#experienced a traumatic incident on the train the other day

[thegraveyardsh1ft]

Desensitized to the job vs continually traumatized

(ft The Protagonist from The Closing Shift)

#the graveyard shift #the graveyard shift au #fnaf #five nights at freddy's #michael afton #mike schmidt #resident evil #ethan winters #resident evil ethan winters #the closing shift #based on irl events #ngl you guys #experienced a traumatic incident on the train the other day #and im so desensitized to terrible things happening in the states that i got coffee at the next stop

[fratboykate]

And that time Yelena took 2 to the chest for Kate... does Kate kiss those scars? Does she run her hand across them in bed when she feels nervous?

Again...not EXACTLY this, but I think sort of answers your question :) Here's 1.8k of fluff.

---

Yelena is stretched out on a chaise lounge, sporting a bikini top and board shorts. Her toned arm is draped over her face, shielding her eyes from the sun's glare. Marrying a celebrity undeniably came with many downsides, but having a luxurious 60-foot lap infinity pool in her backyard, overlooking the sprawling expanse of Los Angeles from the hills, wasn't one of them. Yelena just capped an intense hour of training with a hundred laps in the pool. Now, she basks in the sun, not only to dry off but also because her body is fucking sore, rendering her temporarily immobile.

Unexpectedly, she feels the lounger sink slightly under the weight of another person. Before long, Kate's lips start a reverent trail up Yelena's body. A smile tugs at Yelena's lips, but she remains still, not uttering a word or moving a muscle. Kate's kisses explore every inch of exposed skin, pausing to give special attention to the two prominent scars on Yelena's chest. Among the other smaller scars, remnants of injuries sustained during basic training or deployments, the larger and darker ones beneath her right clavicle and left sternum stand out.

Kate does her best to block out that fateful day. She knows there's footage of the incident floating around the internet, but she’s never had the desire to watch it. Experiencing it firsthand was traumatic enough. She doesn't need to relive it. The only thing Kate vividly remembers from that exact moment is talking to a fan then seeing Yelena rush to move in front of her and shove her out of the way immediately before a series of deafening bangs shook the meet-and-greet room. Yelena went down, and chaos ensued. Kate remembers more about the aftermath than the actual shooting — the warmth of Yelena's blood, its viscous texture, and the distinct smell. Kate doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to forget the scent of Yelena’s blood as it poured out of her and onto Kate’s hands and thighs. She’ll also never forget how it felt as it dried on her skin or the feeling of desperately scrubbing her fingers in a hospital bathroom, attempting to cleanse herself of the stains. Those memories are forever etched in the brunette’s mind, so Kate kisses those scars with added reverence, hoping to keep the haunting images at bay.

"How am I supposed to memorize any of my lines when I look out the window and all I see is my hot wife lying here half-naked and alone?" Kate playfully remarks.

"Sounds very inconvenient." Yelena retorts, her voice tinged with amusement.

Kate continues her ascent, planting kisses along Yelena's body until she reaches her neck. She lingers there, placing a series of long kisses on and around Yelena's pulse point. Finally, Yelena moves the arm that rested beside her on the lounger, using it to wrap around Kate's waist and pulling her in close, effectively trapping her. Yelena keeps her other arm atop her eyes.

"I was trying to sleep.” Yelena complains.

"How rude of me.” Kate teases, nuzzling into Yelena's nape. With her left hand, she toys with the baby hairs at the back of Yelena's neck while her right hand delicately draws lazy figures over Yelena's torso. Once again, her fingers linger around the two scars, tracing circles with veneration. "Do they still hurt?" Yelena shakes her head slightly in lieu of verbalizing an answer. "I had a dream about it the other night. There was so much blood, it just kept coming, and you were lying there. I kept screaming your name, but your eyes were sort of...blank. Empty. Nothing behind them...I guess that sounds more like a nightmare."

Yelena's hand tightens its grip on Kate's waist, silently offering support and reassurance. Her touch is meant to be tangible proof that she is indeed here and that the dream was nothing more than a cruel trick her mind played on her.

"When was this?”

"A few weeks ago. When I was doing press in London. Maybe it was just the jetlag messing with my head."

"Sounds like it." Yelena mutters as she lazily caresses Kate’s hip.

"It scared me. It felt so real. I kept trying to feel your heartbeat, trying to make sure you were alive, but I didn’t feel it. I couldn’t.”

Yelena’s hand moves up from where it sat on the younger woman’s hip to clutch Kate's hand. Yelena briefly brings Kate’s hand to her lips for a tender kiss before placing the open palm over her chest, where her heart beats steadily. Kate can feel the rhythmic thumping against her hand.

"Still beating...that's real.” Yelena assures her.

Kate raises her head and seals their lips together. Yelena slightly shifts her forearm off her face, cracking one eye open to meet Kate's gaze, the vibrant blue orbs locked onto her own.

"You can never leave me. It's not allowed. I’d die.”

"So dramatic, Kate Bishop." Yelena ripostes with a faint smile.

"I mean it. You're like…vital to me. I need you."

"Seems like it's a good thing I'm not planning on going anywhere then." Yelena cups Kate's cheeks in her palms. "I'm here…it was just a dream."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Yelena lifts her head and leans in, kissing Kate's lips tenderly and reassuringly.

"But..." Yelena interjects, swiftly wrapping her arms around Kate's waist and lifting them both, effortlessly throwing Kate over her shoulder as she stands. Kate shrieks in surprise.

"Yel, what the fuck?!"

"...there have to be repercussions for not letting me sleep!" Yelena hollers mischievously as she charges forward and dives into the pool, still carrying Kate on her shoulder.

The fully clothed Kate gasps as they hit the water.

"Oh, that was uncalled for.” Kate grumbles, spraying water at her wife in retaliation.

"I was this close to a great nap.” Yelena retorts, splashing her back.

"Why does that mean I have to go swimming?!"

"My heart told me it's what you deserved, and I always listen to it.” Yelena offers with a grin.

Kate swims closer to Yelena, wrapping her legs and arms around her waist and neck, effectively clinging to her.

"Do you?" Kate asks.

"Always.” Yelena utters with certainty.

"Is it saying anything about afternoon sex?" Kate teases, her voice dripping with lust.

Yelena pretends to listen attentively to an invisible voice.

"Not that I can hear, no.”

"That's a shame... cuz I was gonna put out." Kate playfully laments.

"Were you?" Yelena raises an eyebrow.

"OH YEAH. It's kind of the whole reason I walked out here. The abs are distracting, but it's because they're verrrryyyyy sexy. Make my mind wander.”

"Is that so? Interesting."

"Uhum..."

"Where does it wander to exactly?" Yelena asks, her tone suggestive.

"You. Me. That lounger. No clothes."

"You do know there’s cameras everywhere, and the guys out front can see them, right?" Yelena reminds her.

"Free show! They can call it an employment perk." Kate suggests cheekily.

"I'm not having my guys watch me have sex with you." Yelena argues, shaking her head.

"LAME... I think that might make you a bad boss. They're probably bored. It would make their day infinitely more interesting." Kate argues in jest.

Yelena bursts into laughter.

"I'm still going to pass." Yelena insists.

“There are no cameras in our bedroom.”

"Correct.”

"Although... I wouldn't be opposed to that." Kate adds roguishly.

Yelena hangs her head back, amused by Kate's audacity.

"We're not making a sex tape.” Yelena states firmly through her chuckles.

"Once again...lame! I could use some...content when I go away on Wednesday. Something to keep me busy while I'm all alone at night.” Kate pouts, trying to convince Yelena.

Yelena leans in and presses her lips against Kate's before responding.

"I'm sticking by my answer."

Kate sighs, feigning disappointment.

"So unfair. Three whole months, sleeping by myself. Without you. What's a girl to do every night?"

"It won't be three months. I'm coming in June for a few weeks and then again in July AND August.”

"But you won't always be there! A little video might make me miss you less. That's all I'm saying.”

"No cameras while we're naked. That’s me speaking as both your wife and highly trusted security expert.” Yelena tells her categorically but lovingly.

“BOOOOOOOOO!”

Kate grouses in response and Yelena's laughter fills the air.

"Do I at least get to see you naked? Without the cameras?" Kate asks with a pout, leaning in for a kiss.

“Now?”

“When else, babe? Yes, I’m trying to get laid right now.”

Yelena shakes her head and rolls her eyes.

“Don’t you have a dinner to get ready for?”

Kate groans in realization.

“UGH. I totally forgot I have that thing with Eli. I would so much rather be here with you. I can cancel.”

Yelena gently caresses Kate's cheek.

“It’s work, Kate. Don’t cancel.”

“It’s not like I HAVE to meet him before we start shooting. I can meet him when we get to set.”

“You’ve said it helps you when you get to know your costars beforehand. Go to the dinner.”

Kate sighs, a mix of disappointment and desire evident on her face.

“I hate that you’re so good to me. Be less rational, please. I’m horny.”

Yelena cackles and walks to the pool stairs with Kate still clinging to her. Yelena effortlessly carries Kate’s extra weight around and makes her way to the lounger. She wraps her beach towel around both of them, creating a cozy cocoon, and starts heading in the direction of the house.

“Babyyyyyy...Come onnnnn…” Kate pleads. “I have time. I don’t even have to do my makeup. It’s just dinner. I’ll be a really good girl. Yeah?”

"Where do you think I'm taking you now?" Yelena's teasing smile widens as she responds.

"Ugh, you're the best wife ever.” Kate exclaims, holding onto Yelena tightly while they climb the stairs to the third floor.

Yelena's hands find their way to Kate's ass, giving her extra leverage as they make their way up. Suddenly, a thought crosses Kate's mind.

“Bed's gonna get wet.”

"I wasn't planning on using the bed." Yelena confidently tells her.

"I don't know what that means, but I'm FULLY invested already.” Kate responds, excitement evident in her voice.

Yelena chuckles and closes the door behind them as they enter the bedroom, ready to enjoy their intimate time together.

---

Three days later, Kate boarded a plane bound for Prague to begin filming the movie that would later garner her a second Academy Award nomination. Little did she know that this very film would also be the catalyst for the downfall of their marriage.

#kate x yelena #yelena x kate #kate bishop #yelena belova #bishlova #bishova #anonymous #answers #kybgau #kybgaup

[twelvegate-blog]

NINA & these lines of Brenner's

Okay so... I did some digging on the origins of NINA okay?

This scene blocking bugged me for quite some time until I realized WHY it bugged me so much. . . it's STAGE blocking! And the door closing is like a CURTAIN CLOSE after the end of an Act!

(so yes, I think NINA is a part of Henry's "Silly Little Play" Agenda.)

I found something rather interesting about Nina in the context of the show. The aria that is played is NOT from Dalayrac's opera Nina, but rather from Nina, o sia La pazza per amore (Nina, or Madly in Love) - an Opera by Giovanni Paisiello, first performed in 1789.

The lines about Nina's return to the train station are a parallel to Paisiello's Nina, where the young woman waits at a crossroads at the same hour each day for her lover's return.

Yet, when you look at Dalayrac's Nina, you can see that the story differs. . . and it more closely resembles what it is that El is experiencing throughout the NINA Project, The Dive, and The Massacre at Hawkins Lab.

"Nina believes her lover has been killed and goes mad, forgetting aspects of the traumatic incident in a manner consistent with a diagnosis of psychogenic amnesia. . ."

El is consistently seeing 005, 007, the Twins - 016 & 017, Red Blocks, the curved rainbow on the floor of the Rainbow Room (which we see the twins playing on in the opening of The Hellfire Club), the Magic Eight ball (which we see 010 playing with in 4x01 -> The Hellfire Club), a set of dice rolled to a Seven, and a maze with two marbles in the maze.

So, what does this mean?

Well, within the overall show context, we might see this on the surface as El forgetting the details of the massacre leading to Henry killing all of the other lab kids, right?

But if you look deeper, Henry killing the lab kids in the massacre is actually a parallel to Anakin killing the younglings before turning to the dark side of the force. . . and unbeknownst to Anakin, one of the younglings survived by playing dead.

