Text
.
#🤦♂️#welp#got off the phone w the vet and my dog needs to be on yet another medication#she's developed hypothyroidism which is making her health worse#And her liver enzymes r too high#so we can add that to the list that also includes:#moderate to severe heart murmur#high blood pressure#severe seasonal allergies#extreme IBD#the most severe case of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis the internal med specialist has seen in her 20+ year career#arthritis#permanent spinal injury & condition#.....HOW IS THIS DOG EVEN ALIVE HER BODY IS AS CHAOTIC AND BROKEN AS MINE IS#holy fuck#truly and actually i have spent over $10k on this dog in the last 2 years#currently paying about $300 a month for her medications (which will now go up) plus her 2 specialised diets and 3 supplements#aiyaiyaiiiii#fucking hell#truly i adore this dog but she is draining my bank account like leech#its not her fault obvi its all good#and i can certainly relate as a trash-bodied disabled person as well#but thats. kind of the point#i live off of disability and my mother has no savings left so i cannot afford keeping up w these appts and costs#now they wanna do more ultrasounds and i was like. ma'am. i have zero moneys. i cannae do that#so we compromised for more bloodwork (still pricey af) and if that looks bad then we'll go for the ultrasound#fuckin hell. sudhdhdj#I LOVE THIS DOG WITH ALL HER ISSUES BUT JFC I CANNOT AFFORD THIS#diary#willow
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Ikesen Boys React to a Tattooed MC pt 3
Thank you again to @otomedad for this fantastic idea ^_^ This one has Sasuke, Yukimura, and Kanetsugu! Approx. 2900 words (yes, I know. They keep getting longer xD)
Sasuke
You glance at Sasuke, wondering what he’s thinking about. His eyes are trained on the night sky, his lips curling in a faint, barely there smile. He notices you looking and turns his head to regard you.
“Are you cold? It’s colder tonight than I expected it to be.”
“No. I’m good.” You feel warm anytime you’re around him. Your very own moderately-awesome ninja.
He rubs his eyes before turning back to look up at the stars. “Alright.” His fingers curl over yours, a gentle caress he doesn’t even seem aware of.
You feel an ache in your chest, sweet and sharp, as you regard his profile. Somehow, that face has become so precious to you, but you don’t know how to tell him or if you even should. Friendship is precious and fragile, you think, as you look back up to the sky.
A sudden gust of chill night air tugs your hair from its messy bun. Strands blow around your face, and you can already feel the tangles forming. “Damn,” you sigh, trying to catch hold of them.
Sasuke looks back at you with that same whisper of a smile. “Here, let me help.” He moves to sit behind you. “I’m not as good at this as Yoshimoto. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” you murmur, feeling heat rise to your cheeks. His legs are to either side of you, and if you were to lean back, you’d be flush against his broad chest. “Here,” you hand him your hair clip, “and, umm, thanks.”
His fingers comb through your hair, sending a shiver down your back. It feels intimate and sensual to have him touch you like this. He tugs your collar down as he corrals your unruly hair. Then you feel him pause, a slight inhale.
“You have a tattoo.”
“Oh. Mhmm.” You try to find words, so you don’t sound like an idiot. But his closeness is so distracting! “It’s, umm, it’s a lotus?”
You feel him lift your hair to get a better look. “Is it alright if I see it?”
“Sure.” You hold very still as he pulls your kimono down a little further, fingertips brushing your inked skin. Just a friend, you remind yourself sternly, as your skin reacts to that light touch.
He is quiet for several moments. You can feel his gaze on your skin, and the faint trace of his fingers as he follows the intricate lines of the petals and leaves. “The lotus has a lot of meanings,” he says finally. “Divinity. Rebirth. It is an excellent choice for a tattoo.”
You smile, a flush of honeyed heat flooding through you at his words. “I liked the spiritualism of it. For me, it’s like a reminder to keep an open heart. And an open mind.”
“A good thing to remember. Especially for a woman who finds herself transported via wormhole to the Sengoku.”
You can hear the laughter in his words, though he doesn’t laugh. Sasuke’s emotions can be hard to read, though you find more and more that you can tell how he feels by the slight changes in his expression, his tone, the depths of his caramel brown eyes. “Ha, yeah. I never expected to have to be this open minded.”
“I’d say you do exceptionally well. At everything.” Sasuke’s breath tickles the hair at the back of your neck, and you feel the slight press of his chest against you. “The detail on this flower is very good. The shading and color. I’d like to look at it in better light.”
Your skin dimples as his words send another little shiver through you. “O-okay. Sure. When we go inside. You can. Look.” Despite your best efforts to not sound affected by his touch, you stutter your response.
“Are you sure you’re not cold?” He lets go of your hair, wrapping his arms around you. You are pulled up close against his chest, his chin rests on your shoulder. “You keep shivering.”
There is no way to reply at first. Your heartbeat is pounding loudly in your ears and you feel like you might not be able to breathe because he is hugging you and it feels - holy cats - it feels so good and so right and he’s just supposed to be a friend but isn’t this -
“Are you ok? You went very still. It reminds me of the prey response in rabbits. You know they freeze to blend in with the environment and can hold -”
“I’m fine.” And you almost manage to sound like it, if a little choked. “I definitely do not feel like a rabbit,” you add, your voice nearly normal.
Sasuke nods. “Alright.” You aren’t sure, but you think he sounds a little breathy himself. “Does this . . . warm you up?”
“Yep.” You feel very very warm in his arms. Hot, even.
“I am warm too. Very warm.” He says nothing for a few breaths, then, “It’s what friends do for each other, right?”
“Right.” You can’t imagine him hugging Yukimura like this. Or Yuki allowing it. But you don’t say that, because you don’t want him to stop.
“Good.” He pauses again, thinking. “I’ve never had a friend like you before.”
You smile at that. “Same. But you’re my best Sengoku buddy, and teacher. And a lot more.” You close your mouth on the almost-confession before it can bubble up and ruin everything.
A slight shudder passes through him, one you can feel. Then, “We should probably go inside. It’s late and it will only get colder up here.”
“You’re right. We can’t sit like this all night.” Part of you is very sure you absolutely could.
He reluctantly lets go of you, taking a moment to pull your hair back into the clip at the back. Sasuke is quiet as he brushes his fingers over your tattoo again. “I don’t know how I didn’t notice it there before. Your lotus.”
“I try to keep it covered. Fewer questions that way. I don’t think many women in this time have them.”
“No, they don’t.” He stands. “But maybe they should. It is exceptional. You -” He wipes at his eyes again, taking his glasses off. “I think I got something in my eyes,” he says, blinking.
You wonder what else he was going to say, but the moment passes and instead, he holds his hand out to help you up. His grip is strong and sure and comforting. “Thanks.” You aren’t sure if you’re thanking him for the hand up or the compliments, or for keeping you warm. All of it, you guess.
Sasuke’s gaze travels over you slowly and you feel yourself tense at the unexpected inspection. Just as you’re about to ask what he’s looking for, he speaks up. “Do you have any other tattoos?”
“Guess you’ll have to find out,” you grin, teasing. You can’t help but notice a faint flush from the tips of his ears down to his neck as he looks away.
He clears his throat and nods, a little unsteady. “Y-yeah.”
You catch him watching you from the corner of his eye and stealing secretive glances at you the whole way back to your room. You’re pretty sure he’s hunting for signs of another tattoo. This will be a fun game, you think, ignoring the little twinge in your heart.
Yukimura
“I don’t know why you wanted to come,” Yukimura huffs, walking at your side up the steep hill. “You’re so slow and your face is all red.”
You glare at him from the corner of your eye, wondering the same thing. It seemed like a great idea when the two of you set out from Kasugayama for the day, but after a few hours of walking, you were ready to strangle him.
“Pfft. I’m holding back for your sake. You have uh, you have stubby legs!” You poke him in the ribs, only half joking.
“I can’t have stubbier legs than you.” He pokes you back harder than you poked him.
“Oh really?” You take a breath and push off your back foot into a run. “Then why am I in front of you,” you call over your shoulder, taunting. This is a mistake you immediately regret as your foot catches on a rock and you tumble forward.
Yukimura tries to catch you, but he’s a little too far back and more than a little surprised. “Hey! Are you alright?” The teasing is gone from his voice, replaced with genuine worry as he kneels beside you on the path.
You roll over and lay on your back, feeling embarrassed and a little bruised. “I’m fine,” you groan.
His eyes move slowly over you, looking for any sign of injury. “You can’t always charge forward like a bo- oh!” Yukimura’s hand darts forward, lifting the edge of your kimono.
“Hey!” You smack his hand and the cloth flutters back down over your leg. “I’d expect that from, like, Shingen, but -”
“I wasn’t trying to peek. You have a mark. It looks like a bruise.” His lips form a precious pout and you feel your annoyance seep away at the genuine hurt in his expression.
With a little effort, you sit up and carefully tug the edge of your kimono back up your leg, looking for the injury. Only there’s nothing there, just your Totoro tatt. “I’m fine. See?” You start to stand but he puts a hand out.
“What is that? It looks like a really fat bear. Or maybe a squirrel.” Yukimura leans toward your leg, poking at the inked skin.
You try to pull your kimono back down over it. You aren’t sure what would happen, but showing someone a Ghibli tattoo 500 years before movies exists is probably some sort of world ending time event. You wish Sasuke was here to intervene or at least give you some hint about how to answer, but he isn’t and Yukimura is poking your thigh. “It’s not a bear or a squirrel. It’s a forest spirit.”
He raises an eyebrow, looking incredulous. “It doesn’t look like one. Aren’t they supposed to be majestic? Or scary? This one looks funny.”
“Well. He kind of is. His name is Totoro and he’s my favo-ah, he’s the umm, the forest spirit for my home town. So you shouldn’t make fun of him.” You cross your arms, trying to regain some dignity after the fall and Yuki’s teasing.
“I wasn’t making fun of it,” Yukimura replies, his voice gentle and contrite. “He’s kinda cute. L-like you.” His cheeks turn bright red at the admission, and he looks away unable to meet your gaze.
You feel a little stunned yourself, and your own face feels as hot as a kitchen fire. “Thanks.” The word comes out almost a squeak. You clear your throat. “I’m glad you like him,” you add in a more normal voice.
Yukimura finally turns back to you, his cheeks still plum-red. “So. Don’t get mad, but, why would you get your forest spirit inked into your skin?” He looks genuinely curious and a little nervous.
“I -” you can’t very well explain how much the film meant to you as a child, or how many times you watched it to cheer up after a rough day. How to explain the comfort of enjoying the same sad-sweetness of the anime without explaining animation and movies and so many things Yuki has no idea about?
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” He leans back from you, trying to hide the hurt look in his eyes by changing the subject. “Are you gonna watch where you’re going the rest of the way up, or am I gonna have to carry you?”
You nearly react to the taunt before you realize where it came from. “Yuki. I do want to tell you. It’s just hard to explain.” It takes another moment to consider, and then you begin. “So, Totoro - he was there for me when I was sad. He helped me feel better when my grandmother died, and when my best friend moved away. And when I was all alone at college - um, school for seamstresses I mean.”
“So, your forest spirit talked to you?” His eyes are wide now, but you don’t detect any disbelief. Only surprise.
“More like . . . I guess you could say I watched him? Yeah. And that made me feel better. Just seeing him do what he does.” You shrug, not sure what else to say.
Yukimura nods as if this makes more sense to him, though he still looks faintly wide eyed. His calloused palm rests on your leg just below the tattoo, a pleasant warmth. His gaze drops back to it, eyes narrowing as he studies the image. “I didn’t expect you to have irezumi but I like it.”
You feel yourself smile, a wide bright grin that makes your cheeks hurt. Sure, Yuki can be a brat, you think, but when he’s sweet, it just makes you want to kiss him.
“What are you making that dumb face for?” Heat colors his cheeks and he can’t meet your gaze as he looks up.
“I dunno. What are you making a dumb face for?”
Yuki stands. “I’m not!” He holds out a hand to help you up.
You take the hand and stand, dusting yourself off. “Are too. Or wait, maybe that’s just your face?” You giggle when he scowls at you.
He leans forward, and you think he’s probably wracking his brain for a good insult. Before he can come up with one, you plant a tiny kiss right on his lips. Yukimura’s mouth opens in a surprised, pleased sigh and for just a heartbeat, his eyes flutter shut.
“It’s a good thing I really love your dumb face.” You grin and squeeze his hand.
“Yeah. Same.” He returns your smile, tenderness in his gaze. Then he lets go of your hand and launches himself up the trail. “But you still have stubby legs! Think you can catch up!”
Kanetsugu
“What is this?” Kanetsugu’s finger lands on the back of your hand, gently but firmly pinning you in place.
“What’s what?” You glance up at him in mild surprise. He was reading, but now he’s just over your shoulder, leaned down so that his chin is beside your cheek.
“The mark.”
You glance down and realize he must mean your tattoo. Since they aren’t all that common, you try to keep it covered. Fewer questions that way. “Erm, nothing?” Your hopeful tone does not dissuade his keen gaze.
Kanetsugu nudges up the edge of your cuff with the tip of his finger until the heron in flight is exposed. The colors look soft in the lantern light, the delicate lines a bare delineation between ink and skin. “That is not nothing.”
You wince at the slight frown he gives you and try to pull your sleeve back down. “It isn’t any of your business.” You try for the villainess voice, but sound squeaky even to your own ears.
He doesn’t move his hand, even after a moment of your struggling.
“Fine.” You sigh. “It’s a tattoo.”
Kanetsugu leans closer. His hair brushes your neck, and the smell of him floods your senses.
You can feel his gaze on your arm, and heat travels from there up through your heart and floods your cheeks. Your heart is pounding and you struggle to keep your expression serene. It is absolutely unfair that he is so attractive, you think.
His eyes turn toward you, and he waits for more with an expression somewhere between impatience and mild curiosity.
It takes you a moment to gather yourself under that relentless stare. “Erm. I mean, ah, it’s a heron?”
“I am waiting to hear why you’ve branded yourself like a criminal.”
Your temper flares at that, and you give him a frown. “I seriously doubt any criminal has flash that looks this nice. Seriously.” You smooth a finger over the design, remembering the day you got it. “This represents blessings for me. A promise that things will always get better. And I - I think it looks really elegant.”
“I did not say it wasn’t.” His voice drops, a glimpse of fang at the corner of his lip as it compresses. “It is . . . lovely.” Kanetusugu’s thumb brushes over the inked skin, though his eyes are still fixed on yours.
“Thanks for the compliment,” you murmur, suddenly feeling as if it’s hard to draw breath. He is still so close, and it’s doing things to your heart that are hard to ignore.
“Beauty should be appreciated.”
You hope he can’t feel your racing pulse under his hand.”I-if you’re done appreciating?” You wiggle your arm, hoping he’ll let go, and hoping he won’t. Get it together, you tell yourself sternly, and pull with a little more force.
Too much, perhaps, as Kanetsugu, is tugged toward you. Only by a hair’s breadth, but then, that’s almost all that separates you. His lips brush your jaw, an accidental kiss. He lets go of you and steps back with a strangled breath. For a moment, his eyes are wide and there’s a slight flush to his cheek.
“K-kanetsugu?” You feel warmth slip through you from the spot his lips touched.
He turns away and clears his throat. “Thank you for the explanation.” His voice is calm and by the time he’s seated again, there’s no trace of discomfiture in his expression.
You, on the other hand, are ruffled. Very ruffled. “I think I’m going to step, mmm, outside. For a minute.” You stand and try to shake off the feelings tangled around your heart.
“Don’t go far,” he calls, not glancing up from the paperwork on his desk.
#ikemen sengoku#ikesen sasuke#ikesen yukimura#ikesen kanetsugu#sasuke sarutobi#yukimura sanada#kanetsugu naoe#fanfiction#otome#fanfic#otome guys#fluff
90 notes
·
View notes
Text
Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease vs Dilated Cardiomyopathy (Part 1)
Hope you are ready to do some learning today! I didn't want to bog down Nadia's post too much so I figured I'd do something a little more in depth, separately. I also hope that the information here might help anyone seeking information about either disease. Might want to go and make yourself a drink and/or a snack because this will be a long read.
What is MMVD? Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease also called Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease is the most common cardiac disease affecting dogs. It is an acquired disease (aka "adult onset") that is most typically seen in small breed geriatric dogs. It is characterized by a progressive thickening of the Mitral valve, which is the valve on the left side of the heart - in other words, the valve that connects the left ventricle (LV) to the Left Atrium (LA). The thickening results in it becoming more rigid and overtime it loses the ability to close properly, causing a leak (or regurgitation) from the left ventricle to the left atrium. Over time, the valve has a tendency to become so fibrinous that the leak becomes more important with time, and for some dogs with very advanced MMVD the valve may not even really close much at all anymore.
Because of the leak, over time the left ventricle and the left atrium will enlarge. When the left atrium becomes severely enlarged the patient will progress to congestive heart failure. Because of the stiffening of the valve the chordae tendineae that hold it together are also at risk of rupturing as the disease progresses. When a dog ruptures a major chord, they are at risk of an acute episode of CHF without dilation of the left atrium (because the left atrium does not have a chance to adjust or adapt to the sudden backflow) and patients in this situation will often require critical hospitalization care for 24-48 hours before normalizing. In some very uncommon or rare cases the disease can be self limiting. We have seen it in one or two patients where the dog actually improved after being in B2, with the heart reducing in size because the mitral valve thickened so much it started plugging the leak again. What causes MMVD? It is unknown what exactly causes this process. In certain breeds there is a very strong genetic, hereditary and familial component like in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Dachshunds, Cocker Spaniels, Yorkies, Pomeranians and others. It mostly affects small breeds, but any dog breed can get MMVD. How is it diagnosed? MMVD can only truly be diagnosed exclusively via cardiac ultrasound (echocardiography) by a cardiologist. It can be listed as a differential with the help of other diagnostic tools like x-ray, auscultation (presence of a heart murmur on the left side), age/breed of the patient and clinical symptoms (late stages). There are other diagnostic, clinical tests but they are non-specific blood tests that can merely serve to further refer out to a Cardiologist. Can you treat it? Yes. The primary treatment for MMVD will be the administration of Pimobendan once the disease progresses to moderate stage MMVD classified as ACVIM B2. Because it is so prevalent in dogs there is empirical data on it, and one in particular the groundbreaking EPIC study has helped establish very specific guidelines for the classification of Moderate Stage MMVD and the early (pre-clinical) administration of pimobendan. In order to be classified as B2 and qualify for early administration of pimobendan the dog must meet 4 criteria:
Grade III heart murmur or higher
Left Atrium/Aortic (LA/Ao) ratio of 1.6 or higher
Left Ventricle Internal Diameter in Diastole Normalized for weight (LVIDDN) of 1.7 or higher
VHS (Vertebral Heart Score) of 10.5 or higher on xray
Where an echo is not possible, in order to qualify for pimobendan, it is recommended to wait until the the VHS is equal to 11.5 or higher. What is miraculous about the EPIC study is that it offers proof that administering Pimobendan to a dog in B2/moderate MMVD will slow down significantly the progression of the disease. The median time it takes for a B2 moderate MMVD to progress to a Stage C heart failure is 766 days without the administration of Pimobendan. With pimobendan that median increases by 60% 1228 days. Once a dog reaches CHF typically the prognosis is 6-12 months post diagnosis of CHF. With pimobendan it adds about 10% overall time without clinical signs or quality of life issues. Some Cardiologists will also prescribe an ACE Inhibitor (Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors) alongside Pimobendan even while still in Moderate/B2 stage, while others will prescribe it rather only once the dog progresses to a Stage C (aka severe stage with congestive heart failure). Once the dog reaches Stage C, typically a diuretic will be added to the treatment. Management can include adjusting dosage of the medication and on occasion adding in additional diuretics, or if exhibiting new cardiac symptoms, adding additional medication. For example in large breed dogs you can see Atrial fibrillation, and in some individuals you'll also see Ventricular Premature Contractions (VPCs or PVCs which doberman people will be familiar with due to its role in DCM) so medications can be added to control these aspects too. Now what is interesting with MMVD is that there are currently two surgical procedures/interventions with very limited availability. One is an open heart surgery that is curative and consists in repairing the Mitral Valve. There is the JASMINE Animal Referral Hospital in Japan where the procedure was developed by Dr Uechi Masami, who has then gone on to train teams in the UK at the Queen Mother Hospital Royal Veterinary College as well as a team in France at HOPIA. Currently Dr Uechi is performing mitral valve repair procedures at the University of Florida in the USA, with the goal to try and train as many teams in the USA and around the world. The likelihood of this surgery ever becoming widespread or common place or even accessible to most people is fairly low, given the high demand, and how resource intensive it is both in equipment and specialized teams. The other very recent intervention is the TEER mitral valve repair, a minimally invasive procedure that consists in installing a clamp on the mitral valve to bring it back closer together and thus reduce or eliminate the leak. Can I do anything to prevent it? While there's nothing you can do to prevent MMVD from occurring, if you intend to purchase a puppy from a small breed or medium breed, especially one of the breeds known to have high prevalence of the disease, it is imperative to ask the breeder if the parents have been screened and are being monitored for cardiac disease by a cardiologist, whether that's with a yearly auscultation or a yearly echocardiogram (because MMVD is always associated with a murmur, for regular owner it is acceptable to auscultate yearly, and only do an echo if/once a murmur is heard). Ask about the pedigree also. I strongly encourage you to start screening/monitoring for it when your dog reaches 4-5 years for at risk breeds. Breeding animals should be screened before being bred and then yearly thereafter. If you are unsure whether your breed is considered at risk, you can check the recommended tests for your breed on the OFA website. If you adopt a pup from a rescue or shelter with an unknown genetic background, I would strongly encourage you to ask your vet to properly auscultate during your yearly vet visits and physical exams, and I would request a referral to a cardiologist (if required in your area, our cardiology department doesn't per se require a referral anyone can call and book) even if your dog only has a Grade I-II murmur.
