#Vocal Cord Paralysis | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bigreputation92592 · 1 year

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Please help me make my wildest dreams come true! I want to dance like a disco ball, and even though I am quadriplegic, I still know how to shake it off.

@taylorswift

Dear Ms. Taylor Alison Swift and Management team:

My name is Kelly Sagiv, and I am currently 30-year-old. I was 10 years old when I was involved in a SUV accident. I was diagnosed with a tare of the brainstem, which led me to become a C1-C2 quadriplegic with vocal cord paralysis.

On April 13, 2003, my family and I were driving from New York to Florida when the back left tire blew out and as a result my I were ejected from the SUV along with my father, sister Lily, twin sister Ashley, and my two dogs.

Luckily, an off-duty nurse was driving behind us on her way to work at the hospital. She called the first responders to help us. The police and firefighters managed to locate my father, my sisters and my 2 dogs. However, they struggled to find me. My mother was still stuck in the car, and started screaming, "Where is Kelly?" Having heard my mother shrieking, my twin sister Ashley immediately crawled out of the grass and began searching for me. It was as if something was guiding her to me. “Twin intuition is a real thing!” They found my body in the woods. The off-duty nurse began CPR and was able to resuscitate me. Then she feels my pulse, but I was still unconscious. “Light! Give me light! “Helen Keller. You, Taylor Swift, mentioned this in one of your tracks on your 1989 album, “Out of the Woods”. “Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we in the clear? Are we in the clear? Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet, Good” (Are we out of the woods?)

My sister Lily and I were airlifted to Medical University of South Carolina. I had to get a tracheostomy placed and have a feeding tube inserted. There's a proverb that goes something like, "As you approach death, a brilliant light emerges in your eyes." After being dead for a few minutes, I was miraculously revived. I can't say for sure if I genuinely saw the light before my eyes as death approached. Much of my time at the South Carolina hospital is a total haze. I felt like I was floating on a bed of clouds, and all I could see were the lights and the people sitting around me.

After several CT scans and MRI’s, we were told that my neck and vertebra were dislocated. The doctors in Mount Sinai looked at my mother, stunned, and told her, "You are very lucky that Kelly didn’t die." The doctor informed my mother that I had to undergo a very risky with only 3% survival rate to attach my neck to my body. I was not able to move any part of my body, and I was like a vegetable, only able communicate with my eyes.

On the tenth day since arriving at Mount Sinai Hospital, I underwent a procedure in which a halo was placed on my head to prevent it from moving. I felt like a freak, like I looked like a scary Frankenstein. I did not realize my injury, my diagnosis, my sister's diagnosis, my father's diagnosis, and everything else. A few weeks later, I found out I had a tare of the brainstem; my dad had a spinal cord injury, broken ribs, and a broken neck; and my sister Lily had a T6 spinal cord injury.

I’ve lived with this for 20 years. It’s still really hard living without mobility or a voice. I guess I just got used to it and am surviving.

My sister Lily and I have a special bond in which we share a form of paralysis. We also shared other passions in sports and music, specifically our love of Taylor Swift. We even changed up some of the lyrics to fit us. On her album Fearless, she sings, You belong with me, but she wears short skirts I wear T-shirts. She's cheer captain, and "I'm in a wheelchair."

Taylor, you are the queen of the "bridge." We often make videos reciting the bridge part from her songs. Lily and I find your music therapeutic. There is something powerful, talented, brilliant, brave, fearless, meaningful, and smooth about Taylor's music. Taylor's music is inspirational. You are a lyrical genius. In the 1989 album's song "Clean," you sing, "The water filled my lungs; I screamed so loud, but no one heard a thing." Although I do not have a voice to sing along, I feel these words every day. Things happen in life. There are always ups and downs. Whenever I felt down, whether related to my paralysis or the world, I played "Shake It Off." I breathe, with the song blasting, shaking my head back and forth, and screaming, "Fuck yes, shake it off!"

I find myself getting lost in Taylor's lyrics. As Taylor Swift sings in All Too Well, "Time won't fly; it's like I'm paralyzed by it. I'd like to be my old self again, but I'm still trying to find it." Honestly, that is exactly how I feel. I am still trying to love myself again. I used to be a person who loved life. I used to be that person before I had my accident. I still have that person inside me waiting to explode and discover the world again.

I had gotten pneumonia. Sadly, all I wanted was to be alone in the room and listen to Taylor Swift music at the hospital.

My sister Lily decided to come into my room, and all I wanted to do now was change another lyric to Taylor’s song; we decided to change the lyrics to "Clean," " The water filled my lungs; I screamed so loud, but no one heard a thing, and I added, "Medicine Drips, Now I could Finally Breath!

When such moments come, I discover that I am using my thoughts to wage war against the monsters that are inside me. My continuous battle with depression is something that I am aware of, and I am doing my best to cope with it. Because I don't always feel driven to accomplish anything, it is challenging for me to get anything done at all.

My mood swings fluctuate like a scale that fluctuates up and down. It's never consistent. My critical internal monologue tells me that I am ugly, fat, hopeless, and worthless, and have a big, unsightly nose. It also tells me that I am obese. In my opinion, there will never be anyone who wants to be with me. In my mind, I think that my friends only spend time with me because they feel sorry for me and want to make me feel better about myself. I feel like this is the only reason they hang out together.

Sometimes I get the impression that no one appreciates my personality or the kind of person I am. I get the feeling that I am "always" the problem, much like how Taylor Swift referred to herself in the song "Anti Hero" from her album "Midnights," saying "It's me, Hi!" I'm the problem; it's me, it's me, hi! I'm the problem; it's me. Everybody agrees. I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror. It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero."

Most of my life, I've been embarrassed about my appearance, and sometimes I feel like everyone around me is "gorgeous on the inside and outside." While I'm like the ugly duckling of the wicked west, who has no regard for her own appearance because she believes she is worthless, unattractive, useless, and fat to everyone around her, according to her, she does not believe she is worthy as a person and will never find true love. The more I look around, the more I find myself feeling jealous of what other people are doing in my environment that I am not able to do. When I see people doing everything, they want without depending on anyone, I become emotional, teary-eyed, and depressed. I believe in my heart that they live a better life than I do. They do not need to rely on anyone for assistance, as I do. When I am among other people, sometimes I feel like saying, "Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby." "And I'm a monster on the hill." Mentioned in the song, “Anti- Hero” by Taylor Swift from her “Midnights” album.

I’ve been voiceless for almost 20 years now. Before Taylor Swift came into the music industry, I was broken inside. You don’t understand how much Taylor Swift has helped me in my life and given me positive and optimistic vibes through her music journey. Thank you for being vulnerable, opening your heart, and sharing your journey with the world.

You don't realize how important you are to me and how much you contribute to my life. I'm emotionally writing this to you. You mean so much to me. Your lyrics are inspiring and powerful to me. Your songs help me get through life every day. You make me want to fight and never give up. You inspire me to remain optimistic about life. Your songs shine brightly and brighten my day. I want to attend The Eras Tour, not only because I love your music but also because I want to be there. I want to be there because your music keeps me optimistic about life and calms my mental health. “Best believe I'm still bejeweled When I walk in the room... I can still make the whole place shimmer.”

My transformation into a Swiftie fan began when I heard Love Story, a song from the Fearless album. Being a Swiftie fan has always been dear to my heart, and it only gets stronger with every passing day or year. I had a fantastic time on both the Speak Now Tour and the Red Tours. It has been a tremendous privilege of mine to see both global tours in person. Due to my need for constant assistance, I was unable to go to either the 1989 world tour or the Reputation Stadium Tour. As you were touring the globe, I was unable to travel into any of the cities or states see you on your world tour. My sister Lily and my cousin from New York made the trip to Florida to see you on the 1989 world tour. My sister Lily also was able to fly into Phoenix, AZ, with my cousin to see you on the Reputation Stadium Tour. The circumstances have left me feeling down and discouraged. After learning that you had added a show at MetLife on Sunday, May28, 2023 on The Eras Tour, I waited for wheelchair accessible tickets to go on sale via TicketMaster so that I wouldn't have to go through the same upsetting and depressing experience again.

I, along with many other Swift fans, was outraged. I logged on to Ticketmaster at 1:30 pm, waiting for my turn. After two hours of waiting, it directed me to where it says general availability will be Friday at 10:00 a.m. EST. The next morning, Ticketmaster tweeted that they were no longer selling general admission tickets.

Unfortunately, scalpers purchased most of the tickets, and each ticket is triple the price! Wheelchair-accessible tickets cost more than regular tickets. I find it disgusting and unpleasant. I feel like scalpers bought the wheelchair accessible tickets on the floor and then changed the price for each wheelchair accessible ticket by quadrupling the price. They take advantage, and it’s disgraceful! I need to purchase at least 5 tickets, and each ticket costs $2700 and that doesn't include the tax fees. It is too much for me to pay because I still must purchase airline tickets. I know that you’re already informed about the Taylor Swift’s tickets. I’m reaching out anyways in the hope you will be able to help me obtain 4-5 wheelchair accessible tickets on the floor at most. I would need my families to help me 24/7. I am quadriplegic and have vocal cord paralysis, but I still know how to shake it off! I hope you’re able to help me. I hope you come across this letter.

Thank you for your time. Thank you for taking the time to read about me and my story. Means the world to me. @taylorswift

Sincerely,

Kelly Sagiv @taylornation

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aj802694 · 1 year

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#Vocal Cord Paralysis Market

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wiseguy1122 · 1 year

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https://makenix.com/read-blog/8188

9th Nov 2022 Vocal Cord Paralysis Market SWOT Analysis, Future Growth, Major Key Players, Opportunity and Forecast 2030

Vocal Cord Paralysis market is experiencing a surge in sales across the globe, and it has been considerably boosted by technological advancement.

#Vocal Cord Paralysis Market

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kquil · 3 months

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DIVORCING ORION BLACK | CHAPTER ONE

01 : ARRIVAL

SERIES SUM. : (A Marauders Era Fix-It-Fic - featuring Reader as Walburga Black but better)

You wake up in pitch blackness and under excruciating pain. It isn't too long before you realise that you've been transported into the world of Harry Potter…and you've taken the place of a familiar villainess - Walburga Black. You need to escape this toxic family. The first order of business is Divorce AND YOU'RE DEFINITELY TAKING THE KIDS!

CHPT. SUM. : you take a familiar villainess' place, but it's all just a dream, right?

TAGS. : son sirius black/mother reader ; son regulus black/mother reader ; marauders fix-it-fic ; transferring into harry potter series (marauders era) au ; reader is a harry potter fan ; but not a JKR fan ; walburga black is no more ; or is she? ; pre-marauders era ; sirius black is an angry child ; regulus black is a precious baby ; big brother sirius being a little jealous ; mentions of child abuse (not explicit) ; orion black can eat dirt ; kreacher is a precious bean ; not canon compliant ; the journey begins!

LENGTH : 6.3k

1st August 1971

Your eyes snap open to opaque darkness as a silent scream escapes you. Pain. Excruciating and tormenting pain rips your head in two and paralyses the rest of your body. You want to call for help, desperate for relief but words fail you. It’s as if someone had lacerated your throat and ran away with your mangled vocal cords. Overwhelmed by the pressure in your head, you quickly surrender and fall into the mouth of the hungry blackness encompassing you.

The next time you wake up, you were almost blissfully unaware of the agony you previously awoke to if you weren’t sorely reminded by the lingering compression in your ears, an, almost, unbearable pounding ache in your skull, and the paralysis of your limbs. Your shaky breaths sound amplified in your ringing ears as you slowly regain control of your desensitised appendages but the stabbing sensation against your skull persists. It doesn’t appear to want to dull out unlike most continuous pains. In a desperate effort to mute the throbbing, you curl up into the foetal position and focus on your breathing, your hands clutching at the temporal and parietal areas of your head. After a while, there’s some relief. Sweet relief.

The darkness remains as obscure and daunting as you had first awoken to, a dead, unfeeling space — like a black hole. But it can’t be that. It can’t be a black hole. You hope it isn’t, at least. There has to be a way out of here.

With great effort and a groan of pain, you get onto your hands and knees, suffering through agonising aches as you feel about the space around you. All the objects you come into contact with are insignificant, too ordinary for your brain to comprehend and speculate over — though the unrelenting throbbing in your skull may be of probable cause to your lack of analysis — it came with one reassuring thought however, their existence was evidence enough that this wasn’t a black hole…

What poor thoughts.

You’ve never been so vapid. The thoughts swirling in your head were so lacking in cognition and inference that you instinctually shook your head in disappointment. A black hole? Impossible! —Unless you were launched into space in between the meeting with your investors and your journey home. Were you drugged? Taken hostage? If you were then why weren’t your limbs tied up? Eventually, your trembling hands find a wall, a small success that you quickly take advantage of, tracing the perimeter of the boxy room, hoping to find a doorway or vent, anything that could lead you to freedom. You probably look pathetic crawling around but there weren’t any traces of light, even a locked box was more illuminated than this.

