#there's a much higher chance of staying sober with a support system

[loveandthings11]

How Deep My Love Goes, Chapter 11

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Fic Summary: A Kenrava-focused fix-it alongside canon 💗

Nobody Stays Missing

Two minutes after Kendall has taken his first steps out the door and toward Logan to deliver the letter, Rava sits down and turns her attention to her case for as long as she can before everything blows up. She taps her pen against her laptop keyboard and glances back and forth from her scribbled notes to her typed ones, trying in vain to find the missing piece of her case- written evidence from the company of the years of stolen wages. She looks over her client Tony Trume’s latest distressed email, concerned about his coworker friend and wondering if he’s in danger himself. 

She drops her face into her hands for a moment, wishing she knew an expert in international corporate law. She briefly thinks of Gerri and hesitates. The questions alone would sound like an accusation of having been on the wrong side of cases like this before, and Kendall is about to be at war with Waystar. Rava looks at her phone and thinks maybe she could just ask a quick hypothetical, one lawyer to another. Gerri doesn’t know what’s happening with Kendall yet, she’d still pick up the phone- for the next five minutes. She takes a breath and presses her name. Gerri answers on the first ring. 

“Gerri Kellman.”

“Gerri, hi. It’s Rava.” She can practically hear Gerri’s eyebrows go up.

“Rava? Um, hi, how are you? Enjoying the festivities?”

“Oh, yeah. You know, the Roy joys.” She sounds forced and she knows it.

“Uh-huh.”

“Well,” Rava continues, “I actually have a hypothetical for you- having nothing to do with Waystar, just a case thing. Can I run something by you? I’m no expert in corporate law.”

“Oh. Sure, go ahead,” Gerri answers with slight confusion. Rava wonders how much time she has before Kendall gets to Logan’s room with the letter. While Rava details the situation, Gerri stays quiet.

“So, that’s it,” Rava finishes. “Stolen wages for years, a whistleblower who went missing, and a new whistleblower who is terrified that the same thing is going to happen to him. If a situation like that were to occur, what would be the best way to proceed, do you think? I’m, uh… a little lost, but you know this stuff.” Rava smiles into that last part, an effort to curry favor with a woman she knows gets too little credit. Gerri takes a moment.

“Honestly? If I were the attorney on this, well, I wouldn’t be. This kind of thing tends to be bad for everyone except the company you’re after. Look out for yourself here. Nobody will be kind to your reputation if you lose this, and I’m sorry to say it, but you will probably lose this.”

Rava feels a bit of the chill she’d feared. Gerri probably ate cases like this for lunch twenty years ago. She blinks and considers for a moment. She knows she probably only has seconds left before Gerri finds out what Kendall’s done. She can almost hear his footsteps.

“Are you saying that because you’re general counsel for an international company, or because you believe it?”

Gerri sighs and Rava hears a phone vibration on the other end. 

“Both.” She pauses. “Fuck. Look, I’m sorry, I think you know what I have to go deal with-“

“Right, yeah. I appreciate you hearing me out.”

“Sure. Bye, Rava.”

The end of the call sounds final. They’re on opposite sides now. Regret starts to creep up as Rava wonders if hearing that was worth the risk of letting someone else in on her case. She looks at her phone and decides to calm down by taking a look at the photos of the wedding party from just an hour before. She’d asked the photographer to take a couple of shots on her phone of just her and Kendall. She’d run up just in the nick of time and slipped in next to him. He’d smiled and whispered, “Thank God, Shiv just asked if I was hallucinating you coming here.” The camera had caught him whispering in her ear and her laughing. She hopes this bear hug works so Logan can officially be out of the way and she can see Kendall’s smile all the time. It warms her chest even to think about how happy he’ll be when he’s finally in charge. 

……………..

“That was really hard.” Kendall stares into the void as the image of Logan’s eyes floats in his head. Filled with anger, shock, disapproval… pride? That’s probably too hopeful. Stewy pats his knee.

“I know. You did it, man. Hey.” Kendall glances up at him. “You fuckin’ did it.” He nods. He can’t remember how to smile right now.

“I fucked my sister’s wedding.”

Stewy rolls his eyes but keeps his tone gentle.

“Well, I’m sure you won’t fuck the next one. Now you’ve learned who to trust. Me. Not Frank. Maybe not Ro-Ro, as much as it hurts.” Kendall looks down. 

“You literally told me not to trust you,” he mutters. Stewy chooses not to hear that and Kendall continues. “But, yeah, it’s not our fault Roman didn’t answer the phone. I had to act or the whole thing would’ve fallen apart. I know he wasn’t expecting it to happen today, obviously- uh, well, none of us were.”

“Yeah, thanks for that, Ken, by the way.” Kendall ignores him. 

“And we don’t even know if he ignored the call on purpose,” Kendall continues. “Maybe he did hear about the press leak and he thought he could change teams at the last minute. Just detach himself and run right back to Dad?” Kendall presses his lips together in stress and slumps forward while he worries.

“You didn’t ask your Dad if Roman had come to him?” Stewy inquires before realizing Kendall could probably barely make himself say the part he planned. “Okay- no, I get it, that was enough for you.” He switches to an easy vibe to keep them both calm. “Honestly, Roman was probably too busy getting fucked up to answer, he’s sick of this shit. Probably the most he’s worked in his entire life,” he laughs. Kendall feels queasy not knowing the answer and Stewy wants to pull them both out of the worrying. “But who cares? Time to celebrate. Drinks!” He gets up and pours himself a generous glass of scotch from the crystal bottle on the nearby mahogany table, opening his jacket and taking out a little plastic bag like they both always used to carry. Kendall visibly shrinks back and shakes his head. 

“Come on, man, again?” Kendall tries, wondering how it’s possible that he still doesn’t get it. Stewy rolls his eyes.

“If you don’t want any, just turn that way.” He gestures toward the wall and pours a bit of coke onto the table. Kendall inhales sharply and gets up and walks toward the door. 

“I can’t be in here if you’re gonna do that.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Stewy says as he cuts up a line and snorts it. 

That’s it.

“It IS a fucking big deal,” Kendall spits out, prompting Stewy’s slow head turn toward him, standing right at the door facing away. He’s been putting up with this for years and now is not a relaxing moment. Now is the time when it’s hardest to say no and Stewy should have known that. He focuses on the carved wood on the door, counting the almost invisible marks in the grain.

“Dude. Relax, I’ll put it away,” Stewy says. Kendall closes his eyes and doesn’t want to turn around. He hates feeling like people think he’s a buzzkill, but he just can’t take it. Stewy looks over at him and puts the bag back in his jacket. “Ken. It’s fine, you can turn around.” He reluctantly does. “It’s all good, man. We’re doing this.” There’s a pause. “Hey. Like we always planned, yeah?” Kendall nods. 

“Yeah.” He looks at the wall and the floor. “I gotta go, the fam’s waiting.” He reaches for the doorknob.

“Ken.” Stewy tilts his head and tries to look at him. Kendall wishes anyone he knew knew how to apologize.

“It’s fine. I’m good.”

Stewy looks at him, feeling discontented with a hint of regret.

“Really? Is this actually about this, or about the vote? Are we good?”

Kendall shrugs.

“Sure.” He opens the door and shuts it behind him. He turns and almost runs into Iverson on the gravelly path, trailed by Rava and Sophie a little ways back.

“Hey!” Rava calls as Iverson walks over to him first. “We were just looking for you.” Kendall leans down to give Iverson a hug. 

“That picture you drew is the best thing I’ve ever seen,” he says seriously. “I mean that.” His son smiles and Kendall looks up at Rava and Sophie as they get closer.

“Hey,” he says. He knows he sounds spent and he feels like it. Rava’s eyes widen.

“You okay? How was talking to your dad?” She looks apprehensive but hopeful. Kendall sighs.

“I mean… it’s done, so, yeah.” He stands up and they all start walking back toward their room. 

“And…?” 

“I don’t know. That was just-“ he sighs again. Everything always has to pile on at once. His dad will never forgive him. He’s in a fight with Stewy. He can’t believe he’s going to have to face the entire family hating him at Shiv’s wedding, to face Roman thinking he cut him out on purpose and possibly turning against him. “Is it- can I just not talk about it right now?”

“Sure,” Rava says with concern as he gazes at the road in front of them. “It’s good we’re going back to the room before the festivities start.” The festivities. He can’t imagine wanting to go to a wedding reception later. He nods. The room sounds good. He hopes it’s quiet.

The kids want to continue their walk, so Bianca takes them out. Kendall and Rava enter back into their suite, all heavy wood and velvet upholstery in jewel tones of deep green and blue. Kendall pulls off his shoes as Rava steps down from her heels. He gazes at the grand canopy bed and wants to lie down more than anything. He fiddles with his jacket and Rava gives him a warm look. 

“Are you worrying about wrinkling your suit?” He glances down with a small smile. She knows him so well. “Maybe if you just lie really still,” she suggests jokingly. He gives in and hangs up his jacket, walking back and lying down on his back staring up at the ceiling for a minute. She sits down next to him and looks over. She can’t take the suspense anymore. She has to know something. She starts with an easy question.

“So, um- did he yell? When you gave him the letter?”

Kendall exhales.

“Yeah.”

She puts her hand on his arm, a gentle reminder that she knows how hard that is for him. He turns his head away and tries to mentally float away from the memory.

“And… I mean, what did he say?”

“He wouldn’t even read it.” She winces a little. “I told him.” He closes his eyes and she smiles a bit sadly.

“Well… you did it.”

“Uh huh.” She rubs his arm.

“It’ll be okay,” she assures him. He keeps his eyes closed.

“Yeah? Do you have any proof?” 

She chuckles a little. 

“Only proof that it’s always ended up okay.” He opens his eyes slowly. She’s not wrong. She wonders if she should tell him about the talk she’d had with Gerri, but thinks now is not the time. It’s not the right day to mention anyone at Waystar. She decides on someone safer. “Hey, does Stewy want to join us and head over to cocktail hour later?” She figures he’s on the team now and his presence might be a positive distraction from the Logan mess. Kendall squirms a little at the thought of explaining and hopes he can just keep his distance from Stewy for the rest of the day.

“Uh, no. No, he’s- let’s just go with the kids.”

“Okay.” She looks at him expectantly. “Everything okay there? He’s still on board and everything?”

“Yeah. Yeah, he’s in.” He’s quiet for a second.

“Did something happen? What’s wrong?” She asks.

“Nothing, just-“ He briefly wishes he had the ability to hide small things like this from her and resigns himself to the fact that she’s too perceptive for that. Sometimes it’s a relief that she can read him like a book, but not at the moment. “He just- lives in the past sometimes. You know?” She gives him a confused look.

“No, what does that-“ She closes her eyes for a second as it hits her. “Jesus Christ. In the room with you? He’s doing drugs right in front of you?” She massages her temples. “I really might kill him, Ken.”

“No, it’s- you know, it’s fine. I mean, he stopped when I asked- when I told him to.”

She shakes her head and looks down at him.

“You shouldn’t have to tell him to,” she says. How anyone could want to make recovery harder for him than it already is is beyond her. Kendall looks at her and implores her with his eyes.

“Don’t say anything. Just- let it be. He’s not gonna change. I can’t have any more enemies right now.”

“Right. So it’s fine that for the next year you’re going to be having meetings at powder-covered conference tables? I don’t think so.” They hear the door open from the living room of the suite and Bianca’s keys jingle. “It’s not just about what you’re okay with,” she says, glancing in the direction of the door where the kids are. They share a meaningful look and he takes a deep breath.

“Yeah. I’ll deal with it.”

She nods, but she’s simmering beneath her placid surface. She considers the dynamic between Kendall and Stewy. Kendall gave Stewy another chance after he abstained from the vote. Stewy didn’t seem concerned that abstaining might end their friendship. He gave Kendall the money, but that just gave him more power over him. As far she Rava can tell, Stewy has the upper hand and Kendall isn’t going to say anything that could jeopardize their coalition. But this is just too important. There is no coalition if everyone in it is high out of their minds. She won’t lose him to a company or an overgrown fraternity.

“You know, I think I left my scarf at the ceremony, I’ll be right back.” She pats his shoulder and gets up, heading back down the path to the room she found him walking out of. She swings open the door and is suddenly alone with Stewy, who is disconcerted as he looks up from the slightly powdery table where his laptop is.

“What on earth were you thinking?” She hisses. Stewy drops his head back and sighs. “Remember Sophie and Iverson, his children? I would think as his supposed best friend you would care whether he can see them?”

“He tattled on me? Jesus… come on, you’re not taking the kids,” he says sarcastically. The cavalier attitude makes her want to scream. She closes her eyes in frustration and memories she hates start to come up. She doesn’t know how to get through to him except to bring him back.

“I- I mean, you were there. Covered his face from the photographers? Sat with me in the fucking ambulance? Promised me this would never happen again? ‘Never again.’ That’s what you said from the doorway of the hospital room you were too scared to come into. Remember any of that? Or have you obliterated all those brain cells?” She scoffs. 

Stewy tries to keep his usual cool , but she can tell she’s getting to him. It had been the only time she’d ever heard him say ‘I’m sorry.’ He’s rarely at a loss for words and he doesn’t like being guilt-tripped. She doesn’t need to play dirty and he resents her acting like it’s his fault Kendall has a problem. The defensiveness combines with the coke and spills out for a moment.

“Stop, it is not a big deal.” Rava’s eyes widen and he hears himself and backtracks a little. “Yeah, I know. I remember.” He can’t bring himself to get deep right now and just wants her to go so he can get the evening started. “I’ve already gotten my scolding for the day. I got it. Okay? No more. I seriously did not think he’d care.” He starts walking out but can’t quite stop himself from turning back around to face her. “You know, it’s not my fault he can’t handle his shit like I can.”

“Can you?” She asks pointedly. She gestures to the table, clearly not yet cleaned. “I mean, can you not?”

He rolls his eyes but it takes a second.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine,” he says.

“Well, sometimes I do.”

“You worry about me. Because you care?” He asks airily, sarcasm almost masking curiosity.

She takes a second. He doesn’t have many people looking out for him.

“Yes, Stewy. Because I have the burden of worrying and caring about other people.”

“Oh, right. That must be terrible,” he deadpans. The corners of her mouth turn up nearly imperceptibly.

“Sometimes.” They look at each other. “You know, if you ever want to talk about it, I have experience in being supportive,” she offers carefully.

“You should save that for the guy who needs it,” he says, not unkindly, but not without defensiveness.

“Okay. Whatever you say.” She takes a step toward the door and looks over her shoulder at him. “Never again.”

Stewy nods and mets her gaze for a second.

“Yeah. Never again.”

Rava strides back into the suite and finds Kendall standing just inside the bedroom waiting for her. She stops short as she sees her pashmina draped over his arm.

“Found your scarf.” He raises his eyebrows and looks at her coolly. “I told you I would deal with him,” he says iin disbelief.

“Well, to be honest-“

“You didn’t think I would so you went behind my back.”

“Ken-“ 

He shakes his head.

“That’s great, Rava. You know, if you want to treat someone like a kid, we have two of them.” She rolls her eyes.

“Right. Because that’s what this is.”

“No, what this actually sounds like to me is you having no faith that I can do what I promise. You said that phase was over. ‘New phase.’ But it’s not. You don’t even think I can stand up for myself with someone I’ve known forever? So- so what else do you not think I can do?”

She hears the freakout and sighs, keeping her voice even.

“Okay. I’m not doing this. You’re talking to yourself, you know that? It’s you who’s worried you’re not up to the job, or staying clean, or whatever you’re referring to, not me. And if you want to talk about that, I am here. But Stewy and I are fine.” He’s getting more wound up by the second, feeling the tension of the day coming back after his brief attempt at relaxation.

“You don’t know what I’m thinking.”

“Well, fine. I’m sorry for caring so much about keeping you safe that I’ll go talk to someone who is putting you in danger.”

He scoffs. “Stewy? Okay. I don’t need you to keep me safe, I can take care of myself.”

A silence louder than their voices fills the room.

“Got it. New phase.” She raises her eyebrows and walks toward the door. He sighs and follows after her. Distance is not the phase he meant.

“Well, I didn’t- I- no,” he starts. She feels self-conscious and crosses her arms. “I love that you care.” He comes closer and hesitantly places his hand on her arm. “I love this,” he gestures between them. “I just- just let me deal with my own stuff.” She nods without looking at him. She reprimands herself for wanting to be needed so badly. There’s some relationship book she’d read making her out to be a bad partner for that- for viewing him as someone to fix or save. They haven’t seen his eyes, she’d thought, but she knew they had a point. 

“Yeah. I’m sorry,” she says blandly. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out on your own.” She meant it to sound genuine, but it just makes him sigh. He didn’t mean actually alone. She brushes her hand down his arm and steps away a little bit. “You go ahead to the reception. I’ll catch up later with the kids.” She can feel that he’s upset but she can’t look.

“You’re- you’re skipping cocktail hour? Rava.” 

But she’s walking back into the room already. She knows she shouldn’t do this, but her skin is crawling at the whole situation and she wants to be alone. But it’s the last thing he wants. He can’t believe that she won’t admit she’s wrong and he doesn’t even know who he can talk to at this stupid cocktail hour where there are no cocktails for him. He wishes he could summon that little plastic bag and anything else that might numb him. He feels guilty as he wonders if he’ll ever stop missing Macallan 30. 

Reluctantly, he drags himself into the section of the stone manor that houses this part of the event and puts his hands in his pockets as he passes under the huge wooden archway of the door. He thought he was done making awkward event entrances by himself. He’s almost afraid to look around because he might accidentally make eye contact with someone who wants to kill him, but he quickly glances up to see if Roman’s around- and sees Caroline heading his way. Oh, good. Her smile is gleeful.

“Kendall.” She kisses his cheek. 

“Hi, Mom.” He prepares himself for whatever barbs are coming at him.

“I heard you ruined your father’s day before he even got into his suit,” she titters. “I’m so proud.” He tries not to take the much-needed comment seriously.

“Yeah. Thanks.” The last time they’d talked alone, four months ago, was when Kendall had called to try to connect with her on a lonely Saturday. He was looking forward to the CEO announcement and wanted to share it with someone. Caroline had sounded highly doubtful that Logan would keep his word and it had made him bite his nails and lose sleep for a night. She’d assured him it would be better for him to get out and he’d attempted to explain why that was literally unthinkable. He’d tried to throw in a bit about missing Rava and his eventual plan to win her back, and she’d told him how smart she’d always thought Rava was to stay out of the Roy fray. Kendall had felt stung and wondered why he always kept trying with his mom. He looks cautiously at her as she continues.

“Where’s Rava? Haven’t you gotten her enough staff for her to come join the fun?”

“Yes, Mom. She’ll be here. I guess.”

She looks pleasantly amused and takes a sip of her champagne. Kendall looks at the glass enviously. 

“So, how long do you give it?” His eyes flash up at her. Even he has a limit.

“How long do I give us?” He asks incredulously. “Really?”

“No!” Caroline laughs again, light and tinged with the discomfort of a life of never being taken seriously. “Your sister and Tom.” He takes a breath.

“Oh.” Nice not to be the target. “Uh, I don’t know, until she convinces Dad to make Tom head of whatever the fuck and she finds out that’s all he wanted?”

“Are you going to promote Tom if you win this little game you’re playing with Logan?”

“It’s not a game.” She looks slightly suspicious and Kendall feels more annoyed than ever at the fact that Logan thinks they’re just playing chess. “And as for Tom, as much as I love social climbers…” he trails off as he sees Rava coming through the room’s grand entryway in her blue silk dress. She starts a conversation with the people next to her and doesn’t look around for him. Caroline follows his gaze.

“So what did you do?” She asks. “The au pair?” He shuts his eyes and sighs. 

“Jesus. Obviously not.”

“So now poor Rava’s stuck with the kids and doesn’t come to cocktail hour on time?” He looks miserable. “Always the serious one,” she almost laughs and he wishes she would be serious for one second. She pats his hand. “But the handsome one, too. I’m sure you could do better than that nanny. Lord knows your father always did.” Kendall remembers feeling sorry for her once it occurred to him around age fourteen that Logan kept mistresses at the other residences where he occasionally stayed. 

“Okay, Mom. That’s not- no. I’m not Dad.” 

“No, no, of course not. Only joking.” She tilts her head down and raises her eyebrows. “You could laugh. Not all of us want to be so sullen.” Kendall gives her a dry look and Caroline takes another sip as she looks over at Rava. “Only been a few months since her miraculous return, and she’s all the way over there.” He feels a little lost in resentment. “Careful. The drifting happens before you know what’s hit you.”

