#the orderlies coming to get me like sure grandma let's get you to your padded room

[stormyoceans]

hi Monica! is it okay to ask for an little more (maybe indepth) explaining on how puentalay and tesstun switch back to the og universes? So tun dreamt of place and the location ended up been in his film site the next day. So did puen dream too or was their respective switch happen due to tun. And we saw that talay say he dreamt of a place as soon as he wake up but it wasn't some place near by or easy to to reach. Does this have some symbolism or meaning and do u think tess also dreamed the same night too. So did the switch happen cuz of talay and tun

hello, dear anon!!!!

of course that’s okay!!!! as a general rule, please feel free to ask me anything, im always up to help if i can or even just to chat a little!!! tho it might take me a while to reply, as you can see ;;;;;;;

before getting into this, however, i think i should point out that the show doesn't really give a full in depth  explanation on how the switching back to the original universe works (probably because the novel itself does not give much of an explanation either), and while i do think the show tried to make sense of it by giving us a few more hints to help us connect the dots (which is one of the many reasons why i think the show is far more superior than the novel btw), the truth is that a lot of it is still up to interpretation. so what i can do is give you my own personal view on the matter, which doesn't necessarily mean it's the right one. im aware i tend to read too much into things and that maybe i've come up with an explanation that it's more complicated than it actually is, but im still gonna try to illustrate it as best as i can and let you decide if it works or not!!!!!

SO. right from episode 1, dol and joob introduce us to the two main rules that are known about traveling back to your universe, which are:

"to return to the old universe, you must first find someone who has traveled between universes like us. there will be something of that person that matches you. once you find that person, you will dream.”

“it will be a place. when you dream about a place, you must go there as soon as you wake up. there's a chance for you to return home."

if we go by these, things seem to be fairly straightforward: talay met puen, he eventually dreamed about the secret island, he went there, he switched back; tun met tess, he eventually dreamed about the pool where they were filming a movie in, he went there, he switched back. simple, right?

however, the more you look at it, the more i think it’s natural to come up with a whole lot of questions like if you dream after you find your portkey, why didn't puen and talay dream right away? did they have to reach a certain level of connection to 'unlock' the ability of being each other's portkey? but then what caused talay and tun to finally dream? did puen and tess dream too? and if talay/puen and tess/tun are portkeys, why didn’t they switch together?

as i said before, all these questions remain unanswered in the novel, but the show adds a layer to the universal travelling that i personally think it helps explain a lot. in episode 6, joob says  

"i do believe universal traveling happens for a reason. maybe it's a lesson for us to learn something we're missing."

this idea is brought up again by talay at the end of episode 12, when during his voice over he says

"p'joobjang once told us we travel between universes to learn something. for me, i learned about love."

if we look at universal traveling under this point of view, i think a lot of things start to make more sense, and we can also answer a few of the questions we previously had. after you die, you travel between universes because you need to learn a lesson. for puen, it was about accepting himself and the life he was given. for talay, it was about love. only once you've learned your lesson you're gonna switch back. in this scenario, your portkey isn't what 'unlocks' your ability to go home, but rather it's the person that can help you learn said lesson. and if we look at it this way, puen and talay WANTING and CHOOSING to be each other's portkeys gets a whole new meaning too: puen loves talay, talay accepts puen for who he really is, and by wanting and choosing each other they also accept the lesson they were supposed to learn

here's when things get a little bit messy (and i probably read too much into things ;;;;;;). so you have to learn a lesson. but to go back to your original universe we know you also have to dream about a place and go there. so you learn your lesson, and once you do you finally dream about a place, you go there, you switch back. following these rules, it indeed seems like the switch has been due to talay and tun since they're the ones who dreamed, even if you don't know what tun's lesson was. i definitely think this is perfectly reasonable, and we could stop here and call it a day, however to me it's not so simple, mainly for two reasons: 1) the switch between puen and tun literally happens at the peak of puen's character development, once he's fully learned his lesson and shows it by finally being ready to tell talay his name, so it's hard for me to see it as a simple coincidence, and 2) maybe it's gonna sound harsh, but to simply put it, this is not tun's (and tess') story, it's puen's (and talay's), so on a narrative point of view it's just weird to have someone else be responsible for the switch

so here's what i think (hopefully i can explain it in a way that make sense ;;;;;;): usually, when you're taught a lesson, you will also have to take a test to show that you've really learned it. puen's test is to face his worst nightmare: being back in his original universe with no one waiting for him. talay's test is to be willing to give up everything for love: losing time and energy by having to wait day after day for the tide to get lower. and while i do think dreaming and going to a certain place is necessary to switch back after learning your lesson, the reason i think puen didn't dream is because that would have defeated the point of his test (if he had dreamed he would have known he was gonna go back and he could have prepared himself for it), so tun dreamed (and went to the designated place) for him