Your rambling thoughts continue, a distraction from the throbbing in your skull, until you feel it. A break in the wall, the border to a door. You didn’t waste any time and ignored all pains to stand and feel out the space for the doorknob, leaning your weight against the wooden entrance to alleviate your weak limbs. Disoriented and brainless — were you terribly hungover or something? More speculations, more unanswered questions but finally a release to freedom! The door relented and gave way as you finally found its handle, pushing down with your weight and tumbling towards freedom.

The light burned your eyes and made you tear up but the relief of liberty was soothing. The throbbing, stabbing pains in your skull were now replaced by a reeling dizziness and it throws you off balance. But your hand catches the wall to steady you while your other clutches at your head; your disorientation grows and grows. It feels like you were tied to the end of a string and spun around as the length of the string gradually increases, giving the sensation of your mushy brain being stretched out. What in the world have you done to be put through this amount of distress and trauma?

Curling your fingers into your head, you try to distract from the sickening dizziness with grounding pain and search for repose but are given none. Just as your nails begin to claw at your scalp as your other hand gropes at unfamiliar, drab wallpaper, a voice calls out to you. It’s small and confused, full of light and youth — it’s a child’s voice.

“Mother?…”

Turning to the hesitant call, you lock eyes with steel grey pools. It’s a little boy. Maybe eight to nine years of age. He has beautiful short black hair, pale skin and angular features but childishly soft cheeks. His formal-like dress and perfect posture makes him look like a little prince. You don’t answer him right away; too distracted with your curious surveillance so he calls to you again with furrowed brows and the same title on his tongue, ‘mother’.

He was talking to you. Strange…

“Did you just call me ‘mother’?” you ask, he doesn’t answer and you try not to wince, still very light-headed and muddled, “Why?”

“Because you are my mother,” the stare he affixes you with makes it obvious that he thinks you’re a crazy person. No, but he’s the crazy one!

“Are you okay mother?” another, almost identical looking boy walks up and stands beside the first. He, too, has beautiful black hair and pale skin but with much softer features so he must be younger than the first. They wear a similar attire —another little prince. Two little princes, brothers, that view you as their mother.

But that’s impossible…

The younger of the two has an air of politeness surrounding him as he watches you with empathy swimming in his grey pools. In clear objection to the compassion his younger brother was willing to give you, the eldest child subtly squints at your crumpled and distressed figure.

“I don’t have children…” your weak voice states but fails to continue, bewildered but confident in the fact although it breaks your heart. It just slipped out and now the two boys were stiff and tense from head to toe.

Quickly shaking off his rigid limbs, the older brother scowls at you, “as much as we don’t want to be your children, we are!” his tone his biting as he speaks with a snarl, his pristine white teeth bared for defence and attack. With stomping footfalls, the duo run away, fleeing your sight in a blur of blacks, whites and greys. As soon as they’re gone, your dizziness hits you once more, like a boulder to the head, and sends you collapsing into the ground.

Again, your world goes pitch black.

2nd August 1971

There’s no spiralling darkness when you next wake up, nor is there an abundance of lamplight to make your eyes tear up, instead, beautiful golden rays of sunlight fall through the tall glass windows behind you. It was a much easier radiance to adjust to. You’re tucked away in bed, silky, comfortable and perfectly warm. Perhaps yesterday was just a dream, a very vivid dream— no, a nightmare. You let out a groan and squeeze your eyes shut. No matter how long it’s been, your thoughts of failure and self hatred over your own incompetence still haunts you. Curling up under the covers, you go through the breathing exercise your therapist imbued into you.

Acknowledge it, accept it, let it go…

The phrase repeats in your head several times. The longer you rehearse it, the more your limbs unfurl until you’re flat on your back once more.

…rigid.

Now that you think about it, was your bed always this…stiff?

Blinking in confusion, your eyes focus on the ceiling and widen. You don’t have a chandelier in your bedroom. Your eyes quickly jump down and examine the bed you lay in. This wasn’t your bed, no. Where were your Hedwig and Niffler plushies? Your all-white sheets were gone and replaced by all-black covers. It was then that you finally comprehend the cool sensation laying against your forehead, jolting your body forward, you let out a yelp of surprise as the small soaked towel falls from your brow.

Your shocked shriek is almost matched by the bawling that accompanies it, drawing your eyes to a being you’ve only seen in movies. The small house-elf stares at you with shaking, blood-shot eyes and unaltered terror folded into his wrinkly expression. Endless apologies fall from his mouth, sincere and all underpinned by intense anxiety. He’s so real; his small, skeletal-like chest rapidly moving up and down due to his desperate pants. His three-dimensional existence quickly falls and kneels before you to commence grovelling, his shaking hands held together in prayer.

“...Kreacher…” you gape at the house-elf, eyes wide and breath caught in your throat. In disbelief over the elf’s actuality, you reach out for him, awestruck and so dazed that you almost miss how he flinches away from your approaching touch. Apologetic, you retreat your hand and adjust yourself to sit against the headboard before addressing him, “I-I wasn’t going to hit you…”

“Kreacher is needing to be hit, mistress,” the contrite house-elf voices, twiddling his thumbs as he remains knelt down.

Mistress…?

“Please stand, Kreacher,” you neglect to perceive his surprise in your use of the word ‘please’ as you’re still in awe of him yourself. With a subtle shake of your head, you do your best to push away your astonishment in search of answers, “and fetch me a mirror,”

Kreacher promptly clicks his fingers and a handheld mirror appears before you. You try not to awe at the demonstration of magic — it's a simple spell in this world — and proceed to take it in your hesitant hands. Judging from what you have been able to gather, Kreacher calling you mistress and the two young boys addressing you as mother…Walburga Black should be the reflection staring back at you. However, you don’t see a black-haired, cold-eyed, pale-skinned woman, with a constant frowning wrinkle on her brow, you see yourself. You touch your face just to make sure you weren’t mistaken. It is you.

Was this just a vivid dream? It feels so real…

Mirror set aside, you look back at Kreacher and are astonished once more at seeing just how alive he is. His mannerisms were completely authentic and he was solid from all sides. There’s no mistaking that he’s right in front of you, tangible and no longer fictional.

What wonders the mind can achieve when you fangirl and nerd out enough over something… But why aren’t you in the Lightening era timeline? And why are you in Walburga’s shoes? Now you’re the mother of Sirius and Regulus Black… The questions don’t stop, nor do the conjectures. Maybe it’s your mind trying to get over your life’s trauma vicariously through your favourite series and fandom… the notionmade some sense. You, not only, have one son but two. Should you feel elated or anxious?

As your thoughts continue, the apologies falling from Kreacher’s lips slowly get louder and louder until you snap out of your spaced-out state. Guilt quickly gathers in your stomach at the realisation that Kreacher had been vocally repentant this whole time and you haven’t yet acknowledged him in the slightest.

“What are you apologising for, Kreacher?” you finally ask, putting a stop to his penitent speech.

“Kreacher did not realise mistress had the sickness; Kreacher did not serve her well,” his tone was incredibly apologetic and there was no mistaking the panic in his eyes.

“...It’s alright Kreacher,” the reassurance in your voice was something the house-elf was not used to and you almost smile at the explicit amazement in his eyes, “I did not know that I was ill, myself, so thank you for taking care of me when I fainted,” your warm smile confuses the house-elf but you continue. Even though this is a dream, you were going to do things right, “it was you who took care of me, correct?”

His astonishment doesn’t leave his eyes as he nods, slack-jawed and meek, “yes..it was Kreacher, mistress,”

You nod in approval and spot a plate of food in your periphery, set neatly atop the bedside table, “thank you, Kreacher. You are dismissed,” the bashful but, still, misery-stricken house-elf goes to say something, glancing over at the bedside table but you promptly cut him off, “I will eat the food you prepared shortly, thank you, again,”

With a simple nod, Kreacher disappears in a blink and you slowly bring the plate of breakfast onto your lap. Eating in bed, you digest your situation and take in your surroundings. This was all a very realistic dream but a dream nonetheless. And it was a chance for you to, not only do right by the characters you adore but make peace with your past and present. This was a second chance. Even if it was only a dream.

Just as you finish up your plate of breakfast, you also conclude your examination of the supposed ‘master bedroom’ and frown. The disapproval is clear in your furrowed brows, narrowed eyes and pursed lips.

Whoever designed this room needs to be demoted…or fired.

The Blacks were such a wealthy family, surely they had more saved up to be able to hire a decent interior designer. The colours blended into each other and no furniture, wallpaper or trinket could bring you any emotion other than despair. With that disappointing thought and a grimace at the, overall, sombre decor of the room, you turn to place your clean plate back on the nightstand when a rolled up piece of paper catches your eye. Innocuously folded and tucked to the left of where your breakfast plate once laid was a newspaper, the Daily Prophet. Hurriedly exchanging your plate and utensils for the paper, your anticipation rose to witness the infamous articles and its moving pictures. You almost couldn’t stop the schoolgirl giggle from escaping your smiling lips. Never before had you been so excited to read the paper.

Unfolding the pages, you awe at the front cover before quickly skimming the rest of the folio. It’s the real thing and it’s so detailed…even for a dream.

It was written in clear script on the top, right hand side of the front page. 2nd August 1971. There was no doubt in your mind now that you were just about to enter the Marauders era timeline. If you weren’t mistaken, this was the summer leading up to Sirius’ first year at Hogwarts, which meant that, as his mother — the notion was still abnormal to you but also incredibly heartwarming —, you had a duty to help him fetch his school supplies for Hogwarts. You would also have the honour of seeing him receive his own wand before helping him buy his uniform robes and other necessities. You would even help him pack his bags for Hogwarts, congratulate and celebrate his achievements with him, wish him a good day, support him unconditionally… everything a loving and present mother would do. And, of course, you would treat Regulus the same way. It makes your heart sing and butterflies flutter about in your stomach; you get to be a mother.

—one moment…

If the date is correct in the newspaper and you’re right in that Sirius would be attending Hogwarts in a month’s time, then why did he appear one to two years younger than what an eleven-year-old should look like?

Pondering over the question makes you grimace. It’s entirely possible that it could be Walburga and Orion’s doing, Sirius definitely has a defiant manner about him despite only being eleven years of age and it wouldn’t be abnormal to expect the Black couple to be callous towards their own sons, enough to, somehow, stunt their growth. With a click of your tongue and a roll of your eyes, you eagerly move on from the topic and observe the front page more closely only for your breath to stutter and catch in your throat.

A moving picture of the harrowing dark mark being cast over a house plays in a loop before you. Reading the associated article, you feel your stomach turn in on itself. It was such a disgusting display.

“How cruel…” Your disgust morphs into sorrow as you read over the killings made within the specific house. It belonged to innocent muggleborns and their family members, both magic folk dubbed as blood traitors and their muggle family were massacred. It was clearly an attack meant to bring fear and terror to muggle borns and the pureblooded witches and wizards that dare protect them - all in the name of the dark lord and his bigoted agenda.

What a load of bullshit.

Not stopping for long, you read interview quotes from blood purists showing their support over the act. Their only reason was that they feared losing their pureblood traditions entirely to muggleborns. The horrific, terroristic happenings all appear to follow after the election of a muggle born Minister of Magic (Nobby Leach), the induction of Dumbledore as the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and then the introduction of Voldemort last year. It’s deplorable that that’s all it takes for blood purists to excuse such radical operations —it’s inhumane.

“‘The Ministry continues to spare no effort’,” you read under your breath but frown despite the reassuring words, “I bet those Deatheaters get a real ego boost from that statement…” if you remember correctly, Voldemort was enlisting more Deatheaters as well as magical creatures. However, those who are seen as ‘inferior’ were made to suffer, namely Goblins and House-elves. It doesn’t sit well with you.

The fact that the fantasy world around you — one that you’re an avid fan of — feels so incredibly real, despite it being a dream, suddenly looks very bleak makes your chest tighten. And you quickly find yourself agonising over the lives of many children across the country, both in the muggle and wizarding world, being filled with unhappiness and gloom purely because of the selfish and bigoted adults that are supposed to protect them.

You click your tongue bitterly. Only a terf could write or imply something so tragic in a supposed children’s book…

Just as you set down the newspaper and lean back against the headboard, Kreacher materialises at your bedside and begins to clear away your plate and paper. You shoot him a smile of thanks that he has a mixed reaction to. Before disappearing, he observes your state once more, dull eyes searching for something. When he returns a moment later, he’s carries with him a slim vial filled with a red, almost-pinkish liquid that contained ascending bubbles. Carbonated? It looked like a normal drink — like a brightly dyed, flavoured tea or sports drink.

With eyes of fascination, you carefully take the potion vial from Kreacher. You were about to take your first ever magical potion and you plan on savouring every moment of it, even the moments leading up to drinking it. Slowly turning the vial in your hand, you realise that the consistency of the liquid isn’t as light as water; it was a little thicker.

