#3E-Hospitality

[the-laridian]

I got tagged by @the-lastcall and @darkfire1177 for WIP Whenever so here are a few different things...

Another pic of the coffee-dyed fabric, because it's there and if I'd known you guys were going to tag me, I would've saved it :P The moire effect is unfortunate, it's not in the actual fabric (which is hardanger 22ct)

Then the OCKiss art which is coming along pretty well...

This part is fun because it started as the sketch and then I changed the eye and the meaning of the whole thing changed :D

Writing: a bit from 3E Plague, which is back to its horror/apocalypse storyline. (In this universe it's currently 1951)

"I don't know," Frank said. "We won't know until we hear something on the radio." Because would newspapers still be printed and delivered, when it was dangerous to talk to people? (Did the farm even get a newspaper?) "But they've got hospitals and doctors and scientists there. And when we left, the alarm was already being sounded, remember? They were already telling people to stay home." And how would those people survive, when the food in their homes ran out? When all the money was spent on food, and more was needed, and the only way to get money was to go back to work? What if the jobs weren't there anymore, because too many people had died? Frank said none of this to Gerry, who didn't need any more worries, if he hadn't already thought of them. "We've got great scientists in this country," he went on. "They're figuring out a cure or a vaccine right now, I bet. And you sent the letter to your aunt and uncle before the alarm even went out, right? I bet it got to them within a couple of days. So they knew ahead of time, and made themselves safe. And they're waiting for us right now." And if he was wrong... If he was wrong, then there was no safe place for them. Nowhere they could go. They’d die along a street or in a field somewhere, whether of the 'flu or because there was no way for them to get food.

[ambarlucia]

Good morning MR. President,

My name is Ambar Lucia Dominguez LEON DIAZ INOA Nena es mi mama 11/03/1989 US passport 555032385 Nena dormia en mi apt con Tatiana dark skin y duramos 6 Anos de relationship. I contacted you around 4-5 months ago in regards the stalker/ harraser and his group. I am still a victim of bullying, identity theft, assault, bank fraud, and more. No doI got8 an email response in July to my JetBlue email but since that day July 05/2022 the harraser Steve and another supervisor Marilyn sent me to the hospital when they noticed on the email I said something about their ADA fraud. I went a year to a mental health institution in DR and after several test they got into the conclusion that it's him harrassing what cause my stress, anxiety and depression it's him due to his harrasment. He steals every dollar I got he steals my HRA Snap benefits monthly I'm supposed to get 220 cash and 280 food and I get 80 cash and he stole 42 cash from my bag and 80 in food. He stole my ERAP funds, my housing application too. This is the 6th time I apply and he only let me get snap. This Group of ppl has me tired. I don't want to kill myself but sometimes I wish I Don't exist due to his harassment. I want him to leave me alone I'm lesbian I like who martins wife has Yakaira Valerio mule 46 yrs old , Esther Gonzalez named by kidnapper Judio ° so I can live, travel like b4 and be a lesbian like always means to leave me alone or I will put myself in the middle so he can kill me. I am homeless because of him. He intrigued in every situation of my life to get the worst or don't get shit. After the mental health institution I came back to start again and tried to have a normal life . I was smoking,

working with a 2 hour commute from the heights to queens, painting, singing, learning Portuguese online, paying of my best friends my car debt and taking care of my dog, used to meet up on Sundays with my family and hang out with my best friend but he started to harass more and more again and in March after COVID I decide to take a break because a work they said I wasn't focused. That's when I started to be stressed and depressed and very anxious and smoking more and more.El acosador dojo q Ella perdio la memoria. Yakaira Valerio Mule 46 anos Esther Gonzales ahora Prisionera en la 187 en Manhattan Keiry arriba 3E y yakaira abajo 2E en Los apt de Ella pereaux mule que Ellos pa robarle la trancaron. Yo prefiero vivir como lesbiana que soy que me gusta viajar pero no sin fumar y sin Ella y menos sin El dinero de mi banco q El robo pa eso prefiero morir y ponerme en El Medio a q me mate Steve que vivir sin Ella , sin fumar y mi dinero por UN ladron con titulos medicina interna diciendo q es psicologo o sin titulo. Emy Lopez Guerrero bartolinos owner, Dominique and silva que usando globalsign falsifica universidades online titulos y con El software de loss pianos hace career que hablaa con gente pa manipular. Como UN ladron que TE causa ansiedad estando tu homeless por el y mirando como TE roban pretende q no TE de ansiedad y dejes de fumar? Solo UN NO PROFESIONAL hace eso HELLO el de la Vos de Carlos Gomez

frustrado con Ella Ayerla tenia la mujer de Martin la vi en Roosevelt con 79. Y Jeffrey El de gio abre mi correo housing y dicen q no me Llego nada por la pelicula?

Sino es facetime no fue quien la Rata TE dijo. Geo Cuomo USA escopolomina esel liquido d limpieza de bano TE phone rapida. El tiene una companies de Las del liquido del q Tiran en la escuela 187 .Estas en peligro.

La basura que El TE diga no es lol que digo yo. Respete o llama me facetime pa que veas SI lodije yo.

The trash he talks the dominican dike it's what he says no what I think. Call me facetime to see if it's true or I never said that. He only lies.

[wearesorcerer]

Top five incredibly niche spells?

Ah, ze niche spells. How I love zhem!

#5. Amanuensis (3.5)/Scrivener's Chant (PF)

Copy + Paste (non-magical text only) as a cantrip.

Amanuensis creates an exact duplicate of whatever text you're wanting at 250 words/minute (lasts 10 minutes per caster level). Will trigger written magical traps in the source material.

Scrivener's chant animates a quill, which then copies an existing text in your own handwriting (though you can use a Linguistics check to make a forgery, as normal) at the rate of "one normal page" (unspecified size or number of words) per minute (requires concentration, lasts up to 1 min./caster level).

Since both are obscure and PF is supposed to be 100% backwards compatible with 3.5 (being 3.P/3.75; we at wearesorcerer ignore the existence of the stupidity that is 2e), take amanuensis. The downside is something you would and should have prevented (by checking the text) before casting the spell anyway and in all other ways it's superior.

#4: Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound

It's supposed to be a damaging version of alarm; this almost makes it a Stand.

Seriously, why would you spend that high a level of spell slot on alarm? Presumably because you can't be assed to cast some other trap spell. Or you like doggos. Or you're playing in Eberron in 3.5 and have someone with the Mark of Whatever (I forget if it's the Halfling Mark of Hospitality, the Dwarf Mark of Warding, or something else).

#3: Nystul's Magic Aura and Phantom Trap

The third edition version of Nystul's magic aura only works on items, but doesn't have any restriction on whether or not they're carried, while the 5e version is infinitely more useful (as it applies to creatures) but raises questions about the aurae of carried items (which could, in certain contexts, render the spell pointless). Phantom trap works similarly, but the illusion is that a lock is trapped, rather than magical/non-magical. They're kinda useful, but in overly specific situations such that I have struggled to get them in use. Thus, I find them funny: they should be useful, but aren't.