Now how does that relate to Henry/001 and El? Well, Henry chose to save El. He made sure she was hidden away in a janitorial closet, so that she would not witness what he was doing. This rules out El being the child that survived the massacre by playing dead.

But what about Kali, you may ask?

-> Henry/001 establishes that Kali has already escaped the premises of the lab, now if she escaped with Henry's help, or she did it of her own accord (as Kali claims to have done in S2) is yet to be revealed to us as an audience. Therefore, Kali is also ruled out as the child that survived the massacre by playing dead. . .

And this leaves us with a few other children to look at, but there are plenty of context clues within the show that already tell us which child might have survived this massacre alongside El. . .

-> And that could be 012, because of this evidence below:

First, when we open S4, Brenner passes the door numbered: 11.

Then, later, after the massacre has occurred, Brenner bumps into the door numbered 13:

Another piece of evidence I recently found is that it looks like both 005 and 007 each have a single broken finger in El's flashbacks.

Callahan asks "You think he got hurt?" prior to Hopper's next line:

“Not so hurt he couldn’t walk away…”

Most of Vecna’s victims (the lab kids being some of Henry/001’s victims) were injured to the point they couldn’t walk away… but if Will managed to escape with just a broken finger at about the age of 8 years old, in 1979. . . then that could explain Dustin’s comment.

However, Dustin moved to Hawkins in 4th grade, and assuming all four boys were in the same school grade, Dustin would have moved to Hawkins between the Fall of 1979 - Fall of 1980.

The massacre occurred in September of 1979… which means Will, El, and Mike are all 8 years old at the least.

#willel twins #el hopper #willel #joyce byers #jim hopper #will byers #jopper #twelvegate

[bookwyrminspiration]

Hi there! (cw for fictional trauma mention, i hope that's ok?)

idk if i'm right or not but you strike me as a psych nerd and who would enjoy thinking about this, so i have a KOTLC thought! my sibling brought up a possible drawback to true photographic memory in that, the human trauma response often includes your brain editing out or even fully forgetting some memory of a trauma out of self-preservation.

(And of course, talking about photographic memory always makes me think of Sophie, because I Am Not Well)

Now in humans, what we usually describe as photographic or edeitic memory is generally related to the ability (natural or trained) to memorize and visualize an object or a page of information and remember it for a short period (and likely won't apply to remembering a traumatic experience), but Sophie has true photographic memory and seems to remember everything she sees. (Without taking into account the book lines like "Sophie had a hard time remembering which Councillor was which without their thrones to look at" as I mark those as honest author error.)

Which means Sophie--and Keefe too, since his photographic memory also seems to reach beyond just memorization--can probably remember their traumas in great detail! Keefe seems to have a very visual memory, but I think Sophie can remember sounds and other sensual input beyond what she sees. Especially considering the fact that emotions can't be removed by a Washer, they probably both relive their trauma so clearly. This is a sad thought and i do not like it :) but I must inflict it on other people.

That being said I hope you're having a good day (at least before i came along)! Thanks for listening :>

Hi! You're right, this is exactly the kind of thing I like to think about. Taking this a step further, elven minds are supposedly fragile when it comes to violence--including just witnessing it. So even though they may have survived the incident itself with their sanity intact, what if merely remembering something they experienced could break them later on? Since it's so vivid, I wonder if it could be similar enough to witnessing something

Going back to your point about self-preservation, I'm curious how this would manifest in them. Because they'd need an instinct to protect themselves if things are too much, but their minds can't function the same way. Does this create a more difficult aftermath where they actively remember their traumas in great detail, or where they're very easily triggered by a lot of things, as they remember more of what happened and therefore more can be tied back to it? But what about when that gets to be too much? Would they just shatter? I feel like they should have some sort of self-preservation ingrained instinct, but what? If it's tied to emotions experienced, could numbness be an option? Definitely for Keefe, but would that work for Sophie?

We could assume forgetfulness for them as well, which could be interesting because for people who remember their lives perfectly it'd be incredibly unsettling to have blank spots. What if they keep going over those spots and dragging back up the memories by force to try and put that unease to rest only to get catastrophically upset by re-exposure to it until their brain shuts it down again and makes them forget, to be repeated again and again until they truly process it? How do they even process it?

Fascinating questions here, but back to your point! yes! they absolutely remember their traumas incredibly vividly, not just visually, but in many senses. and for that I'm glad I'm not them

#kotlc #kotlc worldbuilding #<- kinda? #quil's queries #valentinerose529 #long post #and yes! I am having quite an alright day thank you :) #i hope you are as well! #also grr those honest author mistake lines my beloathed #I know why they're there they just always irk me

[there-will-be-a-way]

My current life situation

Had a good grip on my life. Did an internship at a hospital and planned to start my apprenticeship as a geriatric nurse this autumn. Finished trauma therapy in March. Stopped abusing substances. Moved forward with my transition. Established a stable social environment with friends who support me (and who are mostly like 30 years older than me because I tend to get along better with older people 🤷🏻‍♂️).

And then the next level of trauma came. Not in that I remembered more traumatic incidents. But that now, that I processed the incidents, I can see their impacts more fully. Their consequences - and there's one thing in particular that I can't live with. I think about it 24/7 when I'm not distracted. As it is now, I can't just leave it like that so I'm waiting to get an appointment at an advice center for victims of violence to maybe start the whole process of going to court for what I witnessed (or find a different way to live with the Thing).

On the other hand I doubt my "memories". I got told my doubt is more like denial. A mechanism to protect myself. But who knows. So maybe no court after all. But. I need. To do. Something. Because if I can trust my memories, I have to shine some light on what happened. Couple of days ago I realized that I've been obsessed with this "memory" since 2019.

But speaking about what I saw and experienced could end in me losing my entire family (at least that's what I think, fear). Dramatic. Pretty sure they would doubt me too. And maybe rightfully so, who knows.

But anyway. That's where I'm at atm. Not knowing whether to go left or right. What to believe and not to believe. If I can trust myself. Oh wow, more drama, Mika. There's more tension in me than I can cope with in a healthy way. Strength training works. Other than that I manage by getting drunk in the evenings to fall asleep and getting drunk during the day to avoid my thoughts and get shit done. But I haven't been doing this for long. (It always comes and goes in phases.)

I know I'll find a way, though. I always do. And although all of this sounds difficult to me, I'm still fine somehow. I'm chilling. But maybe I'm just numb.

#personal posts #mika's diary 🕺🏻💌🌈✨ #tw trauma mention #tw violence mention #tw alcohol #tw substance abuse #my last therapist said that I could make career as an actor if I made up what I told him about my past #because someone who's lying looks different apparently #but I wouldn't be lying you know #just misinterpreting things #misremembering stuff #maybe I got so obsessed #that I made myself believe it is true #when it's not #oh well #oh well oh well oh well #I'm hungry

[asheepaddict]

More on Lightning Strike Cookie

I FORGOT HIS HORNS IN THE ART- I KNEW HIS HEAD FELT EMPTY ...Well- :]] We'll just go with it now ig-

So y'know how I said Scovillia adores Lightning Strike as this therapist friend? Yeah- They're the school's calm button. Like, It's getting chaotic? dw we have Lightning Strike mediating the chaos. A fight broke out? ok Lightning Strike's coming (to watch with popcorn- jkjk) to stop the fight.

He and Capsaicin are pretty chill pals with each other, like they ain't close but- they're friends in a way- (Ahem- Capsaicin going to him for therapy lessons- AHEM-)

He doesn't usually have electric hair, it only happens when he's experiencing strong emotions or when he does it on command. Like, you catch the poor dude by surprise on the back? be ready for a zap of electricity once his hair sparks- (A fellow student did that once, never again-) Or in a fight- He's literally Wizard Cookie's ability but better-

He definitely got banned from multiple movie theatres for getting so emotional that his electric hair shut down the power of the entire theatre-

He has horns- I keep forgetting them so let's say they only appear when he's chill, like a sort of power bank or storage ykyk? Or also when he's on a high with the emotions and it just manifests as pure electricity-

Another one of those portable charger characters-

Angsty past anyone? He used to be a normal spicy cookie in a random tribe, but then he wandered out of Dragon's Valley one day, it was a very rainy night that day, he touched a random pole nearby and- boom, hit by thunder for at least a few times- (real unlucky am I right?), by the time the tribe found him, he had electricity surging through him, no one could touch him without getting zapped. They could only touch him once he woke up and he no longer looked electric.

Later, the tribe felt an increasing fear of his lightning abilities, and after an incident involving his lightning abilities, they threw him into the boiling lava with no hesitation (YEET-), next thing the poor guy knew, he was alive and not burnt to a crisp and was instead on a bed, and a cookie that is literally fire itself was sitting on the bed beside him. Next thing he knew he was being taught to control his abilities and how to keep his emotions on check. If you ask him, it all felt like a fever dream because the fire cookie did things pretty quickly, they had some patience but it didn't last long until they started speaking like an angry Indian mom- the cookie did seem to care about him but they barely speak like they do.

Fire Spirit Cookie is Lightning Strike's legal guardian in a way- Lightning Strike is 95% electricity, 4% Spicy, and 1% Therapist. He does actually have quite a bit of spice- enough spice to be in Scovillia- Mala Sauce treats him like he's her younger brother- She gets him to be chaotic whenever they're together.

He was trained to calm down at the sound of a bell, literally any bell will do as long as it ain't a church bell. He has a jingle bell he named "Clarity Bell", but it's only really important to have it on when he's in a situation where it involves going berserk so, he tends to forget it on casual days.

He plays the electric guitar with the headmaster whenever he gets the time, they play real killer tunes together.

"Your therapy is my therapy" kind of guy-

All in all- He's just your local traumatized and cool therapist friend to come find when you need therapy help! :DD (He recommends actually getting help when you really need it though, he ain't licensed for this yk?)

#triple cone cup #cookie run #crk ocs #scovillia

[yhwhrulz777]

Today's Daily Encounter Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Songs Never Sung

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."1

Don Emmitte wrote, "One of the best autobiographies I have read is that of Loren Eisley, All the Strange Hours. Eisley is one of America's greatest naturalist and scientist. In his book he tells of an incident early in his academic training, in fact in his first English class of college. It was a traumatic experience, one which changed the direction of his life. In his first theme assignment, the professor called him to stay after class and said, 'You didn't compose this; it is written too well.' He had labored long and hard over the assignment, and it was indeed his work. But Eisley was shy. He did not talk back to his professor in those days. He simply turned away. He did not write another piece until well into his middle years.

"Oh, he did write, and distinguished himself as a writer of many letters, articles, and books. Who knows, however, how many articles, letters, or books were lost in those early years while he still labored under the curse of that professor's belligerent words. In fact he further writes in his book, that it was this experience that turned him from a career of literature and art to science. One wonders what might have been!"

I am sure that many of us can identify with Eisley's experience in one way or another. Sometimes discouraging feedback has a far greater impact on us than the positive feedback, especially if that negative feedback is untrue. However, God has equipped each of us with a special gift or gifts, and the more we exercise those gifts, the better we will be able to use them for His glory. The important part is to never give up, but instead ask God to lead us to people who will help us develop those gifts and continue using them! I am often reminded of Richard Innes, who was the founder of ACTS International. He experienced rejection when he began writing poems, but eventually that inspired him to write the following poem, which sold thousands of copies!

Unsung Songs

How many songs never sung, poems never written, pictures never painted, stories never told, romantic words never spoken locked inside a lonely heart— the prison of another's making— are left unexpressed because somebody shamed us, abandoned us, or perhaps silenced us with a cruel word, a thoughtless deed, and said or just implied we were not good or not quite good enough? And, tragically, we believed them. © Copyright, Dick Innes

Suggested prayer: Dear God, please give me discernment to always know what feedback to accept and apply, and which to ignore. Help me to use this feedback as a motivation to keep me growing and doing what You have put in my heart to do. I want to give you my best and use the gifts you've given me to bless others and bring them closer to you. Help me also be a giver of encouragement to others who are also using their gifts for your glory. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen.

Hebrews 3:13 (NIV).

Today's Encounter was written by: Crystal B.