Kendall looks at his mom and wishes he could really talk to her, ask her advice and have her give him a hug. He briefly considers the fact that she is referencing a time when she missed Logan and he tries to conjure a memory of his parents laughing or flirting or kissing. A strange sense of pity for both of them settles onto him and he wonders if Caroline ever held Logan the way Rava holds him every night. If Logan would even let her. Stewy’s advice to distance himself from the Enemy echoes in his head as he struggles not to empathize with them.  He’d watched as they’d started to sleep in separate rooms, then separate houses as he got into his late teens. The idea of being distant from Rava that way makes him feel sick.

“Well, we’re not drifting. We’ll figure it out.”

“Of course. So, you give Shiv what- a year?”

“Sure,” he replies. Caroline smiles.

“Come outside with your dear old mum?” She asks, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from her clutch. He glances at them.

“Really trying to quit,” he answers. “For the kids.”

“Oh, you’re no fun anymore,” his mom teases.

“Yeah, that’s what I hear,” he sighs.

“Just one. Or stay here and wait for the feral dogs to come after you,” she says with a twinkle in her eye. "I hear they're all out looking."

He sighs again and turns and follows Caroline outside. He lights her cigarette and stands in the windy air. It’s cold and he buttons up his coat to stop it from prickling his skin through his suit. She hands the cigarette to him and he takes a drag, taking a moment to feel the calm before handing it back and deciding that’s it for the night. He and Rava don’t need another thing to fight about. It’s been weeks and he’s been doing so well. He stares out at the landscape he has so many memories of running in. The feeling of freedom was nice, even if it wasn’t real.

"So, you, uh, just got inspired to get me out of there right on time?" He asks.

"Well, I'm a philanthropist now," she says with a delectable sarcasm.

"Oh yeah?"

"According to Tatler. I wouldn't dare argue with that kind of expertise." He almost chuckles. Did she do something just to be nice?

"Uh-huh."

“You know, your father nearly smacked a waiter tonight, couldn’t have been more than twenty years old.” She says it like she wishes she were surprised. Kendall shakes his head.

“Well, is the kid okay?”

“Oh, he’s all paid off and drove off, that’s the way. No consequences for Logan.”

“Yeah.” Kendall pauses. “Maybe. Maybe there are consequences for him.”

Kendall walks Caroline back into the party and starts carefully wandering into the minefield of a cocktail hour, scanning for Rava. They have to fix this. He hated going to weddings during the separation, even when he was only there for the networking. He used to sit at the table and stare at cake he couldn’t eat during slow songs. Sometimes if the song hit home too hard he’d find an excuse to leave the room. He and Rava always fed each other wedding cake at receptions they attended to recall their own happy day. Loneliness was so much worse when it felt like the memories of his own wedding day were getting rained on. This was the first wedding he’s looked forward to in years- their first as a reunited couple- and he doesn’t want it to be a loss. 

He’s shocked to spot her in the corner with Stewy as well as Kendall’s least favorite board member, Paul. Kendall is under no delusions of who the “friend” was who Stewy had told him wanted Rava. He feels a surge of anger at all three of them- how could Stewy let Paul talk to Rava? How could Rava make up with Stewy before him? How could Paul still be hitting on Rava even after they had officially and very publicly gotten back together?? The way he’s looking and smiling at Rava makes Kendall want to scream. Paul must be twenty years older than them, it’s pathetic. He can see Paul’s eyes flitting to places only he can touch and he has to take a breath so he doesn’t force him to back away. He thinks vengefully about how long Paul will last on the board when he’s CEO. He makes a beeline for their group and tries to stay as smooth as he can. Stewy sees him coming and puts his arm around him once he gets there, patting his back and bringing him into the circle.

“Ken. So glad you made it.” Stewy makes eye contact for a moment. “Seriously.”

“Yeah. Me too,” Kendall answers. We’re good. He swiftly turns to Rava.

“Hi,” he says with a smile at her, kissing her cheek and slipping his arm around her waist. She looks pleasantly surprised at the warmth in what she was expecting to be an awkward moment. He looks at Paul as he wraps his fingers around her side, making sure her body is touching his.

“Paul, good to see you,” he says with what Rava has often joked is his “business smile” as he reaches out his hand to shake Paul’s. She recognizes the expression and tries to hide a grin. This is an entirely different kind of awkward moment.

“You too, Kendall. Hope life outside the Waystar family is serving you well.” Kendall stops himself from rolling his eyes at the obvious dig.

“Yeah. I’m good,” Kendall confirms. 

“Rava was just telling me that you two are heading to Saint-Tropez this season.”

Kendall’s fury at Paul subsides a little at the mention of the couple’s old inside joke- Rava used to tell other people that she and Kendall were going on vacation before she’d ask him so he would have no choice but to take time off and go with her. He looks at Rava and she gives him an apologetic smile. He chuckles. 

“That’s right, I had almost forgotten. But yeah, it’s about time. Pretty over this dreariness. It’s about time to take my wife to the Riviera again.”

“Oh, yeah, well, maybe I’ll see you there. I’m getting a place there this winter too,” Paul replies.

Stewy looks quietly delighted at the passive-aggressive discord and Rava catches his eye for half a second to share in the amusement. The ice between everyone in the circle melts a bit as she leans into Kendall.

“We would love that,” she says. Kendall glances down at her with a hint of a smile. Paul gets the picture and looks at the ice cubes Stewy is lightly swirling. 

“Stewy, can’t have an empty glass. To the bar?”

“Thank God, yes. Excuse us.” Stewy nods and smiles at Kendall and Rava before he walks away. 

Rava looks up at Kendall and hopes he doesn’t let go. His muscles loosen a little but he keeps his arm around her.

“That whole thing with Stewy-“ she starts. “-I should have told you I wanted to talk to him. I got scared, Ken. I don’t think he respects your sobriety. As your friend, he should, so I told him that. We just… hadn’t checked in in a long time. He and I are okay, though. We just needed a minute.” She gives him a hug that he can tell she needs for comfort. He hugs her back and turns his face into her hair. 

“Okay. Yeah- I mean, I don’t know that I really wanted to talk to him about it anyway. I want you guys to be fine though. This is going to be hard if you’re arguing all the time.” They move apart and she shakes her head. 

“No, we won’t. We’re fine now- and I hope he’s going to do better. He knows I want good things for him, too.”

“Okay. Good.” He takes a second. “I really hate fighting with you,” he says quietly. He barely shakes his head for a second. “I don’t want us to, like, drift, you know?” He sighs and searches her eyes before glancing down for a moment. The thought of being distant and cold like his parents is so genuinely upsetting that he can feel a lump forming in his throat. “I’m fucking insanely stressed and I know things are all over the place, but- I don’t want to do things ‘on my own.’ I tried that, you know… and I hated it.”

“Hey, no, no drifting. Come here, Superman.” She pulls him back. “I want you right here all the time,” she lays her hand on the back of his head with her chin over his shoulder. It feels so freeing to say the truth after trying to keep her distance for so long. He breathes in her scent and lets some tension go. He wishes they were already in their room so he wouldn’t have to let go so fast. This day has been exhausting and it’s hitting him. He just wants to curl up in bed and fall asleep to the sound of her breathing.

“That’s what I want too,” he murmurs. He pauses to collect himself before remembering the conversation they’d just been a part of. “That and for Paul to fall off a cliff,” he grumbles, tightening his arms around her and slipping his hands just a bit lower on her back. Rava smiles and decides to egg him on just a little bit.

“Ohhhh, he’s not that bad.”

Kendall pulls back to look at her.

“No?” He asks with just enough humor to keep it low-key. “You don’t see the way that old geezer looks at you? I can’t wait til I don’t need his vote and can fire him Dad-style, whole board watching.”

“Ken,” She stifles a laugh. “That is insane.”

“He was fucking undressing you with his eyes,” he mutters. Rava smiles and presses her chest into him. 

“Well, maybe after the reception I’ll let you undress me with your hands.” 

“Are you flirting with me?” He brushes his cheek against hers and works all the charm he has. She pretends to think.

“I think I might be.” He feels the warmth come back into his body.

“So, reception for, like, not that long?” He laughs. She laughs along and he takes her hand as they walk toward the reception hall. “Are the kids-?”

“With Connor,” she answers.

“Oh, good. They’ll come back teaching us about fucking- cryogenics and conspiracy theories about French history,” he jokes. “Actually though, I’ve always thought he should be a dad.”

Rava shrugs and grins. 

“Maybe he will be. Willa’s not exactly age-appropriate.” He chuckles.

“Yeah. The kids need cousins.” The thought makes him happy and Rava considers what a good job Connor did with his first kid.

……………..

The passive-aggressive toasts that veer toward simply aggressive make Rava shake her head and roll her eyes at Kendall every minute or so, quietly laughing at the pathetic nature of their insults. She’s keeping it light enough that he can ignore most of the jabs in his direction and he’s grateful only to have to listen halfway. It’s hard to distract him when Logan subtly accuses him of ruining the wedding, but he tries to focus on knowing what he’s doing is right. He looks nervously at Roman and is not comforted by his lack of eye contact, which feels purposeful. Kendall can’t decide if he’s being paranoid or not. Next to him, Rava almost catches Gerri's eye, but Gerri deftly avoids looking back. As Rava sips more champagne, her tongue gets more acidic, making him laugh with her sharp comments about everyone’s caustic remarks. He admires how naturally she can lighten a mood, the way she can smooth over the most difficult situations so effortlessly. He’s always wished he had that kind of ease and hopes it somehow soaks into him. During a brief break between toasts, Kendall gets curious about her family politics.

“Hey, how’s everything with your stepdad these days? I know he was kind of being difficult to you around Thanksgiving-“

“And most of the time? You know, he ‘expects my success!’” she imitates. She gives him a twinkle. “But unsurprisingly, he’s been much nicer since I told him we’re back together.” Kendall tries not to let the glow shine through his eyes. He’s unsuccessful and Rava thinks it’s sweet. She knows how much it means to him to get challenging parental approval. “He does love you,” she smiles.

Kendall shrugs in a comically exaggerated way.

“I should be the favorite somewhere, right?” 

She takes his hand under the table and chances a look in Logan’s direction. She catches him calmly looking right at Kendall. The vitriol seems to have left his icy blue eyes, and for a second, she could swear he was just a dad wanting to see his son at a family wedding. 

“Mmm, I wouldn’t discount being number one here either. Not just yet,” she says. 

Kendall decides he likes the premise too much to argue with it, but his stomach twists at the idea that his dad must feel betrayed and furious. He allows himself a millisecond-long glance at his father, who he can see is turning away. He feels a pang of regret and tries to replace it with fortitude, but he’s hit with a wave of desperate wishes to be closer to him, to hear that he’s proud, to get a hug just given out of affection. He thinks about how hard he’s trying to earn his dad’s respect and wonders if he can ever win his love. He remembers Logan smiling at him when he was a little kid and feeling like the world was his every time. What had he done wrong to lose that? He runs through every corporate action he had taken since his dad had bestowed the future title on him a year and a half ago. The late-night strategy sessions they’d had about his ascendence to the throne were some of the only bright spots of the last few years. “When it’s you,” Logan had always started, “I want you to focus in on…” Kendall had always had to try with all his might to hear anything after ‘when it’s you’ in his father’s gruff, strong, self-assured voice. He could have sworn he felt the hot shots of adrenaline and dopamine shooting through his entire body. The few times he’d received praise for doing something right, he had floated home on air. Anxiety floods him at the thought that he might never get another night like those. He’s dying for reassurance.

“I think we should go to your parents’ house when we get back,” he says suddenly. Rava smiles uncertainly.

“Okay.” She squeezes his hand. “You in need of some cookies and compliments?”

He had truly missed his in-laws during their time apart. Rava’s mom and step-dad had always been so kind to him in ways his own parents never were. Rava’s mom Cheryl freely hugged him all the time and always asked the cook to bring him seconds. Their beautiful house always smelled like some delicious baked good, and even into his thirties she would still pat him on the shoulder and tell him he was doing a great job and deserved a break. Rava’s step-dad Robert poured him scotch and talked business in a much more upbeat and excited way than Logan did, once in a while even offering a high-five after hearing about a successful board vote or an acquisition when Kendall managed to save existing jobs while still turning a profit. It was so rare that Kendall got the chance to talk about work with someone who had no financial stake in what happened and just genuinely wanted him to succeed. As a powerful M&A lawyer, Robert had high expectations of Rava and could be hard on her, and Kendall tried to slip in bits about her success too. They went golfing every few months after Robert retired, and Kendall knew it as worth enduring Logan’s disapproval of him having any other family members. One of the most painful casualties of the separation for Kendall was his never-ending worry that his surrogate parents for seventeen years now thought he was a junkie and hated him. But Rava had reminded him throughout their time apart that she would never talk about him that way and that they were also sad about the split.

“Cookies and compliments,” he breaks into a little smile and looks at the table. “Do you know how good that sounds right now?” He almost laughs at himself for how much he needs to be around people who honestly like him in this moment.

“Then we’ll go. For now, how about some cake, and your hair looks nice,” she says with a grin. He reaches up to check his hair in case it was messy and that was a joke. She laughs lightly. “Really? I meant that! It is definitely time to go to my parents’. You need a break.”

“Stewy will love that.”

“He’ll love having you getting things done at full capacity. And Roman- where is Roman?”

“Uh, we don’t know,” he replies uneasily. 

“You don’t know?” She repeats. 

“He gave his speech, he went somewhere with Tabitha maybe, I don’t see her either now, but… you know- weird timing.”

“Well, yeah,” she agrees. Just as she finishes the word, the DJ returns and turns on the fun music everyone’s been waiting for. Kendall and Rava breathe a sigh of relief at being free from the dangerous speeches and walk out onto the dance floor. Kendall stops for a minute to look around and make sure it’s safe out there. Logan is walking out with Frank and Gerri, Shiv is with Tom at the head table, and Roman has indeed disappeared. He finds that particularly worrisome but decides to push it out of his mind and enjoy the moment. Rava goes ahead to the kids and the three of them start dancing while Kendall hangs back. Classic multicolored uplighting flits across their faces and he takes a moment to absorb the purely happy scene. Rava catches his eye and smiles as she does silly dance moves with the kids. He feels the same flip in his chest as he would when she’d spot him at a party when they were just starting to date. She could always tell that the party king image was an inch deep and that he probably needed encouragement to approach her. Sophie runs over and throws herself into him for one of her sweet enthusiastic hugs that make everything brighter. Rava follows with Iverson and reaches for Kendall’s hand.

“You wanna dance?” She’s bouncing already and he takes her hand and follows her out with a cheerful air. She makes them all into a circle and they swing around, jumping up and down. The kids look positively delighted, and seeing their joyful expressions looking up at him makes him promise himself he’ll do anything it takes to keep them like that forever. He watches Rava giggle and twirls her. She spins close to him and gives him a quick kiss.

“Mom!!” Sophie yells. Rava chuckles and pats her head as she looks back at Kendall and watches him bounce and dance.

“I remember you,” she smiles at him. “You’re fun!” He laughs. 

“You’re definitely the only one who’s of that opinion tonight.” But he only needs one. The song slows down and Rava glances at Kendall’s watch.

“Kids, it is way past your bedtime!” She motions to Bianca to come take them to bed. “Bianca is going to help you get ready for bed and then we’ll come kiss you goodnight, okay?” The kids reluctantly agree and Kendall kisses the top of their heads before Bianca leads them out.

“Slow song…” Rava looks at him invitingly. They sway to the music and she looks up at him, placing both her hands on his face and pulling him to her lips. She can’t wait another second to feel his lips, to close her eyes and lean into him. He lets himself relax the way he only ever can with her. After a minute he returns to proper form, but she steps in to close the gap between them, laying her head on his shoulder.

“I don’t remember this part of Cotillion,” he smiles.

“Hmm, well, New York didn’t do it like Connecticut, then,” she smirks.

“Oh, am I married to a bad girl?” He whispers.

“You have no idea.”

“No? You have tricks I haven’t seen?”

She raises her eyebrows and pulls him to her again for a deeper kiss. They’ve both forgotten everyone’s eyes around them.

“Mmmm… that’s good champagne,” he whispers. She laughs silently and puts her forehead on his.

“Stopppp!” 

“Yeah, I’m generally not very good at that,” he jokes. He kisses her again, open-mouthed, and she can feel the passion. He’s tasting her. “So good,” he breathes. “Let’s go. Back to the room.”

She giggles and he starts walking with his arm around her. Just at that moment, they clock Roman and Tabitha walking through the door. Rava looks disappointed at the thought of yet another interruption in their day and Kendall notices.

“Hang on just a second,” he says quickly, and she reluctantly lets him go and makes peace with another night of falling asleep by herself. To her surprise, he walks over to Stewy and then straight back to her. “Okay, let’s go.”

“You don’t have to talk to Roman?” Rava asks.

“I told Stewy I think I’ve had enough confrontation for one day. I talked to my dad, I think he can handle my brother.” He smiles at her. “You know what he said, though, and I hadn’t even processed it yet?”

“What?”

“We did it. We’re taking over the fucking company.”

Chapter 12 💗

#1x10 the wedding has been fixed (basically) #chapter spoilers in tags #I started the Alongside Canon Fix-It concept for this fic early on once I realized how this night would have been completely different #if Kendall and Rava had been together for most of S1 #always found it so weird and interesting how jesse said he didn't care much to explore Kendall's addiction because #it literally causes this incredibly central event #and you know #what if he had more support and it didn't??? #we see how stable he was and how feeling a sudden lack of support from everyone contributed to the relapse #not that the relationship alone could fix everything #but everything I research emphasizes how important support is to people in recovery #there's a much higher chance of staying sober with a support system #ken basically had no sobriety support canonically but it's so much better when he does! things will be so different 👀 #this chapter is special to me because it starts the first plot points that will run parallel to canon in S2! #kendall roy #kenrava #rava roy #kendall x rava #kendall roy fic #succession fic

[softboywriting]

Surprise | Nathan Bateman | Ex Machina

Summary: You’ve got some news for Nathan and now is as good a time as any. [F!ReaderxNathan] [Pregnancy] [Established Relationship] [No Use of Y/N] 

Word Count: 1k

|Masterlist In Bio|

Nathan is the epitome of a man baby. A week after you arrived at the complex following your trip home for the holidays with your family, he came down with a cold. Statistically it should be impossible for him to get ill. There are no outside sources to contaminate his immune system. Except you. You and your vacation germs, and he is a major cry baby about the whole situation.

"This is your fault."

"No it's not." You lean back on the chair in the lounge while he lays under three blankets across the couch with a cold compress on his head. He barely had the sniffles and he's laid up like a man on his deathbed. "It's your fault."

"How? Do tell me how I contracted a cold from not leaving this place?"

"It's your fault because you kissed me."

Nathan scoffs.

You get up and cross the room to kneel beside him. It's time to take his temperature again. "Am I wrong?"

"No."

"You broke your own rules about staying apart for a week to prevent this because you couldn't keep your dick in your pants." You shake the thermometer and look at the little red bar inside. "Open up."

Nathan glares as he allows you to pop the cold little stick under his tongue.

"While I've got you quiet for a few minutes, I want to say that I've got some news."

He furrows his brow in confusion.

"There's no easy way to say this."

Nathan spits the thermometer out. "What's wrong?"

"You're supposed to keep that in for two minutes."

"I don't fucking care. What is wrong?"

You lay a hand on his blanket covered chest and you can see true fear in his eyes. He is expecting the absolute worst at this point. You've never come to him with such a serious approach.

"I'm pregnant."

He is silent.

"Nathan, I know we didn't discuss that possibility. I am on birth control but I think I missed a few weeks. We got so busy with building Ava and I didn't even think-"

"I fucked you so good I put a baby in you?"

"I- um, yes?"

He lets out a little smug chuckle. "I'm damn good."

"Yeah, this isn't about your bedroom skills okay?"

"You wanna keep it?"

You take a deep breath and sit back on your heels. "I don't...I don't know."

Nathan sits up and runs a hand over your hair. Fingers toying with the ends a bit. "What's your hesitation?"

"Everything." You look around the room, gesturing to the house in general. "I can't raise a child in a research facility."

"You think you'll raise it alone?"

"N-no? I mean I guess I assumed that because you're so busy and everything you wouldn't be interested in chasing a toddler around or changing diapers at all hours of the day." You laugh softly, threading a hand through your hair and tugging. "I'm not going to keep it."

"Put all of that aside. Do you want it?"

"I guess?"