There are a gazillion of these - fire trap ("I'll enchant my spellbook [because that's important] to cast fireball on anyone who opens it! Note to self: enchant/make a fireproof spellbook."), explosive runes/sepia snake sigil/any of the other spell traps that require you to read them (contrast with glyph of warding and the various symbol spells, which are proximity-based and frequently of lower levels compared to the read effect in question). I get why they exist, to some extent, but I see them mainly as wastes of pages because their utility is so minimal that they're mainly useful once in an entire campaign. (Nystul's magic aura might be marginally more useful, especially in the 5e version, depending on how personal vs. item aurae work.) Thus, they occupy this spot for sheer hilarity.

#2: Leomund's Secret Chest

Gods, I love this spell. The 5e version got rid of a lot of the unnecessary baggage (pun definitely intended) with the 3.5 version of the spell, like only being able to have one set of chests period. Honestly, I don't think it should require having a masterwork chest and a miniature version of it; you're just creating a temporary storage space (albeit on the Ethereal Plane because we have to explain such things needlessly) and can retrieve items from it at will. Instead, it should just let you create pocket dimensions (as many as you want; one per casting), with the option of making them permanent (via permanency). Identical functionality without strange GP/crafting requirements. (Perhaps make that a higher level version to justify the cost reduction, I dunno.)

In 3.5 (and maybe pre-3e?), you need this spell to craft bags of holding, which I find tedious: yeah, I get that the explanation for the bag of holding is that it's an extradimensional space, but really, making something bigger on the inside shouldn't have to be the same magic as creating a pocket dimension (mini-demi-plane); it could be a lower-level spell, especially for the utility a bag of holding gives you versus that of the secret chest spell.

#1: Zone of Truth

This one was kinda hard because there are so many niche spells, but in the end I have the best memories with this one (because of someone else's character still trying to lie while inside one), so it goes here. Zone of truth is niche because while discerning lies is still fairly important in D&D (being so basic to social interaction), it's not like you're going to have much of a reason to cast it apart from interrogating prisoners (which isn't exactly a common thing). And it's an AoE instead of something you apply to an individual, meaning you can't lie, either. It's ripe for shenanigans!

PC: "Who are you working for?" Captive: "I'm not working for anyone. Eat my dick!" PC: "I do enjoy the taste of dick-- HEY!"

Like, forcing people to speak "the truth" could just remove any inhibitions they have in their speech at all:

[brunchbitch]

tw marijuana, suicide

a’s 35th birthday is on monday! we’re going up to maine later today and coming back sunday night. then on monday we’re doing presents after i get home from the internship. i got him celtics tickets and i’ve never been to a game so i’m excited! he has said he’s going to quit tobacco on his birthday (he doesn’t smoke straight cigarettes but he sprinkles some tobacoo into his joints every time he rolls them) and i’m going to try to cut down on weed as well. 

it has been really tough to cut down so far and b and i talked about it for a while in session today. ultimately, my motivation to quit is lacking - it’s helped me in soooo many ways. i was reflecting on how awful my insomnia used to be and b said that before he even started working with me, my psychiatrist from 3e impressed on him how difficult sleep is for me and how many different meds we had tried. now it’s not even an issue and i can sleep for 12 hours... as long as i’ve smoked or taken an edible. the idea of sleepless nights, of tossing and turning for 3 hours before falling asleep, of counting the hours until i have to wake up, of obsessing over how tired i’m going to feel the next day... i’m not exactly jumping for joy at the thought of giving up this sleep aid. 

i do recognize the downsides, probably most noticeably some cognitive effects, not feeling quite as sharp or quick as i used to especially with word recall, and the deleterious long-term effects, as well as the difficulty of just feeling dependent on a substance. i really think i would need a to take a break or cut down substantially on his weed usage bc it’s sooooo hard for me not to smoke when he is. but at the same time, i also know that i’m a bad influence on him! he usually doesn’t smoke wednesday or thursday nights, but this week i begged him to roll for us both nights since it’s his birthday weekend. not trying to say i really twisted his arm bc he was happy to do it lol but still, i was the one pushing him. so i’m gonna talk to him about it this weekend but ugh this is so hard.

on a totally different note, i watched a tiktok video to the song of fix you by coldplay and wow... that really brought me right back into my bedroom at the age of 15, sobbing and writing my suicide note. the first 2 or 3 times i attempted, i listened to that song. i called it my “suicide song”. it’s so haunting and sad and makes me feel like i’m yearning for love and connection, for someone to grab my hand and pull me out of the dark hole. it makes me so sad how alone and utterly hopeless i felt. things are much better now, yes, but to be honest, parts of me still wish it had just worked the first time so i wouldn’t have had to go through all the misery that led up to this point. 

i was reading through my hospital record recently and saw one note from an interview with me a day or so after waking up from my most recent attempt. the writer said that i stated i had tried to kill myself 89 times when i know for a fact i said 8 or 9 times (maybe i said 8 to 9) and they heard 89 times, wrote it down in the record, and that was that. then of course that was copy pasted into all the future notes and it’s just frustrating that nobody thought to stop and ask me if they had understood me correctly. as a practitioner, if i was working with someone who stated they had attempted suicide 89 times, i think it would’ve caused me to think a little differently about how they viewed attempts (i.e. maybe including more half-assed attempts or more times in which they had the intent but stopped themselves or something). i don’t mean to imply that my attempts were more “real” than someone who has had dozens of attempts, but it would make me think about their assessment a little differently. i don’t know if what i am trying to say makes sense, but regardless, it really made me realize how important it is to get things down accurately. that will be in my chart forever for any of my future doctors to see. 

[theuniverseawakens347]

SZA.. I ALMOST MET YOUNW EVELYN .. N MODEL MERLOT…SPOT ACROSS FROM RUNYON CANYON..YOU SEEN ME HOLDING THATNSTUPID “we hike sign” WITH DUMBASS RAPIST EVELYN … HI SISTER SOON TO MEET YOU 😌 ur safe..but you know bbl 🤷🏽‍♀️😷 make it right..not much on your character but sinnaround sexyyred n drake video shoot…😉 a lil 1 2 in da head ..FAMILY …come on now … but the hospital…testing my brain skills ..we’3e tapped darling sine willow Knudsen (/DEATH) sea ace …girl fuck my spelling ran

[testbank-zone]

