, especially if they had brought their own partners with them.

Another night with all of you was in your plans for the evening, and as much as you loved your friends, you couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Your hands trembled just a little as you got dressed and your mouth was running dry, not to mention the sickening twist in the pit of your stomach that made you feel like throwing up.

And Frank noticed immediately. ”Hey, sweetheart, we don’t gotta stay for long, yeah?” he reminded while buttoning up his shirt, and with a glance at him, you nodded. He could tell you weren’t comforted by that thought, so he went on. ”It’ll be okay. Y’know they love seein’ you. No one there is gon’ judge you, baby”, he noted, listing off things he knew that bothered you the most.

You gave him another nod and sighed. ”It’s just a lot of people. I don’t like crowds. Also, what if I can’t make conversation? Or I do, and I say the wrong thing. What if I don’t like any of the food or drinks they serve there?” you pointed out in a nervous ramble, stopping to take a deep breath. It wasn’t unusual to get stuck in a cycle like this, unable to see everything that could go right instead of wrong, but Frank was happy to be the voice of reason.

”You never say the wrong thing, darlin’. You don’t gotta talk if you don’t wanna, lettin’ other people talk is fine, too. And you googled their menu already, and you know for sure they do serve something you like—and no, I don’t think they’ve magically run out of it for good”, he countered, walking over to you with his big hands reaching for your arms and rubbing them soothingly. ”We’ll make an appearance, and if it gets too much, you just gotta squeeze my hand, aight? I’ll take you home the second it gets unbearable”, he swore, knowing that sometimes you needed a little push and that all discomfort wasn’t bad. He wanted you to explore the boundaries of your comfort-zone, but just like he had promised, he wasn’t going to put you in a spot that would paralyze you.

And you knew that. You knew you could trust his word, and you knew it was healthy to challenge the anxious thoughts every now and then. So, you agreed to his terms, choosing to believe in him more than the nagging voice in your head.

”Attagirl”, Frank praised, taking your hand in his own and squeezing it just to emphasize that was all you had to do to give him the signal. You held onto him tightly, always finding comfort in his grip and the warmth he radiated.

You made your way to the bar where you were supposed to meet your friend group, and you tried your best to be calm but it didn’t seem to be working. You got hugs and excited questions about how you were doing, and you wanted to feel appreciated but all you could do was stew in the anxiety that came with being the center of attention. They wanted to know everything, and in the panic of the moment, you blanked entirely and couldn’t think of anything to say. Frank jumped in for you, keeping the conversation going, and your friends didn’t seem to question it.

When the rest of the group decided to order some food, you felt a lump in your throat, but Frank was already whispering into your ear. ”I got this. Don’t worry, sweetheart”, he reassured you before handling your order for you. Every now and then he encouraged you to do it on your own, but he could tell this wasn’t a good night for your anxiety, so he gladly took charge.

He checked in with you periodically, too. ”Feelin’ okay, pretty girl? Wanna go yet?” he queried softly, and as much as you wanted to plead him to take you home, you felt bad about the idea of ditching your friends. You tried to push through, giving Frank a smile and insisting that you were still doing good. He could see right through it, but as long as you weren’t showing any of the usual tell-tale signs of losing control, he was allowing it.

But just like he feared, you did begin to spiral. You lost track of time and space, not really processing anything your friends were saying, but at the same time, the chatter mixed with the loud music was becoming too overwhelming. You began shaking, unable to stop, the nervousness and worry bleeding from your thoughts to your body, and you felt the burning urge to just get out of there.

It didn’t take Frank long to detect your trembling, feeling the tremors against his chest as you were seated in his arms, and a frown deepened on his face. He tilted his head down at you, trying to reach you with soft calls of your name, but you couldn’t say anything.

”Sweetheart? You still with me?” he questioned quietly, knowing you didn’t want any extra attention drawn to yourself. His hand grabbed yours, and at the feeling of his fingers interlocking with your own, you felt a little safer. His large hand swallowed up yours entirely and he gave it a squeeze, trying to bring you back down from the panic you were riding.

”Aight, we’re headin’ home. My girl ain’t feelin’ so well”, he cut into the group’s conversation, digging out some bills from his wallet to pay for your food and drinks. He climbed out of the booth and gently pulled you with him, supporting your shaking body with his arm around you. Your friends were sad to see you go, but Frank wasn’t going to let them guilt you into staying. ”Thanks for invitin’ us, y’all. Have a good night”, he told them before steering you outside.

He walked you across the parking lot and helped you into the car, buckling you in before striding to his side of the truck and hopping in. ”You’re okay, baby. We’re goin’ home, yeah? Just you and me”, he spoke into the quiet car, making sure to turn down the music to avoid overstimulating you any further.

You were still silent, but as he began driving and let one hand hang between you and him, you instantly reached for it. You held onto his fingers tightly, needing the physical comfort, and he made sure to draw patterns against your skin with his thumb in an effort to soothe you. You closed your eyes and enjoyed the silence and the feeling of his hand in yours, letting it ground you.

He didn’t want to make your head spin with his incessant questions, so he didn’t speak for the remainder of the drive, just kept holding your hand. Only when he pulled up at your apartment building, he turned to you with a worried look in his eyes.

”How you feelin’, sweetheart? I know that was real shitty. ’M sorry I didn’t call it a night sooner”, he apologized, and the guilty tone got you to look at him and shake your head.

”It’s not your fault. I tried to push myself, I—I guess I just wanted to make you proud”, you shrugged shyly, dropping your gaze down to your conjoined hands.

Frank chuckled, not because he thought it was funny but because he thought his feelings for you were obvious. ”I’m already proud of ya, girl. I always am. You don’t gotta prove anythin’ to me. You definitely don’t gotta make yourself that uncomfortable just to show me”, he insisted, lifting your hand so he could kiss the back of it once, then twice, then once more.

You smiled weakly and squeezed his hand. ”Thanks for taking me home. I feel better now”, you told him, and with a nod, Frank let his lips twitch up in the most careful of smiles.

”That makes me real happy to hear, darlin’. Scares the shit outta me when you get all shaky like that”, he admitted, and when you opened your mouth, he knew exactly what you were going to say. ”Don’t apologize. It ain’t your fault. I just worry, y’know?” he added, earning a sigh from you.

”Yeah, I know. But for what it’s worth, you always help. It’d be way worse without you”, you mentioned, fully truthful. With Frank by your side, you had gotten much better at fighting back at the anxiety and not letting it control every aspect of your life, and when nights like these occurred and you lost your footing, he was always there to lift you back up.

”Anythin’ you need, baby, you know that. Now, how ’bout we go inside and I’ll make you somethin’ to eat, huh?” he suggested, painfully aware that you hadn’t been able to get a single forkful in at the bar. Touched by his thoughtfulness, you agreed and reluctantly let go of his hand to climb out of the car.

As soon as the doors were locked, though, Frank took ahold of your hand once again, loving the contact but loving the comfort it brought you even more. Whenever things got tough, you reached for him, and he didn’t hesitate to hold on tight — and he never would.

[thosewickedlovelies]

Private Eye, chapter 2 | Tim Rockford/Marcus Moreno x F!Reader

Summary: With too much evidence and not enough progress, you and “Agent Rockford” go and meet the neighbors. But you’ll need a more creative solution to get into the rest of the mansion…

Tags: vague murder(?) mystery; workplace romance; we meet Marcus's powers 👀

Word count: 5,460

Note: welcome to chapter 2! I've lost perspective on this one honestly, but please enjoy the promised sneaking around in the dark 🥷🏻

ch 1 | Masterlist

It’s clear from the get-go that you and Marcus make an effective team. Your strengths balance the other’s weaknesses. You’re both thorough and driven to make something of this strange case- but you’re drowning in evidence, and the potentialities pull you every which way.

“We need a board,” Marcus declares.

It’s day three since his arrival, and he’s made himself at home at a desk in the basement. So have you, for that matter- it’s easier to keep everything related to the case in one place, so you drag a spare desk next to his and divvy up the paperwork. The wood-paneled walls are about 30 years out of style and the space is full of old metal filing cabinets, but it could be worse. There’s some natural light. Plus, you have the bathrooms all to yourselves.

At his pronouncement, you glance at the clock. “It’ll make a late night to start it now,” you point out.

“I don’t care, I can’t make sense of anything while it’s all piles of paper.” Marcus groans, sitting up and rolling his neck. 

He sees your expression and falters. “You don’t have to stay. I don’t mind doing it. Or starting it, anyway.”

Your sigh flutters the documents strewn over your joined desks. “There’s a drawer of takeout menus upstairs. Any preferences?”

His face lifts, and it honestly defies logic that a man can look simultaneously so rugged and so adorable.

“Do you have a good Chinese?”

--

Marcus is surprisingly adept with chopsticks, making you wonder how many evenings he’s spent like this. Maybe he just really likes Chinese food? You’re adamant about separating food and work- taking an actual dinner break- and he seems perfectly happy to follow your lead.

He makes a good dinner date, easily balancing personal chitchat with lighter topics. Despite the looming task ahead, it’s a refreshing change from your normal quiet evenings alone.

After tracking down the promised corkboard, thumbtacks, and enough red yarn to commit a murder yourself, you’re ready to carve a path into the uncharted jungle that is this case.

“Okay,” Marcus finally sighs. “If we’re gonna do this, I need to show you something. And you can’t laugh,” he warns.

His tone gives you pause. You regard him warily, until he takes out…a glasses case?

From the case Marcus removes a pair of glasses with dark, round frames, and lifts them to his face with exaggerated reluctance. He looks for all the world like a schoolboy sitting in the principal’s office. Laughter begins to bubble beneath your ribs.

As if he can sense it, he pins you with a warning look.

You clap your hands over your mouth, but the giggles spill out regardless. “Oh my god, is this why you’ve left your sunglasses on every time we’ve gone to the mansion? Are they prescription?”

“Yes,” Marcus sulks. His pouty lower lip only enhances the schoolboy effect, and your laughter redoubles.