"No you're not listening. Do you want the baby, yes or no?" Nathan says slowly like he does when he's trying to explain something to you for the dozenth time. "It's a simple answer."

"It is not!"

"Yes it is! Do you want the fucking baby or not!"

You tremble, hands balled into fists on your lap. "Yes! Okay! Yes I want it! But I'm scared!"

"What are you scared of?"

"You! Nathan, I'm scared of you!"

He leans back and he looks like you've just knocked the wind out of him. As if you've stolen every word from his mouth and he can no longer speak. He opens his mouth several times but nothing comes out, like a fish out of water. It's as if he never considered that he would be the reason for your hesitation.

You push up from the floor and he grabs your hand, stopping you from getting too far. "Let go Nathan."

"No." He curls his fingers around yours. "No, I won't let you go. Not ever."

"It's fine. I don't expect you to want this child. I just thought it would be fair to tell you since it's yours."

He sits up and tugs your hand. "Come here. Sit on my lap."

"I don't want to."

"Please?" He gives you the softest look you've ever seen. "Let's talk."

You step back and sit on his legs, staring down at him even as he sits up, you're higher. You don't know where to start so you just remain quiet.

"What about me makes you afraid?"

"Everything." You laugh sadly. "I have no idea how you would be with a child. You drink too much. You're lost to your work most days. You've got no patience for things that slightly inconvenience or annoy you. Not to mention how remote we are and how would the child learn, and grow and socialize?"

Nathan runs his hand over your stomach. "Give me a chance. I'll get sober and I'll work on everything else for the next nine months."

"Why? Why do you care?"

"Why do I care?" He scoffs. "It's my child. I can make a hundred robots but none of them are alive. None of them are a human being who is my flesh and blood. My legacy." He smiles and grabs your hand, bringing it to his lips. "A child of my own would be my greatest creation and something I would love unconditionally."

"You're serious?"

"Do I sound like I'm joking?"

"No. You want to do this?" You touch your stomach. "You wanna have a baby?"

"Fuck yeah." He grins and wraps his arm around you, pressing his face into your chest. "Can't wait to meet this little monster."

"Hey!"

"Lovingly of course." He stares up at you over his glasses. "But you know he's going to be a menace."

"You're so confident it's going to be a boy?"

"Absolutely. Guys with big dicks always have sons."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Science." He laughs, kissing your stomach. "Trust me. It's a boy."

You rub your hand over his head and he makes a little growly sound against your shirt. "We're doing this then?"

"One hundred percent."

End

----------

thank you so much for reading! please reblog and support content creators such as myself :) -A

Header pic by delicate-venus

*****Note: none of my works should be posted anywhere outside of my linked accounts. I do not give permission to repost with or without credit to my accounts. Please notify me of any reposted works.*****

#nathan bateman #nathan bateman fic #nathan bateman x reader #nathan bateman fanfic #ex machina #ex machina fic #ex machina movie #Oscar Issac #oscar isaac #oscar isaac fic #oscar isaac character

[skybird13]

Ace Ops Theories

Okay ya’ll, so I need to take a very small break from Tumblr (tomorrow and maybe Thursday or even through Friday) because I am starting to develop a hyper fixation and that is just... not healthy. But as a temporary sign-off, I thought I would offer my thoughts on the whole Five Ace Ops thing floating around and how that might work out. I’ll be coming at this mostly from the perspective of a writer/storyteller using the threads we already have to speculate on where the Ace Ops could conceivably go.

[Slight spoilers for vol 7 episode 9 ahead]

The Traitor Theories

As far as the traitor theories go (regarding any of the Ops) I just don’t see it happening this late in the volume. At the beginning of the volume and with the proper set-up, I could totally see where people were coming from, but at this point, I’d give it a less than 1% chance of happening (I won’t go all the way to 0% because I’m not CRWBY but... if pressed, I’d put it down at a 0.0001% chance). Not a single one of these people has been set up to be a traitor. There has been no foreshadowing, no hints, nothing nefarious brewing under the surface or in the background where the Ace Ops are concerned. At this point, exposing any of them as an agent of Salem would come out of left-field narratively speaking. 

Closely linked to this point is the fact that there is no mystery around how Tyrian and Arthur have been accomplishing their goals in this volume. If you’re going to have a surprise traitor amidst the protagonists, that mystery really needs to be there with the antagonists. But we never had to wonder how Arthur got his access to the Mantle systems; he wrote the code for it. And once Jacques handed over his elevated system credentials in exchange for Arthur rigging the election, Arthur had all he needed to do everything he has done to this point.

The only other active antagonists are Cinder and Neo and we already know how they got their information: Neo’s infiltration. That alone gave them more than enough intel to wreak all kinds of havoc. Neo is going to go after Ruby and, thanks to Neo’s spying in Schnee manor, Cinder knows that what she needs is at Atlas Academy. They also just showed up on the scene and would be very unlikely to have cultivated a traitor contact already. We have received no indication whatsoever that anyone on Team Salem is aware of the Winter Maiden being housed at Atlas Academy. If that was a piece of intel they had, I might be convinced to bump up my traitor theory score to 3%, but even that by itself wouldn’t be enough. 

Likelihood of a Traitor Amongst Them: 0.0001%

One of Them Will Die

A possible Ace Ops death is the other dominating theory for how their team will be cut down to four members. I don’t have a whole lot of evidence against this theory, but I also don’t see much in the story that would support it either.

RWBY has a track record for character deaths that have an impact. Pyrrha is the obvious example of this, and even Lionheart’s death had some power to it. Here was a trusted member of Team Oz who had given in to fear and turned on everything he once stood for, and the truly tragic thing about his death was that he died a coward.

There are exceptions, of course. Sienna Khan comes to mind as a character who was introduced only to die. I will admit, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this decision. I know that the whole point of it was to push Adam’s story forward but considering nothing more ever really happened with that plot thread (Adam taking over as leader of the White Fang) there are a number of other ways they could have gone about that. Sienna denouncing and exiling him from the White Fang probably would have pushed him towards the same end.

But for the sake of argument, let’s say CRWBY was going to kill off one of the Ace Ops. 

Clover Ebi seems to take the brunt of this theory but I honestly don’t see this happening either. I am a huge Clover and FG fan, full disclosure, but from a purely narrative perspective, the implications of his character are just a little too big to go to waste. He’s the only other one in the RWBY-verse with a luck-based Semblance, and since he’s been paired with Qrow all volume, he is clearly going to play a massive role in Qrow’s continuing development. I know Qrow has taken a backseat in this volume but his character arc is far from over. He’s sober, true, and that was a major step for him, but all that self-hate and baggage from his past isn’t going to go away just because he stops drinking. A huge part of his character and his attitude has always hinged on his Semblance and on how much he hates himself for it, and that is something he is going to have to deal with at some point. Clover is the only one who can probably help with that, especially since we’ve seen in-show evidence that he has much more control over his Semblance than Qrow does. Add to that the sheer effort CRWBY has put into developing a relationship between them, and Mr. Clover Ebi is not going to be the one to die. 

I think the most likely death candidate is Harriet. True, she hasn’t had a whole lot of development that would make for significant emotional impact, but consider where she is in episode 9: she’s the only one accompanying Ruby  (who has a giant ass target on her back that she’s not even aware of) down into Mantle. They are most definitely alone and, judging from the time between the group jump from the airship and when Ruby and Harriet finally bail, they’re not going to be close enough for team backup when Neo comes. 

However... I still don’t buy this one. Neo is good. Excellent, even. But taking on a fully trained huntress and Ruby, who has only gotten more skilled since their last encounter, wouldn’t be the smartest move on her part, and Neo is nothing if not smart. I think it’s far more likely she’s going to create an illusion to draw Ruby away from Harriet, isolate her, and try to take care of her that way.

I sort of talked myself out of a higher rating for this possibility while writing that, but I’ll still concede that it’s not out of the realm out of possibility.

Likelihood of Ace Ops Character Death: 33%

[[Bonus: Likelihood of Clover death: -111985878% Because... just no. It’s not even wishful thinking on my part. My writer’s soul will literally disintegrate if they waste his potential.]]

Clover Leaves the Ace Ops/Is Assigned to Accompany the Teams When They Leave Atlas

Yeah, so... not gonna lie, I am extremely partial to this theory and I think it’s becoming more and more likely as the story progresses.

The most obvious reasons that this would work are the ones I already mentioned: he has been very closely tied with Qrow all volume, and very special and careful attention has been paid to crafting every moment they have had together. You don’t generally do that unless two characters are going to be very, very significant to one another. He’s the only one who might be able to help Qrow figure out how to control his Semblance, therefore catalyzing the next sensible major step in Qrow’s character progression. The speed with which CRWBY hauled ass to tie him to Qrow also can’t be overlooked or overstated. They are not going to go through the effort of giving them scenes together and establishing chemistry between them only for it to fizzle out.

Clover is also the only member of the Ace Ops without a complementary partner inside the team structure. And guess what? Because of the nature of his Semblance, he isn’t going to find that partner in anyone but Qrow, and I can guarantee you Qrow will not be remaining in Atlas unless something drastic happens. He’s not letting his kids do this shit on their own.

But even outside of the purview of Fair Game and Clover’s relationship with Qrow, there are still logical reasons for why James might end up sending him or giving him the choice to go with the teams when they leave Atlas. 

Episode 9 was a huge obstacle tackled for James. He not only loosened the death grip he had on everything, but he also learned the truth about Salem and took it in stride (still so proud of him!). In order to continue his theme of learning to let things go a little, it is completely plausible that he would send one of his people to be with the teams to help them along. It won’t be Winter because she has too many established ties to Atlas, especially if she becomes the winter maiden. Same goes for Penny: too many deep ties to Atlas and she’s still the official Protector of Mantle. The only one that makes sense is Clover.

Then you also have the fact that Clover is the elite of the elite in Atlas, and therefore highly skilled. I just don’t see James sending the teams off into the world to find the other maiden and reach Vacuo without some assistance. James himself is going to stay in Atlas because that’s his place, but he can certainly send someone he trusts completely to help them out. Again, Clover is the one who makes the most sense for this. Not because Clover is the only one James trusts that much obviously, but because he has been narratively set up for it.

There is also the slightest hint of foreshadowing to this outcome in episode 3 when Clover catches the Dust and says “What would you guys do without me?” I don’t think he’d go without some initial hesitation, but I think his team would ultimately be supportive of the decision. 

So how high do I put this on the scale?

Likelihood That Clover Leaves with the Teams: 90%

Yes. That high.

#ace ops #rwby7 #rwby7 theories #rwby #ace ops theories #rwby theories #clover ebi #harriet bree #qrow branwen #james ironwood #see you all friday #or maybe not until saturday after the episode #i really need to pull myself together before semester starts #i be in a bad bad place health wise #but no worries #i'll be fine #just need some focused time to myself

[naferty]

