#after hours nurse manager jobs sydney

[stargirlsturniololover]

rush hour

request: no😏

warnings: um kinda. lots of yelling, knifes/blades, stabbing🤡, um i think that’s all, kinda angsty😜

summary: it’s a rush at the beef whenever sydney insists on adding a to go order system.

ALSO: i literally based this almost exactly on season 1 episode 7 “review” so spoiler warning

also also: yes i left it on a cliff hanger, so 😏 ig y’all will want a part 2

carmy berzatto x fem!reader

today was the day that the beef was introducing it’s order out system.

and 8 measly minutes before the system even opened you guys were already having trouble.

the whole staff was running around, and cringing under carmy’s wrath.

you didn’t even work in the kitchen and yet here you were cooking like the rest of the actual chefs.

your usual spot in carmy’s office working on paperwork management was abandoned the second syd had left the pre order option on the tablet on.

you sighed as carmy yelled “SOMEONE GET ME A SHARPIE THAT ACTUALLY WORKS!”

you hustle your way into the office, grab a sharpie, and come up behind carmy, giving him a gentle pat on the lower back.

“here baby… take your sharpie and chill out.” you say placing a kiss on his shoulder and then running back to your station to cut up more veggies.

carmy glances back and his shoulders loosen a little but he was immediately right back into working after the sweet interaction with you.

you give syd an eyebrow raise as richie comes over to help the two of you with your assignment on veggies.

“sup cousin” you say, as richie gives your shoulder a loud pat.

all you hear is the beeping of the machine, the ringing of the phone in carm’s office and the occasional yelling of carmy at the other chefs.

all was going fine for what the situation was until syd started yelling at richie about how this was our job and not his.

“richard this is y/n and i’s job so please leave us alone and go bother marcus with his cakes or something.” she sighs, turning over to face him.

“i’m just helping you guys, the faster we get done with these the faster we can make the gia-giardi-….”

“giardiniera” you finish.

“yeah what cousin said the giardiniera.”

“you’re such a loser richie” syd says, as she begins to drag richie through the dirt.

as sydney babbles on about how much of a loser richie is, richie comes up on syd and returns the yelling.

you sigh and walk off, not wanting to see where these hotheads anger may lead.

you walk past marcus’ baking station and you hear carmy’s unmistakable voice.

you knew how much these donuts meant to marcus, and he was just trying to explain to carm what he’d done to make them.

marcus just wanted his validation, but carmen wasn’t having it.

“WHY ARE YOU EFFING WITH ME MARCUS WHY ARE YOU EFFING WITH ME.” he said grabbing marcus’ shirt collar.

“GET BACK TO WORK.” he says slamming marcus’ first donut on the ground.

carmy walks off back to his previous station as marcus looks so deflated about his donut.

“oh marcus,” you say putting your hand on his shoulder.

“i’ll talk to him later yeah, get him to apologize.” you say, “that donut looked amazing marc, i’m so so proud of you.” you say stalking off to go ask carm what his problem was.

as you make your way to go chew out carmy, you hear an exclaim from richard.

“I’VE BEEN STABBED.”

oh god.

not only were you record keeper, you were also the beef’s resident nurse.

so before you could make it to carmy, you heard an proclamation of “y/n/n”.

you followed the voice to the front of the beef, where richie was stripping his pants off.

“now rich…. i don’t think i can do that.” you say.

“c’mon cousin, syd stabbed me….please…?”

“EBRA” you yell going back through the swinging doors to the back of the kitchen.

“you’re gonna have to take this one eb..” you saying.

“oh alright.” he says stalking into the front of the beef to handle rich.

on your way back to the kitchen, you notice marcus bring his entire tray of donuts into the seating area and throw them down.

you continue walking, not wanting to piss of marcus anymore, as you make your way further into the kitchen you find sydney sitting on a stool…

“syd…” you say waving your hand in front of her eyes..

“earth to sydney.” you say.

“we aren’t good” she says, reaching into her locker and grabbing her regular shoes.

“syd… what…?”

“CARMY C’MERE BABY.” you yell.

carmy stomps around the corner as syd says “i quit”

it’s safe to say that both you and carmen’s jaws were on the floor.

“what…?” you say.

“right now?” carmen says, much less calm than you.

“you are an excellent chef.” she says, coming face to face with carmen.

“but this… this isn’t on me.” she says as she walks away, leaving the beef.

carmy then starts pacing around, coming back to the donut of marcus’ he threw on the floor.

“carmy…” you say.

“we gotta talk bear.” you say grabbing his hand and walking him into the office.

“sit.” you say, preparing to give carmy a talking to that he needs to take to heart if this restaurant will ever want to be ran smoothly.

#carmen berzatto #carmy the bear #carmy berzatto #the beef #the bear

[doctoru-au]

GP Job, North-West suburbs of Sydney

Sydney, NSW | Job ID #2263

OVERVIEW

Are you a General Practitioner looking for a new opportunity in the vibrant north-west suburbs of Sydney? Look no further!

This exciting position offers a fantastic location just a short 10-minute drive from some of the most sought-after suburbs in Sydney. The role is suitable for an unrestricted GP or a GP requiring a replacement exemption under the District of Workforce Shortage (DWS) – making it a compelling opportunity for a wide range of healthcare professionals. Joining this practice means becoming part of a dynamic team dedicated to providing high-quality care to a diverse patient population. Embrace the chance to work in a modern clinic equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, allowing you to deliver top-notch healthcare services in a comfortable and efficient environment. The supportive staff and management team will ensure you have the resources and support needed to focus on what you do best – caring for patients. Additionally, competitive remuneration and flexible working hours are on offer to help you achieve a healthy work-life balance while advancing your professional career. Don't miss this chance to take your GP career to the next level in a prime location with this outstanding opportunity in the north-west suburbs of Sydney.

ABOUT THE PRACTICE

A purpose-built clinic in North Sydney, featuring a modern design and pleasant working environment, is a bulk billing practice owned by a respected Principal. With four consulting rooms, full-time nursing, and admin support, the clinic experiences high patient demand from mixed demographics. Conveniently located with a 10-minute drive to upscale suburbs and private schools, it serves as an accessible healthcare hub in the area.

ABOUT THE ROLE

A full-time GP position is available offering 70% of billings with a $150 per hour guarantee for the first three months. DPA replacements are available for GPs in moratorium with permanent residency or citizenship. The ideal candidate should have 4-5 years remaining on their moratorium. The role entails covering the early morning rush and maintaining evening practice hours.

WHY WORK WITH ME?

I save you time by personally searching for the right job for you.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Andrew McNamara Call | Text | Whatsapp [phone] Get in touch with me 7 days | early to late.

LOCATION

EASY APPLY

#19AB/DPA

[iamtheblondestblonde]

Clear as Day

 Part One?

AN: Here’s some friends with benefits with Vince that I came up with in between cases at work. Vince if you’re reading this I’m so sorry please stop right here but also hmu I swear I just wanna be friends. I don’t know much about being a pediatric nurse (financial law anyone?) but I did volunteer at a hospital for a while so I hope it’s not super far off. I have plans and some stuff written for a part two that could be the same length so let me know you want one but it could be complete like this. (First person narrative but again no names or descriptions for the mc)

Warnings: language, definitely (also English isn’t my first language so perhaps some mistakes) and smut, also definitely (yes you read that right I did it again)

Word Count: 13.3k

I loved my job. I really did. I found it rewarding to be able to make tiny faces light up but I was currently on my second day of 12 hour back to back shifts, with yesterday closer to 14 hours, and I just really wanted to spend the entire day in bed.

It wasn’t even 7 a.m. yet and the streets of Toronto were already bustling, everybody preparing for a busy day. The sound of the ice cubes sloshing around in my coffee had become a staple background noise for the walk from the employee parking lot to the front entrance of the hospital, it soothed me.

As soon as I stepped into the building I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face, despite being sleep-deprived and basically needing a break already. There was a new drawing pinned to the wall by the nurses’ station and if the image of my smiling face wasn’t a dead giveaway already, it was hard to miss my name written on top of it in big bold letters.

It had started out as a joke really, a half-hearted complaint about me not getting as many drawings as others because most of my patients didn’t stay long in the ICU. From that moment on Lucas, my only long-term patient right now and all-time favorite teenager, had made sure that there was always a new one waiting for me every week. He was really good at drawing as well and I had an entire stack of amazing portraits, landscapes and lots of other random things at my apartment that I cherished dearly.

“He wanted to give it to you himself but then we had to give him something and he asked me to put it up so you’d see it as soon as you got in.” I turned around to see Mariah standing behind me, her face showing the same look of fondness as mine. Most of the nurses were pretty convinced that he had a crush on me and while I had to face lots of playful jabs because of that, she never gave me shit about it. She was probably about to head out and I knew that she only stayed behind to tell me this so I made sure to thank her.

“Is he up yet?”

“Surprisingly not, although he should be soon. He’s had a rough night and he stayed up way too long to draw but I doubt that anything could ruin this day for him, two dreams coming true and all.”

As soon as her words registered with me I mentally facepalmed, I’d completely forgotten that we’d get a visitor in a couple of hours. Because of Lucas’ surgery he hadn’t talked about hockey all that much lately, so I’d kind of forgotten that today he would get to meet one of his idols. I was about to respond something when I spotted Sydney waving me over.

Sydney was in charge of all of the pediatric nurses during the day shift, meaning that I had approximately three seconds to make my way over before she’d get impatient because she was always so busy. I waved goodbye to Mariah and speed walked over to Sydney, curious to see as to what she needed of me. She never beat around the bush, always coming straight to the core of things so I didn’t expect the conversation to last long and today was no different. She probably held the world record for fastest talker.

“So you know we’re getting a visitor today which means that I need someone to run a tight ship for me. You’re young and perky and I asked around and people love you. I know you helped with some of the Leafs the last time so you should already be familiar with the protocol. This is a big hospital and I want all of the kids on the list to get a chance to talk to Mr Dunn and that won’t happen if he gets lost so I want you to stay with him at all times, got it? I’ll get one of the on-calls to take over for you during everything.”

I couldn’t even get a word in before her pager went off and she jogged off after practically thrusting a file into my hands, unable to respond anything as she said something over her shoulder about this being a gift. I stared after her with my mouth hanging wide open, not really comprehending what had just gone down yet.

Being ‘young and perky’ had apparently just managed to get me demoted from a RN to a babysitter for yet another over-confident celebrity which didn’t really feel like a gift at all.

Lucas had told me all about how great this Vince apparently was but I had seen my fair share of famous people walking around these halls with camera teams following them, it was kind of a part of working with sick kids. There were exceptions of course, some of them were really nice but those were usually the ones that didn’t visit the kids for some good PR. While I was glad that it would make Lucas happy it didn’t really impress me anymore.

Besides I hadn’t really paid attention to hockey ever before, although it was hard to escape the hype right now with me being a St. Louis native. Some of my friends had sent me pictures of the parade from about a month ago but I hadn’t really paid much attention because I’d been slammed with work, not recognizing any of the players either way.

The file Sydney had given me consisted of a schedule for the day and a list of the kids that wanted to meet Vince, which was surprisingly long for this being a hospital in Toronto and him playing for the Blues. Even with my limited, read non-existent, hockey knowledge I was pretty sure that the team wasn’t liked very much in the league but I blamed it on them winning. Sydney was right, we would have to make good time to get through everybody.

I couldn’t exactly spend forever going through the file because I had mostly new admissions assigned to me and that meant lots of charting and running tests. I did spend my break reading through everything and trying to come up with a plan while shoveling food to my mouth at record speed however. Even if I wasn’t exactly thrilled with this assignment there was absolutely no way I wouldn’t be prepared. I would leave this hospital with the best possible impression of me, all things be damned.

It was kind of hard to focus on what was written in front of me though when I had three other nurses standing close by and ranting about how hot Vince apparently was. Lucas had shown me his hockey card a few times but I didn’t really know what he looked like because I was usually busy putting in a new IV line at the time, something he’d come to hate so talking about hockey was the perfect distraction. I was tempted to google him but before I got the chance my pager went off, signaling that the incoming convoy was about to arrive.

Unable to stop myself I checked my reflection quickly in one of the mirrors on my way out of the restroom. Call me vain but I didn’t want to end up in any pictures or videos looking like a total slob, even if it was just in the background. I’d taken the time to shower this morning but I definitely would’ve added more than the layer of concealer if I’d known about this earlier. At least I’d gotten my brows done and my lash extensions refilled a couple of days ago. Deciding that it was too late to do anything else about it I walked towards the front entrance with the file in my hands, making sure one last time that I knew where to take this Vince first.

It wasn’t hard to spot him in the group that arrived, the big shiny trophy he was lugging around kind of a dead giveaway.

He was good-looking, I had to give him that. Not in the rugged handsome way however, it was more of a defined features and beautiful way. The kind of look that got you dubbed as a pretty boy during high school, the polo shirt he was spotting only reinforcing that image.

I couldn’t really imagine him playing ice hockey. He was fit of course, but he wasn’t as big and bulky as I’d thought and if I had to guess I’d peg him as a baseball or lacrosse player, perhaps soccer even. If all hockey players looked like him however, I might have to catch a game or two after all.

I walked over with my big work smile plastered on my face, hand outstretched and he set the cup down to shake it as I introduced myself first. I caught him looking me up and down quickly but I wasn’t really one to talk because I’d done the same exact thing just seconds earlier.

“Hi I’m Vince, nice to meet you. Love the scrubs by the way”, he responded with a dazzling smile, gesturing at my outfit. Compliments weren’t a bad start, especially since I was wearing one of my favorites with an adorable blue and pink dinosaurs print.  

“Thanks, one of my friends paints them for me.” Not willing to dwell too long on awkward small talk I continued: “Do you want me to get like a wheelchair for the cup or are you gonna carry it the entire time?”

“I think I’d get a lot of shit for not carrying it so thanks but no thanks.”

I quickly introduced myself to the rest of the team before herding everyone towards the elevators because he had to be upstairs in a couple of minutes. The camera team was more intimidating than I’d thought and I tried my best to distract myself from it as I pointed out different things around the hospital, only hoping that I wasn’t rambling without making any sense.

I was pretty sure that Vince could tell that I was uncomfortable because he kept our conversation going the whole time, obviously trying to make me laugh. His own laugh was hard to ignore and by the time we walked into the room where a livestream would take place the smile on my face was real. At least he wasn’t just easy on the eyes but he seemed fairly entertaining so far as well.

I watched him do the stream with Owen, who I’d spent some time in post-op with after his surgery a couple of weeks ago, and then stood close by as he talked to the long line of patients and people who were able to come up here. Sometimes when he saw a special needs kid getting closer he’d turn to me to ask for advice and tips and even all that ruckus didn’t stop him from keeping up a normal conversation with me.

He’d pick up right where we left off whenever there was a small break in between people and I wasn’t only amazed at his multitasking, but also at how amazing he was with the kids. He made me show him how to hold a baby and I think I’ll never be able to forget the image of a cute little baby boy in the cup.

“I ate cereal out of there this morning”, he whispered conspiratorially to me after the mother was finally done thanking him and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Of course you did. I hope you put it in the sink afterwards at least.” He gave me a wounded look, as if me insinuating he was not a clean person was hurting his ego and I laughed even more. I couldn’t really tell if he was trying to flirt with me or if he was like this with everyone but the mixed signals he’d sent me all afternoon were starting to get confusing.

“You think so lowly of me, I thought you’d know better by now.” With anyone else the wink he sent me as he delivered his line would have probably been overkill but somehow it worked for him.

The fact was that I did know better by now, even if it had only been just under two hours. I probably hadn’t been this wrong about something since I absolutely botched a math test in tenth grade thinking I aced it and he had turned out to be nothing like I had imagined him to be. Perhaps the early morning sleep-deprived me lacked the sense of being able to assess character that I usually had.

When I told him that it was time to leave he looked at me with a puppy eyes, pleading with me to let him stay a little longer. Working in pediatrics I got this a lot but somehow it had a whole different effect on me coming from a 6 feet tall hockey player with lips that were practically made for pouting.

“But there’s still some people left that I haven’t gotten to.”

“There’s also some kids that couldn’t come up here because they are too sick waiting for you in the ICU and you won’t be able to see all of them in time if we don’t go over there now. There’s a tight schedule for a reason you know.”

“Fuck the schedule, I’ll just stay longer,” he said with a cheeky grin but not before covering the ears of the little girl in front of him with his hands so she wouldn’t hear him curse. At this point I felt like it was way too easy for him to make me laugh but at the same time I didn’t really want to do anything against it. These halls had seen worse things than people laughing after all.

“You fit right in with all of my patients, you know that? And don’t you have plans with the cup for this evening?”

I didn’t get an answer straight away because Vince took his time to talk to the last five families left in line before we made our way back to the elevators. I had kind of forgotten about the camera crew that was there to document it all until all of us were crammed back inside the tight space, my shoulder brushing against Vince’s arm so I wouldn’t bump into any of the expensive equipment.

“I promised to make an appearance at this club but they’ll wait for me. By the way, you should come as well.” At first I thought he was joking, surely he had to be as we’d only met, but his try at a winning smile told me he was anything but. Again, was this him flirting or was I losing my mind?

“Shooting your shot while you’re in my good graces because of the kids, I see. I’m gonna have to disappoint though, I’m stuck here till seven and then I have another 12 hour shift coming up tomorrow so I can have a four day weekend.” I had already kind of accepted that we would never see each other again, especially with me turning him down now, and I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t a bit sad about it.

“That sounds brutal. I’m throwing another party at my condo on Saturday if you’re free then.”

“I’m actually driving up to a lake house with some friends for the weekend, sorry.” By now I really was interested because he seemed fun and I wanted that for my last few weeks up here but his timing was truly the worst.

“Wow, you’re really making me work for it,” he let out a teasing chuckle then, running his hand up and down his neck in a very distracting move as he contemplated his next words “I’m assuming you have a busy week next week as well so perhaps next Saturday?”

“Ummm.. I already agreed to meet some friends at a bar on that Saturday,” his face fell at that so I couldn’t help but add “but you’re welcome to meet us there if you want to see how the working class parties. Bring some of your friends as well if you want.”

The smile he gave me at that was equivalent to that of a five year old patient when they get told that they could have a slice of the chocolate cake and it made me glad that there was no one monitoring my heart rate at the moment.

-

The next day was just another regular day at work and while I had lots of fun yesterday, I was glad to be back in my comfort zone. Working days was anything but boring and I had been so busy that my watch told me I’d already reached my step goal for the day halfway through my shift.

I finally had some time to update the charts while sitting down at the nurses’ station, desperately hoping for some down time soon so I could perhaps even grab another cup of coffee to stop me from climbing into a free bed and taking a nap right there.

I’d seen many people pray in this building and not all of them got what they wished for but somehow today must have been my lucky day because just as I’d finished that thought someone cleared their throat in front of me. I was ready to answer some questions from worried parents but what I totally didn’t expect was Vince standing there with two coffee cups.

“I thought I’d drop this off as a thank you for babysitting me yesterday and I had a feeling that you’d need it”, he said before giving me one of his dazzling smiles. He looked good in a black t shirt and some jeans, his perfectly styled hair in contrast to the messy bun currently on top of my head. That is if the rat’s nest could even still be called a bun.

“Vince Dunn you just keep on surprising me”, I responded with a breathless laugh, not really knowing what else to say at the sweet gesture. What do you say to a good-looking hockey player that not only asks you to spend time with him three times but also takes the time out of his day for this?

Well, besides thanks, obviously.

Vince handed me one of the cups and I took a sip before looking up at him in surprise.

“How do you know the way I like my coffee?”

Instead of answering, he pointed at something behind me and I turned around to see the coffee order list I’d started a while ago in case someone decided to grab some for everyone, my name on top of the sheet.

“I noticed it yesterday in passing, I swear I’m not a stalker or anything.” He blushed at this and it was so cute and unlike his otherwise smooth self that I couldn’t just let him off the hook.

“You know, that’s exactly what a stalker would say”, I responded with a sly smile and while his face turned even more red he burst out laughing. By now we had the attention of every nurse close by and I was pretty sure that all of them were eavesdropping but who could blame them, I’d do the exact same thing. People here lived for the drama, kind of a given with how much time we spent in here because it didn’t really leave much space for a life outside of these halls. Especially if said drama involved a very hot hockey player.

“I’m changing the topic now before I embarrass myself in front of you even further just so you know. I did actually come here for one more thing,” he trailed off before bending down to pick up a bag that I hadn’t noticed before, too distracted by the guy in front of me. “I brought this for Lucas so he has something to show his friends once he gets back on the ice.” He pulled out a Blues’ jersey and turned it around so I could see that it was one of his, complete with a signature and a small message.

Lucas had been an avid hockey player himself up until his kidneys basically decided that they didn’t want to work anymore a while ago. Things had gotten so bad that he had to permanently stay in intensive care with us until after months of dragging people in here to get tested they finally found a donor in a family friend last week. At least his surgery had gone well and while I’d miss having him around, I was glad that he’d finally get discharged to recover at home later today.

I took another sip of the coffee before getting up and walking next to Vince to Lucas’ room. Lucas greeted me with a smile, which only grew after he saw who was following me into the room. Despite having struggled for so long he had always been in a good mood, even when he had to celebrate his fifteenth birthday in the hospital a few weeks ago.

“Look at you, it’s your last day in here and things just keep on getting better.” Vince and Lucas did the handshake they’d come up with yesterday, something that was absolutely necessary as a hockey player or so I’d been told.

Lucas had grown up in Chicago and he’d seen Vince play for the team there but had only really started paying attention after the apparently best fight ever Vince had gotten into at one of the games. Obviously not my words. The connection between the two of them had been instant and all the hockey talk had my head spinning more than during the first few weeks of nursing school so I made a quick exit, leaving them to it.