#myxomatous mitral valve disease#degenerative mitral valve disease#cardiology#veterinary cardiology#OFA#health testing#health tests#MMVD#DMVD#ACVIM#EPIC study#canine heart diseases
13 notes
·
View notes
Text
Love under the moonlight
[Sub] Kanata Shinkai x [Fem!] Reader
Genre/s: Smut (NSFW), fluff.
Word count: 1,352
Content warnings: creampie, handjob, riding, soft sex, vanilla sex.
A/N: This is a continuation from my previous fic “Little gifts” (fluff). I suggest you read that first, but it’s alright if you don’t! I love Kanata so much, I’m just going to write more NSFW fics of him from now on. My lover…
MINORS DO NOT INTERACT.
“Let’s stay like this for a while,” he whispered, holding your body close to him. “No one will ‘see’ us anyway, so don’t worry.”
The two of you had fell onto the sand, but luckily for you, Kanata took most of the impact. You laid on his chest obediently, not wanting to fight him by getting up. His arms were wrapped around your waist as he sang you a little lullaby.
As your ear rested on his chest, you could hear how his heartbeat matched yours. It was a soothing sound alike the ocean waves that glistened within the moonlight. It was a beautiful scenery just for the two of you to enjoy.
He looked at the ocean with you as your legs began to interlock with his.
“The ocean looks beautiful at night,” you commented in awe.
“Mmm,” he agreed, playing with your hair. “Just like you~”
You smiled at this. You lifted your body just a bit so you could reach his lips. Your hands made their way to cup his cheeks as you kissed him passionately. He kissed you back almost immediately, greedily wanting more.
He kept your body in place, as close to him as possible. You continued to kiss his lips which were so soft that you just couldn’t resist biting them. He whined in response, but it wasn’t as if he didn’t like it.
He could feel his pants getting tighter and tighter by the second, and you could too. You felt it poke your clothed crotch, so you decided to tease him by rubbing your bodies together a little bit.
“(Y-Y/N)…” he groaned.
“Yes, my love?”
You watched the moonlight brighten his adorable, pretty face. He looked at you submissively as if to tell you how badly he wanted it. It was surprising though because he usually took on the dominant role when it came to sex, but you didn’t mind. He has done a lot for you after all, so you should thank him with this.
He slipped off the straps to your dress as you moved your underwear out of the way. Then you unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants, pulling them halfway down to reveal his boxers. You touched his clothed cock to find it slightly damp.
“Aww, darling, were you that excited?” you cooed.
Kanata smiled at you sweetly which instantly melted your heart. “Yes~” he admitted. “But (Y/N), I want you so bad right now… can you please not ‘tease’ me?”
“You always tease me when you’re doing it,” you reminded him. “Probably even worse than what I’m doing right now.”
He giggled, not denying the fact that he is kind of a cheek when he’s dominating you. But you did want him to be inside you already, so you pulled his boxers down and out popped his hard on.
You toyed with it for a bit, finding your fingers wrapped around it, rubbing it playfully. Kanata would softly moan here and there, but you wanted him to be a bit more louder than that.
You positioned yourself, holding his cock close to your pussy and then slowly inserting it in. You let out a soft gasp as you began to ride him at a moderate pace. You had already unbuttoned his shirt at this point, your hands running down his chest.
He gripped onto your thighs as he let out several soft moans. You bent down for another kiss which he returned immediately, breathing into your mouth as you continued to move into him.
“(Y-Y/N)…” he moaned. “Ah… mmm…”
“Are you enjoying this~?” you murmured in his ear.
He nodded, cheeks heating up.
“Yes, it feels good…” he mumbled. “I like ‘this.’”
You beamed, “So you like it when I ride you?”
Both your chests were touching with one of his hands on your back, and another on your bottom. You had wrapped your arms around his neck where sand began to attach itself to you. Little slaps between your flesh could be heard.
“Yes…” he answered quietly. “We should do this more ‘often’… though I do like it better when I’m in the lead~”
The two of you chuckled at this. Kanata was pretty good at taking the lead after all. He would always leave you messy.
“I do like that too,” you said. “But it’s my turn tonight.”
You started to bounce yourself up and down his cock a little bit faster. He watched you with love in his eyes, his cheeks heating up as you went. Giving you a little kiss on the cheek, you continued with your movements.
You could feel the hardness of his cock inside you, and it felt so good. You wanted more of him, you wanted to be even closer. You grind him even more, saliva forming in your mouth.
“Ah… Kanata…” you breathed. “Ahhh…”
He held you in place, not wanting you to leave. You immediately came on his dick, soaking it in the process.
“Hah…” he moaned. “Good girl~”
You were out of breath, but you knew he hadn’t come yet, and you wanted him to.
“Are you okay?” he asked you. “I’ll take over if you’re tired.”
“No, I’m fine. I want to do this. I can go on for hours, you know that.”
He laughed, but once you began to bounce again, his laugher instantly turned into more moans. Your face was already heated, and you had already came, but you just wanted more of him, you wanted him to come in you, you wanted him to scream your name.
The ocean was quiet now, but you could still hear the waves. Most of the sound came from your lovemaking. It was lucky that this part of the beach was secluded from the general public.
You pulled your dress down even more so he could see how lovely your breasts sat. You guided his hands to where they were, giving him permission to play with them.
“Haha, you’re so ‘cute’,” he giggled. He would usually play with your body when he was in control, so you never really guided him to places like these yourself.
“Don’t embarrass me,” you demanded, but a chuckle escaped your lips too quickly.
Making love with Kanata was always fun and wholesome. It was never too rough unless you wanted it to be.
He caressed your breasts gently, circling your nipples playfully. You continued to ride him, moaning out his name. After a while, you made him suck on your breasts and this was when he began to moan even louder.
“Mmm… ahhh… (Y/N)… I’m going to come…” he warned.
“It’s okay,” you replied sweetly. “You can come inside…”
As if his face couldn’t get more redder, he obliged. He gripped your ass as you got ready. With a loud moan of your name, he shot his load into you. You could feel it swimming inside you, warm and silky.
“Hah…” he went. “(Y/N)…”
“Mmm… mmmm….” you whined, as you pulled yourself up from him, cum dripping from your hole.
His wet dick went limp when you left him, but he was satisfied, and so were you.
“Ah… you were ‘fantastic’…” he praised, kissing your forehead. “I love you so much, (Y/N).”
You laid your head on his chest, too tired to look up and speak. “Mhmm… I love you… too… Kanata…”
You usually lasted an hour or two at best, but for some reason, you couldn’t tonight. Maybe it was the atmosphere, being outside and all.
He smiled at your figure on top of him, and hugged you gently.
“Come on, let’s get you ‘cleaned’,” he stated. “We might get in ‘trouble’ if we don’t get back to the dorms in time~”
You let him clean you up with the ocean’s water. The aftermath really was messy, but he was happy that the two of you were able to do it by the sea.
Slipping your dress back on, Kanata cupped your cheek and kissed your lips with a smile. Your hand intertwined with his as the two of you headed back into the dorms, both feeling good and sweet.
Intro page | Ensemble Stars masterlist | Rules
#ensemble stars#enstars#enstars x reader#ensemble stars x reader#kanata shinkai x reader#kanata shinkai#Kanata Shinkai x reader smut#Kanata Shinkai smut#Enstars smut#ensemble stars smut#Enstars x reader smut#ryuseitai x reader#fanfic#ryuseitai
98 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Adventures of Goran and GoranTwo: A Social Media Saga
In a cozy café tucked away on a quiet street, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Goran Visnjic, renowned for his captivating performances on both screen and stage, sat alone at a corner table, his gaze fixated on his phone. The notifications from Instagram danced like fireflies in the dim light, but one particular post caught his attention—a vibrant collection of screencaps featuring none other than himself as Erik The Red from Vikings Valhalla. The moderators of Goran Visnjic Daily, a fan account managed by two spirited women named Michelle and Alejandria, had outdone themselves this time.
"Wow," he murmured, a smile creeping across his face as he scrolled through the images. The artistry, the colors, and the raw energy captured in each frame spoke to his soul. He felt a familiar flutter of pride, almost as if he were viewing a masterpiece on display.
But then, the thought struck him: he had to save these screencaps. Yes, had to. He had always loved capturing moments, adding a personal touch to his digital life. Yet, when it came to technology, he often found himself floundering in the deep end of the pool, gasping for air.
“GoranTwo!” he exclaimed, half-enthusiastically and half-desperately, as he fished his phone from the warm, inviting space of his pocket. "I need your help again, my friend!”
GoranTwo, a tech-savvy wizard of sorts, was accustomed to Goran Visnjic’s half-baked tech endeavors. They’d been friends for years, forged in the fires of shared experiences, from auditions to tutus of life’s eccentricities. But this? This was a new level.
“You won’t believe how amazing these posts look!” he declared, his excitement bubbling over. “I just need to save them, you know, for memories!” There was a pause on the other end of the line; he could almost hear GoranTwo rolling his eyes in amusement.
“Alright, let’s walk through this,” GoranTwo replied, his voice calm, almost mechanical, yet filled with that familiar warmth. “First, open the post and make sure you’ve paused the video. Can you do that?”
“Pause the video… Yes, I can do that!” Goran assured him, his fingers working like an amateur pianist on a challenging piece. He fiddled with the screen until the moving images finally froze in place, allowing him to drink in the details.
“Perfect! Now, do you see those two buttons at the bottom? One’s a little square, and the other is a triangle?”
“Wait, I think I just pressed the triangle. Is that bad?” Panic tinged his voice as he imagined scrolling through an endless feed of irrelevant memes.
“No, no, carry on. Just click the square next,” GoranTwo instructed, patiently guiding his friend through the jungle of Instagram features.
Goran Visnjic followed each step carefully, but his clumsiness came back to haunt him. “Wait, I think I made a mistake!” He sounded like a toddler who had accidentally spilled juice over a prized rug. “The screen went black. Did I break something?”
“Just breathe, Goran,” GoranTwo chuckled. “That’s just your screen timeout. Swipe it back up.”
Goran obeyed, and the images reappeared. However, as excitement washed over him, he accidentally tapped the screencap button several times in rapid succession. The app began glitching, and his heart dropped; he feared the worst.
“Uh, GoranTwo? I think I… I think I broke it! I’m seeing a spinning wheel… and some weird message about too many requests?”
“Holy smokes! Goran, you’ve got to stop! You’ve frozen your Instagram account!”
“Frozen? In what sense?” He felt panic rising like a bubble in a carbonated drink.
“Like… You can’t post or save anything at the moment. You’ve hit some sort of limit,” GoranTwo explained, trying to keep his tone light despite the evident distress behind the message.
“Can I just send you a screenshot? I’m getting dizzy here!”
With a few clumsy taps, he attempted to send the screenshot, but another error message popped up. The technology gods were not smiling at him today. He felt like a caveman trying to figure out fire.
“Goran, this is all happening because you’re trying too hard at once. Just focus. Take a deep breath,” GoranTwo advised.
“Okay, okay! One deep breath… or maybe ten,” he replied. “I can’t believe I’ve done this. How will I explain it to Michelle and Alejandria? They’ll think I’m a total idiot!”
“Relax, buddy. It’s tech; it happens to the best of us. Remember when I couldn’t figure out how to stream our performance last year? Look, just hang tight. I will reach out to Michelle and Alejandria and find a way to unlock your account.”
As GoranTwo worked behind the scenes, Goran leaned back in his chair, a mix of embarrassment and admiration washing over him. He could only imagine what Michelle and Alejandria would say, probably rolling in laughter.
Minutes later, his phone buzzed. It was a message from GoranTwo. “Good news! Michelle & Alejandria are on board. They’ll help you restore your account. Just apologize for the fright!”
With a sigh of relief, Goran shook his head, a smile creeping onto his face. "Maybe I should stick to acting…" he muttered. But then, with a mischievous grin, he added, “Or maybe a career in tech support?”
As the sun dipped below the horizon, turning the café into a warm haven, Goran knew that for every technological blunder, there was a story to share, a laugh to be had, and friendships to deepen.
After all, the world of fame came with its quirks, and navigating through it—especially with a “GoranTwo” beside him—made every mishap a little more bearable.
And with that thought, he raised his cup of coffee, savoring the bittersweet taste of friendship and the adventures still to come.
@accio-baqat I can't stop laughing hahah!
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Refugee: Chapter 31
Masterlist link
Heavy...everything felt heavy.
She dreamed again of her body, cold and rigid as a marble slab, laying at the bottom of an inky black ocean, buried in her grave under miles of water. The liquid flooded her mouth, her lungs; saturated and stained her, inside and out. Was it water? No, it was salty like tears, metallic like copper. Blood she realized, I'm drowning in his blood. She saw it again as the marine pressure crushed upon her, the white skin and the inky blood. But it wasn't real, she reminded herself, ...just an illusion. He's alive...but he killed me and this is my hell... what about Magnus?
“Magnus!” she sat up and shouted, causing several of the medics to jump away from the stasis bed and its glowing recuperative force field. Their patient, immobile and unconscious for three months had startled them badly. Sitting up abruptly from her nightmare had smacked Lea with a pervasive blunt pain, something like the cramp of a stiff neck but a thousand times worse, distributed through her entire body, especially in her back. The medics were yelling at her to lay back down, but she didn't need to be told. She wasn't able to do anything else. Several pairs of hands glowing with magic were running over her body. Blue medical uniforms blurred around the room as they roused into action. In her silent still eye of the storm, she found herself anticipating Magnus' appearance in the fog of robin's egg hue. Lea longed for Magnus' hands to heal her with the others, but he wasn't there to patch her up this time. Searing panic cut into her again as her addled brain remembered.
She croaked out from a dry throat, “Magnus...where's Magnus? Please!”
Most of the medics looked at each other awkwardly and sadly as they did their work, clearly knowing something they weren't permitted to tell her, and every silent look sliced into her heart with worry. Mercifully, an older medic with rosy cheeks and gray hair came beside her and held her hand as she gave her sips of water. “My dear, His Highness has been told you're awake and he's on his way to speak with you. He'll give you all the information you need. Just a little patience, dearie, alright?”
She didn't want to accept that but she was too weak to do anything else. As the healers worked over her, the cripplingly stiff ache subsided. They helped her bathe and change into a fresh patient's gown. Tiny bits of food were presented to her and she was encourage eat, but she couldn't bring herself to. They were at least permitted to tell her how long she had been in recuperative sleep as they helped her.
“Three months,” she whispered to herself over and over, hoping that at some magic number of repetitions it would make sense to her through this fog in her mind. She was able to stand again with only a moderate amount of pain, and as she did, she noticed the medics all quietly shuffling out. Lea tried to thank them but they only looked at her with a sad kind of pity, which confused her. Then it all made sense as she heard murmurs of “Sire” and “Highness” from the exiting physicians. They were pitying her because they anticipated a terrible punishment was in store. Lea gulped hard, knowing that it was.
The emperor entered the now deserted room with a deceptively easy smile and stride; cocky, she thought, not happy. He was dressed in imposing royal garb. He towered, somehow looking taller than before. If he was looking for a spat or spar as they were used to, he wouldn't get it today. She was too desperate and didn't care about her pride. “Please! Please tell me he's alive.”
Loki sighed. He wanted to drag it out more but he was unexpectedly shocked to see her like this, and had pity. “Yes, he's alive and well.”
“Then where...”
“Silence!,” he said in a voice so commanding it made her shiver with fear. “and I will tell you everything.”
She nodded. He circled around her, gripping his hands on her shoulders, which trembled with fear and cold. His mouth hovered closely to the shell of her ear. “Magnus has been exiled to Midgard, to live forever among the humans. Would you like to see him, darling, I can show you?”
She nodded, feeling a lump in her throat. Loki drew a circle in the air and a glowing viewing portal opened before them. She saw him, sitting on a bench in what seemed to be a garden or park, looking out over the sea. He wore strange loose blue clothes, and a small badge with his name on it. Magnus Roed and underneath Medical Assistant. He had a paper bag next to him and seemed to be waiting for something. Loki took on the tone of a lecturing professor as he circled around to face her, and continued his explanation in an easy, unbothered, tone. “Now, I'm sure I don't need to remind you, Lenora, knowledgeable as you are, that time moves differently between realms.” He said those last five worlds staring directly at her, emphasizing each one with his clear deep voice.
“No...” she gasped under her breath and her face fell in despair, just as he thought it would.
He smiled cruelly. “Oh yes. I'm afraid so. Well, of course there are magical protections to counteract this,” he said with a nonchalant gesture, “however, our dear Magnus was given no such protections.”
She gasped out quietly, breath fighting around the lump in her throat. “How long has it been for him, Loki?”
“He's settled in nicely though. You know him...always making the best of a bad situation.”
“HOW LONG, LOKI!” She screamed at him. He jumped. He'd never heard her yell like this. Her desperation excited and saddened him all at once.