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ, please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by ACTS International, a non-profit organization, and made possible through the donations of interested friends. Donations can be sent at: http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International P.O. Box 73545 San Clemente, California 92673-0119 U.S.A.

Phone: [phone] http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2016 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following: "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2005-2023 ACTS International

[toughgirlchallenges]

Sara Crosland - Author, Adventure Lover, Endurance Athlete (Running from Land’s End to John O’Groats) and Founder of The Beyond Recovery Project.

“On 5th September 2022, full of excitement for what lay ahead, I began my run from Land’s End to John O’Groats to show others that despite life throwing curveballs our way we can still achieve. I intended to cover a distance of 40-50 miles a day for 20 days, a total of approximately 855 miles, aiming to become the world’s fastest female, with single-sided deafness, to complete this journey by foot. However, after 4 days of running in continual torrential rain, things went very wrong on day 5."

During this episode Sara shares more about her run from Lands End to John O’Groats, the challenges, the setbacks and how she moved forward after failure. We discuss in detail her recovery, the changes she made and how she moved forward and tried again. 

This is an episode about endurance running, passion for making a difference and never giving up.  

Sara is a brain tumour survivor who is giving back.

“Brain tumours kill more adults and children under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this disease.”

Sara is fundraising for British Acoustic Neuroma Association and Manchester Skull Base Foundation (FBT).

Sara is also the founder of: The Beyond Recovery Project.

“It's all about bringing together others on the same or similar journey, creating a ‘safe’ space and sense of community, where brain tumour survivors can share experiences and discover how to push beyond the physical and psychological barriers they face together. It's very much nature based, so walks, hikes, challenges. Lots of talking therapy - because you can't beat sharing what you're going through with someone else who has been in that place. It also aims to bridge the gap in some services post treatment, when you're considered ‘fixed’.”

Upcoming events in 2024 

May -  Toubkal with a group of brain tumour survivors

June - Hiking the Langtang valley, Nepal. 

September - The Wadi Rum Ultra (now known as Ultra X Jordan). 220km over 5 days in the Wadi Rum desert.

We first spoke with Sara:  15th March 2022 - Overcome fear and achieve your potential. Author of #SickbedToSummits. 

***

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  Show notes

Who is Sara

Planning a 20-day route from Lands End to John O'Groats

Accepting a Guinness World Record for single-sided hearing loss due to category limitations

Training and preparation for a 1,000-mile run

Working with an endurance coach and focusing on physical and psychological preparation

Sacrificing much of their life to train and prepare for the event

Balancing family, work, training, and self-care

Feeling ready and focused on the starting line

Sharing their experience of the first day of the run

Experiencing a torrential downpour and strong winds during a marathon

Having discomfort and difficulty with balance and hearing

Challenges of running in adverse weather conditions

Having single-sided deafness due to a brain tumour

Struggling with balance issues, tinnitus, and fatigue during their training

Mindfulness training and how it helped in coping with the challenges

A challenging endurance run with physical setbacks

Experiencing extreme fatigue and the need to take naps to cope

Having a traumatic toenail incident

Struggling with hip flexor pain and later developing a painful left shin injury

Continuing to push through and finish their planned distance

Struggles with disappointment after injury and ends up running career goals

Missing an opportunity and struggling with the mindset shift towards rehab

The importance of treating rehab as training

Accountability and consistency in the recovery process

Resuming running after an injury and nutrition strategies

Running again in mid-November 2022 after a break

Being diagnosed with an iron deficiency in January 2023

Running a half-marathon despite injury and iron deficiency

Second attempt at charity bike ride after setbacks

Feeling physically and mentally drained during the second attempt

Focusing on the present moment and what is directly in front of them

Paul Betteridge and Aimee Tippins running 50 miles in horrendous weather

Being joined by her friend Andrew Reed, she connected via the British Acoustic Neuroma Association

Experiencing persistent pain in her Achilles tendon during her running journey

Using a bike as a backup plan to get to John O'Groats to manage the pain

Reflects on post-marathon life, feeling lost and struggling to readjust

Working on a project called "Beyond Recovery"

Overcoming self-doubt and fear after a brain tumour diagnosis through adventure

Lack of support for brain tumour survivors during their recovery process

Setting up The Beyond Recovery Project

Her journey of creating a Community Interest Company (CIC) to address gaps in brain tumour recovery services

Final words of advice from Sara

  Social Media

Website: www.saracrosland.com 

Instagram: @saracrosland https://www.instagram.com/e3coach/ 

Facebook: @saracrosland https://www.facebook.com/sara.crosland 

The Beyond Recovery Project CIC is a non profit community interest organisation improving lives of brain tumour survivors.

Website: www.thebeyondrecoveryproject.org

Facebook: facebook.com/TheBeyondRecoveryProject

Instagram: @TheBeyondRecoveryProject

  Check out this episode!

#podcast #women #sports #health #motivation #challenges #change #adventure #active #wellness #explore #grow #support #encourage #running #swimming #triathlon #exercise #weights

[nickdors]

Hire a Professional Towing Company For 7 Advantages

If you are faced with a roadside emergency or your vehicle breaks down unexpectedly and you need a towing service that is professional, it could be lifesaver. It is tempting to rely on an acquaintance or handle the situation by yourself, using an expert Santa Clara towing company provides numerous advantages. In this article, we will discuss seven of the top advantages that can be derived from hiring a professional towing service.

7 Benefits of Employing a Professional Towing Company

A towing company can have a number of benefits that will bring a significant difference in your overall experience. The benefits are as follows:

1. Expertise and Experience

Professional towing Santa Clara CA companies employ trained and skilled technicians with sufficient knowledge to manage many different towing scenarios. They're well-aware of the most effective practices and security protocols involved in towing different types of vehicles, ensuring your vehicle will be handled in a professional and caring manner.

2. Prompt and Reliable Assistance

The speed of your response is vital when you are stranded by the roadside. Towing professionals are aware of how urgent the situation is they can offer prompt, reliable aid. Towing firms have clean and well-maintained trucks that are always at hand to aid you.

3. Protection from Damage

Unsafe towing practices could cause significant damages to your vehicle. Towing professionals who are experts use state of the art equipment and employ proper towing methods to minimize the chance of causing damage to your vehicle in the towing process. They have the necessary equipment and know-how to protect your vehicle in a safe manner and to take it to its location.

4. Insurance Protection

The protection offered through a towing service Santa Clara, can be considered to be one of the major advantages of hiring a truck towing service near me. The most reliable towing businesses offer insurance that will protect your car in the event that anything goes wrong or becomes damaged in the course of towing. You can rest assured that your vehicle will be covered in case of accident.

5. 24/7 Accessibility

You can experience an emergency on the road at any hour of the day or night. Towing services are available 24/7 to meet your needs. It is possible to count on the professional towing service to respond swiftly to your breakdown, whether it occurs during the daytime or in the night.

6. Other Services

To increase the worth of their services, professional towing firms offer an array of extra services. These services may include jump-starting batteries that are dead or tire change, fuel delivery and locksmith assistance. It is possible to save time when you hire a towing firm for these services.

7. Peace of Mind

Peace of mind that comes with hiring a tow truck Santa Clara reliable, professional firm is perhaps the greatest advantage. Knowing that there is the most reliable and experienced team available to assist you in times of need can alleviate stress and anxiety. Professional towing services can deal with any situation effectively.

Summary

Towing services are a great way to handle accident-related roadside incidents and breakdowns. From their expertise and experience to their prompt and reliable assistance, as well as damage prevention measures and insurance Professional towing firms are a reliable resource for motorists. They are available 24/7 and offer additional options like jump-starts or lockout assistance, they ensure the convenience of their customers and a sense of security. When you're in a traumatic roadside circumstance, keep these benefits in the back of your mind.

Santa Clara Towing

1361 calabazas court #2 Santa clara, CA 95051

669-228-5951

Towing Service: https://g.co/kgs/pbVTp3

#Towing

[rk-ocs]

A bubsh of misc notes

Alternate names

Gavin (O): White Hawk of battle [Welsh]

Kestrel: F: Little Hawk [england]

Iolani : royal Hawk

*Jennifer: white wave, variant of Genevieve

Desmond : Irish surname

Desmond's alternate name for 9 years on the run. Alexander Ryan.

Sloane: raider, Warrior.

Jarita: mother or  legendary bird (Hindi-Sanskrit)

*McKenzie: Irish

Aiden: Irish, Little fire

Bridget(t) strong [Irish ]

*Enya: little fire (Irish)

Carnelian alternative : Jasper

Lucy alternatives: Sheridan,  Neiren

Shawn=Joanna

Rebecca : Alec Crane

Because statistically speaking, being  born with the same gender in an alternate world is not always certain to happen. Even when you are the same gender, its not likely you would have the same appearance or personality. Remember there are a ton of other sperm who could have influenced your DNA, and the chance of getting the one you got was 0.01%. You are unique. Therefore the alternates we meet may have different traits, appearances, and genders at times.

Talents for infamous: frigokinesis, umbrakinesis, Thermokinesis, air mimicry... Wouldn't it be neat if someone freaked  and accidentally started the zombie Armageddon? It would be Desmond. In cannon he relives the memories of dead people, as a conduit he revives them. One day Desmond slept near a graveyard while on the run. That night, some robbers were violently threatening him, and he reanimated the dead to protect himself. Red can look through time, and is a real live four tune teller, Gavin controls mist for illusions, Aeiden controls snow already there.

So they will. Inception , ghost hunter , infamous , mass effect, bioshock, supernatural,

Ghosts: "In where there is no time-travelling necklace and a sixteen year old Desmond is haunted by a seven year old ghost who died on his birthday."

And can't grow up, is a social creature who can only interact with him (and the Internet) , who develops troubling un-childlike behaviour.  Desmond is sort like of the big daddy to her little sister.

-----

Red and Lena notes

Aiden and red had a fight after the "you taught Lena to shoot guns" incident, and weren't speaking to each other for awhile. That ended when he picked her up after the Angela fiasco. 

----

Last names

Nikison

Eby

Susu

------

Way number the house is suzzy

131 fan

905 460 5479

-----

Red Jordan behaviours one

And her dealings with PSTD

Red was a kid when she experienced her first traumatic incident. Its not her last.

While she struggles with symptoms, eventually she will learn some ways to cope with therapy and training.

Lets explore how she copes.

Hyper Arousal

Red has hyper vigilance . While she calms it down some, she still feels a need to search the room, before paying attention to the people. She scent identifies people and relies on her nose to tell her if new people come in.

She's not fond of underground.

2. Emotional outbursts.  Red does not like being out of control emotionally. Sh knows she is prone to that when stressed, and responds with the neutral face, also known as emotionally shutting down. She fakes the hell out of it.

3.Lack of concentration. Red has off days. Days where she can't do things like work, or really anything. Other times she has hyper focus.

Avoidance

1. Situational avoidance. .Red at first does try to avoid things like shopping and new people, but she's alone in a strange place, with no way to speak the language.

Social Isolation: the above means she would have trouble finding company regardless.

Triggers:  the words "don't move". People being too close.  Muggers. For awhile guns. She decides to learn to use them and learn to get over her fear (she hopes). It worked, and its her preferred weapon, but she doesn't use handguns. Other people can, but not her.

Remembering the trauma

1. Nightmares. She defiantly has nightmares. They don't help her energy. Somedays when she feels she will have a nightmare, she just refuses to sleep. She's learned exercising very very regularly, helps. The time-travelling and the nightmares means she has a weird sleep schedule. If she wakes up from a nightmare, she will go work intensely. Then she will cool down, shower and sleep the morning. She works out every day, more then once, 

Unless situation dictates otherwise.

2. Flashbacks- she has flashbacks of smell, and feeling mostly.

-----

Being a successful child prodigy is not just a matter of genetics or skill. It is drive. Once you mentally give up, that's it, you can practice, but you won't be the best.

This drive is consuming. It is an obsession. This is a kid who "when given a choice between going to a birthday party or practicing, would pick practice."

It's why your protagonist is the best. Unlike ash, they forgo a lot of things to become better at battling. Such as initiating and maintaining friendship.