Test Bank For Let's Code It!, 3e By Shelley C. Safian

Test Bank For Let's Code It!, 3e By Shelley C. Safian

Table of Contents PART I: Medical Coding Fundamentals 1 Introduction to the Languages of Coding 2 Abstracting Clinical Documentation 3 The Coding Process     PART II: Reporting Diagnoses 4 Introduction to ICD-10-CM 5 Coding Infectious Diseases 6 Coding Neoplasms 7 Coding Conditions of the Blood and Immunological Systems 8 Coding Endocrine Conditions 9 Coding Mental, Behavioral, and Neurologic Disorders 10 Coding Dysfunction of the Optical and Auditory Systems 11 Coding Cardiovascular Conditions 12 Coding Respiratory Conditions 13 Coding Digestive System Conditions 14 Coding Integumentary Conditions 15 Coding Muscular and Skeletal Conditions 16 Coding Injury, Poisoning, and External Causes 17 Coding Genitourinary, Gynecology, Obstetrics, Congenital, and Pediatrics Conditions 18 Factors Influencing Health Status (Z Codes) 19 Inpatient (Hospital) Diagnosis Coding 20 Diagnostic Coding Capstone PART III: Reporting Physician Services and Outpatient Procedures 21 Introduction to CPT 22 CPT and HCPCS Level II Modifiers 23 CPT Evaluation and Management Coding 24 CPT Anesthesia Section 25 CPT Surgery Section 26 CPT Radiology Section 27 CPT Pathology & Lab Section 28 CPT Medicine Section 29 Physicians’ Services Capstone     PART IV: DMEPOS Transportation 30 HCPCS Level II 31 DMEPOS and Transportation Capstone     PART V: Inpatient (Hospital) Reporting 32 Introduction to ICD-10-PCS 33 ICD-10-PCS Medical and Surgical Section 34 Obstetrics Section 35 Placement through Chiropractic Sections 36 Imaging, Nuclear Medicine, and Radiation Therapy Sections 37 Physical Rehabilitation and Diagnostic Audiology through New Technology Sections 38 Inpatient Coding Capstone PART VI: Reimbursement, Legal, and Ethical Issues 39 Reimbursement 40 Introduction to Health Care Law and Ethics     Let’s Code It! is the comprehensive title in a series of four books. The other titles are: Let’s Code It! ICD-10-CM: includes Parts 1, 2 and 6 Let’s Code It! ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS: includes Parts 1, 2, 5 and 6 Let’s Code It! Procedure: includes Parts 1 and 3-6 Read the full article

[foodforkarrot]

Really impromptu stay in Edmonton... Thanks so much to 3E for her hospitality. She kept me fed and gave me a warm bed for 4 nights while I waited for the flights to fly due to YK wildfires. Grateful for family. Home food, soup and noods. Never take that for granted.

[sahraeyll]

Packed with real-world applications, UNDERSTANDING HOSPITAL CODING AND BILLING: A WORKTEXT, 3e offers a comprehensive guide to both hospital billing and coding that helps students learn to create results with greater specificity, and accuracy. Enabling instructors to easily adapt to the postponement of ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS, the new edition provides instruction on the current ICD-9-CM

[jiubilant]

thought it might be interesting to map out ravi's travels during his employment with the east empire company. two hundred years is such a long time

narsis (3E 430-4E 15): ravi's born and raised in narsis. lives through the red year and the accession war

khefrem (4E 15-22): seventeen-year-old ravi quarrels with his family and ships out with the east empire company. later in life he remembers khefrem and its company chapter (which was mostly staffed by locals) very fondly for being hospitable to a terrified and angry child. at twenty-four he's sent on to a company chapterhouse in stros m'kai

stros m'kai (4E 22-26): the party years

alcaire, gods help him (4E 26-40): he scrapes out a decently respectable living here, then destroys his prospects by having an affair with the factor's wife. pressed into shipping out again to take up a posting in bravil

sovereign state of leyawin (4E 40-48): he was stuck here for some time while leyawin, which had recently declared independence and struck up a war with bravil, impounded merchant vessels and closed off the niben to trade

bravil (4E 48-70): he finally made it to bravil after mede i reconquered both warring states and reopened the niben. hated it there. briefly quit his job (!) for a gigolo sort of gig, then took on several other odd jobs and gambled away most of his money before the bravil company chapter (understaffed and desperate) hired him back on for slightly better pay

the ruby city (4E 70-92): comfortable posting, but he didn't get along with his employers. a nasty argument with the factor he scribed for finally saw him off to skyrim

winterhold (4E 92-94): he didn't spend much time here, but the city (populated by almost an even split of wintring nords and redoran velothi) left a profound impression on him; he hadn't been in the company of so many other dunmer since leaving home

windhelm (4E 94-128): worse than the bravil years. incurred some steep debts, made some friends in low places, reunited with his sister and fell out with her even more badly than the first time

the ruby city, again (4E 128-157) quit his job with the east empire company a second time (!) after only two years back in the city. spent some time as a notary, then as a bank teller, then as an accountant for a soliciting firm before being contacted about a job by an old acquaintance in bravil

bravil, again (4E 157-158): hired back on by the bravil east empire company chapter, but without his former benefits

leyawin, again (4E 158-163): the "stressed and depressed" years

solitude (4E 163-201): keeps his head down during the great war. good things happen during these years—he reconciles with his sister, takes on apprentices, adopts his daughter—but he has come to hate his job with the fury of a thousand burning suns

winterhold (4E 201-present): and now he's pretending to be a wizard. man

[whumpmatsus]

3e w/ Choromatsu?

Ultimate Whump Writing Meme! / ACCEPTING!

3. Acute non-infectious conditions

E: Appendicitis

HECK YEAH this got......... way too long lmao

so story time, in my senior year of high school I had to have surgery to have my gallbladder taken out, and when I went to the hospital that morning, they actually thought it might be appendicitis

so some of Choro's pain here is based on what my pain was like that morning because it was my worst most undeniable 'attack', it was that squeezing pain that came from my side all the way around to my back and kept me up most of the night before, I hadn't got much sleep because of the pain

but I remember trying to sleep a little at the hospital; shortly after I got there they'd given me some medicine to drink and then like ten minutes later I threw up, and not long after that they took me to get a scan, and after I got back from that and we were waiting for the results I think I slept a little bit

so obviously appendicitis and gallbladder disease are different things, but since my pain was initially mistaken for appendicitis, I drew on my memories of that a bit to describe Choro's pain XD

ANYWAYS STORY TIME'S OVER, HERE'S SOME SOKUDO FOR YOUR SOUL 💚❤️

-

It’s not unusual for Choromatsu to wake up not feeling particularly hungry. For whatever reason, it’s only once he starts eating that his hunger kicks in.

What is unusual, however, is when he wakes up feeling full-on nauseous.

When his stomach hurts as soon as he opens his eyes in the morning, it makes him think that maybe he’s getting sick. It can’t be that he overate the previous night, because otherwise it would have been bothering him while he was trying to sleep. It could be food poisoning that just took a while to manifest, or it could be the start of the stomach flu.

Whatever it is, it’s horrible. The sensation is just an immense amount of achy discomfort coupled with a distinct nausea. It makes him wince as soon as he sits up, sliding an arm around his middle. “Shit,” he whines under his breath, rubbing lightly in an attempt to ease the pain. He’s got work today; he can’t be getting distracted by this while he’s trying to do stuff.

Maybe he should call off… he’s never done that, though, and he doesn’t really want to. What kind of employee decides not to go to work because their tummy is a little upset?

It’s about the time they all typically wake up nowadays, so his movement and noise rouse his older brother next to him. “Mmm, Choromatsu…?” Osomatsu shifts around before stretching his arms. “Morning…” He yawns and sits up, then seems to take stock of the position his little brother is in.

“Hey, are you okay?” He sets a hand on Choromatsu’s shoulder. “You got a stomachache or something? No worries, I’ll grab the newspaper and walk you to the bathroom,” he jokes, brushing a finger under his nose.

Choromatsu groans. “That’s not funny, Osomatsu. I feel like I’m gonna be sick.”

Those words get the attention of any of the brothers, if only because at least one of them has puked in the futon before and it’s a pain to clean up. Osomatsu is out of bed in an instant, crouching as he tries to sling Choromatsu’s arm around his shoulders. “Okay, let’s get you to the bathroom then.”