“I bet every nurse wishes they could trade spots with you right now, me included by the way”, Rachel, my partner in crime since day one of our college classes together, said as soon as I returned to my spot at the station.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about”, I responded, acting clueless. With a raised brow she reached for my coffee cup, spinning it around to reveal a small note written on the side of it that I hadn’t even noticed before.

“You sure about that? This fine specimen of a hockey player just gave you his number and you still act like there’s nothing going on? Besides, everyone saw you two getting all chummy yesterday.”

I snatched the cup out of her hands, quickly checking if the coast was clear before pulling out my phone to add his number to my contacts while keeping my head down so I wouldn’t have to look her in the eyes.

“Oh wipe that shit-eating grin off your face. All I get is annoying parents and you get hot dads and famous athletes hitting on you out left and right. Like leave some for the rest of us girl, it’s not fair.”

-

Even though I’d shot Vince a quick text so he could have my number as well, I never really expected anything more than his response that he’d saved it.

To say I was surprised when he texted me the following week was definitely an understatement. It wasn’t a booty call either, no, he’d texted me in the middle of the day asking if I was working days or nights this week.

Me: days as usual but I’m actually on-call today, got luckyy

Dunner: so you’re home right now?

Okay so perhaps this was a booty call after all. Not that I particularly minded.

While his first response had been pretty fast he took a little longer to answer after I told him that I was home indeed. Laying on the couch in an oversized shirt and yoga pants rewatching some Grey’s Anatomy on to be exactly. Almost the same as working. The rainy weather set the perfect mood for a lazy day in though so I hadn’t moved from my spot ever since returning from the gym this morning.

Dunner: this Chinese place near me has a special two for one offer today and I wanted to bring you some to work

I still wasn’t sure if this was him flirting but I’d also never had somebody I’d only met a week ago offer to bring me food to the hospital so he had to be, right? I sent a screenshot of the message to Rachel but I knew that I couldn’t count on her responding to it anytime soon, seeing as she was actually at work right now. I decided to be forward, telling him that I wouldn’t complain about some good food either way.

Inviting someone who was basically a stranger over to your apartment generally wasn’t exactly the best idea, but I counted on the impression I had of him so far and the reputation he surely had to uphold as a NHL player. Besides, we had lots of medical equipment scattered around the apartment so surely I’d find a syringe or something to defend myself if needed.

Dunner: I’ll be over in 30 so try not to get called in before then  

True to his word the bell didn’t ring much later. I’d debated making an effort and changing but I wasn’t about to wear jeans or a skirt to hang out so that didn’t leave many options. Brushing your hair wasn’t nothing either so that counted in my opinion.

Vince had gone through the same train of thought as well apparently because he looked super cozy in some sweatpants and a hoodie that had gotten slightly wet, presumably from his walk from his car to the building as our parking situation was really shitty. He stepped inside and reached up to run his hand through his damp hair before shaking his head, making little droplets of water fly in every direction.

“This is why they don’t allow dogs in here”, I laughed, gesturing to my shirt that now looked like an abstract splash painting.

“Let me make it up to you with some of the best food you’ve ever had because I brought lots” was his response as he lifted the bag of take out while slipping off his shoes by the door, hair now sticking in all directions.

“Alright Dunner, show me what you got”, I said with a wink over my shoulder as I made my way into the kitchen, continuing my bold streak from earlier. I had also learned by now that nicknames were even more important than handshakes as a hockey player. I was pretty sure I’d heard him mumble something along the line of ‘Gladly’ but I was already too far ahead of him to be absolutely certain.

“You’re watching Grey’s Anatomy? Isn’t it like crazy inaccurate?”, he asked with a look at the TV in the living room as I hadn’t bothered to pause the episode.

“Yeah of course it is but I still like it somehow. It’s like the hospital equivalent of bad trash TV shows so it’s kind of my guilty pleasure.”

“Okay give me a quick summary of what I need to know for this episode so we can watch it while we eat.”

I looked at him like he was crazy but he urged me on, looking up at me expectantly from where he’d sat down on the couch. Eventually I gave in, trying to keep explanations as short as possible but even then it took me quite a while to get through, yet Vince never once looked like he was bored. He didn’t lose his interest in it after that either, only looking away from the screen to decide what he was going to eat next, all of the choices delicious just like he promised.

Stuffed like a turkey on Thanksgiving the both of us stayed unmoved on the couch watching episode after episode. Somehow my legs had ended up on his lap and his hands were resting on my knees, drawing slow circles as we made eye contact from time to time. Every few minutes his hand would inch up a little and with him biting his lip as he did it there was no way I would stop him, any doubts about his intentions long gone by now. I couldn’t stop the smile spreading on my lips as his hand finally reached the top of my thigh, softly kneading the sensitive part on the inside. If I was into hand porn, I would have orgasmed already at the sight of his hands wrapped around my thigh.

“What are you grinning about?”, Vince asked with an easy smile himself, looking at me in a way that told me that Meredith had long lost his attention.

“Just waiting for you to finally make a move.”

“I was trying to be somewhat of a gentlemen but I really can’t help myself with you wearing those pants..”

“Well you seem to be awful at it so don’t be one then”, I teased back feeling confident yet again.

In a flash he had somehow - I’ll probably keep wondering about the details for the rest of my life - managed to lift me up enough to shift me so I was straddling his lap, now turned on by his manhandling and the way he was currently looking up at me. For a second both of us stared at each other, trying to figure out if this was really going to happen. Vince lifted his hand from my hip to my face, slowly pulling me down towards him.

Our lips didn’t even get the chance to connect before my phone started ringing.

I jumped up from his lap, immediately recognizing the ringtone I had set for all work calls and almost kneeing him in the crown jewels in the process. One look at my screen told me that it was an emergency which prompted me to run into my room cursing. I quickly pulled on the pair of scrubs I’d laid out in the morning, one hand still pulling the top down while the other was trying to attach my badge properly by the time I made it back into the living room. Vince hadn’t even moved from the couch yet, eyes wide and legs still comfortably spread apart, a sight that made me want to climb back on top of him but unfortunately I couldn’t do that.

“I’m so sorry but I gotta go, you don’t need to rush though. Feel free to keep on watching if you want but please don’t rob us and make sure the door is closed if you decide to leave after all, it locks automatically. The food was delicious thank you very much and bye!”

I barely heard him saying bye as well before I was already through the door, not really looking forward to spending the next few hours in the chaos that usually came with emergency calls. Especially after how much I’d enjoyed spending time with Vince and how much I wished that we would’ve just skipped all of the testing-the-waters stuff and would’ve just went at it like madmen.

-

The weekend couldn’t arrive fast enough and by the time it was Saturday I was ready to abandon all of my plans so I could sleep the rest of the day. I’d gotten in late last night after working overtime and I probably would have stayed in bed till noon if it wasn’t for Rachel and Mariah bursting into my room at nine in the morning. At least they didn’t wake me at the crack of dawn and the cake they were carrying to my bed looked pretty delicious as well.

“Look at you, another year older and yet still sexy as fuck”, Rachel exclaimed as she hopped onto the bed beside me after they’d finished their horrible rendition of Happy Birthday. Mariah settled on the other side of me and I guess my friends knew me well enough because we didn’t move from that position except to grab some more food and booze until it was time to get ready for tonight. Best roommates ever.

“You need to look extra hot tonight, I want Vince to lose his shit when he sees you.”

Ever since I’d sent the screenshot to Rachel and told her about the couch situation, she had been on my back about the thing. Something about me needing to bag rich hot athletes for her sake. I didn’t even argue with her anymore, only rolling my eyes in sync with Mariah whenever she brought it up.

To my surprise Vince hadn’t been deterred by my hasty exit a few days ago, something that had definitely surprised me. It wasn’t the first time that my job had cockblocked me and it definitely won’t be the last and I’d met more than my fair share of guys who were absolutely not into that at all. The fascination with nurses died really fast once people realized how much time we spent on the job.

Vince and I had texted constantly since he spent the day with me and he had somehow managed to make casual conversation with a flirty undertone the entire time. We’d already established that neither of us was looking for anything serious right now but I had decided that I would definitely not say no to some fun with him.

Some birthday sex would be great for starters. I let Rachel curl my hair while I focused on perfecting my make up because I wanted to look good tonight, not just for Vince but also because by next weekend I’d already be packed so this was really my last big hurrah before moving back home.

The thing about spending most of my days make up free in sports bras, comfortable panties and running shoes was that if I did bother to go out, I put in a lot of effort. I was determined to turn heads tonight so I pulled on a black lace bodysuit that practically presented my boobs on a silver tray, a pair of jeans that made my ass look spectacular and some black stilettos that I hoped wouldn’t kill my feet in a few hours. I had to go braless under the bodysuit, the mesh part on the back making that very obvious and I had a feeling that Vince wouldn’t exactly mind either.

“Girl I’d totally bang you because you look so hot but that outfit shows off everything that’s wrong with you”, Rachel said as we all examined ourselves one last time in front of the full-length mirror in my room and took pictures. I shot her a confused look.

“Wait what’s wrong with me?”

“Well for one your ass looks bangin and so do your boobs and I’m pretty sure that I could tell if you had a dick wearing that and people with dicks are my type soooo..”, she trailed off and both Mariah and I turned towards her with an incredulous look before bursting out laughing, all the day drinking taking its toll already. It wasn’t exactly new for Rachel to stop making any sense once she had some alcohol in her but it was still just as entertaining every single time.

“I can’t believe you’re complaining about her not having a dick right now”, Mariah sighed and I couldn’t stop giggling at my idiotic friends.

“I’m not complaining! I’m just saying that I need a dick to-“

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence. Just – just for once in your life be at least somewhat normal please”, Mariah interrupted her exasperated and the both of them continuing to bicker still had me laughing by the time we climbed into the back of our Uber.

We were the last to arrive of course, because Rachel had insisted on us being fashionably late so by the time we made it inside the bar I could already spot my friends sitting in the back. She had also insisted on me wearing a stupid Birthday Girl sash, reminding me how many free drinks it would get me, but I drew the line at the tiara she had pulled out of her purse as well. I was too old for the full 21st birthday look after all.

After I was hugged by everyone and had received all of the birthday wishes and presents I realized that Vince wasn’t among the group, which was weird because we’d been texting all day and he had asked to confirm the time and place again just this morning.

It was as if my thought made him appear because soon I felt two hands gently grab my waist while his cologne infiltrated my senses. He spun me around and the force of the move had me reach out to rest my hands on his shoulders so I wouldn’t fall over. I knew he had done that on purpose.

We were standing so close that we would have definitely gotten in trouble if this were a middle school dance and the way he looked down at me right now made me curse everything that came to my mind because I just wanted to drag him to the nearest bathroom so he could bend me over the counter but of course that wouldn’t be acceptable in front of all my friends.

“Why didn’t you tell me that today is your birthday? Now I’m going to have to make up for the fact that I didn’t get you a present.”

I had a feeling that I wouldn’t mind whatever this making up entailed, if the way he tightened his grip while looking at me as if he was thinking about bathroom counters as well was any indicator.

“Because you don’t just tell people that it’s your birthday, that’s weird.” He pulled me even tighter then, wrapping his arms around me and wishing me a happy birthday after giving me a kiss on the cheek that gave me goosebumps. Before he had the chance to pull away however, I leaned up on my tippy toes because even with heels he was still taller than me and whispered “I can’t wait for the making up for it part though” in his ear.

He groaned in response and he dropped his hands to give my hips a squeeze before reluctantly letting go of me. Only now did I spot the two guys behind him that were all watching us with amused expressions, which had to be the friends he said he’d bring. Introductions were quick and I didn’t even bother to introduce everyone to Vince and his gang because the group was so big that the three of them wouldn’t be able to remember many names either way.

We settled into one of the booths and Rachel practically pushed me into the seat next to Vince, not that I minded of course. Conversation flowed easily, as did the drinks, and soon I found myself climbing out of the booth because I had just about consumed my body weight in liquid and desperately needed to go to the bathroom for something that unfortunately wasn’t sex. Walking over I could feel a slight buzz already but not to the extent that would make me stumble in my heels, perfect for a night out.

By the time Mariah and I returned I could tell that another one of Rachel’s plans was in action because now there was one more person sitting at our table, meaning there wasn’t enough space left for both Mariah and I. I was about to move to sit with some other friends in the booth next to ours when Vince, who was conveniently seated at the edge of our booth, told me to sit on his lap and that was an offer I would never turn down.

He grabbed my hips to pull me closer and onto his lap as he said: “Don’t worry I won’t bite.”

I couldn’t resist messing with him though, so I purposefully shifted closer to his crotch and leaned towards him so only he could hear me as I whispered: “What if I want you to though?” I could tell he was trying to suppress a groan and he gripped me even tighter, pulling me back into him.

Poor Vince, his balls were going to be the same color as a Blues jersey soon enough.

Unfortunately I couldn’t elaborate to make the situation even worse for him because I was being pulled into the conversation at the table. I could feel him growing hard underneath my ass though and the fact that I was able to rile him up so easily really did wonders for my self-confidence..

After I could tell that he had calmed down again I decided to put him out of his misery. Well, kind of. Me leaning across one of the pool tables as I took my shot gave him a perfect view of my cleavage or of me bending over after all, depending on where he stood.

“Are you always this bad?”, I asked after he missed yet another shot.

“No, usually I’m average at least but I guess I’m a little bit distracted right now.” He didn’t even try to hide him staring at my boobs as I took my turn. We’d both long dropped any pretense about where this was headed. After I made my shot I walked around the table to get a better angle for the next one, accidentally brushing up against Vince who now had a perfect view of my ass.

“I hope you’re only average at pool and not at anything else”, I teased him with a look over my shoulder after watching the ball roll into the hole the way I’d planned before straightening up again.

“Let me take you home so my neighbors can confirm me being anything but average”, he responded, his voice deep as he moved next to me, one of his big hands resting on my lower back to play with the fabric there, the heat of his hands practically burning my skin as I looked up at him.

Our intense eye contact was interrupted by one of the waitresses who walked up to the pool table sheepishly with a drink on her tray.

“Hey, that guy over there sent you this and I’m supposed to tell you to come over to him so you don’t have to, uh, keep playing with a - um - loser. His words not mine, sorry.” She pointed to a guy a few tables over who was decently good looking but radiated Asshole Energy off of him, his incredibly rude move not really helping either. Even if it wasn’t for Vince standing next to me I wouldn’t have touched him with a ten foot pole.

Vince had tensed up at the words and I watched him ball his hands into his fists, every muscle in his body tightening with anger. I had no doubt that because of his hockey experience he could hold his own in a fight but it wasn’t something I needed tonight. I thanked the waitress before setting the drink down and making a show of turning towards Vince, one hand trailing up from his biceps to the back of his head so I could interrupt the stare off he was currently having with the other guy.

“Don’t worry, I’m flattered that I seem to be able to distract you so much. To be honest I can’t really concentrate either because now I really want you to make me scream so loud that your neighbors file noise complaints.” Vince choked slightly and then reached for the drink that was sitting next to me, taking three big gulps while looking at me, his eyes dark.

He then grabbed my hand and I didn’t miss the smug look he threw at the other guy over my shoulder before pulling me towards the backdoor of the bar, the pool game abandoned without a second thought. The air outside had cooled down a bit by now but I didn’t even get the chance to acknowledge that because Vince had me pushed against the wall in a second, one hand resting next to my head while the other reached up to cup my face, dropping his head for a kiss.

All this teasing had finally led to this.

It was rough and yet sensual at the same time, his lips demanding and it didn’t take long until his tongue licked along my bottom lip, asking for entrance. He then deepened the kiss even further and I reached up to bury my hands in his stupidly perfect and soft hair, eliciting a throaty groan. When he pushed one of his legs in between mine I couldn’t help the moan that escaped me in turn at the delicious friction, followed by yet another one as he dropped his head to suck along my neck. I could feel how hard he was and it turned me on beyond imagination.

The thought that I would probably let him fuck me in this alley right now brought me back down to earth because this was not how I envisioned my night going.

“Vince, hold up”, I murmured and as soon as my words registered with him he pulled away, both of us panting.

“What’s wrong?”

I laughed at his expression, he looked at me as if he was truly worried that he’d overstepped a boundary. As if I hadn’t thrown hints left and right for the last couple of days. His swollen lips made it hard to concentrate because I just wanted to sink my teeth into them until he groaned again the way he had only seconds ago and I silently cursed his stupid perfect lips. I wondered what damage they could do.

“Nothing’s wrong, nothing at all. I just wanted to say let’s go back inside for like another hour or so and then we can take off.” The smile that quickly spread on his face made it obvious that he was going to say something not-PG-13 before he opened his mouth again to ask:

“Do you think your friends would mind if I dragged you home right this second?”

I had to laugh at that but it quickly died in my throat as he moved his hands to my hips to pull me close again before crashing his lips back onto mine. The going back to the others part would apparently be slightly delayed but with the way his lips and body moved against mine right now I would probably agree to anything if it meant getting to stay right in this position a bit longer.

This time it was less rushed and frantic and instead he took his time to explore every inch of my mouth while his hands wandered my body. Mine were roaming as well, from the neck down his muscular shoulders around to the front before finally creeping up his back below his shirt. I enjoyed the way I could feel his muscles tense under my touch but eventually we had to pull away from each other. We’d spent way too much time out here as it is.

“Let’s go back inside, the faster we get back the sooner we can leave and besides they’re probably wondering what we’re doing out here so long.”

The smug looks we received once we made our way back to the tables after I fixed my hair and make up and Vince did whatever he had to do to conceal his massive hard on made it clear that everyone had a good idea of what had gone on outside though. I’m pretty sure Rachel would have high fived me if it weren’t for the people sitting between us.

I sat on Vince’s lap again and this time it was torture for the both of us to wait until it was finally an acceptable time to make a getaway. I let Rachel take all the presents for me and she made Vince give her his address and phone number before she let him pull me into the back of an Uber.

I was pressed against him for the entire ride, his hand resting way higher on my leg than technically publicly acceptable. With every turn or bump in the road he accidentally brushed my core and at more than one point I had to hide my face in his broad chest so the driver wouldn’t hear the soft moans that couldn’t be stopped. I could tell that he was trying his best not to get too handsy as not to cause a scene but once we were alone in the elevator of his building all bets were off.

He walked me back against the doors, pushing one of his legs in between my own again and kissed me with a force that made me glad that I had tons of metal behind me as leverage to push back. He only pulled away once the little ‘ding’ could be heard and even then he only held off until he had me inside his apartment, barely waiting a second before he shrugged off his jacket, quickly moving onto mine.

Somehow we managed to make it onto the couch without breaking apart our kiss and I barely had time to admire his floor to ceiling windows before he pulled me close until I was straddling his lap. His lips were working on my neck again and I reminded him to not leave any marks there because I had to work on Monday morning, which only prompted him to move down lower, sucking at the skin right above the lace of my bodysuit.

“No one will see those then”, he murmured against my breasts and I moaned as he reached up to palm them through the material. By the time he was done I had several purple marks littering my cleavage and I really needed to see more of him so I motioned for him to take his shirt off, watching in awe as he reached back to pull it over his head in the perfect way only guys managed to.

His body could only be described as a work of art and I could tell that he worked really hard for it as I traced the outline of his abs, muscles contracting and goosebumps rising at my touch. The city lights made for the perfect lighting and the way his skin glowed in their reflection belonged in a museum if ever captured.

Vince reached for the button of my jeans and looked at me as if to ask if I was okay with that. I nodded before standing up, trying to get out of my jeans and heels in a quick but still somewhat sexy motion but I probably succeeded only halfway. He didn’t seem deterred by my struggle at all, the hungry look in his eyes never once vanishing.

As soon as I stood upright again Vince reached up to trace the lace embellishments, slowly moving his hands down lower towards where I really wanted them. Considering the fact that the bodysuit had already been pretty revealing in itself there wasn’t really much ‘new’ skin to see so far but he still looked at me with an intensity that almost made me shiver.

He reached to pull me down on him again but instead I surprised him by sinking down to my knees in front of him, his breath audibly hitching in his throat. For a second he was silent but as soon as I poked my tongue out to trace the ‘V’ on his lower stomach he let out a low moan, throwing his head back.

“Impatient much?”, I teased him, pleasantly surprised at my ability to make him almost lose his shit without even really doing anything.

“You have no idea. I’ve thought about this for days”, he admitted and I only smiled in return, moving to pull his jeans down along with his boxers without revealing that I had done the same. He got up to step out of both while I was focused on watching his dick bounce with the movement, amazed at the size of it.

As soon as he made himself comfortable again I grabbed the base with one hand while resting the other one on his thigh as I moved to lick the drops of precum that adorned the tip. When my tongue made contact he moved one of his hands into my hair, holding it back so he could get a better view.

“Fuck, you look so good like this”, he cursed when I finally wrapped my lips around him, taking the head into my mouth while swirling my tongue around him and taking him a bit further. I removed my lips and I could tell he was about to protest but any words died in his mouth when I started sucking his balls, reaching up to pump his length that was already slick from my spit with my hand.

He seemed to find his voice again once I licked up the underside of his dick but it was only a string of curses that turned into moans when I took him into my mouth as far as I could, my nose touching his pelvic bone. I relaxed my throat and swallowed around him, my name falling from his lips again and again as I reached up to massage his balls at the same time. I looked up to see him watching me with his pupils blown, hair sticking in all directions from running his hands through it so many times and his mouth slightly open. His arms were spread out beside him on the back of the couch and I wanted to take a picture to commemorate the moment, wanting to remember this forever. He had definitely never looked better and no one could convince me otherwise.

The hand in my hair helped me set a rhythm as I bobbed my head while licking around him and Vince was a moaning and cursing mess above me. It didn’t take long before he quite literally pulled me off him, running his hand across his face and taking a few calming breaths.

“You’re incredible but I don’t want to cum yet”, he finally murmured when he helped me back up and I wasn’t sure if he was only complimenting my blowjob-skills or more but the way he was looking at me right now made any thought besides wanting him inside me disappear.