“It’s a healing potion mistress,” Kreacher explains at your bedside, hunched over with his features scrunched up into a permanent scowl, “for the hot fever, mistress,” you give him a small, grateful smile for the explanation. It’s been a while since someone has been proactive when it came to caring for your wellbeing; it made you feel better knowing that Kreacher was around to take care of your needs, disregarding that it was an obligation he couldn’t escape from. Being a successful woman in commerce didn’t mean you were successful in all aspects of life. You still needed to be cared for. This was a welcomed compassion you were going to take full advantage of.

“Thank you Kreacher,” you swiftly uncork the vial and down the potion like a shot, not expecting it to taste so revolting, “Ugh! That’s horrid!” you cough and feel tears surface. This was supposed to be your dream so why did you come up with something so foul-tasting?! You’ve never tasted anything so disgusting! You can’t even begin to describe the flavour —it’s too foul for words!

Shaken up by your amplified reaction, Kreacher begins to shake but explains that it’s how all healing potions tasted, “there are other potions with the baddest tastes mistress,” you try to shake away the repulsive flavour but have no such luck and turn to Kreacher with a plea.

“Water? Please?” with a snap of his fingers, a cool glass of fresh, crisp water appears and you immediately reach out to drink it. The repulsive taste on your tongue dilutes the more you drink but it doesn’t fully lift off your taste buds. Even after drinking the entire tall glass of water, the awful taste of the healing potion lingered — you couldn’t even feel relieved from the feverish headache that left you.

The healing potion had worked its purpose and you were up and about 12 Grimmauld Place, taking in its dismal but elegant interior, opulent decor and its many rooms. You didn’t know what to expect. It was evident how wealthy the Black Family was in their expensive tastes but that didn’t necessarily translate into aesthetic arrangements. When you watched the movies, it was understandable how dilapidated it was but, despite currently being lived-in, it still looked dull. All rooms appeared the same and began to blend into one another the more you moved around. You still awed at the realistic display of the place, however; it all felt so real, as if your surroundings breathed with life and every ornament, wall and structure had its own individual heartbeat. Just the thought made your heart race. This was once a purely fictional setting and now, your dream brought it to life and you were fully encapsulated - happily so.

One room that held your attention far better than all other rooms of the house combined was the home library. It was majestic, regal and old — a charming space that you were eager to explore. Its many shelves were lined with an assortment of books, many containing magical knowledge such as light magic and dark magic, which was surprising when considering the Black family’s preference for dark magic. What wasn’t surprising was the amount of books detailing traditional wizard and witch rituals, dates, holidays and more. Purebloods and their need for the maintenance of customs and ceremonies, you couldn’t help rolling your eyes. You expected there to be more books on dark magic but most were on the history of the wizarding world and its many traditions, some of which you had never seen or heard mention of in the Harry Potter book series, movies or games.

Your mind was very creative and you were quite proud of yourself for it.

Time passes you as the pages of many books are skimmed by your eyes. You have no idea how much time ticks by as you consume book after book, flicking through pages before being interrupted by a rapid knock at the door succeeded by the entrance to the library being hurriedly pushed open.

“Mother,” Regulus pants with softly flushed cheeks. His head of curls were a hint messier than the last time you met eyes with him, however, he was still dressed more formally than how a normal ten year old boy should be dressed. It was then, however, that you realised your greatest, influential role — a role that’s far more important than being the head of your company. You’re a mother now. A mother to two gorgeous and darling sons, who deserve all the love in the world. It made tears well up in your eyes. Your subconscious had realised your truest, purist desires and brought it to you in a dream through your beloved fictional characters, ”M-mother?” snapping out of your trance, you realise Regulus had been waiting for you to signal that it was okay for him to speak but hadn’t yet.

“Yes?” Your soft voice appears to catch him off-guard but he’s quick to recover and steel his features.

“I apologise for coming to you late, Mother,” he begins, remaining at the door with his shoulders straight and expression level despite the anxiety for his mistake clearly showing in his eyes. He’s still slightly panting but endeavours to explain himself quickly for your expediency.

“It’s alright, darling, take your time,” you offer a kind smile that he doesn’t know how to respond to. And, instead of assuring him, you seem to have only made him more fearful.

“I-I’m terribly sorry, Mother, it was entirely my mistake. It won’t happen again, I swear!” he pleads with tearful eyes and a quivering lip. His small voice raises in volume no matter how much he tries to control it and eventually has to stop talking altogether just so he could gather himself.

“Regulus, you’ve done nothing wrong,” your words have such a profound effect on him that he stills, completely frozen in time from shock and confusion, “what were you going to say originally, darling?” ‘darling’… the endearment slips you so naturally and it doesn’t even bother you — this really was your heart’s truest desire.

Regulus takes a few minutes to himself, trying to find his voice and swallowing to wet his gone-dry mouth in order to speak without his voice cracking, which would have an ill demonstration of the Black family’s standing, “I, once again, apologise for my lateness, mother. I did not realise you would be in the family library rather than your study today,” it’s clear he’s still quite flustered from his earlier frantic search for your wandering form as he was still faintly panting under his breath. You raise a gentle hand and, paired with your soft smile, you silently assure him to take his time once more. He appreciates the unusual consideration and leniency from his typically stringent mother, “as per usual, I am here to update you on the progress of my home studies. I’ve read through all the chapters you wanted me to read and had written notes appropriately, complete with summary paragraphs…”

You don’t speak as you observe the sweet boy before you, his shoulder pulled back and chin held squarely as if he was a soldier, a man of rigorous instruction rather than the innocent young boy he was supposed to be. As you stare with an unknown and unfamiliar look in your eyes, Regulus tenses up, slowly backing into the hallway once more. His mother is a woman of few words but would usually hum along in approval to his list of completed tasks — it was a trivial gesture of favour that he eagerly sought after, wanting nothing more than to seek your acceptance. Complete and utter silence could either be dangerous or harmless. The potential risk made the hairs on his arms raise. The poor boy didn’t know what to make of your bizarre mannerisms lately. His heart raced to new heights and his throat felt even more closed up than usual.

Slowly, you walk up to him and kneel down, love and fondness clear in your gentle eyes. However, it was such a rare emotion for Regulus to see in his mother’s eyes that he tensed up more at the stare, no matter how affectionate and warm.

It has to be a trap, somehow…

Your gentle hand reaches up and cups his cherubic cheek, one of the few remaining demonstrations of his youth. Plumper, you need to fill in his cheeks, make them softer and more rounded; you’ll stop at nothing to get them to that state as soon as possible. With your thumb, you lovingly stroke his cheek and smile with all the love welling up in your chest. Your features are soft with the warmth and affection you wanted to convey beyond words. This is the first time Regulus has ever seen his mother look so kind. He’s never seen it before —it looks nice. His mother looks pretty now. He really hopes this isn’t a trap.

Innate maternal love and instincts overwhelm you. And, after a moment, you take the plunge. You pull him into your arms and embrace his slim, short figure, pressing your face into his hair as you tuck his face into your shoulder. Finally, you have your own son, and you’re going to love him with all your heart. In your mind, you vow to all deities you would care for him like no other, even if in a dream.

“A dream come true,” you say in a voice dripping with tears. Faintly, you hear Regulus ask for what you mean, muffled from how you have his face buried into your shoulder, “having a son like you, it’s a dream come true…”

Regulus can’t believe his ears as a warmth spreads through his chest, rapid and, like a blossoming array of wild flowers, it’s accompanied with the purest happiness he’s ever felt in his short life so far. He doesn’t know what to say, speechless from your words, words that he’s never before heard from his mother. He’s wished so many times for such a scenario to come true that he can’t quite believe that it’s happening to him now.

—BANG!

Sirius stands at the end of the hall, glaring ferociously at the scene happening before him, a bitter emotion consuming his small form at the words he hears and he promptly storms off. But you’re too quick with your lengthier strides and desire to reach him before he goes too far. Without a second thought, you hug the eldest brother to your chest too. You’ve pulled him as close to you as possibly could despite his protests and attempts at pushing you away.

With a stern voice, you speak up against his thrashing form, “Sirius, do not get aggressive with me,”

“I don’t care!”

“You will care because you’ll end up hurting someone and or yourself one day, if you keep this up!”

Sirius is flooded by shock at your response and he freezes up. His mother never cared whether or not he or anyone else got hurt, so long as they succumbed to her ridiculous demands. He can’t recognise his own mother anymore. Taking full advantage of his paralysed state, your hold turns gentle and you begin to comb your fingers through his inky locks.

“Breathe...” you try to calm him down by gently petting the back of his hair down and occasionally running your nails along his scalp, “talk to me…what’s upset you?” looking up, you see Regulus a metre or two away with a curious look on his face, a mix of amazement, curiosity and caution. Sirius doesn’t respond so you gently prompt him, pulling away to meet his conflicted eyes, “darling?”

Sirius is stunned into silence and doesn’t know what to say, he’s in complete denial over what’s happening – this can’t be his mother, “did you hit your head or something?” he accuses in a snappy tone and you step back, a wave of realisation washing over you. Before this, Sirius and Regulus were pushed around by Walburga daily, abused and tortured in an attempt to conform to her ways. It breaks your heart but also fills you with determination. Even though this is just a dream, you will make the proper changes and treat them kindly. They deserve a loving mother, one who supports them and loves them unconditionally. As you part your lips to voice something, you feel an ominous presence enter the hallway.

When you look up and over your shoulder, your eyes meet liquid mercury, swirling with anger and paired with the deepest frown. Orion Black approaches from behind you, his footsteps daunting and seeming to echo through the shaking walls of the hallway as he fixes Sirius with a cold glare. His own son, who’s only 11 years old.

“What is going on here?” Orion demands but completely ignores you when you try to explain. Your husband’s focus stubbornly remains on your son, the accusation and wrath in his eyes aggrandised. He continues to bark at Sirius, who looks at the floor in quiet shame and with bitten lips. You know he’s terrified but still tries to appear strong, knowing that if he cried out and showed weakness through pained anger in front of his parents, they would use it as ammunition to berate and abuse him further, “don’t you dare talk to your mother that way again, Sirius!”

Orion raises his wand to punish him but you hurriedly step in the way and tuck Sirius’ face into your stomach. Chin over your shoulder, you meet eyes with your husband andtry to keep from snarling at him lest your true intentions and change of heart come to light and raise red flags, “this is between me and Sirius, I will deal with his punishment myself,”

Sirius doesn’t know whether he should be fearful or relieved. That emotion is so foreign to him, especially when it comes to his mother and talks of punishment. Thankfully, Orion lets the situation go and nods curtly before walking back to his study with a huff, muttering about wasted time on his ‘useless son’ under his breath.

“My punishment is to eat dinner in my room…” the brothers share a confused look, “usually, it’s to have no dinner and no breakfast…”

“Or worse…” Regulus’ words make them both shiver; a cold chill runs up their spines and inspires dark memories to surface. Un-welcomed, they shake their heads and banish the remembrance.

Diverting the topic altogether, Sirius picks at his food, “what do you think happened to her?”

“Mother?” Regulus asks and receives a confirming nod, “I don’t know…Kreacher told me–” Sirius pulls a face at the friendship his brother has fostered with the elf, “that mother had a terrible fever yesterday and fainted after we saw her in the hallway,”

Sirius thinks for a moment and chews a little longer than usual, ruminating over the new information, “you think that’s what made her like that?”

Regulus shrugs his small shoulders, “that’s the only thing I could think of…” the youngest brother slowly begins to lose himself in thought, thinking back to when his mother embraced him tenderly and whispered such lovely, affirming words beside his ear.

‘A dream come true… having a son like you, it’s a dream come true…’

“You like the change?” Sirius snaps his little brother out of his daydream and Regulus flushes in slight embarrassment, avoiding his older brother’s disapproving eyes. Or was that disappointment? Maybe something else?

“She’s much nicer now…”

“It won’t last forever,” Sirius says roughly, bitterness and disbelief evident in his voice as his brows furrow; he doesn’t want to believe that his mother, one of the two people responsible for hurting him and his little brother day in and day out, could have the capacity to change overnight, “you’ll see…”

Regulus doesn’t want to believe his brother but how could he deny such a pragmatic expectation? His older brother is right. It’s unrealistic for him to believe in such a miracle. Nevertheless, there was a troublesome ray of hope that warmed the depths of his chest and clenched around his beating heart with purpose. It was immature to be so optimistic but he can’t help hoping.

And, he’d never admit it out loud but… Sirius was hopeful too.

3rd August 1971

You’re astonished at how long this dream has stretched on for. You’ve been able to finish the previous day, fallen asleep beside your husband and rose the next day to have breakfast with your darling boys, served by Kreacher. And now, you’re happily immersing yourself in the home library once more.

Amazed, you consume the contents of the book in your hand, you’ve never come across such information in the Harry Potter books, movies or games. It’s so novel! You feel bubbling excitement rise from deep within you, enchanted and equally awestruck from your imagination, even in sleep. You should be a fanfiction writer!

“I can’t believe how detailed and long this dream is continuing on for…” you mutter to yourself, beginning to smile at your luck before you’re harshly interrupted.