“Six years,” he said, finally.
“Six..years...” she whispered back, fighting to believe it, walking closer to the viewing portal, as if in a trance.
He gestured to the screen. “But don't worry, Lenora. He's made quite a nice life for himself. As you can see he's come back to his passion for healing. The good doctor is learning Midgardian medicine now. Using that oh-so-good heart of his to help others. Of course, he's had a great deal of help from another small group of Asgardian expatriates who live on Earth. Oh look, here comes one such friend now.”
A tall blonde woman in the same strange blue clothes and name tag, came to join Magnus. His face lit up as he saw her, giving her an exuberant hug and kiss. They sat together on the bench then. He opened the little paper bag and passed her a sandwich and a hot cup of tea, before taking his own. Lea felt something inside of her wither and die as comprehension dawned on her.
“That's Astrid,” said Loki, “lovely, isn't she? A fellow Asgardian healer, settled on earth. She was so compassionate with him going through his difficult transition. Holding his hand for years as he cried over you, over his exile, over everything he's lost. She was quite taken with his hopeful and kind nature. Such a good, sweet, man...so easy to fall in love with.” He turned to Lea now, saying lightly, conversationally, “Oh you know, of course. I'm sure you can relate. Anyway, that beautiful friendship became something more...much more. As you can see they're quite happy together.”
Lea noticed the held hands, the rings on their fingers, and beneath Astrid's other graceful hand she stroked the bump forming in her stomach. She smiled to him with adoration, beaming with contentment in her rosy cheeks. Lenora felt her heart shatter, not only breaking, but being ground into a sandy powder and blown away in a great gust of wind until she felt an all-consuming nothingness where it had once been.
She croaked out, “You...did this...”
Loki, peaked his eyebrows in mock surprise, “I did this? No, little dancer. He did this..willingly. And you did this. You challenged me after all.”
“You knew I had to...you forced my hand.”
“Did I? You ran away. I gave you the option to come home instead of challenging me. I didn't tell Magnus to find love and happy life.”
Lea said, a little more confidently, “I did. We agreed. I begged him to find a happy life...to let me go if something like this happened. I'm glad for him. I'm proud of him for being strong enough to fulfill his promise.”
Her grace about this seemed to surprise Loki, but he only said, “You always have been so practical...so prepared for eventualities. I commend you as a strategist, Lady Lenora. Some day you might even rival me.”
He could see, to his delight, that she bristled at that, but she ignored the bait. “What did you tell him about me?”
“I told him you were dead.”
She scoffed, “he knows better than to believe you.”
“True, but he could never be sure, of course, and I can be awfully convincing. Six years is far too long to hold out hope, don't you think? Even for our Magnus. You're welcome to send word to him yourself. Let him know you're alive. I won't stop you.”
She bowed her heavy head, in immense silent suffering and anger. Loki knew, dammit! He had controlled it all, giving the mere illusion of choice to the pawns he moved around. Trying to redirect his actions would have been no more effective than trying to steer the course of an avalanche.
“Well?” he asked.
She glared at him, furious at the impossibly cruel situation he had set before her. “No. Let me stay dead to him. I refuse to cause anymore pain in his life than I already have. Let me stay dead, and let him stay happy.”
That's exactly what I said to myself, sweet Lenora, he thought with secret sincerity and compassion for her, because he had made the same impossible choice.
Externally, however, the king only clapped mockingly. “Oh how relentlessly noble you are, Lea! What a heroine!”
It hit her like a slap across the face, and she closed her eyes, hung her head, feeling herself become very far away. The woman standing there in the gray patient's gown, the wet hair, the sunken eyes, and freezing skin was like an image on the view screen, and she watched herself, empty and broken from a numb distance.
Loki came up behind her again, this time wrapping his arms around her, lightly kissing her cheek. She was too far away, too absent, to fight his touch away. It didn't matter. Nothing did now. He could do whatever he wanted to her and she wouldn't care. He whispered into her ear. “And now, darling, I am all you have.”
She asked one last question. She wasn't even sure why, since it hardly mattered now, “Did you intend to kill me?”
He paused a moment. “No, darling. I knew exactly where to cut.”
He called the guards in with a shuffling of armor. It was silly, she thought, to have so many burly men guarding her. Where exactly did they think she could go? She didn't feel the shackles meet her skin, nor the movement of her feet towards the dungeon, nor the swish of the force field walls locking her in and the sizzle of them becoming dark and opaque. Lenora simply sat on the floor, in the dark of her cell and the weight of her shackles; empty, heavy, drowning in the darkness.
(Thanks for reading, my loves!) @unlucky-number-13 @gigglingtigger @goblingirlsarah @lokisgoodgirl @thenerdyoldersister @thedistractedagglomeration @peaches1958
17 notes
·
View notes
Text
In Baltimore City, MD: Beautiful, sweet, and trusting dog with a body condition score of only 1/9 seeks rescue placement - BARCS, Baltimore MD
Sea Glass- 2 years, unaltered female, 29lbs
Sweet, beautiful 'Sea Glass' was found all alone on someone's porch. She was severely emaciated, with her ribs, spine, and hip bones clearly visible, and she appeared to have pressure sores on her hips, legs, and tail. The finder immediately called Animal Control for assistance and Sea Glass was transferred to BARCS for further care.
Upon examination, our vets noted that Sea Glass was emaciated (with a body condition score of only 1/9) and dehydrated, has moderate periodontal disease, dermatitis, and and a grade 3/6 heart murmur. She was very weak and nervous, understandably, but cooperative and tolerant nonetheless. She was given subcutaneous fluids and was started on meds and a strict refeeding schedule.
Despite the terrible condition she was found in, Sea Glass has been an incredibly sweet and trusting girl with staff so far. She is currently being cared for in a staff member's office, where she spends most of the day hanging out in her crate quietly (to reserve energy and calories). She loves visitors and will wag her tail ever-so-slightly when you go to greet her.
Sea Glass also had a very low-key, gentle dog test (due to her condition) and was overall nervous but friendly around other dogs at the shelter.
Sea Glass is available immediately for rescue pick-up.
Please let us know if your organization can help!
Thank you,
The BARCS Rescue Team
Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS)
New Address! 2490 Giles Rd, Baltimore, MD 21225
[email protected]| (410) 396-4695
Rescue pick-up hours:
Monday-Friday: 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m
Adoption hours:
Monday-Friday: 2 p.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, Inc. (BARCS) | 2490 Giles Rd, Baltimore, MD 21225
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Book 2 Chapter 5: How Can We Deal With The Grudges On Both Sides?
My body felt like it was on fire, and like I was in an ice cave. My lips were dry and I was struggling.
“Water is here, Sister.” Yutan said softly.
It turns out I had been murmuring for water unconsciously. Yutan helped me sit up and fed me a few sips. I looked at Yutan who was full of joy, and suddenly came to my senses. I looked around the room and then at Yutan suspiciously.
“The emperor has pardoned my sister.” Yutan said with a smile.
I felt relieved, but when I thought about Thirteenth, I immediately felt sad again.
Yutan brought over some porridge and I felt extremely hungry after smelling the rice. After I had eaten half a bowl that Yutan had fed me, she said, “Sister has been in a coma these last three days. Your body was as hot as charcoal. It was really scary!”
“Three days?” I asked in surprise. I realized my voice was hoarse as soon as I said this, and I coughed several times before stopping.
Yutan nodded and said, “I don’t know why, but Fourteenth was also punished to kneel down. According to the eunuchs on duty outside the palace at that time; they had only heard the voices of Fourteenth and the live long lord arguing. They kept mentioning Thirteenth. Fourteenth knelt outside Qianqing Palace from the afternoon until end of court next day. Later, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth went to beg for mercy and knelt together. The other elder brothers also went to beg mercy. The live long lord finally spoke and asked Fourteenth to get up, and forgave my sister. When we went to find you, you were already lying in the rain, unconscious and cold. We were so scared…!”
I interrupted in disbelief, “Fourteenth knelt in the rain for a whole day and night?”
Yutan nodded vigorously.
“Is he okay?” I asked quickly.
“Fourteenth is a martial artist, so his physique is better than an ordinary person’s, but he wasn’t as strong as my sister. He was kneeling for a long time, I heard he was a little uncomfortable. I guess he is almost well now.” Yutan said.
I was in a daze for a while. Yutan put down the bowl and chopsticks and said, “The imperial physician had told me that you had been hungry for a long time. If you are sick, you should moderate your diet.”
I nodded casually, indicating I would follow her arrangements. She helped me clean and comb my hair.
“My knees hurt so much. Can you give me some hot water to apply to them?” I asked.
Yutan quickly prepared hot water and towels. “I have sent word that my sister has woken up. Doctor Li will come to see you in a while.”
“Doctor Li?” I asked in surprise. He was an old doctor who specialized in treating the emperor!
She snorted coldly and twisted her handkerchief. “Those people who were secretly gloating over other people’s misfortune are really being too enthusiastic. This was the order his majesty gave, himself. Not many people in the palace can have this honor.”
I listened to this without much joy. The heart of an emperor is must unpredictable. Favor doesn’t necessarily mean joy and punishment doesn’t necessarily mean disgust.
I was applying a massage to my legs when there was a knock on the door. Yutan quickly helped me put on my clothes and half closed the curtains before answering.
Tenth and Fourteenth came in with Doctor Li. I quickly stood to greet them, but Tenth stopped me. They moved aside to let the doctor come forward and check my pulse.
I coughed a few times and asked, “Why are Tenth and Fourteenth together with Doctor Li?”
Tenth said, “We just happened to meet at the door.” He fell silent after responding since we were in the presence of an imperial physician.
Doctor Li took my pulse for a long time. After taking my right hand, he asked me to stretch out my left. He took it for a long time with his eyes closed and then asked for my right hand again. Tenth and Fourteenth looked at each other in surprise. They both took a few steps forward asking, “What’s wrong?”
Doctor Li shook his head slightly and signaled them to be quiet. After a while he half opened his eyes and asked, “Does the young lady sleep well at night?”
I said, “Most of the time I’ve not been well, and I feel like I’ve been sleeping less and less over the past year. I wake easily with noises and it’s hard to fall asleep again.”
“What about your daily diet?” He then asked.
“I don’t eat as much as I had in the previous years. I often feel hungry, but I quickly feel full after eating a little.” I said.
While taking my pulse and inquiring about my eating habits, he finally closed his eyes to ponder.
“I heard that the young lady had a serious illness last year. It seems that she didn’t take good care of herself resulting in a qi and blood imbalance. Judging from your pulse the young lady has been worried and fearful for a long time which often damages the yang qi and qi stagnation turns into fire, which consumes the liver yin. So that the yin cannot restrain the yang and the liver, spleen, and kidneys are all damaged. This time the evil cold invaded and all five of the internal organs were damaged. And the yin…”
I became impatient and interrupted him with a smile, “Doctor Li, please don’t speak nonsense to me. I really don’t understand. Just tell me directly, is it serious? How do I treat this?”
“It is both serious and not serious. The girl is in her prime. If she takes good care of herself, she will recover within two to three years. If she doesn’t pay attention, it’s fine as she is young, but in the future…” He said slowly and trailed off.
I nodded and said, “My knees hurt so badly. When will they get better? Is there any pain killer?”
Doctor Li said, “That is arthritis. Because the wind, cold, and dampness block the blood vessels and the resulting blood blockage caused joint pain and difficulty walking in severe cases. The girl was kneeling on the bluestone ground for so long and soaked in the rain for a long time. These are the combined causes.”
I thought about it and this made sense. It was rheumatism.
He continued, “Fortunately, the girl is young and it’s not serious now. Apply plasters and take a few days to relieve it. Supplement with acupuncture and it will be fine in a few days. However, it may still hurt in cold and wet weather. This is something you will need to pay attention to from now on, otherwise it will be quite troublesome when you are older. I will go back and give the girl a detailed list on how to regulate this and what you should pay attention to.”
After saying this, he stood up and bowed to Tenth and Fourteenth to take his leave. They quickly stopped him and said politely, “Doctor Li is old, no need to pay respect.” Doctor Li smiled and thanked them. He motion for Yutan to follow him and get the medicine. Yutan also bowed and followed him out.
Fourteenth approached the bed and stared at me for a long time and then said, “Have you been worrying about your fear for a long time? What on earth are you thinking about all day long?”
I smiled and said, “The imperial physician said that if I take good care of myself, I can get well. It’s not a big deal. Thank you very much for this.”
“What is there to thank for? I owe you two favors for what happened on the grassland. Which one was not more risky than this?”
Tenth pulled a stool and sat down. “What’s the matter with you? You’ve been worried and fearful for a long time. If it wasn’t for Doctor Li’s diagnosis, I would have called him a quack, talking nonsense, and exaggerating.”
I glanced at him angrily and just as I tried to change the subject, he pulled me back. I had no choice but to say perfunctorily, “This was not for the crown prince and Thirteenth’s business!”
Fourteenth snorted coldly, “Doctor Li was talking about long term. The longest is no more than half a year. How can you develop a chronic illness without three to five years?”
Speaking of Thirteenth made me feel uncomfortable again. I didn’t want to say anything more and stared at the ground depressed.
Fourteenth waited for a while, and seeing that I was sitting there with my head down, scolded me angrily. “You have this bad habit! You keep everything to yourself. Even when I ask you questions, you will change the subject or just remain silent.”
Tenth patted the table. “Okay. She’s still sick! If she doesn’t want to talk, forget it. The more you force her, the more annoyed she will be. But you should be happy today. Fourteenth has already done what you wanted to do.”
“Ah!” I exclaimed and looked at Fourteenth, but he turned his face away and ignored me.
Tenth said, “The emperor has allowed Lu Wu to be a maid, but her name and origin had to be changed. Fourteenth has ordered a housekeeper in the mansion to adopt her as a daughter and send her to Yangfeng Alley in a few days and tell outsiders that she is from Fourteenth’s mansion.”
I was so overjoyed I was speechless. I stood quickly and kowtowed to Fourteenth. I had kowtowed once and wanted to kowtow again, but Fourteenth held me back and said, “I’m not doing this for you to kowtow to me.” He placed a cushion back and had me lean back.
I leaned against the cushion, feeling both happy and sad at the same time. Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes and I quickly wiped them away with a handkerchief. Tenth and Fourteenth turned their eyes away and the room fell silent. I calmed down after a long while.
Tenth said, “Eighth was afraid I would get into trouble, so he kept it a secret from me and didn’t let me know of your affairs. Fourteenth did what he wanted as a result. Otherwise, if I had gone with Fourteenth to beg together, he wouldn’t have had to kneel for so long.”
“It’s not the case. The more people there are, the more sympathetic the emperor will be.” Fourteenth said.
“How did you beg the emperor?” I asked.
Fourteenth smiled, “I didn’t mention you. I just pleaded for Thirteenth and told him in detail about the misery of beekeeping. I also said that although Thirteenth had made a big mistake and violated brotherly love, he had lost his mother at a young age and was more attached to the emperor. I picked out some things that Thirteenth had done in the past to be filial to the emperor. I said that the emperor’s punishment of him was the law of the country and etiquette between a monarch and his subjects. I asked the emperor to allow Lu Wu to be a maid so that Thirteenth would have someone to talk to. It was all about father- son love.”
I sighed in my heart. What kind of grudge was this? They were the ones who sent the person in, but now this matter resolved by them. The three of us were silent. Yutan came in with the medicine and greeted us. Tenth and Fourteenth went to leave, but I stopped them.
“Wait a moment. I would have to trouble the two young masters.” I signaled Yutan to put the medicine aside and took out a key from under my mattress. I asked Yutan to take out the three mahogany boxes. She placed them on the table
“Open all of them.”
She opened the boxes and suddenly it was filled with jewels and precious stones. I glanced at the open courtyard door and nodded to Yutan who quickly shut it.
Tenth and Fourteenth looked at each other in surprise and Tenth sighed. “You are such a rich man.”
“I’ve been in the palace for seven years. These are the rewards from the emperor and the concubines over the years. There are also some silver notes underneath, which are the savings of the past few years. I can take these things with me when I am released from the palace. I have asked Li Shuda a few days ago and he allowed me to send them out of the palace first. I would like to trouble you two to send these to Thirteenth’s residence and give them to Lady Zhaojia.”
“These are your all private money! How can you give it all away?” Tenth asked.
“Thirteenth’s manor has always relied on Thirteenth’s salary and there is no income from the farm. He never spends his mind on these mundane things, so it wasn’t well off to begin with. Now he is stripped of his title and imprisoned. He has lost his financial resources, and there are more than a hundred mouths to feed in the family. And even if there is some money, it can’t stand that all the money going without money, so that he would suffer less grievance and less anger. I am alone deep in the palace, these are just sitting idly in a box. It is better to take them out and put them to use.” I said.
Fourteenth was silent a while and then said, “How about this? You keep one box for yourself and we’ll take the other two boxes away?”
“I still have some! I kept everything my father and sister gave me and I’ve kept some silver too!” I said.
“Just do as I say, otherwise I won’t be in charge of this matter.” Fourteenth said.
I looked at Tenth and he said, “I’ll listen to Fourteenth on this.” “That’s it!” I said helplessly.
“Anyway, I’ve pleaded for Thirteenth in front of the emperor. I have had suspicions for a long time. It doesn’t make a difference if it is one or two things. I will try my best to take care of everything for Thirteenth in the future so that they won’t be bullied by those snobbish people. You don’t have to worry about the money anymore. What you have is enough for a while. I will take care of the rest. In a few years when the little princes are old enough to work, everything will be fine.” Fourteenth said.
Tenth also said, “I’m not afraid either. First, Thirteenth and I have always had different personalities and we seldom interacted. Second, I am a rough man and the emperor won’t suspect that I have any improper thoughts. Fourteenth and I will take care of them and not let anyone bully them.”
I was filled with mixed feeling and was silent for a moment. I felt like I had a lot to say, but it was stuck in my chest. When it got to my lips, the only thing I could say was “thank you.”
They both smiled at me and took the two boxes.
“These are top quality goods. No wonder the emperor always said you had collected the good things. She doesn’t look like an ordinary person and she has a way of making money! Logically, she should be able to talk to Ninth. But why do you hate each other?” Tenth said.
I quickly responded, “Who said I was annoyed by Ninth? I don’t have the courage. Does Ninth hate me?”
Fourteenth tilted his head and smiled without saying anything. Tenth smiled and said, “If you don’t, then don’t. Just treat it as nonsense.” They turned to leave after that.
Yutan came in and packed up my things and handed me the key back. She then helped me take the medicine. After rinsing my mouth out with water, she handed me the list written by Doctor Li. I read it carefully.
The matters to pay attention to were not difficult to deal with, but it was not easy to be at ease and avoid worry. If I could really let go of these people and things, why would it come to this? I couldn’t help but sigh and smile bitterly. I folded the list and stuffed it under a pillow.
Yutan brought me some rock sugar and pear water. I asked to the put it on the small table while I drank it. She sat beside me and waited until I finished. She cleaned up the bowls and spoons while saying, “Eunuch Wang was punished by Li An-Da with twenty strokes of a cane.”
“What’s the matter?” I frowned and asked.
“I’m not sure of the details, but it seems like from something I shouldn’t have said, concerning my sister’s matter.”
I thought to myself, I have really implicated him. After half a day of hard work I was extremely tired and distracted. So I asked Yutan to go see Wangxi on my behalf while I lay to rest.