“Vince I need you”, I practically begged and he quickly nodded before standing up with me still in his lap, reaching out to grab the back of my thighs to prevent me from slipping down. He somehow managed to walk up the stairs with me still wrapped around him while I trailed kisses along his collar bones and it was probably the hottest non-sexual thing I’d ever experienced with a guy.

He turned on a soft light once inside his room and while I would have loved to have a look around I was pretty distracted by the way he literally threw me on the bed before crawling on top of me, my legs falling apart to make space for him as if it was the most natural thing on earth.

Vince kissed down my breasts before suddenly stopping somewhere above my belly button.

“Okay I have to admit I’m a bit lost here, as hot as you look in it how the fuck do I get this thing off?” I probably shouldn’t laugh in such a somewhat serious situation but his helpless expression did nothing to stop the giggles that escaped my mouth. He was smiling as well and I was glad that we could laugh about the slight hiccup without it turning awkward.

I quickly reached down to snap open the buttons before sitting up and pulling the piece of lace over my head, discarding it in some corner of his room now completely naked.

“Much better”, he murmured, one of his hands reaching out to grab a hold of my boobs while the other one wrapped around my back, lowering us back onto the mattress. Eventually he trailed his kisses over the part of my skin that was marked up by him until he sucked one of my nipples into his mouth, his hand taking care of the other one.

Slowly but surely he kissed his way down my body, skipping over the part where I needed him most to suck along the inside of my thighs. The sensation rushed through me, my core already throbbing from days of built up expectations and I let out a whine. I was tempted to try and close my legs so I could at least get some kind of friction but his shoulders between them made that impossible.

“Patience baby, don’t you know that good things come to those who wait?”, he murmured and I shuddered at the feeling of his breath fanning across my heat. I didn’t even have the time to think about the fact that he had just called me baby or that I was actually a firm believer in good things happening to those who worked for them because he reached down to drag one of his fingers through my folds and all thoughts left my body.

“Shit, you’re so wet already”, he said softly but I was unable to give him any response besides a frantic nod and another desperate whine.

I’d fantasized about this for the last couple of days of course but nothing came close to the reality of one of his thick fingers dipping into my core. He teased my entrance for a bit, only pushing inside to his first knuckle but then I whined again and he pushed it in as far as he could. I was so lost in the feeling that I hadn’t even noticed him moving back up my body until he littered the valley between my breasts with heated kisses.

“So tight. I can’t wait to feel you around my cock.”

As if the words he’d moaned into my ear weren’t already enough to make any coherent thoughts disappear, he added a second finger and I arched my back into him, the change of angle just right in a way that had me gripping the sheets so tightly that my knuckles turned white. He reached dropped down to tease my nipples, sucking and licking them expertly while his hand thrust up into me.

My moans were already filling the room but then he started circling my clit with his thumb and I knew that I wouldn’t last much longer, the anticipation and desperation definitely helping to speed things along. He looked up at me to watch my reactions and the sight of him with his mouth latched onto my breast was almost enough to send me over the edge by itself.

“I’m so close Vince, please don’t stop”, I begged and this seemed to spur him on further, his movements turning even more eager as he continued to place sloppy kisses along my skin. It was the combination of everything he was doing to me that finally brought me over the edge, the release so sweet after needing it for so long.

He made sure to extend my orgasm as long as possible, only pulling his hand away after I whimpered slightly, the stimulation a bit much now. His softly kissed his way back down and along my thighs now and I could tell that he wasn’t quite done with me yet.

“How’s the birthday girl feeling right now?”, he asked with a teasing smile and normally I probably would have smacked him for this but right now I would tolerate it because I was still in my blissful post-orgasmic state.

“Amazing so far, could do better though.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mhm, I’m pretty sure I was promised some making up for the lack of a present and I don’t think we’ve reached that point yet.”

“Well excuse me then while I go back to work.” And with that he flattened his tongue and boldly licked one long stripe across my slit.

He started out slowly and I was glad because I was still a bit sensitive from my last orgasm, lapping at my entrance and pushing his tongue inside of me, making me gasp. It didn’t take long however until he grabbed my hips to pull me closer and onto his mouth, pushing my legs up to expose me even further to him and ultimately giving him better access.

When he sucked my clit into his mouth I couldn’t help but arch my back off the mattress again, burying my hands in his hair as he reached up to hold me still. This guy’s lips weren’t just pretty, they were apparently amazingly talented as well.

He replaced his tongue with one of his thick fingers, slowly pushing in and soon his name fell off my lips in a religious chant as he added yet another one, curling them upwards for maximum pleasure. I could feel my high coming from a mile away and Vince apparently must have too by the way I was grinding myself against his face because he quite literally dove back in, determined to shatter my word.

And shatter my world he did.

I was pretty sure I would have floated away as I reached my high if it wasn’t for Vince’s hand across my stomach keeping me grounded. My legs were still shaking with the aftershocks of one of the arguably - no hands down - best orgasms I’d had while getting head in my life. By the time I was finally able to open my eyes again he was wiping his face before grinning down at me.

“You look so fucked out already and we haven’t even gotten to that part yet”, he teased and I let out a chuckle before pushing at his chest. Leave it to him to make fun of me after he was the one who put me in this situation. Not that I was complaining of course.

“Don’t worry, it’s a good look on you. One that I’d definitely like to see more often.” He leaned down to nip at my neck then, his cock prodding at my thigh.

“If you keep doing that you definitely will”, I responded with an airy laugh, still kind of breathless. All talk died down after that however when he captured my lips with his again as he crawled on top of me, settling between my legs. Kissing him was definitely addicting and the fact that I could taste myself while doing so only made it ten times more hot.

Vince rolled his hips against mine, groaning into my mouth when his cock dragged against my skin while I couldn’t stop the moan escaping my lips either. Breaking the kiss he pulled back in a way that had him in a push-up position above me, giving me a moment to enjoy the view. His hair was sticking in all kinds of directions, his pupils so blown that they almost seemed black instead of the usual beautiful green and his muscles were flexing from holding the position.

“Still want to keep going?”, he asked and in my daze it took me a second to realize that this was him asking for consent. I had no doubt that he wouldn’t do anything I didn’t want him to but this, him offering to stop when he had done so much for me already while not getting off yet in return, was sweet. Especially since I had made it more than obvious that stopping was definitely not on my mind.

I moved to flip us over then, straddling his thighs and wrapping my hand around his dick, pumping him a few times and in case that wasn’t confirmation enough for him I leaned down to whisper a “definitely” in his ear.

“Condoms?”

“Top drawer on your right.”

Only because we weren’t in the middle of his huge bed was I able to reach said drawer, grabbing one of the foil packets out of the box and ripping it open with my teeth before rolling it down on him. I scooted up enough to line his cock with my entrance and while I tried to watch Vince as I sunk down on him the way my eyes fluttered shut at the sensation was out of my control.

While there had definitely been enough foreplay to make the sliding in part easy it was still quite a stretch, one so amazing however that it had the both of us moaning at the same time.

“Shit you feel incredible”, he breathed and I nodded my head in agreement, too lost in the pleasure to form any coherent sentences. Rolling my hips against him created some amazing friction that had my head spinning as I clenched my muscles, eliciting throaty groans from him.

Vince reached for my hips, gripping them tightly as he helped guide me along, my clit catching on his pelvic bone with every backward movement. “You got one more in you babe?”, he asked and to my surprise I could tell that I did. The fact that I could already feel it bubbling inside of me spoke volumes of our chemistry in bed together. This was a friends with benefits arrangement I could definitely get behind.

He sat up then, changing the angle at which his cock dragged against my walls and also making it possible for him to take one of my nipples into his mouth, gently grazing his teeth against it while tightening his grip on my hip as he thrust up into me. At this point I was a moaning mess on top of him but I honestly didn’t care. I hadn’t had sex this good in a while and the way he looked up at me in awe made it impossible to feel anything but sexy.

I didn’t even need any extra help to reach my third orgasm of the night with his name falling off my lips, the feeling so strong that my mind was absolutely blank and I saw stars dancing across the back of my eyelids as I arched into him with my eyes shut. He made sure to let me ride it out, groaning as he felt my walls tighten around him but as soon as I slumped against him he turned us around so he was on top of me, never once pulling out.

The pace at which he was chasing his own high now was relentless and hard and I would have held on for dear life if he hadn’t raised my arms to keep them above my head. One of his hands easily encased both of my wrists while he used his other to keep at least some of his weight off of me. I knew that a fourth orgasm was off the table, I was way too exhausted for that by now but he still felt amazing inside of me. I wrapped my legs around him to allow him deeper, the smack of our skin and our moans so loud that I was glad that we didn’t have any nosy roommates right next door. Those noise complaints from the neighbors I’d mentioned earlier might still roll in though.

With this pace it didn’t take long for his thrusts to lose all rhythm and I could tell that he wouldn’t last much longer. I clenched around him to bring him even closer and he groaned into the crook of my neck where he had buried his face, my name and some colorful curses falling off his lips. He readjusted his position so he could lean up enough to look at me while still holding my wrists above my head and I watched him throw his head back in pleasure as he slammed deep inside of me one last time, face contorting in pleasure as he reached his high. I could feel him pulsing inside of me and a pleasant shudder ran through me, making me sigh at the feeling. Perhaps this was my body’s way of saying girl if I could have, I would have.

He let go of my wrists then and I wrapped my arms around him as he dropped down on top of me. We both caught our breath for a few seconds which honestly wasn’t easy with the extra weight on my chest but it was a nice feeling. He had to carefully pull out and roll off of me eventually, throwing the condom next to the bed to dispose of later. For now it was nice to lay beside each other, covered in a sheen of sweat and still panting.

After finally landing back on planet earth I looked to my right at the alarm clock waiting on the nightstand, only now realizing how late it had gotten. Vince lifted his head enough to check the time as well and let out a light groan at the sight.

“You can spend the night if you want but we should definitely shower before that. Even if it wasn’t your birthday – well technically it’s not anymore – I’m not some dick that would kick you out in the middle of the night.”

I was surprised at his offer, I’d been with guys who were those dicks but I was even more surprised when he told me to pick something to sleep in from his closet before pulling on a pair of boxers and getting up to grab waters for the both of us.

I decided to postpone this until after showering, quickly making my way to his ensuite to use the toilet. I saw enough UTIs at work, I didn’t need them following me home. I was trying to wipe my make up off as best as I could with a washcloth and the face wash from his counter when he returned to his bathroom, a new toothbrush triumphantly in his hand.

“Found this in my junk drawer in the kitchen but I’ll be honest, I have no idea how it got there. The wrapping is unopened tho”, he admitted sheepishly and I laughed.

“Doesn’t matter, I’ll take it.”

Our shower was quick, both of us too exhausted for any more funny business but if my gaze had dropped from time to time appreciatively no one would ever know. He had an amazing body and I would have to be a nun not to acknowledge that.

Especially while he was naked in the shower.

I definitely wasn’t a nun.

Looking for clothes to sleep in turned out to be more difficult than I’d originally thought because of his affinity to clothes that were at least one size too big. Most of them would reach my knees in a really unflattering way and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to sleep while drowning in fabric. I tried on three, neatly putting them back afterwards and actually contemplating sleeping in only a pair of his boxers before finally finding one that didn’t make me look like a kid.

I could tell that it was an old shirt, perhaps from a previous team, worn down over time with a slightly faded print but it was comfortable and it smelled like him, even if I doubted that he had worn it anytime recently.

Vince was already tucked into bed by the time I stepped back into his bedroom, scrolling through his phone but putting it down on the nightstand once I got closer. I could see that he’d searched for a second charger so I could plug my phone in overnight as well and it was such a little gesture but yet it made me smile.

“I prefer to sleep on the right side, I hope you don’t mind”, he said as I climbed under the cover beside him. I shook my head no before responding:

“Nah, I actually like the left side better.”

“See, we’re meant to be fuck buddies.”

“I could already tell from the three orgasms but hey, if that’s what it takes for you to realize that.”

“You have a point there.”

Any other time and I certainly would’ve stayed up for a while longer so we could talk but right now I knew I wouldn’t last long. For a second I wasn’t sure how to do this, would it be weird to cuddle?

Vince made my decision easy however when he pulled me close until my back was flush against him, wrapping his arm around my waist. After our exhausting shenanigans earlier it took neither of us long to fall asleep.

The next morning I woke super early, my inner clock not allowing me to sleep past seven despite staying up late. I’d turned around in my sleep to lay on my stomach but Vince had somehow managed to keep his arm around me and get even closer.

I was slightly worried for my safety because of the fact that I had managed to sleep through a 200 pound guy basically laying on top of me but I’d slept like a baby. I could tell that Vince was still asleep by the even breaths that fanned across my neck but one part of him definitely wasn’t, poking my side. Bless the male population for their sleepy boners.

I was trying to let him sleep as long as I could, I really did, but with him so close to me and the images of last night combined with the very interesting dream I’d just woken up from burned into my memory I couldn’t help myself. I slowly turned in his arms so we were back to the position we’d fell asleep in, on our sides and pressed together spooning.

Even through my shirt I could feel his body radiating heat and if the night had been warmer it definitely would’ve been too much but right now I just wished for all barriers between our bodies to disappear.

My shifting had apparently woken Vince up successfully because he let out a throaty groan before, consciously or not, rocking against my ass and burying his face in my neck.

“Morning”, he said and I’m not gonna lie his husky morning voice did things to me that didn’t exactly help my situation.

“Morning, how’d you sleep?”, I asked, turning my head slightly so I wasn’t having this conversation with his incredibly comfortable pillow.

“Could’ve been longer but I don’t mind. Now that I’m up however..”, he trailed off, lightly biting my neck and moving his hand from my waist to grab my boob, rocking into me again, this time definitely on purpose.

This was definitely a friends with benefits situation I could get behind.

-

Somehow Vince managed to weasel his way into my life after that. He’d come over after I finished a shift at the hospital, spend the night and leave me incredibly satisfied the next morning when both of us went our separate ways again. Our time with each other was pretty short, only a week, but somehow I’d had more sex in that one week than in the last few months combined.

My last shift at the hospital on Saturday was, for a lack of better words, sad as fuck. So many people came up to me, telling me how much they would miss me and what a great addition I had been over the past year. When they brought a cake into the break room with a sweet message written on top of it I couldn’t help the tears that welled up. I could see Rachel subtly wipe at her eyes as well and I hugged her tightly.

“Remember our first day of classes? Oh how things have changed since then”, she muttered against me and I nodded. One thing that hadn’t changed however was our friendship. She was the reason I had come to Toronto, where she had grown up but it had been five years since I left my home to go to college and I knew that it was time to go back to my family and childhood friends.

“Don’t think you’ll be getting rid of me this soon, I’ll call you all the time and with there only being a one hour time difference between Toronto and St. Louis you have no excuse to avoid me.”

“As if I could ever avoid you, you little shit. But if your hometown insists on having you back I’ll allow it, I guess.” Her insulting me told me that she was okay again so I let go of her, the both of us still sniffling a bit as we each grabbed a piece of the cake.

When I finally made my ay back home that night Vince was already there. Mariah had probably let him in. There’s been some raised eyebrows at first but after seeing him here every day neither of my roommates was surprised when he knocked at our apartment door. Somehow he seemed to sense that I wasn’t in a talking mood right now, especially about having to say goodbye to the place that had been my home for the past year.

I was excited to see my family and friends in St. Louis again, don’t get me wrong, but goodbyes were never easy.

He greeted me with one of his comforting hugs that I’d already grown accustomed to before dropping his head to press a soft kiss on the top of my head before pulling me to the bathroom.

My shampoo and other toiletries were some of the last few things that hadn’t been stuffed in boxes and duffel bags yet and the sight made tears well up in my eyes.

“It’s okay, you know. I don’t like leaving here either”, he murmured in my ear as he wrapped his arms around me from behind, moving us so we both got hit by the stream of hot water. I wanted to forget everything but the feel of his naked body pressed against me but right now I knew I was too in my head to actually be able to enjoy it. Later maybe.

“But you get to come back every summer for a couple of months. I don’t know how long it’ll take until I can visit everyone again and even then it’ll probably only be for a few days.”

“That’s true. But your friends can also visit you. And in a few weeks I’ll be down as well and then you’ll be so annoyed by me constantly bugging you that you won’t be able to miss your friends here anymore.” My sniffle turned into a laugh at his words and I almost swallowed a big gulp of water in that moment, making both of us break into fits of laughter.

I was glad I’d have him with me again in a few weeks. Hopefully at least. We’d talked about our situation and I told Vince to hit me up again once he’d made it to St. Louis too in a few weeks and while he said he would, I knew that there was the possibility that he might not. I didn’t have the opportunity to dwell on the thought too long though because he’d managed to distract me yet again when he placed searing hot kisses along my shoulder.

If he hadn’t managed to get me out of my shell back in the hospital I never would’ve ended up with him in the shower right now. Or bent over the mattress a few minutes later.

Vince Dunn, the arrogant professional athlete, had turned out to be nothing like I’d expected and I had never been more happy to be wrong.

#Vince Dunn #nhl #nhl hockey #vince dunn imagine #nhl imagine #nhl writing #my writing #clear as day #hockey imagine

[millieg-03]

4.20am Sunday, 21/03/2021

I’m pretty restless tonight. The morphine helps me sleep a little, but my arm movement keeps blocking my cannula, resulting in the constant beep on the infusion pump.

My pain levels are tolerable. My tummy is pretty full though, and still no stoma output. I can feel the start of the cramps building up as the morphine is wearing off, but my dose is keeping me consistently comfortable.

Yesterday was a good day. I managed to ‘eat’ two serves of chicken broth, two instant coffees and two apple juices. There hasn’t been a lot of food this week. There has been a lot of craziness though!

My stomal therapy nurse (STN) visited my house on Monday afternoon to insert a catheter into the distal opening of my stoma. As I watched the colonoscopy prep be inserted via catheter into my system, I didn’t envy the missed opportunity to taste it. Gotta take the wins where they come!

7am Tuesday morning, my STN visited again for round two. Inquisitive me watched carefully throughout this process, and helped where I could - I found it quite fascinating.

Round three happened at 9.30am, then for the first time in 9 months I was able to sit on the toilet and ‘go’ like a normal person.

In the day surgery prep room my Dad fielded a message from my beautiful Peter - our home loan had been approved. WooHoo! So excited for our future! Dad stayed by me for a few hours while I waited for my turn in theatre. It’s a routine procedure, but there was this bogey hanging about that gave this unspoken feeling that things were more than just routine. The gravity of the situation was cemented when my surgeon visited me in recovery. He could see tumour recurrence through the scope. His tone gave insight that I will have a long road ahead. This news did not surprise nor shock me.

I grabbed my property bag, got changed & checked my voicemail “I have the paperwork in front of me, I just need to know what your start date will be. We can’t wait for you to join our team” - I tabled that one for the day, called my beautiful Peter & delivered the minimal information provided to me in recovery. Off we went home to grab the cake & present & headed out to dinner for my 5yr old nieces birthday. It was lovely being around family. The genuine joy as she opened her presents & squealed in excitement. All the little kids lining up for a piece of their Snow White birthday cake. And the food! I enjoyed garlic bread, chicken parmy & a piece of Peter’s delicious chocolate cake. Absolutely de-lish.

I was coaxed into slumber that night by sound of waves through my belly. There were wooshes & grumbles, and I soon found sleep.

I got up to empty half my stoma bag at 2am & sought some strong pain relief. The wooshes and grumbles were no longer playing nice. My bag wasn’t as full as normal. The pain relief kicked in, and I went back to sleep.

Peter dropped me at work that next morning. I was quite keen to be back. I enjoy what I do. I enjoy working hard. I enjoy problem solving, and challenging myself to get better outcomes. It was good to be back at work after a few days off. Team meeting went off without a hitch, but concentration became increasingly difficult thereafter. I took an early lunch just to lay down. Not long after returning to the desk I was unable to manage the pain enough to continue working. 12.44pm text to Peter “I think I might need to go to hospital. My stoma hasn’t worked since dinner, my abdo pain is bad & I just threw up”. I laid in the foetal position while my beautiful colleague sat and comforted me. 10 minutes later I was escorted to Peter’s car.

I’m definitely more rascal than refined elegance. I’ve had my fair share of nights out over the years where I’ve ended up a sickly mess. It’s almost a right of passage through your early twenties, right? Well I don’t think I have ever been this messy, and any fibres of decorum I held, I’m pretty sure I left them in the gutter outside the hospital emergency room. Peter dropped me at the door while he found a park. I didn’t make it to the door. The complete contents of my previous night’s dinner was exited into the gutter, and Peter found me in a ball on the ground rocking back & forward. I had a 10/10 pain, even with targin in my system (a slow-release opiate pain relief).

Here I sit, four days later (now 5.15am), still in hospital. I’m restless because I’m on patient transport today to go to Royal Prince Albert Hospital in Sydney. My Thursday MRI scan showed tumour recurrence & spread to surrounding organs. It’s in my ovaries, uterus and small bowel (hence bowel obstruction & excruciating pain). My current understanding is that a kick-arse surgical team from RPAH will remove anything containing tumours. They will take my uterus and ovaries out. They will take some of my small bowel out. My stoma (I’ve named her Betty) looks like becoming a permanent fixture. If there is any activity near my bladder, then some of that will be removed & probably result in a Urostomy (bladder stoma). Mum thinks I should call her Bertha if this does eventuate. I like that. Bertha and Betty.... there’s also one deposit just hanging about a bit higher. I was told it’s not near the lungs, but more sitting in some fatty tissue near my large bowel somewhere. The true extent of things won’t be known until they actually get in there and have a look!

In terms of looking toward our future, I withdrew from the new job. We are still selling our house, but will move in with Mum & Dad and rent our new one out until I’ve recovered enough to return to work.