“I can see why you don’t wear them around the other officers. They’re so cute,” you tease. “I just want to pinch your cheeks.” You don’t, but you pinch the air toward him for effect.

At your words Marcus ducks his head. Is that a hint of color in his cheeks?

You clear your throat, quelling your amusement. “Okay, sorry, I‘m done. They are cute though. Very…suburban dad.”

The glasses lend him a perfectly harmless air. With his suit jacket long since shucked off and his tie loosened after-hours, you could easily imagine him waiting on a little girl after soccer practice, arms open for an energetic hug. He’d be the heartthrob of the soccer moms with his handsome face and old-school manners, you think wryly. His shoulders in that gun holster don’t hurt either.

Marcus snorts. “Huh. Well, you got me there. That’s my other job.” He says it with perfect nonchalance, but your mouth parts. Marcus avoids your gaze, suggesting that he’s well aware of the trust he’s placing in you by sharing such information. You’d wondered at his ring, but still…

As if reading your mind, he holds up his left hand. The matte silver ring on the third finger glints in the light. “Widower, though. So, no one to come after you for flirting.”

You sputter and choke on your noodles. Marcus laughs.

--

“Do it again,” you beg. “Pleeeease.” 

Two days later, and you’re considering bringing down another corkboard. The one across the room is nearly covered already. Newspaper clippings, photographs, evidence files, interview notes. All overlapping and criss-crossed with red string in an array that would make a conspiracy theorist proud.

Marcus tsks. Despite himself, he lifts your proffered thumbtack into the air with a point of his finger. It hovers between you, yellow plastic glinting around the metal barb- until with a flick, Marcus embeds it into the corkboard on the opposite wall.

You had inquired only briefly about Marcus’s powers the first day you met. “Metal manipulation,” he’d replied, still sitting beside you at the captain’s desk.

“Must be useful against bullets,” was all you’d said.

But today, watching him remove and rearrange the bestringed tacks in the board like a conductor before a symphony- you had to ask for more details.

With a quick glance at the stairwell, he’d reached into his jacket and removed the gun from his holster. “Actually carrying around a gun is mostly for other people’s benefit. It can be anything I need it to be.” Marcus then proceeded to crumple the metal into a ball, stretch it back out into a crowbar, form tiny fragments into keys with which he unlocked every lock in the room, and finally, with his eyes closed in concentration, returned the pistol to its original form. 

Your mouth hung open.

Marcus offered the reborn gun to you for inspection. 

“Wow.” The metal was faintly warm to the touch. You turned it over, opening the chamber and clicking the trigger, but everything seemed to be exactly the right shape it should. “So you’re basically a metalbender. Like from that kid’s show.” 

Marcus’s laughter warmed the air. “Exactly. My daughter loves that show. When she was little she was obsessed with Toph, because she was ‘just like me.’”

His smile was infectious, full of pride in and love for his daughter. Suburban dad heartthrob strikes again, you thought, your cheeks warming.

“I can do other, less flashy things, too. That’s kind of the point of my branch of the FBI. They train us to use our powers in ways you wouldn’t immediately consider. For instance, I can tell you the elemental composition of every metal object in this room, just by concentrating. I can usually tell if there’s foreign material in or on metal things, too, even trace amounts.”

You thought about what that could mean. “So if someone didn’t clean a piece of evidence well enough, you’d be able to tell even if forensics failed?”

“That’s right,” Marcus confirmed. He looked strangely somber about it, as if the morality of his powers was a question whose weight never lightened. 

“Huh.” 

That was something to chew on. There was a stretch of silence while you mulled over all he’d shared.

It didn’t last long, though, as if Marcus was afraid of what conclusions you might come to.

“It also means I can do stuff like this-” and then he’d levitated a thumbtack and shot it across the room like a bullet.

“No more, now,” he says, stern but apologetic. “We have to be careful at work.” Still, a conspiratorial light twinkled in his eyes.

Marcus stands from his desk with a stretch and a groan. He approaches the board you’d just had him flinging thumbtacks at and regards it.

“Who are we missing here? Is there anyone else involved who could be a suspect?” The stubble on his cheeks scrapes audibly at his thoughtful scratch. He’s squinting slightly- his glasses lay half-covered by an evidence bag on his desk.

A knock sounds from the top of the staircase. “Detective? Agent Rockford? Some new data for you.” 

“Come on down,” you call.

“Don’t tell me it’s more knives,” Marcus groans.

The junior officer, Richards, falters at the base of the stairs, clearly cowed by the sight of the big bad FBI agent turning his scowl from the corkboard to him.

You stifle a laugh. Scowl, your ass- how no one has ever clocked that for the myopic squint it is is beyond you.

“Stand down, Agent,” you drawl. Pointedly, you rustle the bag hiding his glasses as you stand. “Thanks, Richards.”

The officer hesitates, glancing between the file he’d just handed you and the corkboard Marcus is studying. 

“...Did you have some thoughts on the case?” you prompt.

Marcus looks over alertly, and the officer scampers. “No, no, not until I read up on it some more. See you around!”

You snigger as you head over to the board, skimming the file as you go.

“Friendly guy,” Marcus remarks, although his glance toward the staircase is bemused. 

Your snicker turns into a full-belly laugh. “Normally he is friendly, Rockford. If you didn’t always look like you’re suspicious of everyone, he’d probably ask you out.”

“What?” Marcus’s brow furrows.

You exaggeratedly imitate his grumpy-looking squint, putting an elderly pucker in your lips for good measure. You plant your face about an inch from the corkboard.

“Oh.” Marcus grimaces. “I know, it’s a terrible habit. Missy is always warning me I’m going to get even more wrinkles.” He sighs in resignation.

You hide a smile, your glance skipping over the fine lines around his eyes and mouth- signs of age that a child wouldn’t understand the appeal of. “I hope your FBI team has a super-powered eye surgeon.”

“Actually- uh.” Marcus cuts himself off, his mouth turning down. “That’s probably classified,” he mumbles.

--

“Any plans for the weekend, Agent Rockford?” You make an effort to use Marcus’s fake name every so often, so you won’t forget and slip up around others.

Marcus leans back in his chair. “Nothing exciting. I thought I might check out the mansion again, maybe see if the neighbors are in. Get some interviews.”

You look at him. 

After a second, he realizes that you haven’t responded, and looks over. “…What?”

“People usually make non work-related plans on the weekends, Marcus.”

“Oh. Well…” Marcus shrugs, fidgeting. “Missy’s going to be at a school thing, so I won’t have anything else to do. And we haven’t made much progress with the neighbors,” he points out.

He’s right, but still.

You hesitate. You don’t have any exciting plans either, and people might be more likely to be home during the day on a weekend…

“All right. Let’s do it.” 

Marcus looks confused. 

“I’ll come with you to interview some neighbors this weekend. It’s a good idea,” you clarify.

“Oh, I wasn’t suggesting that you had to come with me,” Marcus says hastily. “Just that..I don’t mind, and, you know, I’m not doing anything else.” He shrugs again, looking away.

“I know. I’m saying that I don’t mind either, and you’re right that we need to interview the neighbors. They might be home on a weekend. We can get a feel for the neighborhood.”

His mouth opens and shuts. Marcus hesitates, like he thinks he should argue but can’t think of anything convincing. He settles on a grateful smile. “Okay.”

--

It’s a sunny day. The sky is clear, and you have a great view from the top of the hill, which is, naturally, where the mansion sits.

It’s not a very tall hill, but it’s enough of a slope that one could easily feel superior looking down from atop it. The residents of the houses below would be unable to avoid seeing the mansion whenever they looked up. The old New England houses echo the style of the mansion, albeit on a smaller scale- stately, grand and yet sort of homey at once. Highlights include spires topped with weathervanes featuring quirky animals and turrets with children’s drawings taped in the windows.

The air smells of greenery- all the hedges in the garden, probably. And something else; the odd smoky whiff of a weekend barbeque, interspersed with something…sweeter. Mom with oven mitts inside while Dad lights the charcoal outside. Apple pie America, indeed.

You survey the suburbia laid out below. You and Marcus agreed to meet at the mansion and strike out on foot from there, and now you’re deciding on a plan of attack.

“I say we canvas this street,” he’s saying, pointing to the uppermost houses, “maybe the next one, and see what the vibe is like from there.”

“What the vibe is like?” you repeat, amused. “Did you pick that up from Missy?”

Marcus coughs and shuffles a bit. “Did I use it right?” he asks, sheepish behind his glasses. The normal ones today- the round lenses made him seem sweet and trustworthy. 

It’s impossible not to laugh. “Technically, I guess. Come on then, hip guy.”

The hill isn’t very wide, or steep. These streets make up just one small subdivision venturing up into the woods, branching off the two-lane highway. There are others further along, clustered more densely closer to the town. The houses here are arrayed like a waterfall, with the mansion as its source.

The top street, in fact, is only four houses long. The first two are uneventful. One man answers the door with barbeque tongs in hand, his New Balance sneakers gleaming as white as his smile. He offers you and Marcus burgers to go, which you politely decline. You glimpse a woman coming up behind him as the door closes; her face is as stiff as her husband’s was welcoming. Interesting.

Things get even more interesting at the third house. 

“Oh, you’ll want to talk to the neighbor if you’re looking into Ursula.” The young person on the threshold nods their head to the only house you haven’t been to. “She can go on about her for hours, especially if you mention the pie.” They roll their eyes in a long-suffering expression.

You and Marcus exchange a look. “The pie?” Marcus slowly starts to reach for the small notebook he keeps in his jacket pocket.

“Yeah. Ursula liked to bake. Won the county fair pie competitions almost every year. Winter and summer, even after they made it anonymous and started rotating the judges.”

The neighbor and resident of the fourth house introduces herself as Olivia Tate. A woman with a somewhat jowly resemblance to a bulldog, she nearly starts slavering when your questions turn to Ursula’s pies. Her kitchen is the source of the sweet smell you caught from the top of the hill- a picture-perfect, lattice-topped pie bakes in the oven, which, Olivia laments, you could have sampled if you’d arrived half an hour later. 