But rivals....

------

Being the best

(Red climbing the mountain)

Is my goal

(Crystal battles Red)

I thought of nothing else. My Pokemon and I worked to get there.

(Emerald on victory Road)

But you

(Diamond battling Berry)

You could keep up with me

(Black battling Chern)

You challenged me

(Hugh battling Rosa)

Pushed me

(Gladion forcing moon to come storm Aether with him)

To get there

----

I know in my quest to get there, I've given up a lot of things.

(Blue and Red)

Friends, 

(Crystal and silver)

Food

(Emerald feeds poke blocks to Pokemon )

Sleep

(Diamond training in the night)

But you stayed

(Bianca, Chern, and Black)

You made sure you didn't get left behind,

(Hugh and Rosa)

And gave me the drive, to become the best.

(Hau vs Moon champion battle)

And made sure I didn't regress

Thank you

-----

#red jordan ryan #pokemon #assassins creed #desmond miles #tony stark #aiden pearce #iron man #writing #original character #marvel

[purocleanbradenton02]

PuroClean As Your Leading Bradenton Water Restoration Company

|

As your leading bradenton water restoration company, PuroClean helps homeowners and businesses overcome everyday setbacks like a pipe burst, a dishwasher overflow, or more serious disasters that damage homes and businesses.

The brand is known as the “Paramedics of Property Damage.” It offers water and fire restoration, mold removal, and biohazard clean-up services.

Water Damage

As Your Leading bradenton water restoration company, PuroClean provides a host of water damage cleaning and restoration services to get your property back in order. Whether your home or business has experienced a flood, leaky pipes, backed up sewer lines, broken hot water heaters, or clogged air conditioning systems, PuroClean has you covered. Our professional team of IICRC certified experts will quickly assess the problem and implement a comprehensive plan to restore your property to its pre-loss condition. In addition to repairing the water damage, we also use high-tech equipment to dry your floors and contents. Our water extraction and odour control processes will also have your home or business looking and feeling better than it ever has before. If you are in need of a water damage restoration company, call the experts at PuroClean today for a free assessment and estimate. We are available around-the-clock to assist you with your home or business needs.

Mold Removal

When water damage occurs in your home or business, it is important to get mold removal services as soon as possible. The longer that moisture is left in flooring, walls, furnishings and carpets, the greater the chance that mold growth will occur. When this happens, you need a Buffalo, NY water restoration company that can remove any abnormal moisture quickly and completely to avoid the growth of mold in these areas.

At PuroClean, our IICRC certified technicians follow industry standards to remediate and dry property that has been affected by mold the right way. This ensures that your property and belongings are returned to their pre-loss condition. Our team is also available around-the-clock to help you when you need it most. We work closely with your insurance provider to ensure that you receive the assistance you need to recover from water, fire and mold damage as smoothly as possible. Call us today for more information about our mold removal services in Western New York!

Odor Removal

The odors of water and mold damage can cause discomfort, embarrassment, and even health-related hazards for homeowners. That’s why it’s important to call a restoration company right away that understands how to safely remove these odors from your property.

PuroClean of Bradenton LLC is experienced in removing these unpleasant odors from homes and businesses. Our trained experts will locate areas likely to have pre-existing mold, thoroughly clean it, and remove any lingering moisture sources.

Known as the Paramedics of Property Damage (r), our team of certified and insured professionals is ready to respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you overcome the traumatic setbacks caused by fire, water, mold, or biohazard damages.

Do you enjoy helping people in their time of need? If so, then consider becoming a superhero in your local community and building a long-lasting career in a recession-proof industry.

Contents Cleaning

PuroClean As Your Leading bradenton water restoration has the technology, equipment and techniques to perform contents cleaning that will leave your property looking good as new. Our highly trained and certified technicians will be able to extract any standing water from your property, dry out and disinfect the affected areas, and clean and restore any damaged materials using a series of state of the art technologies.

We also offer a full range of other related services such as demolition and disposal of damaged property, reconstruction of any impacted areas, and even cleaning up after a biohazard incident. Our experts are here to help day or night, 24/7, to make the process as seamless as possible. Our patented drying process will remove any lingering moisture from your home or business so you can breathe easier. The best part is that your home will be returned to you sooner than you think. Contact our team today to learn more about how we can help you!

PuroClean Bradenton 

Address : 4654 East SR 64 #115 Bradenton, FL 34208

Phone : [phone]

Email : [email protected]

Website : https://www.puroclean.com/bradenton-fl-puroclean-bradenton/services/water-damage-restoration/

[clarksam923]

Drug addiction rehab facilities Lexington KY could be a game changer

Group-supported therapy is the best practice to promote total avoidance. Most of the other techniques focus on moderation of substance use. But in this technique of group-supported therapy regular in-person meetings are conducted. This helps to achieve sobriety and maintain it in the long run. Online assistance is also available for group support therapy. Medication is offered in rehabilitation centers. Inpatient services are provided by drug addiction rehab facilities Lexington KY and Hospitals. This is recommended to those people who experience difficulty in getting back to their normal health as an outpatient.

Free Screening

Inpatient hospital treatment that is administered to the affected individuals can put back the organs of the body on track. Their family members trust the addiction treatment Lexington KY. You can also book your appointment for a free screening facility with the support group.

What may you expect from a rehabilitation center? 

Once you check-in, there will be an interview. This is to understand the issue and design a proper program according to the requirements.

The second step is detoxification. This is going to last for 15 days to remove all the toxins from the world. Detoxification will enable you to form a new thought process. The main objective of joining the rehabilitation Centre is to sustain your recovery for long-term benefits. During the process of rehabilitation and recovery, there are enough emotions in the form of trauma, prejudice, and guilt. This process may look like you are left alone from the social world.

However, all the addiction treatment Lexington KY procedures will eventually lead to positive influences and give you complete support that prevents the chances of relapse. If there are more family members and friends to support you then the recovery process can be even faster.

Family support groups

Drug misuse and addiction may be addressed with the right assistance and therapy, restoring and rebuilding persons in recovery to the community with no baggage from their prior activities. That is why you need the support of the family and the most experienced and trained experts in the field. The addiction treatment Lexington KY rehab that is well established in the locality with a decent track record of having served the community members well would be the top option.

Programs and plans would further showcase the worth of joining the particular rehab for seeing good prospects as soon as possible. 

Apart from drugs and narcotics, mental health issues of the other kind like stress-related issues can also bother individuals. The mental health Lexington KY Rehabs assist you in that case too. For example, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the result of traumatic experiences caused by natural disasters, acid rain, crime, and other factors.

PSTD and therapy

Reactions to disasters can be felt by almost everyone who witnesses the event, but not all of these cases can be attributed to post-traumatic stress disorder. Intrusive memories in the mind are quite normal, but if that is going to affect your concentration largely, then you need counseling from the addiction treatment Lexington KY experts.

Some of the symptoms will include recurrent memories of the same incident that happened, unfortunately. It is just a normal way that your body and mind manage to handle stressful happenings. If you have difficulty forgetting the trauma, you will have flashbacks and nightmares. Some of the environmental cues can keep you thinking about the same event again and again. Get it sorted out as earlier as you could. Counsel with the addiction treatment Lexington KY experts at the rehab center. 

#addiction treatment lexington ky #drug addiction rehab facilities lexington ky #mental health lexington ky

[cprindianapolis]

Why Parents Ought To Take A Basic Life Support Course?

The most common cause of death for children of all ages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is an accident-related accidental injury. Choking incidents, almost drowning incidents, falls, poisoning incidents, sports injuries, and other traumatic events commonly involve youngsters. All of these have the potential to cause cardiac arrest, which results in the child losing their ability to breathe be cognizant, and/or have a beating heart.

Unfortunately, a lot of parents lack the knowledge necessary to care for their children in the event of an emergency or to assist them while they wait for emergency medical services (EMS) to come. But every second counts if a child is experiencing cardiac arrest. Parents who have received a Basic Life Support (BLS) certification are aware of how to act quickly to improve their child's chances of surviving and making a full recovery. BLS for healthcare providers Indianapolis is an institution of repute that also provides tutelage to healthcare professionals.

In the event of an emergency, training can equip parents with the information and abilities to assist their children. Obtaining your certification if you have kids may one day save the life of a child, perhaps even your own.

Arguments in support of Basic Life Support training for parents

The skills taught in the course can be learned by anyone, even though it is frequently associated with healthcare professionals. To guarantee their child's survival in the event of an emergency, parents in particular might profit from this knowledge.

Reduce parental anxiety

Your mental health and the certainty that you can assist your child in any situation can be greatly improved by feeling confident in your parenting abilities and knowing what to do in an emergency. Parents with BLS training can spot the warning signs of a medical emergency and possess the abilities needed to intervene. In a recent study, parents of kids who had an apparent life-threatening event (ALTE) received tutelage after their kid was released from the hospital. Every parent who received their BLS certification said that the experience was "useful" and that their anxiety levels had decreased.

The majority of accidents happen at home

Most kids are inquisitive, courageous, and adventurous. Even when exploring their world, they may not always be aware of the risks involved. According to statistics, children's accidents tend to happen most frequently at home and are a major factor in catastrophic injuries, permanent disabilities, and avoidable fatalities.

Even though many accidents cannot be avoided, some can. A child's life or death depends on knowing what to do in the event of an accident. You'll take all reasonable steps as a parent to protect and take care of your child. You may contribute to keeping your child secure and healthy for many years to come by having your Basic Life Support certification, even in the case of an accident or emergency.

BLS for healthcare providers Indianapolis can help you with career progression if you belong to the healthcare industry. Get in touch to excel in your career by visiting the site.

#BLS for healthcare providers Indianapolis

[darlingbudsofrae]

Kevin Day Appreciation Post

Foxes Appreciation Series : || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 ||

I always believe that Kevin Day is the second most underappreciated fox.

Number one would go to Aaron Minyard but that’s for another post.

So, Kevin MF Day- let’s talk about this wonderful human being.

I just honestly admire Kevin’s growth- like, there’s always going to be a part of me that’s sad we didn’t get more of him in the books.

Like, as the books go by, his gets lesser and lesser appearance and I get it, everyone has issues but Kevin Day, you guys.

This guy grew up in a toxic place and was surrounded by toxic af people.

And yeah, he can say some not-so nice things but he came out of there as an awkward, but decent person and that’s ✨

And while he can be a BIT obsessed about exy, his passion about it is just so admirable.

Like, he played in the nest and honestly, no one would blame him if he was traumatized after the hand incident and just quickly disappeared from the exy world but no-

Kevin Day picked up his things, managed to get himself out of that position despite his fears and repercussions and instincts, and saved himself. 

He saved himself and yeah he coped for a long time after but he saved himself and healing is a process ✨

The Ravens let him go because of the seriousness of his injury and expected him to coach at least but y’know what Kevin Day did? He trained his other hand every single night, like that is absolutely badass.

I think most people tend to forget the extent of Kevin Day’s trauma.

Like the damage Riko did to him- the horrors he experienced in the nest.

Dude likely suffers from anxiety and PTSD and copes with it by getting drunk af

Note: Kevin Day doesn’t drink prior to joining the Foxes because the Ravens probably had strict rules about that.

Speaking of, Kevin gets made fun of for being a “healthy nut” when this could possibly be a result from his time with Ravens, it could likely be an eating disorder (thanks for making me sadder, fandom)

There’s also the fact that Kevin Day struggles to go anywhere alone, can not go anywhere alone (correct me on this one but I don’t remember him ever being alone in the books)

Kevin Day can be harsh with his opinions but at the end of the day, what he says is true and it’s in his own way an encouragement for his team to do better, to be better.

Imagine Kevin being so close to his dad, Wymack, for the very first time in his life and he couldn’t even tell him because he wanted to protect him from the Moriyamas.

Like imagine all those times Wymack acts fatherly cuz he’s the father of the foxes and no, you can’t convince me otherwise, and like that just gives me so many feelings bruhh.

Contrary to popular belief, Kevin is the first person to see that Andrew isn’t nothing. He was the first to look Andrew Minyard in the eye and tell him he is worth something.