Transport is tentatively booked for 9.50am, so I’ll get up & do some laps of the ward, then get myself ready for the trip.

(I did 2x 1km walks of the hallway yesterday!).

For now? Over and out - MandyG Xoxox

[wannabesewcrafty]

Barfly

Notes: Part 4. Jay returns to Sydney’s bar, and they try again. Spoilers/references to Seasons 1-3 of Kingdom and 4.18 and 4.20 of “NCIS: New Orleans.”

Content warnings: Language, smoking, alcohol, and fighting. Mentions of murder and character deaths.

In the days following Lisa and Sydney’s get-together, Lisa saw Jay first at his day job at the gym. She told him what Sydney had said about seeing her.

“She’s got a past, Jay. Some secrets she won’t share. Not with me, anyway. But she seems like a good person. I think you should man up and go see her.”

He put on a smile. “I’ll take that under advisement.”

Still, it was another week before he went back. He came in earlier than usual, wanting time to get his thoughts together, or to dig himself out of any holes his mouth got him into.

Sydney was wiping the bar counter with a rag, but it didn’t seem to make a difference in its cleanliness.

He sat on his usual stool and ordered a beer. “Whatever’s on tap,” he said. When she didn’t move, he remembered what she had said before. “Money first,” he repeated, reaching for his wallet. “Right.” He checked its contents and found them dreadfully wanting. “Um, on second thought, can we just go somewhere? I think we need to talk.”

She gave a nod. “I’m taking my break,” she announced to her manager, who shrugged in reply. The bar was practically empty of customers except for Jay and a couple day-drinkers nursing mugs.

She jerked her head towards the front entrance. “Come on.”

***

They went outside and walked around to the back of the bar. Jay fumbled in his pockets and pulled out a cigarette and a book of matches. Sydney wrinkled her nose, but he lit the cigarette anyway.

“I just wanted to say…well, Lisa said I should see you. Again, I’m sorry about the other day. I really wish you hadn’t seen that.”

“Why? It’s what you do, right? Fight? Anyway, I’m no stranger to violence.”

“Oh, yeah?” He paused to take a drag and exhaled a puff of smoke.

She raised her eyebrows. “Lisa didn’t tell you about what we talked about?”

“Why would she?”

“I guess I thought she would share. Well, I was in the military. Served overseas.” Not to mention I was held hostage in that holdup in Dwayne’s bar in New Orleans...

“Overseas, huh? Damn, the furthest I’ve been is…” He hesitated before finishing the thought. “Tucson.”

She seemed to know the significance of the place to him. She bit her lip, then said, “I’m sorry about your brother. That’s what I wanted to say before—that day I said I knew you were a cage fighter.”

“Thanks,” he said with a nod. “I appreciate that.” The cigarette lay in between his fingers, forgotten, and a wind blew out the lit tip. He seemed to give up on the idea of smoking and dropped the butt and crushed it under his shoe.

Sydney stooped and picked up the butt to discard it in a trash can. “Saw a lot of these in the water back in New Orleans,” she explained. “Out here too.” She checked her watch. “My break is almost over.”

“Can you ditch work for the day?” He pleaded with her with wide, innocent eyes, and she smiled that small smile again that made him feel victorious. Her reply, however, disappointed him.

“No,” she said. “I made a commitment.” She shifted her weight to one foot, regarding him. “Come by here tomorrow morning at ten,” she suggested. “We can walk along the boardwalk and window-shop.”

His expression changed from disappointed to pleased as he smiled himself. “I’ll be here with bells on,” he replied. He began to walk backwards away from her, his voice rising as he went on. “I’ll pick you up in my chariot. We’ll make a day of it. You’ll see! You and me, Sydney! It’s a date!”

She shook her head at his hype and waved a hand in the air, motioning for him to be quiet.

***

The hours passed. Business picked up at the bar, then dwindled again in the wee hours of the night. At last call, Sydney spoke to a hanger-on, a compact, swarthy guy who had come in after the last partygoers had cleared out. He had been having whiskey shots the last few hours.

“Time to go,” she said.

He stumbled off his stool and staggered out of the bar, muttering something incomprehensible.

She locked up for the night and was almost at her car when she saw a blur of movement out of the corner of her eye.

A body slammed into her from her left, knocking her down to the ground. She scrambled backwards and bounced back up to her feet, raising her fists to confront her attacker.

It was her last customer from the bar. He swept a leg out, trying to kick her or to throw her off balance, but Sydney avoided it, dancing out of reach. She threw jabs, but they were either blocked or dodged. Finally, she landed a one-two combo to his face and followed it with a knee to the groin.

He sank to the ground, sliding bonelessly to his knees, and Sydney was startled to find he was sobbing.

“My son,” he moaned. “My son…”

“Sir? What’s your name? Did something happen to your son?” Even as she spoke, she pressed a hand to her left side. In her opinion, her ribs were bruised at the very least.

“Nate…” came the whispered response. “His name was Nate.” He clutched at the dirt ground as he slumped onto his side, mumbling something only he could understand.

Sydney’s lips parted in surprise. It couldn’t be…could it? After all, Nate was a common name...

Quickly, she frisked the guy, patting his pockets until she located his wallet. Flipping it open, she read the name on his driver’s license. Alvey Kulina.

She cursed to herself. She had just had an altercation with Jay’s father.

***

Sydney called Lisa to give Alvey a ride home. She didn’t have Jay’s number, and she wasn’t sure she wanted him to see his dad like this anyway.

“What happened?” Lisa asked as soon as she pulled up in front of the bar in her black SUV and got out. She checked on Alvey, who had passed out and was sleeping.

“He just…tried to blindside me. I think he was confused. He’d been drinking. I didn’t know who he was until after it all went down.” Sydney was careful to draw in shallow breaths while she spoke, trying not to aggravate her ribs.

“Are you okay?” Lisa asked next.

“I might need some ice.”

“You should come with me. You can crash with me at Alvey’s place. I know he’ll feel terrible about this tomorrow.”

“I’ll be fine at my place.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Uh, there is something you could do for me, though.”

“Sure. Can you help me get him into the car? I’ll wake him when we get to the house.”

***

Once Halliday had gotten home, cleaned up, and put ice on her ribs, she took her phone and texted the number that Lisa had given her.

It’s Sydney. I know it’s late, but we need to talk.

A minute later, her phone buzzed with an incoming call from Jay, and she answered it.

“What is it?” His voice sounded uncharacteristically quiet and serious.

“I met your dad tonight.”

***

They talked for over an hour. Sydney explained about the brawl outside her bar, to which Jay reacted by asking if she was hurt, then berated his father by swearing up and down for a good five minutes.

“No, no,” she assured him. “I get it. I lost someone too, not too long ago, and I was so angry... I went on the offensive too.”

“I know he’s been a mess since Nate. My mom told me some stuff…and I said some shit to him before. I thought, after his win, though…” He trailed off into a sigh. “He’s been MIA at the gym for weeks now. He usually checks in with Lisa, so we know he’s still alive, but…Lisa told me he’d been drinking. I guess he’s just been barhopping from one place to another, and sleeping it off in between. Fuck,” he breathed. Then, “Why do I always feel like I’m apologizing to you?” he asked, making them both chuckle until Sydney drew in a sharp, pained breath.

“Laughing hurts,” she muttered.

“So, Lisa took my dad home?”

“Yeah. She said she would stay with him.” Sydney hesitated before adding, “From what I saw, she seemed pretty familiar with him.”

Jay wasn’t shy about answering. “Yeah, they were together for awhile, after she and Ryan’s engagement ended.”

“Wait, she was engaged to your best friend and she dated your dad?”

Jay summarized the long, painful, and complicated history of his friends and family, making Sydney forget about her ribs for awhile. “Wow,” she breathed when he was done.

“Yeah...” He then cleared his throat and said, “So, about tomorrow...or, I guess, today.”

“What about it?”

“I figured you’d want to postpone, get a raincheck.”

“It sounds like you’re the one who’s backing out of meeting.”

He paused, but when he spoke again, his voice had hardened. “I’m not the one with busted ribs. Take a day.”

What he was saying made sense, of course, but Sydney still smelled something fishy. “What are you not telling me?”

In his bedroom, Jay massaged at his forehead in frustration. I have a daughter in Wisconsin who I never see because I drove her mom away by being a dick, he wanted to say. I had a girlfriend who was fucking murdered and left for dead in an empty motel pool. 

But that was way too much for tonight, and for their tenuous, burgeoning relationship, he knew. 

“Let’s just say I have some more skeletons in my closet,” he finally replied. “You probably do too.”

She breathed out through her nose, a soft sigh. “I do,” she admitted. My commanding officer and mentor was killed, as was a drug lord I tried to extradite out of a foreign country. I’ve faced weapons fire in both my military and civilian life…almost been killed more than once…

How could she share that? Now certainly wasn’t the time. So, she settled for saying, “I’ll see you soon. Goodnight, Jay.”

“Goodnight, Sydney.”

Though their conversation had ended amicably enough, they both lay awake for some time during what remained of the night, each one thinking about the other.

#my fic #kingdom mma x ncis: new orleans crossover #jay x sydney #long post #part 4 #language cw #smoking cw #alcohol cw #fighting cw #i have gone back and removed parentheses from all the titles for this series

[chicgeekgirl89]

No One is Alone

A/N: So I decided to help Nell out first because let’s be honest, she really needs it. At least one Densi fic is on the way, possibly two because I just can’t leave it alone. And with that I present to you, my very first, published NERIC FIC!

                                            XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“I’ve got him! I’ve got Deeks! He’s okay!” Kensi shouted into the phone.

Nell closed her eyes. “Oh thank god,” she whispered, feeling the pinprick of tears.

“That’s great. I’ll send the coroner and a bus,” Eric said as Sam filled him in on the other line.

“Is she okay?” Nell asked when they hung up. “Callen and Sam…?”

“Everybody’s fine,” Eric told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “They’re all coming home.”

She nodded, sniffing as more tears filled her eyes. Everyone was okay. They were all fine. It was just another day at work. But instead of feeling the sense of relief that usually washed over her at the end of a case, the feeling of terror in her gut only seemed to intensify. The tears wouldn’t stop and she felt her chest begin to tighten as her breath caught in her throat.

“Nell?” Eric took a step toward her, concern all over his face. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she nodded and put a hand on her stomach, trying to get her bearings.

Except she wasn’t. Her throat was closing up and panic fluttered inside her like a living, breathing viper. “Hey, sit down,” Eric said, reaching for a chair.

“No I—“ The world began to spin and she flailed a hand, grabbing for any kind of support as her knees gave out.

“Whoa!” Eric caught her arm and lowered her to the floor. “Hey I need some help over here!”

She could hardly hear it, it was like cotton had been pulled over her ears, muffling all sound, cloaking her in a world of terror that she couldn’t break free of.

Her whole body trembled and all she could do was stare at Eric as he barked orders at the other support staff in the room. “Nell, Nell listen to me, you’re all right. Do you hear me?” There was a commanding, authoritative tone to his voice that she’d never heard before.

“Eric,” his name barely squeezed out of her throat and she gripped his arm tightly.

“Nell, you have to breathe,” he ordered. “You’re safe. Everybody’s safe. Breathe. Breathe!”

She couldn’t. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think beyond the panic gripping her heart and lungs. 

One of their IT staffers, Shawn, knelt in front of her. He moonlighted as an EMT she remembered, although why her brain could remember that but not how to get oxygen into her body was a mystery. He began to take her vital signs, talking in a calm voice. “Okay, Nell, this is just a panic attack all right?” Shawn said. “You’re going to be okay. It’s not going to last forever and you’re not dying. Just keep listening to my voice all right?”

Her mom. Hetty. Eric. Kensi. Deeks. Sam. G. Their faces flashed in front of her in a dizzying array. It was too much. It was all too much. She couldn’t save them all.

“Nell, no one is in danger,” Shawn said.

She hadn’t realized she’d managed to speak the words out loud. “You did it. You saved everyone. Now you just need to breathe so you can save yourself all right?”

She felt a hand on her arm and turned to find Eric beside her. “You can do this,” he said quietly. “I’m right here.”

Slowly, ever so slowly she felt her chest begin to loosen. Breath rushed back into her lungs and the world came back to rest. “That’s it. Great job,” Shawn said.

“Eric,” she whispered.

“I’m here.” He pulled her into his arms, right there on the floor in front of everyone as she sobbed into his shirt. 

“She’ll be okay,” she heard Shawn say. “Take her home. She just needs some time.”

She fell asleep in the car and was only barely aware of Eric cradling her to him and carrying her into their bedroom. When she woke up a couple hours later he was there beside her, reading a book. “Hey,” he said, setting it down when he saw her awake. “How are you?”

“Fine,” she said, sitting up and pushing her hair out of her face. In reality she felt exhausted despite her nap. Her limbs felt heavy and a headache was brewing at the back of her skull.

“No you’re not,” he said.

His response startled her. “Eric…”

“Nell, you haven’t been fine in weeks. Not since I’ve been back and I’m guessing not since before then either,” he said gently. “But I don’t understand why you haven’t said anything.”

The earnest worry in his face was nearly her undoing. She wanted to crawl into a hole by herself and simultaneously cuddle up against him and never let go. “You can talk to me,” he said. “You can tell me anything.”

“I thought I was handling it,” she said in a whisper. “I thought I was doing all right. My mom, she’s not great, but she’s getting better. But Sydney, she just can’t deal with it so I’ve been making all the calls to outpatient facilities and for nursing care and billing. And then you were gone and I just…I missed you so much,” she let out a broken sob. “And I was so scared when you were—when you were missing and I thought, I thought maybe I’d never see you again.”

She was full blown crying at this point and he was looping his arms around her, letting her bawl her eyes out for the second time that day. “And Hetty and Deeks today and I yelled at Hetty, I yelled at her and I haven’t talked to her since except for work and if something had happened to her…Eric I can’t….I just can’t anymore.”

The words came tumbling out, raw after months of being held back, tamped down until she felt like she would break apart from the inside if she didn’t get them out. “Hey,” Eric said. “You’ve had a lot on your plate lately. It’s all right that you’re not okay.”

“No it’s not!” She said. “Eric, if I lose it, people could die. Our friends could die. You saw me today, I was paralyzed.”

“Yeah for a moment. But then you jumped right back into it and got everybody home safely. You did that Nell. Not me by myself, but us working together.”

“I hate feeling like this.” She cuddled closer into him. “I just want it to stop.”

“It will.” He stroked her arm. “It can. But it’s going to take some time. And maybe more help than I can give you by myself.”

She nodded. He was right. It was time to deal with all of this and start taking care of herself again. “I think Kensi  saw someone after Syria. Maybe…maybe I’ll give her a call.”

“That’s a good idea.” He shifted so he could see her face. “Nell, I’m sorry that I haven’t been here for you. I know I got distracted with work and that added to all this pressure you’ve been under. I wish you would have told me what was going on. I would have come home. You’re the most important thing in the world to me.”

“I didn’t want to mess anything up for you. You were so excited. I just kept thinking we would make it work.”

“Well I’m here now. We’re going to figure this out.” He kissed the top of her head. “You know I love you right?”

“Yeah. I love you too.” She looked up at him and quirked half a smile. “Thanks for coming home.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

#NCIS LA #NCIS Los Angeles #Neric #Nell Jones #Eric Beale #Mother #Emotional whump #Panic attacks #Fanfic #Bad at titles #But def a musical theatre reference for the theatre babes #No One is Alone

[sydthefuturenurse]

Thank you so much @tulipteastudies for the tag!! These are so fun to do!!

1. What’s your name?// Sydney

2. What year are you?// well I switched my major last year and have to almost completely start over but I could probably say I’m in my second year with where I’m at?

3. What are you studying?// Well originally I was going to early childhood education but last year I switched to Nursing!

4. After graduation what’s next?// Hopefully working at the children’s hospital in my state for two years then going for nurse practitioner!

5. Are you a morning or a night person?// because of my job I have definitely become a morning person

6.front/back/middle of the class?// I like being in the middle

7. Best feedback from a teacher or professor?// My high school band teacher who when he realized I was failing some classes my senior year sat me down and helped me with math and told me when I finally got it that he knew I would do good things I just needed to set my mind to it.

8. Best study tips// I struggled hard with time management I recommend getting a planner and planning your days out everyday by hour and making sure to give yourself mental health breaks

9. Three fun facts// I played French Horn,Mellophone and Trombone. I have been a caregiver for almost three years. I am currently trying and failing to grow my own plants 🌱

And now for tags! This is just for fun no pressure only do it if you feel like it!!

@justanotherstudyblrinthecrowd @sydstudies @studyingstuffwithem

[jacewilliams1]

Ferrying a 1946 Auster J2 through Australia

God was on my shoulder. The problem being I was not sure on which shoulder and who was on the other one!

The aircraft ferry game is both interesting and where one always expects the unexpected. My card reads “Can Ferry, Will Travel.” Flying an older aircraft cross country is more than just throwing your bag in the back and departing. To do the job properly means planning ahead.

Now for a long time I had always wanted to get to fly an Auster J2. I had seen the J2 pair of VH-PUK and VH-PUL around Victoria with various owners over the years but had never set foot in one. I had flown several Austers but for some reason I had a fancy to fly the two-seat J2. Maybe that was because I had flown a Taylor J-2 and a Piper J-3. Who knows?

Then I heard that VH-PUL was for sale in Queensland. I contacted the owner and said if the new owner needed an experienced tailwheel pilot to ferry the aircraft anywhere please pass my number to him. I had hopes that the new owner was located in Western Australia. I could wish!

Sorry, was the reply, but the aircraft has been sold and the owner has his own tailwheel-endorsed pilot to assist him. Oh! I know what crestfallen means.

Time passed. Somehow I made the contact with the new owner and told him that I was an instructor, had good tailwheel time, and had flown Austers amongst other older aircraft.

OK, thanks, was the reply.

Time passed. I got a call from the new owner, Rod. Would I be interested in ferrying VH-PUL from Moree to its new home near Bendigo?

Hmm, YES, was the reply.

The die was set. I made my way to Sydney in a 737 and then to Moree in a QF Dash -8.

Now somewhere in the first ferry south from Gympie, Qld., PUL had an issue on landing at some strip north of Moree and the left gear leg got bent.

Time to get acquainted.

Campbell Briggs of Statewide Aviation, an ag operator, took kindly to Rod and his pilot and ground transported the bent machine to Moree. There it was nursed back to good health.

On arrival at Moree I checked in at a motel. Next day the airport. There I met PUL. After a good look over, I went for a test drive. I did a half hour of general handling and shot a few circuits on runway 01. The wind was rather much a northerly so I did not have to work too hard to keep the aircraft straight with its drum brakes and heel brake pedals.

I saddled up and departed. The forecast was for low cloud and haze along the route that I had planned, Moree–Narrabri–Narromine and a refuel, some 189 nm.

As I flew south the cloud base progressively lifted and from Narrabri it was plain sailing. Past Coonabarabran and a big area of trees—not good for a forced landing. I skirted west of the Siding Springs Observatory and the nearby mountain that had a spot height of 4,344 ft. Over Gilgandra and onto Narromine. There was a westerly wind so I elected to land on runway 29 with a tad of crosswind.

I touched down and the left wheel instantly flattened and I pulled up with a bumpty bump. A flat tyre!

There I was on Narromine’s runway 29, stuck like a shag on a rock. No one around and the cold wind must have come direct from the Antarctic. I called Rod and give him the good news.

I tried to get the airport manager but he was on his day off. Then low and behold he trundled up in his work truck. Soon after≤ another fellow turned up. He got a trolley used to raise gliders with the gliding club and we slowly manhandled it to a hangar. There we spent almost an hour trying to get the tyre off the wheel.

A guy working on a Mooney in the hangar showed how you have to take off the outer rim, then push back the tyre casing to get access to a circular circlip. Once that is removed the tyre can then come free and give you access to the tube inside. Sound easy? Not for an Auster wheel newbee.

Now with the tube in hand, it was easy to see how it had been pinched when the out rim had been put on. The secret is to have some inflation in the tube before fixing everything in place. Hmm! So we were in need of a 600 x 6.5 tube. Only the Brits could have an odd size. The manager took me into town to a tyre shop.

“Nope, cannot help you with a 600 x 6.5 tube but I have a 6.0 and a 7.0. Which one do you want?” I took the 600 x 7.0 tube. Then we trundled by a hardware store to try and get a tyre pump. We got the tube and tyre on faster than Superman could. The tube got inflated and I was ready to go. I was too late to get to the next stop, Temora. I did not like dickering around a strange airport in a strange aircraft close on last light. If the headwind slowed me down I could have had my blood pressure hitting red line trying to shoot a landing in the gloom or darkness.

Overnight in the nearby cabin park. I got a special deal with a taxi into town for a feed at the Veterans club and back again as his last customer for the night.

Next day it was a refuel and then I was off to Temora, 137 nm to the south. The weather was fine. I took off from runway 29 and bumbled along with an enroute top-up from the aux to the main. As the fuel moved from back to front and was burnt off, I adjusted the trim with the lever in the cabin roof above the left door.

Past Parkes and Forbes and on to Temora. I landed on runway 18 at Temora, a breeze with the headwind. It had been a slow flight from Narromine, so I taxied in for a top up. A young fellow my age got to chatting about how he was taking flying lessons, and what sort of aircraft was PUL? We traded notes. He was all smiles.

Not a lot of avionics to worry about.

I departed from runway 18 for Tocumwal and a refuel then on to Bendigo and the nearby new home base for PUL.

I landed on runway 18 at Tocumwal, taxied up to the fuel station and got fuel. There was no one around. I started up and taxied out and started backtracking on runway 18. I was halfway to the keys when I felt a lurch and PUL swung to the left. The tyre had gone yet again!

Same issue. Here I was stuck on a runway with a blown tyre. No one in sight. A curse?