“This isn’t a dream you insufferable muggle!” a shrieking shrill scream echoes in your head and makes you wince. In a weak attempt at soothing the ache, you grasp at your temple with a hand. The throbbing discomfort the voice induces is equivalent to the same pain you experienced when you first woke up in that pitch black room, only, not as intense. The memory makes you wince even more and you wonder if the increase of pain was a type of phantom hurt brought on by your own thoughts.

“Wh-wha-?” you do your best to collect yourself but the wailing voice is unrelenting and perpetuates the pounding in your head.

“To hell with that ritual! What. Happened?! This wasn’t supposed to be the result! Explain yourself, you filthy muggle woman! HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY PLACE!”

With staggering realisation, all the pieces click together in your head and you’re stunned into silence as the raging voice of the villainess woman continues to demand answers in your head. Her voice is piercing but is dulled out by your curiosity and rising triumph.

“You’re saying this is real?...”

“Yes! You Filthy Muggle! Whatever you’ve done, reverse it now and allow me to return to my place!”

“...No,” your firm voice counters, a slow smirk gradually tugging at your lips. She goes silent, probably speechless at the audacity a ‘muggle’ has to disobey her demands, “I’m staying,” you threaten, “and I’m going to do right by your sons by giving them the life and mother they deserve—”

“You will do no such thing!” Walburga shouts once more in your head; this time, you don’t mind the throbbing pain it induces, “They are my sons and they—!”

“Not anymore bitch,” you grin deviously, “they’re my sons now,”

NEXT. | 02 : SHOPPING (1/2) →

A/N : this is my attempt at a fix it fic inspired by one of my favourite genres in webtoons etc - reincarnation/isekai/time travel do-overs, wish me luck! i hope i do a good job! ALSO! I'd like to express a special thank you to my dearest friend @thebestofoneshots for being such a darling and taking time out of her day to beta-read this first chapter for me, she's been such a sweetheart and was the one who helped motivate me to finish the first chapter! i don't think i would have been able to post this first chapter without her. i love you so much my darling! please go and support her by reading her work, commenting and reblog her work too! she deserves all the love in the world! and she writes so beautifully too! you won't regret it!

NAVI. | SERIES MASTERLIST

TAGLIST : @melinajenkins @aastonishment @until-i-found-you @corp0real @celestcies @lovelydoveval @inlovewithremusjohnlupin @calums-betch @futurecorps3 @hihihi1112 @simpingforthe80s @yrluvjane @chaosofmanyfandoms @storyofaromance @loving-and-dreaming @somewereinthegalaxi @ashreblogsficshere @cassandra-nerezza-black @stray-bi-kids @ttkttt @notasadgirlipromise @desikudisworld @volturissideslut @arilxup88

SERIES TAGLIST OPEN

#marauders fic #marauders fanfiction #harry potter marauders #marauders era #the marauders era #sirius black #regulus black #the marauders #walburga black #the black brothers #orion black #DOB #Divorcing Orion Black #marauders fix-it-fic #reader insert #fem reader #marauders

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art-missy · 25 days

Text

Overwhelmed (Gekko x Reader)

Part. 1

Part. 2

Sorry in advance for my terrible English. I'm actually more of an English reader and listener than an actual speaker or writer. I also apologize for the dull writing style that could seem quite childish. I just wanted to test something by posting this.

If a few months ago somebody had told you that you would be spotted by a secret organization whose job is to protect your world against the threat of agents from another dimension, you would have laughed so hard that your guts would have spitted out. If that ‘somebody’ had continued with the fact that this organization would contact you in some way to recruit you just because you maybe took down a K-SEC facility by yourself and also because your skills interested them, you would have told them to sell their idea to a filmmaker. If that ‘somebody’ had then insisted that you would spend one of your days off with a few other agents of that organization by watching Disney movies and hearing them sing their guts out, you would have told them to stop.

Well, look at you now, exchanging astounded glances with Iso as Neon reached a note so terrifying that you were pretty sure she could have won the Oscar of the best scream in a horror movie. You were slightly worried about the state of her vocal cords.

“And she’s not even drunk.” Muttered Yoru when he saw your dumbfounded expression as he finished his can of soda. Phoenix let out a booming laugh and nudged your and Iso’s arms playfully.

What the hell were you doing here ? You were so at peace in your hideout. How did Valorant find you ? Oh yeah. Cypher. No one can hide from the Moroccan sentinel and you understood it quite quickly when he appeared in each of your hideouts everytime you tried to run away. Hard to hide from someone whose eyes are literally everywhere. It has been quite hard for him too to convince you that the intentions of Valorant were noble when he appeared each time in the middle of the night like a sleep paralysis demon. The process of convincing you had been long and hard but Cypher was patient and quite stubborn. Especially when it came to visiting each of your hideouts (even the one under the Mediterranean Sea) and finishing all your different packs of tea. Well, at least you had now Big Brother as a mentor.

You jolted a little, startled when Raze and Killjoy suddenly stood up to start a duet while waltzing around the room. The level of love and affection in their eyes made you wonder if they weren't from a Disney movie themselves. You could literally see their eyes changing form to turn into hearts as their souls were screaming ‘I love you’ in their respective languages. And you found it adorable despite your exhaustion.

Jett playfully threw some popcorn at the couple, telling them to get a room. You’re pretty sure she didn't notice the few candy and crumbs of snacks in her ponytail.

Clove were jumping on the different bean bag chairs, singing as if their life depended on it while Wingman cheered at their antics.

And you, you let out a small sigh as you took a sip of your bubbletea. All this chaos because of Frozen.

You swore that if you heard the songs ‘Love is an open door’ or ‘Let it go’ again, you would go apeshit.

You maybe should have join Deadlock for a reading session in her quarters instead of accepting Gekko’s invitation. Or just listening to music in your room. Or maybe drawing. You were certain that it would have been more peaceful and less mentally draining than this Disney night. And when you shared another glance with Iso, you knew he thought the same thing. It was visibly way too much for your introverted asses.

“Hey,” Gekko put a gentle hand on your shoulder. “Are you okay ?”

You shot him a tired look.

You sometimes miss your old life. You missed your different hideouts where you could see the sunset over the mountains, the sea creatures under the Mediterranean Sea, the snow in the Siberian desert or the rain falling on the trees of a random forest. Where you didn't have to interact with people every single day of the week.

You loved the Valorant protocol and you got along with the people you met there. But sometimes it was too much. You took down this K-SEC facility because you knew how shady the experimentations they were running were, not because you wanted to attract the attention of a secret organization. You sometimes resented Cypher for finding you, for stealing you from these calm moments, even though you knew that you accepted to be an agent of Valorant of your own free will and for a good cause.

“Hey,” Repeated Gekko. “Are you okay ?”

You gently pushed his hand off your shoulder and stood up from your bean bag chair.

“Sorry.” You muttered.

And you rushed out of the room as Gekko called for you, his tone full of worry. You speed-walked towards the garden of the base, putting your headphones on your ears and slightly relaxing when the music reached your brain. You took a deep breath and the wind caressed your skin as you finally walked into the gardens. You took off your shoes and let the grass tickle your bare feet. The night sky watched over you as you finally took a seat on a bench.

Better.

You felt better. You breathed better. You lived better. The music in your ears relaxed your muscles, and the wind murmured on your skin, bringing the fragrance of the different flowers of the garden. You definitely had to compliment Sky and Sage.

Your phone suddenly vibrated and you noticed that Iso sent you a link to a playlist.

⟨Here. To relax your nerves.⟩

You internally smiled and sent a text message to the Chinese duelist to thank him. You started the playlist and relaxed even more when the first note of the first song reached your ears. Iso really did have good taste in music.

You were about to close your eyes when you suddenly felt a finger patting your shoulder. You jolted a little and turned your head to the side to see Cypher’s blue lenses staring back at you. You pulled your headphones down and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Big Brother is watching me ?”

The sentinel let out a small chuckle and sat down beside you, a trap wire traveling on his knuckles.

“Overwhelmed ?”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“I thought I was Big Brother.”

You rolled your eyes but a small smile tugged the corners of your lips. You leaned on the backrest of the bench and let out a deep sigh.

“I’m not in the mood for a game of chess, Cypher.”

The masked man nodded and hummed softly.

“I suspected it.”

“Then why are you here, Optimus Prime ?” You groaned, stretching your arms over your head.

Cypher’s head tilted slightly and by his body language you suspected a smirk to be present under his mask.

“To check on you, dear.”

You raised a skeptical eyebrow and your eyes squinted slightly.

“Right. And may I ask why, dear ?” You scoffed as you rolled your eyes again. “Wait. Let me guess. You saw me walking away from the common room through these cute little cameras of yours, got curious when you couldn't see me then came here.” You interrupted yourself then shook your head. “Nope. There are also cameras in the garden. Then why did you come here ?”

Cypher let out another small chuckle and patted your head with an odd but paternal affection.

“Look who’s playing Sherlock, now.”

You let out an annoyed groan as you tried to push his hand away from your head but Cypher’s mood stayed playful.

“What kind of mentor would I be if I didn't worry about my protégé ?”

You snorted but nodded with a sarcastic smile.“More of a stalker than a mentor.”

“A stalker who is worried about you, then.”

You couldn't see it but you heard the soft smile in his voice. He leaned a bit more towards you, the brim of his long hat hid you from the night sky and the usual faint glow of his blue lenses looked like two little will-o’-the-wisps in the obscurity of the garden. It reminded you of the first time you met each other, a few days after you took down this K-SEC facility. It was in a dark alleyway and the first thing you saw was these blue lenses before you could make out his long and slender figure. But because of his long hat and the darkness of the alleyway, you had almost taken him for a mutated palm tree. Even today you facepalmed yourself when you remembered those thoughts as your eyes stared into his lenses.

“Who eats alone, chokes alone.” He finally whispered with a conspiratorial tone. Something was telling you that he winked under his mask.

“What ?” You facepalmed.

“It’s an Arabic proverb.” He leaned back and his head tilted again. “Loneliness is neither your ally, nor your enemy. It is impartial. In your case, you use it to recharge yourself, but it can also drain you without you noticing, making you depend on it. Use your loneliness but don’t be alone.” His voice dropped a few octaves lower and you felt his eyes sinking deeply into yours. “Use your balance.”

Something was telling you that he was speaking from experience. A slight twitch in his body language maybe. Or a tiny heaviness in his already thick accent, indication of the unusual emotions in his voice. And you realized just now how little you knew about your mentor.

Cypher nodded, as if satisfied by your visible confusion, stood up from the bench and started to walk away.

“Wait a minute, Darth Vader !” You exclaimed, pointing a frustrated finger at him. “I don't speak proverbial shit and neither does google translate. Come back here or I’ll tell Sky you put cameras in the garden !”

Cypher kept walking away, humming a soft tune.

“Speaking of balance…”

“I don’t understand the proverbial shit, you cheap Cyberpunk shit !”

“Have a good night, dear.” He turned towards you briefly. “Oh, and your strawberry teas are delicious.”

This fucker.

He kept walking away until going back inside and you suddenly heard hurried footsteps. You turned your head and saw Gekko and Wingman running in your direction before stopping in front of you.

How did you know it was Gekko with the lack of light ? First of all, Wingman. Second of all, his hair.

Gekko was catching his breath with his hands on his knees while Wingman jumped on your lap, making a few garbling sounds. You raised an eyebrow and looked at them, confused.

“Are you dying ?” You asked Gekko and your eyes widened slightly when he started to wheeze. “Gekko ?”

“Dios !” He exclaimed as he finally caught his breath. “I looked for you throughout the whole base !”

“Did you have to run a marathon for that ?”

Despite your dry tone, your eyes only showed concern for him. You patted the space beside you on the bench and he gladly sat down. He then looked at you and despite the obscurity, you were certain his brows furrowed in worry.

“Are you okay ?”

You shot him a deadpanned look.

“You put your legs through a nocturnal torture by running like a possessed fool throughout the whole base, found me here relaxing in the garden while the soft fragrance of flowers and the night sky kept me company, and ended up wheezing like a dying man about to spew his lungs out and you are asking me if I’m okay ?”

You looked at his figure from head to toe as he chuckled at your small outburst. He was still a bit out of breath from his little run but he seemed quite fine.

“Damn ! Your descriptions are always so…special. Clove would definitely love you to be the Dungeon Master of their next DnD game.” His laugh calmed down and he nervously cleared his throat. “Anyway. I wanted to check on you. You didn't seem fine in the common room. Are you feeling a bit better now ?”

You shot him a bored look and let a deep sigh out of your lungs. Wingman made a few high chirped noises indicating his worry.

“You really love wasting your time, don’t you ?” Your eyes wandered on the night sky. “Aren't you missing the end of the movie ? Shouldn't you be inside with your friends ?”

Gekko frowned and looked at you funny.

“You’re my friend too.”

You let out a small snort that only deepened his frown.

“I’m serious.” He insisted. “We’re maybe not as close as you are with Cypher or Deadlock or… Iso, but I see you as my friend and I will always have your back.”

You looked back at him and even though you couldn't see him clearly because of the obscurity, you felt his eyes looking at you with a fierce determination.

“Plus,” he continued, “you always have my back on the field, fighting like a total badass against the enemies. Remember our last mission in Lotus ? I would have been dead meat if you weren't there.”