Also, whenever I think about Kevin’s time with Riko, one of the many things that came to mind was how repressed he was.

How he underplayed his abilities as to not shadow Riko and him loving exy, that must’ve killed him. 

It definitely kills me.

I think sometimes that that’s why he’s so passionate with the foxes, because even with a broken hand, he can finally play the sports he love all out.

Some people don’t see Kevin beyond the exy-obsessed health job and honestly, that frustrates me cuz he is so much more than that.

Neil described Kevin “spineless” in the book and I wholeheartedly disagree.

He was traumatized af and healing is a process and while he wasn’t able to spout constant rebuttals like Neil to Riko or the Ravens, doesn’t make him any less of a badass.

Kevin Day is brave. 

Kevin Day knows how to manipulate people. That is badass and he doesn’t get enough badass props for it.

"Let Riko be King," Kevin said, with the exaggerated enunciation of the thoroughly sloshed. "Most coveted, most protected. He'll sacrifice every piece he has to protect his throne. Whatever. Me?" Kevin gestured again, meaning to indicate himself but too drunk to get his hand higher than his waist. "I'm going to be the deadliest piece on the board."

Again, badass.

Kevin Day is my queen and he deserves all the best ✨

#this probably didn't do my queen justice #but i tried #all for the game #all for the gay #all for the angst #aftg #aftg appreciation post #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #the king's men #nora sakavic #kevin day #aftg kevin day #neil josten #andrew minyard #aaron minyard #riko moriyama #the foxes #kevin day is the MF queen #and that's on facts #everyone loves kevin day #kevin day can criticize me all he wants and i'll say thank u #also take a shot everytime i say badass #aftg appreciation hours #raeraegoaway

[photogirl894]

"Sun and Rain"

Chapter 27

"The Night at the Inn"

A "Bad Batch" fanfic!

Pairing: Hunter x fem OC, Echo (more best friend pairing)

Warning: just lots of romantic Hunter 🥰🥰

A/N: This is gonna be another pretty long one, but I like to think it's so worth it 😊 Read it and you'll see why 😉

Taglist: @the-sad-batch , @nimata-beroya , @green-arrows-of-karamel , @mrskenobi677 , @ladydiomede , @ladykatakuri , @d1n0-dan

《 Chapter 26

》 Chapter 28

All chapters

Explanation: After experiencing a near-death incident, multiple fights and a risky mission all within a couple of days, Hunter and Kimber get a much-needed night alone together.

Back at the Marauder, the rest of the Bad Batch, Cody and Rex were waiting for Echo and Kimber to return.

"Kimber did well today," Rex commented proudly to Hunter. "I'm glad she chose to stay with your squad after all."

Hunter smiled. "We all are," he replied.

"She held her own admirably in the face of danger," then added Cody. "I almost couldn't believe she was just a civilian only a month ago. You boys have trained her well."

“She’s a quick learner,” stated Crosshair, “though, she already had skill to begin with.”

Cody’s eyebrows raised at him, surprised at hearing him speak well of someone for once.

Having already dealt with such a reaction from his brothers a while back, Crosshair just smugly responded, “Yes, I complimented her. I am not blind nor stupid.”

“You just don’t do that very often,” said Cody.

Hunter grinned teasingly at Crosshair. “That just goes to show how special Kimber is if she can make Crosshair go soft,” he said.

Crosshair shoved Hunter in the arm and grimaced at him, but didn’t say anything to the contrary, which only proved to Hunter that he was right.

“There they are,” Wrecker declared, pointing down the corridor to where they could see Echo and Kimber running towards them, Echo slightly ahead of Kimber.

As they approached, Echo proclaimed triumphantly, “Ha! I win!”

She sighed as she doubled over to catch her breath. “One of these days, Echo, I am going to beat you,” she said back, looking back up at him through narrowed eyes.

“In your dreams, Kim,” he countered.

The other Clones all exchanged bemused glances. Not that long ago, when they had left him in the security building, Echo had been freaking out and having a traumatic episode and now, he was smiling and chipper as if nothing had happened. It was quite the turnaround and it seemed, once again, it was all thanks to Kimber. Rex couldn’t help but smile affectionately at seeing him this way. This was the Echo he knew and remembered; his brother before he had been captured by the Separatists. It warmed his heart to see him back to the way he used to be again. He caught Echo’s gaze and gave him a look that asked, "Are you okay?" and Echo gave him a sincere nod in return, affirming to his former Captain that everything was all right with him and there was no need to worry.

“I suppose you now have to leave again?” Kimber asked, looking to Rex. 

He bowed his head. “We do, yes. Cody and I will have to deliver the weapon schematics to the Jedi and they’ll determine what to do with them.”

“Well, it was a pleasure to see you and fight beside you again, Rex,” she told him gratefully, which earned her a nod from him. Then she turned to Cody and said, “It was also an honor to serve you, Commander Cody.”

“The honor was all mine,” Cody responded. “I was impressed with you on this mission. It may be unorthodox for a civilian to work with a squad of Clones, but...you fit in with these boys well. Keep them out of trouble, will you?”

She snickered and gestured to the Bad Batch boys behind her. “I don’t think I could keep these guys out of trouble any better than I could get the twin suns of Tatooine to rise in the night.”

That made all the Clones chuckle. Even Crosshair couldn’t hide his smirk of amusement. 

“You can say that again,” said Wrecker with a grin.

Then she added, “I’ll still endeavor to do my best.”

Cody nodded and then looked to the others. “Boys, you better take good care of this woman. If I hear anything contrary to that, I’ll be sure to have your heads.”

“Begging your pardon, Cody,” Rex put in, “but I’m certain she would have their heads before you could get the chance.”

She grinned deviously. “You got that right,” she replied, looking back at all of them and making them snicker nervously.

Then Hunter spoke, “No need to worry, Commander. Kimber is our girl. We’d never dare treat her any less than she deserves.”

“If anything, I say she takes care of us,” added Echo.

“Indeed,” Tech agreed.

Kimber smiled gladly. How she just adored these boys. Even after all this time, she still couldn’t believe how highly they thought of her, yet here they were offering praises on her behalf to a Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. She didn’t know how she deserved such accolades, but she was grateful for it nonetheless.

With a grin, Cody said to all of them, “Well, either way, continue taking care of each other.” Then he saluted them and they all returned the gesture in kind. “Until we meet again.”

“Likewise, sir,” replied Hunter.

Rex bowed his head to all of them once more and followed after Cody, laying a friendly hand on Echo’s shoulder as he passed by.

As the two commanding officers made their way to their ship in another part of the docking bay, Tech spoke up saying, “If I may, I would suggest that we spend the night here in the drive yards seeing as, after the events of the day, some of us are a bit too worn out to fly.”

“By ‘some of us’, you mean you,” Echo stated. 

Pushing up his goggles, Tech replied, “Precisely.”

“That’s fine,” said Hunter. “We can stay here on the ship for the night and then leave in the morning.” He gestured over his shoulder to the Marauder and the boys all started filing inside. 

However, Kimber stole a look over at one of the large windows where she could see out into space. In that moment, she had the urge to go over to it and just stare at the stars for a little while. After everything that had happened, she just needed a quiet moment to herself.

Echo and Hunter were the last ones to start walking into the ship when they both stopped on the ramp and noticed that Kimber wasn’t with them. They both looked back and saw her walking up to the window, staring up where she could see the stars instead of another part of the Kuat Drive Yards ring.

Then Hunter turned to Echo and asked him, “Are you all right?”

He nodded. “I am now. I was...having a rough time before, but Kimber was able to help get me out of it.”

“Good.” Hunter then turned back and glanced in Kimber’s direction. “She’s had quite the day today.”

“That, she has,” Echo agreed. He glanced over at Hunter, who continued to gaze after Kimber. It was just so incredibly obvious to him how much Hunter cared for her. He looked at her like she was the most beautiful creation in the entire galaxy and it made Echo smile. If Hunter and Kimber weren't completely in love yet, they soon would be.

The more Echo looked at Hunter, he could see he also looked tired, despite how much he tried to hide it. Echo imagined that the day must've been hard for him not only having to fight and undertake a mission like normal, but to also have worried about Kimber when it appeared her life had been in danger. It seemed like recently that was all he had done was worry over her. First, he had nearly lost her to the sea on Bestine, which had already been bad enough, and then his anxiety over it had caused them to have multiple fights and then there was the mission they had just completed where she could've been killed by Tambor's Droids. Echo couldn't imagine the stress Hunter was under. The Sergeant deserved a break. Both he and Kimber did. They deserved to just have some time alone together, away from everything after all they'd been through in the last couple days.

That gave Echo an idea.

He leaned forward and said in a quieter voice, "Hunter, you and Kimber have been through a lot today. Especially her. Why don't you take her away for the night and have some time for the two of you?"

Hunter got a slightly nervous look in his eyes briefly and Echo knew exactly what he was thinking: "How did he know?"

"You can cut the act. I already know about the two of you," Echo explained. "Kimber told me...and you kind of let a few hints slip after her accident."

It was then Hunter remembered what he had said when he had been trying to revive Kimber on Bestine, but he hadn't realized he had said those things out loud. He looked down shyly.

"I suppose I did, didn't I?" he replied, looking back at Echo.

Echo shook his head, amused. "I know there's an inn on the upper part of the ring. Why don't you take her there tonight?"

Hunter's eyes widened with panic. A room at an inn? He wasn't sure if that was a good idea. What if that gave Kimber the wrong impression? "I--I don't know about that," he began to counter.

Echo rolled his eyes. "Hunter, I'm not telling you to go to the inn and bed her," he groaned. "Get a room with two beds, if that makes you more comfortable...but you two need a chance to breathe and just be together before we move on elsewhere. You're not going to get it here on the ship and who knows how long it'll be before you get another chance." Then, to Hunter's surprise, Echo reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a handful of credits. "Here. Take these and get yourself a room," he said, holding out the credits to the Sergeant.

"Echo, no, I can't accept this," Hunter protested.

"You can and you will," Echo insisted, placing the credits in his hand. "Think of it as my way of saying thank you to the two of you for all you did for me today."

Hunter looked down at the credits in his hand. Part of him didn't want to take Echo's own money, but also knowing him, he knew Echo wouldn't take "no" for an answer. Despite his hesitancy...a night alone with Kimber did sound ideal and wonderful. It didn't happen very often and maybe Echo was right: there was no knowing when they'd get a chance like this again.

Clutching the credits in his hand and then pocketing them, Hunter said gratefully, "Thank you, Echo."

With a grin, Echo simply replied as he turned to go up the ramp to the ship, "Go get her, Sergeant."

After Echo went back inside, Hunter turned back and looked in Kimber's direction. She just seemed so lost in her own world gazing up at the stars, her dark hair cascading down her back while she looked up. He could feel his stomach twisting into knots at the thought of now asking her to share a room with him tonight. Why was he so nervous? He knew they both felt strongly for each other, so why did he think she would be opposed to the idea? It was one thing to have a moment alone when they knew his brothers were nearby, but this was different. This would be more intimate. He wanted this chance with her...but he was also terrified. His fears once again alluded to that first day on Coruscant, reflecting on the fear that had appeared in her eyes when he accidentally triggered her. What if he tried or did something tonight when they were alone that would still elicit a reaction like that again? Kimber didn't believe it would be an issue normally, but this wouldn't be a normal situation. Or, at least, not in his mind.

He had to get out of that mindset. It was like Echo said: just because they were going to stay in a room at an inn together didn't mean they had to engage in any physical, sexual intimacy. Though, he was afraid that would be what Kimber would assume when he'd suggest the idea. Guess he just had to get it over with so his nerves could calm down.

Taking a deep breath, he made his way over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder blade as he approached. When she turned and saw it was him, she smiled brightly and his heart nearly burst within him. Her smile was his weakness; one of the few things that could make him come completely undone. He found he couldn't hold back, so in response, he lifted his other hand to her neck and brought himself to her, placing his lips firmly against hers just as she was about to say something to him.

When Hunter broke the kiss, Kimber snickered lightly. "Well, hello to you, too, darling," she said to him.