Little switch up where Steve is the alcoholic one. His journey mixed with abo and mpreg. Hope you enjoy!

~~~

Rock Bottom

(stony, a/b/o dynamics, mpreg, alpha!Steve, omega!Tony, alcoholic Steve, mention of depression)

~~

It wasn’t supposed to be permanent. This thing between them. Between him and Tony. 

It was meant to be a one time deal. An act encouraged by ‘down on your luck’ mentality. No strings, sexual relief. Something Steve didn’t find appealing, but for that night he acted on it. What did he have to lose? His morality had been shot to hell. His pride nonexistent. His ma would be ashamed, but she wasn’t there to yank his ear so it didn’t matter. 

No, Steve more or less broke his own rules and his mother’s teachings when life, who had been patiently waiting for this exact moment of his years, finally decided to strike. It had started with his mother. She had gotten ill. With no one to care for her and bills stacking up, Steve had to step down from his school, surrender his degree in order to help. He poured every dollar, every penny, into those bills. In the end, money wasn’t enough to heal his ailing mother. 

The day she left, something in Steve broke down, and in the months following he became a sack of potatoes dragging anyone willing to help him behind. He functioned, but he wasn’t exactly living. 

Sharon put up with this for a year. In his months of mental spiralling she had moved up the systematic ladder in an unimaginable pace and found herself a future within her reach that required her to move away. Something Steve didn’t want to do. She couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Not for him. Not for anyone. 

Who was Steve to begrudge her for that? He had been happy. He had been supportive. He had helped her pack her things and send her off to a bright future with no baggage from him weighing her down. It had hurt like hell, but he had been happy. So damn happy. Shame. His mother had liked her a lot, but he went and ruined it. 

Without Sharon, his apartment had become emptier. Lonelier. Very, very sad. He realized he didn’t have a lot of things to his name. Didn’t have a lot of friends either. Bucky was still in tour. Natasha was often busy with work and could only spare him a coffee date once a week. Sam often invited him to events he hosted, but Steve usually didn’t have the heart, or the motivation, to embrace the social world for strangers. Sam suspected depression. Steve believed he had hit a snag that would clear up in a month or two. 

Then came problems with work. Lay offs. Had he been singled out as non-essential? Or had his lack of motivation caught the eyes of the higher ups? He’d never know. Not when they would shove him out the door without a chance to look back. One after the other.

He should be grateful for getting jobs at all, but he couldn’t bring himself to care much for them. He got paid less than what he deserved for the treatment and respect was often nonexistent. Sam suggested help. Steve thought alcohol. 

Steve wasn’t an alcohol guy, but he understood why some would turn to it. The numb feeling helped forget his troubles. They didn’t make them disappear, but for a moment he could pretend they weren’t there. Haunting him. Looming over him. One shot became two, and eventually two would finish to three. Then he’d go home and ignore the disappointed stare he knew his ma would be giving him if she saw him now. 

He’d never pass his three limit. The days in a week would increase, but the drinks were never more than three. He considered that control. He wasn’t drinking his life away. Not until Bucky returned from overseas, injured, one arm short of when he first left, and with haunting eyes that cut even deeper into the wound his mother had left behind. 

Steve had tried to pour every bit of himself to help, but with how his own life had drained him, there was little of him left to offer. He couldn’t help like he wanted. Couldn’t be the shoulder he promised his best friend to always be. Sam had to take over and Steve… Steve was left to drink his three drinks alone and wondered when saying ‘no’ to the fourth drink had become so hard and where time had gone.

An alpha with nothing to his name and nothing to lose was a dangerous combination. With no shame and no voice in his head telling him wrong from right, Steve thought nothing of it when the newly introduced omega Natasha had brought in showed interest. The attention had been flattering and Steve would be lying if he said the omega wasn’t downright gorgeous, but like he said, he thought nothing of it. 

The omega flirted, but Steve simply responded in kind like any conversation. Natasha noticed and thought perhaps a date was exactly what Steve needed, but Steve couldn’t bring himself to be excited over the notion. Perhaps if life hadn’t beaten him down he might have given it a chance. Of course, if life hadn’t beaten him down he’d imagine Sharon would still be by his side and dating others would be off the table. 

This was his life, however, and Tony didn’t need it in his, but the omega was a stubborn one and Steve had no sensibility. Their first night together had been rushed and messy. Steve with a few drinks in him and a miserable sex life since his break up and Tony with one drink and the misfortune of having picked Steve. Surprisingly, Tony had stayed overnight in his apartment and left bright and early. Steve bid him goodbye and believed that would be the end of it. The omega wouldn’t return and Steve would continue like clockwork.  

He was wrong. 

Tony had come back the following week. Then three days after. Then the following week again. A month turned into two, and two turned into four then six and Tony continued to come back to his sorry ass. Steve should have turned his life around at this point. This beautiful omega was giving him the time of day, something he didn’t deserve, but Steve continued to ruin it by doing nothing to improve. If his ma could only see him now. 

Then came the news. Something shocking. Something that should’ve kicked his mind into high gear. Tony was pregnant. It was Steve’s. Tony wanted him to know. Tony wanted to keep the child. Steve should have responded. Surprise. Shock. Panic. Happy. Anything. He didn’t react. 

Steve would help. Of course he would. Even in his drunken state he knew the right thing to do was be there and help. What little he could offer. It wasn’t much. Drinks still managed to find their way to his system. Tony would glow and grow. Steve continued to nurse a glass. Tony would always return to him. Nothing changed. 

Not until a right smack to the head was given by Tony’s best friend. Rhodey. Tall and serious and independent. Clean shaven with an aura of strength. A provider. A leader. Everything an alpha should be. Everything Steve might have been once. Everything Steve could still be. 

“I don’t know what it is about Tony that attracts deadbeats and drunks to him and I sure as hell don’t know what he sees in you, but if you’re here to stay you better man up and get help or let Tony go so he can find an actual alpha. He and the kid deserve that at least.” 

And it was true. Tony and the child do deserve that. Deserve everything. Deserve what Steve couldn’t provide. What did Tony see in him? What had he seen to even try? Why return to him? Sharon got the hell out of dodge. Tony should have followed her footsteps. It would have saved him a lot of grief. 

But Tony always returned. Always came back. Gave Steve seconds. Minutes. Hours. Days. He thought Steve was worth something. Worth the time. 

Steve stared at his reflection in the bathroom in disgust. His ma would be beside herself. His pa disappointed. Bucky wouldn’t recognize him anymore. No one would. 

He didn’t.

He shaved that night. Bottles that littered his cabinets were emptied and thrown. He cleaned up. Himself and his apartment. It still looked empty, but it was a clean empty now. A beginning empty. The start of something new. 

He sought help. Asked Sam for recommendations. Signed up for every group available. Sam patted his shoulder in encouragement. 

“It’s good to have you back.” 

He got burgers and a card for Tony. His favorite. They ate together. In the card he had written an apology. For all the time Tony had wasted on him. For having Steve hold him back. For Steve not caring enough. For falling for an alpha that didn’t deserve him. Steve promised to do better. For him and for the child. Steve wanted to be there. He wanted to help. As both a mate and a father. If Tony would have him. 

Tony had called him a dumbass and blamed the tears on the pregnancy. 

It wasn’t supposed to be permanent, but Steve was grateful for every day he woke up to the cheers of an energetic child, going three years sober, and his beautiful Tony groaning for five more minutes. 

#text post #long text post #naferty writes #stony #stevetony #a/b/o dynamics #alpha steve rogers #omega tony stark #alcoholic steve #mpreg #something a bit different #what do you think?

[agrestenoir]

the spaces between us (we stitch together)

title: the spaces between us (we stitch together) pairing: inko midoriya/yagi toshinori fandom: boku no hero academia summary: yagi toshinori finds a hope with the midoriyas. 

note: christmas commission for @tehdes from your friend @mamamichine! it was such a wonderful opportunity to work on your gift and i thoroughly enjoyed it. i hope you both have a happy holidays!

It starts with a visit to the Midoriya household, which is not a visit he’d ever expect to make as Yagi Toshinori, on a warm summer afternoon. Even though he may have lost his powers and was forced into early retirement, he tries to stand as stern and strong as he’d be as the Symbol of Peace, untouchable in that fragile civilian form.

(It doesn’t work though—one look from Inko Midoriya is enough to crumble him.)

With a shaky hand, she gestures him to follow her into their modest kitchen, but Yagi isn’t sure if she’s jittery from the fact that she’s meeting a famous hero or that she’s so burdened by the decision she’s come to terms with. It’s something he could tell from the moment he first saw her: that resolved strength that burns bright in her eyes. It’s the look that comes from someone who’s steadfast in what they believe in (and he hopes, against all hopes, that she’s come to believe in UA and him.)

“I believe we already sent notice of this, but I’m here to talk about UA’s dorm system,” Yagi announces once they are all seated at the table. Beside Inko, Izuku trembles, body rigid and tense, his fingers curled into white-knuckled fists in his lap.

“Yes, about that…” Her words make his turn to ash on his tongue. “I’m against it.”

A gasp from Izuku makes Yagi’s heart throb in his chest, startling them both. “Mom!” he protests, eyes wide. “You said it was alright yesterday.”

“I thought about it, but I don’t like it.” Her gaze does not leave her hands, too afraid to face her son right now, but Yagi has spent enough time with Izuku to know what kind of breed Midoriya’s are. Inko Midoriya is a marble statue carved from glass, where even if she’s designed to break, she absolutely refuses to.

(It’s one of the qualities he adores about Izuku.)

She turns to Yagi now, imploring him to understand. “Izuku’s Quirk never appeared, but he still admired you for so long. But since his Quirk miraculously appeared, ever since he entered UA, he just keeps getting more and more beat up.”

Flashes of broken moans in the middle of a hospital room, white bandages stained red when Izuku turns the wrong way, purple mottled skin dark under the glow of hallway lighting—it all haunts Yagi’s dreams sometimes because he knows it’s his fault. (He wonders if his own Master dealt with this when he first received One For All.)

“Did you know about Izuku’s arms?” Inko asks him. “If he injures them anymore, he might lose the ability to move them.”

No, Yagi thinks, turning a pained stare towards the child as his heart aches. I didn’t.

Izuku makes a move to interrupt, but his mother shakes her head. “I saw your fight on TV the other night,” she continues. “As a regular citizen, I am very grateful for what you did. But as a parent, I was scared.” She nods towards her son. “Izuku looks up to you. If his path leads to a future filled with blood like that, then I… I…”

Yagi thinks of himself, bloody and bruised but still standing amongst the rubble in Kamino Ward, and then of Izuku, hurt but hardened in the face of Shigaraki Tomura. Sometimes, he has a hard time distinguishing one from the other—it’s why he has such high hopes for how far Izuku will go one day.

Tears burn at the front of Inko’s eyes, slipping down her cheeks, thick and slow like candlewax. “I feel like maybe staying Quirkless and happily watching heroes work would have made Izuku happier.”

“Mom!”

“Izuku, I told you I would support you, but that I wouldn’t stop worrying, right?”

Izuku trembles beside her.

“You want to go to UA, right? But… I’m sorry, Izuku. I will speak frankly.” She levels Yagi with a heavy stare, unyielding as she makes her stance. “As Izuku’s mother, I don’t have the nerves of steel I’d need to entrust my son to UA High School as it is now. It doesn’t matter how wonderful of a hero you are. When villains attacked, you couldn’t continue classes, and you couldn’t stop the students from getting seriously injured. I don’t want to let my son attend a school like that any longer.”

“Mrs. Midoriya, I—” Yagi starts to say, pushing himself to his feet. His stance may be shaky, but his expression remains resolute.

Izuku’s outcry startles them both, but it’s not surprising considering the situation they’ve suddenly found themselves in. “It’s not like that, Mom.” He grips his injured arm, eyes wild with panic. “It was my own fault that I got hurt. The teachers all told me over and over. It was me who didn’t listen.”

Inko can’t take it anymore. “If this is how it turned out, then don’t you think that’s the school’s responsibility?”

Izuku stops—stunned—like his mother has just dealt him the fatal blow, what Shigaraki never did.

“Young man,” Yagi says, sliding his hand out towards his pupil. “Let’s sit down.”

“I might be acting like a monster parent, but I’m fine being a monster. I don’t want to steal Izuku’s dream away from him. If he really wants to be a hero, then he could go to a different school.” She cocks her head, gaze softening somewhat. “There are a lot of other hero courses, right?”

Yagi knows she isn’t actually asking—Inko Midoriya already has her answer. She probably spent the better part of last night researching alternatives in preparation for today’s inevitable conversation, and while transferring mid-year might be a setback and difficult to manage, Yagi already knows he’ll do whatever he has to in order to ensure that Izuku gets everything he needs. Whether it’s a reference or bribery—Yagi will make sure that Izuku can continue to live out his dream.

For a moment, things are still and unassuming, but then Izuku breathes heavy, turns sharply on his heel, and runs away to his bedroom. Silence follows, and even though Inko tries to sound a protest, Yagi knows it’s useless. He knows it the same way he knows the sound of Izuku’s laughter, the crease between his brow when he’s caught between an analysis and solution, the way his lips tug higher on the right when he smiles. Once he’s set on a decision, it’s rare he’ll ever change it.

(Knowing Inko now, Yagi is certain Izuku gets it from her.)

With a soft sigh, she sits back down across from him, and the only sound between them is the musings deep within, lost in grief and the sober truth. Ink is resolute, and Yagi has accepted that. He has formed a single word of protest since they began this conversation—and for good reason.

Inko Midoriya is completely and utterly right.

Suddenly, there’s a loud bang as Izuku rushes back into the room with a letter clasped in his hand, edges worn from constant handling and folding, with the scrawl of a child visible across the page in bright green ink. The younger boy talks about his dreams and what it means to be a hero and how he’ll never give up on that, even if he must sacrifice UA in the process.

“Anywhere is fine,” he tells his mother, “But I will be a hero.”

And…. Yagi understands.

Once, a long time ago, he stood before Nana Shimura with the same burning passion and pleaded with her to help him become a hero—the Symbol of Peace that was so desperately needed. And that beautiful woman decided to take a chance on a gangly boy like him, and he went on to change the world for the better (at least he likes to think).

How could he deny Izuku the same opportunity?

Fumes of a lost power spark inside him, and for a single moment, he feels as powerful and strong as All Might always should be. “Mrs. Midoriya, I humbly beg of you,” he begins, slipping off his shoes and kneeling on the ground before them. “I believe that Young Izuku is the right person to succeed me, to become the next Symbol of Peace. I respect that you don’t want him at UA, but I want to stand by him and walk together with him on this path. Will you allow me to pour my all into Young Izuku? I will protect him and raise him up, even if it’s the last thing I do.”

“W-Wait a minute,” Inko stammers, reaching out a hand as if to stop him, but there’s nothing she can do.

“Please,” Yagi begs, forehead pressed against the floor and bearing his hopes and dreams—for himself and Izuku—for them both to see. “If you can’t entrust Izuku to UA High School, will you at least entrust him to me?”

Please, Yagi thinks desperately. Please let me teach him.

There’s a short pause, the span of a single heartbeat, and then Inko falls to her knees in front of him and places a steady hand on his shoulder.

It’s all the answer either of them need.

As the weeks slip by, Izuku’s enrollment into Ketsubutsu Academy High School is finalized, with much reluctance on Yagi’s part even though the younger boy receives a glowing recommendation from All Might himself. Inko sleeps soundly at night without the fear of villains and ghosts haunting her son at his new school. And though Izuku tangles between grief for the dream he lost and excitement at the new environment unraveling before him, he still takes to it with the same gusto as he always does.

To be a hero, Izuku is understanding of what the word sacrifice entails.

Yagi Toshinori starts to become a permanent fixture in the Midoriya household from the very moment Inko promised him her son. At first, it’s small training sessions at the park down the road, or long discussions after class about strategy and improvements. Inko will often come home to Yagi and Izuku pouring over hero analyses, trying to decide what would work best as Izuku redesigns his attack-style.

Soon after, he starts to appear without fanfare a few mornings during the week, sporadic at best, but still very much welcomed. There’s a soft knock just before breakfast when Inko is preparing food and Izuku is still sleeping, and she opens the door to find All Might on the other side.

Flustered, he bows deeply, stammering through his greeting, just as he always does. “Good morning, Mrs. M-Midoriya, sorry to disturb you at this early hour. I was just wondering if—”

Inko cuts him off with a warm smile, tossing the damp dishtowel over her shoulder as she steps aside. “Please, come in, Toshinori. Izuku’s still sleeping, but I just finished breakfast.”

He joins her at the table, and the two spend an hour over a cup of tea and coffee, peering over the soft wisps of smoke as they exchange quiet words. There’s nothing of consequence to discuss, just absent musings and pleasantries, more about how Izuku is adjusting to his new class and how much his friends miss him. Yagi broaches the possibility of dragging him to a small afternoon training session with class 1-A this weekend, and Inko agrees.

Eventually, a sleep-tousled Izuku comes downstairs to his mother and mentor at the table, empty cups of coffee between them, and a stack of pancakes waiting for him. He mumbles a small greeting before hopping up and burying his face into the meal, causing a bright smile to cross Inko’s face and a chuckle to shake Yagi. It’s a silver morning where gray clouds hang heavy in the sky, fat drops of rain striking window panes and soaking sidewalks, and Yagi’s plans for training disperse as time ticks on.

He’s in no rush though.

He finds these quiet mornings with the Midoriyas a great way to spend his time.

“Need help?” he asks Inko as she darts around the kitchen, apron undone and streaks of flour decorating her cheeks.

She pauses in her haste, casting him a frantic look over her shoulder. “Izuku isn’t here right now. I think he went out with his friends.”

“I wasn’t asking about Izuku,” he says with a soft smile.

It’s a Saturday afternoon, and he’s swung by because it’s November and Yagi Toshinori is lonely. He knows Izuku will be out of the house and wonders if Inko could use his company or put him to work. It’s funny, Yagi thinks, because he doesn’t mind helping the Midoriyas when duty calls, beyond his job as Izuku’s mentor.

“Can you cook?” Inko finally asks and is already grabbing another apron from the drawer before he can answer. Cooking, as Yagi has learned, is Inko’s way of stress management, and Izuku has shown him a photo of the days pre-Sports Festival, where she had inadvertently cooked enough desserts to feed a small army.

Yagi shrugs half-heartedly as he puts the apron on. “I can learn,” he says to her. “Just tell me what to do.”

A few minutes later, she has him chopping up vegetables in the corner of their tiny kitchen. The two fall into a kind and honest silence, which seems to be a habit between them, but it’s a nice routine. Yagi does not mind silence, and Inko seems used to a quiet house and even quieter thoughts. Inko occupies herself with checking on the meat and rice while Yagi adjusts his hold on the knife for the twentieth time since he started.

There’s a soft patter of footsteps as Inko comes over. “You know,” she says after a while. “You really do suck at this.”

Her words startle a sharp bark of laughter from Yagi, whose shoulders are shaking too hard to even cut the vegetables anymore. Inko ends up giggling beside him as she scoots closer, grabbing the knife and nodding her head back to the stove. “I’m sure you can stir at least?” she asks, mirth dancing in her eyes.

“I must have some redeeming qualities,” he says in jest and hands the knife over to her. Her skin is warm against his, like a brush of flame that he’s wandered too close to, but still far enough to avoid the burn.

“All of your qualities are redeeming,” Inko mumbles, staring at the vegetables on the cutting board as she tries to salvage Yagi’s mess. “It’s honestly nice to see that you have some flaws.”

Across the room, Yagi blushes hard, a deep pink dusting the apples of his cheeks. “T-Thank you,” he stammers out. “Y-You’re quite amazing as well.”

Inko tosses him a bright smile over her shoulder. “You’re very kind.”

“I mean it,” he tells her, voice fervent. “Izuku is very lucky to have such a strong and brilliant mother.”

Inko is silent for a few moments, and then, “He’s lucky to have you too, Yagi.”

“Thank you,” he manages because it’s the only thing he can say. Anything else might end in stammered excuses and truths that he hasn’t even come to terms with himself.

He turns back to the stove and stirs whatever concoction they’ve been preparing for the last hour. The ghost of her hand against his makes his chest feel heavy, and he wishes—more than anything—that he could have that feeling back. He thinks hard, about Inko and Izuku, and the world turns a little bit brighter, a little bit louder, a little bit better.

He wonders if this is what love feels like.

(The truth is this: Yagi is way too far gone to ponder. He’s already fallen.)

It’s many months into this routine when Yagi decides to look at apartments closer to the Midoriya household. Sometimes, when the training sessions go long, or Inko invites him to stay for dinner, the trek home proves to be too difficult for his aching bones. While he could simply leave earlier if necessary, or relocate the training sessions to be closer to home, Yagi finds himself leaning in the opposite direction. Izuku has become commonplace in his life, to a point that his training is no longer a side job but rather the focus of everything he does.

(By now, it’s too late to change anything. Midoriya Izuku has become the central part of his life, and quite frankly, Yagi wouldn’t have it any other way.)

Izuku finds him hovering over a tablet one afternoon, glasses perched on the edge of his nose and a notepad open on the table in front of him, scowling at the prices and amenities that each complex has to offer.

Izuku flashes him a knowing smile, “Why don’t you just stay here if you need to? I’m sure Mom would let you.”

Yagi chokes and turns to face the young hero. “My boy, I couldn’t ask that of your mother—”

Izuku’s green eyes twinkle with barely hidden mirth. “I’m pretty sure she was gonna ask you anyway.”

It’s quiet for a moment before Yagi raises his head and levels the younger boy with a heavy stare. “Don’t you have homework to do? I thought your mother said something about a project for Ms. Joke’s class—”

A red flush quickly blossoms across Izuku’s face, and he stammers out an excuse before dashing back to his bedroom. The sight only makes Yagi laugh because, even though Izuku seems like an old soul sometimes, it’s nice to see that at the end of everything, he’s still the young boy he’s meant to be. The clock ticks on as late afternoon slips into evening, the sky dark and haunting at this time of day.

Inko stumbles into the room sometime later, a book tucked under her arm and steaming cups in her hands, and she pauses beside the couch he’s currently residing on. In the glow of the lamplight, her eyes are tired, face pale, no doubt from long hours at her work, but the improvement from the first time he saw her, discussing Izuku’s future as a hero and his continued enrollment at UA, is visible. Her laugh lines have grown, the dark shadows under her eyes receding, and she looks happy and healthy in the grand scheme of things.

“Do you mind if I join you?” she asks softly.

“Of course, of course.” He scoots over without a word of protest, making room for her on the couch beside him. He mumbles a short apology when he reaches across to grab the notepad, brushing her leg in the process.

Inko pays the contact no heed, choosing instead to fixate on the tablet he’d left between them. “You’re looking for a new place?”

Yagi pauses, a certain tension settling upon his shoulders. “The one I have is just next door to UA,” he tells her. “But I’m looking for something closer to here—I’ve got responsibilities in both places, after all.” He doesn’t elaborate further, and there’s really no need.

Inko hums in agreement before handing him a cup of tea that she’s brewed. He accepts it with a soft sound of gratitude, and the two settle into amicable silence with him drowning in apartment hunting and her in her book. Upstairs, they can hear Izuku rustling around, but they’ve learned not to ask questions so long as there’s no holes in the wall at the end of the night. After an hour or so, Yagi puts the tablet down with a soft sigh and takes his glasses off, pinching the bridge of his nose in exhaustion.

“You look tired,” Inko says, eyes flickering across his form as he lays back languidly into the couch. He doesn’t argue because he knows he must look dead on his feet. Lately, his wounds have ached hard, his bones feeling damp and sore, and all he wants to do is curl up and forget about the world for a few moments.

But things push him to get out of bed in the morning—things like his students, and Izuku… and Inko.

They say that natural flights of the human mind are from pleasure to pleasure, or failure to failure, but Yagi Toshinori knows that it’s from hope to hope.

Izuku and Inko Midoriya are both bright spots in his.

“It’s been a long couple of weeks,” he tells her instead. “But I’m dealing.”

“You know,” she says. “It’s getting late tonight anyway, and I feel like the commute would take too much out of you right now.” She pushes herself to her feet, cup in hand and resting her book on the arm of the couch. “There’s a guest bedroom down the hall that you’re welcome to use tonight…” Her voice trails off before she starts again, biting her lip in thought. “Or… whenever you feel like it.”

“I don’t want to impose.”

“You’re not,” Inko says, and her eyes are bright and her smile wide. “I’m inviting you.”

With that said, Inko turns on her heel and heads for the kitchen, leaving the stunned Yagi behind. There’s silence as the living room fades out around him, until it’s only her quiet footsteps and his wild heart. His ribs tighten their hold on his heart and tries to cage it further, but the muscle is relentless in its fury as it pounds and pounds, so hard against the bare bones that it hurts.

There’s something that’s caught him off guard, something that makes his newfound hope flare up.

(His heart breathes the word family.)