The pain in my legs gradually eased after several days. Although I was still sick, I could walk. I asked Yutan to help me go see Wangxi. When I went in, Wangxi was lying on the bed. When he saw us coming he quickly moved to get up saying, “My sister is sick! You could have sent Yutan. Why did you come here yourself? I cannot afford this.”
I quickly said, “Just lay down properly. Do we still need to pay attention to these empty formalities?”
Hearing this he lay back down again. Yutan brought a stool and helped me sit down. She left and closed the door. I turned my head and coughed a few times and then asked, “How is your injury?”
Wangxi said, “It’s okay. It’s just itchy, but I can scratch it, so I feel anxious.”
I nodded and said, “Be patient. The itch will just cause new flesh to grow.”
He smiled and agreed.
I was silent a while and then asked, “What’s going on?”
Wangxi waved his hand, motioning for me to come closer. He lowered his voice and said, “I won’t hide this from you, sister. But you should keep this to yourself. Don’t tell anyone else. My master allowed me to leak the secret, but also ordered me to be beaten.”
I was shocked and stared at Wangxi. He nodded vigorously indicating what he said was absolutely true. I was thinking about the cause and effect, and I started coughing again.
“Sister, please go back! I am also sick, don’t worry too much.” Wangxi said.
“I’m sorry for causing you trouble this time.” I said, nodding.
He laughed and said, “That’s too polite! My sister takes good care of me every day!” He then called out for Yutan. She pushed open the door and supported me in our walk back.
Not long after entering our door, someone came to Yutan and said the number of tea leaves she had recorded was incorrect. Yutan left to quickly follow him.
I leaned on the couch and pondered Wangxi’s words. “My master allowed me to leak the secret,” which meant that Kangxi allowed it. But why would he do that? Why did he let all the brothers know that I was being punished? Before I could figure it out, I heard the courtyard door creaking followed by two knocks.
“The door is not closed.” I called. My throat felt uncomfortable after and I started coughing again. Someone came to help gently massage my back. I looked up and saw Fourth standing by the couch. When I saw that I had stopped coughing, he straightened up and watched me silently. No trace of emotion in his dark eyes.
I was filled with grief. It finally came! We stared at each other for a long while. He turned around and walked to the table and opened the window. He stayed motionless with his back to me.
“I can’t ask the emperor to marry you.” He said slowly after a long pause.
I closed my eyes tightly and covered my chest, falling back against the pillow. After Thirteenth was imprisoned I had guessed he might say so. But hearing him say it, I still felt a thousand arrows piercing my heart.
“Whether you hate me or resent me, I am sorry for you. With the love that emperor father has for you, he will definitely find you a good marriage.” He said and started walking away. Before leaving, he paused. “Thank you for everything you have done for me, for Thirteenth.” He didn’t turn his head.
I lay there without moving, only hearing his footsteps fade away. Only the lonely and cold room was left and my tears dripped down onto my pillow.
“Sister?” Yutan timidly called out. She stood beside the couch. I quickly wiped away the tears and forced a smile, but the tears rolled down my cheeks again.
I wiped them away repeatedly but eventually gave up and cried with my head in my arms. Yutan sat beside me quietly. I cried for a long time before the tears gradually stopped.
I coughed and asked, “Yutan, why do you think women are always sacrificed? The strangest thing is that we don’t have the slightest complaint. Is it worth it?”
Yutan was silent for a long while. She then said quietly, “My father passed away when I was seven years old. Although our family wasn’t rich we had enough food and clothes. When my father fell ill we pawned everything we could to buy medicine. But he didn’t get any better. My mother cried every day and my brothers and sisters were still young and didn’t understand many things. I was so scared my father would abandon us. I heard that if you cut off your own flesh to cure your relatives, your sincerity and filial piety would move the bodhisattva and cure your relative’s illnesses. I secretly cut some flesh from my arm and boiled it in the medicine without telling my father or mother, but my father still passed away.”
I looked at Yutan’s calm face in shock. She smiled and continued, “People say that a long-term illness will lead to no filial sons, but I only know that a long-term poverty will lead to no relatives. After my father had passed, my mother washed clothes for others from morning to night and I did needlework for others, but the whole family could only eat half their fill. Later, because my mother often cried and her eyesight wasn’t good, she wanted to hide it from me. She pretended to be able to see even though she could not. We didn’t want her to be sad so we played along with her.”
I reached out and held her hand. Yutan went on. “I worked hard every day, but I still didn’t have the money to pay for my mother’s medical treatment. My younger brother fell ill because he didn’t have enough food for a long time. That winter was unusually cold. The accumulated snow had not melted yet and new snow fell. The snow on the ground was three or four inches thick. I wore a single pair of shoes and a thin coat that my mother wore when she was young and went to various relatives to borrow money. The mean ones even closed the doors immediately when they saw me. The ones who were a little better told me how hard this winter was before I even opened my mouth. I ran in the heavy snow all day but didn’t borrow a penny. I was cold, hungry and scared. It was already dark, but I didn’t dare go home. My mother’s illness and my brother’s illness, I was so afraid that they would leave me like father. I wandered around aimlessly outside and because I was absentminded I actually bumped into a carriage. The driver raised his whip was about to whip me.”
Although I knew Yutan was still sitting in front of me, I still tightened my grip. “What happened next?”
Yutan lowered her head and was silent for a while and then smiled at me. “Then the young master in the carriage stopped him and said ‘She’s just a little girl, so just bump into her!’ He also scolded the driver for not paying attention and rushing to find someone to blame when something happened. After that, he lowered the curtain and let the driver drive away, but I actually rushed forward to stop the carriage and knelt down to beg him to give me some money. I don’t even know why I was so bold at that time. Maybe it was because he spoke in the calmest, most pleasant way I had ever heard. Although he was scolding people, he didn’t have a trace of anger. Or maybe it was because I thought him a very rich man and that if he gave me some alms I could keep my mother and brother.
Seeing Yutan’s genuine warm smile, I knew she had gotten what she wanted, but I still was anxiously asking myself ‘and then?’
She smiled and looked at me. “The driver cursed ‘You really don’t know how to live or die. Do you know whose carriage you stopped?’ But the young man laughed from inside and lifted the curtain again and saw me kneeling in the snow and said, ‘Since I was a child, this is the first time someone dares to ask me for money so directly. Tell me, why should I give you money for no reason?’” She lowered her head and smiled.
“What did you say?” I shook her hand and asked.
Yutan said, “I said, ‘I want to treat my mother and my brother.’ ‘I don’t run a charity, so what does it have to do with me that they are sick?’ He said. I said, ‘If you can give me some money, I am willing to be your slave for the rest of my life.’ He said, ‘My family may be short on many things but there are many slaves and servants.’ I begged, ‘I am very capable and can do many things. Even if I can’t do it, I can learn it.’ He laughed and said, ‘There are many capable people who can help me do things.’ After that he lowered the curtain and told the driver to go. I was full of despair at that time, thinking that the carriage was leaving and taking away my mother and brother with it. Suddenly I got angry and ran forward to grab the rafters of the carriage to prevent them from leaving. The driver was furious and kept whipping me, but I refused to let go. When I was dragged a long distance by the carriage the young man suddenly shouted, “Stop! Stop the cart!” He leaned out of the carriage and looked at me. I was dragging my body in the snow with my hands still holding the carriage handle. He nodded and asked ‘How old are you?’ I replied, ‘Eight years old’. He smiled and said, ‘Good girl, here is your silver.’ He handed me a silver note after that. I took it in disbelief. Although I had never used a silver note, I knew that any silver note must have a lot of money. I kowtowed to him quickly. He pondered for a moment and then told his driver ‘Give her the silver you have on you.’ The driver quickly took out some silver and gave it to me. There was more than twenty taels total, enough for a whole family to eat for a year or two. I quickly handed the silver note back to him and he said, ‘The banknote is for you and the silver is also for you. You will definitely be in a hurry to go see a doctor later, but it’s already dark and the banknote is of such a large denomination. I’m afraid you won’t be able to find a place to exchange it for a while.’ I thought that what he had said made sense, so I kowtowed again and took the banknote and the silver. He praised me for being quick and efficient. After that he sat back and ordered the driver to go. I turned around and ran when he suddenly shouted at me to come back. I turned back quickly and he threw a cloak from the carriage onto the snow. ‘Wrap this around you.’ Only then did I realize that my clothes had been torn by the whip.”
Yutan was lost in thought, as if she was still in that icy snowy place. I nudged her gently. “What happened next?”
Yutan was stunned for a moment. “There was no later. I have never seen that young man since then. The amount of money he had given me was very large. In addition, after my mother recovered from her illness, she continued to wash clothes and my sisters and I did needlework, which supported us until I got into the palace.”
“You only met once.” I said regretfully.
Yutan said faintly, “I was young at the time and had no idea where to ask. Later, when I entered the palace I couldn’t see outsiders.” She held my hand tightly and said, “Sister, whether everything is worth it or not depends on yourself. Only then could I understand. Many of my girlfriends now have many children around them. They think I am very pitiful, but I don’t think so. I just wanted my mother to not be immersed in cold water to wash clothes every day. I no longer have to worry about food and clothes. I can afford to see a doctor when sick and my brothers have all gone to school. I feel that my decisions back then were right. Everything I had done, worth it. Even if I had to choose again, I would. Still willing.”
With tears in my eyes, I murmured, “Whether it was worth it or not is only known to myself. From now on, I have to. You and I will be companions.” My tears fell as I finished speaking.
“Sister, don’t talk nonsense! The emperor will definitely find you a good marriage!” She smiled and said.
I smiled bitterly and left it to fate. I had used up the last of my strength and didn’t want to fight it anymore. I am too tired!
The disease was gradually getting better, but a sudden fever in the evening came. Yutan was so anxious that she held my hand and just cried. I thought vaguely that it was good like this. The fever made me confused and I didn’t feel the heartache. In the dreamlike state, there seemed to be a pair of dark cold eyes staring at me, making me feel that my heart and brain were full of stabbing pain. I tried to shake it off but it was still there. The pain was unbearable and I could only sob and cry. I felt like I would fall asleep forever and there would be no pain. There seemed to be a completely dark and quiet place not far ahead where I could rest completely.
Yutan seemed to be humming a ballad in my ear, over and over again, without stopping. It dragged me, not allowing me to fall asleep completely. The sound of ‘sister’ kept my consciousness from falling into that completely dark place.
When I opened my eyes Yutan was crying with joy, her tears fell on my face. My fever had subsided, but Yutan had lost weight and her voice was hoarse. She could only use gestures to talk to me. Thinking of her singing by my bed all night long, calling me sister all the time, I suddenly hated myself. I was sick in the palace and my sister would never be better off than me. I still have Yutan and my sister. How could I be like this?!
My illness gradually improved, but I was still too lazy to move. I spent most of the day lying in bed playing with a snuff bottle in my hands. There was either a smile or a sob on my face and I was in a daze.
Yutan pushed open the door and walked in. She sat on the side of the bed and said, “The emperor has detained the prince.”
I hummed and didn’t respond further.
She continued, “The emperor summoned all the elder brothers and said, ‘After restoring the crown prince Yinchu, he wasn’t cured of his madness and lost the support of the people. He definitely wasn’t a person who could be entrusted to carry out the work of his ancestors, so he was detained and guarded.’ My sister didn’t see the scene at that time. It was so scary! All the brothers had been stripped and their hands tied. Although the emperor looked gentle and had a smile on his face, his tone was extremely cold.”
I sighed softly and Yutan asked, “Why are you sighing, sister? I thought you would be happy to hear that?”
“When the ministry of justice investigated the “Drinking Party Case” and the “Hutan and Heshuo Case of Extorting Silver” this outcome was already determined, it was just a matter of time. Besides, my fate might be worse than his one day. What should I be happy about?” I said.
Yutan was shocked, “Sister is speaking nonsense again!”
I smiled and said nothing more. What is impossible in this palace?
By the time I had recovered from my illness, it was already October. On the surface, the turmoil of the deposed second prince had calmed down, a bigger struggle had just begun.
Fourth gradually withdrew from affairs of court and behaved more low key, and really started to live the simple idle life. He called himself a ‘worldly layman’ and spent whole days discussing scriptures with monks and taoists in his manor. He only went to the palace to greet Kangxi every day and rarely discussed state affairs.
When we occasionally met, his face was calm and peaceful. I smiled and greeted him never saying much, as if nothing had happened between us, and he was always the cold prince Yong. Only the pain in my heart kept reminding me. No, no, no! I suppressed the pain and warned myself. Nothing had happened.
One day he had come to pay his respects to Kangxi. When I went in to serve tea, he stood beside Kangxi displaying his paintings for him. I had just put the tea down and intended to leave when Kangxi smiled and said, “Ruoxi, come and take a look too.” I agreed and went to his side to look.
“Did you see anything?” He asked.
I tried to hide the bitterness in my heart and said with a smile, “Isn’t the man driving the ox to plow the field Fourth? And the one standing by the ridge is Fourth’s Lady!”
“What else?” Kangxi asked still smiling.
I understood in my heart but continued with a smile, “I can’t see anything else at the moment, but, I think the picture was well drawn, but the most valuable is the meaning.”
Kangxi turned his head and told Li Dequan, “Find the Southern Song Dynasty Lou Chou’s “Pictures of Farming and Weaving” that was printed two years ago.”
Li Dequan quickly gave the order. Not long after, a eunuch came in with the painting. Li Dequan took it and slowly unfolded it on the table. The two pictures were exactly the same except for the appearance of the characters.
I slapped my forehead and said, “I deserve to be beaten! I follow his majesty every day, but I’m so careless that I didn’t even think of the painting he likes!”
Kangxi looked at Fourth approvingly and smiled, saying nothing. He lowered his head and studied the two paintings carefully. Fourth’s eyes swept across my face. I stood quietly with a faint smile on my face. Kangxi carefully read the poem written by Fourth under the painting and nodded.
‘Food is the first priority of the people and agriculture is the first priority for food.’ Every spring I offer sacrifices to the gods of agriculture on the alter and personally guide planting of the imperial fields. I often emphasize to the officials in court that I hope they would pay attention to farming. It is the foundation of the country! Fourth bowed his head and replied, “I followed the example of my father and opened up a few plots of land in the old Summer Palace to experience the joys and hardships of farming firsthand.”
Kangxi nodded and said, “Tell me, where does happiness come from? Where does suffering come from?”
“Rural life is free and easy, not only does it make you feel relaxed, but it also reduces the worry of gain and loss. Compared with the heart, people become open-minded, and the body is also stretched and healthier when farming. These days, I am more happier when I harvested the fruits I planted with my own hands. I have already felt the hardship of planting a few plots. Today, I am afraid that the sun will be too strong and tomorrow I am worried about too much rain. Thinking of the common people working hard all year round exposed to wind and sun, if there is drought or flood, there may be no harvest and I can’t help but sigh.” Fourth replied.
Kangxi nodded and didn’t say anything. I bowed to Kangxi and quietly withdrew. He is now more and more secretive. He carefully observes Kangxi intention in everything and is extremely filial and never disobeys. Kangxi’s suspicion of him must not have disappeared, but in the long run, water dripped through stone. As long as nothing goes wrong, it is only a matter of time before he completely lets go. Even if Eighth wants to deal with him, he will definitely not find any fault.
But Eighth is trying to hide his edge. On the one hand, he is still interacting with the ministers of the court, and on the other, he told the ministers to not recommend him as the crown prince anymore. Otherwise he would ‘prefer to stay in bed’. Kangxi was very disgusted when he heard this and immediately reprimanded him.
“You are just a Bei’le. Why do you make such outrageous statements to test me? He also was very arrogant and didn’t know who I am. As a Bei’le, he had such an outrageous idea to test me and make such presumptuous statements, isn’t this a great treachery and evil?’
His careless behavior further deepened Kangxi’s dislike of him since the abolishment of the crown prince.
Sometimes I’m confused. He, Ninth, and Fourteenth are extremely smart people and they have many councilors around them. Why did they do something to anger Kangxi? Thinking about it carefully, I felt that Kangxi was afraid of him. A prince who formed a clique already made Kangxi extremely disgusted, but he was famous for making friends with court officials, so no matter what he did, it was wrong in Kangxi’s eyes.
When he came in, Kangxi scolded him for having unrealistic expectations and when he left, he was scolded for having a tentative heart. Unless he could learn from Fourth and completely change his behavior and distance himself from officials it would be possible to change Kangxi’s attitude towards him. But he has worked hard for so many years, how could he just give it up? Moreover, everyone has different personalities so it was indeed impossible for him to learn from Fourth’s calm and detached attitude, otherwise he would not be the “Eighth Wise King” who respects the wise and humble.
It seems the biggest beneficiary after the dethronement of the crown prince was actually Fourteenth. Fourth lived in seclusion and rarely asked about state affairs, Eighth was disliked by Kangxi and not trusted by him; only Fourteenth, who was punished to kneel because of Thirteenth’s matter, was unexpectedly treated differently by Kangxi afterwards. He often entrusted him to handle state affairs alone and often was summoned in private to accompany Kangxi.
0 notes
Text
Cardiac clearance
Identify the type of surgery
Urgency of surgery
Emergency surgery: benefit of surgery outweighs risk of MACE (major adverse cardiovascular event). STOP HERE AND PROCEED WITH SURGERY.
Not an emergency surgery, proceed below:
History/Physical/Findings
Perform ROS for chest pain, dyspnea on exertion, decreased exercise tolerance, dizziness on exertion, syncope, etc.
Perform physical exam for lung crackles, leg edema, JVD, murmurs/gallops, etc.
Review patient's prior cardiology data: EKGs, CXRs, stress testing, cardiac catheterization, echo, cardiac medication history.
Obtain EKG*, in all patients with symptoms/signs of cardiovascular disease.
Obtain CXR, in all patients with new or unstable cardiopulmonary symptoms/signs.
Consider obtaining proBNP** if RCRI > 1 (RCRI explained below), age > 65, or age 45-64 with active cardiac conditions.
Consider checking troponin I if proBNP elevated
Obtain echo*** to assess LV function in patients with dyspnea from an unknown cause, history of CHF with worsening dyspnea/clinical status, and/or acutely decompensated CHF as below.
Active Cardiac Conditions: If patient has symptoms/signs of active cardiac conditions, STOP HERE AND EVALUATE/TREAT. Cardiology consultation recommended at this point.
Acute coronary syndrome
Recent MI (within 30 days)
Decompensated CHF
Obtain echo (if not done in the past year)
Severe valvulopathy or new murmur
Obtain echo (if not done in the past year)
Significant arrhythmia on EKG or cardiac monitor
bradycardia, pauses, rapid atrial fibrillation, SVT, VT, etc.
If no evidence of acute coronary syndrome, acute decompensated congestive heart failure, or significant arrhythmia, proceed with risk calculation as below.
Estimate surgical and clinical risk of MACE
Surgical Risk of cardiac death or nonfatal MI
High Risk(> 5% risk)
e.g., aortic and major vascular surgery, peripheral vascular surgery
Intermediate Risk (1-5% risk)
e.g., intraperitoneal or intrathoracic surgery, carotid endarterectomy, head and neck surgery, orthopedic surgery, prostate surgery
Low Risk (< 1% risk)
e.g., ambulatory surgery, breast surgery, endoscopic procedures, superficial procedures, cataract surgery
If low risk surgery, risk of MACE is low (even with multiple clinical risk factors): STOP HERE AND PROCEED WITH SURGERY.