Hearing her call him "darling" truly was music to his ears and in that moment, he could've taken her into his arms and kissed her once more.

"So...Echo suggested something," he said.

"What did he say?" she asked.

He lifted one of his hands up and rubbed at the back of his head. "Well, we've been through a lot these past few days and he...he suggested the two of us...rent a room at an inn for the night."

Kimber raised her eyebrows in amusement. He was nervous about telling her that. She had never seen him like this before and it was so endearing to see the battle-hardened Sergeant act so flustered. Apart from that, she somehow wasn't surprised in the least that Echo would make such a suggestion after literally just learning that she and Hunter were together now.

Then Hunter kept going, "He thought it would be good for us and I would understand if you didn't want to--"

"Hunter," she stopped him, pressing her fingertips to his lips. Then she said with a reassuring smile, "I would love that more than anything."

When she lowered her hand, his expression softened, now knowing that she was on board with Echo's idea.

Then, to surprise him even more, she grabbed his hand and stated, "Let's not waste any time," before eagerly pulling him along with her as they jogged away from the Marauder.

Not long thereafter, the two of them found the inn. When the innkeeper asked them if they preferred a room with one or two beds, Hunter left the decision up to Kimber, telling her he would be okay with whatever she was comfortable with.

So she looked to the innkeeper and told him, "One bed, please," which made Hunter both happy and a little excited.

The innkeeper took their credits and gave them the code to their room and then the two of them made their way through the halls until they found the room they were given. Hunter put in the code on the keypad, a light flashed green and then the door slid open. They stepped inside and the door slid shut behind them. It was a simple yet nice room. The walls were gray and there was a bed with dark blue sheets on the right side, a couch on the opposite end, a couple tables and side tables and a door to a refresher. Kimber went over and just flopped over onto the bed, sighing loudly as she landed on her back, her arms outstretched.

"Are you tired?" Hunter asked, leaning against the wall by the bed.

"Not tired...just ready to relax," she replied. Then she sat back up, stood up and informed him, "I'm going to step into the refresher for a moment and freshen up."

"I'll be here," he said as she flashed a grin at him and walked into the other room.

He took a few seconds to just observe the room as he sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers drumming anxiously on his knee. To help keep himself distracted while he waited, he took out his vibroblade and started working it between his fingers.

A minute later, Kimber started opening the refresher door when she heard faint metallic sounds on the other side, which made her curious. She opened it further and caught Hunter on the edge of the bed twirling his vibroblade in his hand. No matter how many times she observed him doing that, she found herself in awe every time as he moved the blade so flawlessly between his dexterous fingers. It was fascinating and, in all honesty, incredibly attractive to watch.

To her slight embarrassment, though, he caught her staring in the doorway and ceased his movements with his knife as he smirked at her. "It's not polite to stare, you know," he said.

She smirked back. "You're one to talk. I catch you staring at me all the time."

He simply chuckled in response and sheathed his knife in his arm guard. Then he asked her, "Are you doing okay?"

"I am," she said back as she walked forward and then held out an inviting hand to Hunter. As he took her hand and she sat down beside him, facing him, she asked, "How are you doing?"

He hummed and said, "I'm all right...now that I'm with you."

Kimber grasped his hand tighter and grinned happily at hearing that. Though, a few seconds later, her smile faded ever so slightly as something she'd thought about before came to mind and she said to him, “I know we talked about it yesterday, but I just need to know for sure: are we really okay, Hunter? Are you going to be able to handle seeing me doing things like I did today: being in the field, putting myself at risk and possibly making rash decisions?”

Hunter sighed and looked down at their joined hands for a moment contemplatively. “There will always be a part of me that will wish you wouldn’t have to...," he answered before returning his gaze to her, "...but I’m not letting you go and I also know you wouldn’t forgive me if I ever sidelined you. I’m still going to do what I can to protect you, but I’ll also let you take care of yourself.”

"I can live with that," she responded, satisfied. “Echo was displeased with me for drawing my blaster and risking getting myself killed. I'm sure you are, too, aren't you?"

"To be honest...no, I'm not," he replied.

That was definitely not what she expected to hear and her head reared back a bit. "You're not?"

He went on to explain, "I might've been at first, but after thinking about it...I would have done the same thing. You really are starting to think like us. You were ready to take on an undercover mission, you were brave in the face of danger and you were willing to put your life on the line for those you care about." He smiled even more at her and told her, "I'm proud of you, sweetheart."

Kimber could feel her eyes welling up with tears. Those words were the best thing he could've said to her regarding the mission. She felt better about everything that had happened that day just hearing that from Hunter. Her gladness only intensified seeing him smiling at her the way she loved so much.

"Wait...love?"

Was that really what she felt? Surely, it had to be too soon for her feelings to be that strong. Yes, it had been a month since they had met, so that was possibly enough time, but it still felt it wasn't long enough for her to necessarily be in love with him. However, as she gazed into his bright, mesmerizing eyes, she could feel her heart beginning to race and a warmth rise within her. Whether it was really love or not, she knew one thing for certain: Hunter made her feel special, wanted, safe and treasured. Despite everything they'd been through recently, there was never any doubt in her mind that he cared for her and only wanted the best for her. Of course, she reciprocated those wants, as well. She wanted him to be safe and happy in any way that she could provide. His well-being meant everything to her. As long as they were together, then they would be okay.

Hunter then slid off the bed and, with Kimber's hands still in his, pulled her up to her feet with him, looking intently into her eyes. "For once...just for tonight, I want to forget about everything else," he said softly. "The war, missions, being a soldier...I want tonight to just be about us; just you and me...and to imagine what maybe having a normal life might be like."

Kimber beamed at how sweet and romantic that notion was. She tilted her head up and kissed Hunter ever so lightly on the lips before saying to him, "Well, if that's the case...then we'd better get this armor off of you."

Without waiting for a response, she took one of his arms and slid the arm guard off before doing the same with the other. His eyes widened a little as he realized she was going to help remove his armor yet he couldn't help but grin at the idea, too, so he indulged her and let her remove each part of his armor, watching her closely and memorizing each little movement of her delicate hands, her striking eyes and her beautiful body. Before long, she got the upper parts of his armor off and set them on the sofa before she then guided him to sit on the edge of the bed so she could remove his leg armor and boots. As she got down to her knees to get them off, he was overwhelmed with emotions at just how dedicated she was to him even in just a simple gesture like this. He always believed it was his duty to take care of her--and maybe that was just the leader in him--but now he saw that she was just as willing to take care of him and it dawned on him that that's what being a couple was truly about: taking care of each other equally, not just one relying on the other. He didn't have any idea how he'd managed to get so lucky as to find someone wonderful like her that he could share a bond like that with.

Soon, Kimber got the rest of Hunter's armor removed, pushing the pieces under the bed, and now he was just in his blacks. For a moment, there was silence between them as their eyes found each other once more and they lost themselves in each other's gaze, pondering on what to do next, but the air between them was becoming almost electric. Kimber straightened up and moved up between Hunter's legs, her body nearly against his, and she gingerly ran her hands from his thighs over his firm torso and up to his chest, making him shudder ever so slightly with desire. He reached up to stroke her cheek, but then she carefully stopped his hand just an inch from her skin.

"Wait...remove your gloves," she whispered, looking longingly at him. "I want to truly feel the touch of your hands."

It hadn't occurred to him until then that she had never really felt his touch before. He always wore his gloves and he found he sometimes forgot about that detail. He then gradually pulled his gloves from his hands and dropped them to the floor. Keeping his eyes on her, he brought one hand up and gently brushed her smooth skin with the back of his hand, feeling her for the first time himself. She closed her eyes and released a sigh as his hand cupped her cheek, leaning into it and reveling in the warm touch of his skin on hers that she yearned for. Then his other hand took the other side of her face and the next thing she knew, he was kissing her again, his lips caressing hers this time in perhaps the gentlest way he had ever done. As they continued, his arms moved down and enfolded around her waist as her own arms encircled his neck, bringing him closer to deepen their kiss. His now bare hands lightly brushed the skin of her lower back as her shirt lifted a bit and she gasped into his lips from the shivers it sent up her spine. He took notice of this and a low chuckle rumbled in his chest. However, his hands rested on her lower back and he found himself eager to feel more.

"May I?" he asked her, inching his hands up just a little higher under her shirt to signal to her what he was asking permission for.

"Yes," she gasped out.

With that, his hands traveled slowly under her shirt up the soft skin of her back. Kimber leaned her forehead against Hunter's, relishing in his gentle touch. He nuzzled the tip of her nose with his own while he let his hands explore her back even more. When he found her shirt to be getting in the way, he clutched the ends and started to raise it up a bit. However, Kimber suddenly tensed up and the look in her eyes turned to slight panic before she looked away. This was exactly what Hunter had been afraid of.

"I'm sorry," he said dejectedly as he pulled his hands away.

"No...I want you to," she immediately replied, grabbing his hands and now looking guilty, "it's just...you won't like what you see."

He gave her a curious look. "Why would you say that?" he inquired.

She let go of him and looked down at her hands, which were fidgeting nervously. "Have you forgotten the state I was in when you first found me?" she asked back. Then she looked back up at him. "I have scars, Hunter...and they're terrible to look at."

"That's what she's worried about? That I'll be put off by her scars?" he thought to himself. The very thought made him shake his head, bemused.

He took hold of her elbows and urged her up onto her feet with him as he stood up and countered with, "Have you forgotten that I'm an enhanced soldier bred for war? I have my own share of scars."

She still turned away, uncertainty written all over her face.

Determined to help her understand, Hunter gently pushed Kimber back a step and then proceeded to pull the top of his blacks over his head, revealing his toned, muscular upper body, which took her a bit by surprise. Sure enough, there were a few scars on his chest, side and torso. A couple were blaster scars while the rest seemed to be from other means. Despite these marks, he still was beautiful to her...and then it hit her the point he was trying to prove.

"You see?" he asked, stepping forward and taking her face in his hands. He tenderly kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger for a few seconds to reassure her. "No scars are going to change how I feel about you."

There was still a feeling in the back of her mind that believed he would be wrong, but she fought against it, knowing that Hunter was always genuine and honest with her. If anyone was going to be wrong, she hoped it would be her.

Timidly, she stepped back and turned away, her back facing him. She then lifted her shirt and pulled it off, leaving herself in just her chest binder, and her arms folded over her stomach, her anxiety building at waiting for his response as she pulled her long curly hair forward over her shoulder so he could see.

Hunter watched as Kimber's shirt and hair were pulled away and his breath hitched in his throat as he saw the thin, crossed white lines that covered her back. Right away, flashbacks of the day he and Echo found her filled his mind and he remembered hearing outside the hut the sounds of the Tusken's whips followed by her cries of pain. A hint of rage built up inside him at seeing further evidence of how much she had suffered. Those Tuskens were lucky he didn't kill them that day for hurting her. How he wished none of that had happened to her...but if that had been the case, then everything would've turned out differently.

He came forward and gently ran his fingertips over her marks, eliciting a tiny whimper from her at his touch, before his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her up against him, the both of them trembling at the warm contact of his bare chest meeting her bare back.

"You're still as beautiful to me as ever," he whispered in her ear.

She said nothing, but smiled with relief and tilted her head back to lean on his shoulder.

Leaning his head into hers, he spoke in a low, hushed voice. “I wish I could take your scars away...and all of the pain you suffered...but if that had never happened….”

“Then I wouldn’t be here with all of you...and we never would’ve found each other," she finished for him, turning towards him.

He bent down just slightly and started pressing kisses onto her cheek and gradually made his way down her neck, savoring her scent and the taste of her skin as she lightly moaned at his ministrations. It was a good thing his arms were around her because she felt her legs could've gone weak underneath her.

However, Hunter ceased kissing her neck sooner than she anticipated and he all of a sudden questioned her, clutching her tighter, “Kimber, why did you choose this life with us? You had a normal life before and you could’ve had one again. You could have left Tatooine and made a new start elsewhere. Why did you give that up?”