im aware it's a reach, but it makes sense to me, especially because of the place tun dreamed of: a pool. this is already long as hell so im not gonna into it as much as i could, but let's just say that in vice versa water is a recurring theme that carries a lot of different meanings. one of those is that it represents puen and talay's relationship as a whole (in episode 7, the tide at the secret island is low because they haven't cleared up their feelings for each other yet; in episode 9, the tide is getting higher because they confessed to each other but there are still things left unsaid; in episode 11, the tide is at its highest point because puen and talay fully love each other with no secrets left between them [and talay has to dive in the ocean, in their love, to get to the secret island and be able to go back]). but water also represents talay and puen separately, with natural bodies of water being related to talay and artificial man-made ones (like a swimming pool) to puen

ANYWAY. there are still some holes in this theory and there's so much more that i could say about it, especially about the water symbolism and how i personally think 'the Universe' is a sort of sentient force in vice versa, but we would be here for ages so im just gonna shut up. if you, anon, or anyone else, even got to this point after reading though this mess you honestly deserve a prize ;;;;;; (i can offer cookies and all my love?)

but yeah, i hope this was at least interesting, if not coherent, and i'll let you decide if this is a somewhat reasonable explanation that could actually make sense!!!!!!

[vegetacide]

TaG: Bloodlines (Part 4)

Veg • notables: Just a quick one.  Though medical terms and conditions are real I am not an expert and these conditions have been purely used to enhance the events that are to unfold.  Any errors in my research and experiences for this are strictly my own 

Ty to @gumnut-logic and @scribbles97 for the brainstorming help and the encouragement. 

Previous:  Part 1 | Part 2 Bit 1  &  Bit 2 | Part 3

Rating and General warning:  Mature content head. If you are not a fan of medical issues of a female nature in relation to pregnancy please proceed with caution.   

Characters: Virgil, Kayo,  (V/K)…..

Location: TaG-verse AU  |  Auckland Gen.

E N J O Y

8-8-8

Part 4 - Peperiksaan

“Lift your hips, please”  The female technician asked kindly, her hand patting her knee in reassurance as she indicated the triangular wedge and large absorbent square pad.    “I’m just going to slip this under your pelvis.”  

Kayo shifted her gaze back to the technician briefly before complying.  The tech was gentle, her hands though gloved were warm and caring and a light of understanding shone in her intelligent eyes. 

“That’s right,  scooch down a bit, that’s it.. Perfect.  I know it’s not the most comfortable but this shouldn’t take long. Okay?” She smiled warmly at Kayo before moving down the end of the bed and pulling the metal bracing that was tucked in either side out.  

“Sorry, these are cold.  With all the technology we have we still haven't come up with a better set up for these.. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.”  She reached down and tapped one of Kayo’s feet and with little resistance Kayo did as she was asked. Settling one and then the other into the stirrups.

Kayo looked up to the ceiling,  heat high on her cheeks as the unsettling feeling of being vulnerable and exposed crept in even though she was technically still covered.  

The urge to sit up and bolt also made an appearance and she quickly checked the exits.  She didn’t like this.  She felt trapped and naked in the paper-like temporary hospital johnny they had supplied her and her flight or fight response was kicking into overdrive.  

The observant technician  leaned over her and caught her eyes. “It’s okay.  This is standard procedure and you’ll be out of here before you know it.  I won’t start though until your husband is here, would that make you feel better?”  

The woman’s lips turned up again,  laugh lines around her kindly mouth and eyes rising up with the action.  “I’ll just turn the lights down a bit to make you more comfortable, by the way, my name is Mariam and you’re in good hands. Doctor Coxley is a fantastic OB-Gyn. You couldn't ask for a better doctor.”

Just then the door just behind them opened and a nondescript orderly breezed into the room pushing an ultrasound trolley and right behind him was Virgil.  Gowned and gloved.

The orderly rolled the device up to Miriam and they had a conversation about programming upgrades that Kayo paid little attention to as Virgil came up the other side of the bed and took her hand.  

He bent down and brushed a kiss over her brow, a question in his loving eyes.  Kayo just shook her head and he gave her hand a squeeze.  

“Dad and Grandma are out in the waiting room,  Scott is off talking to our security detail.  Hubbert and his team are here.”  He told her by way of distraction.  