It’s March, and Yagi can’t remember the last time he went back to his apartment. Sitting on the front steps of the Midoriya house, he considers whether it’s time to sell but figures it’s a conversation he needs to sit down with Inko and have. The sun is high in the blue sky, light streaming across the green grass and Inko’s many plants. For the first time in a long while, things seem happy and healthy, and Yagi doesn’t know where to go from here.

In the front yard, Izuku sit with young Todoroki Shouto, trading stories of Ketsubutsu Academy and UA High School. The scene warms Yagi’s heart because in the many, many months since he’s transferred, only good things have come from it, Izuku flawlessly managing to keep his feet in both worlds, and both worlds keeping him at a close orbit.

“He seems happy,” he tells Inko, who sits beside him like always, a cup of tea and a book clasped in her hands.

She hums noncommittedly, peering at the two over the edge of her book. “He has been for a while.”

“Ketsubutsu’s been good for him.”

A soft smile tugs at the corners of Inko’s lips, but her eyes haven’t left the book. “You’re good for him too.”

Nowadays, it’s rare when Yagi isn’t found at the Midoriya household, whether it’s for Izuku’s training or an early breakfast with Inko, or as Izuku likes to call it, “family time”. Inko sighs into her story and leans back against his shoulder, head lolling in the crook of his neck, and he decides that he’d like to spend the rest of his life right here.

“Hey, Dad, could you help me show Shouto the kick style I’m working on?” Izuku calls from across the lawn. He doesn’t even stammer over the title, just letting it flow easily from his lips like habit, but it still strikes Yagi through the heart.

There’s a short pause, a single space for breath, and then Inko is poking his side. “Go on,” she tells him, still not leaving that damned book. “Your son’s calling for you.”

His heart threatens to explode, but he gets up without a single protest and starts to amble towards the children, his smile never leaving and eyes burning.

The next morning comes with Yagi baking pancakes and Inko at the table, staring at him with messy hair and wearing one of his shirts. She hums around the rim of her cup, staring at him for a long while as they wait for Izuku to join him downstairs.

“So when do you want to move in?” she asks him. “Or at least call it official?”

Yagi smiles to himself. Family, he thinks. Yes, this is my family.

#bnha #my writing #yagi toshinori #inko midoriya #midoriya izuku #tehdes

[scottmoorejr-blog]

It was sobering to see our main barbecue ordering counter look like this 5 minutes after opening for service on Saturday March 21. However, you can see in the background that the kitchen is working at a frantic pace. That is because on Tuesday we rolled out a new online ordering system, which worked well for us during the week. It probably saved our ass in reality. We made some mistakes like missing items and wrong items. We got good at the refund button...sad face. At times we got behind on orders as the volume peaks were a lot higher than we are used to handling. A good problem for us to figure out.

Then Saturday came along with Saturday volumes, and we submitted an appication to be the poster child for the expression “in the weeds”.

The ordering systems itself caused us some problems. We had duplicate ticket numbers, a couple orders that mysteriously vanished, but mostly it allowed for too many orders to pile up at our 11:00 am opening time. These are e-bugs that can be cured I’m told with readily available medication.

Then us silly humans used to doing things a certain way put our finger prints all over what was to come next.

Folks ordering during the night, early morning hours, and before 10:30 am had the option of choosing 11:00 am pick up. By the time we opened on Saturday morning we had twenty something orders for 11:00 am, so we were tossed deep into the weeds before we had a chance to make our own mess and get deeper into the weeds. Some 11:00 am tickets didn’t get done until almost noon which was when we started on the 11:20 am orders that came in after we started service. Getting behind at a restaurant early sends ripples down the ticket rail. Those ripples become waves that would eat even Kelly Slater for lunch.

When you are not exactly sure how many pounds of brisket have been sold online waiting for you down the ticket rail but you have the sixth sense that you don’t have enough in the hot box to cover paid orders for an hour later, fear can overwhelm you. Then it starts to rain f bombs.

So we added beer for take out and felt better about the world, but admittedly gave into envy while watching customers drive off with sacks of craft beer.

I’ll pause right here to acknowledge how fortunate we are to have these problems to work through. There are many of our restaurant peers that are already closed or on the brink of failure. The retail food industry will probably never be the same. So while I go through this story of our struggles just know that I am very mindful of the struggles others are having for their very existence. My partners Michelle and Greg, our management team, and our crew are very very aware of these times that are laid upon our door step. 

Some of our crew either works at other restaurants around town and/or have family members that do as well. You’ve got to know that us restaurant folks are a bunch of gossiping ninnies, so we are all dialed in to the real story. We can’t help ourselves.

Then we fought back with weekend survival kits.

What we essentially did was create a virtual barbecue line instead of a physical barbecue ordering line. The reality of what happened to our kitchen team on Saturday was the equivalent of us having 25 ordering counters with a customer at each one. The virtual line went down to the sidewalk and around the corner to give you a frame of reference.

The ticket line for one of two cutting blocks.

The answer to a common question about why we have one ordering station for barbecue was articulated loud & clear on Saturday. It is to pace the kitchen as to not overwhelm their ability to plate barbecue timely. We’ve always been able to say that once you finally do get to place your order the food is ready in about a minute or less. That dynamic got turned on its big fat virtual head. On top of that, we are now in the full time packaging game. More materials, more labor, and slower ticket times. It’s just the reality of having to package food to travel.

One of the hardest parts of all of this are the looks I get from staff and customers. I can feel the worry for us and for themselves. We know, like you know, that restaurants are a substantial part of the community make up. Favorite places to go eat and sip are what helps make our home town special to each of us. Nothing has to be said really. It’s written all over our faces, and I sometimes get disappointed in myself for not always maintaining the composure I pray for God to give me every morning. Got some more praying to do on that front.

I will say that most of my F bombs were laser guided missiles targeted directly for Michelle, and that she returned fire with an impressive arsenal of surface to air anti f bomb missile weaponry. I just feel bad for the witnesses. We have negotiated a cease fire that I am worried could be fundamentally weak. We will test this peace treaty on Tuesday.

A make shift kid spot for moms & dads that gotta work and have no money for daycare got made. I’m pretty happy that we are able to help this way.

The liquor receiving area is for the adults okay. Don’t judge us. Though it looks like Rockdale might have been hitting some of the adult provisions.

I slept for almost 12 hours last night. My thoughts are more clear now, and I have a new plan in my mind for improving this way we are to try to serve as many people as we can. Barbecue travels well. We make great barbecue and chocolate, which travels well too. Our burgers also travel well. If we are blessed again this coming week with full ticket rails, I know we will improve some more. I’m feeling pretty confident about that.

While I feel better about making this transition to take out only restaurants with tools like online ordering, I am faced with the financial numbers for last week. Barbecue sales down 28%, Chocolate sales down 60%, and Burger Joint sales down 58%. For The Craftory we normally have about 1,000 orders for the week. Last week we had 539, but the average ticket amount was up a little. 

We cut some staff on a volunteer basis. Some others we had to ask stay home for now. We’ve got some kids that live at home without having to make rent or buy groceries, and others that have other bread winners in the house. They’ll be fine. And it’s only temporary we hope.

It looks like we got our labor hours pretty much lined up with what our sales can support. We will mostly likely adjust some hours of operation, especially for the Tejas Burger Joint, and we will likely tighten up our menu items for efficiency.

Here’s how I see it. You need to eat, and we need to work...bills never take a day off. Restaurants are different creatures with different demands and financial challenges for the entity and its team. We are compelled to make our present situation work not only for ourselves, but for our customers, and our suppliers. We are driven by a desire to serve, and when we know that someone was happy with food we made that feeling of satisfaction carries us onward. Always has, and always will. 

A good restaurant was already a clean place to visit, and now we are all even more sanitary. Way more sanitary than a lot of places we are stilled allowed to visit. Our staff is instructed to stay at home if they don’t feel well. We don’t have anyone sick at all at this time. We are doing all the things we can think of to be better and safer. We will come out of this deal with some new tricks too. Just wait. WE MADE BREAKFAST TACOS ON SATURDAY!

Like I mentioned earlier, I’m just sharing our story. There’s a lot more pain going on around this world than we are experiencing ourselves. We will count our blessings every day, and keep on; crushin’, smokin’, and flippin’

Cheers! Scott

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Opiate Recovery Success Rate

Contents

Black hills …

Surgery. mohamed yh

Prescription opioid drugs

Prevailing treatment system generally

30 … improved outcomes

Painful opiate withdrawal

Mar 4, 2016 … It's worse than ever: Deaths from overdoses of opioids (the drug category that … Since untreated heroin addiction carries a mortality rate of 2 to 3 percent per year , the … However, the odds of recovery are better than they appear. …. Success! Check your inbox for details. Please enter a valid email address.

The opiate detoxification guide is a composition of opiate withdrawal detoxification strategies that can help Opiate withdrawal can be miserable, but it's rarely, if ever, life threatening, especially if the person in question is in good health. However, the success rate of cold turkey detox is beyond bad.

Why is my method of opiate recovery so effective? After 7+ years of continually developing and People getting off opiates relapse at a rate of 95% because they feel crappy due to having such Rebecca's Success Story: "After being an opiate addict for three years, I finally got on Suboxone…

In late September, the Addiction Recovery Centers of the black hills … When people ceased using Suboxone, that rate dropped to 8.6 percent. Tamang said he has read other studies where the success ra…

Jul 19, 2016 … Some studies find rates of these pre-existing problems among people … Addressing these underlying issues is usually essential to successful treatment — but … motivate addicted loved ones to begin and sustain recovery.

Heroin Addiction Recovery Success Rates … 30% of those in recovery from opiates stay sober.

The results, as of now, do not yield a high success rate. Because of the brain changes caused by opiate addiction, recovery becomes a hard and sometimes impassable road. Stemming the flood of opiate a…

The current epidemic of heroin addiction … to the predicted success rate of only 10 percent. How did that happen? And how might understanding that level of success help us deal with the current epid…

He says the drug takes away his craving for heroin. "It was key to any success that I’ve had," Alex says … He says buprenorphine has been "extremely important" in his recovery. All three major medic…

Oct 23, 2018 … Using medications to manage opiate use has a very poor success rates. The only lasting road to recovery is a lifestyle change in which stress …

Addiction Treatment Center Of New England In general, NPs may evaluate patients, provide diagnoses, offer treatment, and prescribe medications … for treating opioid … Experts need to identify who’s most at risk of deliberate or unintentional opioid overdoses, so they get better pain manageme… Addiction Treatment News Seven public meetings have been held to introduce Doorway-NH, a plan to ensure that

Jun 8, 2017 … Ocean Hills Recovery has an astounding success rate of 73% – 90-day … Ocean Hills Recovery and tagged california rehab success rates, chance … Opiate / Heroin Treatment; Structured Residential Program; 30-day, 60-day, …

Greater than 98% Opioid Detox Success Rate. Detoxification of Opiates with Medically Supervised Withdrawal Treatment Heroin, Suboxone, Oxycodone, Fentanyl, and Other Prescription Painkiller Opioids. Comprehensive and private drug detox is the first step in a successful recovery.

During more than a decade of IV drug use, 34-year-old Ana Vasquez, a homeless IV drug user, has kicked heroin nearly a dozen times in Philadelphia … as more jails are looking at the data and success …

When considering success rates of a treatment program, the type of end goal, abstinence versus medication management, must be addressed. Although medications to treat opiate addiction can themselves become addictive, they have helped patients sustain their recovery and thereby…

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers Ma Dual diagnosis treatment is offered at many of the rehabilitation centers featured in our directory. This is a comprehensive treatment for both alcohol and drug treatment. Accurate diagnosis is very important in addiction centers to distinguish between the psychiatric symptoms caused by alcohol… “Depression, no matter how long it occurred after your coronary heart disease

Despite the county’s efforts to tackle the problem from multiple angles, it was unable to slow down the increasingly fatal na…

Wednesday nights bring a group of recovering heroin and opioid users together at one of MVP Recovery’s eight homes in Delaware … with a more than 90 percent success rate. "Is the hope your houses wi…

Juneau and Alaska as a whole have not been able to escape the nationwide opiate epidemic, and opiates appear to only be increasing their hold on Alaskans. The age-adjusted rate of opioid … work of t…

The misuse of heroin and other opioids such as oxycodone and … addicts as high as 80 percent, which means that the recovery rate may be as low as 20 percent. …. Unfortunately the success rate for other opiates is even less than heroin.

Methadone maintenance (50-90% success rate). Methadone is an opiate itself and can be used as a pain reliever, but it can be used to treat opiate use disorders by Take the facts and the success rates and find the method that works for you. In the end, that's the best way to succeed in recovery.

Can cannabis wean addicts off heroin and other opiates? Can cannabis wean addicts off … Unfortunately, these rehab centers have only about a 30 percent success rate. After all, if heroin and other o…

See Our Success Rates … Recovery is far more than the removal of addictive substances from an otherwise unchanged life. … Rates of opioid abuse, heroin addiction, overdose and death are a concern in schools and hospitals, treatment  …

Jul 26, 2018 … People recovering from opioid addiction and their families discuss the … life to him), I assure you that recovery success is not directly tied into …

executive director for Recovery Café Orting Valley, the nonprofit in its last annual report boasted a 90 percent success rate among its members for maintaining longterm sobriety after they were introd…

Treatment and Recovery. Can addiction be treated successfully? Relapse rates for drug use are similar to rates for other chronic medical illnesses. If people stop following their medical treatment plan, they are likely to relapse.

Canadian Health Recovery Centre – Our alcohol and drug addiction treatment model provides a much higher recovery rate after 5 years. (75-80%)

At the same time, my own recovery from opioid dependence … based and traditional treatment programs. But opiate dependence has been refractory to treatment without medication. Success rates for long …

Nov 15, 2017 … There's a highly successful treatment for opioid addiction. … collective fear and ignorance from the culture at large within the recovery community. … can cut the all-cause mortality rate among addiction patients by half or more.

On This Page What are the Current Rehabilitation Success Rates? Heroin Addiction Recovery Success Rates Sometimes opiate addicts will end up switching from heroin to methadone or suboxone as their…

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers Oklahoma Addiction Treatment Center Of New England In general, NPs may evaluate patients, provide diagnoses, offer treatment, and prescribe medications … for treating opioid … Experts need to identify who’s most at risk of deliberate or unintentional opioid overdoses, so they get better pain manageme… Addiction Treatment News Seven public meetings have been held to introduce

Success rates in recovery. To help deal with the difficulties of detox and its aftermath, many people with heroin use disorders will seek a successful rehabilitation Of the 75% remaining in treatment, 75% of their urine tests were negative for opiates and other drugs. Contingency management.

Stages of Opiate Withdrawal. Opiates are addictive in part because they activate parts of the brain associated with pleasure. The best drug rehabilitation programs provide a strong support network for recovering addicts throughout all stages of recovery, including the difficult weeks that follow acute…

Recovery rate is the extent to which principal and accrued interest on defaulted debt can be recovered, expressed as a percentage of face value. BREAKING DOWN Recovery Rate. Recovery rates can vary widely, as they are affected by a number of factors, such as instrument type, corporate…

Opioid addiction plagues millions of people in the United States and worldwide. … treatment is crucial for you or your loved one's success in life and recovery. … at an accelerated rate due to the presence of Fentanyl (a highly potent opioid …

Because methadone clinics serve recovering drug addicts, they are widely stigmatized and rarely talked … Myth: Methadone is just as bad as or worse than heroin and prescription opioids. … Myth: Methadone clinics have a small success rate.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers Houston Texas University Cancer Centers are state-of-the-art cancer treatment facilities in Houston, Texas. University Cancer Centers has a long and continuing history of excellence in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Award winning board certified Radiation Oncologist, Mark D'Andrea, MD and his team are… GONZALEZ is an Assistant Professor of Education Psychology and Texas … of Houston. Working closely

Opiate Addiction Recovery Help. However in most instances when a person has success… it is purely due to the fact that they said "enough is enough" and are willing to do whatever it takes to be free from pain pills and other opiates such as heroin, methadone, oxycontin, and all other pain killers.

If you look at the numbers I highlighted pink in the table above you'll see that they represent success rates at various intervals since onset of dependence.

Learn about the recovery and success rate of this surgery. mohamed yh, et al. (2016). Success rates of vitrectomy in treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. hindawi.com/journals/joph/2016/2193518/.

Jun 18, 2018 … One common thread among successful opioid treatment programs in … an opioid use disorder will often relapse along the road to recovery.

A Trumbull County judge, Sheriff Thomas Altiere and the county Mental Health and Recovery Board are hoping the drug Vivitrol … who said it’s been used with a success rate of 75 percent there. “Compa…

The rates of relapse are similar to those seen in other chronic illnesses including diabetes and asthma. About Heroin Recovery. A report from the National Institutes of Health states that at present, only approximately 20 Unfortunately the success rate for other opiates is even less than heroin.

Opiate Addiction Recovery provides a positive atmosphere for treatment. The victims of abuse need assistance on a holistic level. Doctor Partida uses suboxone to treat his patients. This new drug boasts a success rate which far surpasses methadone and every other known drug on the market.

The Blue Hill man had used opiates illegally for a decade … Statistics comparing the success rate of faith-based and secular recovery programs do not exist, according to Rachel Steidl in the communi…

That’s in a city where an estimated 70,000 people are injecting heroin. Advocates say there … Some live in recovery houses …

HOLMDEL, NJ — It’s a familiar tale to anyone living in the Bayshore region: A person overdoses on heroin or another opioid … they have around a 70 percent recovery success rate," said Rajiv Prasad, …

It is a surprising fact that treating severe mental illness has a higher success rate than treating many other health ailments. Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia recover with a 60 percent succe…

Jan 14, 2017 … Visit our website to learn why heroin relapse rate is so high and where to get … Since prescription opioid drugs are difficult to get, people turn to something … Additionally, heroin users in recovery need to be very careful with …

Opiate Addiction: Recovery Statistics. An estimated 26-36 million people worldwide abuse natural opiates or synthetic opioids. Remember, opioid addiction recovery statistics don't tell the whole story — opiate addiction recovery success rates are higher for people who receive comprehensive…

May 9, 2016 … The prevailing treatment system generally claims success rates of 30 … improved outcomes for opiate addicts who use medication in recovery.

AUSTIN, TX — The Community Care Collaborative (CCC) – Central Health’s nonprofit partnership with Seton Healthcare Family – is funding an opioid addiction treatment program with a high success rate .. …

(AP) — In the 12 years since he became a heroin addict … And in what organizers say is a key to the success of the program, each person enrolled is matched with a “recovery specialist” who provides …

Addiction Treatment Virginia Gina Carey is a Treatment Consultant for American Addiction Centers covering the Northern Virginia and Maryland area. Though she started working in the … Review the best drug rehabs and alcohol addiction treatment centers in Virginia to start your recovery program today. Virginia Addiction Treatment. Virginia has experienced an uptick in drug smuggling activities, especially for

Compared to other facilities where the success rate is less than 50%, Mathers Recovery has a long-term success rate nearing 80%. Our experience with medication assisted treatments offers detoxification from painful opiate withdrawal in two hours at our outpatient facilities.

This is an addictive opiate that some claim is easier to withdraw from than prescription or street opiates — but studies show their success rate, even using Suboxone … by a 28 to 45 day — or longe…

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News and helpful information on POS Equipment & Point of Sale.

Maggie Luna and her three children. She lost her parental rights in 2015.  Courtesy of Maggie Luna

Maggie Luna tried to fit all of the love she had for her three children onto a tri-fold poster board a week before her court date. Each section of the plain white board was adorned with a photo timeline dedicated to one of her children, illustrating Luna’s presence in their lives from birth up until the day they were taken from her. It was a desperate attempt to persuade a Harris County judge to let her keep the kids.

But the judge didn’t bother to look up at her or her poster before terminating Luna’s rights to her children.

When she lost her parental rights in 2015, Luna was battling drug addiction, in an abusive relationship, and struggling to hold down a job that could support her three children. Six years later, she says she’s in a much better place. Luna has spent the last three years sober, in therapy, and learning how to use her own experiences to push for change through advocacy work. Now, she’s hoping for another chance at motherhood. 

About 5,500 parents in Texas lose legal rights to their children every year. A bill passed by the Texas Legislature this session could give parents a pathway to getting those rights back for the first time, giving many parents and their children in foster care a second chance to reunite as a family. 

“This is a great change for Texas,” says Kate Murphy, senior child welfare policy associate at Texans Care for Children. “We know that redemption is possible and circumstances change. It’s really exciting to give families a second chance, and to do it in a way that is thoughtful and safe, when that’s something that is desired by both the child and the parent.”

Luna grew up in a home with alcoholism and domestic violence, but she managed to stay afloat for most of her childhood. She was in Pre-Advanced Placement classes and played the bass clarinet in the school marching band. She dreamed of joining a symphony one day. But at the age of 16, when her parents separated, it became harder to cope with life at home. That’s when her battle with addiction started.

“I went from being this straight A’s, amazing student, to smoking weed with these other kids and skipping classes,” she says.

In the years following, Luna developed an addiction to meth and heroin. When she became a mother, she says she was ashamed that she wasn’t strong enough to stay clean for her kids. In 2008, Child Protective Services was called on her due to her drug use. They placed her on a service plan, which included rehabilitative treatment. Luna says it only became more difficult to be honest and reach out for help, because she feared her children would be taken from her.

“I knew what I was doing was wrong. Every single day was a battle with myself, like, why can’t I get it together? Why can’t I stay clean and keep it together for my children?” Luna says. “I just couldn’t keep my head above water, but I couldn’t ask anyone for help because I didn’t want to lose my kids.”

In 2011, Luna was caught writing fraudulent checks. An investigator told her that if she was honest and cooperated fully, they would work with her because she was a mother. Luna says it felt like an opportunity to finally ask for help. She cooperated, and ended up in prison for two years. After getting out of prison, Luna says she relapsed, ultimately failing a drug test in 2015, resulting in the termination of her parental rights. 

“When they took my kids, I spun out of control,” Luna says. “I had no reason to want to get better anymore.” 

She says she resigned herself to the idea that things were never going to get better, and ended up in prison again the next year on a drug possession charge. It wasn’t until her mother managed to adopt Luna’s eldest child, and started bringing her in for visitations, that she began to see a path forward. She got into Santa Maria Hostel in Houston, a halfway house and treatment center for women, and then to a women’s home. She learned how to write a resume, took financial planning classes, and even embraced religion for the first time in her life. Luna credits the women she met through those programs for turning her life around.

While she found a way to maintain a relationship with eldest, she hasn’t had contact with her other two children since 2015. The youngest, a girl, was quickly adopted by another family. Her son, who was five years old at the time, has still not been adopted. Luna says he has been in and out of foster homes over the years, and is heavily medicated for multiple mental illnesses including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

“Honestly, I believe my girls are in better spots right now. This is not for me to rip my daughter from the adoptive home that’s been caring for her,” Luna says. “But my son, he’s suffering. Why is he sitting in foster care? I have an extra room for him to come home to. I have plenty of food, a brand new car. Just give me a second chance.” 

Luna believes that her son’s struggle with mental illness is a result of trauma. He’s been taken from his mother, been separated from his siblings, and Luna fears, abused in foster care. “I don’t know what he’s going through in the system, and that terrifies me,” Luna says. “But who better to help him with what he’s going through than someone who knows what it’s like to be traumatized at that age? Someone who has gone through it.”