Her jaw clenches at your implications about Ursula’s baking. “I’ve been baking pies 30, 40 years, and I’ve never had anything taste like hers. That’s the real mystery- what she puts in them!”

Her voice pitches higher the more you probe about Ursula and her pies, and the fledgling business around them she had apparently just started.

At the end of the street, Marcus jots hurriedly in his notebook, noting everything you had learned at Olivia’s house. When he’s done, you turn your head toward the top of the hill. “Should we go back to the mansion and have a closer look around the kitchen? This is the first we’ve heard of the pie business. It could be a fresh perspective.”

The mansion’s main kitchen is an enormous, envy-inducing affair. A stunning tile backsplash, an island bigger than your kitchen table, and a stove nearly as big as the island. At first glance, the single knife block and magnetic rack above it appear perfectly in order- there’s nothing to indicate the volume of knives the department had found stashed in the rest of the house, some of them nearly the size of machetes.

With fresh motivation, you start opening cabinets, nudging aside canned goods and tubs of flour. You and Marcus have hardly begun, however, when a thumping gait sounds from within the house, clearly getting closer. You exchange an alarmed glance.

A white-haired, wide-shouldered figure swings open the door. Mud flakes off the galoshes on his feet. Long gardening gloves sheath his hands. The man stands still for a long moment, silently measuring you.

“May I ask what you’re doing in Boulton house?” His voice is coarse with age, but his tone is unmistakably flat.

--

After being unceremoniously removed from the mansion, you stand by your patrol car, fuming. “Can you believe that guy? We’re investigating a crime scene. You can’t tell me he doesn’t know something.”

The groundskeeper had, of course been interviewed straightaway upon the breaking of the case. He hadn’t had much useful to say, and you’d released him thinking that you’d try again once you had more context in which to question him. But for him to claim now that your searching was out of bounds..!

“Probably. But he is within his rights to kick us out.” Marcus watches you cautiously. 

Leaning against your car, you face the street below, both lost in your own thoughts. From this height you have an unobstructed view of Olivia Tate’s house. It’s close enough, you realize, to make out her silhouette bobbing at a window, presumably rolling out her umpteenth pie crust. 

Marcus seems to realize it too. Gesturing to the window, he starts speaking again as if you’d been mid-conversation. “So these women could have easily watched each other from their kitchens while they baked. I bet on a good day you could even smell the pies from the other house. Every year they compete at the county fairs, and their rivalry gets worse. One day the neighbor snaps?” His eyebrows lift.

“A little unlikely,” you say. “Since there’s a clear view down the drive, she’d have to come at night, or by some secret back way. And she’s barely younger than the grandma.”

“True. But that means they’d be at even odds,” Marcus points out.

You concede that it’s technically a viable theory.

Glancing around, you indicate for Marcus to get in your car. 

An anticipatory silence grows while you consider your words, longer and louder until it’s drowned out only by the metallic creaking of the car itself. Marcus clenches his hands into fists to stop their fidgeting. 

“So,” you finally say. “We have to come back, right? Investigate this place properly.”

Marcus exhales. He looks pensive. “Yes. But how?”

“Look, I don’t like it, but I think we’ll have to do this slightly…off-books.”

You make a plan. By day, you’d return and continue to examine the inhabited portions of the house with the rest of the team. But by night…

“We can’t ignore the possibility that our culprit is using the closed-off parts of the house. It’s a perfect excuse- ‘nobody goes there, it’s falling down, it’s dangerous’. We can’t risk not searching it.”

You and Marcus agree to meet back at the mansion in a few nights- long enough for the groundskeeper to relax his guard.

--

On what little hill rises above the mansion, there’s an old hiking viewpoint jutting out of the forest. Although you’re sure people still use it for hiking during the day, by night, well…there was enough sniggering and elbow jabbing amongst your townie colleagues for you to figure out what it was used for at night.

It’s about a half hour hike from the viewpoint to the mansion. You and Marcus will be starting your nighttime searching from there, since parking or walking from anywhere else would get you spotted. 

You sit in the passenger seat of Marcus’s car while he drives. It smells like him, clean and masculine- probably nothing more than a combination of his laundry detergent and a no-nonsense deodorant, yet in such confined quarters it makes you light-headed the longer you sit in it. To distract yourself, you take a discreet look around. 

There’s not much to see. No trash or trinkets, just a road atlas in the pocket on the back of the driver’s seat. Except- sticking out from under the backseat is the crinkled corner of a magazine cover emblazoned with pink and yellow headlines and, just visible, the swoop of a youthful hairdo. The evidence of Marcus’s daughter makes you smile.

Gravel crunches under the tires as Marcus turns into the lot. His headlights reveal another car on the far side, with condensation glimmering on its windows.

“Didn’t expect to find anyone else doing night hiking,” Marcus mutters.

He continues his slow route toward the other car, to your mounting horror. “Don’t park next to them!” you hiss.

“What? Why?” Marcus’s question is utterly guileless. But he obeys, turning the car smoothly and ending up parking roughly in the center of the line of spots. 

You sigh. “I mean first of all, parking right next to the only other car in an empty lot, at night? That’s weird. Second of all, those aren’t night hikers.”

“Then what…” Marcus turns his furrowed brow toward the other car. Under the still moonlight, he finally seems to put all the pieces together- the short drive from town, the isolated location, the car’s fogged up windows. “...Oh.”

You can’t help but laugh at Marcus’s mortified expression. His full lips turn down, his cheeks darkening with a blush. “Well…now what do we do?”

“Let’s just go. The path is on this side, anyway.” You nod your head toward the end of the viewpoint that’s not currently occupied.

You and Marcus gather your small packs and exit the car. The slam of the door is like a shout in the silence and he winces, darting glances to the other car all the while. You cough to cover your laughter. “Great conditions for some night hiking, right?” You say loudly.

Marcus looks at you, startled. You widen your eyes at him meaningfully. “Oh, yeah,” he says, catching on. “Sure is.”

You grin. “Come on, this way.” You lead your partner away from the lot and the scene of his embarrassment. 

Your hike is quiet. These trails are unfamiliar to both of you, especially in the dark, but you keep your headlamps on low, wary of being spotted- more so the larger the mansion looms through the trees. 

A low brick wall marks the edge of the property. There’s no gate nearby that you can see, but it’s an easy task to pull yourself over it- probably the least risky activity you’ll undertake tonight.  

The gardens are slightly too overgrown to pretend you’re on a romantic nighttime stroll. “This reminds me of a corn maze; you know, the kind you get at pumpkin patches in the fall,” Marcus says, low and hushed. 

It’s an apt comparison. Tidily partitioned squares of greenery, once neatly groomed, had sprouted out of control, spilling onto the paths and obstructing your view. Wire towers for climbing vines now resemble buildings in an apocalypse movie- so thickly smothered with vines that their original structures are no longer visible, their trailing tendrils now falling to sway in your faces as you pass.

“Ha, I see what you mean. I’m not sure that makes it more or less creepy.” Another thought makes you shiver. “As long as nobody with a chainsaw starts running after us,” you mutter.

Marcus lets out an unexpected, loud bark of laughter. You look at him in astonishment, and he slaps a hand over his mouth. “Sorry, it’s just...” He clears his throat. “If you remind me of this later I’ll tell you why that was funny.”

At the mansion’s back entrance, you glance around quickly, then let yourselves in with the key. Safely inside, you stand in silence for several moments. 

“Nobody’s here,” Marcus whispers.

The house is silent, and dark. Without any neighbors, there are minimal streetlamps to provide light from outside. Most of the windows are framed by heavy, ornate curtains as well, blocking what meager moonlight falls in. Only the beams of your headlamps illuminate the dark wood floors and wall panelings.

You make your way toward a door at the end of the hall, stepping quietly, just in case. “How far do your powers reach?” you ask Marcus. “Like, you’re definitely sure there’s no one in this whole house?”

It’s slightly difficult to look at Marcus without blinding him with your headlamp. If you twist your neck and look sideways, you can make out the thoughtful press of his lips. 

“I can sense the rough outline and structure of the house thanks to all the little metal things- nails, window fittings, doorknobs. Any metal object within those bounds, I can reach. But sensing blood is tricky to begin with. It’s such a tiny amount of iron, in such a weird form…I can sense your blood just fine, because you’re right next to me. Somebody across the room would be no problem, likely even somebody in the next room, but across a whole house?” Marcus shakes his head. “Blood moves, so that tends to give it away. That sense of flow is primarily what I look for. But to answer your question…” Marcus does the same sort of neck twist to look at you. Beneath the white light emanating from his forehead, his face is serious. “I can’t be one hundred percent sure this place is empty.”

Interesting, if not entirely reassuring. “Well, I guess keep your eyes open then. Or not your eyes, but your..senses? You know what I mean.”

“I think the official term is ‘spidey sense’,” Marcus quips.

You laugh at that, and it eases the tension that had crept up alongside you like mist in a haunted house.

It doesn’t take long to reach your goal. The innocuous door looks like all the rest that line the hall- it could just as likely hold a fancy sitting room as a dilapidated once-home. 

You adjust your headlamp determinedly. “Ready?”

“Lead the way, Boss.” There’s a playful quirk to Marcus’s lips as he repeats his words from the day you first met.

You snort, ignoring an odd little flutter in your belly. “Sure, ladies first, they say, step right up to the dangerous door…”

“You can tell me to go first, if you want,” Marcus suggests. “Perks of being the boss.”

“Am I your boss?”

You’re stalling, is what you are. But it is something you’ve wondered. If push came to shove, would Marcus have to obey you?

“I could probably go over your head if I felt it was necessary,” Marcus admits. “But practically, we’re supposed to follow local jurisdiction. Supplement your abilities, not..take over.”

He meets your gaze. “I’m not worried about questioning your orders.”