“Good.” Was all she could manage.  

Miriam finished setting up her equipment and plugging in the necessary information into the database.  Newly gloved and gowned she settled down onto a wheeled stool and cleared her throat.  

“Okay, we are all set.”  She plucked a wand out of its cradle and slipped a clear plastic sheath over it before adding a lubricating gel.  Reaching around with her other hand, she adjusted Kayo’s covering and lay a hand on her shin.  “I’ll make this as quick as I can but you may feel some discomfort so try to relax. Part your knees a bit for me.” 

Kayo squeezed Virgil’s hand and did as instructed.  

“Good, that’s perfect. Now take a deep breath.  In one, two, three.. Out. One, two, three… that’s it.”  

Kayo bit her lip and turned her head to Virgil at the cold, mechanical intrusion.  Even with modern day scanning equipment, internal aids were still needed to get clear, concise and detailed pictures.

Virgil skimmed her brow again,  nonsensical words of comfort slipping quietly from his lips as the technician went about her exam. 

It hurt. God it hurt and Kayo couldn’t stop a tear from escaping.  

Virgil brushed it away as if it was never there and she tried to lose herself in the scent of him.  She winced as the wand shifted and nudged deeper. 

“Sorry, dear.” Miriam’s voice drifted over, slightly distracted. “You’re doing great. I’m almost done..Here, this might help distract you.”

The briefest of keystrokes and a rapid whump-whoosh, whump-whoosh of sound started to emit for the speakers.  

Kayo sucked in a breath and Virgil’s hand tightened around hers. 

“That’s a good heart beat. Little one doesn’t seem put off in the slightest of my unscheduled visit. Oh feisty one. Just gave me a kick. You got a fighter in there.”

Virgil grinned,  eyes watery as he looked down at Kayo.  “Just like Mom.” 

Kayo smiled back but winced again as Miriam moved the wand around.  

“I just need to take a few more measurements and pictures and I will be all done, this one is most likely going to hurt so take a deep breath.” She warned and waited for Kayo to comply.

Kayo stiffened, her nails digging into Virgil’s hand as pain shot through her pelvis and another tear slid down her cheek.  

“Almost done… just a little further…”

Kayo grit her teeth and the stat monitor that she was hooked up to beeped in protest. 

“There,  got it.”  The tech said,  gently slipping the wand out and quickly disposing of the plastic covering in the biohazard bin.  

She turned back to Kayo,  towel in hand,  rolled it and settled it between her legs.  

“All done,” She informed, turning back to the monitor.  “Bleeding has increased a bit but I had to be thorough. Make yourself comfortable and rest here for a bit while.  Doctor Coxley will be in shortly to discuss the findings.   Deep breath, Dear.. its done.” 

Kayo gave a single nod and Miriam left the pair in the dim lighting of the exam room. 

The OB-Gyn looked up from his electronic chart at the pair and smiled warmly. 

 “From what I can see of the ultrasound, the baby's fine. The placenta is intact, no abruption.  You have mild placenta previa though that I want to keep an eye on.  It’s common to have it in the first few months of pregnancy  but looking back through your chart this is the first that we’ve seen of it.   

“Have you had any blurred vision or headaches?” He asked, taking Kayo’s wrist and glancing down at his watch. 

She gave a shrug and with trepidation supplied.  “A little here and there.” 

Virgil’s instantly stilled.  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Kayo looked away. “I didn’t think anything of it ..”

“Kayo…”

“I was going to bring it up at our next prenatal and I didn’t want to worry you. You have enough on your plate..

Before Virgil could say more the Doctor hmm’ed and let go of her hand.  “You’re BP is elevated. Have you been getting adequate rest?  Not overworking yourself?”

“Yes”

“No.”  Virgil supplied frowning at Kayo with disapproval.  There would be words later.   

The Doc hummed again.  “Well,  for the most part everything looks good, you just need to start taking things easier and get your blood pressure back to baseline.  Preeclampsia is a sure fire result if you don’t.”

“The bleeding is that from…?” 

“The placenta previa aggravated by a small vaginal tear.”  He replied with a raised eyebrow that had Virgil cursing. “The amount of bleeding can be attributed to that and the pregnancy in general.  There are a lot of things going on down there. The tear will heal up on its own but you two have to take it easy for a bit.  At least two weeks of no activity of any kind.”

I want you to put your feet up and rest, young lady.  No work,  no play. Just veg out and let this strapping husband of yours do all the work.