If intermediate/high risk surgery, risk of MACE is elevated (even with few clinical risk factors):
Obtain EKG if high risk surgery even with 0 clinical risk factors, or intermediate risk surgery with 1+ clinical risk factor.
Proceed with clinical risk calculation as below.
Clinical Risk
The RCRI (Revised Cardiac Risk Index) score (https://www.mdcalc.com/revised-cardiac-risk-index-pre-operative-risk) is an estimate of 30-day risk of death, MI, or cardiac arrest.
FYI, an intermediate or high risk surgery automatically gives 1 point on the RCRI.
RCRI score 0-1 = 0.4-0.9% risk of MACE = low risk --> no further preoperative testing advised, STOP HERE AND PROCEED WITH SURGERY.
RCRI score 2+ = 6.6%+ risk of MACE = elevated risk --> evaluate functional capacity as below.
Functional Capacity
Functional capacity can also be expressed as "METs" and can be used as a reliable predictor of future cardiac events. One MET is defined as the amount of oxygen consumed while sitting at rest, and is equal to 3.5 ml oxygen / kilogram body weight / minute. In other words, a means of expressing energy cost of physical activity as a multiple of the resting rate. Generally, >7 METs of activity tolerance is considered excellent while <4 is considered poor for surgical candidates.
1 MET
self care
eating, dressing, using the toilet
walking indoors and around the house
walking 1-2 blocks on level ground at 2-3mph
light housework (dusting, washing dishes)
4 METs
climbing 1 flight of stairs or walking up a hill
walking on level ground at 4mph (i.e. a 15:00 mile)
running a short distance
heavy housework (e.g., scrubbing floors, moving heavy furniture)
moderate recreational activities (e.g., golf, dancing, doubles tennis, throwing a baseball or football)
> 10 METs
strenuous sports (e.g., swimming, singles tennis, football, basketball, skiing)
If 4+ METS, no further testing advised, STOP HERE AND PROCEED WITH SURGERY.
Noninvasive stress testing can be considered in patients undergoing high risk surgery with an RCRI score 2+, even in patients who have good functional capacity (4+ METs).
Stress Testing
If functional capacity poor or unknown: consider stress testing, only if will impact decision-making. That is the decision, to proceed with the original surgery, and/or the stress patient's willingness to undergo PCI/CABG followed by delay of proposed surgery, if the stress test is abnormal.
Original proposed surgery needs to be postponed by cardiac stenting and or CABG:
30-45 days after bare metal stent
6-12 months after drug-eluting stent
“Surgery should be performed, whenever possible, with at least 1 antiplatelet agent ongoing (preferably aspirin) and antiplatelet therapy should be entirely discontinued only if surgical hemostasis is predicted to be difficult or consequences of even minor bleeding (e.g., intracranial or endocular) are potentially very serious”1
*Pre-op EKG should be considered for patients with known coronary heart disease, significant arrhythmia, peripheral arterial disease, cerebrovascular disease, or other structural heart disease, except for those undergoing low-risk surgery. Routine preoperative EKG is not indicated for asymptomatic patients undergoing low-risk surgery.
**Biomarkers
BNP/proBNP
BNP < 92pg/ml or proBNP < 300pg/ml = 4.9% 30-day death/MI
BNP > 92pg/ml or proBNP > 300pg/ml = 21.8% 30-day death/MI
***Echocardiography may be used to evaluate ventricular function in patients with history of heart failure or dyspnea of unknown origin. It is also useful to assess valvular pathology in patients with a history of valvular disease or a newly identified heart murmur.
Source
1 note
·
View note
Text
Twisted Wings Chapter 2
Chapter 1
Warning: blood, also long af
Summary: Celeste's first day at Night Raven goes from bad to worse thanks to Ace and Grim.
The next morning, Celeste opened her eyes to discover the three ghosts hovering at the foot of her bed. Gasping in surprise, she sat bolt upright in the bed.
“Aren't the two of you supposed to be off cleaning the school today?” The gaunt specter said, grinning at them. Grim stirred at her feet, squinting blearily at the ghost.
“Oh yes, we are! What time is it?” She asked, clambering out of bed.
“… You're really not scared of us, are you?” The large ghost looked slightly disheartened at her response.
Grim let out a yowl as he finally became fully awake. "Wha?! The ghosts are back! Why are you talking to them like it's totally normal?!”
“They're just people without bodies, Grim. It's not that weird.” She replied calmly as she tugged on her black hoodie.
“People without… Celeste, do you hear yourself?! Of course, it's weird!” Grim exclaimed as he shrank into the blankets.
“You're a strange one. So, you'll be living here from now on? I hope you like pranks as much as we do!” The thin ghost laughed, still trying to get a rise out of her.
“I only intend to stay here temporarily. I apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you.” She spoke politely, and the ghosts exchanged glances.
“Whatta ya apologizing to them for?! THEY were terrorizing US!” Grim gawked at her in disbelief.
“They were here first, Grim. It was rather rude of us to barge in on them last night.” She pointed out, looking up as Crowley sauntered into the room without bothering to knock. Upon seeing him, the ghosts instantly dissipated.
“Good morning Celeste. Did you sleep well?” He smiled down at her as she smoothed down her hair.
“Not at all! The mattress fell right through the frame!” Grim griped loudly, hopping down onto the floor, as Celeste grimaced in silent agreement.
“I'm delighted to hear you've adjusted so well. Now, moving on, let's discuss your job for today. Today I'll have you focus on the area spanning from the front gates to the library. Now Celeste… I expect you to keep a close eye on Grim. I don't want a repeat of yesterday, understand?” He gave her a stern look after giving them their assignment.
“I'll try my best.” She sighed, hoping Grim would behave.
Celeste and Grim made their way to the front of the school. The street leading up to the main building was lined with seven stone statues. She started to pick up the rubbish on the ground while Grim admired the sculptures. I used to be a squadron leader; she thought to herself bitterly as she plucked trash off the walkway.
“This lady here looks like she's had some real anger issues,” Grim said, examining a statue of a rather larger woman with a crown on her head. Celeste started to snap at him for dawdling about when a young man sauntered up to them.
“You don't know the Queen of Hearts?” He asked, looking down at Grim. He had fiery orange hair and bright red eyes. A red heart symbol was painted over his left eye.
“Neither of us are from here,” Celeste explained, leaning on her broom as she walked over to them.
“She was a queen who lived in a maze-like garden long ago. A strict woman who prized order above all. She wouldn't tolerate a rose being off-color or a card soldier being out of step. The punishment for breaking a rule was immediate decapitation!” The boy spoke with an impish grin.
“Woah, that's seriously messed up!” Grim said, his fur standing on end.
“Pretty cool, right? I'm a big fan. I mean, who would bother to obey a queen who was nice all the time?”
“Whatever happened to doing things in moderation…” Celeste murmured, glancing up at the statue. Angels were just as severe with their laws and carried them out just as ruthlessly. She had gotten off lightly in the end, most likely because of her social status.
“Puttin' that aside… Who are you?” Grim inquired, staring up at the fluffy-haired boy.
“Name's Ace. I'm a first-year student here. Pleased to meetcha!” Ace responded with a smirk.
“I'm Grim! I'm a prodigy who's plannin' to be the greatest mage who ever lived!” Grim declared puffing out his chest.
“I am Celeste… Just Celeste.” Celeste spoke in a slightly subdued tone.
“Celeste? Huh. Name's got an odd ring to it.” Ace contemplated her curiously for a moment before Grim started talking again.
“Hey, what about the lion with the scar?” He said, waving his paw at the lion statue.
“That's the king of beasts who ruled the Savanna. But he wasn't born into the throne – he had to earn it through hard work and elaborate schemes. When he became king, he decreed the hyenas would be pariahs no more and should live among his subjects as equals.”
“Sounds like a great guy!” Grim said, as Celeste felt a mixture of emotions stir through her. How had that gone over with the king's subjects? Could angels and mortals one day come to an understanding like that? Most mortals were unaware that angels even existed, seeing them as legends. While the angels saw mortals as nothing more than insects crawling on the ground.
Grim moved on to the next statue. “Who's the lady with the octopus legs?”
“That's the sea witch. She basically devoted her life to helping troubled merfolk. They say she was so good, there was no wish she couldn't grant. They also said the price was steep, but of course, it was. I mean, she was granting wishes!”
“Wishes…” Celeste murmured, remembering back in the old days it was angels that had granted wishes.
“Do the guy with the hat next!” Grim appeared to enjoy learning about the statues.
“That's the sorcerer of the sands. He was an advisor to a sultan. He exposed a swindler who was trying to trick the princess! After that, he got a magic lamp and became the greatest sorcerer in the world. They say he used the power to become sultan himself!”
“What about this pretty lady?” Grim hopped over to the next statue of a tall woman in a flowing dress and a crown.
“She was a queen who was the fairest in the land. She used a magic mirror every day to check. If her position was threatened, she'd do anything to keep it. She was also a master at making poisons!”
“Geez. She's pretty, but that sounds kinda scary.” Grim stepped back, seeming surprised that someone so beautiful could be so cruel.
“All that over looks? Isn't it rather foolish to pine for your reflection?” Celeste shook her head in disapproval.
“You're one to talk. You don't have anything to worry about in the looks department.” Ace said, peeping under her hood. She drew back and tugged her hood down as she abruptly turned her head away.
“That guy there, the one with the flaming head, now THAT guy's scary!” Grim said, ignoring their exchange.
Celeste gasped when she recognized the next sculpture. “That's Hades, king of the underworld.” She answered, stepping up to the figure.
“Oh, so you've heard of him? He may look scary, but he worked tirelessly at a tough job he never asked for. I mean, this guy was ordering Cerberus, Hydra, and the Titans into battle for him.”
Celeste frowned. She had met him when she was a small child briefly, but from what she could remember this was certainly a strange way to describe Hades. She and her brother had accompanied her father in presenting a pegasus foal to Mount Olympus in the Celestial Realm when she was a child. Hades had been there to celebrate the birth of his nephew. He had been a smooth talker with a bit of a temper.
"And who's this last one with the horns?” Grim's question brought her back to the present.
“That's the thorn fairy. She was noble and elegant, and a master of magic and curses. She commanded storms and covered the kingdom with thorns – she could use magic on a massive scale! She could even turn herself into a dragon. Pretty cool, huh? Not like some piddling weasel.” Ace sneered at Grim, revealing his true intentions from approaching them.
Grim gasped as Ace began to mock them. Celeste straightened up from her slightly bent position. She'd been leaning on the broomstick due to her injuries bothering her.
Ace let out a laugh. “I can't hold it back anymore! You're the ones who turned orientation into such a fiasco, right? The girl summoned by the dark mirror unable to use magic, and the monster who wasn't summoned at all.”
“H-hey! You don't have to be a jerk about it!” Grim responded defensively while lashing his tail.
“In the end, neither of you got admitted, and now your janitors? SO, lame!” Ace clutched his stomach, no longer able to stifle his laughter.
“Don't you have somewhere else to be, child?” Celeste growled, losing her patience.
“Child? We're the same age, aren't we? Who are ya calling a child?! You guys didn't even know who the great seven are! Maybe before you try getting into the academy again, you should take a crack at kindergarten!" Ace became defensive at her remark.
Grim looked like he was about to fly off the handle again as he bristled with fury. “Grim. Ignore him. Don't let him win.” She warned him, but her words fell on deaf ears.
Grim erupted into flames causing Ace to let out a yelp of surprise. “No one makes fun of Grim, Master of fire!”
“You wanna throw down, shorty? You've got some guts!” Ace huffed, using a wind spell to blow away Grim's flames.
A small crowd of students gathered around them, excited at the sight of a fight.
“That's ENOUGH, you two! You're causing a scene!” Celeste shouted at them, but they both ignored her causing her to let out a hiss of frustration.
Grim unleashed another volley of fireballs, which Ace deflected. Unfortunately, the fire was diverted directly onto the statue of the Queen of Hearts, charring it black. Both Ace and Grim gasped in horror when they realized what they'd done, freezing in place.
“What's going on here? Cease this at once!” Crowley shouted, forcing his way through the crowd of students. Both Ace and Grim tried to escape, but the headmaster halted them with a crack of his whip.
“As if the likes of you could flee from me!” He growled, crossing his arms.
“Did I not just warn you, 'no more incidents'? And now you've gone and charred one of my statues?! It's almost as if you WANT to be expelled!” Crowley thundered furiously.
“No! Forgive me!” Ace pleaded, sounding panicked.
Crowley whisked around to scowl at her. “And you Celeste! You were specifically told to keep Grim under control!”
“I sincerely apologize, sir.” She replied, bowing her head.
“This will not do. You state your name and grade.” Crowley demanded, glaring at Ace.
“Ace Trappola… Freshman.” Ace answered glumly, his shoulders slumping.
“Now listen… As punishment for today's infractions, you are hereby ordered to wash a hundred windows!” Crowley ordered sternly glaring at the three of them.
“Gah! This is all your fault!” Grim accused Ace, lashing his tail.
Ace gave the Headmaster a stunned look. “What? I have to do it too?!”
“Of course you do. You will meet in the cafeteria after class. Are we clear?” They exchanged glances and nodded at Crowley's instructions.
After a long day of cleaning, Celeste and Grim went to the cafeteria to meet Ace. Grim was grumbling about how unfair it was, and she cast a sharp look down at him. She was incredibly sore from her injuries, and a day of cleaning hadn't helped. Now she had to clean a bunch of windows WITHOUT flying, aka the hard way.
“Try to learn from this experience.” She hissed at him as he shrugged her off before glancing around the cafeteria.
“Ace ain't even here yet! To make us wait after what he did…!!” Grim fumed as he sat down at a table.
They waited a while longer before exchanging glances. “He ditched us!” They cried out, simultaneously leaping to their feet.
“Let's go track him down.” She growled, stalking away.
After finding the classroom empty, they tried to head him off at the dorm entrances. Fortunately, catching up to him just as he was about to step into the hall of mirrors.
“Where do you think you're going, young man?!” she called out to him sharply.
“Wh…?! Aw, crap!” He spun around, his face filling with dread when he saw them.
“Stop right there! Wait!” Grim hollered at him as he made a mad dash for the mirror, shoving one of his dorm mates aside.
“Hey! What gives?!” the boy with black hair shouted as Ace blew past him.
“Please stop him!” She cried out to him, desperately pointing to Ace.
The boy blinked, looking bewildered as she and Grim rushed up to him. “Y-you want me to cast a spell to stop him? W-what kind?”
“It doesn't matter! Anything!” She spoke frantically, not wanting Ace to get away.
“Anything, huh? I summon thee… Something heavy!” He waved his magic pen and an enormous cauldron appeared over Ace, landing directly on top of him right before he could step into the mirror.
Ace yelped as he was pinned underneath. She grimaced, maybe it HAD mattered. Grim let out a laugh as Ace shoved off the cauldron with a grunt.
“That's what you get!” Grim sneered at Ace as he staggered to his feet.
The boy seemed surprised at his own spell. “A cauldron?! I may have overdone it this time…”
“What are you guys bothering me for?! You guys could have banged out those windows yourselves!” Ace said, glowering at the three of them.
“A hundred windows? With Grim who isn't even three feet tall?! After the Headmaster ordered you to help?!” Her voice grew more enraged as she went on, her injuries were aching, and her temper was unusually short.
"You have to wash those windows as a punishment? What the hell did you do?!” The other boy gawked at Ace, his eyes wide.
“I was just messing with that furball a little… Okay, the statue of the Queen of Hearts got a bit charred. Sue me.” Ace grumbled defensively with a shrug.
“No wonder the Headmaster flew off the handle at you! How did you manage to get into trouble on the very first day?!” The other boy exclaimed, glancing at her.
“Well anyway, thank you… Um…” She trailed off, not knowing his name. He had neatly combed black hair and blue eyes. Over his right eye, he had a spade symbol painted on his face.
“Oh, I'm Deuce. Deuce Spade. What's your name?” He peered curiously at her, trying to get a better look at her beneath her hood.
“I am Celeste. I'm not a student. I'm only here temporarily.” She replied, emphasizing temporarily.
Ace let out a sigh as he gave in. “Alright, let's go bang out those windows… Huh?”
She stiffened, realizing that Grim was no longer next to her. She whirled around and spotted his pronged tail receding down the hallway.
“I'm going to KILL him!” She spat as the three of them gave chase.
They pursued him all the way to the cafeteria and started closing in on him now that his escape routes were blocked. Grim leaped onto one of the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and proceeded to mock them. She cursed under her breath, wishing she could strike him down with magic.
“H-hang on! I'll think of something..." Deuce assured her looking around. "… Hm, I need something to grab him.” Deuce glanced over at Ace and smiled, pointing his pen at him.
"What are you doing?!” Ace gave him an uneasy look when he saw the expression on Deuce's face.
“I'm going to launch you.” Deuce declared, preparing to cast his spell.
“W-wait, are you sure you know what you're doing?!” Celeste cast him a dubious look as he sent Ace up in the air. Ace let out a yell and flailed around in a panic.
“Ace! Try to keep balance in your core! Don't panic!” She attempted calling out some flying advice to him. Back in the celestial realm, aside from being a warrior, she also taught young angels how to fly.
“What do you know about flying?!” Ace snapped at her, still struggling.
“Grab him and hold him tight,” Deuce instructed Ace, sending him soaring towards the chandelier. However he did so too quickly, both Ace and Grim shrieked as Ace crashed into it, bringing down the entire chandelier with him.
“Oh no! Ace! Grim! Are you alright?!” She dashed up to them with Deuce on her heels. Ace and Grim clambered to their feet, looking sore but otherwise unharmed.
“I probably should have softened your landing…” Deuce said with a grimace.
“YOU. THREE. AGAIN. What have you done this time?!” They all reeled around to see Crowley storming into the cafeteria, looking livid.
“First the statue, now the chandelier?! Enough. All of you are expelled!” He roared, waving his hand.
“What?!” Ace and Deuce cried out in unison, sounding horrified.
“But, sir! Deuce was merely trying to help!” Celeste tried to defend Deuce, but Crowley shook his head.
“You mean how he helped shatter the chandelier?” Crowley fumed, narrowing his eyes.
“Headmage, please! Give me a second chance! I need to be here! I'll pay for the damages!” Deuce pleaded desperately.
“This is no mere light fixture. Its candles are powered by a special magestone, so they will burn for an eternity. A legendary artificer created it. It's been here since the school was built. Considering its historical value, I would estimate its worth to be no less than one billion thaumarks.” At the Headmage's words, the two boys went pale.
“A… A billion marks?!” Deuce sputtered. It must have been a lot of money for them to react in such a manner.
“B-but I'm sure with your magical talent, sir, you could snap your fingers and fix this right up!” Ace said hopefully.
Crowley shook his head. “Even magic has its limits. Its magestone is cracked. A magestone cannot be easily replaced.” He pointed to a crystal at the center of the chandelier that was virtually shattered.
“What am I going to do?! What am I going to tell my mother?!” Deuce sounded like he was about to have a panic attack as his breath quickened.
Suddenly, Crowley looked up with a thoughtful glint in his eye. “Ah! There may be one way. The magestone that was used to power this chandelier was mined in the Dwarf's mine. If you can get a magestone with the same properties, it may be possible to repair it.”