Julia Hatcher has worked as a family defense attorney in Texas for more than 20 years. She says the law could not only help parents who deserve a second chance, but also kids in foster care who have a slimmer chance of adoption. About 1,200 Texas children age out of foster care every year and are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing homelessness, economic insecurity, and becoming involved with the justice system themselves. Hatcher says getting children out of foster care and into stable loving homes should be the priority, especially in light of an ongoing federal lawsuit that accuses the state of neglecting foster children. 

While the bill could potentially help Luna reunite with CJ, it only grants a pathway to parents whose rights were involuntarily terminated: In other words, parents who went to court instead of handing their children over to Child Protective Services willingly. Parents who voluntarily signed their children away to the state, won’t be able to use this new avenue to reunite their families.

CPS got involved with Sommer Brooks’ family in 2017, when someone made a call suspecting drug abuse while the family was temporarily living out of a hotel. Not long after, she was arrested and ordered to a residential treatment program in Harris County. When she completed the program and moved into a transitional living home, Brooks found out CPS was trying to terminate her parental rights for not complying with a previously agreed upon service plan that required she maintain a job and a place of residence.

“They really railroaded me to relinquish my rights permanently,” Brooks says. “They basically told me that if I didn’t relinquish my rights voluntarily, that it would jeopardize my rights to my other children. And if I wanted to have any kids in the future, they would be forced to remove my child from me before I left the hospital.”

Julia Hatcher says this kind of pressure by CPS isn’t uncommon. “Unfortunately they use that as a threat to coerce parents into signing voluntary relinquishments,” she said. Brooks relinquished her rights to her 18-month-old son, and currently has no way of getting him back.

“We need mothers to tell these stories,” Luna says. “We inherently trust the system, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.” She has shared her personal testimony at the Texas Legislature a number of times in hopes that it inspires change for other other families, and that it helps mend her own.

“I may not ever see my kids until the day that they come looking for me themselves,” Luna says. “But I’m going to keep fighting like they could come home tomorrow. I want them to know that I kept trying.”

The above post was published on this site.

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Adult Students Have Moved Into the Mainstream. How Can Colleges Adjust?

Did you see the Melissa McCarthy movie last year, where a mother drops her daughter off at college, and after some unexpected personal setbacks, decides to go back to school herself? In the film, “Life of the Party,” seeing McCarthy's character at a sorority party in a mom sweater is one of the gags, as this grownup is clearly shown as a fish out of water in higher education.

This is just the latest version of a movie that Hollywood keeps making every generation, and it represents a narrative that never seems to go away about what college should look like.

But the reality is very different. That mom going back to school is no longer the rogue outsider, but increasingly the mainstream when you look at who goes to college. True, these working adult students are not showing up at sorority parties, and they’re mostly studying online or using new models that colleges have built for them in the past few decades.

These students could be the answer to how our society will adjust to the coming robot age and solve the skills gaps identified by employers. So argues Marie Cini, president of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, a group working to support programs for these so-called nontraditional students, the real-life versions of the character played by Melissa McCarthy.

Cini has been in the role for about nine months, so she’s just starting to implement her vision for how her organization can help shift this cultural narrative, and help colleges get better at serving this huge group of learners.

And she has a recommendation for a recent film that does do a better job of showing the realities that students face today.

Listen to the discussion on this week’s EdSurge On Air podcast. You can follow the podcast on the Apple Podcast app, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play Music or wherever you listen. Or read a portion of the interview below, lightly edited for clarity.

EdSurge: What are some things that are different now, compared to 5 or 10 years ago, in terms of awareness and how well adults are being served with online and other digital tools?

Marie Cini: So even 5 or 10 years ago there was still this sense that adults were the exception—that the standard way to go to college was when you’re 18 to 22. And if you didn’t, there was something wrong, and we had to do some tactical things to help you move into that same model. But part of what’s changing is the pace of change itself. Now I think it’s very clear to most people that the typical student is the nontraditional student.

So it’s not the Rodney Dangerfield in that old movie, “Back to School,” where it’s this one grown-up on campus and it’s so weird.

But they still make movies like this. There have been new ones. Melissa McCarthy was in the latest one [“Life of the Party”]. She went back and joined a sorority. It is that sense of college is a very specific thing—you’re in the residence hall, you’re partying, you have four years.

But there’s this new sense that most people are not going to live in a residence hall, even traditional-aged students. Now college has to fit your life. You might not do it all at one time. You might purposely start with a certificate, and then move up the chain as you go on. I think the sense that it’s really a very different world now, and most institutions, even if they don’t know how to do it, they’re trying to serve the adult nontraditional student far better than ever before.

If the narrative has changed, how have the tools and resources changed for nontraditional students?

There are more options. I don’t know if it’s a lot better. First you have the growth of large adult-serving institutions that focus on those nontraditional students. It used to be that only a handful of universities (including my former employer, the University of Maryland University College) really focused on adult students. Now you’ve got Western Governors University, Southern New Hampshire University, and [and other large institutions] that have really reached out to these new learners.

More institutions, whether they’re small colleges or larger, they’re going online and even thinking about competency-based degrees. They’re at least offering courses in the evenings and on the weekends, which is the least you need to do for adult students. I think there are more options.

But the typical university or college needs to think in terms of transformation because what they do now is all built around the fraternities, sororities and having a party for four years.

So you’ve been at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning for nine months. What brought you there?

It’s a wonderful organization that started in the seventies with a group of faculty who really cared about adults. And they created this rigorous methodology to help adults take their informal college level learning—the learning you get from your job [and convert it to college credit].

We have many adults who just never finished an undergraduate degree, but they’ve become a vice president of marketing. They have the equivalent of a major in marketing, so do we really want to make them come back to college and redo the major in marketing, or could we find ways to help them translate that into college credit? And that’s what the roots of CAEL really were, this prior learning assessment methodology. It’s really based on this model by David Kolb, [a pioneering educational theorist,] about experiential learning, and how you extract true learning from your experience based on reflection and connecting it with some theory.

But over time, CAEL started moving into other areas, working with employers to do advising for adult students who were getting tuition assistance. Working with workforce regions to help them think through their skills gaps and how adult students could actually help them create or move up in terms of their learning so that they could fill some of those gaps.

What is your plan for the organization?

We need a continuous process so that all adults are learning, and then in careers, and learning again, and going back to careers. So CAEL now needs to focus on the strategy and the next level of where we find ourselves in our society and our economy.

We’re right in the middle of the action. We’re not knocking on the door of higher ed anymore. We’re not saying, ‘You guys have to pay attention to adults.’ In fact, higher ed knows it needs to serve more adults, and for good reasons.

Adult students are not the exception that we somehow have to create special programs for. All of us have to see them as actually a fundamental solution to a lot of the problems we have in our society. We have skills gaps. But guess what? There are a lot of adult learners out there with some extra training, extra education. They could actually fill those skills gaps. Employers need employees who will stay. We need to help you think through how to upskill your employees as a retention strategy. Higher ed needs to think about how to better serve adult students. It’s kind of like the name of the game, adult students are where it’s at, and it will be this way forever now.

You’ve been involved with competency-based education, the idea of measuring learning by testing outcomes rather than just counting how much time students have spent in class. I don’t hear as much about that these days. Is that because maybe there is less activity in that space, and maybe other things are filling that need? What is the state of competency-based education right now?

It’s happening, but there’s always that hype cycle. CBE was hugely hyped. And then it has settled into, ‘alright so it’s actually hard work.’ You can’t just throw a program together. I think what we’re seeing now is it’s going to be another modality that many institutions will be either developing or making part of their programs. So it’s definitely moving forward.

It’s kind of like online. Everybody is doing online now, it’s not a big hype anymore. But at first, it was going to change the world. Well, it didn’t. It’s just a part of what you need to do if you’re going to serve all of your students. I think competency-based education really has moved into that arena. It’s still happening, it’s just quiet.

What is a good movie about higher ed? What is the cultural representation that gets it right?

I’m going to put a plug for a film called “Unlikely.” It’s a documentary funded by some foundations. While CAEL didn’t have anything to do with actually developing it, it really is the story of why CAEL cares so much about adult and nontraditional students. It is a story of three or four students that try to go through college when they were at the traditional age, and how our current college systems and university systems failed them. Because maybe they ran out of money. Maybe they needed childcare. One young woman was going to be a doctor, and she had a child and had to stop out, and there was no way to continue in college.

Over and over again there were barriers put in the way of these students that if we had a more flexible system—[such as with competency-based options]—they could have had a better outcome. It is a sobering look.

That is the movie that needs to be made as our new cultural representation. Unfortunately though, it’s a little sad, it’s not funny. These folks didn’t have a chance to join a sorority or fraternity. They had a very serious real life, and they still needed college. That’s the reality of college students today. If we can get that message out there, it’s very important.

Adult Students Have Moved Into the Mainstream. How Can Colleges Adjust? published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness

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Couples Inpatient Drug Rehab Monroe Louisiana Addiction Treatment

Thinking of Attending Couples Inpatient Rehab Monroe, Louisiana Addiction Treatment?

While addiction treatment is typically a specific treatment, couples rehab can be relied on for couples deeply dedicated to their relationship and their recovery. Treatments like behavioral couples therapy (BCT) effort to reorganize any ineffective interactions within the relationship to decreasing bad practices and practices that lead to a drug or alcohol abuse.

Some addiction treatment centers may utilize rehab programs for couples or make it possible for couples to participate in treatment together. When both partners battle with addiction and are devoted to each other, couples rehab can be hassle-free. Many treatment methods are extremely customized, so if it remains in both celebrations’ benefit to going through treatment together, numerous rehab centers might want to accommodate.

For the most part, one partner might handle addiction while the other does not. Household, good friends, and loved one play vital functions in motivating their happy in ones to take part in addiction treatment When a liked one winds up being connected with their liked one’s treatment method, treatment can be more effective and more reliable in the long-lasting.

Whether both partners are addicted, or merely one, couples rehab may or may not be an outstanding principal.

Going To Rehab As A Couple– Heres What To Expect?

Couples rehab is developed to deal with drug abuse and addiction for couples or devoted couples cohabiting. The course of treatment will depend upon whether both people or simply one are having a problem with addiction. When both individuals experiencing addiction, they will likely start treatment with a medically-supervised detox program.

While the specific actions of treatment will depend upon both the couple and the rehab center, couples will likely need to go through detox individually. A detox program makes sure security and advantages throughout withdrawal, can relieve signs and prepares a specific for more addiction treatment.

After detox, and relying on the treatment center, couples will either share a location or stay in numerous quarters. Different inpatient rehab centers use short-term stays (1 month or less) or enduring stays (60 days, 90 days, 120 days, or longer). While more research study is needed in this location, couples rehab can trigger much healthier relationships, extended abstaining, and a higher possibility to end up and participate in treatment.

Drugs Treated at Couples Drug Rehab

In spite of the drug being maltreated, couples rehab can help to have bumpy ride partners remove the unwanted cycle of addiction and recuperate control of their relationship and their lives. Even if you and your partner have actually genuinely been heavy or long-lasting users, couples rehab can make use of various benefits. Couples rehab centers manage a big option of substances, consisting of:

Alcohol.

Drug.

Split

Drug

PCP

Heroin.

Cannabis.

Methamphetamine.

Prescription drugs.

Essentially, abuse of any compound can be handled in couples rehab. In addition, rehab can similarly assist address and handle any co-occurring psychological health or psychiatric issues you or your partner might have, such as stress and tension and stress and anxiety or stress and stress and anxiety. Taking part in rehab as a couple is more than more than likely the most required action you will ever require to guarantee the health and complete fulfillment of your relationship.

Going through Withdrawl As A Couple In Monroe, LA

Withdrawal occurs thinking about that your brain works like a spring when it links to addiction. Alcohol and drugs are brain depressants that lower the spring. They decrease your brain’s production of neurotransmitters like noradrenaline. When you stop using drugs or alcohol it resembles taking the weight off the spring, and your brain rebounds by producing an increase of adrenaline that sets off withdrawal signs.

Every drug is numerous. Some drugs produce considerable physical withdrawal (alcohol, opiates, and tranquilizers). Some drugs produce little physical withdrawal, nevertheless more psychological withdrawal (drug, marijuana, and euphoria). Everybody’s physical withdrawal pattern is similarly various. You may experience little physical withdrawal. However, that does disappoint that you’re not addicted, rather you may experience more mental withdrawal.

Below are 2 lists of alcohol and drug withdrawal signs. The exceptionally actually very first list is the psychological withdrawal signs produced by all drugs. You can experience them whether you have physical withdrawal indications or not. The 2nd list is the physical withdrawal indications that normally accompany alcohol, opiates, and tranquilizers.

Six Physical Withdrawal Signs.

Head: Headaches, lightheadedness.

Chest: Chest tightness, trouble breathing.

Heart: Racing heart, skipped beats, palpitations.

GI: Queasiness, throwing up, diarrhea, stomach discomforts.

Muscles: Muscle tension, twitches, tremblings, shakes, muscle discomforts.

Skin: Sweating, tingling.

Four Mental and Psychological Withdrawal Signs.

Stress and anxiety: Stress and anxiety, stress and anxiety attack, uneasiness, irritability.

Anxiety: Social isolation, the absence of pleasure, fatigue, poor cravings.

Sleep: Sleeping conditions, trouble going to sleep or remaining asleep.

Cognitive: Poor concentration, bad memory.

What Are Deadly Withdrawal Symptoms?

Alcohol and tranquilizers produce the most harmful physical withdrawal. Suddenly stopping alcohol or tranquilizers can result in seizures, strokes, or cardiovascular disease in high-risk consumers. A medically tracked detox can reduce your withdrawal signs and decrease the risk of risky issues. Some of the harmful signs of alcohol and tranquilizer withdrawal are:

Grand mal seizures

Heart attack

Strokes

Hallucinations

Delirium tremens (DTs).

Withdrawal from opiates like heroin and oxycontin is very unfavorable, nevertheless not risky unless they are integrated with other drugs. Heroin withdrawal by itself does not produce seizures, heart attack, strokes, or delirium tremens.

Couples Dealing With Dual Medical Diagnosis and Recovery

What is Dual diagnosis?

Double medical diagnosis is the term utilized when a person has a frame of mind condition such as tension and stress and tension and stress and stress and anxiety or bipolar health problem (likewise called manic tension and stress and anxiety) and a concern with alcohol or drugs. A person who has a double medical diagnosis has 2 different health concern, and each illness requires its own treatment approach.

Mindset conditions and alcohol/drug issues are both treatable illness. They are not ethical powerlessness or character problems. They can impact any person, no matter age, ethnic background or financial background. Research study research studies have really exposed that bulk of people who have tension and stress and anxiety or bipolar affective condition likewise use alcohol and/or drugs.

Why is it necessary to manage both the state of mental condition and the alcohol/drug use?

When neither illness is managed, one disease can make the other even worse. When merely one health problem is dealt with, treatment is less more than likely to be respectable. When both diseases are dealt with, the chances for a general and enduring healing are considerably enhanced, and it is a lot easier to go back to a complete and efficient life.

Why is it essential to remain sober when getting treatment?

Mixing alcohol or drugs with medication can have significant and hazardous results. Many medications, consisting of over the counter medications, connect with alcohol or drugs in damaging methods. It is similarly not probably that you will receive from talk treatment if you are under the effect.

Couples Rehabilitation Centers

Residential Treatment Programs For Couples  Monroe, Louisiana

Residential treatment programs offer a series of various services, including medical management (medications from a doctor and treatments from other physician like nurses), group treatment, personal treatment, social support system participation, and other types of particular treatment interventions. Residential treatment programs may specialize according to the treatment technique. Alternatives include:

Withdrawal management: Inpatient/residential withdrawal management programs (medical detox programs) are typically produced to start treatment for people who establish physical reliance on some type of drug or alcohol. The program utilizes other interventions, however, the main objective is to help the particular securely go through the withdrawal management treatment without suffering any psychological or physical damage or without falling back. Withdrawal management alone does not fix the social, psychological, and other behavioral problems that are connected to enhance use conditions.

Short-term residential treatment: Short-term residential treatment programs supply, in reality, significant nevertheless quick interventions. Often, these programs last many days to 6 weeks, depending on the intervention and the customer. For instance, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), short-term residential treatment programs for alcohol abuse may follow a 12-Step approach that is customized for the much shorter length of the intervention and after that transfer the individual to extended participation in 12-Step groups and outpatient treatment.

Long-residential treatment program: might last 6-12 months. Individuals in these programs generally have extremely significant issues, including significant psychological/psychiatric issues, drug abuse issues, and propensities toward self-harm or damaging others, and so on. Treatment is extremely structured, depending upon the requirements of the specific and the specific sort of problems the program focuses on handling. For instance, a few of these programs accommodate people contacted the criminal justice system; some accommodate individuals with psychotic conditions-some rehabs allow pets; some accepts those with character conditions, and so on. Comprehensive interventions are offered in these environments that can include using medications and treatment, in addition, to assist services focused on-job-training, tutoring, speech treatment, and so on.

By their very nature, these programs need to have adjustments to deal with people who have unique requirements. In most cases, consumers might stay long amount of times, or their stay may be permanent, depending upon their level of disability.

During Couples IOP Programs Bossier Cty, Louisiana

The structure of Couples outpatient programs Bossier, LA can differ from one treatment center to the next in links to of the variety of days weekly the sessions are supplied, the number of hours daily that the program occurs, and the length of time throughout which the program lasts. When people participate in IOP, they will look out of the specific times that the program pleases so that they can acknowledge which schedules work best for them without hampering their ability to follow other day-to-day obligations.

All people who take part in IOP get personalized treatment techniques that are tailored to meet their special requirements so that their treatment objectives can be most appropriately satisfied. These tailored treatment methods will include a series of restorative interventions, which might consist of the following:

Medication management: In some circumstances, the execution of psychotropic medications can benefit particular individuals as an improvement to recovery interventions, as they can work to reduce the physical and psychological distress that particular indications produce. All medications are encouraged by a certified psychiatrist, and follow-up conferences with the psychiatrist will be held on an as-needed basis.

Group treatment: Group treatment sessions are typically the main treatment part used in Acadia Healthcare’s substantial outpatient programs. The number and sort of groups that please will vary from program to program based on the requirements of people. These sessions are led by professionals who assist in subjects of conversations that relate to the requirements of individuals who are participating in the program. These sessions can work as a time for individuals to not simply get an education on the specific issues that they are discovering to deal with, nevertheless similarly as a time to utilize and get support to and from peers who are likewise participating in the group. This peer interaction can serve to assist people to come to acknowledge that they are not alone in the fights that they are dealing with which can, in turn, promote acceptance and healing.

Individual treatment: Private treatment sessions work as a time for people to please individually with a therapist in a particular setting. They can be a time for individuals to process through their experiences in treatment, take care of any issues that take place, ask any concerns they have, get constant help, and honor successes as they happen. Poor outpatient programs, these sessions are often hung on an as-needed basis.

Family treatment: In the substantial bulk of cases, consisting of a person’s relative into his/her treatment can be monumentally beneficial. In doing so, any damage that has really truly been caused upon the house as an outcome of an individual’s mental, behavioral, or chemical dependence problems can be challenged and processed through. In addition, this can function as a time for one’s relative to end up being informed on what they’re pleased in one is going through and discover strategies which they can best be of assistance to him or her. Comparable to personal treatment, home treatment is typically hung on an as-needed basis within substantial outpatient programs.

Continuing care: At Acadia Healthcare, we acknowledge that individuals require to be supplied with a total spectrum of care alternatives in order to entirely return into their lives. For this aspect, the employee at our treatment focuses starts handling discharge strategies from the minute that a particular take part in treatment. The function of these discharge methods is to ensure that an individual has aid on a technique which she or he can protect his/her success in healing as quickly as treatment has actually really associated to an end.

Reach out to us day or night – Our caring Treatment Consultants are waiting for your call right now. Call Now

Couples Sober Living Bossier, LA

A Monroe, LA couples sober living home can be referred to as a sober living center or midway home. It is a transitional-living group house in which individuals who have in reality injury up an inpatient addiction treatment program can continue to live in a monitored sober environment while getting used to a slow boost in the task. A sober living house is a phase in between inpatient addiction treatment and returning house. This is a great addition to a couple’s treatment prepare yourself for the reality that it will make it possible for the couple to discover self-sufficiency and more adaptability than what is permitted treatment, nevertheless still in a handled and enjoyed on the environment.

The majority of the people who get in a sober living home remained in an inpatient rehab program, and this is the leading area they live at the following rehab. They might comprehend their addiction and the requirement to remain sober, however, they want to protect extra aid after winding up from a rehab program.

What’s The Cost Of Couples Sober Living?

Sober living homes have specific rules and policies, that consist of:

Individuals pay lease

They participate in a regular support group and/or treatment.

They do not bring any envigorating substances into your home, though some might permit prescription medicines.

There are home conferences to guarantee individuals feel safe, remarkably associated to and part of the group.

Your home is managed by individuals who have actually really gone through the healing treatment themselves

The benefits of sober living homes are substantial. They supply people in require the area to develop a new everyday routine beyond a living circumstance that might otherwise trigger them to relapse to drugs or alcohol. The property owner has help from others living in your home to avoid envigorating substances. Looking after psychological and physical health is a requirement specified on the lease. In addition, sober living houses require that individuals handle social obligations, like safeguarding a job, going to school, or taking part in volunteer work.