The chances are even with rest, the bleeding will continue so we need to be careful as you get closer to your due date.  I want to see you in a couple weeks time to check things out again and see how you’re progressing.

Also until then.. No flying.  I will make arrangements to come to you.  Keeping your feet turf side is the best course of action right now..excluding the trip home. If I see an improvement when next we meet we will see about modified activities. Both work related and other.”    

They both nodded in understanding.  

“Good. If you have any questions, concerns or if anything changes let me know.  My line is always open to you both.”  Setting the chart back in the cradle, the Doc gave another warm smile.   “Everything will be just fine.  Relax and enjoy this time because before you know if your lives are going to be flipped on their heads.”

“Thanks, Doctor Coxley.  We really appreciate you coming in on your night off.”

Doctor Coxley, held up his hand.  “It’s no bother at all.  You and your family do enough for the world at large, it's only right of me to return the favour. 

I’ll start the discharge paper but take your time.  There is no rush.”  He pointed to the room’s only other door. “ Just through that door is a small ensuite bathroom, fully supplied with whatever you might need.”  

Doctor Coxley looked to Virgil, “ Just keep an eye out for dizziness.”  

He settled his stethoscope back around his neck and he pushed up from his wheeled stool.  “One more thing,  I just need your verbal consent to discuss treatment options and follow up with Doctor Tracy.  Are you fine with that?”

Virgil helped Kayo swing her leg off the side of the bed, his hands gentle but his posture stiff and radiating barely contained disquiet.  Kayo said nothing, just nodded her head.    

“Great. Take care and call me anytime” And the Doctor slipped from the room.. 

8-8-8

TBC

NEXT

[ladyreapermc]

Fic: Your racing heart (Julian Mercer x Fem!Reader)

Summary:  after fainting, you’re taken to the hospital and Julian is your doctor.

Author’s Notes: It all started when I saw this post  and my brain went ‘write this right now!’ Also, I thought Julian deserved a little love since he’s such a great character and canon treated him like crap. Don’t worry baby, I’ve got you! Thank you @caryled​ for being beta and all around great friend!

Warnings: fluff! Lots and lots of fluff! 

 You let out a long, annoyed sigh as you watched the big hand of the clock on the wall slowly make its way towards 12. You’ve been in that hospital for two hours and all you wanted was to go home, but your grandma insisted on bringing you there after the little incident this morning.

She said you fainted, but you only remembered feeling dizzy and stumbling on the front steps of her house after a long morning of doing chores under the scalding summer sun. If you did lose consciousness, it wasn’t for more than a few seconds, a minute at most. It wasn’t bad enough to warrant a trip to the hospital, much less getting a specific doctor to come in on his day off just because she didn’t trust anyone else to see you.

You tried to argue, explain that you were fine, that you didn’t need to a doctor, but there was no reasoning with her. No wonder your mother would always say you got your stubborn streak from your father’s side of the family and your grandmother was just proving her point.

After another ten minutes of staring at the wall since you weren’t allowed to use your phone while in the infirmary and your grandmother wasn’t allowed in, the curtain isolating your bed was pulled revealing one of the most gorgeous men you’ve ever seen.

He was tall, with strong broad shoulders, but a slim frame. His hair was dark, curled a little by his nape and framed beautifully his kind brown eyes. When he flashed you a smile as he stepped closer to your bed, you felt butterflies in your belly.

“It’s Y/N, right? Cecily’s granddaughter?” he asked, picking up your chart. “I’m Dr. Julian Mercer.”

“Yes, hi,” you replied, suddenly feeling like there wasn’t enough oxygen in the air around you.

You shifted on the bed, fidgeting with the hem of your shirt, which made you realize you were still wearing the old shorts and oversized t-shirt you had picked for tending to your grandmother garden and lawn. There were dirt and grass stains on your shirt and your hair still sweaty and in a messy ponytail. 

Why did you always have the misfortune of meeting cute guys when you were such a mess?

“Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” He settled the chart on the bed and picked a penlight from his whitecoat. “So, you fainted?” Dr. Mercer asked, flashing the light in your eyes.

“Maybe. I don’t think I actually passed out. I just got really dizzy and fell down.”

“Do you know if you hit your head?” He inquired, pocketing the penlight again.

“I caught myself,” you replied, showing the friction burns on your hands and Dr. Mercer winced in sympathy. “It wasn’t that bad. They didn’t have to call you.”

“I don’t mind,” he reassured you. “Cecily’s one of my favorite patients.”