“Ow!” Choromatsu hisses when he stands up. The discomfort is a lot worse now that he’s straightened up, to the point where he wants to crumple back into the futon. “Sh-shit… Osomatsu…”

Any other time he’d be embarrassed and unwilling to be so vulnerable in front of any of his brothers, but it’s so painful, it’s not like he can hide it. “It really hurts…”

Osomatsu frowns, careful to support Choromatsu as he walks them both out of the room down the hall. “Does it still feel like you’re gonna be sick? If it’s nausea and it just got really bad when you got up, you probably would have hurled as soon as you got up. It looks more like you’ve got a side stitch.”

He groans, leaning against Osomatsu. “L… like a pulled muscle? But I wasn’t exercising, I was sleeping.” That’s kind of how it feels, though. That kind of agonizing ache in his abdomen that hurts with every move.

“Well, no, but maybe you moved wrong. Sometimes that happens to me, I wake up and I know I pulled a muscle by moving around weird in my sleep.” Osomatsu gives him a careful pat on the back. “Here, let’s sit down in the bathroom. Sometimes it helps if you breathe really deep and slow. I can try rubbing it, if you want? When I get one of those, that makes it feel better.”

Choromatsu’s mind is still a little dazed while Osomatsu guides him into the bathroom and into a sitting position on the toilet. “Maybe… I-I only have a few minutes to sort this out, Osomatsu. I have to be at work in, like, half an hour.”

The scoff Osomatsu gives as he gently presses his hand against his brother’s stomach is dismissive at best. “Listen, I know you want senpai to notice you, but if you don’t feel well, you should stay home and rest. If you wake up feeling like crap, you shouldn’t be forcing yourself to go into work.”

“Of course you’d say that,” Choromatsu mutters. “You’re allergic to work. You touch the job adverts in the newspaper and practically break out in hives.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t mean you need to go full workaholic now that you’ve got a job.” Osomatsu’s fingertips move around a little, trying to rub out the muscle cramp they’re both convinced he’s got. “Even though I know this is stupid… I kind of worry about you, Choro. You worked through a pretty nasty cold a couple months ago and your cough took forever to go away. You might’ve felt better sooner if you’d taken a few days off when it was really bad. You gotta take care of yourself, man.”

The way he says it makes Choromatsu feel a little guilty. Despite trying very hard not to make anyone concerned about him, it seems he’s done the exact opposite. If Osomatsu remembers specific incidents where Choromatsu didn’t take the best care of himself while he wasn’t feeling well, maybe he has a point.

He quietly shifts Osomatsu’s hand, replacing it with his own. It doesn’t even feel like this is helping that much. “You don’t have to worry about me, nii-san,” he mumbles. “I appreciate it, but this time it’s not that serious. You’re probably right that I just slept funny. It doesn’t feel like I’m gonna be sick anymore, and I’m sure once I start moving this’ll work itself out. I can’t skip work just because I have a little stomachache.”

When he lets his hand up, he cringes and wants to grab his stomach immediately. God, it just hurts so bad. “Aaah… you should go back to bed and get some more sleep. I’m just gonna… brush my teeth, wash my face, get dressed… have a couple bites of toast and head to work. If you really want, you can baby the hell out of me when I get home at 3 P.M. If you just let it go for now. Okay?”

“Geez. You’re making me sound like some overprotective mother hen. Or, y’know, you.” Osomatsu sighs and stretches his arms again. “Mmmm, I guess you’ve got a deal. But you better have your ass back here at 3 P.M. on the fucking dot. I’ll have the hot water bottle and some tea ready. You want mint or ginger?”

The idea of putting anything in his mouth sounds so gross right now. Choromatsu is half certain that if he tries to eat more than a bite or swallow more than a thimbleful, he’s going to be sick to his stomach. He knows Osomatsu will feel a little more ‘in control’ and won’t worry as much if he accepts a little bit of fussing, though. Besides, tea is good for when you’re not feeling well, right? “Probably mint.”

He gets to his feet and manages to stay there. Hopefully the pain will fade once he actually gets out the door and into the office. “Alright, I’m gonna see if I can’t get going. I’ll see you when I get home, okay?”

“Oooookay.” Osomatsu makes a show of throwing an audible kiss toward his brother. “Push that paper, Choromacchan!”

He grumbles a little, though he does lift his hand as if to ‘catch’ the kiss thrown his way. “And you behave yourself.”

A snort echoes behind him, and he can’t help but smile just a little as he shuffles off to start his day; violently hoping he feels better once he gets to work.

-

As it turns out, things go steadily downhill from the time Choromatsu gets to work, unfortunately.

The nausea returns in full force, and the pain in his stomach hasn’t gone away a bit. In fact, it’s worse now, and it’s migrated to be almost exclusively clamping down on his right side like a vise. The whole morning he’s felt like something is squeezing, squeezing, bearing down with the lower right side of his belly and around to his back with its claws. It’s the worst pain he’s ever felt, and makes it near impossible to focus on his work.

He toughs it out for about three and a half hours… then, five minutes before he’s scheduled to have his lunch break, the pain and nausea explode into something unbearable. Rather than risk having to empty his stomach in the trashcan, he runs to the bathroom and ends up vomiting what little he ate earlier.

Of course, his manager gently reprimands him for coming to work sick and tells him to go get some rest, to come back if he feels better tomorrow.

It’s humiliating, blowing chunks in the work restroom and then scurrying out of the office to go collapse into bed. How is he this sick already? Most of the time if he wakes up feeling not quite right, like he’s coming down with something, it doesn’t really hit him until the next day.

It takes all of his strength to get home. He just feels so horrible. By the time he pushes the front door open, his face is contorted in agony and he’s doubled over in pain, with his arm pressed into his stomach as if that’s going to help anything.

“Mom,” he calls weakly. “Mom? I-I need help getting into bed…”

Everything falls apart now that he’s home, and he crumples into a little heap near the doorway. Hot tears start to spill down his cheeks, stinging his eyes. “Mom? H… help…” he tries again. This time his voice cracks. The pain in his stomach has blossomed into something wicked, like there’s a white-hot fire poker in his side and he can’t get away from it. It feels like he’s sweating, the nausea won’t let up, and he’s actually a little dizzy.

He’s never felt this sick or been in so much pain in his life. Where’s his mother? Or his father? Where’s anyone?

After what feels like an eternity, a pair of hands are set gingerly on his shoulders, trying to prop his head up. “Choromatsu?? Holy shit, what the fuck happened?”

The tears are blurring his vision, but when he lifts his head briefly he sees, and he knows by the voice, Osomatsu. Okay, good. You’re safe now. Your big brother’s here. He’s gonna take care of you. He’ll help you into bed and get you some tea and put the hot water bottle on your stomach. He’ll make you feel better.

“I got s-sent home because I threw up at work,” he wails, throwing his head back against the wall. “My stomach h-hurts so bad… I think I’m really sick… I wanna go to bed. C-can you take me upstairs?”