“Then I'll go find one! With your permission, sir!” Deuce leapt at the chance.
“I should caution you that there may be no stones left. The mines closed a long time ago, and all the magestones were likely mined.” Crowley warned him, but he didn't back down.
“I'll do anything to avoid expulsion, sir!” He insisted, puffing out his chest.
“Hmm… Very well then. I will suspend your expulsion for a single night. If you don't have a magestone by morning, you are all expelled. You can get to the dwarf mines through the dark mirror.” Crowley said with a nod. Deuce thanked him, and they scurried to the mirror chamber.
Stepping through the mirror, they found themselves in a dark forest. The sun had just set, leaving their surroundings dimly lit in the soft moonlight.
She was forced to pull back her hood, so she could see properly as they headed for the mine entrance. The entrance was located on the side of a mountain and appeared as if it hadn't been used for quite some time.
“You wanna go inside THERE?! It's pitch black!” Grim flattened his ears, looking at the entrance nervously.
“Grim, if you're scared, why don't you use your fire magic to light the way?” She suggested, looking down at Grim.
“Wha-! I'm not scared of anything! I'm taking the lead! You all follow me!” He huffed, puffing out his chest as he marched inside. He summoned a small blue flame to light their path as they followed behind him.
As they proceeded down the dimly lit tunnel, Ace and Deuce kept stumbling and tripping over loose stones. Apparently, a human's night vision wasn't particularly good, even with Grim's flame.
Ace swore in frustration, glaring at Deuce. “We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for that stupid stunt you pulled!”
Deuce scowled back at him. “Oh? I'm pretty sure this all started because you tried to shirk your window-cleaning punishment!”
“So we're bringing up ancient history now? If you really want to get down to it, this all started when furball torched the statue!” Ace shot a glare at Grim as he felt his way along the side of the passage.
Grim quickly whipped around to scowl at Ace. “Maybe you shouldn'ta made fun of me then!”
“Alright boys, listen. You're about to be expelled, remember? It might be a minor inconvenience for me, but for you, it's a big deal, yes? You should concentrate on the task at hand.” Celeste chided them, and they turned to her with confused expressions.
“A minor inconvenience? Don't you want to go to this school?” Deuce seemed bewildered by her response.
“Oh no, I arrived completely by accident. But I'm quite far from home and needed a place to stay temporarily.” She explained, halting as a strange noise echoed off the walls from further down the passage.
“Hey, where are you from anyway? You have kinda a weird accent.” Ace inquired curiously, but she promptly shushed him.
“Wait, I can hear someone…” she said, peering down the tunnel and spotting a shadowy shape sliding towards them. She felt a wave of negative energy wash over her as it got closer, causing a chill to run down her spine.
“Wh-where's that coming from?” Ace stammered, sounding spooked, still unable to see what was approaching.
The dark entity moved closer, mumbling. “I really hope that's not what I think it is.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“Sounds like… It's getting closer…” Deuce's voice shook as the phantom drifted into the firelight.
“Stooonesss… Stooonesss aaare miiiiine!” The phantom growled its shadowy form dragging a pickaxe behind it. Grim let out a shriek and darted back behind them, crouching in fear.
“What is that?!” Deuce cried, taking a step back.
“It's a phantom! Get back, they're dangerous!” She shouted, backing up. Just a splash of its black muck would burn her skin if it touched her.
“Let's get outta here!” Grim yowled, preparing to flee.
“Wait! Didn't it say something about stones?” Ace stopped in his tracks.
“Stooonesss… Nevvva give stooonesss!” The phantom rumbled as its black ooze dripped onto the ground.
“So there ARE still magestones here!” Deuce said, perking up.
“Even as a master sorcerer, I… I don't think I can take that thing down!” Grim squeaked, trembling behind them. Celeste had never felt so utterly powerless. Usually, she had no problem taking down a single phantom but without her magic or sword…
“We need a magestone, or we'll be expelled! I'm going in!” Deuce declared before charging forward.
“Are you outta your mind?!” Ace shouted at him.
“Deuce, you don't know what you're dealing with! It's too dangerous!” She shouted after him, but he ignored them.
The phantom roared at Deuce, swinging its pickaxe. Deuce wasn't fast enough to fully block the blow, and it sent him sprawling out onto the ground with a thud. Ace rushed to help him, but was also thrown aside.
That's when the phantom noticed her, looking at her intensely. “Shinnness… Soooo… Briiiightly. MUSSST HAAAVE!” It lurched in her direction, forgetting about Ace and Deuce.
“It's coming this way!” Grim shrieked in panic, hurling fireballs at it to no effect.
While the phantom was preoccupied with her and Grim, Ace spotted something glinting in the wall a little way further down the mine shaft.
“Hey, something is sparkling in the mine shaft!” Ace exclaimed, pointing at the magestone sticking out of the wall.
“Ugh!” she cried out as she blocked a blow from the phantom with a collapsed wooden beam. She winced in agony as the black ooze burned into her pale flesh, and she felt the wounds on her back reopen.
Realizing that she was struggling, Ace and Deuce hastily came to her aid, blasting it with spells. She was able to get the phantom off her, but only just.
“We should retreat for now!” She shouted as they helped her to her feet, nodding in agreement. They sprinted out of the mine. Luckily, the phantom didn't pursue them.
They stopped next to a small stream in front of the mine, trying to catch their breath. She immediately tore off her black hoodie, which was now covered in the burning black ooze, tossing it aside and plunging her arms into the icy water to wash them off.
“What did you say that thing was? Nobody said there'd be anything like that!” Ace turned to her, his scarlet eyes wide.
“It was a phantom. They are made up of negative energy of sorts.” She explained, taking her hands out of the water. The burns weren't terrible, only slightly red.
“Why was it so focused on you? H-hey, are you hurt?!” Deuce noticed the superficial burns on her arms.
“Oh, this is from that black ooze. It burned my skin a little, but it's not too bad.” She tried to reassure him, but he frowned.
“How come it didn't burn me and Ace?” Evidently, some muck had spattered onto them as well, with no effect. The ooze didn't appear to be as toxic to humans as it was to angels.
“O-oh, I must be sensitive to it…” she answered, restlessly rubbing her arms.
Ace sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Let's just quit and go home. I'll happily take the expulsion if it means never having to fight that thing again.”
Deuce's head jerked over to glare at him. “What?! No! I'd rather die than get expelled from Night Raven! How can you give up when the stone is right there?”
“If you want that stone so bad, go get it yourself. I'm out.” Ace huffed, shaking his head.
“OH YEAH?! Fine, go back to your coop, you big chicken!” Deuce yelled, squaring his shoulders and clenching his fists.
“What?! Who are you callin' chicken, huh?” Ace spat back at him.
“Deuce did you… Just turn into an entirely different person just now?” Grim gawked at Deuce's shift of attitude.
Deuce coughed nervously and tried to relax. “Sorry… I lost my cool for a second.”
“If we worked together, it would be possible to defeat the phantom.” She suggested, thinking up a strategy. However, she would require their magic to execute it.
“No way! He'd get me killed!” Ace said casting an accusatory glare at Deuce.
“Like it'd be a treat to work with you?!” Deuce shot back at him.
“I have a plan, but you will have to cooperate for it to work.” She explained, and Ace scoffed at her.
“Like some kinda buddy move? You always say the lamest things with a straight face, Celeste.”
"There's no way that I could work with him.” Deuce huffed, crossing his arms.
“Yeah, but… Gettin' expelled on the first day… That's pretty lame, too. Maybe lamer.” To her surprise, Grim backed her up.
Ace and Deuce exchanged glances before turning to her with a hesitant nod. “Alright Celeste, what's the plan?”
"I know of a type of magic circle that can destroy the phantom. I'll draw it in front of the mine entrance. Grim, I'm going to need you to lure it out. I'll stay by the circle since it's attracted to me. Once it's inside, Ace, Deuce, you will need to recite a spell."
"Alright, so all we gotta do is say a couple of magic words? Sounds easy enough." Ace said, regaining some of his confidence.
“Yes, however, the magic circle needs a special ingredient to activate. I have to draw it using my blood." Celeste said and the boys blanched at her words.
"Wait, WHAT?!" Ace exclaimed, backing away.
"W-What kind of spell is this?!" Deuce stammered his eyes wide.
"The kind that's used in emergencies. Now the words are tenebras expellit et hostes. Do you think you can remember that?” She asked, the two boys flashed at each other anxiously before nodding.
“What about the blood?” Grim squeaked up at her.
“Ah… I reopened some scratches earlier when we were in the mine. I'll use the blood from that.” She turned around and revealed her wounded shoulders causing them to all gasp.
“HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN LIKE THAT?” Ace practically shouted, gaping at the bleeding wounds on her back.
“I had a bit of a… Fall, before I arrived at Night Raven.” She replied, looking at the ground.
“You should go to the infirmary! That looks bad.” Deuce choked, his eyes filled with concern.
“I heal quickly, trust me. Back to the matter at hand. I'll get started on that circle.”Celeste walked over to the mine entrance and started tracing the magic circle using her blood. After she finished, she turned to them to give the go-ahead. They all bore uneasy looks on their faces.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Grim squeaked, looking petrified.
“Yes, I'm certain.” She assured him with a nod.
With her reassurance, Grim shuffled over to the mine entrance on trembling legs. “H-hey, monster! I'm uh… I'm over here!” He called out into the gaping hole, his voice echoing off the walls.
There was a rumble as the phantom ran surging out of the mine. “He's coming your way, Celeste!” Grim yowled, dashing past her.
The phantom immediately lost interest in Grim catching sight of her. She backed up, trying to lead it into the circle without messing up the lines she'd drawn.
“Sssooo… Briiight.” The phantom hissed as it entered the circle reaching out for her.
“You guys! Now!” she yelled, and Ace and Deuce started reciting the spell.
“tenebras expellit et hostes!” They called out in unison and the circle flashed. A shining light engulfed the phantom, causing it to shriek as it disintegrated into black goo.
“I… I can't believe that worked!” Ace stammered, astonished, as he watched the phantom melt into a puddle.
“Celeste, are you alright?!" Deuce ran up to her and she nodded.
"Yes, thank you, Deuce. Let's retrieve the stone so you can give it to Crowley." Celeste replied and they went back into the mine where they had spotted the stone earlier. Deuce grabbed a hold of it and, after a few pulls, wiggled it free.
Leaving the mine behind them, Ace paused to stare down at the black puddle as Celeste carefully stepped around it. “Is it… Over?” He glanced over at Deuce holding the stone in his hands.
“I think… we won? I think we did it!” Grim exclaimed, jumping up and down with elation. The boys rejoiced together, giving each other high-fives. Celeste smiled as they came over to give her a high-five as well.
“It seems this experience has made us friends!” She grinned at them. Deuce and Ace immediately drew back, scrunching up their faces.
“I dunno if I would say, friends…” Deuce grumbled, glancing at Ace.
“Yeah! Spare us the clichés, Celeste!” Ace agreed with Deuce, and Celeste's face fell.
“Do… You not want to be my friends?” She asked, feeling put out. Part of the reason for hiding her identity as an Angel was so that mortals wouldn't be scared of her. Perhaps the spell she had used had unnerved them.
“Huh? N-no, I didn't say that…” Ace said, a red blush forming on his cheeks as he suddenly could not look her in the eye.
“I don't mind being your friend, Celeste!” Deuce added quickly, talking over Ace. He smiled warmly at her and she perked up.
Ace rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at her sheepishly. “Y'know… I hate to admit it, but… We mostly won because of your freaky spell.”
“Yeah… If you hadn't kept your cool and told us what to do, we never would have gotten this magestone.” Deuce nodded in agreement. “Now I won't get expelled. And wow, is THAT a relief!”
“I'm just glad no one got hurt.” She gave them a relieved smile but Ace frowned at her.
“No one got hurt? Celeste, you're literally covered in blood.”
“Yes, I suppose we should go back. It wouldn't hurt to clean these cuts properly – Grim?!” She cut herself off when she saw Grim reach into the muck and pluck out a black stone.
Ace and Deuce turned to stare at him. “Is that part of the phantom? It looks like a magestone, but it's black. I've never seen that before.” Deuce looked at the odd stone in Grim's paws.
“I… Don't know. Grim put that down. That stuff burned me, remember?” Celeste scooted further away from him as he sniffed the rock.
“Are you insane?” Ace exclaimed as they watched Grim pop the stone into his mouth.
“Eww! Gross! Spit it out!” Celeste cried, but he ignored her, appearing to relish the taste.
“Are you okay?!” Deuce asked, watching Grim gasp.
“That's what you get for eating trash.” Ace huffed.
“That… Was AMAZING!” Grim exclaimed merrily as they all ogled at him.
“Do me a favor and stay away from me for a while. I don't know what that stuff could do to me.” Celeste responded with a grimace.
“Come on, we should get this magestone to the Headmage. And Celeste needs to go to the infirmary.” Deuce said, leading them back to the Dark mirror.
Once on the other side, they were stunned to see Crowley about to leave. He looked just as surprised to see them.
“You… Actually, went to the mine?!” Crowley gasped, taking in their disheveled forms. He immediately recognized the magestone in Deuce's hands.
“Uh… Yes?” Deuce and Ace spoke at the same time, looking taken aback.
“I didn't expect you'd seriously do it. And never in my wildest dreams did I think you'd actually return with a magestone! And here I spent all evening preparing your expulsion documents.” Crowley gawked at them in disbelief.
“But you told them that you would let them stay if they returned with a magestone!” Celeste strode forward, concerned that he was about to go back on his word.
“Are you serious?! While we were fightin' some crazy monster, you were expelling us?!” Grim piped up, fuming.
Crowley did a double take when he saw the condition she was in. Blood was staining her backless tank top, and was smeared on her hands and arms. The lacerations across her back were now fully visible.
“OH MY! CELESTE! What happened?! Monster?” Crowley raised his voice in alarm at the amount of blood.
“Yeah! It almost killed us.” Ace responded with a glance at her.
“Oh, no worries, Headmage. The blood is from a wound I received the other night. It reopened during the battle.” She tried to reassure him but it appeared to have little effect.
Crowley groaned and shook his head. “Come back to my office and explain to me what happened… And sign a liability waiver…”
Once in his office, they took turns recounting to him what had transpired at the mine. Ace mentioned the spell they had used, and Crowley eyed her curiously for a moment, before speaking.
“So there was a phantom in the mines and the four of you worked together to destroy it and then brought the magestone back to me?” Crowley stared at them in incredulity.
“Yes!” Celeste chirped, smiling cheerfully as the boys groaned behind her.
“I don't know if I'd call it working together,” Ace grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.
“We just happened to share the same goal at the same time…” Deuce added, trailing off and the Headmage abruptly erupted into tears, shocking all of them.
“S-sir?!” Celeste exclaimed, alarmed at his reaction.
“The day has finally come when the students of Night Raven College have joined hands to defeat a common foe!” Crowley choked between sobs. Ace and Deuce immediately voiced their disgust, but the Headmage continued.
“At this moment I'm moved beyond words. This incident has proven my hopes were justified. Celeste, my doubts are allayed! You possess the talents of a beast master!” He looked at her eagerly, his yellow eyes gleaming through his raven mask.
“Um, what do you mean by that exactly?” She asked, confused.
“The dark mirror has chosen my students for their exceptional skill and potential. But exceptional talent begets immense pride and big egos. Most are so self-reliant and self-centered that they never even consider cooperating with others. But you, Celeste, are unique. You seem to emanate kindness and humility. The exact opposite of the other students here. This is precisely what Night Raven College needs!” Crowley exclaimed passionately, throwing his hands down on his desk.
“Trappola, Spade- I hereby revoke your pending expulsions!” Crowley declared, and Ace and Deuce exhaled in relief. Celeste shot them a smile.
“Furthermore, Celeste… I am granting you the qualifications to attend Night Raven College!” Crowley beamed.
“WHAT?!” Everyone shouted, including Celeste.
“B-but sir! I was only intending to stay at most a week! And I am unable to use magic!” She lifted her golden shackles in front of her to make her point.
“Of course, this is extraordinarily kind of me. There is one condition. Your inability to practice magic is for a mage unacceptable. You could not pursue the curriculum. As for you, Grim… Your actions today have made it clear you have sufficient talent to become a mage. So, you and Celeste will share a single enrollment at Night Raven College.”
“I… I'll get to go to this school? As an actual student?” Grim choked, on the verge of tears.
“B-but sir! I can't stay- I shouldn't!” She sputtered as things quickly got muddled in her head. How would she hide the fact she wasn't human long-term? What if she became a target for hunters or demons? What if she corrupted? She had planned to remain on the move constantly to avoid these problems. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Grim latched onto her leg.
“NO! YOU CAN'T LEAVE! Not now!” Grim's big blue eyes stared up at her, tears gushing down his cheeks. Despite her initial dislike of the small creature, she felt her heart melt.
“Well, I… Suppose I could stay a little longer.” She smiled down at him, and he immediately perked up.
“I will now present to Grim the magestone that is issued to every student here.” Crowley pulled out a purple stone affixed to a black and white ribbon, which he tied around Grim's neck. Grim bounced up and down with excitement.
“Celeste, as you can plainly see, Grim remains oblivious to the customs of human society. You are to keep a tight rein on him and ensure there are no further incidents!” Crowley warned. Celeste glanced down at Grim, who was rejoicing, not sure how to say she wasn't the best with human customs either.
Ace let out an impressed laugh. “Wow, that's quite the promotion. From janitor to student to prefect, all in the span of one day!”
Deuce nodded in agreement. “I see, if the dorm is just you two… And the headmage is putting you in charge of Grim, that makes you… The dorm prefect.”
“I'll do my best.” She replied, slightly apprehensive.
"Now Celeste, please go clean yourself up. You'll frighten the other students walking around like that." Crowley said and gave her directions to the infirmary.
To her surprise, Ace and Deuce accompanied her. Deuce hurriedly grabbed some clean towels and bandages, while Ace passed her a wet cloth to clean away the blood.
“Geez, Celeste. I can't believe you were walking around with these gashes like it was nothin'.” Ace frowned as he watched her clean herself off.
Deuce came up and gingerly patted her burns with a cool cloth. “Thank you… You could say that I have a high pain tolerance. I was fortunate the Night Raven carriage picked me up when it did, even if it was by mistake.”
“I'll say!” Grim huffed, trying to sound nonchalant, but he gave her a concerned sidelong glance.
“You should really take better care of yourself. These could have gotten infected.” Deuce spoke softly, helping her apply the bandages to her back.
“You seem rather good at first aid, Deuce.” She noted, giving him a curious look.
“I have some experience with this sort of stuff… Anyway, thanks for helping us even though you were hurt.” Deuce mumbled as a faint blush appeared across his cheeks.
“Yeah… Thanks.” Ace added, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.
“You are most welcome.” She smiled at them as they finished applying bandages and headed back out into the hall.
Grim rejoiced in being finally admitted into the school, cheerfully waving his paws in the air.
“I'm gonna be the top mage on campus in no time! Enjoy eating my dust, boys!”
“Big words for a sentient pile of lint who's literally only half a student. Still… Good for you.” Ace smirked down at Grim, while Celeste chuckled at his comment.
“I guess we're schoolmates now. Grim, Celeste – welcome to Night Raven.” Deuce gave her a welcoming smile, which she returned.
“Yes, I suppose we are.” She felt a twinge of apprehension, which must have shown on her face.