Wingman (who had gotten comfy on your lap) nodded with vehemence, agreeing with Gekko’s words.

“I’m not quite sure if you can be ‘dead meat’ when someone like Sage is around.” You said, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

Gekko made a noise between an amused chuckle and a sigh of frustration. You couldn't figure out what was on his mind, which is quite surprising since he was usually so expressive. He then suddenly got closer to you on the bench, grabbed your shoulders and leaned a bit more towards you.

“My point is : you got my back and I got yours. You're my friend and I won’t leave you alone.” His fingers gently squeezed your shoulders. “And I’m sorry.”

It was now your turn to frown as you did not understand why he was apologizing for.

“I invited you to this movie night so I could have an occasion to get to know you better, so we could get to know each other and bond on something that is not mission related.” He explained. “But you clearly weren't at ease. I thought you were about to have a panic attack, back there.”

You felt his thumbs caressing your shoulders as his hands squeezed you a bit more tightly.

“I’m sorry.”

You shook your head and let out another sigh. “Don’t apologize. Your intentions were innocent and sweet.”

You couldn't see the blush on his cheeks but you noticed the slight twitch in his body language.

“Everything's fine.” You insisted. “I’m perfectly fine. Plus, with the new playlist Iso sent me, I can just relax and enjoy the quietude of the garden.”

“Oh.” He said simply.

His voice showed disappointment, sadness even. You vaguely felt his grip on your shoulder faltering a little while Wingman made a few sad garbling sounds.

“Gekko ?”

You couldn't see his face, but his body language showed a slight dispiritedness that didn't match his usual playful and confident personality.

“You and Iso are really close, huh.” He said with an uncharacteristically neutral tone.

His shoulders were now slightly slumped.

“Well, we had heard about each other before we joined Valorant. It was funny to finally meet the infamous ‘Dead Lilac’ in this secret organization.” You chuckled little, finding the circumstances of your first meeting with the Chinese duelist quite embarrassing. You remembered knocking your head so hard against his chest that it spinned a little.

“That’s…uhm…kinda cute, I guess.”

You wondered what was on the mind of the piece of sweet-woman-heartthrob-trope that Gekko was.

“Well I don't know if it’s cute, but we’ve been exchanging playlists and book recommendations since.” You shrugged and Gekko’s hands slided down your arms at your action. “He’s cool. He has a sweet ‘older sibling’ vibe that put me at ease.”

The young initiator seemed to perk at your words and so was his radivore critter.

“‘Older sibling’ vibe ?” He repeated. “What do you mean ?”

“Well, you see how siblings sometimes banter with each other but always have each other's back ?” You started to explain and you saw his figure tilting his head. “Well that's our relationship with Iso. You probably know what I’m talking about. I noticed that you had quite the same thing with Neon.” You shrugged again.

His whole demeanor seemed to relax when he let out a laugh filled with relief. You frowned a little, not understanding this sudden outburst of joy.

“You alright ?” You raised a worried eyebrow and squinted your eyes a little. “Maybe you should get some sleep.”

It was at this moment that the moon finally decided to come out of behind the clouds, illuminating both of your faces. You both looked at each other, admiring your features. Your eyes wandered on his freckles without noticing his lovestruck gaze on you.

“Maybe I'm a bit tired.” He whispered with a lost tone, as if he didn't understand what he just said.

“Hm.” You looked down on your lap to notice Wingman shrinking and hopping towards Gekko’s shoulder. “Wanna go back inside ?”

“You’re going back inside ?” Gekko asked.

“No.”

“Then I’ll stay with you.” He got more comfortable on the bench and you felt him lean a bit more towards you. “Unless my presence is overwhelming.”

You shook your head and leaned against the backrest of the bench.

“No. You’re fine.”

“Cool.” He nodded and let out a small sigh of relief.

A comfortable silence settled between you, slightly disturbed by the faint music from your headphones. Your eyes wandered on the night sky, unaware of Gekko’s longing glances in your direction. You are completely oblivious to his poor heart beating so fast and so loud that he feared you could hear it. You did not notice. You never did. Ever since you set your foot into the base for the first time, his eyes were always on you. At first it was curiosity. Curious about the agent recommended by the mysterious man that was Cypher. Then it was admiration for the fierce fighter that you turned into once on the field. And finally, it bloomed to be a small crush that never ceased to grow. Your charisma hypnotized him. His feelings for you were so obvious that his friends never stopped to tease him. Even Reyna said that he looked like a lost puppy everytime you were around and Harbor often asked him to focus when you were in his field of view. And of course, he was jealous of how close Iso was with you. The duelist could talk to you without any problem, he could receive your smiles, your laughs, your friendly fist-bumps while the only times Gekko could have a proper interaction with you was during missions or briefings. Even during training you stayed in your corner, avoiding interactions.

But right now, he felt so happy. This was the longest interaction you’ve ever had with each other and he couldn't help but smile.

He turned his head in your direction and softly called you.

“Yeah ?”

“I heard that you love to draw.” He nervously rubbed his neck but kept his eyes on yours. “We could someday, you know, draw together while chilling in my room. If it’s okay with you of course.”

You shot him an indescribable glance and he suddenly felt so stupid for not using drawing as a way to bond with you sooner instead of the movie night. But he relaxed a little when you ended up shrugging.

“Why not.”

It was a start. He will not confess his feelings for now. It was way too soon. But he will certainly enjoy these moments with you. He will enjoy bonding with you and get to know you better.

Anecdote : the Arabic proverb mentioned by Cypher is something the father of a friend once told me when I was a kid. It's stuck in my mind, ever since.

I'm not proud of the ending ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ But it's fine. It is just a test, after all.

I don't know if I'll post the part. 2. I'll most probably keep it in my drafts.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I wish you a lovely day/night.

#gekko x reader #valorant x reader

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bluegalaxygirl · 1 month

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Obsession's Grip (Zosan X Reader) P8

Plot: After saving some of the straw hat crew from a prison, the crew help takes a young man away so he can have a fresh start in life. He's shy but seems to grow attached to Reader in an unhealthy way.

Warning: Bad language, Kidnapping, Drugs, Snakes, Violence and Creeper behavior.

Reader is Female (Sorry), Zoro X Sanji X Reader, Poly relationship, established relationship. Reader has the ability to control the snake tattoos on her arms that come alive when she commands, they can change size and are connected to her emotions.

P1 - P2 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6 - P7 - P9 - P10 - P11 - P12 - P13 - P14

Groaning your back hits something solid as Percy puts you down, he tried to be gentle but with you unable to move, your basically dead weight "Sorry, Sorry… We'll rest here for a minute" Percy pants sitting down on the floor and resting his back against the tree across from you, your hands are bound behind your back by rope along with your ankles while your mouth has a piece of cloth over it. If you could move you know you can get out of it or let you snakes out to help but all you can do is blink, barely speak and just about turn your head, saving your energy you focus on your hand behind your back trying to make fangs out of your fingers. Your eyes are still fuzzy, lights dancing around like firefly's in the sky but you're awake and able to think again, scanning the dark frost it's hard to make out anything, the young man managed to find a spot that doesn't have any bushes or flowers nearby that would light up giving away your location and the glowing fruit above you has already been picked. Everything is so quiet but unlike before this quiet made you nervous, sick to your stomach, you hope someone will notice your missing before Percy does what ever his crazy mind is planning to do, what is his plan anyway? there's no way off this island except the sunny and the log pose has two more days until it resets. Is he just going to wait it out and hope the crew leaves or sneak you back on board at some point? Both plans are stupid. After a while of silence there's a shift of movement in front of you, Percy sighs while moving closer to you before laying down on his back resting his head on your folded knees, if you could you would kick him off.

Percy looks up at you hardly able to see your face, but he reaches up and pushes some hair behind your ear "I'm sorry about all this" He whispers keeping his voice down so only you can hear him "I hope you don't feel sick, those seeds can cause weird hallucinations that make your head spin. The lights will fade away soon but the paralysis will take longer to wear off, at least it will give us time to talk" Percy smiles up at you resting his hands on his stomach, he waits for a replay but when he didn't get one his smile fades remembering that you can't talk. "Oh!.. I forgot you can't talk back, thats ok i can talk… You know what's funny the seed i took from your desk, the one i crushed up and put in your tea, do you know what its called?" The young man laughs making you roll your eyes, how can he find this funny? he drugged you while your back was turned, he probably hid the tea bags so you wouldn't see him put the crushed up seed into your drink. "Its called Snow whites kiss… The symptoms fit those of Snow white when she was poisoned by the witch, dizziness, fainting, hallucinations, paralysis of body and vocal cords and slowing of the breath and heart" Percy sighs reaching up and placing two fingers on your neck feeling for your pules "Its so slow you can hardly feel it, if you weren't awake someone would think your dead. Its rumored that a true loves kiss can break the paralysis, isn't that funny?" The young man moves his hand from your neck to your cheek letting his thumb run under your eye as he lets out a small laugh. While he's been talking you've been trying to focus on your hand struggling to move even one of your fingers but you won't give up, your close to getting your snake out.

Your plan is to let your snake out and send it off to find the crew so it can lead them back to you. "W-Why?" You manage to speak hoping to keep Percy talking so any noise you make won't give away what your doing. The young man looks up at you in shock but then a smile appears as he sits up getting close to your face "Wow that's amazing, you can just about talk, you really are strong Y/n" He laughs only to slap his hand over his mouth stopping his voice from echoing out into the silent forest, once he's calmed down he puts his hand on you lap giving your leg a few pats "Don't worry, i'm not going to hurt you, i'm saving you from them. What you told me made me realize how tight their leash is on you, you'll believe anything they tell you… I can see what their doing to you so they feel threatened by me, thats why their trying to get you to hate me, to stay away from me, they don't want to let you go because their using you, you easily give them what they want" Percy squeezes your leg starting to get upset and angry, leaning closer to your face you try to move back only for the back of your head to hit the tree stopping you form going any further. "I'll save you from them, all of them, Sanji and Zoro who use your love for them to get what they want and the crew who are either blind too it all or are using you too. You're a kind soul Y/n, I've seen too many people like you get used and abused and i won't let that happen. Not to you, you'll be safe with me" Percy whispers placing his hand on your cheek, your breath hitches in your throat as your eyes widen, your body's overwhelmed with the feeling of wanting to push him away.

Using this new-found strength you manage to make fangs out of your fingers, the tattoo on your arm coming to life and slithering out of your skin and onto the grass. Luckily it doesn't move understanding the situation and the need to be still since the tense silence is overwhelming, any little noise will give away what you've done. Percy brings his over hand up and pulls down the cloth covering your mouth starting to get closer and closer until his lips just about meet yours. Your heart pounds in your chest wanting him off you, the thought of your snake attacking him comes to mind but you decide against it not wanting panic to take over your mind and ruin any progress you've made. Attacking and then sending your snake off is going to use up most of your energy to stay awake so you have to think smart and use that strength to stay awake long enough for your snake to find the crew then you can rest. "I-i really want to, don't get me wrong, i really like you Y/n but you still don't understand, i can't risk that true loves kiss thing being true" Percy sighs pulling away from you, the breath you were holding leaves your lips in a relived sigh. "I know, i'm sorry. I've been wanting too for a while" The young man gives you a sad smile while laying down on his side and curling up resting his head back on your lap, you roll your eyes again while gritting your teeth. Did he really think you were sighing over him not kissing you? You've lost all and any kind of sympathy for him long ago but that empty space is now filled with disgust and anger.

Sighing again to calm your nerves you have to get him to talk again, that way when your snake heads off to look for the crew he won't notice. "H-How.. Do you.. know a-about seeds?" You manage to get out with a lot of effort but at least it makes Percy start talking again, his finger draws patterns on your leg as a large smile forms on his face. "We'll before i was drafted i studded Biology and Chemistry, i mainly focused on the affect of chemicals processing in the body, i always found it fascinating how some things can affect someone in different dosses" As he starts talking your snake nudged your back asking what to do, with Percy distracted you turn your head a little and nod into the darkness before mouthing to find the crew and be quiet. Your snake nods flicking its tongue at you before slithering over to another tree and climbing up as to not give away what's happening. "Like carrots are good for your health but if you eat too much your skin can turn orange and how the body needs Vermin D, or sunlight to process calcium but if you stay out in the sun too long you can get sun burn or skin cancer." Percy rambles on but you hardly pay attention instead relaxing against the tree trying to conserve as much energy as possible, your tired but you need to hold off for as long as possible on falling asleep. Your snake slithers over branches above the trees using its tongue and thermal vision to make out the surrounding area hoping to find its way back to the ship at least, it stops suddenly before making its way down the tree and into the grass. It smells the air lifting itself higher and higher until it sprints off going after the smell.