I got on my portable VHF radio and called up on area. Silence. I made the call again and then a fellow replied and said he was listening. I asked him to advise centre of my problem. Centre must have wondered how airworthy this Auster was with two blown tyres in two days. He acknowledged the call and then asked if I needed a hand. He was a training flight out of Mangalore airport to the south. He landed and with his student we pushed PUL off the runway onto the grass verge.

I then called Rod on my mobile: “Err Rod, I have this tyre problem, again.” Now what to do?

An SUV came towards me. The driver introduced himself as Jamie Ball. He was a Toc A&P and saw my problem. “Need a hand?”

We managed to jack the left gear leg up to remove the tyre. Jamie said he had worked on an Auster wheel only a week before so he was current on how to remove them. Gold! The tyre casing was still intact even after this second adventure. We had the tube and tyre off in five minutes flat.

OK, now what to do. “I think that I have a 600 x 6 tube back in the workshop,” said Jamie. He found one in his store.

We fitted the tube and tyre and then another problem. How could we get some air into the tube? The penny dropped! I had that electric air pump that I had bought at Narromine. We connected up the power cable to the SUV and quickly inflated the tyre.

I was mobile again. I taxied PUL to Jamie’s hangar. He offered to house PUL for the night and then in the morning he was off to Kempsey on the far east coast in his Thorp T-18.

Jamie drove me to the motel and arranged to pick me up in the morning. I checked in and walked next door to the local golf club for a meal. Next day we hauled PUL out of the hangar. Jamie waited while I cranked up. He fired up his T-18 and departed for Kempsey.

I taxied out and as I passed yesterday’s blown tyre location I offered a silent prayer for no repeats. God, the good one, heard me.

I launched and departed south to Bendigo. Some minor cloud enroute, then past Shepparton and on to the southeast of Bendigo. Rod had said call him inbound; I did and he steered me to his strip at Myrtle Creek.

He had a smudge fire burning at one end of the strip to give me the wind direction. I came in over the tree line, dropped a nice side slip (the J2 has no flaps) and pulled up well before the end of the strip.

The ferry was over.

I taxied to Rod’s hangar. We put the aircraft away and over a cuppa I gave Rod the saga of my adventures.

I had kept both blown tubes. The second one, the Narromine special, had split all the way around it. No reason that we could figure.

It was too late in the day to give Rod a check flight. I returned a week later and we did some flying and shot some landings and ground handling to get him comfortable with flying his aircraft.

Enjoying every minute.

I have now flown an Auster J2 Arrow Special. An interesting machine. Drum brake shoes with heel brake pedals in the cabin. Not one but two blown tyres. Good memories for the future.

Tech stuff

Auster J2 Arrow Special, c/n 2384, was built in 1946 at Rearsby, Leicestershire in the UK by Auster Aircraft Ltd. It first went to Belgium as OO-AXF before coming to Australia, where it became VH-KAY on 31 May 1951. In 1958 it was re-registered as VH-RQL with the Royal Queensland Aero Club at Archerfield. The 75 hp Continental C-75-12 engine was replaced with a Lycoming 0-235-C1B of 115 hp. It then became an Auster J2 Special. In 1963 it became VH-PUL.

The J2 was built as a low cost private owner aircraft. Only 42 were made. In part this was due to financial problems with the Brits obtaining American engines for their aircraft.

The max. takeoff weight is 771 kg and the empty weight is 518 kg. There is a baggage shelf behind the seats for up to 20 kg of gear.

The main nose tank carries 60 litres of fuel and behind the seats there is a 40 litre auxiliary tank. An electric transfer pump moves around one litre a minute from the aux to the main tank. The extra fuel gives the aircraft real range. It is best to check the pump before start up to ensure that fuel can be transferred during a long flight. The main feeds to the engine by gravity. There is no engine driven pump.

Designed as a private aircraft, it had dual heel brake pedals installed later. Cruise is 95-105 kts IAS at 2350-2400 rpm. Plan on 25 LPH fuel burn.

Glide is 50 kts. Crosswind limit, said to be 8-10 kts. Climb is 52 kts, stalls at 30 kts. There is a small battery for the starter and the cabin roof mounted Bendix-King KY97 radio.

The panel has an ASI, Altimeter, VSI, Tacho, TC and Oil T&P gauges. No AH. The bat and ball TC is driven by an external venturi. Plan on 500 ft. after takeoff before it becomes reliable. There is an American compass on the top of the panel. The original P-12 compass must have been retired due to old age. Give three shots of the Ki-gas primer for a start up. Under the panel there is a cigarette lighter socket for use with an iPad in flight. I navigated with my iPad. The charts were in my flight folder ready at hand.

VH-PUL had done some 7,340 hours to June 2019 when I flew her.

The post Ferrying a 1946 Auster J2 through Australia appeared first on Air Facts Journal.

from Engineering Blog https://airfactsjournal.com/2020/09/ferrying-a-1946-auster-j2-through-australia/

[yeppeojiwrites]

beauty and a beat 10: sick!//multigroup crossover

summary : yunho is sick and you’re the only one available to take care of him

pairings : oc!reader x yunho (ateez) ft. hongjoong

word count : 1,552

warnings : none

a/n : is this my comeback piece after not writing anything for months? mayhaps.

(previous / next)

reminders

regular text is english

bold text is korean

italicized bold text is korean with honorifics

—

You sat in your home music studio playing random chords trying to find inspiration for the next track for Ateez’ album. After what felt like years of not working with the boys, you were finally helping them work on their first full album which had to be completed in just a few short months.

After playing the same chords for a while, you sighed and turned off your computer and moved to sit in your living room.

Your phone buzzed in your pocket the second you sat down on the couch and you quickly answered it without reading the contact name.

“Hello?” you asked.

“Maknae, are you doing anything right now?” Hongjoong asked.

“No, why?” you asked.

“Well...Yunho’s sick and he’s alone at the house with Seonghwa but Seonghwa can’t really help him because of his foot so...” Hongjoong trailed off.

“So...” you urged him to continue.

“I was hoping that you’d be able to put your mom’s nursing knowledge to use and take care of him for the next few hours.”

“What’s in it for me?” you joked.

“You get to do something for your favorite leader.” you could hear the smile in Hongjoong’s voice.

“Do you know if he likes chicken noodle soup? My mom has been sending me a lot of canned soups lately.”

“He might like it. Bring some over just in case.”

“Alright. Send me your dorm’s address after we hang up, okay?” you asked Hongjoong.

“Alright. I’ll bring you some takeout when we get home. Do you want the usual?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you later.”

“Thanks, Maknae.”

“No problem, Leader.”

----------

You entered the password to the Ateez dorm and walked into the apartment hesitantly after taking your shoes off at the door.

“Is anyone still awake?” you half-yelled into the dorm.

You heard two yeses from the back and walked further into the apartment where the rooms are.

“Yunho, where are you at?” you asked.

“In here.” he groaned from behind the door you were in front of.

“Are you dressed?”

“I’m too weak and sweaty to put a shirt on.” Yunho responded. You sighed.

“I’m gonna come in, alright?”

“Alright.”

You opened the door and saw a sweaty, red-faced Yunho under tucked under his duvet.

“Aw Yunho.” you frowned at him. He gave you a tired smile.

“How long have you been like this?” you asked as you pushed some of his hair away from his forehead.

“Since last night.” he responded.

“And no one thought to call or text me?” you shook your head. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, Yunho. I’ll do my best to make sure you feel better.”

He nodded and closed his eyes.

“Okay maknae.”

----------

The two of you found yourselves on the couch of the Ateez dorm after eating a few bowls of chicken noodle soup. Yunho’s head rested in your lap and you absentmindedly ran your fingers through his faded blue hair as you watched a drama rerun on the television.

“Maknae?” Yunho asked as he turned to look up at you.

“Hmm?” you responded as you watched the fruit commercial.

“How do you like being in Korea?”

You took a breath as you tried to come up with an answer.

“It’s not as scary as I was afraid it was going to be.” you answered. “I’ve found that the longer I stay here, the easier it is to adjust to the culture.”

He hummed in response.

“Did you miss us while we were gone?” he asked.

You lightly tugged at his hair. “Of course I did. I wish I could have gone to New York and Sydney with you guys.”

“We should all go next year.” he suggested.

“I agree.”

The two of you sat in comfortable silence for a while as you watched the drama.

“What did you do while we were gone?” Yunho asked after a while.

“A few days after my sister left, I went to a debut showcase.”

“Ooh~ How were you able to go?” Yunho turned towards you again.

“Let’s just say that I’m especially close with one of the members.” you smiled to yourself.

“Who is it? Do I know them?” Yunho perked up.

“You might know of them. Don’t worry about it though.” you dismissed him.

“Honestly, I didn’t think that you would have friends outside of us.” Yunho joked.

“Yunho, that’s mean.” you whined as you playfully poked at his temple.

“Yunho, leave Maknae alone!” Seonghwa yelled from his room.

“Stop poking my head.” Yunho said as he swatted at your hand. “Seonghwa, did you hear how she spoke down to me?” 

“You deserved it.” Seonghwa responded. “And stop yelling, you’ll make your head hurt more.”

“Did you hear Seonghwa, Yunho?” you laughed.

“I would go back to my room so that I could avoid this abuse but your lap is too comfortable.” Yunho sighed.

“Sounds like an excuse to me.” you said in a sing-song tone.

“SoUnDs LiKe An ExCuSe To Me.” Yunho mocked you.

-----------

“Maknae, you’re relieved of your duties!” Hongjoong yelled as soon as he and the other six Ateez members entered their dorm. He was quiet for a moment as he waited for your response. He quickly took off his shoes and attempted to look for you.

“Maknae, we brought foo-”

“Shh. They’re asleep in the living room.” Seonghwa stuck his head out from the kitchen.

“They?” Hongjoong asked. Seonghwa nodded before eating another spoonful of soup. “Yunho and (Y/N).”

Hongjoong’s eyebrows furrowed. “Where’d you get soup from?”

“Maknae brought some soup. There’s still some left if you want.” Seonghwa nodded over to the large pot sitting on the stove.

“Ooh~ look at these two.” Wooyoung and San laughed quietly as they stood next to the couch.

“They look pretty cozy.” Yeosang added as he walked through the living room to get to his room. Hongjoong walked into the living room to see what all of the commotion was.

You were laying on your back on the couch with Yunho on top of you, his head nested in the space between your shoulder and neck and his arm haphazardly thrown around your waist, a fleece blanket covering the both of you.

“Seonghwa, did you add the blanket?” San asked. 

Seonghwa limped into the living room, bowl-in-hand, and shrugged. “They looked cold.”

“Seonghwa, what if one of the managers came in here and saw them like this?” Hongjoong complained.

“We get yelled at for a little bit. So what?” Seonghwa shrugged.

“So what? We could lose one or both of them and we can’t afford to lose either of them, especially right now.” Hongjoong’s voice gained volume. “Why am I the only one who cares about this?”

“Hongjoong, calm down. Nothing would have happened.” Yunho mumbled. You woke up from the noise.

“What’s wrong?” you rubbed at your eyes sleepily.

“N-n-nothing’s wrong.” Hongjoong stuttered. You looked at him suspiciously.

“Wooyoung, what’s wrong?” you turned to the boy.

Wooyoung looked at Hongjoong’s desperate facial expression and bit back a smile. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Sure.” you responded, unsatisfied with the responses you were receiving. You looked down at Yunho and playfully pushed at him. “Get off, you’re heavy.”

“You’ve been mean to me all day.” Yunho groaned as he tightened his hold around your waist.

Seonghwa looked over at Hongjoong’s growing frown and decided to intervene. “Yunho let Maknae go so she can eat.” Seonghwa said in a stern voice.

“Fine.” Yunho said before releasing you.

“Let’s eat!” San cheered. Everyone else cheered in agreement.

“Hongjoong, I’m so glad you bought food.” you smiled at the boy. He smiled brightly at the comment. San snorted at the interaction.

“Hongjoong, let’s talk in the kitchen.” Seonghwa grabbed the man’s wrist before dragging him in the kitchen.

“You need to learn how to handle your emotions better. Everyone can see that you’re jealous.” Seonghwa poked at his friend’s shoulder.

“I’m not jealous, Seonghwa.” Hongjoong swatted his hand away.

“Yes, you are,” San laughed as he walked past the pair to get plates and bowls.

“Fine then, here’s a test to see if you’re really not jealous. Maknae is really close to a member of CIX.” Seonghwa stated.

“Ooh~ does Maknae have a boyfriend?” San provoked Hongjoong.

“I don’t know, but she went to their debut showcase. She was probably around even more boys.” Seonghwa added.

“How does that make you feel, Ho-”

“Stop saying I have a boyfriend,” you said as you entered the kitchen. “San, you’re taking too long and everyone else is hungry.”

“See, she said it herself, she doesn’t have a boyfriend.” Hongjoong said while giving the other two less than attractive facial expressions.

“It’s nice to know that you care about my dating life, Joongie. You’re a good friend.” you patted the man’s cheek as you exited the kitchen.

San gave Hongjoong a pained expression as he passed him. “That’s gotta hurt.”

“Just a reminder, Hongjoong.” Seonghwa gained his friend’s attention. “Neither you or Yunho are able to date her because of the fourth clause in our contract. Remember? ‘No romantic or sexual relationships between two or more parties within KQ Entertainment, regardless of job position or status.’ Alright? So no more of this jealousy and assertion of dominance bullshit because we can’t afford to lose anyone from this team or from the producing team.”

Hongjoong nodded.

#yeppeojiwrites #ateez #ateez scenarios #jeong yunho #yunho #yunho scenarios

[fatenista]

Welcome to the World my dearest son. Nadashi Siripatana, was born on Saturday February, 1st, 2020 Sydney, Australia. 

Let’s throwback a bit before it all began. I remember by the time we got here in early of May 2019, we were getting settled, adjusting new daily routines and managing our lives in all perspectives. From getting a cozy home to choosing the good-enough private health insurance. After we got all these and felt quite settled with our (financial) situation, I realize I was late. Before we did the test, we were pretty okay and not panicked if we were to expect another child. We were mentally ready and I was physically ready to deal with pregnancy again. Except, $$$ that we were quite worried. But Alhumdullilah, it was manageable. Of course, unlike in Saudi, we were insured. But here, a day after we got insurance, we knew we were expecting. I called my insurance company and unfortunately, they only cover birth & pregnancy after 12-month of waiting period. In Saudi we had BUPA insurance, in here they also got BUPA but the coverage is not the same as in Saudi. In Saudi, I got there less than 3 months and pregnancy & birth was fully covered. (How we missed Middle East lol) After that, I couldn’t wait to find out. So off we went to Royal Hospital for Women (10 mins walk from our house) and set appointment to meet with the midwife in my 14th week. If you have a normal pregnancy here, you will not meet your midwife and your GP (from any clinic of your choice). The OB-GYN doctors are for high risk pregnancy only, it makes sense. My whole pregnancy check-up, I managed to meet GP twice and 5 times with my midwife. 

After we been living here for almost a year, Australia work and life balance is at its best. Most people I know or talked to, works 3 days a week at office and the rest work from home or not working at all. This way, both parents got to spend time with kids not only on weekend but also on weekdays. No wonder when I first came here and brought Insha to the park, there are some dads who brought kids to playground and do all mom’s jobs. It’s a new normal for us. I was also surprised knowing that the nurses at the hospital works 3 days a week only and with total of 36 hours a week. Isn’t that great? 

Nadashi at 20th week ultrasound

With this pregnancy, I was craving for all the sweets and chocolate mousse in the first half of my human-incubation period. Until I had my sugar tested and surprise surprise! I had pregger diabetes (GDM;Gestational Diabetes Mellitus) and I had to stop all sweets, no white rice nor white bread, control my diet and lots of walk and prenatal yoga. My midwife appointed me to meet with the group for women with GDM and really, Australia has a very impressive health care system. You will feel that they really care about you. They don’t want you risking by having a too-large baby and ended up with C-section. Ahh, I don’t want it too. So I was extra careful with my diet though it was such a torture to not eat what I craved for when pregnant. 

12-hour before getting into labour!

Birth time! Insha was born right on her due date at 40 weeks, so I didn’t expect Nadashi to want to come out earlier than week 39th. A day before I was in labour, we went downtown Sydney and I was walking like I’m still far from baring child. But walking a lot also naturally induce the labour. 

At 6am in the morning next day (Feb, 1st), I was lying in bed after a constant trips to the toilet. I felt my water broke and then contraction started literally 3-5 minutes apart (already? I thought it’d start at every 20 minutes or 10 at first but 3-5 mins right away). I kid myself that ‘Nuhh, not yet. I’m too sleepy to be in labour now” I was sure that it wasn’t Braxton hicks because it was repeated and also hurt like hell. I decided to wait to see another 30 minutes and it was the same. Oh man! he’s coming, he’s really coming!

Then I called “Delivery Suit” at hospital and explained my situation. They asked me to take hot shower and have breakfast and then come to the hospital. So I did, but I couldn’t eat because the contraction got stronger and more painful that it hurts like my pelvis being crushed by a tractor. I woke Adil and Insha, “We need to go to hospital now. Nadashi is coming” .. my last-day-only-child then said “It’s February already?” Haha, yep, she knew Nadashi will come in February. We walked to hospital. It was 8am. when we were walking I had like 5-6 contractions along the way. Ain’t I crazy. 

Delivery Suit

Delivery Suit

At hospital (8am), Delivery Suit. One of the on-duty midwife (Kim) welcomed me right at the door. Everything felt so calm and quiet. Kim brought me straight to our delivery room. A spacious purple room, big windows that we could see UNSW, bathroom attached, birthing ball and fully quipped suit for delivery. I wasn’t ready to be honest with all the birth thing (again) but at the same time, I also couldn’t wait to meet my new lover.

    I had Kim and Nicole assisted me at the first stage of getting into labour. That time I was wondering how far along was my dilation because I needed the most magical thing in my life, Epidural. I asked Kim that I need an epidural and she checked I was 3cm. dilated. With Insha, I had epi at 5cm. which is good timing not too early and not too late. But with the 2nd birth, I figured it dilated quicker so I decided to have it asap. Of course, there’s lot of consent to be made due to the possible (1 in 10) side effects. I consent, I consent, I consent. I couldn’t stand any more pain from this. It crushed me. I thought I could do better this time round, but no, it’s such a trauma to feel it again. I cried few times to be honest. How can women, other women, handle this pain without any drugs? You really are super super human. 

 Delivery SuitI had Kim and Nicole assisted me at the first stage of getting into labour. That time I was wondering how far along was my dilation because I needed the most magical thing in my life, Epidural. I asked Kim that I need an epidural and she checked I was 3cm. dilated. With Insha, I had epi at 5cm. which is good timing not too early and not too late. But with the 2nd birth, I figured it dilated quicker so I decided to have it asap. Of course, there’s lot of consent to be made due to the possible (1 in 10) side effects. I consent, I consent, I consent. I couldn’t stand any more pain from this. It crushed me. I thought I could do better this time round, but no, it’s such a trauma to feel it again. I cried few times to be honest. How can women, other women, handle this pain without any drugs? You really are super super human. 

Finally! Epidural time

At around 10am, the anesthesiologist came. She brought papers with her and explained everything to me (exactly like in Saudi) and I consent to every words said. Only this time round, the procedure is quite different. And I must say, it is better than the Saudi one. The one I had in Saudi was all at once injection. The needle was 4 inches long and really thick one stuck into my spine. My lower body felt all numb after that in less than 2 minutes and I couldn’t even lift my legs. It was amazing to not feel any labour pain at all but I think it’s better to at least feel something without any pain.

Here, they connected the epidural tube on the built-in wall and attached some needle to my back. I don’t remember where exactly but there was something like a locket hanging on my shoulder which passed epidural into me every 20-40 minutes. Every time it kicked in, it felt chilly a bit. At first, I felt no contraction pain but a bit of pressure at my bottom (bearable) and then the other was feeling a bit like small menstrual cramp. Anyway, epidural delayed delivery time. So from 10am, I was scrolling my phone, chatting, netflixing, and was napping till around 3pm. then Kim came in and said that looking from heart rate and other things (from machine) I was almost 10cm dilated. We should get ready to have little bub come out around 3.45pm or so. How exciting! Adil and Insha went out to the playground and came back once I told them we’re so ready for Nadashi! 

“Okayy, you’re contracting now, PUSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” Kim asked me to have our first push. I did feel small cramp which without epidural, I would feeling being struck by a train and cut myself in 2, literally dying. We tried several times and I took so many deep breathes but Nadashi and my body did not cooperate well. We tried for like 20 mins or so and unsuccessful but baby was still happy not in distress. Then, we needed doctor to come and see the situation. He said that the baby’s head is down and he was curling to the side. His spine was on the side when it supposed to be against your tummy. So, he re-positioned the baby. (Imagine, putting all hand inside the move him from the inside. Oh lord. I felt nothing only pressure without pain while he changed his position. I was exhausted from all the pushing (many times) almost an hour later, doc said, okay, if it’s not coming out this time, we might need to cut lil’bit. I was thinking .. no way. okay, i’ll be pushing all my energy out now so I don’t need that cut just to let him out, nooooo!” This time, I did pushed really hard and I could feel the ball shape was coming out then deep breathe and that long push from the body and then deep breathe that last push till all body parts are out! Like I mentioned, my lower part wasn’t all numb it just no pain from contraction, so I could feel the baby human was coming out. It’s still a trauma. really big trauma. I can’t . I don’t want to do it anymore but maybe one more .. after I saw him for the first time and fell in love all over again. Alhumdullilah for everything. At 4.42pm. healthy baby boy, weight 3.2kg, 52cm in length. was finally out into the world. 