“I know ya didn't want to stay, but it won't be so bad! After all, you'll be working with the great Grim!” Grim chirped, tugging at her pants leg.
“Yeah, why DID you want to leave so bad? I mean, where were you gonna go?” Ace asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Ah… Well, that's a bit complicated. Let's just say I was hoping not to remain in one place for too long.” She answered carefully, earning an even more puzzled look from Ace and Deuce.
“It is growing late, yes? I think we should head back to our dorms.” She said, wanting to avoid this line of questioning.
“Yeah… Catch ya later, Celeste.” Ace said and left with Deuce, who gave her one last worried glance before disappearing out of sight.
1 note
·
View note
Text
i'm honestly so sick of constantly reading/watching/etc about how "weight/appearance doesn't matter, what matters is that you're healthy and your body is healthy!" and like... tell me that you're ignorant and/or don't give a shit about chronically/mentally ill and/or disabled people without actually telling me that you're ignorant and/or don't give a shit about chronically/mentally ill and/or disabled people
#kayleigh.txt#i will legitimately never be healthy my body is constantly attacking itself and i am always sick in some way#severe depression/anxiety + adhd = unhealthy brain#don't even get me started on the autism lmfao#fibromyalgia + rheumatoid arthritis + tachycardia + heart murmur + tendinitis + scoliosis = unhealthy body#oh can't forget about the horrific insomnia#i'm just so fucking upset and frustrated and desperate#can we please include disabilities and chronic illnesses and neurodivergence in our 'body positivity' stuff#or wait no i forgot we are useless and don't matter my bad#i am very unhealthy and i always will be very unhealthy because the stuff i have doesn't have a 'cure' or anything lmfao#OH and the godforsaken moderate to severe environmental allergies too can't believe i forgot those#especially considering i am all stuffy and gross today because of them ugh
12 notes
·
View notes
Text
because i met you,
—ep20.7: how about you?
warning: language, mentions of death, and childbirth emergencies.
word count: 0.67k
"Well uh— I don't tell a lot of people this but I actually had a child," Y/N revealed.....
—
I can't believe what I'm hearing right now, Mark thought. "You don't have to explain Y/N if you're not comfortable," he interrupted.
Y/N too, noticed how surprised Mark looked, after all this is something that is kind of a big deal. But she felt a little breather of a moment to finally get something off her chest.
"Oh- no, it's ok, I think it's nice to be able to talk to someone about it, that's if you don't mind listening," the female replied. "Yeah of course, always, and yeah I think it's good to get things off your chest " Mark replied.
Y/N smiled at his response and appreciated the fact that he was so nice and attentive to what she would say.
"Thanks, Mark, I really appreciate it," she chuckled.
"But yeah— basically I was 22 when I had her. So about two years ago, and well everything was going well until my delivery. I had a case called amniotic fluid embolism. I was allergic to the amniotic fluid and since it was in me, it entered my bloodstream. My heart and lungs collapse and I honestly thought I was going to die." Y/N explained.
Mark just nodded and continued to listen intensively, with a worried look on his face.
Y/N continued, "what sucks is that it caused my baby neonatal asphyxia."
"She didn't receive enough oxygen, and so it built up excess acid in her blood. In a mild or moderate case, she could've recovered. But in her case, unfortunately—, her case was severe." She sniffled as tears started forming in the corners of her eyes.
Seeing this, Mark immediately grabbed tissues, sat beside Y/N, and comforted her by caressing her back.
"Take your time." He cooed.
"Because her case was severe, either she resulted in getting permanent brain or organ damage. Or— in her case." Y/N choked, "—fatality."
Hearing this brought Mark to pull Y/N into his chest and simply let her sob into his embrace.
Mark softly hushes her while rubbing her back, "shhh...It's okay, let it all out."
"It's okay, she's in a better place now mhmm—," he murmured.
They continued like this for a few moments, until the girl rises and started to softly laugh, trying to wipe her tears away.
"Sorry," she chortled. Mark smiled, "don't be, what you went through was and is a lot. You deserve every right to cry your heart away."
Y/N giggled, "thank you, Mark."
Mark only smiled with adoration in his eyes, she's incredible for being so strong about this, he thought.
Y/N chuckled, "you know what's crazy about it though?"
"What is it?" Mark asked.
"It's a rare condition— only every 12 out of 100,000 deliveries and I happen to be one of them. On top of that, I didn't even have any of the risk factors that are associated with it," she explained.
Mark only had an expression of surprise on his face and is truly just shocked at the information Y/N revealed.
"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Mark queried. Y/N nodded with a smile.
"Where's the father?" He shuddered. "Oh— well he's somewhere. He blamed me for the loss of our child and took off," she answered. Mark furrowed his brows and shrieked, "WHAT? What kind of person just takes off like that?"
"To be honest, I don't even know. Everything was going so well for us, but I guess losing a child triggered him. But I honestly couldn't care less, all I could think about was my baby," Y/N elucidates.
"Understandable but still, what the fuck was that," Mark said frustratedly.
"Anyways, let's move on— how about you?" Y/N asked.
"Well, what do you want to know?" Mark replied.
The night went on, and the two had just spent their late-night just getting to know each other deeper.
home [prev.] [next]
⋆ pairing: mark lee x reader
⋆ summary: after the mother of his child left him for another guy, mark had developed trust issues which brought him to never want to fall for any girl again. everything was going well in mark’s life, just him, his beloved daughter, his best friends, and his success as an author. what happens if a girl unexpectedly comes, and already falls before even realizing it?
⋆ a/n: I AM NOT THAT KNOWLEDGABLE IN ANY ILLNESS, THIS IS BASED ON MY OWN RESEARCH SO IF IT'S NOT 100% ACCURATE PLEASE TURN A BLIND EYE HEHE :P + if you guys are reading on a desktop, you can use interactivefics to change the Y/N into your name!! please send any feedback, opinions etc! and send an ask/dm or fill out this form
taglist: @tennieboiii @minavenue @hyuckshinee @cacaubs @y3jiishot @morkleetrash @rinrinslovebot @yipyipmorals @cclaik444 @wanlore @thejeongjaehyun @h0ney-el @aelvbt @httpmuffin @luvenshiti @mrkleelvr @icecreamjaem @eboyjuni @karaxomb @danihow @luxebeautystyle @floydrosesex @moremobius @najaeminluvbot @traint0tokyo @najaemism @catscoffeeandkpop @studywoo @keijikunn @aedreamzy @smolpeyy @liljeongseong @hae06 @f4irynono @fullsunld @meowmeowhoon
#smau: because i met you#nct dream#nct au#nct fake text#nct#nct imagines#nct fluff#kpop fake chats#kpop#nct jaemin#neosarchives#mark lee as dad#mark lee#nct mark#haechan#nct u#mark lee smau#nct mark lee smau#mark lee fluff#mark lee scenarios#mark lee smut#mark lee fanfic#mark lee drabbles#mark lee social media au#nct mark social media au#nct mark fic#nct mark imagines#nct mark drabbles#nct haechan#nct mark smut
187 notes
·
View notes
Note
hello!! could I request neji, gaara and kakashi reactions finding out they'll have twins with their s/o? it can be getting the news, choosing the names, how are their behaves during and/or after the birth, their thoughts, feelings, you can put whatever you want ^^ grateful
TWIN REVEAL HEADCANONS!
FEATURING: neji hyuuga, gaara, kakashi hatake
WARNINGS: cw food
A/N: absolutely! love domestic naruto boys the most <3 also, im so sorry these got so long they turned into whole drabbles T-T CANT WRITE IN MODERATION AT ALL!!
NEJI
you’ve been pondering how to break the exciting news that you were expecting twins with the love of your life, neji, for days now
but what you didn’t realize was that he already had a sneaking suspicion that you weren’t only eating for two
observant as ever, he’s noticed how exaggerated your pregnancy symptoms were: extreme morning sickness (he always held your hair back), severe fatigue (massages and back rubs were always in order) and even as he lays on your stomach, he hears... a second heartbeat?
as you’re thinking about how to break the news, he’s also wondering if you’ve realized that you’re having twins
it was your anniversary a few days later, and you had decided to break the exciting news to him through a special treat
setting four steaming bowls of his favorite food, hot soba, on the kitchen table, you awaited the arrival of your husband
“(y/n), i’m home!” neji called out down the hallway, slipping off his shoes before he caught you standing there in the dining room
his eyes widened in surprise before melting into the most heartwarming gazes you’ve ever seen as he made his way over to you, wrapping his strong arms around your frail body
“happy anniversary, (y/n).”
you couldn’t see it, but neji’s eyes widened at the sight behind you, over your shoulder that his head was resting on
four bowls of his favorite food? why four?
but then he realized, pulling back quicker than light as he held onto your shoulders and stared into your eyes
“you know? about the twins?”
a radiant smile spread from your glowing cheeks to your ears as your eyes widened in surprise; neji already knew?
but of course he did, he was so observant as a husband: always gifting you things that you’ve pined over but never actually said that you’ve wanted out loud, taking care of that one pesky chore you can never bring yourself to do; he was the absolute perfect husband for you
a grin formed on neji’s face as he pulled your body into his once again, embracing you as tight as your enlarged body would let him
“we’re the luckiest parents in the world,” he murmured into your ear, softly smoothing your hair
“no,” you replied, smiling into his embrace. “i’m the luckiest wife in the world.”
the dinner was spectacular, as you and your husband enjoyed a wholesome meal for two (or four!)
after confirming that the two of you were going to be raising twins instead of just one baby, it was time to prepare double time
luckily for you, neji is nothing if not prepared
he’s got a running checklist of things he needs double of; double the cribs, double the diapers, double the bottles, double the clothes, double the—
poor man is overworking himself, but he’d work as many hours as he needed to to ensure that you and your new family will have the best first years of your life
he was getting anxious as you neared the time of your labor, as he kept checking that the house was babyproofed, the bottles were the right size, the food was the correct brand, etc.
it was endearing, seeing him so worried, but only because he cared for you that much
needless to say, the moment you went into labor, he arrived at the hospital in record time
neji realized he was worried for nothing as the birth went smoothly as could be, and when you finally brought your two bundles of joy home, he couldn’t believe that they were actually part of him
it made him so happy to be raising two little twins with his favorite person in the world
all the diapers in the world couldn’t prepare him for the delight of parenthood!
GAARA
you felt the cool gel spread across your enlarged stomach before the ultrasound crackled to life
you, gaara, and the doctor all watched with bated breaths as a white blob began to form amidst the dark abyss of your tummy
tears began to spring to your eyes as your hand instinctively moved to touch your stomach; this was your baby. inside of you was you and gaara’s own little bundle of joy :,)
gaara’s calming hand slipped into yours as the two of you gazed at the screen in wonder
“look!” you cried, pointing with your other hand at the absence of... a certain body part. “it’s a baby girl!”
“that’s right,” the doctor grinned. “congratulations, you two, you’re having a girl!”
but then, the doctor started to press your stomach at a different angle with a furrowed brow
“what is it, doctor? is there something wrong?” you felt panic begin to rise in your stomach. your baby?
a small smile emerged on the doctor’s face as they pointed to the screen displaying the ultrasound, “see for yourself.”
confused but more at ease, you watched as the tiny white blob on the screen moved slowly to the side to reveal... another one?
your heart rate began to quicken as you turned, shell-shocked, to your husband
the redhead’s face was stunned, his eyes blown wide as he raised a finger at the display in front of him.
“t-t-there’s... there’s two... of them....”
his pale green eyes locked onto yours, which were brimming with overjoyous tears
“gaara...” you reached for his hand once more. “we’re having twins!”
you swore his own eyes were filled with tears as he wrapped his arms around your frail, weak body, pressing a kiss to the nape of your neck
you clung onto your husband, a soon-to-be father of two, for dear life, laughing and gasping for breath as you realized that you not only had one— but two bundles of joy in your stomach
“congratulations again, you two, this one’s a boy!”
after a rough birth, your two feisty little sand twins are the rowdiest bunch in the barrel
clambering, climbing on top of their stoic dad, pulling at his hair, gnawing at his fingers
your beloved husband is their personal jungle gym
it’s amusing, watching gaara slowly (but surely) learn and navigate through the ups and downs of new parenthood
but above the sleepless nights, the ceaseless crying, the endless messes, he’s especially grateful that you’re the one he’s experiencing it all with :)
KAKASHI
you clutched the single smoke bomb tightly in your hand, smiling at your family, your friends, and your husband kakashi
the long-anticipated gender reveal of your baby was about to take place, and you couldn’t be more excited!
at the count of three, you pulled the pin and tossed the harmless bomb onto the ground
instantly, the air filled with a pink plume of smoke! squeals and cheers swept throughtout the crowd, and your eyes lit up with joy as your husband returned the gaze
you were going to raise the finest kunoichi there ever was
but then gasps sounded throughout the crowd as you turned to the still-smoking bomb
it was turning... blue?
your hands flew to cover your mouth as you gasped, turning to kakashi
twins?
kakashi wasn’t one to be caught off guard too often, but this totally got him
his eyes widened in surprise before the crowd began to cheer, applaud, and holler at the exciting news
“twins!” you cried, rushing over to envelop kakashi in a tight embrace
a baby girl and a baby boy... who would’ve thought?
while you’re freaking out about having everything in order, getting double the supplies, kakashi is cool as a cucumber (as always)
he’s always telling you to relax, that he’s got it all under control, and he does
you couldn’t ask for a better husband
seriously, his masseuse skills are like magic
after a long day of tireless cooking, cleaning, working, and stressing, coming home to a massage with kakashi is such a treat
he always makes sure you’re comfortable during the day, fetching you water, helping you to the bathroom, cooking up all your weird cravings
he’d be such a wonderful father, who are we kidding
teaches them important life lessons and raises them to be independent, powerful ninja
but also lets them have loads of fun, teasing them, tickling them, playing with them
its the most exhilarating feeling in the world to come home from an exhausting day of work to find kakashi passed out on the couch with each twin tucked under each of his arms after a long day of playing together
there’s absolutely no one else you’d rather spend the joy of parenthood with!
if you enjoyed this post, likes and reblogs are much appreciated :) feel free to request here, and make sure to read the rules first! have a lovely day everyone <3
#naruto#naruto headcanons#naruto imagines#naruto x reader#neji hyuuga#neji hyuuga imagine#neji hyuuga x reader#neji headcanons#neji x reader#neji imagines#neji hyuuga headcanons#gaara#gaara x reader#gaara imagines#gaara headcanons#kakashi#kakashi hatake#kakashi headcanons#kakashi imagines#kakashi x reader#hc
805 notes
·
View notes
Text
Serenade (Daniela Dimitrescu/Reader) Pt. 8
Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Rating: T for language? Warnings: None? I think? Please let me know if I missed something Notes: Bit of fluff with some anxiety/update on primary conflict. Next chapter will be a cute date with Dani, the one after that will be maximum h*rny, and then what will likely be the finale. Music for this chapter here. PS this one is a bit on the shorter side, but I hope y'all still enjoy it. Past Chapters: Pt. 1: Nocturne, Pt. 2: Overture, Pt. 3: Accelerando, Pt. 4: Toccata, Pt. 5: Poco a Poco, Pt. 6: Elegy, Pt. 7: Harmony
Chapter 8: Obbligato
(Obbligato: An instrumental part which is essential in a piece of music)
“Okay, okay, serious this time, please? I’ll give you a kiss if you try hard enough,” you promised, grinning up at Daniela as you did. A week had passed since your talk in the library, with the two of you spending most days together, and you were progressing nicely with the musical lessons. Still, your girlfriend (you would never get tired of saying that word) was prone to getting a tad ‘distracted’. By you, usually. Not that it was intentional by any means. There was only so much you could do to keep her focused when the two of you were this close together.
“I could just kiss you anyway,” Daniela teased, leaning in with familiar intent. Right before your lips touch, however, she pulls back and smirks. “But if you insist, I can handle the challenge.” Then she’s turning back towards the piano, carefully finding the starting position. Even with her prior experience, you were impressed with how much she had already learned, and couldn’t help but be immensely proud of her. If anyone could meet Lady Dimitrescu’s expectations within a three month timeframe, it was the two of you. Except, of course, you still had to double-check just what her expectations were.
In the meantime, you were excited to hear your girlfriend play through the sheet music you had written up. Most of what you were working with had come from the family’s storage room, but you had also found some blank sheets, and figured it couldn’t hurt to create songs of your own. This particular one was relatively simple. It had been based on a song from a game you had played years ago, and only posed a moderate challenge due to its interesting rhythm. Daniela had seemed to enjoy playing it, with you even hearing her practice the song outside of your lessons, but had so far today refused to play it seriously.
Finally that was going to change. Once she found the starting notes, she nodded to herself, then started playing. For the first time today her expression is stern, focused. Seeing her like this was nice. She was always cute, you just thought that she was extra cute like this. But you tried not to let yourself get too distracted, knowing that you couldn’t give her feedback if you didn’t pay attention. In your head you “play along”, fingers miming the movements, knowing that it would help you catch any possible mistakes. Throughout the piece there are only a couple that you catch, none of them being severe enough to ruin the experience. Finishing with a little flourish, Daniela returns her gaze to you, grinning expectantly.
“Well? I seem to recall you promising me a reward,” she said, perking a brow. Laughing a little, you roll your eyes, before moving in to give her exactly what she wanted. Both of you are smiling into the kiss, enjoying every moment of it. Soon enough Daniela is running a hand through your hair, and pressing against you more, tilting her head just enough to deepen the kiss. You’re blushing hard now, thoughts going everywhere other than music. It’s not until you pull back for air that you remember what you’re supposed to be doing right now.
“As wonderful as this is… we still have a few more songs to go over,” you murmured, despite how much you wanted to keep kissing Daniela. By the way she groaned in frustration, you figured she felt the same way, more or less. “Hey, don’t fret too much. Think of this as an opportunity to earn a few more rewards,” you teased, gently patting her on the shoulder. For a moment she simply pouts, but eventually she sighs and gets ready to play another song…
------------------------------------
Rushing up the steps, practically two at a time, you desperately hoped that you wouldn’t be late. This was your third “update meeting” with Lady Dimitrescu, which by itself was enough to make you a nervous wreck. Add in the fact that this was the first time you’d be meeting alone? And in her personal study, no less? Well, it was safe to say that you were terrified. You hadn’t even been told why things were different this time. No, you were about as clueless as could be, given the circumstances.
By the time you make it your Lady’s study, you cannot tell whether your heart is racing due to stress or physical exertion. Regardless, you make it there in short time, arriving precisely at the scheduled hour. After taking a moment to settle your nerves, you briefly knock on the chamber door. There’s the sound of movement from inside before the way opens. Lady Dimitrescu has to bend a little to see out, but quickly smiles when she meets your gaze. Which was rather unexpected. The last time you had met with her she had been distanced, although still polite. Then again, Daniela had also been with you, and the focus was, as always, on her.
“Lady Dimitrescu,” you greeted, giving a short bow per customs. Then you were being waved in, brought over to a small sitting area, where you waited for permission to sit down. Once it was given, you relaxed a little. Maybe I don’t have as much reason to be nervous as I thought, you muse.