Running threw the dark forest Sanji holds the snail phone in front of him listening to Nami's instructions on where to go and how to get there, the next place to look is a small cave on the other side of the island, Zoro sticks close one hand on his swords ready to pull them out at a moments notice while his other hands grips tightly onto the cooks belt. "When you find that apple glow tree turn left" Nami points out only for Usopp to scramble up the ladder making his way over to the navigator quickly followed by Chopper both looking a little panicked "N-Nami" The two rush up behind her earning a groan of annoyance from the woman who's trying to focus, Usopp places your notebook down on the table next to the map as Chopper jumps up placing a strange white seed on the table before noticing the Snail phone. "We turned left Nami-swan" Sanji yells through the snail phone ignoring the other two on the other end of the phone "Oh Sanji, is Zoro with you?" Chopper asks looking over a page in your notebook as Usopp rushes over to the book case grabbing one of his seed books and bringing it over trying to find the page he needs. "Yea, what is it Chopper?" Zoro yells out a pit forming in his stomach since the doctor sounds a little panicked, Nami quickly gives the two more directions before gesturing for Chopper to speak now that she's done. "That strange bitter smell in the kitchen was coming from that tea cup. Me, Usopp and Robin managed to figure out what it was, it's a crushed up seed that Y/n and Usopp were struggling to identify, we found more of the same seeds where the tea bags were hidden" Chopper sighs looking to Usopp who's scanning over a page sometimes looking down at the notebook and seed trying to figure out what exactly it is and how it affects someone.

Sanji grips the snail phone tightly in his hand, he knows you wouldn't do anything with a seed that you didn't know so it had to be Percy but why? Why would you drink something he made? Zoro growls wanting to kill Percy now more than ever, he's also slightly angry with you, he told you to stay away from the young man. "We're trying to figure out what the seed does but Robin said that Percy might have slipped it into her tea, if thats the case then he clearly knows about it and how it works" Chopper continues after not getting an answer off the two, he wants to reassure them but there isn't much he can say in this situation. Making it to the cave Zoro pulls out his sword and let's go of Sanji's belt scanning the area for any sign of you while Sanji lights his leg on fire starting to walk into the dark cave only to be met by a dead end, its more of a rock den than a cave but at least they can rule this area out quickly. "She's not here, where to next?" Zoro sighs walking over to the cook becoming impatient as Nami searches the map in front of her. Usopp suddenly gaps causing almost everyone to jump at his sudden action "I found the seed, its Sărutul Albei ca Zăpada, also known as Snow whites kiss, the fruit it grows are fine to eat and full of protean but the seed itself can be deadly." The sniper places the book down on the table showing Chopper so the doctor can make a quick cure "When consumed it causes Hallucinations, fainting, paralysis and heart problems luckily it seems Y/n only drank half a cup so the affects won't kill her" Hearing this Sanji lets out a sigh of relief glad to know you won't die from it, Zoro places his hand on the cooks shoulder leaning towards the phone "Where to next Nami, we can talk about this on the way"

Hearing his urgency Nami quickly gives them directions to the next area hearing the two start to run and follow her directions as Usopp and Chopper talk about the seed. Overhearing this conversation Zoro's heart sinks, a seed thats related to a fairy tail is never a good sign, and he doubts a true loves kiss will bring his lover back to them. Questions run through his head as his hand gripping his sword and Sanji's belt tightly, he needed to stop thinking of what state you might be in and what Percy has planned but his thoughts keep spiraling until Sanji suddenly stops bring the both of them to a halt "What?" The swordsman's whispers standing back-to-back with the cook while pulling out his other sword ready for a fight, Sanji looks around lifting his leg up and lighting it on fire as his teeth clench down on his cigarette threatening to bite it in half. "I hear movement" The cook whispers listening out for the sound again, the forest is dark enough on its own but with the setting sun it somehow makes the forest even darker, the trees around them have been picked clean leaving hardly any light other than Sanji's leg to see around them. The flowers and brushes to their right start lighting up showing something quickly heading their way, Sanji goes to kick while Zoro swings his sword down on the creature but both stop mid attack as a loud hiss hits their ears. Your snake skids to a stop sliding out of the bushes looking up at the two with slightly wide eyes, putting his foot down Sanji sighs in relief as the snake rises up as high as it can go while Zoro puts one of his swords away offering his hand to the snake.

The two can clearly tell your struggling just by looking at the poor tired snake, its small only able to wrap itself around Zoro's forearm and its starting to pant feeling exhausted from getting to this point "You guys ok?" Nami asks over the snail phone, with no sound of fighting she wondered if the phone was dropped or if something happened to them but relief soon fills her as Sanji answers "We're fine, sorry for the worry, Y/n's snake is here although it isn't looking too good" The cook sighs lightly stroking its head with his finger trying to ease his own worries, if your snake is out it means your awake and can move or at least move your hand but with how tired it looks and how small it is, its clear your losing what ever energy you had before "Great, it can lead the way back to her, I'll get the cure ready, i think i have an idea of how to reverse this" Chopper happily calls out before jumping off the table and running to his office soon followed by Usopp who grabs the book just in case they need it. Sanji and Zoro nod to each other before looking down at your snake whose head lifts up to point the way back to you. Nami sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, looking over her map she tries to keep track of where their going, so she can help them find their way back to the Sunny. After a while of running your snake tenses up letting out a low growl "What's wrong?" Zoro asks continuing to run through the forest with Sanji close behind but the snake doesn't answer only continuing to let out that guttural growl, his heart breaks at hearing it again, it's the same growl he heard when you got upset a few days go.

Sanji runs up next to the swordsman looking down at the snake tightly wrapping itself around Zoro's arm, its growl getting louder and louder sending a shiver down his spine as his eyes widen "Is that-" The cook goes to ask only to be interpreted by the green haired man who growls under his breath "Yea, i'm gonna kill that asshole" Sanji's heart twists in his chest hating the thought of you going back into that state, Nami told him what you were like, how broken you looked. He didn't want you to go back to that, he also didn't want to think of what Percy said or did to make you this way again, but he shakes his head getting those thoughts out and just focusing on getting to you. Your snake continues to give directions but its body stays quite stiff continuing to growl and hiss until it suddenly stops, the two quickly look to your snake seeing its body loosen up and its eyes going dull "Shit, she passed out" Zoro growls grabbing your snake as it tried to slither off his arm, gripping onto the snake as hard as he can while also trying not to hurt it the two keep going following your snakes relaxed and almost lazy movements. With how small you snake is if they let it go then they'll most likely loose it in the grass, if it didn't brush up against a flower or a brush or if it went up a tree to get to you the two would easily loose sight and any chance of finding you. At this point your snakes on auto pilot, its only desire is to get back to you no matter what, ignoring anything and everything around it even danger but at least they can still get to you, all they have to do is keep running and hold on tight to the snake trying to slither out of the swordsman's grasp.

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jiubilant · 10 months

Photo

finna...and gleeb. and serana and gelebor

most present-day falmer are born with a form of vocal cord paralysis that makes speech difficult or impossible. gleeb can speak when necessary, but he usually talks to finna in the knock-and-tap code with which the people of his clan communicate (and which almost no one else knows)

#skyrim #my art #serana #gelebor #oc tag #finna and gleeb

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doctubehealthcare · 10 months

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Causes and Treatment of Vocal Cord Paralysis

Vocal cord paralysis is a condition where a person is not able to control muscle movements that control his voice. It usually happens due to disruptions in the nerve impulses to a person’s larynx. This leads to paralysis of the muscles present in the vocal cord. This condition makes it difficult for the patient to speak or even breathe. This is because the vocal cords have more roles than merely producing sound. They protect a person’s airways by preventing food objects from entering the windpipe thereby helping a person to prevent choking (Toutounchi, S.J.S., Eydi, M., Golzari, S.E., Ghaffari, M.R. and Parvizian, N., 2014. Vocal cord paralysis and its etiologies: a prospective study. Journal of cardiovascular and thoracic research, 6(1), p.47). Usually, in the case of vocal cord paralysis, one vocal cord is paralyzed. However, in a few severe cases, a person may also suffer from paralysis of both vocal cords. This is a serious condition that may lead to speech difficulties as well as problems in swallowing and breathing. For more information and insights on this condition, follow DocTube.

Symptoms of Vocal Cord Paralysis

The common signs and symptoms of vocal cord paralysis are diverse and may include the following:

Hoarseness

Noisy breathing

Loss of vocal pitch

Shortness of breath

Coughing or choking while drinking or swallowing food

Inability to speak loudly

A need to take frequent breaths while speaking

Ineffective coughing

Loss of the gag reflex

Frequent throat clearing

Whenever a person experiences unexplained voice hoarseness that does not go away even after 2-4 weeks or if there are unexplained voice changes and discomfort, it is crucial for him to make a prompt consultation with a healthcare provider.

Causes of Vocal Cord Paralysis

In the case of vocal cord paralysis, a person’s nerve impulses to his larynx are disrupted which causes paralysis of the muscle. It often becomes difficult for healthcare providers to determine the main cause of this vocal cord paralysis. However, some of the commonly known causes may often comprise the following:

Chest or neck injury: Often trauma to the chest or neck can injure nerves that serve the vocal cords or the larynx.

Vocal cord injury during surgery: Surgery on or near the upper chest or neck may lead to some damage to the nerves that serve the larynx (Gupta, J., Varshney, S., Bist, S.S. and Bhagat, S., 2013. Clinico-etiolological study of vocal cord paralysis. Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 65, pp.16-19). Some of the common surgeries that involve a certain degree of risk of damage are surgeries to the parathyroid or thyroid glands, chest, neck and esophagus.

Stroke: Strokes interrupt the flow of blood in the brain and this may damage the part of our brain that is responsible for sending messages to the larynx.

Tumors: Cancerous as well as non-cancerous tumors may grow in and around the nerves, muscles and cartilage that control the functioning of the larynx and this may lead to vocal cord paralysis in patients.

Infections: Some infections like herpes and Lyme disease may lead to inflammation and damage of the nerves in the voice box. It has also been found that COVID-19 infection may cause vocal cord paralysis in individuals.

Neurological conditions: Vocal cord paralysis may also be caused by certain neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

People who undergo surgery on their throat, upper chest or thyroid have a higher risk of damaging their vocal cord nerve. In some cases, the breathing tubes used during surgery or for helping a patient to breathe if he has severe respiratory trouble may damage his vocal cord nerves. On the other hand, as stated above, patients with certain neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease are more prone to suffer from weakness or paralysis of their vocal cords.

Complications of Vocal Cord Paralysis

Breathing issues linked to vocal cord paralysis may be mild enough to be causing just a hoarse voice. However, in severe cases, they may also be life-threatening. As vocal cord paralysis prevents the opening of the airway from closing and opening completely, other complications may also be faced. These may include inhaling or choking on food or liquid. Aspiration can result in severe pneumonia and this condition needs immediate medical care.

Treatment of Vocal Cord Paralysis

Surgery and voice therapy are the most common treatments done for vocal cord paralysis. In some patients, their voices will recover naturally during the first year following diagnosis and it is because of this reason that doctors may often delay surgery for a year. During this time, doctors usually refer patients to speech-language pathologists. Voice therapy is recommended for such patients. This involves exercises for strengthening the vocal cords and improving breath control while talking. These therapists may teach patients how to use their voices differently. For example, this may include opening the mouth wider when you speak or speaking slowly. On the other hand, different surgical procedures are also available and this usually depends on whether one or both the vocal cords are paralyzed.

In these surgeries, efforts are made to change the position of the vocal fold. It can include inserting structural implants and stitches for repositioning the laryngeal cartilage and for bringing the vocal folds closer (Dankbaar, J.W. and Pameijer, F.A., 2014. Vocal cord paralysis: anatomy, imaging and pathology. Insights into imaging, 5(6), pp.743-751). This leads to a stronger voice in patients. Surgery is often followed by additional voice therapy as this helps in fine-tuning the voice. In case both the vocal folds are paralyzed, a tracheotomy may be needed to help patients with breathing. In this surgery, an incision is made on the front portion of the neck and a breathing tube is thereafter inserted into the trachea. Due to this surgery, breathing happens through the tube rather than the mouth and nose. After the surgery, patients are again referred to speech-language pathologists wherein they learn how to use the voice well and how to take care of the breathing tube.

#Vocal Cord Paralysis #doctube #healthcare #health #health and wellness #healthcare information #treatment #doctors #health articles

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promptsforyourwhumpfic · 5 months

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The Grand A-Z List of Whump 3/3

This list contains 194 items listed R to Z

As always, I heavily encourage people to research topics thoroughly when writing. Whump is generally a 'dead dove' sort of topic, however it is important to avoid stereotypes/misinformation. This lists intention is to not glorify/romanticise sensitive topics in any way.

This is a comprehensive list of injuries, Illnesses and tropes - including those from the Whumptober 2023 trope vote!

All submissions are listed in italics, and those who wanted to be tagged will be included at the end. If you have any more submissions: please send them via DM/my ask box.