In Australia, normally if you have normal child delivery and there’s no complication, you can leave hospital after 6 hours of delivery. I had to stay at least 48 hours because during pregnancy I had GDM so they had to monitor baby’s sugar level. Me and Nadashi spent one night in the hospital and I asked the nurse if we could go home next day because after 24 hours checking his blood pricking test, it was all fine and if I have to,I can prick him at home. I also told the nurse frankly that we’re not covered by insurance so within the deposit limit, I’d prefer to stay one night only. Then she said, the Pediatrician will come check Nadashi and she’ll see if we could go home. Alhumdulillah, all is well so we all went home on the 2nd evening. 

   Alhumdulillah, all is well and it’s time to go home!

   Not only great service from Royal Hospital for Women, we also got NSW Baby Bundle full of baby essentials! (worth of $300); Baby playmat, first aid, room temperature indicator, baby Australian books, nappy cream, hand sanitizer, changing mat, baby swaddle, baby sleeping bag, baby milestones card, breast-pad, diaper bag.

Once we’re home, my personal midwife who I’ve visited during prenatal check-up come visit us at home. One day after deliver and the other 2 days during first week post-delivery. Overall, to check my health and baby’s. Checking baby’s weight, baby jaundice, checking on how he latch, checking my recovery etc.

   After few days home, hospital also contacted us to have a heading test for Nadashi. 

    I’m not sure if Nadashi is a good baby or it’s just my biological clock that got used to the wake up in middle of night. But he could sleep longer than Insha as far as I remember. Insha was every 2 hours and Nadashi sleeps 3-5 hours. I even had few dreams before I woke up and realized that I’m a newborn mom, I have to wake him up to feed now. He’s just a deep sleeper! 

   Thanks for reading about my first week of life. I hope you all have a blessing days ahead.

How much it cost for out-patient delivery cost (For temporary research activity visa 408); 

Midwife consulting A$147 (6 visits) 

GP visit A$90 and A$60 (twice) 

Ultrasound at week 20th A$270 

Blood test and glucose testing was covered by our private insurance 

Delivery package (A night stay) A$1,383 

GDM consult A$77

*The hospital required us to pay deposit of $6,000 2-month before month of admission. 

 You Are My Sonshine, Nadashi Welcome to the World my dearest son. Nadashi Siripatana, was born on Saturday February, 1st, 2020 Sydney, Australia. 

[diddykongfan]

(my heart is a kaleidoscope)

arc one, dark kingdom/dark curse, 3/?

in which Emma’s pursuit of staying in Storybrooke (and her search for information on the other Guardians) begins in earnest, David is not in a coma, and we get our first glimpse at one of the other Guardians - Aurora, as it happens. Also, Graham POV and a Tuxedo Mask appearance, and a second battle that proves I can’t, as yet, write action sequences.

With Henry at school, her mind made up to stay in town, and the knowledge that attacks are more likely to happen at night – yesterday’s mid-afternoon attack being the rare exception rather than the rule, at least according to the kid who is her only source of information in all of this – there’s not much that Emma can actually do other than peruse the classifieds in the paper for items number one and two on her list of priorities; a place to stay other than Granny’s, someplace where she can come and go from, both to fight monsters and to find the other girls out of town, without raising too many suspicions, and a part-time job while she’s in town. Again, something that she can come and go from without raising too many questions.

She does this seated once more at the counter of the diner, nursing a mug of hot cocoa with cinnamon; places like this are the best places to get to know a small town. Her position allows her to observe the people that come and go, to see Storybrooke and get a feel for the town and its residents, without raising undue suspicion or drawing too much attention to herself.

She is, for all intents and purposes, a tourist, until it’s known that she’s staying. A tourist in the diner? Even if tourists are as rare as it has been suggested, in Storybrooke, a tourist in the diner is practically normal. At least as far as most small-tourism-towns are concerned, and Storybrooke certainly seems to believe it’s a small tourism town – if the picturesque-but-outdated atmosphere and lack of major industry are anything to go by, anyway.

And while she could just as easily browse the paper in the privacy of her rented room, well… It’s a nerve center. Possibly the nerve center of the town.

Everybody needs to eat. Cooking for themselves? Optional, especially when there’s a so much easier alternative available.

It’s basic human nature, because people get busy, or lazy, or bored, or lonely, and they go out to eat instead of staying home and cooking, and, yes, she might be exploiting it a little. But there’s not a better way to get the lay of the land around here, even if Henry is right and most of the town is clueless about the way things truly are – and she needs to start getting a feel for the routine of this place if she’s going to stay.

It’s not a good sign that within an hour, she’s discovered that, in the morning edition at the very least, there are no jobs, apartments, or other rentals in the classifieds of the paper.

None. Zip. Nada. Zilch. Zero.

That was the most obvious place to start that part of her search, and the lack of anything is… Not encouraging. To put it mildly.

“You’re not going to find whatever it is you’re looking for in the Mirror,” the waitress, Ruby, speaks, clearly addressing Emma – as there’s no one else around with the paper – pausing as she works on brewing a fresh pot of coffee. Yes, she’d come to that conclusion herself. “It’s just a biased trash rag.”

That was not a conclusion she’d come to – though, admittedly, aside from the article on the attack, she’s only read the sparse classifieds. Half a dozen times, to confirm she hadn’t missed a listing that would happen to be exactly what she’s looking for.

“How so?” The article on the attack had been as factual as it probably could be, given the circumstances. Most of the witnesses had still been unconscious when Emma left, and a kid crying monster is easy to dismiss as traumatized, however truthful their story might be, mysterious heroes captured on film and all.

“The editor, Sydney. He’s completely in the mayor’s pocket. If she wants mud slung, he’s the one that does it. And come on, you can’t have missed the puff piece about her under the fold. Hate to call the robbery a good thing, but if it hadn’t come along then Regina would have been the headline. Just like every day.”

Ah. That kind of biased trash rag. And if Regina holds the paper, she probably has more sway than she should over other departments of the town as well. Seeing how the investigation of the “robbery” goes will be a clue as to her hold on the local law enforcement.

Though – it could always be worse. The kid’s testimony about Sailor Moon could have been brushed aside in its entirety to paint her as the attacker instead of the one to fight the attacker back, making her into public enemy number one.

“I wouldn’t expect that level of corruption to reach the classifieds?” Honestly, she can’t quite see how the mayor controlling the news – or at least having a sycophant in charge of the news outlet, because if she fully controlled it letting the article calling Sailor Moon a hero run wouldn’t make any sense – relates to that part of the paper at all. But there’s no way Ruby didn’t notice where in the paper her attention was focused – and she still brought it up.

“That’s not corruption. I’m not sure any of it is, precisely. Still, whether Sydney’s actually corrupt or just eager to please his crush, the classifieds is just… Storybrooke. There’s nothing here. This place is nothing. Nobody’s gonna move or anything. Why bother?” And the woman shakes her head, looking entirely disgusted with the situation. Even with the forewarning from Henry that everyone is miserable here, she hadn’t quite expected that sort of open bitterness, not really.

But that’s what she’s here to fix, right? The reason that she can transform, the reason that Henry even bothered coming to find her. That bitterness, that misery and unhappiness, Sailor Moon is supposed to be able to do something about it.

Which is a pressure that she didn’t want or need in her life, but by now she’s somewhat used to the fact that things don’t go the way that would be most convenient for her. She can deal with this, just like she’s dealt with everything else she’s been handed – and at least this time, there’s the promise of finding out where she comes from at the end of it all.

“And if I was interested in finding a place to stay of my own here in town?”

“Like… Staying for the kid?” Ruby raises an eyebrow in her direction, her tone barely masking her bafflement at the idea of someone wanting to stay in Storybrooke. “You could just extend your stay at Granny’s indefinitely. You’re not gonna find a house. There’s a couple apartment buildings in town, but if they have anywhere for rent… Well, you’d actually have to go down there to find out. They know they’re not getting anyone by putting it in the paper. No one comes here. Let alone moves here.”

There’s a thinly-veiled run while you have the chance in that sentence, but Emma ignores it. The chance pretty much left her the moment she took the bait and tried to transform to prove that she couldn’t – and was wrong.

“Yeah, for the kid,” she agrees, even though that’s only part of it. It’s the path of least resistance, in getting people to stop questioning why she’d be willing to come to Storybrooke. It’s convenient, and there is truth to it – no matter how much else is at play. “And if you have any tips about jobs, those would be appreciated.”

“The arcade,” Ruby answers her, not even pausing to think. “It’s on Park, a couple blocks north. David needs help there, even if he doesn’t know how to ask for it.”

…

“Crescent Beam!”

The shouted attack catches its unsuspecting target off-guard, giving their unseen assailant the upper hand – foe blinded by the flash of light that her magic created, the urban legend known as Sailor V manages to get close enough to her target to actually physically knock them out.

Legally speaking, she’s a vigilante, but, then again, legally speaking her targets don’t actually exist. It’s a funny little gray area, that.

The Evil Queen probably hadn’t known exactly what she was doing, taking such a long time to unleash her Curse after announcing, very publicly, that she was going to cast it, and ruin everyone’s lives except her own. Ways between worlds were rare, true, but if she had thought that the worst of the worst wouldn’t find a way to save their own skin rather than let her trap them in time and make them permanently miserable, boy, had she been delusional. Or, if not the worst of the worst exactly, those with the means to find a way across and the selfishness (or self-preservation instincts?) to get out and save their own skin.

This guy, he hadn’t even had magic back home, hadn’t been anyone even particularly notorious. A footnote in their land’s history, if that. But he’d been rich, which is probably how he managed to make his way across realms before the curse hit. In this world, he’d adapted his criminal activities and built a new empire.

The cops already had a warrant for his current false identity. She was just knocking him out before he could run and set himself up another new life. Honest. He already had a bag and new fake I.D.s packed when she showed up and everything. Okay, and maybe she was also rummaging through his things for evidence of the Enchanted Forest to remove from the premises before some cop found it and possibly activated a terrible magical artifact leaving them with some ancient curse on their head on account of not knowing what they had on their hands.

Sleeping curses and their ilk weren’t exactly easily identified or countered in the Enchanted Forest, after all, and cops seemingly dropping dead after touching a sharp but otherwise unremarkable antique would be the kind of thing that would be almost impossible to fix here.

August insists that only she and the others will have magic here, in the Land Without, and no matter how cursed an artifact is there is no way it could hurt someone as long as it wasn’t anywhere near the Evil Queen’s playground, but, better safe than sorry, if you ask her.

She doesn’t find much, this time – a few baubles and jewels, glittering with fairy dust diamonds – but she takes it anyway, just to be sure – because who hasn’t heard stories about cursed rings or necklaces? – before returning to her motel room as discreetly as possible and dropping her transformation, letting Sailor V fade back into the deepest parts of Aurora.

She hates the way de-transforming feels. Like being sapped of all her strength, her magic so far out of her grasp as to be untouchable. Her talisman still gives her the ability to channel her transformation, yes. But it’s different in this place than it was back home – when they were training, the magic was always there, in the very air, at their beck and call transformed or not.

They had more power and precision transformed. But they always had magic. It was a benefit of the blessing that made them Guardians – back home, it was a benefit. Here, not feeling that when she isn’t fighting is like losing one of her senses, as overdramatic as that sounds.

A glance around the room confirms exactly what she suspected she would find on her return, when she left: August is there, waiting, like he always does when she’s out fighting, and she rolls her eyes at the way he stares at the diamonds when she sets them on the nightstand. She’ll have to find somewhere much, much safer for them, soon, but for the moment there isn’t anything else to be done.

“You did good out there tonight,” he praises, like he always does, and she wonders if he actually expects her to act like nothing had changed the last time she had actually gone out, three months ago, when she had come up against Maleficent and her memories had broken through the haze of her mind.

The Dark Fairy couldn’t shift into her dragon form here, fortunately, had no spells or minions or tricks to give her the upper hand, was just as subject to being in the Land Without Magic as anyone could be – but childhood fear of falling victim to the same sleeping curse as her mother had very nearly lost Sailor V the battle.

“Emma’s birthday was days ago,” she reminds, and she doubts he didn’t know it himself. “When are we going to find the others and do what we came here to do, Pinocchio?”

“Things are in motion.” He’s frowning, probably because she used his real name, and, well, good. When they were young and in training, he had been like an older brother to them – to Emma, especially. But she knows that there’s something he’s not telling her, because he had come through to this world too, somehow, and he had done it with his memories intact, unlike the rest of them, and he had told her she had power and given her back her talisman and molded her into Sailor V, knowing all the while everything that she had forgotten. Everything that she truly was.

V. He hadn’t even bothered to tell her that she was, properly, Sailor Venus. Had only recruited her, once time was almost up, to be V.

Would he have ever told her, if she hadn’t remembered?

She doesn’t like what her gut tells her about that any more than she likes his constant stalling about getting the others now that she does remember. They were supposed to start unravelling the Dark Curse on Emma’s 28th birthday – two days ago. The twenty-third day of the tenth month.

We still have work to do out here, away from the town the Curse created, he’d said first, when it had devolved into a shouting match about a week after she knew who she was. Lately, when he bothers showing up at all, it’s just things are in motion.

Not from her perspective, they’re not.

…

The arcade actually pleasantly surprises her, when she finds it.

It’s clean, well-lit, clearly stocked full of games with titles… Actually pretty recent, and even the ones that aren’t brand-new are big names. Aside from the games, there’s an entire area of booths on the same side of the room as the counter, and there are quite a few college-aged kids sitting at said booths, or the counter, drinking milkshakes or coffee, with maybe a burger and fries, as they type away at laptops.

The place even has a sticker on the door proclaiming there’s free Wi-Fi, the only such sticker she’s seen in town.

All of which makes for a good first impression, especially with Ruby’s claims that it’s all run by one man.

Never actually having been to an arcade before – with foster families uninterested in letting the kids that were little more than a paycheck to them go somewhere that would cost them money like that, and a lack of time, reason, or interest once she was on her own – she’s not actually sure what she expected.

It wasn’t this, though.

She makes her way to the counter, sitting at the first open seat she finds; while they aren’t hard to come by, exactly, the crowd already gathered has taken everything close to the doors.

There, she waits for a few minutes before noticing when a man, probably around the same age as Mary Margaret, stands from behind one of the machines, which plays a little tune like it’s turning on, and makes his way behind the counter, toolbox in hand. Though he wears no nametag, he must be the David that Ruby spoke of – it’s the obvious conclusion.

He is just as strangely familiar to her as Mary Margaret, and for a moment she doubts that she should go through with this course of action. Only for a moment; there is no reason that this sort of almost-recognition should dissuade her. Rather, she should take it as a good thing – Henry’s theory is that if she gathers the others and breaks the curse, anyone in this town will regain their memories. He’s not as sure about her own memories, since she wasn’t cursed, but even if they don’t come back, people that she almost-remembers should remember her.

Logically speaking, anyway.

So when he arrives in front of her, asking if he can get her anything, she has thoroughly pushed that glimmer of doubt aside.

“Ruby at Granny’s said you might be looking to hire some help.”

…

Find me, find the Silver Crystal and find me. Help me. I need you.

He doesn’t usually sleep in the middle of the day, but that he dreams of the girl, shrouded in darkness and yet radiating light, is no surprise. She haunts him, always.

This time, though, was different. Just before he woke, there was another image – a white wolf, bi-colored eyes, a forest that was neither Storybrooke’s nor the one in which he first remembers waking. While his dreams of the girl are always tinged with a need to help her, the other image, the wolf, fills him with a sort of melancholic nostalgia, like it’s somehow a memory of something he had held dear and lost.

But he doesn’t know for certain. Just as he doesn’t know how he’ll find the girl or the crystal that she asks for.

“Someone didn’t get enough sleep last night, then.”

And no, he hadn’t, though he cannot account for the why or the how of it. He does not recall tossing and turning, lying awake. And yet, put simply – when he awoke, it was as though he had not slept at all. As such, he does not bother to correct the observation, for even as the unsubtle attempt at conversation is unwelcome— it is true.

And a response is what the observer expects, most likely, so it is best not to rise to the bait. He has maintained careful distance from others since arriving in this place; to change that course now, simply because he’s tired, would make no sense.

Though he stays, he remains apart.

No amount of prodding on Granny’s part, no matter how well intentioned, can do anything about the fact that most people make him uncomfortable and always have. It may be a lonely existence, but it works for him— and most days he isn’t falling asleep in the middle of the diner, anyway.

Though he is persistent in his silence, coffee is placed in front of him, unasked for, already in a to-go cup.

“That should at least get you home for a rest, child. Don’t know what you’re doing here in the first place, tired as you are.”

He doesn’t know either, not really. It’s something of a habit – as much of a loner as he is, he still has lunch at the diner daily, a routine he doesn’t stray from. Get up, go to the shelter and do what he can for the animals there, have lunch at the diner, spend his afternoons doing the volunteer work that Mary Margaret conned him into, teaching the kids about the woods around their town – go back to his small apartment, have dinner alone, fall asleep and have that same dream.

None of it is exactly glamourous, but it’s a life. His life.

“You didn’t need to do that,” he breaks his silence in the objection, but… He doesn’t like the attention. The act of care throws him; it always has, from the very first time he actually remembers even the slightest hint of concern being directed at him.

Neither care nor concern has been in abundance, the past fourteen years, but every instance has left him off-balance – like he’s waiting for something worse to balance it out.

Trust issues, the social worker had said about his wary nature when it came to having care or concern directed at him, gone on about how it was common in abandoned children. He hadn’t asked if the girls with names had exhibited similar degrees of mistrust in others; he wasn’t supposed to know about them in the first place. He suspected he wouldn’t have gotten a straight answer about it, anyway.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Bad for business to have you asleep in the middle of the diner.”

He attempts a grateful smile, wrapping his hands around the warm cup. “Then I suppose I should thank you and get out of your hair.” Takes a sip, letting the coffee start to do its job.

Even as he walks from the diner to his apartment, he tries to keep an eye out for more changes, more evidence that things are different. He’s not the only one that noticed the clock tower, and that makes him more certain than earlier that there must be something going on.

And then for the first time all day, he sees the picture and headline splashed across the front of the Mirror, on a copy that someone had left on the bench just outside his building. It’s the picture that draws his attention – the woman.

Sailor Moon.

That is a change.

…

David seems nice, Emma has decided. A little harried, but willing both to hire her and let her set her own hours, no questions asked. Maybe it’s a little too convenient, but it works. For the moment, anyway.

And that marks one item off her to-do list, leaving “find a place other than Granny’s” and “start looking for Belle” as priorities one and two. She may wait to confer with Henry on ideas to find Belle; he had, after all, both found her and been the one to suggest Belle should be their next recruit. Finding people may normally be her livelihood, and she might be a loner. But she has help – even if he is ten – and she doesn’t want to face this whole Guardian thing alone. It’s too much, and she’ll admit that it will be a relief to have a team.

But for now, she does have Granny’s, and she does have the contact information for the office of her former social worker. And while she doesn’t expect trying to call the woman who put her in a system she ran away from will yield much information about the other girls that were found with her – well, it’s the only potential lead that she has.

She just… Well. Has to figure out the best angle to come at a conversation from to get information. Somehow, just telling the woman that she thinks she’s found a link to the origins of the five of them that were found that day, and that she’s looking to contact the others in order to look into it together, doesn’t seem like it will go over believably enough to work. Particularly not coming from a place of being the one that ran away.

What she needs is her laptop – securely in her apartment in Boston. With it, and the arcade’s Wi-Fi, she could probably get in some decent research of the public records that would have surrounded the five of them, possibly come up with a plan for the phone call that, at this point, she may have to make. If the town’s library wasn’t closed, she would check there for a public computer with internet access.

As it is, she knows she’s low on options. Call without a plan. Wait and hope Henry has an idea.

Drive to Boston and back, today, to pick up her things. Not the worst idea – she didn’t exactly pack a bag, having intended to drive as long as it took and be back in Boston, never to see Storybrooke again, more than a full day ago.

Not the best idea either. Her leaving town when she has a room for a week would be noticed by Granny and Ruby, at least, and it’s getting close to noon— At four hours there and four hours back, that will mean Henry doesn’t get to have the Operation Rabbit meeting he’d thought they should have once he got out of school, possibly thinks she’s changed her mind about staying. It also doesn’t take into account potential traffic – potentially rush hour traffic – or the time it would take to pack up what clothes and things she needs and load it into the car. Or stopping to eat.

Tack on an hour for a rushed lunch and fast-food dinner, and an hour to pack, and she doesn’t get back to Storybrooke, if she leaves now, until near ten at night, at the soonest – when there’s potential for a monster to strike at literally any moment, especially once the sun goes down.

No. Not the best idea. Better saved for when she has a better idea where she’ll be making her base of operations.

…

When Henry walks out of school, his plan is to try and find Emma. She knows when the school day ends; making his way through town to find her should be easy enough. If all else had failed, the backup plan of waiting at the castle had to work. They need to discuss Operation Rabbit, and make a plan!

But when he gets out of school, his grandpa is waiting at the gates.

He likes Grandpa Henry. He does. Even if he doesn’t believe his mom loves him, he believes Grandpa Henry does.

But Grandpa picking him up greatly reduces his chances of meeting Emma without his mom finding out – and she will freak if she finds out about Emma being Sailor Moon, about the fact that they’re working to break the curse. She already confiscated his book and found the missing pages about the Guardians. Well, not the actual pages. Those are stashed in his backpack, to give to Emma later. But she found that pages were missing and demanded to know where they got to – and she must want those pages because she knows what she’ll find on them: the identity of the five girls who can and will break the curse.

So. He just has to get Grandpa to let down his guard and let him out of sight… Or get Grandpa in on Operation Rabbit. From the book, he knows Grandpa didn’t think the curse should be cast, though with it in place, convincing him that it’s real and should be broken is probably more trouble than it’s worth.

Leaving him with Plan A: gain Grandpa’s unquestioning trust.

“Is something wrong, Grandpa?” The question makes sense – rarely does someone collect him from school. His mom can’t be bothered, and Grandpa is usually something of a shut-in, staying in the house because it’s more comfortable than running around town and he’s not in perfect health.