This was something she didn't know had been on his mind and was a little taken aback at hearing him questioning her decision to stay with him and the Bad Batch. Though, she chuckled and answered, “That was my plan originally. I had every intention of drifting through the galaxy until I found somewhere that suited me and then just going it alone...." She turned inside his arms to face him. "...until a group of five Clones returned and told me they didn’t want me to be alone, offering me a home and a place once again in this galaxy. My options were to have a normal life alone...or have a more adventurous and possibly more difficult life with people who cared about me just as I cared about them. The right choice seemed pretty obvious to me.”

"You didn’t have to be alone. You could have found someone," he said to her, a flicker of melancholy in his eyes at the thought of her being with someone else.

The sadness he tried to hide didn't go unnoticed by Kimber and the corners of her lips twitched upward at the thought of him believing she could have found another man.

“No, I couldn’t have," she replied as she then reached up to the bandana across his head and pulled it away, setting free his dark locks that fell around the edges of his handsome face. Then her hands came to rest on his cheeks and she smiled endearingly up at him. "Because my attention had already been captured by a stubborn Clone Sergeant, even if he didn’t know it at the time.”

The joy that appeared in his gaze right then made her heart nearly leap from her chest. In a second, his lips crashed into hers again, kissing her both with gladness and passion. Feeling the ardor in his kiss, she gave into him immediately.

Just then, his hands grasped under her thighs and she was lifted up, her legs wrapping around his torso as he cradled her body against him, neither of them parting from the kiss. He carried her to the bed and climbed onto his knees on the bed, carefully setting her down onto her back and breaking the kiss for a brief moment for him to look into her eyes as he positioned himself above her. Then he reunited his lips with hers once more, his desire for her overwhelming him as he kissed her with more need than before, which she eagerly reciprocated. Her hands tangled themselves in his hair, keeping him there with her as they lost themselves in each other. His body pressed down into hers, shielding her, and his arms around her kept her safe from everything else in the world. In his arms, she felt truly home. Having admitted that she'd been drawn to him for so long and the way she was feeling now suddenly made everything clear to her in that moment.

Yes...she was in love with Hunter.

In a split second decision of boldness, Kimber came up and flipped Hunter over onto his back, positioning herself on top of him. His eyes widened a bit in surprise, but he had no time to think about it as she took his face in her hands and resumed kissing him again ardently. He buried his hands in her long hair that fell like curtains around him for a moment and then they explored her back and hips. Her mouth then left his and trailed delicate, peppery kisses down his neck and to his chest. The low, gravelly moan that escaped him only spurred her on even more as she moved her lips over his chest to the other side of his neck, her kisses growing hotter and more passionate as she found her way back to his lips, taking them in another fiery kiss. The feeling of her body above him and her kisses felt amazing and there was nothing else that mattered to him in that moment. There was only her. After his brothers, she was the one thing that mattered the most to him in the entire galaxy. His heart belonged to her.

He truly and irrevocably loved her.

They came apart, gasping for air together, as Kimber breathed out, “Hunter, I...." She stopped short, hesitating for a second on what she was about to say. Was it right for her to say it now?

She raised herself up a little to look down into his eyes, searching for any signs of affirmation or otherwise. He gazed up at her, wondering why she suddenly had an air of doubt about her. Yet there was something else, too...there was surety there, as well. There was something on her mind that she wanted to say, he could feel it. He sat himself up in front of her, steadying her with an arm around her waist while she straddled his lap and held to his shoulders, looking at her with anticipation.

Her fingertips traced the side of his face with the skull tattoo. The way he looked at her both expectantly and with so much affection then gave her all the motivation she needed to just say the one thing that was on her mind and in her heart:

"Hunter, I love you."

His breath caught in his chest and the light in his eyes shone even brighter.

"I love you...so much...," she repeated. "Every moment I'm with you, I feel as though my heart could burst. I've wanted to be with you for so long and now, I could never imagine being with anyone else. It's always been you from the first moment I saw you. You saved me and gave me a life better than anything I've ever dreamed of. You have every part of me...now and always."

In that moment in time, Hunter felt the happiest he ever had in his entire life. His sweetheart, his Kimber loved him in return. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he could sense the same sensation from the beating of her own heart, as if they both were trying to escape and join together forever.

He touched his forehead to hers, the words he'd longed to say for what felt like an eternity flowing from his heart through his mouth, “Oh, Kimber...it's you that helps me get through every day. You are the last thought on my mind before I sleep and the first person I think of when I wake up. I have wanted you with me since our mission on Felucia...and ever since the first night I stayed with you until you fell asleep...I have loved you with all my heart."

Kimber pulled back in disbelief. Had she misheard him? Had he really said...? However, the smile on his face confirmed it all. There was no mistaking what he'd said. It was real. An elated smile crossed her lips.

He reached up and cupped her cheek, tracing her skin with his thumb as he told her in conclusion, "There are millions of stars in this galaxy...but you are the one that shines the brightest in mine.” 

Even though his sweet, heartfelt words already told her enough, she felt she needed to hear the actual three words from him. “Please...say it for me, Hunter," she pleaded.

He pressed a kiss to her temple and said softly, “I love you, Kimber Sallaros.” 

With that, Hunter tilted his head and kissed Kimber's lips again. This time, it felt different, but in an amazing way; more powerful and true, having now confessed their love to one another. The way their mouths moved together in perfect harmony and the way they fit well in each other's arms now just proved even more that they really were meant for each other.

"My heart is no longer my own. It belongs to you, my love," Hunter told her when he came back.

Kimber smiled the widest she'd ever had in her life. "My love...," she sighed. "I think that's my favorite endearment of all."

With another kiss, Hunter swiftly flipped Kimber again onto her back, causing her to snicker in amusement. He crawled over her, a playful grin slowly appearing on his face as his lips hovered just above hers, his warm breath sending shivers through her whole body.

"Shall I show you how much I love you...my love?" he whispered in his husky voice that made her want to melt inside.

She hummed in response and closed the distance between them, capturing his lips again in a loving kiss. "As wonderful as that sounds, my dear Sergeant," she said to him, "...maybe not tonight. I want to just be here...like this...with you."

He tilted his head forward and touched her forehead with his, the both of them closing their eyes and taking in the moment.

"That's all right with me," he replied. "There's no rush for anything. Right here, right now, with you; with us...is already perfect...and there's nowhere else in the galaxy that I'd rather be." He pushed himself up so he could see her lovely face and her entrancing brown eyes that he adored so much, brushing a lock of hair from her face as he gazed down at her. "I love you, Kimber...with all my heart."

Kimber gave him a loving smile and ran a hand through his hair. "I love you, Hunter, with all of mine."

They came back together with another sweet, loving kiss, this time more gentle, tender and affectionate as their arms wrapped around each other in a firm embrace, forgetting about everything else.

For tonight, it was just Hunter and Kimber; the two of them together, hopelessly and deeply in love...and it was nothing less than perfect.

#star wars the bad batch #the bad batch #bad batch hunter #bad batch fanfic #hunter x oc fic #sun and rain fanfic

[lonelyghosts-stuff]

Loki x Reader Imagine/Plot Summary Idea

Very slow burn, enemies to lovers

Disclaimer: this turned out to be MUCH longer than I planned and waivers back and forth between being a story idea to prompt others to write a full story and having fully written sections lol.

During the events of the Avengers movie y/n, a seemingly normal everyday citizen, got in the line of danger and inadvertently showed her unstable powers (im thinking something along the line of telekinesis caused by an astral power form that struck her as a teen and used her as a vessel to contain itself (it’s not necessarily alive, I guess you could equate its “sentience” to that of Doctor Strange’s cape) this power source is unstable in y/n as it needs to be controlled and flow and not suppressed, but also not overreleased or the vessel, in this case y/n could die. I’m picturing some kind of blue-ish purple mist.) which made the Avengers take note. Y/n goes into hiding because she doesn’t want to hurt anyone with her powers but the Avengers track her down and kind of have to subdue her to bring her to Stark Tower since she acted a bit brash and reckless trying to escape them believing she was a danger to everyone around her. During her time there more events of the first Avengers movie take place and she remains in a room of the tower, not necessarily being held prisoner, but more of to keep herself safe and everyone else safe. At one point Loki gets ahold of her and uses the staff to control her during which she causes a lot of damage to the city. Eventually the Avengers rescue her and what she regains control and realizes the damage she’s done she spirals into a major depression and feeling of not deserving to live. Eventually, she ends up fighting Loki, trying her best not to use her powers too brashly, also while not caring if she died in the process as she felt she deserved it. At one point she gets incapacitated and knocked unconscious, leaving the rest of the Avengers to defeat Loki and capturing him. With Loki now imprisoned and free from any of the brain altering effects the staff also had on him, he’s been informed of the effects he’s had on y/n and feels a bit guilty but not too much. He still has his wicked side to him and a desire to escape and get revenge on the Avengers and Thor. Using his range of skills in lies, illusions, manipulation, and skills in combat, he tries many times to escape, all the while slowly developing a curiosity for y/n as she struggles to contain her powers and forgive herself for the destruction. Drama occurs here and there as minor fights break out about how to handle Loki. Y/n’s unstable powers are also a strong concern for the Avengers as she could indeed cause some major damage, all the while, ever since the display of her powers when she first defended herself to when she fought Loki have spread and reached the ears of Hydra agents, intrigued by them and their potential to be weaponized. As danger continues to rise, Loki finds himself feeling sympathy for y/n, seeing their similarities: they both were seen as monsters, they both don’t know their real parents, people are pursuing them to take advantage of their powers, etc. Y/N finds herself talking to Loki quite a bit as time progresses, feeling numb and not caring if he was considered dangerous (at one point or another he tricks her into entering his cell and he restrains her and threatens her to try and use her to escape, but despite her initial panic and fear, she still feels like she deserves death and pretty much doesn’t fight back). Slowly but surely a slight, unspoken bond forms between them, nothing serious or romantic, but just a connection.

One day (maybe a time skip to after the matters of Winter Soldier? I don’t know how long that might be), when an incident arises and the Avengers are called into action and take the Quinjet, taking Loki with them, manacled, to keep an eye on him, and y/n also to make sure she’s safe, a squadron from Hydra kidnap y/n and take her away to torture her and try and weaponize her. Loki, knowing how that feels with Thanos, desperately pleads with the avengers to try and save y/n. The Avengers still distrust Loki and refuse to free him but do bring him with them on their mission to rescue Y/N just in case he could provide any insight into stopping her. Y/n gets tortured and experimented on until she feels like a shell of her former self, vulnerable to manipulation. (She doesn’t necessarily get the full on “Winter Soldier” treatment, but close). When the Avengers track her down and go to rescue her, her powers, while still unstable, have grown and she uses them more confidently and aggressively to fight. Steve, having seen this before, is hesitant to fight her knowing she’s not the one in control, but still finds himself needing to do it. The others, while not necessarily wanting to fight her either, don’t have as much care or grief with fighting her as they don’t have as much of a connection to the situation as Steve. Loki witnesses a lot of the fight from the Quinjet comms and feels a pang of guilt and remorse seeing her, reminding himself of his actions.