Before you can react, Marcus continues cheerfully, “You’re stalling, Boss. Come on.” He lifts his hand, and the door swings open.

You brace yourself; for what, you’re not sure. But all that happens is a gust of dusty air hits you, and you have to stifle a sneeze. 

It’s nearly pitch-black. Marcus lifts his hand higher, and a tinny screech comes from across the room, where metal rings scrape against a curtain rod, dragging open a tall set of drapes. There’s still not much light, but the room now appears more gray than black.

The carpet runner beneath your feet is thick with dust, its pattern blurred. The room you’ve entered looks like it was indeed once a sitting room or living room of some kind. Dust covers in the shape of couches squat around a table on the far side of the room. Other furniture against the walls has also been covered. In the gray darkness, lit only by the swinging beams of your headlamps, it’s impossible not to think of ghosts and horror stories. 

“Do you sense anything?” you whisper to Marcus.

He lowers his hand. “No. No one hiding, and a normal amount of metal for an old living room.”

You let out a tense breath. “I’ll admit, this is creepier than I thought it would be.”

Marcus laughs softly. “Tell me about it. I don’t even like scary movies.”

It’s reassuring, at least, to have Marcus’s powers on your side. You tell yourself firmly that nothing bad can happen with him around, and it mostly quiets the part of your brain dwelling on every zombie movie you’ve ever seen. Mostly.

You set to searching the room. You pull off dust covers and lift cushions, but all you get for your troubles are grimy hands and some disgruntled spiders. 

The next room is more of the same, only there’s even less to search. The open space contains little more than an ornate fireplace and a bar built into one end of the room. You stand in the center and spin slowly, your hands on your hips. “Are we missing something?”

“It’s here.” Marcus is standing at a section of wall blank except for squares of wood molding. 

“Huh?”

He reaches up and pushes a small section of the molding. It clicks, and the whole portion of wall slides sideways like a door. 

“Whoa!” You hurry over, the solid blackness of the opening sucking up your headlamp’s beam until you get closer.

“A servants’ kitchen, maybe,” Marcus says. “I’ve been doing some research on the history of this house, and other houses from the same period.”

The disused kitchen is barely the size of a closet and smells faintly of mildew. You follow Marcus, your mind turning. “A big old house like this…it’s got to have like, secret passages, right? Real ones, I mean, not just servant shortcuts like this.”

Marcus’s face wears a thoughtful grimace. “More likely than not. I already found one in the central dining room.”

“Wait, you have?” This is the first you’ve heard of it.

“It wasn’t anything dramatic. Just a passage to the kitchen, a shortcut for staff. The housekeeper was still showing us around when I found it, so she told us. She didn’t look too happy about it thought…I bet she knows where they all are.” Marcus trails off in thought.

“Shouldn’t you be able to sense them?” you ask.

“Well…yes and no.” Marcus looks vaguely uncomfortable. “House walls have metal in them anyway- all the nails and whatnot- and sometimes construction companies do weird things, so it can be tricky to sense when there’s metal out of place. That goes double for old places like this, where all sorts of random stuff has been stuck in the walls over the years. I tried pulling on something the very first day and nearly brought down that massive portrait over the fireplace- you know the one of the guy with the-” he makes a gesture near his face. “Turns out I was pulling on some convoluted hanging system.”

Marcus rolls his eyes, eloquently expressing his frustration with the entire situation. You wonder if the blueprints to house are accessible somewhere. They’d be in the city planning archives, surely…

As you step back through the doorway, you hear a click. The sliding door rumbles toward you with surprising speed, and you freeze for a split second before your muscles tense to leap out of the way-

But before you can, a strong grip encircles your wrist, and you’re yanked back and held tight against a wide, solid mass. The mass is warm, and expanding and deflating rapidly, and nearly crushing you to it with the steel strength of his arms. 

The door thuds closed with a force that makes you flinch. The thin beams of your headlamps seem insubstantial against the sudden near-complete darkness. 

You twist your neck to look at Marcus, your eyes wide with surprise. He does the same to look at you. His hold and the angle of your heads puts your faces only inches apart- far closer than either of you anticipated. 

He releases you immediately, taking a step back for good measure. “Sorry. It was a reflex.” One hand comes up to rub the back of his neck.

The warmth of him still clings to you. “I do have several years on the force under my belt,” you point out mildly. You reach out and squeeze his arm. “But thank you.”

You turn back to the door. The flat, featureless door that looked remarkably wall-like again. 

“Um,” you say. “Can you get us out?”

Marcus chuckles. “Now that I know it’s there…” There’s a click and a rumble, and the wall slides aside again. “Yes.”

Gray light pours in, so dark before but like sunlight after being trapped in the windowless kitchen. You breathe deeply of the air in the open room.

“I think that’s enough for tonight.”

Thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist

[sunflowerdroplet]

Paging Doctor Duck

(just a fic from my ao3 account)

*Paging Doctor Duck. Paging Doctor Duck*

The cup of hot coffee that had been rising to his lips halted when Doctor Donald Duck heard his name being called on the intercom. He sighed heavily and placed the paper cup back onto the breakroom table, rubbing at his throbbing temples.

“What now?” Donald asked out loud as he stared up at the ceiling. He had just sat down to take a much needed break after dealing with fifteen separate patients.

“Oh, there you are Doctor Donald!”

The duck turned to see Nurse Clarabelle walk into the breakroom, a metal clipboard in her hand. “Yes, nurse. What do you need?”

“Just wanted to give you a heads up that one of your favorite patients is here in room #224.” The cow smiled smugly at the expression on her co-worker’s face.

Donald sighed again at the news. “Favorite patients”. More like a pain in his tail feathers! “Which one is it?”

“I’ll let you see for yourself,” the nurse said with laugh before handing him the clipboard. “Best get to it.”

“Gee, thanks,” the mallard muttered. He pulled a bottle of aspirin out of his coat pocket and popped two of them before washing them down with his scalding hot coffee. It burned on the way down, but the pain helped wake him up. “Let’s get this over with.”

OoOoO

“Hola, Doctor Donal’!”

Donald felt his eye twitch when he walked into the room to see a familiar looking rooster laid up in one of the hospital beds. He looked a little loopy as he waved clumsily at the waterfowl, his words switching from English to Spanish that made it difficult for Donald to follow. The nurses must’ve given him morphine already. “Panchito Romero Miguel Junipero Francisco Quintero González III, what brings you in today?” he asked dryly.

The rooster smiled sheepishly and gestured clumsily to his leg. “I hurt my leg again, amigo~.”

“Of course,” Donald mumbled. He stepped towards the injured leg, gently poking and prodding while watching his patient’s reactions. “Hmm. Nothing feels broken, might just be a light sprain or…”

“Maybe we should take him to radiology to get X-rayed,” suggested Clarabelle.

“No need,” Donald replied, grabbing Panchito’s leg and yanking hard.

There was a loud pop and an even louder yowl from the rooster. “Ay caramba!”

“Doctor Donald!” cried the cow nurse, her tone scolding. “What do you think you’re…?!”

“Hey! My leg! My leg feels so much better, amigo!” Panchito exclaimed, moving his leg almost effortlessly. “Muchas gracias, Doctor Donal’!”

“If you really want to thank me, you’ll stop getting injured so much,” groused the duck. Grabbing his notepad, he scribbled a prescription for pain medication for the cowboy to take. “Keep that leg elevated and ice it properly. Also, no hard work until you’re fully recovered. Remember, you’re no spring chicken!”

“Of course I am no spring chicken. I was born in the summer!”

“You know what I meant! And would you please stop leaving your horse in the waiting room?! He keeps eating all of the refreshments!”

“But Señor Martinez is family! Where else would I leave him?”

OoOoO

It was lunchtime and Donald thought the worst part of his day was over once he was finished with Panchito, but he was proven wrong when Nurse Minnie came by and alerted him of his next patient.

“Hey Doctor Donald, you’ve got José Carioca waiting for you in room #230.”

“What?! He’s here, too?!” groaned Donald. He hadn’t even had the chance to eat lunch yet. “Please tell me he’s the only one in the room this time!” he begged.

“I wish I could, Doctor,” Minnie said apologetically.

“Ugh.”

Setting his lunch aside, he followed the mouse nurse to his next patient’s assigned room. Already the two medical workers could hear a commotion coming from the room and mentally braced themselves for what lay on the other side of the door.

“Aw, poor José!”

“How could something like this happen to you, José?”

“Would you like to stay at my place while you recover, José?”

“Wow. There’s even more girls than last time,” said Minnie.

“Somehow, I’m not surprised,” replied Donald.

The duo managed to push past the crowd of females to make it to the patient’s bed. There, they spotted a green parrot sitting comfortably amongst the pillows, soaking up the attention of his fangirls. He smiled brightly when he noticed his medical caretakers.

“Ah Doutor Donaldo! Enfermeira Minnie! So good to see you again!”

“It’s good to see you as well, José,” replied the mouse in her usual cheerful and polite way.

“Is it?” asked the duck dryly.

“Oh! Well…maybe not in a hospital setting…”

“So, how’d you end up with a head injury, Mr. José?” asked Donald as he looked at his patient’s chart.

“Well, you see, Doutor, there was this not-so-friendly gentleman at the club where I work at and—"

“It was all her fault!” interrupted one of the women, pointing to the blonde female. “If it hadn’t been for her and her crazy boyfriend then--!”

“My boyfriend?! Wasn’t it your boyfriend who got poor José injured last time?!”

“Why you…!”

“Uh-oh, Doctor Donald! I think we might have another fight on our hands!” shouted Minnie, worriedly remembering what happened last time the performing parrot was here.

“I haven’t taken enough aspirin to deal with a repeat of that!” the duck grumbled back. “All right, ladies, I’m gonna have to ask all of you to leave so I can deal with my patient!” announced Donald impatiently.

“But we want to stay with José!” chorused the girls.

“I SAID LEAVE! WAAAKKK!!”

In an instant, the room was vacated by the females, restoring peace and order to the hospital room.