“The fuck…?” He can hear the frown in Osomatsu’s voice even if he can’t fully make out the expression. “Choro, if your stomach hurts, you shouldn’t have your hand against it like tha―”

He tugs Choromatsu’s arm away from his middle, and all hell breaks loose. As soon as his arm is pulled back, it feels like his stomach is on fire, prompting a howl of pain along with a fresh round of tears. “FUCK!!”

As Choromatsu falls into a sobbing mess, Osomatsu almost jumps back, startled by the outburst. “Shit, Choro! D-does it hurt that bad? All I did was move your arm!”

Choromatsu is too preoccupied with the excruciating pain shooting through his stomach to answer, so Osomatsu pushes his bangs up and presses a palm to his little brother’s forehead. “Holy… Choromatsu, you’re burning up! Forget going to bed, I’m taking you to the hospital!”

Part of Choromatsu wants to argue, but he can’t deny that if he’s got a fever and pain this bad, getting medical help isn’t the worst idea. He wants this to be over,so that’s the fastest way to figure out what’s going on and how to make it stop.

So he doesn’t even try to argue. He just holds onto Osomatsu and cries, then curls up in a ball of anxious misery in the backseat as his big brother drives him to the hospital as fast as the speed limits let him.

-

It’s a miracle Osomatsu doesn’t complain about nobody helping his baby brother, because it takes a couple of hours for them to really get any kind of answer. By the time they do, it’s just past 3 P.M., when Choromatsu would normally be due home from work. It’s almost ironic.

They can both tell the staff are trying their best, though; it just takes time to get things done. Emergency room nurses are in and out of the bay for about half an hour ― drawing blood, getting history, giving Choromatsu an IV to manage his pain. The doctor comes in briefly to do an examination, consisting of putting pressure in different places on Choromatsu’s stomach, looking over the chart, and asking him questions about the pain. Then he disappears.

After Choromatsu has a little calmed down and the pain seems to be less intense, the main nurse who’s been dealing with them comes in to talk to them. She says the doctor handling his case thinks, based on the exam, that it might be appendicitis, so she’s here to cart him down for a CT scan to confirm.

Choromatsu is still anxious and in a lot of discomfort, and the look in his eyes when he asks if his brother can come with them kills Osomatsu. Out of all his little brothers, Choromatsu is usually the one who doesn’t readily admit to wanting Osomatsu’s company, and here he is, sick and in pain, begging for it. Even worse is the nurse’s apology that the CT scan room is a small area, so Osomatsu can’t really be in there.

Oh, Choromatsu plays valiant, forcing a smile onto his face and telling Osomatsu that he’ll be fine by himself, then. But the way he squeezes Osomatsu’s hand tightly before the nurse rolls him down the hallway in the wheelchair shows, at least to Osomatsu, that his little brother really, really wishes Osomatsu could come with him.

The scan doesn’t actually take too long, though. Choromatsu is back in his little bed within twenty minutes, with the nurse telling Osomatsu that Choromatsu did great, and that the doctor and CT tech will review the scans and get back to them as soon as possible. For the next couple of hours, Choromatsu should try to get some rest if he can.

Those minutes pass quietly, too slowly; thankfully, poor Choromatsu is able to doze off and on into an uncomfortable sleep. Osomatsu realizes as soon as he settles in that… shit, the two of them are in the fucking hospital and he hasn’t told anyone else because he’s been so frazzled over Choromatsu.

While they’re waiting for the doctor to come back, he texts Totty first, asking if he can get a hold of the rest of their brothers and their parents. Luck must be on his side, because glued to his phone as he is, Totty replies within two minutes, immediately worried about Choromatsu and assuring Osomatsu that he’ll take care of letting everyone else know. Totty’s at work himself, but he says he’ll let his boss know that he has to leave. With any hope, everyone else will be here soon too.

With that done, Osomatsu spends the rest of his time trying to distract himself with apps on his phone, and running his hand through Choromatsu’s hair to keep him calm.

After what seems like an eternity, the doctor returns to the bay, pulling the curtain aside. “Matsuno-san?”

Choromatsu has been awake for a few minutes, exhausted from all the excitement and still in pain. The good thing is that everything is much less intense than it was when he first got home. Even though the pain is still there, thanks to the medicine and Osomatsu’s presence, it’s faded into something much duller. “Yes… h-hello again.”

“How are you feeling?” The doctor is an older man, the kind of person with a gentle smile and sympathetic eyes. “You look less anxious, so that’s good.”

Choromatsu nods. “Yeah… I’ve gotten a little sleep.”

“Good, good. Well, I have some good news and some bad news.”

Choromatsu’s hand instantly reaches for Osomatsu’s, and Osomatsu is right there to take it. “Y… yeah? Um… bad news first, p-please.”

The doctor chuckles. “If you insist. The bad news is that you, young man, are probably going to need surgery.”

“S… surgery…?!” The color drains from Choromatsu’s face. Never in his wildest dreams would he think he’d be looking at going under the knife. Some pills, maybe an IV for a few hours, but surgery?

The doctor reaches forward to gingerly pat Choromatsu’s knee. “That’s part of the good news, though, because your condition is very much treatable. It is, however, also time-sensitive given the kind of symptoms you’ve been having. We’ve confirmed with the scans that our initial suspicions were correct; you definitely have appendicitis.”

“And… and that’s… I-I need surgery for that?” His hand squeezes Osomatsu’s, so hard he’s surprised he doesn’t break his brother’s hand. “It’s… it’s that serious??”

“Unfortunately, in most cases, yes. Occasionally we try antibiotics with some people, but that’s usually only if we catch it very early, before the symptoms get advanced. To be honest with you, I don’t believe they would be effective in your case.” He sighs and takes a seat near the bed. The look on his face suggests that both of the brothers ought to listen very, very carefully to what he’s saying.

“Your appendix is so inflamed and infected, I’m concerned it might rupture. If that happens, it happens quickly, and it’s going to spill the bacteria into the rest of your body. You would almost certainly end up with a blood infection, which have a tendency to be fatal.” He shakes his head. “Although we can certainly try antibiotics if that’s what you want to try, surgery is your best bet at avoiding the complications which might pose a serious risk to you.”

The room is deathly silent for what feels like far too long. There are sounds from outside, beeping and machine noises and people calling over the intercoms and footsteps and the crying of a child who’s being treated in the next room over, but everyone here isn’t making a peep.

It feels to Choromatsu like his heart is trying to escape his chest, beating so fast he can barely remember to breathe. Even though the pain is unbearable and the idea of possibly dying looms over him, surgery is… surgery. It means he’ll be knocked unconscious and someone will be cutting into him and have their hands on his insides.

He can feel tears pricking at his eyes, and his hand shakes as his fingers tighten around Osomatsu’s. He doesn’t even know what to say or how to respond.

The doctor pats his knee again. “Would you like me to give you a few minutes to think about it? You and your brother can talk it over.”

Choromatsu nods, but it’s Osomatsu who actually speaks. “Yeah, please. And just so you guys know, our other brothers and our parents should be here soon, so just… send ‘em back when they get here, if you could?”

“Of course, no problem.” The doctor gets up, taking his clipboard with him. “If you decide to go ahead with the surgery, although it is considered a major operation, it’s less of a worry than you might think. The surgery itself only takes about an hour, and if there are no problems, you should be able to go home tomorrow night. Then it’s just a couple weeks of rest. It’s a very low-risk procedure. But, I’ll leave you alone for a few minutes to talk about it. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

With that, he slips wordlessly out of the room, leaving the two of them by themselves.