“You’ve run off two days in a row, now. Your mother didn’t think you should be left to walk home without escort.”

Yeah. He thought it was something like that. Including the unspoken bit where “she’s a very busy woman who couldn’t possibly spare the time to deal with him herself.”

“I wasn’t gonna run off again.” Emma is still in town, after all. He doesn’t have to go and bring her back. Not like he’d thought he might yesterday, when it’d seemed like all she wanted to do was drop him off and then go back to Boston and never look back.

Has to sneak around town and meet up with her, yes, but he’s perfectly capable of doing that without pulling a vanishing act.

“And she didn’t insist anyone get me to school.”

“Yes, well, the school would have called her if you didn’t show up today, after what’s happened of late. Once school was out would be the greater chance for you to disappear. Shall we head home?”

He doesn’t have much choice in the matter, he knows, and he nods, falling silent because gain Grandpa’s trust means he can’t fight this. He thinks about asking if they can stop at Granny’s for hot cocoa – maybe Emma’s there and he can slip her a message – but decides against it. This is punishment for running, clearly, and while Grandpa is usually a pushover when it comes to getting things he wants, asking for a treat during a punishment is more than a little obviously a bad idea.

He’s not stupid. He’ll be on his best behavior, and find another way to get to Emma. Because he has to – because nothing will get better if he doesn’t. Storybrooke depends on Emma. On Sailor Moon and the Guardians.

He needs to help— He must. The book appeared to him. That has to count for something, right?

After a block or two, he attempts to divert attention away from himself.

“Paige said that she saw a monster at the jewelry store last night.”

“Paige was exaggerating, most likely.” Grandpa Henry… Didn’t have his answer at the ready. He hesitated. Does he know something more than what the Curse should mean he knows? Probably not – but it’s a thought that requires further investigation.

“Why would she do that?”

“Because she witnessed an attack. One which was, if the report in the Mirror is anything to go by, violent enough that your friend was the only witness left conscious – and only because someone else interfered and put a stop to things. Seeing something that violent can do funny things to memory.”

“But how could a normal thief take down that many adults before Sailor Moon showed up?”

He should leave it alone. He knows that he shouldn’t have kept talking the moment he starts to speak; pressing his luck with Grandpa, pressing the idea of the Curse on Grandpa – it’ll just make it back to his mom, that he’s doing it, at this point. Still, he asks. A normal thief doesn’t make as much sense as a monster – the fact that he knows the truth aside.

“They’re still investigating that, Henry. But there will be an answer – one that doesn’t involve a monster. You’ll see.”

…

When the sun sets, she’s made no further progress on any of her tasks. When she had headed in the general direction of the school, assuming Henry was out and they could have a meeting about strategy, however quickly, she had seen he was with the older gentleman the mayor had introduced as her father, when Emma had first gotten Henry home.

She makes a decision, as the sun dips below the horizon.

She puts the “do not disturb” sign on her door, holds the brooch tightly, and transforms, using the window as an exit to head to higher ground and keep an eye- or ear- out for monsters.

The rooftops of Storybrooke don’t exactly provide excellent cover, or much at all, but they’re something. And not many of the people she sees are bothering to look up in the first place – meaning that she’s not likely to be spotted unless she actively tries to draw attention to herself.

The first hour of her patrol, she sticks close to the main roads. Greater population means more effective place to attack, if the monsters are trying to gather energy, like Henry suggested before her fight with Morga. More people means more energy, it’s simple logic.

The second hour, she widens her circuit around town, just in case. The third, she begins to wonder if, on other nights to come, she’ll be able to find and prevent attacks without an all-night patrol to maybe stumble across them as they happen. If there will be a way to predict them – or at least to reach them sooner, before any civilians get knocked out.

As the town clock tower strikes midnight, her transformation-enhanced-hearing picks up something that sounds more like breaking glass than anything else. It’s followed by indistinct swearing and a hiss that definitely doesn’t come from a human being.

So she, again, follows the sound, being lead to a bar with signage proclaiming it The Rabbit Hole. One of the front windows has been smashed from the inside, and through it she can see a snake-like green creature, its tongue flickering as it takes in the scene before it.

She can’t, through the window, see any of the bar’s patrons.

She doesn’t make the same sort of entrance this time, doesn’t kick down the door. Walks through like it’s a normal night and she’s come in for a drink or two.

The thing looks like a giant cobra, except for in coloration, a dark but vibrant emerald green – and in the fact that it has a pair of arms on what would be the upper body, were it a more humanoid creature. Despite the noise of the door being opened, it doesn’t look up at her right away, instead grabbing one of its victims off the floor, dragging the man up towards its fanged face. Pays no attention as the door swings shut behind her, as her heeled boots click across the floor closer to it. The tiara is a ranged weapon – though she doesn’t know if it will be as effective against whatever this thing is as it was on Morga. Still, she’d rather the creature’s attention was on her than on the innocent.

“I guess you monsters didn’t get the memo, then.”

The thing pauses. Drops the man from its hands, twisting to see her. Flicks its tongue again.

“One Guardian might get lucky against Morga,” it states, voice rasping, “But Morga was weak and thought too highly of herself. There is only one of you. You cannot keep on indefinitely. Even if I fall, another will take my place. And another. And another. You will fail. Alone.”

The tail is longer, faster, and more easily maneuvered than she would have guessed, whipping out and catching her behind the legs, causing her to lose her footing. She rolls out of the way when it turns back to attempt to crush her, scrambling to her feet again. It becomes a matter of dodging – just like it was with Morga – until she scrambles behind the bar, where there’s no room to be knocked off her feet again.

The tail slams down on the counter, repeatedly, either attempting to hit her or throwing some kind of tantrum because she’s just out of reach no matter how the thing moves around the room, but with all the flailing she’s not sure that she can get a good shot in with the tiara. Could the tail deflect her weapon away? She doesn’t know – and she doesn’t want the answer to be yes. So she remains in position, her tiara at the ready in her hand, waiting for her chance—

Until something whistles through the air, and, with a series of thuds, the tail is pinned to the bar counter by five roses, identical to the ones that the mystery man in full formalwear threw yesterday. Her eyes follow what must have been their trajectory to see him by the broken window, a smirk on his face.

So. He’s going to keep showing up to these things, then? Fine by her, as long as he keeps helping. She acknowledges his help with a nod – and then she turns her eyes away from him, releases the tiara towards the monster, which, like Morga, turns to dust in a flash of light on contact.

When she looks back to where he was, he’s gone, his roses still in the counter the only proof he was ever there. Then again, his job here is done – and so is hers.

She leaves the way she came, out the front door and back up to the rooftops – and doesn’t notice any of the unfriendly eyes that watched the confrontation from the shadows.

#gremma #reluctant magical princess #(my heart is a kaleidoscope) #dark kingdom/dark curse

[sareesinthewind]

Photo 1: Thavamany and Arunachalam on their 25th wedding anniversary,1965 Photo 2: Thavamany at 95 years old, 2015 Photo 3: Thavamany with her youngest granddaughter Luxmi who lives in the UK on her 18th bday, 2016 Photo 4: Thavamany with her great grandchildren Sasha and Ziva, and their appa and her eldest grandson Sajith, who live in in Hong Kong, 2016.  NAREN Florida, USA My amma, Thavamany,  was born on the 23rd of April 1921 at Inuvil Hospital, Uduvil Division in the Jaffna District. Her appa’s name was Thambu Chinniah and he worked as the Superintend of Minor Roads in the Kurunagala District.

At that time wild elephants were in plenty in the Kurunagala District and would harass local farmers. Thambu Chinniah was a good marksman and villagers would often seek his help to track the elephant and shoot it dead. This reputation of his overtook him and he was also known as “யானை சுட்ட சின்னையா”  (Chinniah who shot the elephant).  Thavamany’s amma’s name was Marimuttu Chellamah.  

My appa was the fifth child. She had two elder sisters Poomani (Ponnudurai) who was a housewife and Jeyamani (Brodie), a Government nurse as a spinster, and a housewife subsequent to marriage. She had two elder brothers Selvarajah, who retired as a Major in the Sri Lanka Army and Dharmalingam, a lawyer who practiced in the Kurunagala District Court. Her younger sibling was Rajadurai, who retired as chief mechanical engineer at Gal Oya Development Board. Rajadurai was also a Major in the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force.

When Marimuttu Chellamah was eight months pregnant with Thavamany, she fell into a well while bathing. Back then the wells in Kurunagala had wooden planks on their rims. People would stand on the planks and draw the water with a rope and bucket. Ladies, when bathing, would wrap part of their sari around themselves and leave the other part on the wooden bars. On this said day, after drawing four buckets of water, the plank gave way and Marimuttu Chellamah fell into the well. Luckily her sari got entangled on the wooden bars and held her from going under water. Hearing her screams, the neighbors rushed to her and pulled her out of the well by her sari. That day Thambu Chinniah was away on work-related matters. He got the news three days later and rushed home with worry. When he opened the door, he was relieved that his wife was their soon to be born daughter, my amma were safe and healthy.

A humorous side note: if Chellamah had not been saved by her sari, I, her eldest son, would not be writing this and my amma would not be enjoying the excellent care she has been receiving at Jesmond Nursing Home in Sydney.

Sadly, Thavamany lost her appa when she was eight years old. After this, Chellamah left their home in Kurunagala, and moved to Jaffna. She found a place in Clock Tower Road in Jaffna Town. Chellamah was a very determined and industrious lady. She was also very determined to educate all six of her fatherless children. She managed to admit all three of her sons to St. Johns College in Chundikuli and the three girls to CMS Chundikuli Girls School. Chellamah being a strict disciplinarian made sure her children successfully completed their Senior Matriculation Examination - equivalent to the present day Senior School Certificate.

Chellamah earned money to raise her children by having a couple of milking cows. She supplied unadulterated milk to all her customers, including to the residence of the then Government Agent of Jaffna, a British Officer. She was famous for her cooking skills. The family had very little money, but she was rich in kindness and compassion and brought up her six children with these values and an understanding unity. They remained united until their last breath.

Thavamany helped her amma in so many ways: cooking, organising the milk supply and keeping accounts. When I was growing up, she did impart most of her knowledge and experience to me which helped me a lot in my later life.

Thavamany married Arunachalam, my appa,  in May 1940 in Kurunagala. At that time Arunachalam was working as a bookkeeper at the State Mortgage Bank in Colombo. Arunachalam lost his parents when he was child. St. John’s College, founded in 1823 by British Anglican missionaries, provided him with free board, lodging and education. He was also christened with the name Abraham. He was a good friend of Thavamany’s three brothers who he met at St. John’s College. Arunachalam served in the Ceylon Army Volunteer Force during the Second World War for a short period .

Arunachalam was also a hard-working and industrious man. Subsequent to his marriage he attended evening classes at the then known Colombo Technical College and obtained his Diploma in Accountancy. This helped him in his professional career and when he retired, he was the chief accountant at the State Mortgage Bank.

After their marriage, they set up house in Hunupituya, Wattala, about 10 miles north of Colombo. As the family expanded, they moved from one house to another and finally settled down in a reasonably spacious house to accommodate their seven children. The house also had a large yard with coconut trees. This allowed appa to have two milking cows and some banana trees. Amma in addition to being a housewife and mother, cared for a couple of goats and some poultry, which provided eggs for the family. It was tough for the couple who did not have any dowry assets or inherited assets. But by sheer hard work and frugal living they made sure all the basic needs of the children were met and provided the children with a good education. They also made sure to teach their children good social values, good manners, to be respectful to elders and all other human beings. Since they also had cows, goats, poultry and dogs, they also taught the children how to care for them and be kind to them.

Most of the residents in Hunupitiya were middle class Sinhalese Buddhists. Because of this amma and appa picked up the Sinhala language as did we, her children. Thavamany, an observant and willing learner, became very proficient in preparing most of the Sinhalese specialty dishes like achcharu, kalu thothal, lunu miris, katta sambol and few others.

When the 1958 pogrom started, appa was away in Omanthai, Vavuniya and could not return back, nor could he make contact with the family. We didn’t even know if he had survived. Thavamany and her six children (I was not with them as I was in Jaffna Hindu College Hostel) sought refuge at the Royal College in Colombo, which had been set up as a refugee Camp with thousands of other Tamils. Amma made the brave decision to secure her children's safety by joining the Tamils who were fleeing the south by  open boat to Jaffna. As a woman with three young daughters and a baby only a few months old, in a time of such uncertainty and violence, this would have been an incredibly tough decision to make. We had no family property in Jaffna, but she had her siblings and extended family who showed us love and kindness.

This caused a big setback to the family. We had to close down everything in Hunupitiya, set up house in Chavakacheri, and attend new schools in Jaffna. During this difficult period appa continued to work at the State Mortgage bank in Colombo. He was boarded in a house in Pickering Road Kotehena. Most Fridays he would take the mail train from Colombo Fort Station and arrive in Chavakacheri on Saturday Morning. He would return back to Colombo taking the Sunday afternoon Yaldevi.

Amma continued to develop her Sinhala skills by reading books and studying  with her children, as she stayed up with the girls, into the late hours of the night. At 41 years of age, when her second son sat for his  Senior School Certificate (SSC) exam in 1962, she persuaded my appa to let her sit the SSC Sinhala language exam as a private student. She received a Distinction - the highest mark for the Sinhala language exam among all her children.  

In Chavakacheri, a few youngsters heard about amma’s fluency in Sinhalese and were keen to learn from her, as finding jobs without knowing the language was becoming tough. Understanding the importance of her knowledge and the difficulties the young Tamils were in, she taught anybody who was willing to learn. As a result she had a  regular stream of students who learnt Sinhalese.

Wanting to give the children the opportunities to have a good education they moved houses to Jaffna Town, then to Nallur and finally Tirunelveli where they owned their first house.

By this time most of the children completed their education, finding employment - some locally and some overseas.

Thavamany’s children settled in three different countries: the UK, America and Australia. She and appa travelled to various countries and stayed with their children for long periods of time.

Appa passed away while living with my sister Thevi and her family in Zambia on 2nd of August 1987. Although scattered all over the world, all seven of his children attended his funeral in Zambia. After his death, amma settled down in Australia with her three children. She was fortunate to be able to spend quality time with all her grandchildren and some of her great grandchildren who would regularly visit Australia and spend many of her birthdays with her.

Amma was a big fan of Swami Vivekananda. She was also very religious and practiced her spirituality without talking about it or enforcing her will on others.

One of her noble traits was patience and acceptance without complaint. She would often tell her children “பொறுமையாய் இரு. பொறுத்தார் அரசாள்வார்” (Be patient, for those who wait will rule the world).

*This story was written early in 2020 by Naren, Thavamany’s eldest son. Thavamany passed away in her sleep on 22 October 2020 with her daughters and granddaughter by her side. She had spent her last years at Jesmond Nursing Home in Sydney close to her son, two daughters and their families. She was loved and cherished dearly by all who knew her. 

#tamilstories #survivalstories

[hookysblog]

Isreal, Australia and New Zealand.

BARBY CLUB, TEL AVIV, ISRAEl!

MERCH SITES...PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MUSICIAN

https://the-hacienda-uk.myshopify.com/

 https://peter-hook-uk.myshopify.com/

Our second trip to Israel!

Complete with me nursing a really bad sore throat and chest;(

Not too many death threats this time I believe, what a world eh! Quite a long flight, but flies by with the boys. Immigration is easy until our sound guy gets dragged off for questioning about his granddad (who he never knew?).

He is kept for a long time, which is a little worrying, but is eventually let in and never really found out what it was all about?

His Big Bad Grandad sounds interesting!

The road works (in the centre of Tel Aviv at midnight???)  hold up our arrival at the hotel for a couple of hours, with all the roads leading to it closed. What a mess! We end up walking, which with the equipment isn’t easy;(

A lovely day dawns and our wacky little hotel called Hotel Cinema, has film posters and projectors everywhere. I am in the actual projection room at the top of the old theatre, complete with hole for the lens to poke through, really weird. I grab a haircut by the Mighty Zohan and a lovely pizza. The area we are in is very vibrant, in other words …..Rocking! The gig looms and we being joined today by Hadar Goldman, an Israeli violinist from the punk band Ciam, whose other claim to fame is the purchase of Ian Curtis’s old house, 77, Barton Street, Macclesfield. Hadar wanted to open it up as a museum but has not been successful so far, sadly. Could be a job for me in my dotage as a curator, like Night at The Museum eh?;)

Anyway, he is very nervous but the lads are on top form and the gig goes great from start to finish. Hadar is great on Atmosphere and Autosuggestion, and the three hours fly by! The lads are off early the next day to OZ but I don’t follow until the night of the day after, so have a bit of time to kill.

It is Yom Kippur here and everyone seems really worried I will starve to death. So like a real student, I invest in two Pot Noodle’s and a load of chocolate and after raiding the breakfast buffet, I think I will survive;) I sleep again after brekkie and wake and walk down to the beach. Spending the whole afternoon just watching the world go by.

Yom Kippur lasts from dusk until dusk the next day and as the sun goes down the noise levels decrease, until the only sounds you can hear are the children playing in the deserted streets. Breakfast is provided on Sunday for us and my wonderful hosts have hired me a mountain bike for what is called ‘Childrens Day’ here.

I have not cycled for years so am a little apprehensive to say the least. I get the bike on the street and it is really strange…..There are no cars at all! The whole place is deserted with every shop closed. The only problem is my chest….I am like puffin’ Billy.

In the old days there would be no power or phones in the city I am told. The leaves soon settle in the road and it gives a post apocalyptic feel as I cycle along topless the leaves blowing round me. I go down through the deserted market to the beachfront, and there the place is completely alive, with thousands of kids on every size and kind of bike, motorised skateboards and tons of electric scooters everywhere. It is completely magical, it really is.

I AM SPELLBOUND;)

 I love the bike and watching the kids in huge groups cycling along the freeways and empty streets is heart warming, it really is and I only give up because I am worried about getting sunburnt, heading back to the hotel for a hat and a T-shirt and a Pot Noodle. I go back in the afternoon suitably attired and ride and ride, until I have to give up because my arse is so sore (no 50p jokes please!). As the sun sets the city gets back to normal all too soon with the noise level rising to it’s usual roar by 7p.m. On the way to the airport for my flight to Oz the busy, noisy streets seem so coarse compared to how they were a few hours before, what a shame. I sail through Immigration/Customs, my granddad must have been ok? (Didn’t know him either;(

I begin a to long trip to Australia, one of my favourite places on earth.

 METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Throat and chest still bad but we persevere;)

I arrive the day of the gig so by the time gig time comes I am completely addled. It reminds me of being drunk, it really does. This Joy Division ‘2 album’ night was added at short notice after our Japanese gigs fell through, but is very well attended. Great to play Closer again, wonderful. Martin our new keyboard player is top from start to finish, a great response. I crawl off to bed exhausted. Not much time to relax because we are off the next day for a gig at….

 CORNER HOTEL, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

 Lovely to be back, a beautiful city, very Parisien. It was here that I wrote most of The Hacienda Book funnily enough, when I was Djing at Parklife in 2008, you got the week off in-between so I thought it was a great time to start. Australia looms large in my books lives, as you will see later;)

The on stage sound is tough at this place, which I remember all too well from last time, but the gig goes great and is Sold Out! Too. Great reception for both Unknown Pleasures and Closer, yet again! An almost humane leave sees us off to……

 THE STUDIO, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

 Another beautiful country and now we have a lot of English friends living here now. Hi Carol;) Back to Substance tonight, which is nice.

I have to give in here, I am finding it hard to sleep my chest is crackling that much, so a trip to the Doctor’s beckons. Strangely both me and Pottsy have the same problem???

The Doctor says I am ‘crackly’ and he is ‘wheezy’,

 ‘Where’s Grumpy?’ I ask?

 He doesn’t laugh;(

 $350 Dollars light and we are both Amoxcycillined up and off we go.

Gig goes great from start to finish. Still struggling with my throat which is really annoying Grrrrr! I am waiting for the Biotics still to kick in. But I take it easy by cycling all over the place puffing gently. It’s my new thang!

It’s wonderful how both countries are completely suited, and go out of their way to encourage cycling. I follow the river past the Zoo all the way down to the centre of the city. Then get embarrassed because I am the only one topless? So head back. Hard on the chest again but well worth it! Grab a Kebab before the gig and I am ready!

The place is packed and gig goes great. The lads are on fire.

Ecstatic reception to both records!

Catch up with a few old mates, lovely to see you again Platty;) Next stop…

  THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA

 Back to Substance and another Sold Out gig. This getting boring….only joking, after all our hard work it is the best compliment ever, thank you all.

Nice venue and everything goes well, recovering nicely;) Off early tomorrow so after more smashed Avacado we are off to…

 THE GOV, ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA

 Another beautiful place.

Nice, quiet and very suburban. Lovely old theatre venue that is packed and of course….Sold Out! Bit of an altercation with some fans at the front, but it is soon sorted and the bouncer tells me it’s the same guys he threw out last time we were here….go figure? Very cold here at night in spring, so wrap up if you are visting. Up earlish to hop over to …….

 CORNER HOTEL, Concert’s 1, 2, AND 3, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

1.I feel marginally better today, thank god!

So have a lovely first day here, visit the Dior exhibition at the Museum along with The Great Wave exhibition by the Japanese Ukiyo-e artist Hokusa

.

  A very cultural day indeed! Enjoy a lovely stroll back to the Hotel and struggle through a short gym session, which does make me feel better.

It’s gig time before I know it and it’s back to The Metro for the struggle with the foldback.

Gig is a struggle and I cannot get the vibe, but it goes down well I must admit. Nice early night.

 2.Have a lovely Big Morning out for breakfast/Brunch with Viv (Big Day Out owner and very old friend) and one Zombie film later am ready for round two.