“That might lose us some stars on our hospitality rating,” warned Minnie.

“Aw phooey! They should know better than to be making a ruckus at a hospital!” Donald retorted, beyond caring at the moment. He turned his attention back to the green feathered bird. “So, about your injury…”

“Hehe right. Um…so as Cindy was saying, her boyfriend wasn’t too thrilled about me flirting with her and he sort of bashed me over the head with a chair.”

“So, the same as last time?” asked Donald whilst he checked José’s reflexes.

“No, no, no. Last time, I was beaten with a trumpet!”

“Maybe it might be in your best interest if you didn’t flirt with already taken girls,” Minnie advised.

“But Enfermeira Minnie, the mulheres flirt with me first! How am I supposed to know if they already have boyfriends? Big…strong…trumpet and chair wielding boyfriends…”

“Maybe you’d have a better chance at running from them if you didn’t smoke so much,” the waterfowl said as he checked the parrot’s pupils. “Did you cut back on the cigars like I asked?”

“O sim, sim! These past few weeks I only smoked two cigars per day!”

“Only two?”

“Okay, maybe two and a half. Three at the most if I’m stressed.”

“Right,” said Donald as he scribbled something down on his notepad. “Well, it looks like you have a mild concussion. A few days rest should fix you right up.”

“A few days rest consisting of…?”

“No working, no partying, no bright lights, no loud music, no fangirls, and NO SMOKING!”

OoOoO

“Hi Doctor Donald.”

“I haven’t eaten lunch yet!” Donald squawked angrily before realizing who it was. “Whoops, sorry Doctor Roxanne.”

The young, redheaded doctor waved it off with a smile. “It’s okay. Great work today.”

“Thanks, you too.”

Donald took several quick bites of his sandwich, not sure if or when he would be called to deal with another patient. He had already taken two more pills for his headache after being scolded by Clarabelle, Minnie, and the hospital director for his less-than-stellar bedside manner. Taking a quick look at the clock hanging on the breakroom wall, he groaned when he saw he had two hours until the end of his shift. The longest two hours of any work shift.

“So, I heard your favorite patients came in today,” started Roxanne, taking a seat across from her colleague with a cup of tea.

“Of course, they did,” grumbled the male. “It’s almost like they have sixth sense to know when to show up here and pester me.”

Roxanne giggled at that. “I think they just like visiting their favorite doctor. They know you’ll take good care of them no matter what.”

“…If they liked me that much then they wouldn’t get hurt all the time.”

“Hey, some people can’t help how accident-prone they are. You of all people should understand that.”

“Well, you got me there.” He polished off the rest of his sandwich and washed it down with his fourth cup of coffee as he thought about the southern birds. It wasn’t as if he disliked them, but rather their antics and their propensity to tease. ‘Sometimes, I think they like seeing me mad…’

“Oh! I have an idea! What if we switch patients and I could handle José and Panchito’s next visits while you take two of mine.”

“Huh. That sounds like a great idea!” After all, the two doctors traded patients all of the time. Whenever dealing with a young child or an elderly person who required a lot of patience that he didn’t have, Donald would call on Roxanne. And when the female doctor had rougher patients that needed to be forcibly told that they had no chance with her, Roxanne called on Donald. Without a doubt, the Mexican and Brazilian birds would adore Roxanne, as did everyone else. She was smart, sweet, considerate, patient, and cute-as-a-button.

Everything Donald was not.

“Thanks, Pop-rocks.”

Roxanne giggled affectionately at the nickname. “No problem, Doctor D. I’m always worried your stress levels will land you in here as a patient instead of a doctor!”

END CHAPTER

[todayisyourturntolose]

Share pdude hcs??? 😈

ok soooo. idk if you mean one pdude in particular sooo imma do the basic ones! (p1,p2,p3,p4)

good lord it has been forever since ive been able to write down my hcs for these sillies, and i have a whole bunch so i'll put it under le cut :)

p1

-well versed in ASL, uses it in overwhelming situations

-sunglasses double as prescription lenses (i give this hc to basically all of the other dudes, but i think p1 would need glasses more than any of them)

-probably the smartest of the other dudes. essentially a polymath. if you ask him a question about almost anything, he'd probably give you a reasonable answer

-surprisingly good at drawing. does better with drawing portraits rather than full body. has a very scratchy and rough looking art style

-(technically canon bcuz of like, the war journal) writes in a journal (essentially a diary, but he'd rather die than call it that), mainly writes about his emotions and internal struggles, but sometimes writes about the other dudes and his experiences with them

-cannot go to sleep in silence. he's gotta have music on or some sort of background noise or else his mind starts to wander

p2

-physically can't stay in one place without moving. whether it be rocking in place, tapping his foot, or shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he's always making some sort of movement.

-actually pretty friendly to those around him. he just has a pretty short temper, getting easily agitated by things (or people) around him

-besides p1, probably the skinniest of all the dudes. mans is all bones compared to say p4 or p3

-champ is his emotional support animal. he's been through a lot, and champ is basically his only refresher from the hell he lives in

-strangely flexible...can slip through fairly small cracks and corners easily

-has a LOT of vocal stims. this mf meows whenever he sees a cat. he makes random noises to himself. he repeats things that he hears others say

p3

-got a surprisingly good amount of muscle on him. goes to the gym pretty often. definitely flexes whenever he gets the chance

-slight southern accent. very noticeable when he gets angry or when he talks fast. if you point it out to him, he'd probably get really embarrassed

-average r&b enjoyer. out of the blue, p1 once asked who luther vandross was, to which p3 gave an almost hour long lecture about the importance of r&b and why it's one of the best genres to date, why old r&b is miles better than new r&b, quizzing p1 on different artists, etc

-also an unironic country music enjoyer. he begs and pleads the other dudes to let him play just a little bit of johnny cash whenever he's offered the aux cord. maybe a bit of dolly parton. hell, probably some shania twain, if he's feeling bold.

-a fairly good singer. he's no freddie mercury, but to say he's horrible would be an overstatement. knows what songs are in his range, and which ones aren't. isn't really one to sing out loud in front of a lot of people, though. (one time, he sang to p1 in an attempt to calm him down during one of his moments. it worked, surprisingly :0)

p4

-one of the happiest dudes. at this point in his life, he's not nearly as violent as the others (he still has his moments, of course, but he's not one to just spontaneously go ham) and just sorta accepts things as they are

-a genre GOD. this man listens to pretty much everything. his favorite genres are funk, nu-metal (or metal in general), pop, and r&b (he and p3 bond over their fav artists)

-while champ is basically an emotional support animal to p2, to p4, champ is more of a service dog. he's getting older, which means he isn't able to do things as easily as he used to, so champ is there to fetch things for him and in general, just help him with daily tasks

-very confident with who he is. he isn't embarrassed by the things he does. he takes pride in being different.

-doesn't give himself labels when it comes to sexuality or gender. it's not that he's against it, he just prefers the idea of being unlabeled. (though, i personally hc him as being pansexual and transmasc. you go grandpa.)

-DAD BOD. a fair bita muscle, though. he's pretty strong compared to the other dudes.

-has an array of random talents. one day he'll just start juggling randomly and be like "oh, this? yeah, i picked it up a few years ago. nothing to write home about, to be honest."

--

aaaaand that's all! sorry if it's a lot, i just rlly have a lot to say abt these goobers (and even more to say abt the dudes i didn't include!)

[jyuna22]

How to take care of a fox

Characters: Collei, Cyno, Tighnari

Pairing: Cyno x Tighnari

Summary: Tighnari is sick, so Collei and Cyno take care of him.

Collei was happy to reach home because she was completely exhausted. The patrol had been harder than she had expected, but she would be caught dead before admitting that in front of Tighnari. It had been a long road for her Master to finally start trusting her and her abilities for that kind of tasks, and she didn't want him to have second thoughts. She was tired, yes, but she also had never felt so self-satisfied. She couldn't wait to get home and write to Amber explaining all her adventures. Not before some well-deserved warm meal and rest first, of course.

She was about to open the door's house when she heard a loud thump coming from inside. Worried that something might have happened, she rushed in, and she saw Tighnari laying on the floor, and Cyno next to him, no reaction on his face. If someone who didn't know them had found them like this, they would have thought Cyno had just brought justice upon Tighnari and killed him. But Collei knew the pair quite well after all those years and the possibility of murder did not even cross her mind.

"Cyno! What happened?"

When he heard her, Cyno finally reacted. He looked at her, then at Tighnari, and finally at her again. Okay, saying that he had reacted maybe was an overstatement, but Collei was so used to his way of behaving that she just went to Tighnari and examined him.

"He is burning up! That might be the reason why he fainted."

"What do we do now?" Cyno asked, finally managing to utter some words.

"For the moment let's just move him to his bed so he can be comfortable, we can't leave him here on the floor."

Collei was already grabbing one of Tighnari's arms to put it around her shoulders, signaling the other one to Cyno so he could do the same and carry him together. But Cyno just ignored her and took Tighnari in his arms on his own, the same way he would carry a princess and went straight to bed. Collei shrugged, bemused, and followed him.

After leaving Tighnari on his bed, Cyno went back to not knowing what to do, so Collei just took charge and started giving orders to him. They needed clothes and cold water to try to get the fever down. Cyno went to fetch all those things while she took Tighnari's shoes off. It was too heavy for her to remove his clothes by herself, so this would have to do for the moment. They had to focus on getting the fever down first.

When Cyno came back with everything, Collei got the cloth wet and started rubbing it on her Master's forehead, while the other man just stared at them, not saying anything.

After a while, it looked like they had managed to estabilize the fever, but since it was not going down Collei figured they should use some medicine. She knew Tighnari was not too keen on her managing all the prescriptions on her own, but they had no choice. He would not get any better at this rate, and though the thought of preparing some medicine for the first time without any help made her anxious, she was determined to succeed. So she just told Cyno to keep refreshing Tighnari's forehead on her place, and she would be back in a while.