Neither of them speaks for a minute. At last, Osomatsu breaks the silence in a softer voice than Choromatsu has ever heard from him. “Choromatsu… you need to have the surgery. You know that, right?”

All the shock crumbles into nothing, leaving behind only terrified anxiety as tears start to roll down Choromatsu’s face. “I-I know,” he sobs. If it’s between surgery and potentially death, there’s no real choice for him. He doesn’t want to die. “But… but I’m scared, Osomatsu-nii-san…”

“I… I know you are, Choromatsu. I am too and I’m not even the one who’s fucking sick!” Osomatsu has moved closer to the bed in a heartbeat, pulling the third eldest into a hug. The way the hospital wristband scratches at his neck when Choromatsu returns the gesture, weak and obviously still hurting, sends shivers up his spine. It’s like a punch in the gut to think that one of his little brothers needs surgery or he might die.

What else can he do right now except hold Choromatsu and tell him it’s going to be okay?

“I’m so scared…” Choromatsu presses his face into Osomatsu’s shoulder. It feels like his whole body is shaking, and the anxiety he felt during the CT scan was nothing compared to how he’s feeling now. “H… how can I b-be this sick…? I thought it was j-just a stomachache! And now I need surgery?! I don’t want to have appendicitis… I-I want the flu…”

Osomatsu bites down on his lip and rubs Choromatsu’s back. “… Hey. Choro, listen… it’s… it’s okay that you’re scared, you know? We can be scared together. But being scared doesn’t mean you can’t be brave. You’re gonna be just fine. They’re gonna take you in and fix what’s wrong and when you wake up, I’m… I’m gonna be right here, okay? And so is Mom… and Dad… and Karamatsu, and Ichimatsu, and Jyushimatsu, and Totty… you can do this, Choromatsu. I know you can.”

Choromatsu thinks maybe Osomatsu is saying this for himself, too. His mind is racing so fast, from one thought to the next, his hands are shaking, he feels so small and helpless and why, why, why him? Why did this have to happen? Why did he wake up with a stomachache and six hours later he’s in the emergency room, getting ready to be cut open?

He knows he has to agree to the surgery. If he doesn’t, it’s too unpredictable.

He holds onto his big brother and weeps. He lets himself feel small and helpless.

-

The rest of the family is there before the doctor comes back.

Osomatsu fills them in, because Choromatsu is still crying too hard.

Matsuyo cries along with him, coming over to hold her first and third sons.

Totty starts to cry too, and wriggles into Karamatsu’s embrace for comfort even though Karamatsu is misty-eyed himself.

Matsuzo might have tears in his eyes, but they’re blinked back before anyone can even think to mention them.

Ichimatsu doesn’t say a word, and Jyushimatsu seems content to cuddle into him rather than look at his poor big brother in the hospital bed.

When the doctor comes back, Choromatsu hasn’t stopped crying. So Osomatsu is the one who again speaks up.

The surgery is scheduled for just a few hours later. Waiting longer than that would be too risky.

This time the minutes pass too quickly. It’s time for the operation before any of them know it. None of them are prepared. The entire family is huddled around the bed as Choromatsu is wheeled away, kissing him and squeezing his hand and saying they love him.

Choromatsu gives one last, frightened look toward his oldest brother.

Osomatsu leans down, presses a kiss to his baby brother’s forehead, and says simply, “See you soon.”

-

The first thing Choromatsu notices upon waking up is the steady beep of hospital machinery.

The second thing is that someone is holding his hand, and when he eases his eyes open, it turns out to be Osomatsu. (As if it could have been anyone else. He did promise.)

The third thing he notices… is that his pain is gone.

Well, sure, there’s a little soreness from where the surgeon made incisions and where he’s got stitches. But that vise-like, burning pain in his stomach has vanished, there’s no more nausea, and he’s pretty sure he doesn’t even have a fever anymore.

He’s tired, and thank God, that seems to be the worst of his problems at the moment.

“Heyyyy, Choromacchan. Welcome back!” Although Osomatsu is grinning, worry is written all over his face. He shifts his hand from Choromatsu’s to run his fingers through his little brother’s hair. “Didn’t I tell you I’d be right here?”

Choromatsu lets out a soft chuckle that makes him wince thanks to the movement from the stitches. “You did. Thanks.” He glances past Osomatsu to find the rest of his family, and gives a weary smile. “Everyone else is sleepy, huh?”

“Eeeyup. But nii-chan is awake to greet you! Maybe I should wake them up in a minute?” He hums in thought, his hand pausing. “How you feeling? A little loopy from the anesthe-whatever-it’s-called?”

“Haha, yeah… a little bit. I’m tired. But… I feel a lot better. My stomach doesn’t hurt anymore.” Even though he feel better, it’s a struggle to keep his eyes open. He kind of wants to go back to sleep; seeing his brothers and parents resting with each other makes him want to cuddle and sleep against one of them. “Hey… will you… get into bed and hold me for a little bit?”

Osomatsu snorts. “Well, that’s the drugs talking. I don’t think that’s a good idea right now, though… I don’t wanna accidentally mess up your stitches.” His hand hurries to resume stroking through Choromatsu’s hair. “But I’m right here, okay?”

Choromatsu’s eyes slip closed, and he feels his big brother press a kiss to the top of his head.

“I’m right here, Choromacchan. I’ll always be right here.”

[ajaviary]

Coup De Grace Ch 3

Summary: Lovro’s choices from years past put a target on Irina’s back from an old friend. See how far she will go to keep those close to her safe. Loyalty comes in all forms, and Class 3E has that in spades. How will Karasuma and Class 3E handle the aftermath as Irina recovers from her injuries.

Rating: M 18+ (DNI) TW: Rape, Rape Recover, Gore, Dark Content, Depression, PTSD (A lot of bad shit, so be warned if you’re sensitive to this sort of stuff. 

Word Count: 6213

Click here for

  (Ch 1 Pt 1) (Ch 1 Pt 2)  (Ch 2 Pt 1) (Ch 2 Pt 2)

----------------------------

Nagisa felt like he’d been punched in the gut like he couldn’t breathe. As the nurse had spoken to Karasuma in a gentle tone as though she was trying to be as kind as she could in telling him Irina Jelvich may not survive. It was easy to read between the lines. His hands trembled and the emotions that rolled through him were ones that he couldn't say he was ready to handle. His chest was heavy with a ball pressed into the center of it, this throat burned as he fought back tears that burned his eyes. He blinked for a moment, trying to breathe through the crippling emotion.

 He didn't speak to Karma as he left him where he was. His feet taking him out of the Emergency Room entrance and into the cool night air. He wasn’t going far, he just needed a few minutes. It was too hard to be around everyone else right now. His hands curled into fists as he walked down the sidewalk to the small courtyard that was to the side. A simple few rock benches and a few rose bushes. The sight of the roses shouldn't have been his undoing. He walked toward those flowers drawn to them and found himself standing before them. Head bowed, tears running down his cheeks and hands balled into fists as though it would make it any easier to push it away.