Eventually, the Avengers take down y/n (it takes a bit not only due to her powerful, not yet completely understood powers, but also because Steve refused to let anyone take on lethal or seriously dangerous means of taking her down) and subdue her with a magic restraining collar. Not entirely sure how to reverse the brain washing without bringing her to Wakanda, she is kept in the towers as a prisoner in a cell opposite of Loki’s. Loki continues to argue with the Avengers asking to enter her cell and to remove his manacles so he can try to remind her of her memories, but the Avengers refuse to budge until Thor steps in saying he trusts Loki’s intentions and will be standing closely by to catch Loki if he tries anything, just in case. When Loki enters the cell and is freed of his manacles, while tempted to escape, he feels compelled to try and help y/n. Grabbing her head he instills his magic inside of her mind to restore her memories, reminding her of who she is. When she comes back to herself, y/n looks shell shocked and traumatized before weeping. To everyone’s shock, Loki comforts her and reassures her it’s not her fault. Y/n then proceeds to ask Loki to kill her, shocking Loki as he feels his heart crack at the thought of how she views herself. Having seen into her mind, he witnessed the tortured she endured, he witnessed her getting her powers, he witnessed her scared when she displayed her powers on accident to protect herself, he witnesses her devastation when she realized what she had done under Loki’s control, and now under Hydra’s control. He sees how broken and alone and worthless and dangerous and hated she feels. To further shock everyone else, he takes her hands into his and assured her she’s not alone. She’s not worthless. She is brimming with potential and so much more. Her scars do not define her nor do the actions or influences of others define her. Y/n quickly and rather suddenly pulls Loki into an awkward hug, Loki not really knowing how to show or return affection or care, and despite the hug feeling cold and icy, she feels her heart warm as she calms down. Thor quickly interrupts and reattached the manacles to Loki before escorting him back into his cell (he knows Tony is most definitely watching from security cameras) before carefully approaching y/n to ensure she was okay. After confirming she is, Thor escorts her to the others to reintroduce her to them and clear the air. Y/n can’t help but stare at Loki as they leave him in his cell. She feels sorry for him but also confused as to why he helped her and embarrassed at the fact she hugged Loki, the supposedly evil god of mischief, the man who had fought her, threatened her, and even mind controlled her. It felt like too much to wrap her head around.

After getting re-accustomed to the Avengers and having her revelation with Loki, y/n began to pursue training. Aided by Thor and the others, y/n slowly gains a better control of her powers, mostly how to prevent them from going haywire and getting out of control, but she still has yet to truly understand them despite knowing the case in which led to her obtaining them in the first place. Eventually, the avengers let Loki out of his cell, but requiring him to still wear the manacles and remain within the tower. Y/n, despite Loki having helped her recover from the brain washing and even showing her genuine care, found herself still being wary of Loki, especially now that he was out of his cell. Hearing of the many times he has gone behind Thor’s back or seemingly turned a new leaf only to betray Thor again made her increasingly doubtful and hesitant to believe this Loki was truly turning around or just using her as a pawn to escape and trick them all. Of course in Loki’s mind, being out of his cell was a breath of fresh air (despite him not being allowed to leave the tower besides occasionally going to the top and standing near the helipad to watch the sun set or rise). His spirits began returning to him including his mischievous and tricky nature. However, even with these returning, he didn’t have as much of an urge to act on them. At least not while y/n was around. He almost felt obligated to resist these temptations and urges as long as y/n was around as to not dishearten her or make her doubt her own abilities to stay in control of her own powers. If he slipped up or decided to leave, y/n might lose faith in herself and reclaiming the light side and controlling her powers. He already felt responsible for the pain and guilt she has experienced due to his mind control, but he couldn’t let her feel any more. He could still sometimes picture what he saw when he looked into her memories; the torture, the experiments, the loss of her own free will and identity. He couldn’t let himself go back down the road of darkness and make her think it’s inevitable she will do the same.

Despite his restraint to not cause any serious trouble, Loki still found himself causing some trickery here and there within the tower, mostly through minor illusions he could still conjure despite the manacles (his energy levels are much higher since being out of his cell) or through his general snarky, sarcastic, and sassy attitude. The Avengers still didn’t trust him, but they did begin trusting Y/n more with her control over her powers. Y/n proved her ability to keep her own for brief periods when she trained more with Thor with her powers and with Natasha with hand to hand combat. Eventually, the day came that Nick Fury approached and inquired about y/n, her moral leanings, her powers, and the potential of recruiting her for the Avengers. Y/n felt quite overwhelmed by the whole situation but also felt honored and like she could make up for the destruction she has inadvertently under the control of others by now helping others in need. As y/n grew more confident, some of the other Avengers grew concerned. Considered with his inexperienced she was, her unstable powers and emotions, her guilt complex, and even more so that hydra and even other organizations could possible still have a target on her or even more ways to control her now that they have done it already. With all these things in mind, however, the Avengers ultimately agreed with Nick Fury to recruit y/n, after all, she might as well continue to learn how to control her powers and potentially be useful instead of self loathing and dangerous. Loki managed to peer into the minds of the others and was able to piece together their plan to recruit y/n. If that’s the case, he could potentially still escape if he was certain she would be in good care with the Avengers, despite how he still detested them. His betrayal could potentially not have as big of an impact on y/n if she grew confident in her powers and ability and worth. Who knows, maybe his betrayal could even inspire her be nothing like him or to track him down. Then, they could have a more evenly matched fight. He kept lying to himself and telling himself the last part over and over again in a desperate attempt to justify his betrayal without hurting y/n. He had no real clue as to why he cared so much about y/n. Yea they had a lot in common but she was just another puny, midguard mortal.

Eventually, a mission was announced and y/n was about to go out into the field with the Avengers for the first time. Loki debated whether or not he should try to escape now or wait for another mission in which y/n may have more confidence built up after at least one successful mission. Loki ended up wracking his brain so much with his predicament he ended up not even leaving at all and still thinking by the time they all returned. A few scratches and bruises here and there but nothing too serious. Y/n was the worst looking of them all, not because she was injured severely, in fact she was probably the third most injury free, but because of how exhausted and almost gaunt she looked. It seemed her powers take severe tolls on her mind and body when she is forced to control and concentrate them to do specific tasks and avoid letting them unleash chaos. She almost fell onto the floor as she approached one of the many couches in the immensely large leisure room in the Stark Tower. She barely caught herself before flopping onto the couch and immediately falling asleep. Despite her looking like hell, seeing y/n lie there peacefully (again, despite her rather unconventional position she fell asleep in). He could sense her mind was at peace with herself. While doubts still were present, the didn’t dominate her thoughts anymore. She was easier to read like this without walls of fear and hatred and doubt clouding her mind. It wasn’t long before Loki realized the others caught him staring and y/n as they proceeded to exchange odd and confused glances. Of course, Loki being the way he is, immediately played it off that he was just in shock of how dead she looked and wondered why they seem to hate her so much to throw her into action. To which of course Thor responded by pressing his hammer into Loki’s chest and leaving it there until Loki yielded. Loki now felt more confident that he could escape during the next mission without any regrets.

But then the next mission came around and he remained.

And then again.

And again.

And yet again.

Loki was even shocked and surprised with himself. He ended up waiting nervously for them to return from their missions, now nervous something may happen to y/n. She didn’t deserve to suffer they way she did at his hands or the hands of hydra and she definitely doesn’t deserve to get injured or worse, killed while helping others. Thor began to grow hopeful and trusting of his brother, believing he had truly turned around a new leaf and that he was proud of him. That only made things harder for Loki. His whole life as a child he was jealous of his brother and secretly looked up to him, especially when they father had favored Thor over him. Loki was determined to find a way to shake off these feelings before things got any “worse”, making it harder for him to escape without a guilty conscience.

One day, when the avengers, including y/n, were on a mission, Loki saw over the news that people were trying to attack y/n specifically a family and their friends who were affected and attacked by y/n while she was under Loki’s control. Loki was able to see her powers flowing through her and her eyes as she tried to contain them as to not cause any more damage, but then the youngest one of the family against her, a young boy of around five years old, calls her a monster. Suddenly, y/n’s heart feels like it stops and shatters. Her powers glowed brightly in her veins and into her eyes as she screamed before falling to the ground, a massive shockwave rushing out from her and knocking back everything within a square mile (fortunately for the family and friends that were confronting her and everyone else in the area, the wave seemingly went around them) purple blue mist followed the wave before curving up and angling down and plummeting directly back into y/n as she seemingly uncontrollably floated into the air. When all the power returned into her, she went limp before falling to the ground, motionless. Loki immediately made his way out of the tower, desperately trying anything to remove the manacles as he rushed to the location the news had reported the incident was occurring. Halfway there, Thor stopped him having predicted he would have tried to escape a while ago but having realized his brothers developing interest in y/n. Knowing Loki held all kinds of reality changing powers within him, Thor took a leap of faith and unlocked Loki’s manacles. For a brief second, as Loki’s powers surged through him once more, he got a sudden and powerful urge to make his escape. But then an image of y/n came into his mind. And with that, he immediately pushed aside any desire of escaping to rush to y/n with Thor on his side.

When he finally got there, y/n had been pulled up off of the ground by Tony who carried her quickly trying to get away from the apparently still present threat. It was then that the immense (insert threatening, giant beast here) emerged into sight. Almost within a second of the beasts reemergence, y/n bolted straight up out of Tony’s arms, eyes glossed over with a purple and blue hue. She walked forward to the beast seemingly in a daze, unresponsive to the avengers cries. Suddenly, the beasts attention is turned to the family from before. Y/n’s eyes come back into focus as she realizes what’s happening. Without a second thought y/n rushed in front of the family and produces an immense wall of energy, defending them from the beast. As the beast struck at the wall, it appeared as though y/n was feeling the force transmit from the wall into her. The Avengers and Loki, albeit shocked and confused as to what was happening, took advantage of this to strike at the beast with all they had. When the beast seemingly began to weaken, y/n’s wall broke down and sent her flying back with the force of one of the beasts swipes. The family, now exposed, found themselves facing death as the beast lowered in to attack. Before it could make any advance, however, y/n bloodied and staggering, made her way between the beast and the family once more. Putting in all of her energy she produced one more wall of energy right as the beast struck, this time, y/n forced the energy into the beast and sent it flying back, but it grabs her last minute too and she flies with it.

The dust settles and the beast is slayed. The family immediately gets ushered to safety by Nat and Clint as the others close in on the beast to see what remains of y/n. Lying motionless on the ground as blood streamed from her head and chest, a razor claw is stuck through her upper right side of her chest and shoulder, the beast had just barely managed to swipe at here as she forced it back. Loki immediately rushed to her said and held her, to the shock and initial protests of the others, and began creating magic runes on y/n’s exposed skin around the wound. Y/n’s slowly fluttered open before she released a sharp shriek of pain. Seeing Loki healing her was too much with everything else going on, almost feeling like a fever dream. Her vision went in and out of focus as her blood loss lessened with Loki healing her. As he did so, he carefully and slowly lifted y/n off of the beast’s claw, resulting in many painful groans and shrill exclamations from y/n, eventually making it all of the way off and allowing Loki to safely seal the wound. Both looked absolutely exhausted. Y/n with blood loss and overloading her magic, and Loki straining his magic to its extent while it still is freshly returned to him and kinda of hard to control for now. It wasn’t before long when y/n closed her eyes and fell almost motionless once again, just her chest rising and falling as she breathed deep and raspy breaths.

Immediately returning to the tower, Loki not being forced to wear his manacles for the time being as somewhat of a test trial, y/n was ushered to the medical floor to rest and be treated for any other injuries alongside the other avengers who had managed to be wounded. Loki found himself almost never leaving y/n’s side, peering into her mind and seeing her at peace, feeling as though she had made it up for what damage she had previously done. And while this made Loki secretly happy for her, it also made him somber as it was his fault to begin with. It was four days before y/n woke up. And to her surprise, the god of mischief was slumped against the wall on the ground next to her bed, asleep. Despite it undeniably being a weird site to see, y/n felt warm and fuzzy inside. Suddenly, she remembered exactly what happened and quickly nudged Loki’s shoulder to wake him up. Loki immediately sprung to his feet to get a good look at y/n, awake and moving. In a reverse turn of events, this time it was Loki who pulled y/n into a rushed hug. This time, it was just right. Y/n returned the hug and they stayed there for a bit before slowly receding back. Y/n opened her mouth to say thank you, but before she could, Loki quite suddenly and boldly said he was sorry. Sorry for everything. Sorry for hurting her and making her do things that led to her hating herself, sorry that because of him, she’s had to suffer like this. As he apologized, tears began to well up in his eyes. Y/n was taken aback before gently cupping his face and telling him it wasn’t his fault either, the power of the staff was affecting his mind too. They were both used. It was another beat of silence as they both just stared into the galaxies in each other’s eyes. They were bonded and connected more deeply than ever before in ways no one else could ever understand. Slowly, they both inched their faces closer to each other...

And kissed.

Right as the rest of the avengers showed up to see y/n.

#marvel #mcu #loki x you #Loki #loki x y/n #loki x reader #writing #short story #fake fic summary #story ideas