[A-H] [I-Q] [NSFW List]

List below the cut:

Rabies

Radiation Poisoning/Exposure

Radio Silence

Ransom Note/Video

Rashes

Recovery

Reducing breaks or dislocations (bonus: out in the field with no painkillers available)

Reflection

Rejection

Reluctant Caretaker

Reluctant Whumpee

Reminded of trauma

Reopened Wound

Repressed Emotions

Repressed trauma resurfacing

Rescue

Rescued by the enemy

Rescues gone wrong

Respiratory Distress

Restraints

Reuniting

Revenge

Ringing Ears

Ritual sacrifice

Rockslides

Role Reversal

Rope Burns

Running fingers through hair (maliciously or comfortingly)

Running Out of Air

Ruptured eardrum

Sacrifice

Sadistic Choice

Sartorial constraints

Scars

Scoliosis

Scraped Knees

Scratched corneas

Scratches

Seasickness

Second impact syndrome

Secrets

Sedated

Seeing double

Seizures

Self esteem issues

Self induced injury to escape

Self sacrifice

Self-aid

Self-inflicted injury (to escape)

Semi-consciousness

Sensory Deprivation/Overload

Sentimental Items

Separation

Sepsis

Servitude

Setbacks in recovery

Severed Artery

Shaking Hands

Shipwreck

Shivering

Shock

Shock collar

Shot (gun, arrow, dart, etc...)

Shrapnel (blast/wounds)

Sick/injured at a party

Skull fracture

Slapped

Sleep Deprivation

Sleep Paralysis

Sleeping in the cold

Sleeplessness

Smashing their head into a wall

Smoke Inhalation

Snake Bites

Sneezing

So sick they can barely even stand or stay awake

Significant other taking care of wounds

So weak they have to hold on to something or someone to walk

Solitary Confinement

Special object being ruined/torn apart

Spinal Cord Injury

Split lip

Sprains

Stab Wounds

Stabbed (sword, spear, knife, TRIDENT!, etc...)

Stabbed through the back by the only person the whumpee trusted

Stage fright

Stalking

Status epilepticus

Stiches

Stings (insect, creature, plants)

Stitches

Stoic/Defiant Whumpee

Stoic/Rude/Harsh Reluctant Caregiver!Mentor & Ball of Sunshine Hurt!Mentee (platonic)

Stomach ache

Stomach Ulcers (a cause for vomiting up blood)

Stomach virus

Straight Jacket

Strangling

Strangulation resulting in bruised or swollen vocal chords and loss of voice + the process of regaining your voice and everything that comes with that trauma.

Stress (this could induce headaches/general illness)

Stress Position

Stumbling

Sucking chest wound

Suffocating

Sunburn

Super glued to toilet

Surgery

Surgery gone wrong

Surrendering

Survivor's Guilt

Swollen Lymph Nodes

Tachycardia

Taking the bullet

TBI (traumatic brain injury)

Team as a family

Team has a certain amount of time to get to their Whumpee before they’re killed

Team teaming up to take care of sick teammate

Temporary Loss of Sense(s)

Tendonitis

Tetanus

The Final Straw

Thrown from an explosion

Time Loop

Tiny whump

Tonsillitis

Tooth knocked out

Torn Ligaments - Achilles, Meniscus etc.

Torn Muscles

Torture

Touch Aversion/Touch Starved

Tranquilizer Dart

Trap

Trapped (whether this is after an explosion, car accident, natural disaster…)

Trapped Limbs

Trapped underwater

Trauma reveal

Tremors

Trust Issues

Truth spell/serum

Tuberculosis

Twisted ankle

Undead (vampires and ghosts and zombies, oh my!)

Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms

Unresponsive

Upper respiratory infection

Used as bait

Usually big, strong and boisterous whumpee becomes quiet and weaker as the whumper conditions them.

UTI (Urinary Tract Infection)

Vampire whump

Vampires Thrall

Vehicular Accident

Venom

Vertigo

Very badly hurt and on life support - with slow recovery

Virus

Visions

Vocal chord paralysis

Vomiting/Vomiting blood

Waterboarding

West Nile virus

Whip scars

Whipping/Flogging

Whumpee being psychologically tortured via fake escape scenarios so when they are actually getting rescued they don't believe it. bonus point if they still don't think anything is real.

Whumpee dreams of a loved one happily inviting them “home” (They're actually dying IRL)

Whumpee getting the upper hand over whumper.

Whumpee stabbing whumper or beating their head into the ground over and over while sobbing, even when they’re clearly dead because they NEED to take their emotions out.

Whumpee turned Whumper

Whumpee watches caretaker take a bullet/hit/poison for them.

Whumper turned Caretaker

Whumper turned whumpee

Whumper with a crush

Wincing/Flinching

Wing whump

Wisdom Tooth Removal

Withdrawal

Withholding Medical Treatment

Witnessing. (Whumpee sees someone die in a brutal way. Whumpee sees someone get possessed/turned into a zombie/some other horrifying thing and they just stare horrified.)

Working for the enemy

Working through injury/illness

Working to Exhaustion

Wrists rubbed raw

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Wrongfully Accused/Arrested

Wrongfully fired

Xeroderma. (Extreme sun sensitivity)

XMRV is a newly identified human retrovirus that is similar to a group of mouse retroviruses (called murine leukaemia viruses, or MLVs)

Yellow Fever

Zombie virus, etc.

Zoonotic Hookworm

Zoonotic illness (It’s a disease carried or transmitted by animals to humans like tularemia or psittacosis)

Zosler (Shingles)

Zygomycosis (Fungal infection)

TAG LIST: Thank you very much to the following people for submitting ideas! (I apologise if some tags did not work, I'm not sure why tumblrs not letting me tag you!)

#whump #tropes #prompts #a-z of whump #r-z #writing #ideas #angst #a-z #death tw #illness tw #injury tw #emetophobia #emeto #emeto tw #vomit tw #emetophobia tw #whump tropes

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jhscdood · 4 months

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i woke up in a Bad Headspace today and imma use by blog to vent about it like it's livejournal circa 2004.

tw for discussion of medical stuff

- I hate xmas. I'm jewish but my dad is not and the pressure to have An Perfect Xmas every year and the disappointment every year just grosses me out now. Not even going to talk about american xtian hegemony but there's some of that in there too.

- Today i began to suspect that the awesome new migraine med that actually stops my weather-induced migraines might also be interfering with the efficiacy of my prediabetes meds. or maybe im wrong and im Just That Fucking Exhausted.

- Spouse spent all last week recovering from a severe medication allergy and hives on 70% of his body. and steroids Do Not Agree with him so it was just. a wild time. terrifying af. stood over him with an EpiPen basically the entire time.

- 3 days before The Hives, i scratched my cornea while pruning bushes and that right there is a pain i do not ever want to revisit. had to go to the optometrist and get The Goo.

- 2 days before Cornea i had my first Botox For Migraine treatment. 31 injections to the face, neck and shoulders. it stung but it was over in like 4 minutes. takes 3 sessions to start kicking in. sessions are 12 weeks apart. so i guess we'll find out in August if it's working.

- day before Botox i had an ENT appointment and he stuck a camera up my nose and then diagnosed me with a weird vocal cord paralysis thing so now i have to go back to speech therapy for the first time in 26 years.

- Week before that, saw my neurologist and she diagnosed me with a weird intermittent lazy eye / motion lag thingamawhatsis so now i have to go to an ophthalmologist AND vision therapy.

- That week I also saw my PCP and explained to her about the intermittent abdominal pain I've been having since like 2021. She took me seriously!!! Which is good!!! But now i am scheduled for baby's first colonoscopy. And i have to keep a food journal, which i HATE because food is STUPID.

- All of the above all happened this month btw. December 1-23.

- My final appt in November was yet another ultrasound of my former left tit because there is an oil cyst at the site of my top surgery and they are VERY SURE it is a benign oil cyst but the rules require them to poke it every few months for 2-3 years.

- Before that I had a 48 hour ambulatory EEG which was the itchiest i have ever been in my LIFE. That same week our basement stairs collapsed and a contractor had to come rebuild them (up! to! code!). That same week i also went to the dentist to get my crown fitted.

- I think my MIL was in the hospital that same week, too. so that's a thing that's been going on the whole time since then.

- I spent most of October deathly ill with food poisoning thst was originally misdiagnosed as viral. I ended up with a CT scan and colitis. and, eventually, cipro. it was the sickest i have ever been in my adult life. i would rather have mono again. i fantasized about those cholera beds with the hole in the center so you didnt have to get up to have your horrid dysentery. nightmare.

- The day before that hit i had ONE golden day where i felt good and had energy. we went to temple and i got glomped by about 10 different people. my 80 year old bestie kept finding me to hug me again. Rabbi hugged me super hard.

- Before that was a root canal, and before that was a tooth infection that took 2 rounds of antibiotics to kill, and before that was the original cavity filling that started it all. the dentist kindly comped me the $172 for the filling against the $3,800 bill for the root canal + crown.

- Before that? IDEK man. I have lost track. Somewhere in there i got diagnosed with insulin resistance which explained my HORRENDOUSLY TERRIBLE fatigue and cloudiness and waking up starving every 3 hours. The meds they gave me changed that literally overnight. it was a miracle. which is why im freaking out about the new migraine med possibly counteracting that. i spent the entirety of last summer in a fog. several of my very good friends visited and all i could do was nap on them. i couldnt go anywhere or do anything. it was a nightmare. i don't want to go back to that. but also i don't want to have a migraine every time the wind blows. but i would rather have a migraine 50% of the time than be back to that fatigue fogged state 100% of the time. nope nope nope.

- and amongst all of this, still having the seizures. they were going down for a while but the last week or so has been 1-2 per day. so. another checkmark in the "gee do you think you're stressed?" column.

- it is going on 10pm and I'm tired so i very likely have accidentally omitted several other things. to be fair to me, there's Quite A Bit to remember.

- so if youre wondering why i havent updated my latest fic, its partly bc i am TIRED and partly bc if i gave jason even a third of the health bullshit i have dealt with the past few months, it would absolutely defy belief. TWO kinds of eye problems AND a speech problem AND food poisoning AND dentistry?? surely no one in the world has to deal with that much!

sigh. anyway. thanks for listening. i promise i am stressed out of my GOURD but, shockingly, have not slid into any sort of depressive space. mostly im just annoyed. i spent today watching dinosaur documentaries and reorganizing my craft supplies.

tomorrow will be better. today just sucked.

#me #personal

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jsprnt · 7 months

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Healing Hearts PT.5 | Virgil van Dijk

Would a fresh start bring you more than just a new job?

C/W: nightmares, sleep paralysis, anxiety

WC: 3.515

Summary: Y/N L/N is a very skilled and praised physiotherapist. A certain event pushing her for a fresh start, as a physiotherapist for Liverpool FC. One question always being in the back of her mind: Will she be able to let go of her past and allow herself to experience new things?

She's yelling at me again, I stare at her. Just hoping she'll eventually get tired and stop talking. I take a deep breath, exhaling while leaning against the kitchen counter as she keeps on ranting. I glance around surprised, I'm back home?

"You should've stayed with him y/n! He was perfect for you, for us!" She shouts, while washing the dishes, seemingly very annoyed.

"Mom- we've had this conversation before. You know what he did- you don't feel bad for me?!"

I try to speak calmly, but my frustration gets the best of me as I raise my voice gradually.

"That doesn't matter! His mom's company and ours are in the same industry, you couldn't have sucked it all up, so we could merge when you got married to him?!"

I mumble a few cuss words under my breath, always the same shit. I loved my mother, but she could actually suggest the craziest things sometimes. How could she think the business opportunity was more important than my happiness?

I open my mouth again, trying to force words out of frustration out. I try to speak, but no noise comes out of my throat. Like my vocal cords got paralyzed in a few seconds. I grab onto my neck, my expression turning panicked. Looking at my mother for help, but she's staring, blankly. The look in her eyes sends a shiver down my spine.

The corners of my vision turn black, a fuzzy feeling washing over me.

I'm in my own apartment again, was I dreaming?

There it's staring at me, in the corner of the room. It's eyes piercing at me. It feels like it's going to pounce at me any second, a dark energy surrounding me. Fear filling my body.

I try to raise my head, but it's like my body is fighting against me, it feels like a hundred bricks are weighing down on my chest. I try to scream for it to leave, to get out. No words leave my lips, my thoughts racing wildly.

"No, go away! Leave, please!"

I squeeze my eyes shut, praying to whomever for me to wake up from this nightmare.

I gasp for air, my body finally gaining some autonomy back as I throw myself onto the floor out of panic. I was on the couch?

I groan, the hardwood floor is cold as my body is sprawled on the unwelcoming ground. I pick my body up from the floor, looking around trying to blink away my sleep. I realize my cheeks were wet from tears, I try wipe them away quickly.

I notice my bag and shoes scattered on the floor, my phone on the coffee table. The TV blaring today’s news as I had turned it on for some background noise in the house. I must've immediately fallen asleep on the couch after I came home from the training center. Too tired due to the sleepless nights I had this past week.

I check the time, deciding to eat something and to go outside to get groceries. I could lay in my bed every single day of my life if I could, but I had to at least try to do something active. Just to find a way to stay sane.

I grab my keys, shutting my door behind me as I go down. I put in my earphones, blasting my current favorite song.