"Wait, wait, where are you going?"

"Don't worry, I will be next door, I'm just going to prepare some medicine for him. I think that's going to be the best right now."

Cyno was looking so completely lost, as if he was not comprehending her words, that Collei felt pity for him.

"Relax, you just need to keep doing what I was doing, it's not complicated."

"What if something happens while you are gone and he gets worse or something?"

"You can always call for me? But really, don't overthink it, you just need to stay and take care of him, that's all."

"I don't know how to take care of a fox!"

"Calm down, it's not a fox, it's just Tighnari!"

Collei just forced him down on the bed, put the cloth in his hand and made the movement with him.

"See? Easy-peasy." She waited for him to say "lemon-squeezy" in return, as he always did, but it never came. His level of nervousness was so high that he was not able to make puns, so she just had to give up on that.

"Okay, you're doing great. Be right back!".

And she just left before Cyno could say anything more.

While Collei was away, Cyno kept doing what he had been told. He couldn't stop watching Tighnari, who was writhing and moaning from time to time. He just wished to be able to help him to be back on his feet as soon as possible, but the truth was he had no idea how to do that, and that made him feel completely useless and frustrated.

When Collei returned after a while, Cyno got up quickly and reached for what Collei was carrying, willing to help. But apparently his nerves were not yet as steady as always, because he dropped one of the bottles on the floor. It broke and he looked as if he could start crying at any moment. Collei calmed him down and explained that luckily that one was just an extra she had taken just in case, but Cyno didn't feel reassured by that. He was feeling more and more worthless every passing minute.

Collei finished preparing the blended medicine and she made Tighnari drink it under Cyno's attentive look. The medicine was supposed to work in a couple of hours but meanwhile, to ensure his fever would go down, she had taken an ointment to rub on his chest.

"Cyno, could you please help me take his coat off? That way we can spread this on his skin."

Cyno rushed there, but he was so eager to help that when he was trying to sit Tighnari up, he slipped from his arms and fell onto the floor. When he heard the loud thump Cyno looked like he would faint at any minute. Collei tried to reassure him, but that only made him feel worse. Collei didn't know whether to laugh or cry seeing him, the General Mahamatra, so defenseless.

A couple of hours later, after the medicine started working, Tighnari finally regained consciousness. He was still feeling a bit lost when Collei throw her arms around him in a tight hug, relieved to see that he was fine. Cyno just looked at them from a distance, nodding to Tighnari, and then left.

"Master! I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Hey, Collei. What happened?"

"You fainted!"

After explaining everything, Tighnari congratulated her for her decision-making. Collei felt quite pleased with herself, although she couldn't avoid letting a sigh of relief after all the tension of the last hours.

"Sorry, did I worry you a lot?"

"It's okay, Master. I knew that you would be fine eventually, so I tried to focus on the things I could do to help you. Cyno, on the other hand..."

Tighanri listened attentively everything that had happened since he had fainted. He was very proud of Collei, but he couldn't believe what she was telling him about Cyno. The cold, impassible General dropping stuff and not knowing what to do? It did not sound like him at all.

After some time Cyno returned, asking if they wanted him to fetch something to eat. Tighnari's stomach rumbled at the mention of food, so Collei laughed and said she would do it. Cyno could watch Tighnari for a while in the meantime, she had a feeling they needed some time alone after all that had happened.

Cyno just sat there saying nothing, as usual, so Tighnari just took the chance to speak.

"Collei says you were worried."

"Nothing of sorts."

And even though he said that, he kept avoiding looking directly at him, so Tighnari knew it was actually truer than he let on.

"Anyways, thanks for your concern." Tighnari reached to grab his hand. Cyno looked at him sideways and Tighnari smiled while he squeezed his hand. He knew he would not get much more from Cyno, but it was okay with him. They knew each other enough to interpret any little signs of affection that could be invisible to other people.

When Collei returned with the food they ate all together around Tighnari's bed. The ranger looked warmly at them, eating and talking about different things, and he smiled to himself. He was not too keen on people having to take care of him, he preferred being the one doing the caring, but these two were definitely the exception. It was his dear family after all. 

[honted]

I hope it’s okay I send an ask asking more detail about what’s happening with your eyes and what kind of treatment your getting. I really hope things work out as your treatment goes on 🫂 I’m a visually impaired person and I also suffer from extreme light sensitivity; my eyes get worse every year, considerably so.

If you don’t mind bending my ear, I’d love to hear more about what you’re going through. Struggling with vision is extremely frightening.

(And if not that’s totally okay!!! I understand not wanting to talk to a stranger too deeply about something so personal!!!)

of course 💕 a mixture of genetics and chemotherapy have caused me to develop a limbal stem cell deficiency in my corneas. that means they're scarring faster than they're healing and those scars are stacking on top of each other, causing my corneas to be rough and irregular.

your corneas get little micro scratches just by virtue of having eyes in a world full of particulates. and having hands.

putting the rest under a read more because it turns out i had a lot to say ↓

your problem may be something similar. my suggestion would be to see a opthalmologist, stop wearing soft contacts if you can, and go hard on artificial tears. preservative free if you're using them more than 3 times a day.

i do not think you'll need to do everything i talk about below if yours is taking years. mine deteriorated like they did within a few months. i had 3 different glasses prescriptions from november to june and then my eyes stopped being able to focus with glasses at all. this isn't to say your experience isn't just completely awful to have to go through, moreso that you have hope 🤲

for the past month or so i've been using 2 different kinds of preservative free eye drops (Systane Ultra PF and Refresh Celluvisc gel, which require me to buy boxes of single use vials for both) 4 times a day each (8 times a day total), but in these last 2 weeks i've been on gel eye drops 3-4 times a day + antibiotic drops 4 times a day + antibiotic ointment at night.

my next steps are to move on to an eye drop brand called miebo, which can be bought OTC in Europe but only just got FDA-approved here in the US and requires a prescription. and is like $760 without insurance. after that, they want me to look into scleral hard contacts which will both improve my vision and create a pocket of fluid over my corneas. these require getting fitted and the soonest they could get me in was late january they also cost like $1000~ per lense and i have 2 eyes but whatevor 🙈

[analiavs]

Follow Up Appointment

CW drugging

Harper x Bailey

His machinations have been going a little to well, but Dr. Harper finds someone new to ruin.

He’d thought it a wonderful experiment at first, but now his liaisons were cutting into his time with his patients. He’d tried to wean them off of him but that only made them all the more fervent.

Remy had tied him down in a bullpen and rode him till he passed out, Briar had od’ed and forced him to fuck him on even more drugs, and worst of all Quinn wanted him to be an active parent in their tentacle spawns lives. There was only so much mileage his dick could handle. He was getting ready to follow up on his current pet project’s latest hypnotherapy session when his phone started ringing off the hook.

He took one glance at his notifications and hung his head in his hands. He couldn’t go on like this. He sent Remy a dick pic, Briar a picture of his next prescription, and a quick voice message to his… children before rushing to his appointment.

At the end of the night with Quinn sleeping on his chest he tried to think of an exit strategy. Usually he would of asked the whispers for advice, but they’d been enthused with the notion of the spawn growing up in a two parent household.

There had to be someone that could give him advice. A person enmeshed in the underworld bacchanalia yet personally disconnected from participating. Who knew his partners on a personal level, but wasn’t friendly enough to go blabbing their mouth…

Some chloroform and sedative later he had Bailey chained to a bed in the hospital’s basement. It was almost too easy… maybe the top dogs were getting complacent.

Bailey woke up screeching and struggling like a feral dogboy so he was glad he’d used the premium cuffs.

“Now, calm down. I just need some advice.”when his words had no effect he injected Bailey with a mild sedative. Not long after Bailey was staring up at the ceiling with a glazed over look.

“There, that’s better.” He petted Bailey’s cheek. Though slack he could start to see the appeal.

“You know, you kinda have dilfy vibes. If I were a milkman and you were a lonely housewife. I’d be all over you. HA HA ha… you are a single parent when I think about it. Perhaps just a little taste. Nothing untoward of course… just a taste.” Bailey’s face was still slack as he leaned in and pressed their lips together.

He tasted coffee and a little sweetness. A normal taste especially compared to his other partners; there was no hint of milk, no touch of alcohol, no cum, or slime. Maybe Bailey could be his subject, just for a week or so. To refresh his perspective on his partners.

[munsons-maiden]

Hi there again Kiki! So I have decided to get LASIK done, my apt is for 12/21. Are there any do's or don'ts that you wish you had knew about beforehand, as far as what to do to prepare before and what not to do after the procedure?

Thanks for all the help, Alex

Hi love! Aaahh I'm so happy for you! It really changed my life, as overly dramatic as it sounds 😅 The only thing I can think of is that all the doctors told me it wouldn't hurt AT ALL afterwards and that was a lie. The first three to four hours were horrible, and you should be aware of that because you should definitely ask them to refresh the local anaesthesia in your eyes before you head home to make it a little more bearable, BUT it stops after those few hours, and not a slow stop but like a light-switch being flipped so I promise the pain is very short-lived and it's so, so worth it! 🖤 I think it's best to make sure someone accompanies you and keeps you company in the hours after the surgery - you'll sleep through most of the rest of the day, I think, because the sedatives you'll get to calm you down will make you high as a kite but personally it really helped me to know someone was there. And one last important thing: you'll have to use a lot of different kinds of drops for your eyes, and I didn't get them from the people who did the LASIK but I needed to buy them from a pharmacy, and they were out of stock everywhere nearby so my husband drove an hour to the one pharmacy that had the medicine, and you HAVE to start taking the medicine as soon as you get home to prevent inflammation so that was stressful; I recommend you ask whether they will give you all the medicine you'll need or whether you need to get them yourself and if so, if you can get the prescriptions beforehand so you can order them in advance.