He remembered when Professor Jelavich had first come to the school, all the interactions up to this point. He remembered them all and then recalled the subtle changes in her wavelength. That internal soundboard, he could pick up on with people. It had happened three weeks ago when he’d first noticed that something was off as she’d started her class. She was cheerful, derogatory and pressed them to work harder, to understand the change in pitch she was explaining and how confidence changes everything. No one else seemed to notice that she wasn’t fully with them. It was like her mind was focusing on something else. As time wore on it seemed as though darkness seemed to swallow the light around her. 

It had only gotten worse as the weeks wore on. He hadn’t asked, he hadn’t offered a lifeline and she had been drowning in front of them all. His own guilt was why he had originally reached out to the girls when they had mentioned it today. He was worried something had happened and he’d been right.

Nagisa wraps his arms around himself, his nails digging into his shoulders as he bows his head, trying to rein in his crippling emotions and the guilt that is eating him up, in ways that he couldn’t forgive himself. His words earlier felt so hollow, he’d told them how Class E didn’t leave anyone behind, but he had done just that. 

-------------------

Karma was still trying to process what he’d heard. It wasn’t complicated, he could read between the lines better than most. The issue was he wasn’t sure how he felt about what was going down. The only thing he felt for sure right now was the anger he knew all too well. 

It was almost like welcoming an old friend. 

His hands curled into fists and stood there for a moment before he moved to exit the hospital, but he didn't go to where Nagisa had gone. Instead, he went for a walk. Hitting the button that would force others to stop for him. He didn't have a destination in mind, which was just fine for him.

Trouble was easy to find at this time of night. All he had to do was walk a few back allies, and his prey was easy to find. Perhaps it was because of what he knew about Professor Jelavich, the rest of the students might have missed it, but he knew. 

The expression had given her away. It had been one that he would never forget.

The three goons were too focused on pawing at the young woman who was just as intoxicated as them, but her words of no were very clear.

The first guy was easy to take care of as he slammed his boot into the back of his knee. As he buckled, he drew him back and slammed his fist into his nose. And kicked him in the head once he was down.

“Didn't your mother ever teach you no means no?” he questioned, his golden eyes flashing in the darkness.

As the two men said something incoherent, but it was probably something like he should mind his own business.

He stepped back in the tight quarters, quickly blocking the punches aimed at him. He slammed his hand down on one guy's knee as he tried to kick him. Easily mimicking Karasuma’s moves in PE, that he would use against them. 

Karma stepped Into his opponent’s open guard to be fair, he was drunk, had no formal training and was a complete buffoon. His fist slammed into the underside of his jaw. It was all too easy to hook his leg and cause him to tumble to the ground. 

“The problem with guys like you, you never pick on people your own size.” 

His foot slammed into his ribs several more times as he let out his own anger in some of the few ways he knew how. 

The knife that sliced across his cheek was surprising. 

As he turned his attention to the last guy, his eyes hard. “You got lucky there,” he murmured into the darkness. The grin that slid along his lips was one that made the man in front of him falter. 

“Why don't you try that again when I’m not distracted with you buddies here?”

Karma raised his hands out at his side. “I’ll even give you a free shot, what do you say?” he taunted, watching as the man rushed him.

He raised his arm to block the arm with the knife as he slashed at him. He drove his knee into his stomach, as the guy coughed and wheezed. He wasn't honorable in his fighting style because his next strike went right between his legs. Once he was down for the count, did he kick the knife away.

He drove his heavy boots into the ribs of the last guy while he casually lifted his phone to his ear. “Ritsu, I’d like to make an anonymous police report.”

“Is it about the thugs you beat up in your current location?” 

His chuckle was the only answer he gave as he gave each man a good kick to the head to ensure they wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. 

“Maybe, ” he said after a moment as he began to leave the alleyway. He hadn't intended to do any good deeds today. All he was looking for was an outlet and he’d found what he wanted. 

“I’ll see what I can do, ” she muttered as she hung up.

He began to make his way back to the hospital. 

----------------------

The exhaustion of the night wore on many of the students who had fallen asleep waiting for word on Irina’s progress, to see how she was doing. Karasuma had come out with her medical file in his hands and was sitting in one of the chairs going over the injuries that were categorized in her chart, he glanced at her x-rays, her MRI to check for any other internal bleeding and her brain scan, all done quickly before taking her back for surgery, once she was stabilized enough. His fingers flipped through the pictures of her injuries, the bruises all having to be photographed for her file that the Ministry of Defense would need a copy of following this incident. He wasn’t sure what this sort of thing would do for her job offer they had extended or how they would look at her now? He tried to hide the anger that rolled through him at learning about the sexual assault. His face must have given something away because Koro Sensei was pressing him into his seat as the kids of class E slept around them. None of them had left, but some had wandered off for a bit to get some air and generally deal with everything. Koro Sensei had spoken to them, but really he didn’t interfere. This was something they had to deal with on their own, but he was always watching and ready should things take a turn in a direction he didn’t want. 

“Careful, Mr. Karasuma, I know you’re angry, but we can’t do anything more than wait for the moment. If you want I can wake you when she’s out of surgery or if they come with any news.” He offered, well aware that he’d been up for a while now and had to be as exhausted as the children if not more so. He rubbed at his eyes and carefully stood up looking at the clock on the wall in the dimly lit waiting area, it read one in the morning. Irina had been in surgery for what was moving into the third hour. He closed the file and held it under his arm, not wanting to let it out of his sight. There were some things better left to the imagination, and the last thing Irina needed when she woke up was to have the students know what would most likely be something she wouldn't want anyone to know. He flexed his fingers and shook them out with a heavy sigh. 

Tadaomi was doing his best to stay positive given everything, but he was worried. Every time he closed his eyes he could see her wide blue eyes meet his only briefly as she couldn’t keep the shock off her face that something she would have never told him was aired so publicly. She had tried to play it off, but there had been nothing she could have done to prevent Dimitri from doing all that he could to get back at her, to take her down. Even as he worried for her, prayed for her survival, he couldn’t help but be impressed with how well she had fought to survive and make it out alive. 

“I’m fine, how are they doing?” he questioned keeping his voice low as he glanced at the sleeping forms of the children. 

“Their coping as best they can, at the very least this is a learning experience...injury and death are common in this world, but it can still hurt when it happens to someone you’re close with. Many have not had to deal with the possibility of loss ...so time will tell.” He said after a moment as he watched the students sleeping from where they stood between them.

“I hope she makes it, but we have to prepare for the possibility that she may not. Her injuries were severe… And it will fall on Irina if she still wants to live. Surviving sometimes brings more significant challenges. Sometimes the mind never fully heals from something like this, but I don't believe she’s going to give up. So neither should we. We just have to help her and be there for her. We will never fully know what she went through, ” he said, his tentacles touching gently the tops of each of his students' heads before he regarded Karasuma again.

“How are you honestly holding up?” he questioned. 

“You already asked that, ” replied the Agent of Ministry, but Koro Sensei only stared at him silently waiting for a real answer. With a soft exhale he looked away, his gun still holstered under his arm. “We do the best we can in troubled times, you can't expect any more. You prepare for the worst. You live longer that way, ” he said after a moment. His fingers pressed against the muscles of his arm, the unreleased tension there. 