Dr. Mercer smiled at you as he took your wrist, his hand was a little rough and warm against your skin. His touch careful and gentle and your heart sped up. Held held onto your hand for a moment as he checked your pulse, his smile widening a little.

“Your resting heart rate is a little above average, but nothing to worry,” he commented letting go of your hand to pick up the blood pressure monitor.

All you wanted was for the ground to swallow you whole. Not only did he notice how nervous you were, he also knew why.

You avoided his gaze throughout the rest of the exam, replying to his questions monosyllabically, wishing the entire thing to be over so you could die of embarrassment in the safety of your grandmother’s home.

“Y/N, when was the last time you ate?” Dr. Mercer asked and that caught your attention as you thought about it.

The whole reason for you to come to your grandmother’s house this summer was to finish the first draft of your novel. You’ve been working for a publishing house for the last three years and finally got a chance to publish your own stuff, which had been your dream for so long.

So, you packed a bag and headed to the Hamptons to seek some inspiration and to stay with your grandma while your parents traveled Europe for their thirtieth anniversary.

Once you were there, you decided to help out with a few chores around the house: mowing the lawn, repotting some of her flowers, repainting the railing of the front porch…And maybe you skipped breakfast to get an early start and since you had dinner with your grandmother and she was always in bed by nine, the last meal you had must have been around six or seven last night.

“That long, huh?” he commented when you took a little too long to answer. “Give me a sec.”

Dr. Mercer moved away, only to return a few moments later with a wheelchair. He helped you to get on it and wheeled you through the hallways of the hospital until the two of you reached a vending machine.

“Peach or grape?” he asked, pulling out a couple of bills from his wallet.

“Grape,” you replied a little confused until he handed you a purple juice box.

“My favorite too,” he said with a wink that nearly made your heart stop, before grabbing a juice for himself and a package of saltines.

Then, he wheeled you to the hospital garden, parking your chair by a bench. Dr. Mercer took a seat by your side and opened the crackers, offering it to you.

“Low blood sugar and overheating can cause dizzy spells,” he explained. “So, make sure not to skip any meals from now on, ok? Cecily shouldn’t be worrying too much considering her heart.”

“Yeah, I know,” you replied with a sigh, a little ashamed of your behavior.

All of this because you wanted to be done as quickly as possible and return to your book. Not only you gave your grandma quite a scare, you were making Dr. Mercer miss his day off.

“She really shouldn’t have dragged you here for this, Dr. Mercer.”

“Julian,” he corrected with a smile. “Truth is, I was glad for the call. I always feel like I’ve reached a new low whenever I’m watching daytime TV.”

You couldn’t help but smile at his awkward little chuckle. He was handsome and charming. That was an irresistible combination for you.

“That is bad,” you commented. “I’d think a guy like you would have better things to do in his day off.”

“I might’ve been avoiding running into my ex,” he confessed, giving you a sideway glance. “She’s in town with her new husband.”

“Bad breakup?” you asked, sipping your juice. You tried to picture a scenario where anyone would dump a guy like Julian and came up empty.

“No, just…” he sighed and shrugged. “So… Cecily told me you’re a writer?”

“Not officially, but soon. Hopefully,” you replied with a grin. This was the first time anyone called you a writer. In front of you at least. It sounded really good. 

“What’s your book about?” Julian asked, turning to face you, resting his elbow on the back of the bench and watching you with soft smile as you babbled about the general idea for your story.

From there the two of you talked some more about favorite books and movies and bands. Julian surprised you by being a fan of both romantic comedies and punk rock, which was a nice contradiction. And he teased you for loving trashy horror movies. It was light, fun and comfortable and both of you lost track of time, too involved on each other.

It wasn’t until one of the orderlies came around looking for you that you realized you and Julian had spent the last half-hour talking, oblivious of your grandma still waiting and other appointments Julian might have.

“I should probably take you back and discharge you,” he said, standing up and maneuvering your chair towards the door. “I bet you’re getting sick of this hospital.”

“I don’t know,” you said, feeling less nervous around him. “It has its perks.”

You smiled at Julian who smiled back as he wheeled you to your bed in the infirmary. He took out his prescription pad and wrote a quick note before handing it to you.

“That’s to avoid another dizzy spell,” He said as you looked over his vitamin suggestions and instructions to eat every three hours.

“And this is for when you need to relax… if you’re interested.” Julian flashed you quick smile as he handed you the second note.

He picked up your chart again and signed your discharge papers.

“Feel better, Y/N,” he said, before walking away.

It wasn’t until you were in the car with your grandma on your way back home that you looked at the second note Julian gave you and grinned at his phone number.

xxx