The weather in Liverpool was surprisingly nice. Not too hot thankfully. I walk along my neighborhood, walking in and out of the shops greeting the staff of the shops I would regularly visit.

I walk into my apartment building again, two bags of groceries in my hands. I sing along to the song playing in my ear, trying to find some solace even on my worst days.

I walk into the elevator, pressing the button going up the highest floor. The two minutes ride is quiet, the elevator goes up smoothly, the doors sliding open. But, I'm confused by what greets me.

It's a child? Maybe around two to three years old. Whose kid escaped their apartment? I drop my groceries on the floor, squatting down to get on the child's level.

"Hey, honey. What are you doing here alone?"

My voice is gentle, looking around to see if a frantic parent is in the hallway.

The child giggles at me, her eyes twinkling as she spots a pack of gummies in my grocery bag. I grab it handing the pack to her. Trying to coax her to telling me where her parent was.

She starts waddling down the hall, I follow after her hoping she'll lead me to her home.

She stops in front of a door, it's a little further down mine. I knock twice, holding onto the toddlers hand.

The door swings open, revealing a very frantic looking women. Her eyes dart at me, then down to the toddler. She yells words of relief, picking up the child.

"Bella, baby where were you? I looked away for two minutes and you were gone!" She cradles her toddler, muttering concerned words. I notice her accent is not one from here, it's sounded almost American.

She looks at me, a smile replacing her panicked expression. She seemed young, maybe around my age?

She leans towards me, engulfing me in a grateful hug. "Thank you so much for bringing her back home."

"Oh no it's fine, I just was concerned since she was alone in front of the elevator."

We exchange some more words, followed by her inviting me in for coffee. I hesitate at first, but then remember I haven't even met most of my neighbors yet. I can at least try to get to know them. I put my groceries into apartment before walking back to my neighbor's place.

We both sit on her couch comfortably, the view in her apartment being similar to mine. I learn that her name is Sofia, she lives here with her toddler and her boyfriend. They had moved here for work apparently, her boyfriend being from Liverpool originally.

Our conversation flows nicely, it felt like catching up with a close friend. I hadn't felt this feeling in a long time. The FaceTime calls with my girls didn't feel the same as in person conversations.

I leave her apartment two hours and a new friend later...

I walk into the team bus, my bag slung around my shoulder. Eyes glued to my messages. Monet had finally gone on a date with the bartender guy. They had apparently hit it off immediately. The group chat had been blowing up since this morning, us wanting to know every single detail of their date.

My eyes dart back up around me, realizing I was one of the first in the bus. I walk down bus aisle deciding to sit all the way in the back. I chuckle to myself quietly, remembering how I would always run sit to at the back of the bus in high school.

I plop down in my seat, leaning back to see everyone else enter the bus slowly. The match today was against New Castle, the guys not being too worried since they had won against them most of the time. Sadly, Ibo had to be out of this one due to a hamstring injury, but we had estimated he'd be back in a couple of weeks.

"Can I sit here?" I look up realizing is Cody.

"Oh yeah of course, you want the window seat?"

He nods, giving me a smile. I make way for him to sit, observing the bus to see everyone else walk in seeing Joel and Virgil take the seats in the aisle next to us. The guys are given a small talk, before we finally depart, it was a three-hour ride after all.

My phone buzzed in my lap, the noise making me pause my conversation with Cody.

I giggle at the message Liz had sent. She had asked if Monet's relationship was a free booze membership for herself from now on.

"Who are you texting?" I look to my right, a smile still on my face. A curious Virgil is looking back at me, almost falling off his seat to see my phone.

I turn my phone screen, placing it on my chest and letting out a fake gasp.

"You're really nosy, you know that?" I state, turning my head back to look at Cody.

"Is he always like this?" I joke, knowing he'd play along. Our joke is played for around five minutes before we both burst out in laughter as Virgil looked a little annoyed.

"I was texting my girlfriends back home, are you happy with knowing who I'm texting hm?" I retort. He clears his throat and I can't help but notice a small smirk he is trying to fight back, his lips twitching as he tries to cover it up with running a finger on his lips.

I shake off the situation, turning back to Cody to continue our conversation before it was interrupted, again.

I notice the guys in front of the bus filming a TikTok, laughing at their banter as they tease each other.

I notice they are walking up to Cody and move my body slightly so can they film him.

I watch as he starts talking about reading a book to be occupied during the bus ride. I muffle a laugh as I hear the other guys yell about how smart he is.

I turn my head to look at the others filming a TikTok catching Virgil staring at me for a split-second. I avert my gaze, checking the notifications on my phone.

"You have Instagram?" I hear Cody look up from his book. "Of course I do, why?" This leads to the guys eavesdropping, leading to my phone buzzing with follow requests, they were definitely quick with it.

The bus finally arrives at St. James' Park after three hours, staff exits first. I grab my heavy bag, slinging it around my arm. I look around, hearing some New Castle fans booing our team. Football, it really gets the most grown men act like absolute children.

The match doesn't start the best way possible, with Trent receiving a yellow card for throwing the ball away after getting fouled. He literally slides off the pitch, making the Liverpool supporters go crazy, it did look like it hurt, but he seems to be alright.

A couple minutes later New Castle manages to score after Antony Gordon succeeds in getting past our defenders, the stadium erupting in cheers, setting Liverpool back 0-1 twenty-five minutes in.

Then New Castle gets their foot on the ball again, going into full attack mode, the ball is passed to Gordon again with Virgil right behind him and boom, Virgil making him fall straight on to the grass as his leg gets caught in Gordon's. I stand up from my chair in the medical room, arms folded due to nerves.

And thats a red. I see Virgil stand there in disbelief, I mutter some cuss words under my breath as I see the Liverpool players and Klopp try to change the referees mind. Though, their efforts seem to be in vain as Virgil starts visibly getting angry. Klopp trying to get him of the pitch and through the tunnel, before he gets even more furious.

I crack open my door, seeing him walk towards the locker rooms, he looks absolutely pissed. I leave him to cool off for now, before I go up him.

I watch Luis get subbed of for Joe, hopefully Liverpool will still manage to win with one man down.

I walk out of the medical room five minutes before half time. Knocking on the locking room door, as I wait for him to tell me to enter.

He yells a quick "come in" before I pull down the door handle. I'm greeted by a- shirtless Virgil, he raises his eyebrows in surprise.

"y/n?" I clear my throat, it's not like I hadn't seen him shirtless before during quick check ups in my office or in the gym, but this felt a little- different.

I walk up to him, sitting next to him. "Hey, just wanted to check on you. You're okay right? Any discomfort or pain?" He nods his head as if trying to reassure me. "I'm fine doctor, just a little mad right now." I give him an awkward smile. "Oh yeah- you did look really mad." We chuckle amongst each other, my hands reaching up the pat his shoulder. "You'll be fine. Trust me the guys will win this." I give him a wink before standing up to leave, feeling his eyes linger on me. Half time break would start any minute and I had wait for Dr. Woods and Davis in the medical room.

Half time break finishes, players were fine and Klopp gave them a good pep talk before they went out to the pitch again. I cross my fingers as I watch the screen in the medical room. My intense focus is interrupted my a knock in my door, yelling a "yes" as the door opens revealing Virgil, now dressed in black training clothes.

"Can I sit with you? Locker room is lonely." I laugh at his remark before urging him to sit next to me. We continue watching the match, discussing it as we go.

Darwin is finally subbed in, and before we new it he passes the New Castle defenders. Scoring a beautiful goal.

We stand up from our seats, jumping in happiness as he grabs onto my wrist happily, cheering. We settle down finally, one more goal, and we would win this.

As the 90 minutes start ticking an extra five minutes of time is added, making us both sit on the edge of our seats. Then the ball is passed to Darwin in the same manner again, we gasp, this might be it.

Of course the ball lands in the left corner of the goal. We jump up again, Virgil’s tall frame engulfing me in a suffocating hug as we both bounce from happiness. "Told you they'd win!" I yell, he doesn't pull back, as we stand there to witness the players celebrating. I clear my throat, motioning him to let go. What if someone walked in and got the wrong idea? "I will continue to trust you words y/n." He makes a funny motion, causing a laugh to leave my lips.

The game ends as we both walk back to greet the players, Virgil greeting them playfully.

They freshen up, and we walk back to the team buses.

I walk into the garage, my hands a little clammy as I grip onto my bag, since the last time I didn't have the best experience walking out alone.

"You alright?" I turn back to see Virg behind me a concerned expression on his face. "I'm fine." I say, focusing back on getting into the bus.

I sit in the back again, Virgil sitting next to me as I try to get comfortable in my seat. I watch everyone get into the bus, leaving as the ride home would get us back quite late.

I put in my earphones, the days events and my sleepless nights making me feel exhausted. I lean my head back, sighing and before I knew it I was out cold.

I'm awoken by someone shaking my shoulder slightly, my head leaning on something. I stir, opening my eyes the see Virgil looking at me softly. I rub my eyes, realizing we're back at the training center.

"You slept really nice huh? My shoulder hurts due to your head." I give him a sheepish smile, muttering a 'sorry' before we both get out of the bus.

I bid everyone goodbye as I walk up to my car. Sighing as I try to wake up fully before I start my car to drive. I'm startled by a knock on my window, jumping slightly before turning to look at the person with a bewildered expression. Of course, it had to be Virgil again, he laughs at my face motioning for me to lower my window.

I start my car and press on the window button, lowering the window fully, before turning my car off again. "What is it?" He tells me to calm down before he asks me if I'm okay. I look at him questionably. "Why are you asking me?"

"You looked a little out of it, you're okay right?"

He asks, a concerned expression on his face.

"I'm fine, I promise. I'll see you tomorrow yeah? Get some rest." He stares at me for a second before wishing me a goodnight. I smile waving as he leaves. Turning on the radio as I drive back home a couple minutes later.

I'm sitting with the guys in the canteen as we're all eating lunch. They've been discussing yesterdays game since the morning with a lot of enthusiasm. Everyone still praising Darwin for his performance.

He tries to downplay it, trying to tell everyone it was a team effort. I stop him immediately, pulling out my phone to show him an edit I stumbled across on my phone. "Look, they call it a Darwin Núñez masterclass." I say, trying to speak my best Spanish possible.

He watches my screen intently, before giving me a shy but happy smile. Making the table erupt in praises again as they take a peek at the edit.

"You know these edits are fun to watch!" One of them says as they start talking about fan edits. "They do give me an ego boost, can't lie." I snort at Trent's comment, trying cover it up with a cough. "What? Can't do that now?"

I hold myself back from laughing again, reassuring his love for edits. "You can I'm sorry. Enjoy watching your edits as you please."

I'm sat in my office chair, humming a song as I update the progress reports. I sigh, these will always be exhausting to update one by one.

I check the time, ten more minutes till I'm off. I hurry up a little making sure every detail is typed in neatly and clearly. A knock taking me out of my concentration as I save the reports.

"Come in!" I yell, packing my bag as the door is opened. I look up, it's Virgil. Damn, we had been seeing each other a lot lately.

"What's up?" I ask raising a brow. "Nothing just wanted to ask something. "What is it?"

I grab my jacket holding it against my arm as I grab my bag as well. Walking up to him, and looking up at him. "Do you remember when I promised you dinner when I hurt your nose?"

My eyes flicker into his, right he did promise that. "Yeah, I do why?" Is he asking me out right now?

"I thought you could come over to mines tomorrow, for dinner. I wanted to take you out but you know I didn't want you to be harassed by people recognizing me-" I ponder for a second before agreeing. "What time?" I ask. "At seven. Is that alright?" I nod at him as he bids me goodbye and leaves my office. Was this a date? No- he's making it up to me. That's it.

I get home, freshening up and making dinner before I call my girlfriends. I had to ask them what they thought. I call them, positioning my phone against a flower vase as I take a bite of my food.

"He wants you sooo bad, trust me. You know I'm an expert at this." Priya yells into her phone, I watch her expression intently. "She right y/n, guys don't do stuff like this to girls they don't fancy." Jul chimes in. I sigh, opening my mouth to speak. "He said he's just making up it to me though? How could it be anything else?"

"Sweet sweet y/n, don't act innocent we know you like him too~" I hear Monet say. A blush spreads on my cheeks at her words, trying to suppress the urge to laugh nervously for some reason. "No no no, I don't like him come onnn-" they start teasing me before Liz interrupts. "It's at his house, so what will you wear?"

I freeze mid bite, my eyes widening slightly. "I haven't thought of that yet." I swallow my food down as they urge me to show them my options. I place my dishes in the dishwasher before walking over to my closet, pulling out potential options as they force me to put on and model every single one, acting like they were on Americas next top model.

We all end up agreeing on a simple casual dress, it was in his house so no need to get fully dressed up. Besides, it isn't even a date!!

I jump into my bed and for the first time in a while I manage to drift off to sleep peacefully.

#virgil van dijk fanfiction #virgilvandijkimagines #virgil van dijk #virgilvandijk #van dijk #liverpoolfc #football #liverpool fanfic #football imagines #liverpoolimagines #virgil van dijk x reader #virgil x reader #footballer x reader

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