I'd love to hear updates, and good luck!! 🖤

[trashcandroid]

another october 13, another year on T (3 total now!). but this one’s special since it’s a super spooky FRIDAY october 13. more random stuff about it under the cut

part of the reason i chose october 13 to start T is because it was soon after i got my prescription, it would be a tuesday (thought it would be funny to have T days be on Tuesdays) , and because at some point it would be a super spoopy friday october 13. i looked up when it would be a friday and saw it would be in THREE WHOLE YEARS. i would have graduated college by then! and then… who knows what i would be doing??

turns out i’m doing even more school for the next probably five or six years. it’s refreshing to only be around people who really just see you as A Guy. i don’t think they even suspect i’m trans (or most of them anyway) since i’ve had quite a few conversations where they definitely would have asked if they thought so. a few of them i remember off the top of my head:

someone was asking if people had partners and i said yes (…i mean, i sorta do, don’t really wanna get into it here lol). she asked me if they were a boy or a girl and i said neither. she then kept trying to find out what they were really and seemed to be a little disappointed when i wouldn’t tell her. (to be fair, she was pretty drunk and actually passed out later that night… but that also means she totally would have asked me if i was trans if she thought so)

this same person also asked me earlier if i was bi (for some reason she was asking everyone that), then when i said no she asked if i was straight (no) or gay (no). this led to me telling another guy that i was ace and aro, and he asked a bunch of weird questions about it lol (i gave him permission to since i was wondering what questions you would even have about that, seems straight forward to me??). but no questions about being trans

oh yeah, this same guy showed my openly trans friend who was visiting some trans memes he had saved (his gf is trans). but he didn’t show them to me 🤨

ok one last one. another guy was talking about how he was thinking about joining an lgbt group here, but had felt kind of left out and different at the one he went to before. i said i felt the same (true). he got happy that i could relate and said, in a relatable tone, “yeah, they’re mostly trans and non-binary people there so i didn’t really fit in!” i hope i didn’t mislead him into thinking i was gay lol

i also joined an ace aro group which has been pretty chill. at least half the people there are non-binary and i have no idea if they think i’m trans or not. i’m guessing no..? or they’re being decent and not just asking

i never thought i’d be stealth but it’s actually so nice being around people who don’t give your gender a second thought. i did experience that in my band and in my last two years of college (well, stuff happened at the end of my third year that made me freak out for all of my senior year… which you can read about in the previous one of these lol) but the anxiety that everyone is just being nice has always been in the back of my mind. but all these small interactions seem to indicate that these people just genuinely think i’m a regular guy

ANYWAY. IN OTHER NEWS. since i have student insurance that covers 100% of the cost of medical transition stuff, i decided i could finally pursue top surgery! i already have the consult scheduled for early next year, and if the timeline is similar to what they said on the phone, i could have it done by the end of next semester! possibly even before my birthday? but depending on the available dates i might postpone til after finals. (on the plus side, those should really be the final finals i’ll ever have to take.)

i also got my passport updated with the correct name and gender marker. now i just need to update my birth certificate and that’ll be everything

despite lots of other shitty things going on in my life right now, i actually feel really positive about where things are going in terms of my transition. i can look at my face in the mirror and just see me. i can be around people who just see me. i don’t have to be around family members who mess up pronouns or awkwardly stumble around sentences to avoid using pronouns for me at all. i can just exist.

[fiction-is-passion]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅──╮

Hello again

I figured I'd do some alcohol safety guide for those that are turning 21 this year and I'd like to help you out and have the time of your life!

To prepare is to have pockets for your cards such as IDs to get in. Debit cards or cash on you. Make sure your phone is fully charged. Bring a tazer or pepper spray or any form of protecting.

The first thing is have a safe ride to a bar or club. Do not go if you have sensory issues or you are on any prescriptions that will mix with the alcohol. Be sure to find proper parking. Park in a safe spot away from alleyways where people can steal your car. If your in a big city. Make sure your friends also walk to your car too. Also, be sure to search for reviews on the bar. Avoid bars that house hate.

Next is to eat a big meal before drinking. Don't drink on an empty stomach. Trust me. Shit sucks. Drink a shit ton of water to before going out. That way your more sober and alert.

Thirdly is to dress to YOUR comfort level. Don't dress if you feel uncomfortable or even dysphoric. Dress in something casual and comfortable. Do not go to a bar or club if your friends are pushing you to dress a certain way that makes you uneasy, don't go.

Fourthly is to limit the round of shots if your driving, be sure to have water with you at your table with your friends. Do NOT I repeat! DO NOT LEAVE YOUR DRINK UNATTENDED! Please take it with you at all times including the bathroom. Have friends to watch your drink if needed.

If your asking for shots, these are the list of shots that you can get from the bartender if you don't know you can ask for:

Jack Daniel's

Hennessey

Jameson

Patrón

1800s

Moonshine

Captain Morgan Rum

Smirnoff vodka

Make sure you don't mix clear liquor with dark liquor, it'll be a wild time so just a fair warning.

Look up the prices of cocktails, find ones that are within your budget. If you need to put it on a tab, please do so. Put it on a friend's tab if they've asked. Don't put it on another person's tab without their concent.

For those are uncomfortable with the environment. Please blacklist it so other people don't go. If your friends agree with you and you communicate, you can go home or continue to party.

For after your done drinking. Go ahead and order a meal and drink water. You'd have less chances of getting a hangover. There should be places that are open after midnight so snag something good to eat.

If you still feel unsafe. Don't hesitate to carpool with someone instead. If you rather still ride with someone and they're sober. Then you can go. If they're not, sober them up or call an uber. Don't go with a stranger.

Be sure once you get home you've locked your doors or windows. Text your friends and tell them you've made it home safely. If you're still drunk, drink more water before bed. Because after crashing, you'd feel like a zombie in the morning.

If you've waken up with a headache. Take some medication, pain meds. Drink pickle juice if you have any. Look up other home remedies for hangovers and see what works for you.

✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧

Tips and a refresher:

Don't drink on weekdays, drink on weekends

Water is your friend

Eat protein. Keep your protein intake high

Greesy foods are your friends. They will help you stay full throughout the night.

Take shots then drink water after

Have one or two cocktails depending of you're staying till closing

If your afab/person with ovaries. You have the right to say no to a drink from a cisguy.

If you wanna wear pants instead of a dress, do so. Your wardrobe is your aesthetic.

Makeup is minimune. Because you won't have time to wash it off if your not sober enough.

Do not consume sugary alcoholic drinks! They will fuck you up more!

Don't take shots from people you don't know.

Keep pain meds and water on your nightstand just in case.

Keep track of what you brought. Don't bring so much stuff with you.

I guess that's it. Thanks for reading and good luck! 🍹🍸🍷🍾🍺🥃

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅──╯

[shiva9536]

ProNervium Supplements: A Nerve-Calming Oasis in My Busy Life

I've always considered myself a high-strung individual. Deadlines loomed like storm clouds, and even minor inconveniences could send my anxiety into overdrive. This constant state of tension started impacting my sleep and overall well-being. I knew I needed a change, but the idea of prescription medications left me uneasy. That's when I stumbled upon ProNervium Supplements through a health and wellness article.

Intriguing Ingredients and Natural Approach

What initially drew me to ProNervium was its focus on natural ingredients. The supplement boasts a blend of vitamins, minerals, and botanical extracts known for their nerve-nourishing properties. These included B vitamins for energy production, Ashwagandha for stress management, and Alpha-Lipoic Acid for nerve protection. Having some understanding of these natural ingredients instilled a sense of trust – I felt like I was giving my body the building blocks it needed to function optimally, not just masking symptoms.

A noticeable Shift in My Mood

After incorporating ProNervium into my daily routine for a few weeks, I started noticing a positive shift. The constant low-level hum of anxiety began to fade. I found myself approaching challenges with a calmer disposition. Don't get me wrong, deadlines still existed, but they no longer felt like insurmountable hurdles. My focus improved, allowing me to tackle tasks with greater efficiency. This newfound sense of calm also translated into better sleep. I was finally falling asleep easier and waking up feeling refreshed.

Finding Balance Without the Jitters

Perhaps the most significant benefit I've experienced is the lack of jitters or unwanted side effects. Unlike some anxiety medications I've heard about, ProNervium doesn't leave me feeling foggy or sluggish. In fact, the B vitamins seem to provide a gentle energy boost, allowing me to power through my day without the afternoon slump. It's a subtle difference, but it makes a world of difference in my productivity.

A Long-Term Solution for a Better Me

It's important to note that ProNervium isn't a magic bullet. There will still be stressful days, but I now have the tools to manage them effectively. The combination of improved sleep, a calmer outlook, and increased focus has had a ripple effect on my overall well-being. I'm more patient with myself and those around me. I'm also rediscovering the joy in simple things, thanks to a newfound sense of inner peace.

While I can't speak for everyone's experience, ProNervium has been a game-changer for me. If you're looking for a natural way to support your nervous system and reduce everyday stress, I highly recommend giving it a try. Remember, a calmer, more balanced you is just a capsule away.pen_sparktunesharemore_vert

[autumnmoonsurveys]

SUNDAY, JANUARY 28, 2024 3:08 PM

Do you have the right time set on your microwave?:

Yes.

Do you have any old newspaper articles? Why?:

Clipping of my daughter’s birth announcement, the report about my friend who died in a car accident (first time I experienced a death of a friend), and my father’s obituary. I also have the article about how my dad won the breast cancer charity fundraiser to sing with Chicago. It was cut out and framed in a neat musical frame. It belonged to him so I kept it.

Do you have a flat screen tv or just a regular box?:

All of our TVs are flat screens.

Do you have a radar detector for your car?:

No.

Have you ever been arrested? For what?:

No.

Do you know how to change the oil in your car?:

I’d need a refresher, but I have done that before.

Have you taken your shower yet?:

Nope.

Do you like Tootsie Rolls?:

Only the lime and vanilla Fruit Chews.

Do you have a printer? What kind?:

An all-in-one HP OfficeJet Pro.

Are you seeing anybody currently?:

I’m married.

Do you or have you ever smoked cigarettes?:

Yes.