“Please, make yourself comfortable. There are no reasons for you to be unsettled, as far as I am aware,” Lady Dimitrescu said, smile disappearing for a moment at the end. But it’s back as quickly as it had vanished. Did she suspect something? Perhaps she had seen the way Daniela looked at you, or even overheard the whisperings of your roommates. Both thoughts do little other than renew your anxiety. Noticing this, Alcina frowns and shakes her head. “I was merely joking. Now, let us get to the reason for our meeting: How are Daniela’s lessons fairing? There is only so much I can glean from listening.” Glad to have something to think about other than your secret relationship with your boss’ daughter, you nodded and began explaining.
“Lady Daniela is making outstanding progress, in my opinion. Even with her occasional… lapses in attention, once she puts her mind to something, she’s quick to master it. At this point she can sight read nearly as fast and accurately as myself. However, we’re still going over vocabulary, as well as keys and their corresponding chords,” you answered, barely able to maintain eye contact with your employer. Thankfully, she seems to have accepted the inevitability of your nervousness. You were especially thankful now that you prepared to ask her a question. “My Lady, may I inquire about what specifically you expect from my teachings? If there are certain genres you wish for Daniela to be familiar with, or techniques-... I must admit I am unsure as to how to best meet your requirements.”
Slowly reclining in her chair, Alcina appears to ponder your question. In the meantime she sips at her beverage, holding the cup as if it were a fragile heirloom (which it could very well be), eyes looking into the middle distance. Then she gives a soft hum, setting her cup down and returning her attention to you.
“I suppose I can understand your concern. In some ways you have already exceeded my expectations,” she said, expression oddly plain in comparison to her positive phrasing. “My daughter has rarely invested herself in anything as much as she has in your lessons. For this, I am left wondering what she finds so captivating- the music, or the one who pulls the strings?... But that is not the answer to your inquiry, is it?” In that moment, you are incredibly still, willing yourself to keep a straight face, despite the racing of your heart. At your silence, Alcina perks a brow, expecting you to respond. You can’t, your mouth suddenly dry. “What I expect is a passion to educate, a drive to see my daughter flourish. I expect you to teach her exactly as much as she wants you to, focusing on whatever brings her the most joy. But I expect professionalism. Your duties come first, above your health, happiness, and all other desires. Am I understood?”
“Yes, my Lady. Of course, my Lady,” you replied, stuttering, eyes wide. Did she know? Or merely suspect?... There’s another thought, one you try desperately not to voice, only to hear the words fill the room before you can stop yourself. “May I ask where Lady Daniela’s desires fit into this?” Silence hangs heavy over the room for several seconds. Your employer has narrowed her eyes, lips curled downwards into a sharp scowl, watching you with thinly-veiled anger. All you can do is gulp and wait for her response. When it comes, you are surprised by the stability of her tone. It was almost as if she respected your gall.
“She is young still, with the mind of a lovesick maiden. Daniela does not know what she wants, not really, nor does she understand what she needs. If her… flirtatious nature begins to interrupt your instruction, then your response must be swift, and uninterested. Regardless of how unkindly she takes your rejection, I will ensure that she does not harm you,” Lady Dimitrescu said, giving a stern nod at the end. Though her tone was reassuring, you hardly felt better, considering you were far past the point of turning Daniela down (if anything, you had only turned her on). “Now, with that settled, I believe I should let you return to your duties. Oh, and do tell Cynthia that the tea she brewed was perfect, should you happen to see her.”
Then she looked away, practically ignoring your continued existence. So you rose to your feet, gave another bow, and left before your panic could devolve into a breakdown. Daniela is not going to be happy about this.
#daniela dimitrescu#daniela dimitrescu x reader#resident evil: village#re8 village#serenade#my brain got stuck on this for some reason#sorry it took so long#very excited for the date chapter tho!#gonna be hecking cute
173 notes
·
View notes
Text
In Baltimore City, MD: Beautiful, sweet, trusting emaciated dog seeking rescue for continued care - BARCS, Baltimore MD
Sea Glass- 2 years, altered female, 39lbs
Sweet, beautiful 'Sea Glass' was found all alone on someone's porch in mid-August. She was severely emaciated, with her ribs, spine, and hip bones clearly visible, and she appeared to have pressure sores on her hips, legs, and tail. The finder immediately called Animal Control for assistance and Sea Glass was transferred to BARCS for further care.
Upon examination, our vets noted that Sea Glass was emaciated (with a body condition score of only 1/9) and dehydrated, has moderate periodontal disease, dermatitis, and and a grade 3/6 heart murmur. She was very weak and nervous, understandably, but cooperative and tolerant nonetheless. She was given subcutaneous fluids and was started on meds and a strict refeeding schedule.
We were lucky enough to see Sea Glass start to thrive in a temporary foster home but she is now back at the shelter to no fault of her own. She has gained almost over 10lbs and we would love to see her off to a rescue so her journey to recovery can continue!
We learned that this girl loves with her whole heart! She snuggles up close to her people and her tail wags a mile a minute. Now that she is starting to feel better and has the energy, she loves to play fetch and tug of war. She is very housebroken and loves her crate so she is quite the easy houseguest. Sea Glass is still learning her manners when it comes to food but who can blame her. Her demeanor is just the sweetest and her temporary foster mom gave her the nickname, Honey.
Sea Glass also had a very low-key, gentle dog test (due to her condition) and was overall nervous but friendly around other dogs at the shelter.
Sea Glass is available immediately for rescue pick-up.
Please let us know if your organization can help!
Thank you,
The BARCS Rescue Team
Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS) New Address! 2490 Giles Rd, Baltimore, MD 21225 [email protected]| (410) 396-4695
Rescue pick-up hours: Monday-Friday: 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m
Adoption hours: Monday-Friday: 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, Inc. (BARCS) | 2490 Giles Rd, Baltimore, MD 21225
#dog rescue maryland#dog rescue baltimore maryland#dog rescue#doglover#dog adoption maryland#adopt a dog
0 notes
Text
Unrestrained Summer Fun - canon-divergent Gil Grissom x Reader
(A/N: Thought I'd get this one out quick since it's the hottest part of the year. This is gonna be in 2 parts again. Sara doesn't exist in this fic {because I personally can't imagine Gil having a deep romantic interest in anyone else if she did}. Also, this is c-d in the sense that supervisor-subordinate relationships are allowed. And, maybe some ooc. Warning - this is...probably sickeningly sappy. I'm too deeply in love with him for my own good.
As always, @addictedtostorytelling saved my ass with the meta, and @davesdude80 helped me with Gil's walk :) Thank you.
One more person on the taglist: @stokes-theorem)
It was 3 in the afternoon, the hottest hour of the day, in the hottest season of the year. Gil and you had climbed into bed an hour ago to try and bag eight hours of sleep before having to get up at 10, since your shift started at 11. Unfortunately, the heat had kept the both of you awake. Even Hank had dashed down to the kitchen, emptied the contents of his water bowl onto the floor, and rolled around in it. Neither of you had had the heart to stop him. He was currently sleeping in the puddle.
As for you humans, you were lying on top of the blanket. The air conditioner was on a moderate setting. However, that still was not enough. You groaned, "It's still so hot..."
"Maybe, we should let go of each other," your husband joked.
You looked at him pointedly. "No." That made him laugh. You put a hand on his chest and took a bunch of the cloth of his shirt in your hand. "You should take your shirt off."
He nodded his head to one side, and swept his tongue over his drying lips. "Alright." He scooted a little ways away from you and did what you said. He tossed his shirt to the foot of the bed. You moved your eyes up and down his body. Gil smiled; he appreciated that you found him attractive. He would never admit it even to himself, but he was self-conscious about the fact that he was not stereotypically attractive. So it warmed his heart to have you look at him the way you did.
Of course, you knew how he felt. You put your hands on his chest and, closing your eyes, kissed him. He let his eyes fall shut too as he returned the kiss, his hands staying on the bed. You slid your hands down to his abdomen. "You're beautiful," you whispered. In return, he put a hand on your cheek. He gently bumped his forehead against yours. You instinctively shifted closer to him.
Feeling your shirt on his bare skin reminded him of something. He gently gave a few tugs on your collar. "You should take this off." You smiled at his imitation. You rolled back and took your shirt off, pulling it by the collar. You lobbed it next to his. "You look good."
It was your turn to smile. "Thank you." You snuggled back into him.
"Let's hope we can sleep now..." he sighed, closing his eyes as he held you.
"Yeah..." you huffed as well.
However, try as you might, the both of you tossed and turned all afternoon. Adjusting the air conditioner to a lower temperature made it too cold, and yet when you moved under the blankets it was too hot.
At one of the many points when you were looking at him, you ran your hand up his beard then through his hair. "It's not fair..." you mused.
"What?" he enquired with a raised eyebrow, a little humoured.
"Your hair is white. You don't retain as much heat."
That made him chuckle. "That doesn't make much of a difference."
Several hours later, you lay flat on your back on top of the blanket, away from your husband. You groaned and put your forearm over your eyes. "We are never gonna sleep..."
"I'm sorry." He said this because he was much more used to foregoing sleep than you were.
You turned over to your front with a grunt. "What time is it?"
He checked the digital clock on his nightstand (you had an analog clock on yours, but you did not want to move anymore). "It's seven."
You sighed heavily; he observed your back heaving. "Great..."
"We might as well eat our dinner; make the most of it and take our time to get ready."
You sighed through your nose. "Yeah..." you nodded, "...you're right..."
"You can lie down a little longer while I shower."
You turned over to face him. "Thanks..."
He was sitting up as you said that. "You're welcome." He stood up and, knowing what you would want, walked to the foot of the bed and threw his shirt into your waiting hands. You grinned at him. He set out clothes for himself, and did so for you too. You squeezed his hand in thanks. With that done, he went to shower, while you put his shirt over your nose and mouth. You inhaled deeply and closed your eyes, then let out a long sigh. His smell relaxed you. You just lay like that, taking deep, calming breaths.
You did not even hear the water stop running, or the door opening several minutes after that. The cold air from his shower mixed with the air conditioning of the room, so you did not notice the humidity. It was only when he tapped your shoulder that you were brought back to consciousness and looked at him. "O-oh!" you exclaimed softly, pivoting up into a sitting position and turning out of bed, darting past him into the bathroom; the image of him with the towel hanging on his shoulder, his arm still down and out towards you, and his eyebrow raised and mouth ajar as you cut off his necessity to speak to you, registered only when you were some ways into your shower. You stopped and let yourself smile at that picture.
When you came out of the shower, he was not in the room. You got dressed and went down to the kitchen. Gil was eating a slice of watermelon from the refrigerator, and there was a plate with more on it for you to share; the both of you consumed a lot of cold fruits during the summer. Hank had been given moist pellets, as well as some watermelon of his own. Your man had also placed your kits at the front door, along with his straw hat, sunglasses, and your satchel, which contained your sunglasses. While he preferred his straw hat to the department-issue baseball cap in hot weather, you were content to use the cap in whatever situation.
Even when you joined your husband, neither of you spoke, not wanting to exert energy unnecessarily. You cleaned up when all three parties were finished eating. You told Gil, "I'm driving." You had to state it first; he would have driven your car so as to let the engine run, but it would still have been him driving for the fourth time in a row, and that would not have been fair. Well, to you at least - he insisted that he loved doing things for you. It was how he showed his love, whereas you did so to him via physical affection. But still, you wanted to do things in return.
Thus, Gil placed his hat on his head, put his sunglasses in his breast pocket, took Hank and his kit to your car, and sat in the backseat with the dog. You followed soon after, taking your kit and bag, locking the front door, and getting behind the wheel. Gil tossed you the keys, and you started the drive to the dogs' daycare. You took as many detours as you pleased, not being in any particular hurry. Since you were the one driving, Gil brought Hank inside the building, then came back and sat in the front passenger's seat. You drove to the laboratory, taking some more detours.
At the laboratory, you and your husband hung out idly in his office, sipping on the contents of mineral water bottles which the team took turns to stock the refrigerator with. At 10:55, the both of you strolled to the front desk to check in. Then the journey was made back to Gil's office, while he waited for any calls from Jim. At 2:30 am, a case did come up, and so it was handed to Catherine, Warrick and Nick, leaving Greg, your husband and yourself. The three of you decided to get breakfast for the team.
Upon returning from your errand, you tried to nap on Gil's couch (while he read A Midsummer Night's Dream at his desk), but the leather made you sweat even more. You grumbled and slogged your way to the break room, where you sat on a chair and attempted to sleep sitting up. But it was not really comfortable, and you could not even doze off for five minutes. The whole time, you were dreading something: that Gil would get another call just as shift was about to end.
6 o' clock rolled around. Greg headed into the break room, reading a book on Vegas history while walking. He had intended to take an apple out of the refrigerator, but upon noticing your misery, he helped heat up the omelette you had ordered in the microwave. You had your head down and were drifting in and out of consciousness, so just barely noticed it, but you did not process it. Even when he set the plate and your mug of chocolate from the fridge in front of you, you remained in a discount coma. He tentatively tapped your shoulder with one finger. That made you interject and snap your head up, your back slamming against that of the chair. So only physical contact could stimulate you.
"Hey..." he said softy, placing a hand on your shoulder.
You sighed and buried your head in your hands, elbows on the table. "Thank you..." you murmured, the vague registrations of stimuli having been solidified when you woke up.
"Don't mention it. Eat up." He rubbed your upper back, and continued to do so as you ate, knowing that you loved the contact.
On your third bite however, the shift supervisor came into the break room. "Hey guys, we got a four-nineteen..." he looked at you sympathetically, "it's out in the desert."
"Nooooo," you groaned, tilting your head back. Greg could not help but laugh. "Nooooooooo..."
Gil was used to your antics, so he calmly asked, "Okay...what's your specific complaint?"
"It's gonna be so hot! It's not dark anymore! And I don't have a water bottle!" Plastic water bottles degraded in ultraviolet light, secreting toxins.
"Well...you can always share mine," he reminded you.
You quietened when he said that. Then, you sprung up from your seat and darted over to him. You threw your arms around his neck and put your face in his chest, making him grip your waist reflexively, but his cheeks turned red when you let out a, "Yes, hubby."
Greg laughed even harder. " 'Hubby' ?" he questioned through his chortling.
"During times of physical or emotional discomfort, she is not very...restrained," he attempted to explain. With how smoothly he spoke, the only reason his blush could not be passed off as sunburn was that he had not actually been out in the sun.
Greg pressed a fist to his mouth to try to stifle his laughter, looking away and waving his other hand in dismissal. "It's alright. It's cute, actually. It's just surprising to have someone call you that."
"I know. But," he shrugged, "I've come to like it." You had remained docile, but now you smiled to yourself and turned your head up to kiss his neck.
Greg's smile turned sweet. "That's good."
Your husband guided you to sit down again. "Finish your food, then we'll go." You gave a nod, then got back to eating. Grissom looked at the other CSI, "You wanna grab something to eat as well?"
"Yeah," he replied, turning around to the refrigerator, "I came for an apple, actually." He took his fruit out at last. Gil got his pancakes out of the fridge too, and had orange juice to drink.
The three of you finished eating and drinking in under four minutes. But the drive out to the crime scenes took about an hour, and by the time you got there, the sun was high in the sky. "Dayshift should be handling this," you grumbled. You did not mean it of course, but you felt like grumbling.
"Yeah? Don't worry, it'll all be over soon," your husband joked lamely. Greg, who was ahead and trying not to slide down a sand hill, gave him a dirty look (he dared to do so because he was wearing sunglasses).
For this case, it was necessary to stay for a considerable length time at the scene, because there were footprints to be moulded, little cufflinks and keys and such which had been buried and had to be dug up, and so on. Not so ironically, your unpleasant mood made it best for you to spend more time processing the scene while Grissom and Greg did the talking to people. Unfortunately but predictably, the extended period of time spent in the heat you hated made you feel worse than ever.
Several shifts later, the case was solved. You were sitting on the guest's chair in Gil's office, waiting for him (and Greg) to return from the police station. You had your upper torso on the table, arms stretched out all the way to the opposite edge. You heard footsteps enter the room, but they were not Gil's. You did not know whose they were, but they were definitely not those of the man you loved. "I thought I'd find you here," Greg's voice said, making you turn around.
"Where's Gil?" You sounded a bit sad; you missed him.
"He's talking to Catherine, presumably about work," he dutifully told you, raising a fist and sticking his thumb in their general direction. He put his hand down. "How're you doing?" You plopped back down, exactly as you had been. That gave Greg all the answer he needed. "Grissom will be here soon," he reassured you. You nodded, your cheek rubbing against the desk. "You want my company til he comes?" You shook your head. "Okay. I hope you feel better soon." You gave a nod of thanks.
A little earlier:
Grissom and Greg walked through the doors of the laboratory, coming upon Catherine in the foyer; she was just heading out. Grissom called out, "Hey Catherine."
"Yeah?"
"Can I talk to you?"
Greg spoke up, "I'll go on ahead first. Bye Catherine."
"See ya." Greg made his way to his boss' office. "So, what do ya wanna talk about?" Gil looked around, then took Catherine's elbow and guided her to somewhere more secluded. He looked Catherine in the eyes, but still hesitated, nervously fidgeting his fingers against each other. "What is it, Gil? C'mon, you can tell me," she encouraged.
He swallowed, then finally said, "I need a favour."
Catherine raised an eyebrow; was that it? "S-ure," she said casually, shrugging.
"It involves Sam."
Mugs chuckled. "That's why you're so nervous; you're always on about me accepting favours from Sam, and now you want me to do it." She smiled and shrugged. "I don't mind. What d'you need?"
Grissom smiled a small smile of relief. "During our next shift, could Sam keep one of his pools open at three? Just for (y/n) and me. And uh," he looked away out of shyness, "no surveillance. There can be guards on the premises but...I'd prefer to be left alone." Catherine was impressed, to say the least; it was heartwarming that he was doing this for his wife. However, he was still saying, "Meaning no cameras, and the guards-"
Catherine laughed softly and raised her hands to stop him. "Gil, Gil, I get it." He closed his mouth. Knowing that he was still doubtful, she stated, "No humans or cameras on within viewing distance of the pool."
Finally, Gil gave a long, slow nod. "You'll have to cover that shift for me too."
"You're letting Sam do something for me and I get to play boss girl? You're sure you're not the one doing me a favour?" she chirped. Grissom gave a small smile and slightly dipped his head in thanks, then walked off.
Back to you:
The sound you were waiting for was heard. Soft, shy treads which you found endearing padded their way over to you. "Hey," he said lovingly, and you felt his hand on the part of your back that was flat immediately after that. You remained silent. "We'll take the next shift off, okay?"
That made you perk up - literally. Your head snapped up so you could look at him. " 'We' ? You'll be taking a shift off with me?"
He smiled fondly at you. "Yes. We can spend some time together."
You returned his smile. You stood up and hugged him, arms around his neck and face in his chest. This time, he fastened his arms around your waist. "Thank you," you whispered. His heart flipped, because that reminded him of his conversation with Catherine.
"Let's go home," he whispered, but before he let go of you, he quickly kissed you, knowing that you wanted it. The way you pressed your flushed face into his chest to hide it only made that clearer. He moved one hand to cradle your head, letting you calm down. He found it curious how you could still be bashful when he showed you affection in particular ways. But perhaps...he was similar. The both of you picked Hank up from the daycare, went home, ate, walked Hank, showered, and fell into a deep sleep.
#gil grissom x reader#gil grissom loving#gil grissom#billy petersen loving#billy petersen#william petersen#csi#c-v-c-e fic
65 notes
·
View notes