If you need assistance discovering a sober living home that is ideal for you, please call us now

Why You Should Consider Couples Aftercare?

Numerous research study research studies, such as one from Society, expose that some individuals do not feel ready to go back to the world after substance abuse treatment for great deals of components, fearing that they will relapse due to the reality that of different circumstances. The primary goal of aftercare is to assist with this issue and supply relapse avoidance.

To assist please this objective, lots of programs supply the following elements that contribute to avoiding relapse, to name a few:

Inspiration to avoid relapse

The duty for practices and to prevent drug use

Social help and help

Feedback throughout high-risk circumstances various programs consisted of in aftercare services supply all of these elements to one degree or another. Which service appertains depends upon the person’s specific day-to-day barriers, danger components for relapse, and needs.

Couples Aftercare Programs

A variety of aftercare choices are offered to please the goals of relapse avoidance and please the challenges of relapse hazard, such as:

Comprehensive outpatient programs: These programs are frequently used as instantaneous follow-up care to inpatient treatment for those with high relapse hazards. In extensive outpatient treatment, as explained by SAMHSA’s Treatment Enhancement Treatments, the individual in healing invests 9 hours weekly or more going to continuing treatment programs, including group treatment sessions, discussions, curricula, occupational treatment, and other sessions that strengthen the capabilities and details discovered in rehab, and provide a source of dedication for the person in keeping sobriety.

Sober living homes: Some individuals are at greater danger of relapse if they return to their routine home environment or community. In this case, living in an area that provides responsibility for constant avoiding drug abuse can assist. Sober living houses provide an environment where individuals can live in a neighborhood with other individuals who are recuperating from substance abuse. These houses use requirements and structure around doing jobs, participating in conferences or sessions, and verifying avoiding drug or alcohol usage. According to a research study from the Journal of Hallucinogens, this sort of living circumstance can assist high-risk populations to avoid relapse as they vacate residential care.

Self-help or 12-Step groups: Lots of people understand groups like Twelve-step programs or Narcotics Anonymous, nonetheless, they might not comprehend their amount in addiction treatment. As part of an aftercare program, these groups can provide much-needed social help from others in recovery who have actually achieved success in managing the issues that emerge after treatment. Involvement in these groups typically begins throughout treatment, however, it is a vital part of aftercare. The groups offer constant inspiration, education, and social aid for continuous healing. When you try to find an addiction treatment program, it pays to understand aftercare services each center utilizes. Throughout the healing treatment, the quality and duration of aftercare services can make a considerable distinction in your possibilities for lasting success.

Take the next step in the right direction, and take a look at what couples rehab in Monroe, Lousiana has to offer!

Couples Rehab Helpline 888-325-2454

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Outpatient Treatment Near Me

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Outpatient Treatment Near Me

Finding An Outpatient Treatment Near You

Are you searching online for “Outpatient Treatment Near Me” According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), 114 die every day due to drugs and the main culprit is opioids like fentanyl. A recent poll taken by The Betty Ford Clinic shows that there has been a spike in teens taken Xanax. The biggest problem with drugs in today’s society is the abuse of prescription drugs like Vicodin or Percocet. However, drugs like heroin and fentanyl abuse are widely popular because they are cheap to get on the streets or on the internet. The number of people abusing drugs outweighs the number of people who can afford to enter rehab by far.

Trendy Ways People Hide Drugs or Alcohol

As more cities make strides to help keep streets drug free, new ways of keeping drug secrets continue to increase and some of them are pretty crafty.

Gummy Bears- Teens soak their gummy bears in alcohol. Luckily, the gummy bears increase in size so it can be easily noticeable.

Pipe Bracelets- These bracelets look very normal, just like any other bracelet but turns into a pipe when it is taken off. These bracelets are sold in different colors and styles online.

Eye-Balling- More teens are using a trick called eye-balling which is known as pouring alcohol into the thin membrane around the eye so that alcohol can go straight to the bloodstream. It’s a very popular choice when abusing alcohol because people can pass breathalyzer tests.

Vape Bottles- Any plastic bottle will work and people are using them to vape alcohol. This is another way that people get a high from alcohol while also passing a breathalyzer test.

Deodorant Container- The deodorant can be pulled out which leaves space to stash drugs and for smelly drugs like marijuana, the deodorant can mask it. This can be done with a lot of different products on the market such as lip balm.

Soaking Tampons- This trend is very popular among teens, female and male. Teens soak tampons in alcohol and insert it into their bodies so that the alcohol is absorbed right into their bloodstream. By doing it this way, there is no alcohol odor.

Various Pipe Making– Odd things like highlighters and apples can be made into pipes. People are very resourceful.

Hide-a-ways- While that teddy bear looks cute and cuddly, he could be hiding a very dark secret. Teens are hollowing out spaces in their stuffed animals to hide-a-way drugs.

To locate drug and alcohol treatment centers in your local area contact an addiction helpline or review a local addiction center directory to find licensed facilities to choose from.

Signs of Drug or Alcohol Use

As you can see people have become very resourceful in keeping their drugs or alcohol tightly tucked away. Teens are constantly learning the tricks of the trade and have found their own ways of keeping their drug or alcohol habit under wraps. It becomes a futile process of trying to help someone when there is no physical evidence of drug or alcohol abuse.

Here are some signs to look out for:

Drug Use:

Drastic Changes in Behavior

Drastic Changes in Job Performance or School Work

Drastic Changes in Relationships

Changes in Sleeping Patterns

Mood Swings

Constant Runny Nose

Lack of Energy

Bloodshot or Glassy Eyes

Appetite Changes

Weight Changes

Pale Skin

Fatigue

Alcohol Use:

Slurred Speech

Impaired Memory

Poor Coordination

Risky Behavior

Blackouts

Slow Reaction Time

Glassy or Bloodshot Eyes

Anxiety or Agitation

Headaches

Nausea

  Confronting Drug or Alcohol Use

When you have become suspicious about a person you love taking drugs, naturally you want to gage them for any symptoms. Just because they seem to have all the symptoms from above doesn’t automatically mean that they are doing drugs. Teens as a whole are secretive, moody and usually go through a period of time where they don’t want to sleep at night. This doesn’t mean they are doing drugs. They could truly be going through a phase. So it’s important to collect as much evidence as you can before you confront someone about drug or alcohol use.

Prepare Yourself

It’s important to have all your ducks in a row when confronting someone. Gather up your information and be prepared for what they might do or say. Most often, people deny drug or alcohol use. Also, learn as much as you can about talking to your loved one in an open and honest manner. As soon as someone who is abusing drugs or alcohol feels judged they usually shut down. You want to make sure you have answers to questions that could pop up so look into recovery options such as inpatient and outpatient treatment.

Stay Positive and Flow Gently

Stay away from judgment, name-calling or anything else that may sway the confrontation to a degree of any arguments. This should be an open and honest avenue of conversation the entire time. Choose a tone that doesn’t appear condescending or harsh. After all, the goal here is to help your loved one to admit that they have an alcohol or drug problem and to get help. Harsh words or crude judgment could cause them to dive deeper into drugs and alcohol.

Put Your Foot Down

If you have evidence that your loved one is using drugs and you’ve discussed it with them before and there has been no change, it’s time to put your foot down. If you’re a parent of a teen, you can sign them into a rehab without their consent. If your loved one is an adult and they are living with you, you can give them a choice: go to rehab or move out. If your loved one doesn’t live with you, it may be hard to disconnect with them but if their drug or alcohol use is hurting you, you may have to. Ultimately, you want to try to get the person you love to get the help that they need but sometimes people are not ready to do so. To locate a drug rehabilitation center close to home just search rehab facilities near me in the search bar an start calling them to see if they are a fit for you.

Outpatient Treatment

After creating a warm and positive atmosphere for your loved one, chances are high that they have decided to go to rehab. For most people who are addicted, outpatient treatment seems to be a more popular choice. To find a center offering this type of treatment just type in outpatient treatment near me into a search engine online. Outpatient treatment works differently than inpatient because a patient does not have to stay at the facility full-time. Outpatient treatment allows for a patient to come and go while also having time to take care of their families and go to school or work.

Many outpatient treatment programs have a set schedule that people can enroll into. Other outpatient treatment programs are appointment-based which are best for people who need to take care of their children or go to work or school.

Convenience is the main reason people choose to go to outpatient treatment. Going to rehab can cost a lot and I am talking about more than just financially. By going to rehab for a month, a person can lose their job and their residence. Outpatient treatment allows for a person to keep both. Inpatient treatment does offer some advantages that outpatient doesn’t. For example, inpatient focuses highly on intensive therapy while outpatient biggest focus is to provide therapy. There is no round-the-clock care either so a person is on their own when it comes to staying sober. Outpatient treatment provides regular therapy, educational courses and counseling sessions. Some benefits of inpatient treatment are lost when a patient decides to do outpatient treatment. Both however, have been proven to be effective.

Another reason that most people choose outpatient treatment is based on cost. It just simply costs less. For outpatient treatment, a patient does not have to worry about room and board which can be very expensive. Inpatient treatment can cost thousands of dollars for a 30-day stay. The pricing for 60, or 90 day inpatient drug rehab programs

Not everyone qualifies for outpatient treatment because inpatient treatment would be a far better choice.

So who does qualify?

People who are new to addiction

People who have been through inpatient treatment before

People who have a strong support system at home

People who are good mental health (No dual diagnosis. Dual-diagnosis is when a patient had been diagnosed with an addiction and a mental disorder. Look up dual diagnosis treatment centers for more information)

  Cost of Outpatient Treatment

There are many ways to afford outpatient treatment such as private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, non-profit organizations and government funded programs. Substance abuse treatment centers offer a wide range of treatment and costs.

Here is a breakdown of outpatient treatment costs:

$3,000-$10,000++-Intensive Outpatient Treatment

$300-$800++-Detox

$0-$1,000++-Counseling and Therapy

As mentioned before, there are several ways to pay for outpatient treatment, here are all the options.

Sliding Scale- Some rehab centers work off a sliding scale system that goes based on your monthly income.

Payment Plans- There are many rehab centers that offer a payment plan where interest may or may not be added on.

Coverage Thru Insurance- Most insurance companies will pay for a portion of rehab costs which can save on a lot of the cost.

Free- Some health department and social services will offer free or subsidized options. Call your local and find out more information.

Advantages and Disadvantages to Outpatient Detoxification

For patients who need to go through detox, outpatient treatment can be difficult.

Advantages:

Outpatient detox is just as safe and effective as inpatient detox

It’s less expensive

It’s less time-consuming

There is usually greater social support at home

There is more freedom in outpatient detox

People can continue to work or go to school while detoxing

Disadvantages:

Higher risk of relapse

Easier access to drugs or alcohol

People can easily choose not to show up for their appointments

Detoxing can be dangerous depending on the type of drug taken

Withdrawal symptoms can be severe causing a person to want to do drugs to stop them

  Four Ways to Find a Good Outpatient Program

Explore All Your Options- Do your homework and learn as much as you can about different outpatient treatment programs. Some may offer a program that is perfect for you while others may not have your best interest at heart. There is a lot of knowledge on the internet about outpatient and inpatient treatment but some information is false. The best way to find out information is to call a drug rehab center. To find one, type in rehab centers near me. You can go into a center and talk to someone who can answer all the questions that you have.

Look for a Long-Standing Treatment Center- When looking into treatment centers it’s important to find one that has been around for a long time. Typically, they have higher success rates.

Luxury Doesn’t Mean Best- Some high-end outpatient treatment centers look like gold and appear very inviting with all their amenities but that doesn’t mean that they are the best. Some luxury outpatient treatment programs can cost tens of thousands of dollars a month. You want to make sure you are getting exactly what you entered rehab for. Recovery is your mission, not amenities.

Rehabs the Guarantee a Successful Recovery are a Red Flag- There are no guarantees for someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol to make a full recovery. There are no guarantees that a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol and becomes sober will never relapse. It’s impossible to make a guaranteed promise of success. Rehabs that do this are offering false hope. The very best that anyone could hope for is a worthy try for sobriety.

Inpatient Verses Outpatient

For people who decide to do outpatient verses inpatient, there are certain amenities that are missed out on.

Nutritional Support

Yoga

Acupuncture

Medication Management

Parenting Classes

Job Placement Assistance

Exercise Opportunities

If inpatient treatment seems to be more of what you are looking for, just type inpatient rehab near me into a search engine online. There is so much information online about both programs.

  Drug Rehab Process

There is always some trepidation for people who are going to rehab. It changes a lot. It doesn’t matter if a person is going through outpatient or inpatient treatment there are a lot of changes that take place. No matter what type of treatment a person chooses, the drug rehab process will always start out the same. To find out even more information look up drug and alcohol treatment centers near me online.

Assessment

Assessments are required because the staff at a drug rehab center needs to know why you are there and how they can help you. Assessments address the type of drug or alcohol that is being taken, how long the drug or alcohol has been taken and if there are any mental disorders to note. The assessment is the jumping off point to a person’s entire recovery. It’s very important to be completely honest.

Intake

An intake will also be part of the process and it doesn’t matter if you are doing inpatient or outpatient treatment. An intake will ask a series of questions about a patient’s family medical, mental and drug history. This will usually take some time to fill out. It will be used as a guide to find out what type of program will best suit the person entering rehab. A patient will also have a physical examination and a blood/urine test during the intake. If a patient is staying at the facility, a list of items that are not permitted at the facility will be given. At this point, financial arrangements will be made and if a patient is staying at the facility, they will be supplied a room.

Detox

If there are drugs in a patients system, it is necessary for the body to be cleansed of those drugs. This can take 3 to 7 days. With detox comes a series of withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, shaking, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, dizziness, insomnia, muscle pain, sweating, etc. These symptoms can be very harsh so if a patient is staying in the facility, they are usually given some medication to help ease the symptoms. Once the body is cleansed of the drugs, the patient can start their treatment.

Inpatient and Outpatient Treatment

At this point, you should know which treatment you are going to be receiving. If you are receiving inpatient treatment, you have been admitted to a room. If you are doing outpatient treatment, you have been given a schedule of events or you have setup your first appointment.

For patients who are receiving inpatient treatment, RTC (Residential Treatment Center) is next on the list. RTC is a program that is full of different types of therapy to help a patient to grow and heal. Most often CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is used to help patients with distorted thinking. Distorted thinking comes in 10 different patterns: All-or-nothing thinking, Overgeneralization, Labeling, Jumping to Conclusions, Magnification, Emotional Reasoning, Should Statements. Personalization, Discounting The Positive, Negative Filter. Every single one of these distorted thoughts can generate negative styles of thinking that lead to drug or alcohol use.  Distorted thinking happens when a person has gone through some sort of trauma, depressing or anxiety period in their life. Therapy can generate a new pattern of thinking that can create a more positive path and a road to recovery. RTC is also full of different types of therapies that deal in both art and music as well. Yoga and meditation are part of the program as well since they both provide relaxation for the body and mind.

There are two types of outpatient treatment. The first type PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) usually comes right after RTC but some patients who elect to go to outpatient treatment will go through PHP instead. PHP takes places in a facility for 6 hours a day, 5-7 days a week and is full of useful therapy and coping skills to help with addiction. There are family meetings that people can attend which allows families to get on the same page with one another. The second type of outpatient treatment is called IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program) and this type takes place in a facility for 3 hours a day, 3 days a week. It works very similar to support groups which will always be a huge part of one’s recovery. IOP continues to teach patients about coping skills but also allow the therapy to be further generated in a group form verses a one-on-one.

Aftercare

Aftercare is something that is referred to frequently throughout the other three programs. Aftercare is the ability to take care of yourself once treatment has ended. This sounds so intimidating because for people who have just exited inpatient treatment, they’ve had 30 days of structure and then weeks of stability through outpatient treatment. There isn’t a single drug rehab center that expects a patient to fly on their own right off the bat. A part of aftercare comes in the form of sober living houses. Sober living houses or half-way houses are great options for people who do not really have a place to go. A sober living directory can help you find a  structured home so that you can get a job. To find a long term drug rehab, search for rehabs that offer 60, 90, 120 and longer programs if you are looking for long-term care.

Another great way to achieve a successful aftercare regimen is to sign up and go to support groups. Support groups are an important part of one’s recovery because they allow for a place for people to talk and get encouragement from others about their sobriety. When it comes to recovery from addiction, many people always say the same thing. There is no cure and it’s very true because temptation will always be knocking on your door. Support groups help people to avoid temptation and to keep that door closed.

Finding a hobby is also important because it keeps you busy. Many people who become sober like to write a lot and a lot of people have written full books on their recovery which has helped others to gain the courage to become sober themselves. Hobbies come in many forms, it’s just important to find one that is positive and fun for you.

There are so many options when it comes to drug rehab. You can find a lot of information online but calling and talking to someone at a drug rehab is the best way to find out information that you can trust. Just start by typing treatment centers near me into any search engine.

When typing in outpatient treatment near me on the web you will get many choices of where to attend your outpatient therapy for drugs or alcohol. Be cautious of where you choose treatment, do the proper research and be sure to pick the rehabilitation that is best for you.

#Treatment

[filipeteimuraz]

How to Promote Your Local Business with These 15 Marketing Strategies

To survive, local businesses need to learn how to adapt to the modern way of marketing.

If you are seeing a plateau or decline in sales, it’s time for you to mix up your marketing strategy.

Even if your small business is profitable right now, you need to stay ahead of your competition to remain successful in the future.

Analyze the latest marketing trends. Recognize the consumer buying behavior. Learn how to get more money from your existing customers.

Unfortunately, only 33% of small businesses reach the 10-year mark. The rest fail.

I don’t want you to become the sad statistic. This was my inspiration for writing this guide.

If your company is new, you need to do everything possible to stay strong for years to come.

Local businesses that have been around for decades may be ready for a marketing facelift. Your strategies that worked 20 years ago probably won’t be as successful in 2018 and beyond.

I narrowed down the top 15 marketing tactics for local business owners. Use this guide as a reference for your future marketing campaigns.

1. Set up your free listing with Google

How are new customers finding you?

If you’re old-school, you may be relying on word of mouth, radio promotions, print ads, and direct mailing. But last year, 97% of consumers searched the Internet for a local business.

Furthermore, positive online reviews make 73% of consumers trust local businesses.

That’s why you need to make sure your local business is listed on Google.

When people use the Internet to search for something, they start with Google.

Setting up your free Google listing makes it easy for consumers to find you when they search for terms related to your business.

Your listing will have all your information:

address

phone number

hours

directions

link to website

You’ll be able to add photos to give people a better understanding of the way you operate.

Customers will also be able to add photos. They’ll write reviews about your local business for other people to see, which will have a major impact on your successful.

You need to learn how to get your customers to recommend your brand to others.

Your star rating is the number one factor used by consumers to determine whether they’ll buy from your local business.

In fact, 94% of customers will use businesses with a 4-star rating.

2. Start blogging

As you’ve just seen, consumers use the Internet to find local businesses.

That means you need to understand the basic principles of SEO if you want to increase your chances of getting ranked as a top result.

Roughly 47% of clicks go to the top three positions of Google search results.

Blogging will help you tremendously with your SEO strategy. Just look at these numbers:

More website traffic, more followers, and more leads will ultimately translate to increased profits.

Publishing new blog posts means your website will be updated more frequently with fresh content, which will increase your chances of getting a higher search ranking.

Plus, your posts are a great place to add keywords prospective customers may be searching for when browsing online.

Once you’re able to establish a steady group of readers for your blog, they’ll visit your website on a regular basis. The more they visit your site, the greater the chances you’ll have of getting them to convert.

3. Join a local group

Local businesses need to remain active in their communities. Joining a local group is a great way to stay connected with residents and other business owners.

I suggest joining your local Chamber of Commerce. There will be a small annual fee, but it’s worth it.

Attending these meetings and events will expose your brand to other businesses.

Will your competitors be part of these groups? It’s possible. But that’s even more of a reason for you to be there.

Let’s say you own a local t-shirt company.

Another local business may be hosting an event in town and need custom shirts made. Rather than ordering the shirts online, they’ll be more inclined to use your services if you both belong to the same local group.

That’s the whole idea behind joining. The businesses look out for one another and always try to support local brands.

4. Give back to the community

Being part of a local community also means you need to give back.

If you’re charitable, don’t be shy about your involvement. Consumers want to hear about how your local business supports charitable causes.

Research shows 91% of customers say they are willing to switch brands if it means supporting one associated with a charitable cause.

And 85% of consumers will have a more positive image of your local business if you support a charity they care about.

You can even ask your community and customers which charities you should support. Studies show 39% of people want to help decide on the charities a business supports by a voting system.

It’s a safe bet to associate with local charities.

This will definitely help you and your business become closer to your community.

You can approach this in many ways.

For starters, you can make an annual contribution to a charity.

You can also run special promotions with a certain percentage of sales on a particular day or week goes to a cause.

Giving back to your community doesn’t always mean donating to a charity.

For example, let’s say you own a local restaurant. You can provide food for a public high school graduation event. These types of parties run by the school are intended to keep students safe and sober on the night of their graduation.

5. Run contests

Contests are a great way to get people excited about your local business.

The best way to run these contests is through online platforms. Leverage your social media profiles for this strategy.

Run contests that encourage user-generated content. For example, ask your followers to post pictures related to your business. Then pick a winner based on who gets the most likes on their photo.

The whole idea behind these contests is to grow your social media following.

If people see their friends and family posting about your local business on their social profiles, it will increase your exposure and increase the chances of them following you as well.

Now you’ll be able to post promotional content aimed at your new followers that converts them into customers.

6. Verify your information on Yelp

In addition to your Google listing, your local business will also have profiles set up on other platforms, whether you signed up or not.

For example, you may have a Yelp profile because customers rated and reviewed your business.

It’s important that you make sure all your information such as your store hours, phone number, address, and website is accurate on these platforms.

More than 90% of consumers make a purchase after viewing a business on Yelp.