Do you like it when it snows?:

I do.

Are your ears pierced?:

Yep, but I need to locate my earrings.

Where do you do most of your shopping?:

Probably Target, but it depends.

Who do you live with?:

My husband and our four kids.

What is your most expensive bill?:

Electricity.

Do you have a big yard?:

Yup.

Do you live in the country or the city?:

Country.

Do you sleep alone or with someone every night?:

Usually with my husband, but sometimes alone because our son likes to sleep with him and it’s too crowded for all three of us to sleep comfortably.

Did you have a treehouse as a child?:

I wished!

At what age did you obtain your driver license?:

Right away — 16½.

Do you look in the newspaper for coupons?:

No, I don’t pay for the newspaper.

Did you get a big tax refund from last year?:

LOL

Do you like Slim Jim’s?:

I love Slim Jim’s, although I don’t eat them often.

Is there someone you would love to punch right now?:

Not right now.

Did you grow up fast?:

On track, I’d say. I mean, as a young adult I grew up faster than my peers because I was pregnant at 18 and delivered my daughter at 19.

What are you favorite kind of chips?:

Lime Tostitos with salsa.

Have you taken any medicine recently? For what?:

I take prescription medication daily for underactive thyroid, high blood pressure, and anxiety.

What have you eaten today?:

Macaroni salad that was super sweet so I added celery salt to it, a slice of hot pepper cheese, and 3 blueberry BelVita breakfast biscuits (I gave the fourth to my son to try.)

Did you or are you going to wash your hair today?:

No.

Does the water in your shower take a long time to get warm?:

No.

Where did you go today?:

Just to the corner store.

Are you sleepy right now?:

Nah.

What color is your mousepad?:

Brown leather.

Should you be doing something else at the moment?:

Always, truly.

Do you like your neighbors?:

Yeah, sure.

Do you have bedroom shoes?:

I have Ariat Snuggle Appaloosa slippers that my husband got me for Christmas.

Do you get your eyebrows waxed?:

Yes, but it’s been almost an entire year! 😫 I use an electric eyebrow trimmer, but it’s not the same.

Has anyone given you flowers recently?:

No.

Do you work Monday thru Friday?:

Nope.

Is there anything you are looking forward to tomorrow?:

Sure, but nothing specific.

How many miles does your car have on it?:

Chevy has 120K+ and Dodge has 140K+.

Is your alarm clock set to radio or beep?:

I use my phone for my alarm and it’s just the default iPhone “radar” sound.

Do you like to go fishing?:

I do.

Has anyone you know been arrested recently?:

No.

Do you have more than 1 email address?:

I only use one.

Do you think you will have the same job 2 years from now?:

I will probably be working, but who knows.

Do you have central heating and air?:

No.

Do you speed while driving?:

Hardly.

Is there someplace you would rather be right now?:

Nah.

Did you build the computer you are using?:

I’m using my phone.

Do you have good computer speakers?:

🤷‍♀️ I suppose.

Are you waiting on anything at the moment?:

Not really.

Where is your favorite person?:

The Other Side.

Do you keep track of your debit purchases?:

Yeah.

Do you ever shop at Harris Teeter?

Never heard of it. Maybe I have, but there’s definitely not one close by and I don’t know what it is anyway.

Do you like to burn incense?:

No, just candles.

Are there any plants in your house?:

Only a bunch of artificial ones.

How long does it take you to get to work?:

N/A

[ruksarsblog]

What is your primary reason for visiting CVS stores?

Introduction

When it comes to visiting CVS stores, people have various motivations, making them an essential part of the community. From healthcare to convenience shopping, these stores offer a wide range of services that cater to different needs. In this article, we will explore the primary reasons why individuals visit CVS stores and how these establishments play a crucial role in our lives.

Health and Wellness

1. Pharmacy Services

One of the top reasons people flock to CVS stores is for their pharmacy services. CVS is renowned for its reliable and accessible prescription services. Many individuals visit CVS to get their regular medications or seek guidance from the pharmacists.

2. Vaccinations

In recent times, CVS has become a vaccination hub, offering flu shots, COVID-19 vaccinations, and various other immunizations. This has become an essential service in our ever-changing world, making CVS a primary destination for many.

3. Over-the-Counter Medications

CVS stores provide an extensive selection of over-the-counter medications and health products. Whether you need pain relievers, vitamins, or first-aid supplies, CVS has it all.

Convenience Shopping

4. Household Essentials

CVS is not just about health; it's also about convenience. Shoppers frequently visit CVS to grab household essentials like toiletries, cleaning products, and groceries.

5. Personal Care Products

CVS offers a wide array of personal care products, from cosmetics to skincare. It's a one-stop shop for anyone looking to pamper themselves or enhance their beauty routine.

6. Snacks and Beverages

For those in need of a quick snack or a refreshing drink, CVS's shelves are always stocked with a variety of options, making it a convenient pit stop.

Photo Services

7. Printing and Photo Development

Many CVS stores offer printing services and photo development, allowing customers to bring their digital memories to life. This is a significant draw for those wanting to preserve their cherished moments.

Accessibility and Location

8. Proximity

CVS stores are often strategically located, making them easily accessible for many. Their presence in urban and suburban areas means people can easily pop in for their needs.

9. Extended Hours

CVS is known for its extended operating hours, with many stores open 24/7. This is a game-changer for people who require items at odd hours.

Rewards and Loyalty Programs

10. ExtraCare

CVS's ExtraCare program rewards loyal customers with discounts, cashback, and exclusive deals. This incentivizes people to visit CVS regularly.

Beauty Consultations

11. Beauty Experts

CVS offers beauty consultations by experts, helping customers choose the right products for their skincare and makeup needs.

Convenience Clinics

12. MinuteClinic

CVS's MinuteClinic is a lifesaver for minor medical issues. With qualified healthcare professionals, it's a popular choice for non-emergency healthcare needs.

COVID-19 Testing

13. Testing Centers

Throughout the pandemic, CVS has played a significant role in providing COVID-19 testing services, attracting many individuals concerned about their health and safety.

Variety of Products

14. Diverse Product Range

CVS stores are known for their wide selection of products. Whether you need beauty products, prescription drugs, or a quick snack, CVS has it all under one roof.

Community Engagement

15. Involvement

CVS is often involved in local communities through various initiatives, which draws people who want to support a company that cares.

Conclusion

In conclusion, CVS stores serve as multifaceted establishments that cater to a wide array of needs. Whether you're looking for healthcare services, convenience shopping, beauty advice, or community engagement, CVS has you covered. Its accessibility, rewards programs, and varied offerings make it a go-to destination for many.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is CVS only for healthcare products?

No, CVS offers a diverse range of products, including household essentials, personal care items, snacks, and beauty products.

2. Are CVS pharmacies open 24/7?

Many CVS pharmacies are open 24/7, providing round-the-clock access to prescription services.

3. What is CVS's ExtraCare program?

ExtraCare is CVS's loyalty program that offers discounts, cashback, and exclusive deals to its members.

4. Can I get a COVID-19 test at CVS?

Yes, many CVS stores offer COVID-19 testing services.

5. How is CVS involved in the community?

CVS is involved in the community through various initiatives, supporting local causes and organizations.

[comensoli]

What You Need To Know Before Ordering Sleeping Tablets Online

Your GP may prescribe sleeping tablets to aid you in sleeping. They include zolpidem (Ambien, Edluar, Intermezzo) and the extended-release Zolpidem tablet, which is known as Ambien CR.

They are typically utilized for treatment options that are short-term and shouldn't be used along with opioids as they may cause serious side effects. The drugs alter brain chemical pathways that can aid people fall asleep.

Cost

The most effective way to rest comfortably and at a low cost is to buy pregabalin for sale UK. Online pharmacies offer many different products and are generally safe. It is essential to choose a reputable pharmacy, and stay clear of any that do not provide an address for the street or a phone number. There is a chance that you could be at risk for counterfeit drugs, harmful ingredients or expired medicines if you buy at a website that's not licensed.

Most doctors are reluctant to prescribe sleeping pills for prolonged time periods due to the fact that they fail to treat the root cause of insomnia. They can cause a variety of undesirable adverse effects such as dependence and over-drowsiness that can occur in the morning (see the article Sleeping Tablets or Insomnia). Most doctors advocate non-medicative methods such as CBT-I. It's a kind of talk therapy which helps you alter your thoughts and behaviors which contribute to insomnia.

Most sleep disorders are result of a mix of both psychological and physical causes. Certain medications alter the'sleep pathways' within the brain, making people feel relaxed. Others work on the 'wake pathways' and make you feel more awake.

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The majority of sleeping pills function to make certain pathways of the brain more than active (sleep pathways) as well as less active (wake pathways). They start to take effect around 20-30 minutes after taking them, which is why they need to be taken before bedtime. Many people can't get to sleep with no sleeping pills, but prolonged consumption can result in addiction and dependency. The sedative effects of most sleeping tablets may make you drowsy and slow your reaction times. It is extremely risky when you combine sleeping tablets with alcohol or any other substances that alter your reactions, such as some medications for depression and pain relief. You are able to buy sleeping pills next day delivery from Uksleeptablets if you wish.

The long-term effects of insomnia are due to a variety of variables and methods that do not require medication generally work better in this type of problem than drugs. But for the case of acute (short term) insomnia, medicines such as Zopiclone can be beneficial and are easily available through the internet. Hospital experts from London caution against using sites like these may be hazardous for your health.

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It is possible to sleep for longer periods of time with a prescription sleeping pill such as Zolpidem Extended-Release Capsule. The pill will release small amounts of the active ingredient throughout the night to ensure that you get enough sleep to wake up refreshed. However, it is important to remember that prescription sleep pills are only recommended by a doctor if adequate sleep hygiene and CBT-I (a form of talk therapy) have been unsuccessful. This is because the drugs can have side effects and become less effective over time. They also can interact with certain medicines and medical conditions It is therefore essential that you follow the guidelines in the package with care.