DING DING! Better gig tonight, great audience, sound still shit. The only place that sounds worse than this place is our very own Fac251 The Factory, where there is nothing you can do to combat it, believe me we have tried everything.

Lovely to see Viv Lees, with his son at the concert too. God we are getting old!

 3.Last night and we turn down a bit onstage and magically it sounds better for it. Play really well and great reaction gives us heart for our long trek to…….

 THE ASTOR THEATRE, PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

 This is one of my favourite places on earth. It really has to be seen to be believed, and that’s despite nearly dying from food poisoning here once see Inside New Order for details;) I am so happy we are finishing here. Stay in a wonderful Casino Hotel that is HUGE! Great pools inside and out, huge gym and as I am feeling a lot better I get in there and have a great workout, so good to be back to normal. Finish off the day sunbathing with a Virgin Mary and with dinner at their very own NOBU, am ready for whatever the concert brings.

Tonight we are back at one of my favourite venues. It’s an old Cinema complex transformed into a great gig. The dressing room used to be one of the smaller theatre’s but they have normal dressing rooms now….Boo Hoo! Do the meet and greet like a Old Mancunian Santa Claus then it’s the show, Sold Out show did I say? Hee Hee!

The sound is great, the audience is great, band is great!

What a wonderful end. I thank everyone and we are done ready for home, but Oops…… I forget to thank Phil Murphy and Steve Jones and they will not let me forget it either, sorry boys;(

Nice to see Brian Jary (I used to sit next to him at Salford Grammar in 1967) and his wife, along with Ken and Georgina our old friends too;) Wake to a huge storm, which is beautiful to watch.

After a fantastic breakfast with the biggest Las Vegas style buffet I have ever seen, Dan our Tour Manager takes us to the airport for the first of our three planes home.

 Thank you for such a fantastic time…..EVERYONE!

 Cheers Hooky, ’17.

[ladystylestores]

The Maldives is now open to all global tourists. Here’s how they’re doing it

(CNN) — Though border restrictions and quarantine measures are keeping people from visiting many of the world’s most popular travel destinations at the moment, one country famed for its natural beauty is now welcoming all guests — the Maldives.

As of July 15, this island nation in the Indian Ocean is reopen to international tourism and, perhaps remarkably, very few strings are attached.

Global travelers — US citizens included — will not have to enter into a mandatory quarantine upon arrival at Velana International Airport in the capital, Male. Nor will they need to produce proof they have tested negative for coronavirus.

There are also no new visa requirements or additional fees to pay.

One island, one resort

In the beginning, international visitors will only be allowed on the resort islands and they need to book their entire stay in one registered establishment.

Exemptions will only be made for transit arrangements, according to the Maldives government’s guidelines.

In terms of Covid-19 prevention, tourism officials are banking on the fact each resort essentially offers its own form of quarantine already — albeit a pretty enjoyable one.

Trans Maldivian Airways is the world’s largest float plane operator. We go on the job with one of its most experienced pilots, Canadian Andrew Farr.

The Maldives is made up of 26 atolls filled with over 1,000 islands occupied by dozens of resorts, all spread out over 90,000 square kilometers.

Most of the islands in the Maldives developed for tourism feature just a single resort. Should guests or staff come into contact with someone who tests positive for Covid-19, in theory they will be easily traceable, while the potential for spread is kept to a minimum.

But as enticing as it sounds to hop on a plane for the Maldives right now, travelers may have to contend with their own country’s quarantine measures upon their return — and that might deter them from visiting.

“What is important to take into consideration is that it depends not only on the Maldives, but also on lifting of travel restrictions in different countries. It is not just desire but ability,” says Sonu Shivdasani, CEO and founder of Soneva, which has two Maldives resorts — Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani.

That said, guests are already demonstrating a willingness to return, he tells CNN Travel.

“We have more on the books at Soneva Fushi for August than we had at the same time last year. As the borders open, and our main markets are allowed to travel to us, it could be our best August ever.”

Are any airlines actually flying there?

In spite of the global aviation downturn, it is possible to fly to the Maldives commercially right now, with several major airlines connecting through the Middle East.

These include Emirates Airlines, which offers connections through Dubai from major global cities like London, Chicago, Toronto and Sydney. Fellow UAE carrier Etihad will resume flights from Abu Dhbai to the Maldives from July 16. Turkish Airlines is tentatively starting flights from July 17.

The 5.8 Undersea Restaurant is the world’s largest of its type. A $200 prix-fixe menu accompanies a view teeming with coral life.

Bear in mind, just because the Maldives isn’t requiring visitors to submit proof they’re Covid-19-free, some airlines are, so be sure to check ahead of time.

Upon arrival, passengers are asked to fill in health declaration cards and a 30-day tourist visa will be provided. Travelers showing symptoms of Covid-19 will be subjected to a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test at their own cost and sent to a designated facility for isolation.

Are all resorts reopening on July 15?

Of the 156 resorts on Maldives Tourism’s list of reopening dates, 43 will be open July 15. (Several on that list remained open throughout the pandemic, serving guests who choose to stay there, or those who came in later via private plane or yacht.)

Dozens more will reopen in August, with 50 or so more planning to follow suit in September and October.

French hospitality group Accor has five Maldives resorts and will be staggering openings in the coming months.

“We intend to reopen Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort from August 1, followed by Pullman Maldives Maamutaa Resort in September,” says John Bendtsen, Accor Area General Manager for the Maldives.

“Our remaining properties in the Maldives will reopen from October 2020 — Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives, Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi and Raffles Maldives Meradhoo.”

So far, the response from guests has been very positive although cautious, he says.

“We are seeing a real appetite for travel more towards the end of the year with the Christmas and New Year period particularly positive as well as the first quarter of 2021,” says Bendtsen.

“Travelers who have already visited the Maldives previously are much more confident and we are seeing a lot of returning guests make bookings for the 4th quarter of 2020.”

Soneva Jani’s not your typical luxury resort. Here’s what visitors at this “no shoes, no news” property can expect.

In terms of health and safety, the government is issuing “Safe Tourism Licenses” to accredit tourist facilities that abide by legislation and specific safety requirements like having a certified medic on call and holding an “adequate stock” of personal protection equipment.

Some resorts are implementing additional measures to protect guests and staff.

At Soneva’s two properties, for instance, guests will be asked to undergo a Covid-19 PCR test at the brand’s private airport lounge before they’re transferred to their resort by plane. Once at the resort, they will go straight to their villa and are requested to remain there until the test results are received and are negative.

If a guest’s results come back positive, they will be asked to isolate in their villa, where they will be looked after by trained nurses.

“During the first week of stay, we would also ask guests to take one more real-time PCR test,” says Shivdasani.

“Although this could be considered as being slightly excessive or over-cautious, at Soneva, all our islands are ‘One Island One Resort;’ it is our goal to make our private island homes Covid-19 free environments, so that our guests can truly relax and engage with our hosts and fellow guests and not feel any concern about being infected.”

Soneva remained open throughout the pandemic and has been following the best practices recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as the recommendations of virology and infectious diseases experts, adds Shivdasani. Enhanced cleaning and sanitation protocols are also in place.

Reopening gives Maldives ‘first mover advantage’

The Maldives has recorded nearly 2,000 confirmed cases and five deaths from Covid-19 so far.

Like all countries heavily reliant on tourism, it’s been hit hard by the crisis — and at a time when their tourism fortunes were rising. According to the World Bank, tourism directly and indirectly accounts for two-thirds of the country’s GDP.

The industry flourished in 2019 as visitor arrivals grew by 14.7% (year on year), with total arrivals reaching a record 1.7 million. Officials were hoping they’d hit 2 million arrivals this year.

In a statement issued in May, Ali Waheed, the country’s minister for tourism, described the impact of the coronavirus pandemic as “more devastating than the 2004 tsunami and the 2008 global financial crisis.”

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has opened the world’s first-ever underwater hotel residence.

“For the first time in 47 years of tourism in the Maldives, we have experienced zero tourist arrival since this March,” he said, before adding, “we cannot keep our borders closed for long.”

Eunice Aw, Singapore director of global hospitality consulting firm Horwath HTL, tells CNN Travel via email the tourism industry in the Maldives has proven to be resilient, bouncing back quickly from previous crises, however the country faces an uphill battle as they unlock their border to all visitors.

“Given the unprecedentedness of Covid-19, moving forward, even with the reopening of borders, visitor arrivals are not expected to surge and overall arrivals in 2020 are estimated to fall by approximately 70 to 75% year on year,” she says.

“This takes into consideration the pandemic situation in many of the Maldives’ main source markets such as China (17%), India (10%), Europe (49%) and the US (3%), where countries are either still trying to contain the pandemic or battle against second or third waves of the infection.”

Adding to this, Europe — their biggest market — is a 10 to 12 hours’ flight away and long haul travel recovery is likely to lag behind short haul travel, she adds.

“Tourism recovery has to be further supported by the resumption of international flights, reciprocal travel arrangements with partner countries, relaxation of quarantine/isolation requirements in visitors’ home countries and recovery in travelers’ confidence to travel.

“Nonetheless, the reopening of its borders in July will give the Maldives a first mover advantage to capture pent up demand of holidaymakers once recovery is on the way.”

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[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/bridgeport-graduates-the-class-of-2020-news-sports-jobs/

Bridgeport graduates the Class of 2020 | News, Sports, Jobs

BRIDGEPORT — The Class of 2020 at Bridgeport High School graduated with individual ceremonies held to honor each class member. The top five students of the graduating class include Maura Jean Tiber, Nicholas Nolan, Kayla Marie Kuri, Addyson Rae Terek and Jaren Kathryn Tucker.

Maura Jean Tiber earned the rank of valedictorian. She has been on the Principal’s List all four years and also earned academic letters all four years. Throughout her high school career, she was involved in many activities in and out of school. She was a four-year member of the JETS Science/Engineering Team and a four-year member of the Belmont County Schools Staying Clean Club. She has been a three-year member of the Art Club, Spanish Club and Pep Club. She has been on the yearbook staff for three years, serving as the junior editor her junior year and chief editor her senior year. She has been a member of the Math Club and Interact Club, National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society for two years. She was a one-year member of the Future Medical Professionals Club and the WBHS News. She also attended the iBelieve Leadership Camp every summer of high school. Tiber was on student council her freshman and junior years and now serves as her senior class treasurer. She was the Student of the Month her freshman and junior years. Athletically, she was a four-year letter winner on the volleyball team serving as co-captain her junior and senior year. She also was a four-year member of the basketball team, lettering her senior year. She was also a two-year member of the softball team, lettering her sophomore year. Outside of school, Tiber has also served several community service hours, babysat all four years of high school, and has worked at Justice at the local mall since October 2018. Maura plans to attend Ohio State University to major in biology and minor in computer science. She is the daughter of Brent and Charlene Tiber.

Nicholas Nolan earned the rank of salutatorian. He has been on the Principal’s List for all four years and has earned an academic letter for every year except his freshman year. During his senior year, he attended Ohio University Eastern through the College Credit Plus Program. The activities Nicholas was a part of in school were a combination of clubs and sports. He participated in the Tests of Engineering, Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science competition during his freshman year. During his junior year, he was inducted into the National Honor Society. He was also a member of Tech Aide/Student Help Desk and Spanish Club for two years. For three years, he was a member of Hack Club, which taught scripting. For one year each, he was a member of the Current Events Club and the Video Game Club. Regarding sports, Nicholas lettered by both running track and cross country. One of his proudest races was the Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic, which he ran for two years. During his second year of the Ogden, he placed 25th overall out of 340 runners and second out of 15 runners in his age group. Some of the other notable races he ran include the Debbie Green 5K and the Barton 5K, placing first in his age group in the latter. Nolan plans to attend Ohio University Eastern to dual major in communications and applied management. After his undergraduate program, Nicholas will further his education by attending graduate school in order to earn a master of business administration. He is the son of Jerry and Michelle Nolan.

Kayla Marie Kuri graduated third in the Class of 2020, earning an honors diploma. She has been on the Principal’s List and Honor Roll all four years and is a three-year academic letter winner. She received Student of the Month awards her freshman and sophomore years. Her junior year, she was inducted into the National Honor Society, a member of Prom Committee, and a WBHS News anchor. She was president of the Interact Club her junior year and secretary her senior year. She was on Spanish National Honors Society her senior year. Throughout high school, she has been a member of Math Club, Pep Club, Spanish Club, Staying Clean Club, and JETS Team. She was also on the yearbook staff for three years and was business manager for two. She was a varsity and competition cheerleader for three years and lettered each year. She also was on the OVAC All-Conference Academic Team her junior year. Outside of school, she was a volunteer at East Ohio Regional Hospital and Bridgeport’s Community Day. She plans on attending Ohio University Eastern and is undecided on her studies. She is the daughter of Leslie Kerns and Kenneth Kuri.

Addyson Rae Terek finishes fourth in the class with an Honors Diploma. She was on the Principal’s List and received an academic letter all four years. She was Student of the Month her freshman and junior years. Terek was very active in school clubs by being a member of the Belmont County Staying Clean Club all four years, Pep Club her sophomore, junior and senior years, and the JETS Team her sophomore and senior years. She was in the Spanish Club her junior and senior years and was a part of the Spanish National Honors Society her senior year. Terek was the secretary of the Interact Club and a part of the Math Club her junior year. Also, during Addy’s junior year, she was inducted into the National Honor Society, served on Prom Committee, and was a news anchor for the WBHS News. During both her junior and senior years, she was a member of the yearbook staff and held the role of yearbook photo editor her senior year. In addition to clubs, she also participated in the school’s musical, “Annie.” While cheering on the Bulldogs, she earned a letter as a member of Bridgettes her freshman year and in cheerleading her sophomore and junior years. During her sophomore year, she was part of the cheering squad that went to the state competition. She plans to further her education at Ohio University Eastern in the fall. She is the daughter of Marc and Erica Terek.

Jaren Kathryn Tucker graduates fifth in the class. She was active in many school clubs at Bridgeport. She was a member of the Spanish Honor Society, Staying Clean Club, Math Club, Rotary Club, Future Medical Professionals Club, and a one-year member of yearbook. She was inducted into National Honor Society during her junior year. During her senior year, she participated in the Ohio University College Credit Plus Program. As for sports, she was very active and was recognized many times for her skills. She was a four-year letter winner in basketball, received two-time First Team All-OVAC, All-Times Leader Team, The Intelligencer All-Valley Honorable Mention, Eastern District Honorable Mention, one-time All-Ohio Honorable Mention, and All Team Eastern District. Tucker is also a four-year letter winner in softball, receiving 2nd Team Eastern District her junior year and a two-year letterman in volleyball. She plans to further both her academic and athletic (basketball) careers at Ohio University Eastern by studying nursing with future hopes of becoming an obstetrician. She is the daughter of Josh and Erica Tucker.

Members of the CLass of 2020

Dakota Rose Allen, Andrew Joseph Armstrong, Cayden Rex Baker, Aaron Christopher Beaver, Emily Dawn Blake, Alex Christopher Bloom, Danielle Victoria Bradac, Preston Russell Brown, Jacob Nathaniel Childers, Devin Michael Danhart, Taylor Dale Duncan, Christian Lee Doughty, Walker Gage Dubil, Brett Miller Eberle, Spencer Alexander Echemann, Tate Robert Eddy, Adam Nelson Fahner, Roshaundra Aleah Delcia Foston, Kelsey Dawn Garrett, Noah Giovanni George, Gavan Lucas Graham, Nikalia Alizè Griffiths, William Kyle Gummere, Destiny Jasmyn Jade Harris, Skyler Eugene Hatten, Kira Marie Herman, Izaac Joseph Jozwiak, Mason Ryan Kelly, Austin William King, Dylan Alexander Kinney, Zachary Michael Kuneff, Kayla Marie Kuri, Rachel Lee Kurner, Jaida Leigh Kusic, Kiara Johanna Lodi, Sydney Ann Lough, Kiara Alexandria Loughman, Branden Ray Luckett, Terry Allan Maag III, Connor David Markus, Cameron Michael Marsh, Dakota Jacob Martin, Katelin Mae Mcconn, Madison Leigh McMahon, Madisyn Skylar Mills, Autumn Rose Myers, Nicholas Andrew Nolan, Victoria Lynn Parsons, Megan Jonette Perdok, Elizabeth Ann Phares, Kieley Marie Reed, Kayleigh Ann Roberts, Philip Justin Sauvageot, Ty Franklin Schambach, James Michael Shaheen, David Joe Shoulders III, Sierra Raynelle Simeth, Kenneth Albert Spoon Jr., Jessa Rae Stockwell, McKenzie Rose Taylor, Addyson Rae Terek, Dustin Marshall Throckmorton, Maura Jean Tiber, Jaren Kathryn Tucker, Ava Janae Watson, Kole Anthony Wilson, David Lee Worwa Jr.

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[vitamindripstherapy]

Can vitamin drips help you lose weight?

Centers around the globe have actually been offering intravenous vitamin trickles to dieters to assist quicken their metabolism and lose weight. Yet just how reliable is this therapy, really?

Every person desires a fast, reasonably pain-free as well as reliable means to reduce weight. Yet exactly how far would certainly you most likely to accomplish it? In the brand-new series of The Diet plan Testers, Dr Xand van Tulleken evaluates the therapy himself to learn.

Would you pay thousands of bucks to be attached to an intravenous drip to receive a quick struck of vitamins into your blood stream that could perhaps assist accelerate your metabolic process?

Although this method of weight loss might seem extreme, a number of centers have actually set up shop worldwide, using intravenous (IV) vitamin trickles to dieters.

According the website of one Melbourne-based centre using the treatment, IV.ME Hydration Clinic, IV vitamin drips are meant to moisten the body by supplying it with a stable stream of vitamins via an intravenous route. The concept is that it allows the alcoholic drink of picked vitamins to be soaked up rather than filtered by the kidney as well as excreted via your urine.

" Intravenous vitamin therapy is the fastest means to possibly bring back optimal hydration, stimulate and support the immune system," the facility's site checks out.

" The human body functions best when it has a healthy and balanced balance of vital vitamins as well as is moisturized ... Rehydrating the body and vitamin input is advantageous in enhancing the body's power degrees."

Would certainly you pay numerous dollars to be linked to an intravenous drip to obtain a quick struck of vitamins into your blood stream that could possibly aid speed up your metabolic rate?

The clinic also asserts that since the body is being moisturized via the blood stream, the onset of the result will certainly fast. The designated result of treatment is a boost in metabolic process, weight management and a rise of power. Drip treatment, which has been made use of by celebs including Gwyneth Paltrow and Rita Ora, is also meant to help deal with a hangover.

In episode two of the second collection of The Diet plan Testers, Dr Xand van Tulleken goes inside a center supplying the IV therapy to find what's in the IV concoction.

During the episode, broadcasting on SBS on Monday 29 October at 8.30 pm, Xand satisfies Esther Fieldgrass, one of the initial individuals in the UK to offer vitamin drips.

She defines what enters into her brand of IV vitamin leaks. "It's a whole alcoholic drink, so you have points like Zinc as well as Calcium as well as selenium as well as Vitamin C, there has to do with seventy various nutrients in there," Fieldgrass informs Xand on the program.

" It speeds up metabolism and also lipotropics will certainly aid melt fat. Vitamin C will in fact help you metabolise fat.

" Much of the nutrients we have actually placed in here, you wouldn't be able to take by mouth, it's too much, and you would certainly be remaining on the toilet forever. So when it's placed in intravenously, it bypasses the digestive tract makes it much more secure, I feel."

IV vitamin drips consisting of magnesium, calcium, B vitamins and vitamin C-- referred to as the 'Myer's mixed drink', named after its developer-- have actually been utilized as a therapy for a vast array of scientific problems for some time currently.

The Australian Medical Organization has actually likewise been rather vocal in opposing IV vitamin therapies in the past, saying it's a waste of money as well as might not be risk-free for all clients. Although the IV.ME brand name is currently operating in Melbourne, the Sydney clinic was nearby NSW Health it was under investigation in 2016.

According to a research published in 2002, the alcoholic drink has actually seemingly helped people with fibromyalgia, severe muscle spasm, upper respiratory system infections, persistent sinusitis, seasonal hay fever, heart disease, and also other problems. However more evidence is called for to sufficiently demonstrate the efficiency of the therapy compared to a sugar pill. Further research is likewise required to confirm its worth as a weight management therapy.

" I feel tired, and also broken as well as frankly rather baffled about what the vitamins were indicated to do for me in the first place. I feel no various."

Xand turns from physician to person as well as allows a nurse at the clinic to hook him as much as the drip so he can personally evaluate the therapy.

" I'm supposed to feel the results a burst of energy as well as boosted metabolism over the next 2 days," states Xand, as he is getting vitamins intravenously. "So will I really feel inclined to exercise?"

Hours after the therapy, Xand records back on its just how the treatment felt.

" I really feel worn down, as well as worn and also truthfully quite overwhelmed regarding what the vitamins were implied to do for me to begin with. I feel no different.

" So based upon the proof I have actually seen, below's my decision on weight-loss vitamin trickles.

" Personally I found the experience of having intravenous minerals and vitamins in a good center in an elegant little bit of town to be very pleasurable as well as relaxing, yet at several hundred extra pounds it is extremely costly.

" Would certainly I do it once again? Definitely not."

Intravenous vitamin C (IVC) is typically used as a cancer cells therapy in naturopathic and integrative oncology settings. A review on IVC as well as its effectiveness in dealing with cancer cells was published in 2014. The writers discovered that there is restricted high-quality clinical evidence on the security and performance of IVC. Although there's not currently enough rigorous evidence to effectively demonstrate that IVC jobs, the testimonial discovered that it may boost sign intensity and also lifestyle of people with cancer cells.

The post “ Can vitamin drips help you lose weight? “ was first appeared on SBS

Feeling exhausted? Get energized with the help of an IV vitamin drip only at Dr. Amauri Wellness Centre. Visit https://dramaurinaturopath.com/ for more information.