If a customer tries to contact you and the phone number is wrong, or if they show up to your store thinking you’re open and you’re actually closed, it’s going to hurt you.

It’s in your best interest to claim your business on Yelp so that you can control the information in your listing.

7. Implement a customer loyalty program

If you’re looking for a fast way to increase sales, you need to learn how to create a customer loyalty program.

The best part about this marketing tactic is you can make more money without having to acquire new customers. Your focus will be on getting your existing customers to spend more money.

The goal of your loyalty program should focus on two things:

increasing purchase frequency

increasing average purchase amount

By accomplishing these two things, you’ll be able to drive growth through sales.

More than 82% of consumers are more likely to shop at stores with customer loyalty programs.

Your loyalty program could be something as simple as a punch card. On the 10th visit, the customer gets a free reward or something like that.

Or you can set up a system that’s a little bit more in-depth. Reward your highest spending customers by implementing a loyalty program based on different spending tiers.

The best way to track this type of program is with a customer profile or mobile app, but we’ll discuss that in greater detail shortly.

8. Offer discounts

Consumers are price-sensitive.

As a local business, you need to recognize this and adjust your pricing accordingly.

Some of you may be hesitant to offer discounts because you feel like it lowers the value of your brand. Plus, your current prices may not yield profits if you offer discounts.

If that’s the case, you should consider raising your base prices. Then offer discounts on those new prices.

Psychologically, this is more appealing to your customers. They want to feel they’re getting a deal.

If your local business has an ecommerce store, an active discount code will increase your chances of getting more sales.

Whether you’re selling online, in-store, or both, it’s important your business offers coupons and discounts to your customers.

9. Increase your social media presence

We briefly discussed social media earlier when we talked about running contests to promote your local business.

You need to establish an active presence on as many social media platforms as possible.

Sure, you might be on Facebook. But that’s not enough. Last year, more than half of small businesses increased their social media investment for platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

If you have a local B2B company, you also need to prioritize networks such as LinkedIn.

Just 43% of small businesses share content and engage with their followers on a daily basis. That number should be much higher.

I know what you’re thinking. Running a small business is tough.

You’re already putting in long days, and you just don’t have enough time to focus on your social media strategy.

Don’t get overwhelmed. Check out my favorite time-saving social media marketing tools to help you automate the process.

10. Partner with a local influencer

To take your social media marketing strategy to the next level, you should consider working with local influencers.

These are people in the community who have a large social following.

You can pay them to promote your local business on their distribution channels to increase your reach.

The best part about this strategy is it’s relatively inexpensive. Each post will likely only cost you a couple hundred bucks at most, and you can even pay them less if you offer them some free stuff as well.

Influencers have extremely high engagement rates with their followers, and their audiences trust their recommendations.

11. Set up a customer referral program

Implementing a customer referral program is one of my favorite ways to acquire new customers without doing any work.

The idea behind this strategy is to get your current customers to do all the heavy lifting.

It’s a strategy that focuses on both customer retention and customer acquisition, which are the top two most significant retail drivers.

For your referral program to be successful, you need to offer an incentive to both parties.

Reward your existing customers for each referral. This gives them the motivation to get out there and refer your local business to as many people as possible.

As for the new customer, they’ll need some type of incentive as well to get them in the door.

If they’re satisfied with their purchase, they’ll start referring new customers as well.

This can turn into a highly profitable cycle for your business. That’s because 86% of consumers say their close friends influence their decisions to make a purchase.

Simply put, referrals work.

12. Add subscribers to your email list

Don’t underestimate email marketing.

While it may not be the newest or sexiest marketing tactic, it’s one of the most effective strategies out there.

According to research, 81% of small business owners say email marketing drives customer acquisition. And 80% of them say they were successful in using email marketing to retain customers.

This strategy is extremely profitable. For every $1 spent on email marketing, your local business can expect to see a $44 return.

In fact, 77% of your email ROI will come from campaigns that are targeted, segmented, and triggered.

But your email strategy won’t be effective if you don’t have subscribers.

Focus your efforts on getting more customers to join your list, and the rest will take care of itself if you stay on top of your campaigns.

13. Launch a mobile app

It doesn’t matter what type of business you have or what industry you’re in, I can promise you your customers are using mobile devices.

If you have the funds available, you need to consider launching a mobile app for your local business.

That’s because the majority of mobile time is spent using apps.

Studies indicate 63% of consumers prefer an app compared to a mobile site because it’s more convenient.

And 57% of users like apps because they are faster than mobile sites.

You may not think an app is necessary for your local business right now, but it will be in the future. Even if you’re not ready to start this process today, you need to plan to do it soon.

Once your app launches, it will help you personalize the customer experience.

You can use your app to facilitate your customer loyalty programs and customer referral programs, which I talked about earlier.

If you already have a live app or you’re in the process of building one, refer to my guide on how to improve the profitability of your small business mobile app.

14. Set up Google Alerts

Google Alerts will help you monitor what’s being said about your business online.

Reports will be emailed to you anytime your local business or other keywords are published on the Internet.

This will help you stay on top of the latest news, whether it’s positive or negative.

For example, let’s say some blogger writes an unfavorable post about your brand online.

You’ll be able to see it and act accordingly right away as opposed to finding out about the post weeks later.

Or, on the flip side, if a local news publication writes a positive article about your business, you can share that content on your website and your social media channels.

15. Improve your customer service

Your local business needs to provide excellent customer service:

How does good customer service help your business?

Well, as I previously discussed, prospective customers will use a number of different tools and platforms to research your business.

They’ll read reviews online, check social media, and take advice from their friends and family.

If you’re able to provide high-quality customer service, it will be evident in the way you’re perceived online. As a result, your current customers will keep coming back, and you’ll get new customers walking through your doors as well.

Conclusion

As a local business, you can’t afford to fall behind your competition.

Take a look at your current marketing campaigns, and ask yourself whether they’re generating the results you’re looking for.

It might be time to switch up your marketing strategy.

If you’re looking for new ways to promote your local business, use this guide as a reference.

I’m not expecting you to implement all these strategies overnight. But go through the list, and prioritize some of these tactics based on the needs of your business.

What types of marketing strategies are you using to promote your local business?

https://www.quicksprout.com/2018/08/27/how-to-promote-your-local-business-with-these-15-marketing-strategies/ Read more here - http://review-and-bonuss.blogspot.com/2018/08/how-to-promote-your-local-business-with.html

[alyssamanson5]

For the Homeless, a Lack of Photo ID could be Deadly

Could not having photo identification turn into a health liability? Apparently it can.

The Philadelphia Tribune says that “As the nation’s heroin and painkiller epidemic rages, small but vulnerable populations of homeless people are sometimes turned away from the nation’s already-threadbare system of drug treatment centers because they do not have valid photo identification.”

The problem is that you have to be able to prove who you are in order to get services, and the homeless population is often not able to sustain things such as a driver’s license or photo identification. Therefore they are being turned away from getting the help that they need.

Which really brings up a much deeper question, which is: “How do we fund drug treatment, given that drug addicts and alcoholics typically do not have good health insurance or expendable income?”

One of the biggest problems in the United States when it comes to drug treatment is the fact that the quality of our health insurance is often tied to our employment. If you do not have a good job then you probably do not have great health care coverage, meaning that you will struggle to get the help you need when it comes to drug or alcohol addiction services.

The problem is that addiction destroys a person’s ability to maintain steady employment. So in order to rebuild people who struggle with addiction we have to somehow fund their recovery in some other way, from the ground up. Inpatient treatment is not cheap, and this is often going to be the only thing that has a chance at helping someone who is truly struggling.

The homeless population has so many factors working against them when it comes to addiction and recovery. It is very stressful to not have health care, to not have any expendable income, to not have the resources that you need to make a fresh start, and to not even know where you might be going when you transition out of a treatment center.

It is hard enough to stay clean and sober, to turn your life around, to make a clean break away from addiction. But when you factor in all of these compounding variables that come along with being homeless, the odds become almost insurmountable.

Another variable that often is a factor is that of mental illness. Any addict or alcoholic who also struggles with homelessness is much more likely to have a mental illness on top of their addiction problems. So the odds become heavily stacked against such a person.

How do you address such a problem? How do you help someone who has so many things stacked against them?

It takes money and resources and patience. In many cases it will take a higher level of care than what the “typical addict” may require in order to get help.

So if we look at all of the possible solutions and treatment options along the spectrum, we have things that start out small such as a one hour counseling session each week, ranging up to daily AA or NA meetings, then IOP therapy a few days each week, followed by an inpatient rehab program of 28 days, and finally long term treatment or transitional housing.

Obviously if someone is struggling with multiple issues such as addiction, mental illness, and homelessness, then they are going to need the more intensive and therefore more expensive services from that list. You cannot just send such a person to counseling or therapy for an hour each week and expect for that to make any kind of difference for them. They need more help than that.

And a person in that position, in which they have multiple problems that are all working against them, is just not in a position to have the money, insurance, or resources to be to able to help themselves or provide for their own treatment.

Now from a political standpoint, or from the standpoint of our society and how we want to see the trends play out, you have to realize that there is a serious cost if we choose to not to invest in such individuals. Many of these problems such as addiction, mental illness, and even homelessness can be passed on to future generations if we do not work to correct the problem today. The more profitable path is to turn a blind eye to such problems and just to hope that somehow such people find the help that they need, but we can be fairly sure that the problems stacked against them do not allow them to have the best access to resources. If we want to fix problems such as the opiate addiction epidemic then we are going to have to invest in real solutions.

In my opinion the gold standard of helping someone in this situation is to get them into a 28 day inpatient program, and hook them up with a therapist or counselor there who can then assess their needs and refer them to the proper services. Of course the key factor in any 28 day rehab is what happens after the client has left and their 28 days are up. Proper aftercare is really essential if they are going to avoid relapse and begin rebuilding their life.

A strong foundation begins with treatment, but social support may be equally important. This is why so many recommend 90 AA meetings in the first 90 days of recovery. If you can plug yourself into the daily meetings and start learning this new way of life then you have a fighting chance against relapse.

One of the biggest hurdles post-rehab is the fact that a single slip up will likely spiral into a full blown relapse that removes any and all progress. The only way to really move forward and make useful gains is by maintaining total and complete abstinence. Go to rehab, build a foundation of abstinence, start seeking social support in recovery, and then dive into the work that will transform your life and make you into a better person.

That is a whole lot of hurdles for someone who is homeless, addicted, and often mentally ill as well. And when such a person cannot even get into an inpatient facility because they lack a simple resource such as identification, then the deck is seriously stacked against them.

We need to find a way to break through these kinds of barriers and make treatment more accessible to those who may need it the most. Healed people go on to heal people, and those stuck in addiction will have a tendency to influence others negatively. Somewhere, somehow, we need to stop the cycle. And that begins with inpatient treatment, made accessible to those who need it most.

If we are not helping the hardest cases, if we are not helping those who are addicted, homeless, and mentally ill–then what are we really doing? Just helping ourselves? We need to dig deeper!

The post For the Homeless, a Lack of Photo ID could be Deadly appeared first on Spiritual River Addiction Help.

from http://www.spiritualriver.com/news/homeless-lack-photo-id-deadly/

[bobbiejwray]

For the Homeless, a Lack of Photo ID could be Deadly

Could not having photo identification turn into a health liability? Apparently it can.

The Philadelphia Tribune says that “As the nation’s heroin and painkiller epidemic rages, small but vulnerable populations of homeless people are sometimes turned away from the nation’s already-threadbare system of drug treatment centers because they do not have valid photo identification.”

The problem is that you have to be able to prove who you are in order to get services, and the homeless population is often not able to sustain things such as a driver’s license or photo identification. Therefore they are being turned away from getting the help that they need.

Which really brings up a much deeper question, which is: “How do we fund drug treatment, given that drug addicts and alcoholics typically do not have good health insurance or expendable income?”

One of the biggest problems in the United States when it comes to drug treatment is the fact that the quality of our health insurance is often tied to our employment. If you do not have a good job then you probably do not have great health care coverage, meaning that you will struggle to get the help you need when it comes to drug or alcohol addiction services.

The problem is that addiction destroys a person’s ability to maintain steady employment. So in order to rebuild people who struggle with addiction we have to somehow fund their recovery in some other way, from the ground up. Inpatient treatment is not cheap, and this is often going to be the only thing that has a chance at helping someone who is truly struggling.

The homeless population has so many factors working against them when it comes to addiction and recovery. It is very stressful to not have health care, to not have any expendable income, to not have the resources that you need to make a fresh start, and to not even know where you might be going when you transition out of a treatment center.

It is hard enough to stay clean and sober, to turn your life around, to make a clean break away from addiction. But when you factor in all of these compounding variables that come along with being homeless, the odds become almost insurmountable.

Another variable that often is a factor is that of mental illness. Any addict or alcoholic who also struggles with homelessness is much more likely to have a mental illness on top of their addiction problems. So the odds become heavily stacked against such a person.

How do you address such a problem? How do you help someone who has so many things stacked against them?

It takes money and resources and patience. In many cases it will take a higher level of care than what the “typical addict” may require in order to get help.

So if we look at all of the possible solutions and treatment options along the spectrum, we have things that start out small such as a one hour counseling session each week, ranging up to daily AA or NA meetings, then IOP therapy a few days each week, followed by an inpatient rehab program of 28 days, and finally long term treatment or transitional housing.

Obviously if someone is struggling with multiple issues such as addiction, mental illness, and homelessness, then they are going to need the more intensive and therefore more expensive services from that list. You cannot just send such a person to counseling or therapy for an hour each week and expect for that to make any kind of difference for them. They need more help than that.

And a person in that position, in which they have multiple problems that are all working against them, is just not in a position to have the money, insurance, or resources to be to able to help themselves or provide for their own treatment.

Now from a political standpoint, or from the standpoint of our society and how we want to see the trends play out, you have to realize that there is a serious cost if we choose to not to invest in such individuals. Many of these problems such as addiction, mental illness, and even homelessness can be passed on to future generations if we do not work to correct the problem today. The more profitable path is to turn a blind eye to such problems and just to hope that somehow such people find the help that they need, but we can be fairly sure that the problems stacked against them do not allow them to have the best access to resources. If we want to fix problems such as the opiate addiction epidemic then we are going to have to invest in real solutions.

In my opinion the gold standard of helping someone in this situation is to get them into a 28 day inpatient program, and hook them up with a therapist or counselor there who can then assess their needs and refer them to the proper services. Of course the key factor in any 28 day rehab is what happens after the client has left and their 28 days are up. Proper aftercare is really essential if they are going to avoid relapse and begin rebuilding their life.

A strong foundation begins with treatment, but social support may be equally important. This is why so many recommend 90 AA meetings in the first 90 days of recovery. If you can plug yourself into the daily meetings and start learning this new way of life then you have a fighting chance against relapse.

One of the biggest hurdles post-rehab is the fact that a single slip up will likely spiral into a full blown relapse that removes any and all progress. The only way to really move forward and make useful gains is by maintaining total and complete abstinence. Go to rehab, build a foundation of abstinence, start seeking social support in recovery, and then dive into the work that will transform your life and make you into a better person.

That is a whole lot of hurdles for someone who is homeless, addicted, and often mentally ill as well. And when such a person cannot even get into an inpatient facility because they lack a simple resource such as identification, then the deck is seriously stacked against them.

We need to find a way to break through these kinds of barriers and make treatment more accessible to those who may need it the most. Healed people go on to heal people, and those stuck in addiction will have a tendency to influence others negatively. Somewhere, somehow, we need to stop the cycle. And that begins with inpatient treatment, made accessible to those who need it most.

If we are not helping the hardest cases, if we are not helping those who are addicted, homeless, and mentally ill–then what are we really doing? Just helping ourselves? We need to dig deeper!

The post For the Homeless, a Lack of Photo ID could be Deadly appeared first on Spiritual River Addiction Help.

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[alexdmorgan30]

How to Maintain Sobriety through Difficult Situations

If there is one thing that you can be sure of, it is that you are going to–at some point in time–go through a difficult situation in your recovery journey.

I do not say this just to be all doom-and-gloom. I am not dramatizing just for the sake of effect here. I am simply stating the obvious fact that life has its ups and its downs. Everyone goes through good times and eventually a bad time. That is just the nature of the game.

And of course it is easy to stay clean and sober when everything is going well. It is easy to stay sober when you are riding that pink cloud, and everything seems to be going good in your life, and you have nothing but hope and positive vibes for the future. It is easy to remain sober then.

Which leaves us with the difficult times. And, as pointed out, everyone goes through them eventually. So you have to have a plan in place in order to deal with this sort of adversity.

What is your plan for when the going gets tough? Do you have a plan?

If not, let’s make one. Right now.

Basically your plan needs to consist of coping strategies. And if you have not practiced and used these coping strategies all along, then they are going to be awkward and difficult to implement when the situation really demands it. In other words, you need to be in the habit of already using these ideas when things are going good and you are not having major problems. Otherwise, it will be too difficult and awkward to use such tools when you really need them.

A great example of this would be reaching out to a peer from AA or NA for support. If you are not doing this on a regular basis then when you finally have a real craving or trigger in your life then it is going to be very awkward and tricky to get yourself to reach out to someone. On the other hand, if you start the habit of checking in with a peer every single day right now, when things are going well, then it will not seem so awkward when you really need to connect in order to save your recovery.

In my opinion it is not enough to just have one or two coping strategies. You need to have a full arsenal of “weapons” that can be used in the fight against addiction. So let’s take a look at few examples that might become skills that you can develop and work on.

The first example, and perhaps one of the more powerful options available to you, would be that of the daily AA meeting. If you are going to an AA meeting every single day then just think about how powerful that habit can be in terms of preventing relapse. No matter what is going on in your life, at least you know that you will be at a meeting in less than 24 hours from now, and you can get help and advice and support at that meeting.

Of course this is not a trivial time investment. Going to a meeting every single day is a lot of time and energy that might be spent in other ways. However, if you are early in your recovery journey then it would be difficult to spend that hour more efficiently in terms of your recovery. I could make an argument that, after 5 or 10 years sober, that one hour per day could definitely be put to better use. But in your first year of recovery, going to an AA meeting every single is a very strong choice.

Another example of a coping skill is to connect with your peers in recovery every day. If you get a sponsor then that person will often have you check in with them once per day for the first 30 days. You can use this concept without even having a sponsor, however, by simply checking in with your peers in recovery every day via text, call, or in person. And if you make it a point to do so, and you do this with several of your peers in recovery, then you are building your own little support network that can help to keep you accountable. The idea is simple: you all help each other to stay clean and sober, and you check in at least once per day on this journey.

But again, this is something that you need to develop in advance, when things are going well. You cannot simply wait until you have a crisis and are on the brink of relapse to start using this particular strategy. You can try to do so, of course, but that late in the game it is not likely to be helpful. You must do it every day, even on the good days, in order to build in the level of accountability and support that will truly be helpful. You have to set this up in advance and make it into a daily habit, a regular routine.

Another example of something that can help you to overcome triggers and urges would be meditation or prayer. In the program of AA they refer to this as being the last line of defense, and they also point out that eventually everyone will face a situation of temptation in which this is the only line of defense.

In other words, you will reach a point in your recovery in which you are face to face with your drug of choice and the only thing that can help you in that moment will be you, yourself, and your higher power.

I am not saying this is going to happen soon, or that it is going to happen often, I am just saying that every alcoholic and addict will face this situation eventually. You will be tested at some point. And in that moment you will not be able to call on other people. You will be cut off from outside help for some reason. And so in that moment, you have to be prepared to resist your drug of choice while using your own strength, or relying on your higher power.

So again, this is something that you have to practice in advance. You must make a habit of prayer, meditation, or both, and do so every day if you are going to build strength in this regard. You must say prayers of gratitude when things are going well, and you must ask for strength when you feel vulnerable. And if you are doing this on a regular basis then you will have a much better chance of resisting temptation when the time comes. But again, if you just wait until there is a crisis and expect for prayer or meditation to suddenly save you from relapse, you are very likely mistaken.

One of the coping skills that I never could have predicted in my own recovery was that of physical exercise. After several years in recovery I finally got into the habit of daily exercise, and suddenly I realized just how powerful this could be in terms of my sobriety.

One of the most emotionally upsetting events of my recovery journey hit me quite suddenly, and I was right on the brink of what could have been a relapse. My support system was temporarily out of town, and I was not really in the habit of checking in with others at the time. I was disconnected to a dangerous degree when I went through this challenging time. And the thing that saved me was physical exercise. I pushed myself really hard in terms of working out and it got me through what could have been a relapse.

So you need to adopt several coping strategies so that you have some options when the times eventually get tough in your life. Good luck!

The post How to Maintain Sobriety through Difficult Situations appeared first on Spiritual River Addiction Help.

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