Koro Sensei for a moment said nothing and looked around at the children before he reached out a single tentacle and placed it on his shoulder. “Don’t give up hope, she’s still fighting and we can't give up on her either.”

A middle-aged man came out flanked by another doctor who was in his fifties. As they got closer, they regarded the children in the chairs before turning their attention to Koro Sensei and Karasuma. “Irina Jelavic’s fiance Tadaomi Karasuma?” the older man asked as they stopped in front of them. 

Karasuma nodded, unable to form the words to press the conversation further as he swallowed, hating the tightness in his chest and the emotion that settled. After a moment he was able to force the words he desperately wanted to know. “How is she?” he questioned his voice low.

A few of the kids were awake, he could tell by the changes in their breathing patterns, but he didn't let his attention waver. As the doctors turned their attention to him. “She is alive. She is in critical yet stable condition. She is being moved to our ICU on the fifth floor. My name is Dr. Weaver and this is Dr. Naokami. I want to discuss with you her injuries, I’m aware you have her file, but I want to ensure all your questions are answered. Would you like to speak somewhere privately?” he questioned motioning to one of the rooms. With a nod, Karasuma and the two doctors left, but the door was left cracked open.

“Her surgeries lasted a little longer than we anticipated, given the severity of her injuries. While I focused on fixing the severe fracture in her right leg. She has two metal plates in her leg securing the bone in place so it can heal properly. It was almost-” The heavy cough beside him paused the younger surgeon's rambling.  “With physical therapy and rest, it can be speculated that she can regain full mobility of her legs. Her young age is also something that will help.” Dr. Weaver paused as Dr. Naokami cut into the conversation.

“I was in charge of Irina’s damage to her lungs, given the severity of those wounds it took longer to fix. We have patched up the holes in her lungs, but we would recommend keeping her here for a few days to monitor any potential problems. We don't foresee any, but time will tell. We have put her ribs back in place, they will heal within six to eight weeks. It is best that she not do any strenuous activity. For now, we have her sedated from the surgery, but she will wake up shortly. Given the fracture along her right cheek, a hairline fracture to her jaw, the heavy bruising will lessen within the coming weeks. We will be continuing to give IV pain medication and not doing any sedation aside from what she had during the surgery given the concussions she seems to be dealing with as well.” he paused waiting to see if Karasuma had any questions. When he didn’t he continued.

“As long as her blood pressure can stabilize we believe she will be able to go home by the middle to the end of the week.” Dr. Naokami ran his hand down his face before he looked away from him. “There is another matter we need to discuss-” He paused, seeming to gather his own resolve before continuing. At the way he was looking at him, Karasuma placed his hand against the door as he pressed it closed, to keep the rest of the conversation quiet. “There was evidence of seminal fluid found along with vaginal tearing...we believe from our findings that she was raped. We may need to do a pregnancy test at a later date.” His piercing blue eyes met his own as though the weight of the world was in his gaze. 

Karasuma felt the color drain from his face. He’d not consider the possibility of a pregnancy. He wasn’t sure how she would react. How would she feel? On top of everything else...her injuries could she even sustain? He closed his eyes tight for a moment, still trying to process it all. He needed to focus on the here and now. She was alive, that was all that mattered. His hand curled tightly into a fist and he tried to find the words he really wanted to say. “Could she safely carry it...if it were a possibility?”

He wasn’t sure he wanted to know, and yet he knew this was something he needed to know. “She could possibly...her injuries would be healed by then. she would need to be monitored for any possible issues by her doctor and we would recommend she seek a therapist to help with the trauma.” The doctor recommended as they were both ready to leave as quickly as possible.

“Thank you.” Was all he managed to utter, one of the doctors placed his hand on his shoulder as they left him to his thoughts, the door closing after them. He sank into the seat next to him and for a moment placed his head in his palms and tried to remember what it was like to breathe, to be anything other than the ball of condensed rage and self loathing that he felt coursing through him. 

---------------------

Only four of the students seem to have been woken up by the approach of the surgeons, maybe they had already been awake because of the conversation between Koro Sensei and Mr. Karasuma, but either way they were awake. Each of them quiet and all of them eavesdropping into the room that was cracked open. Even Koro Sensei was abnormally quiet as they were talking, listening as well. As Toka Yada shifted in her chair before quietly getting to her feet, she wasn’t surprised to see that Nagisa and Karma were also awake and silently sharing a look with each other. Hinano Kurahashi also carefully got to her feet as well and it wasn’t surprising to see that she’d had a rough night as well. Quietly, Toka intertwined their fingers briefly and glanced toward the elevator where the other boys were looking at it as well. 

After sharing a nod with each other, they moved toward the elevator that would take them to the fifth floor. “I can’t let you go on your own,” Koro Sensei told them and that was how they all wound up on the elevator on their way to the intensive care unit. None of them said much of anything in regards to what they had heard. They weren’t sure how to process it all. 

The 5th floor was deserted upon their initial departure to the ground floor. They went out of their way to avoid the staff that were mostly at the nursing station. They probably could have merely walked right in, but they weren’t family and they didn’t want to be asked to leave. ‘510,’ Toka mouthed to them as she pointed to the room, before they made their move to go further into the ICU. The brunette had seen their teacher's name on one of the monitors that sent outside information to the nurses station, usually heart rate and pulse.  

As Koro Sensei closed the door silently behind them, they all for a moment stared at the prone body in the dark room, they could see several iv lines and tubes connecting to her. Her body was mostly covered by the white sheet that you often see in hospitals, her broken leg left on top, but covered with a second blanket and carefully resting against the guard rails that were raised so she couldn’t damage it further by it falling off the bed. The intent of her injuries were hidden, but they way they had her sitting up told them they were carefully monitoring any changes with her airway. For the moment she had a small set of tubes placed in her nose to help provide her with the oxygen she may not be getting as her body worked to prepare the damage. 

For a moment none of them moved as they stared at the damage as the moonlight from the windows gave them a little light to look at it. The figure in one of the chairs was almost missed as he sat shrouded in shadow. “She’s not awake yet,” Lovro spoke softly, ignoring the way the students jumped and Koro-Sensei glanced at him in a way that showed he wasn’t sure how to take his presence here as a good or bad thing. 

Karma regarded the man sitting in front of them as though this was normal in a different light with his anger far more controlled now that he knew she was going to be alright. It would be disappointing if she died, he did enjoy picking on her, she just made it so easy. He clenched his teeth together and cast another glance at her sleeping form. Wondering why she felt they were so important. They were just a bunch of worthless shits, who had picked on her when she’d gotten here. Were they worth all the trouble she’d taken on? He really didn’t think so. 

“What are you doing here?” Toka hissed her voice low and her hands curled at her sides. As far as she was concerned he was part of this whole problem in the first place. He knew about the danger Irina was in from the beginning.  

“The same as you, checking on her.” He replied with a soft sigh, as his gaze met her own and held it. He was just as frustrated as them, but he didn’t show it. 

Nagisa hadn’t said anything for a moment and regarded him. “It must have been hard for you too, for them to fight like that,” he said softly as he went over to him. 

Koro-Sensei watched this all play out from the place close to the door, all too aware that eventually, they would have to get going, they couldn’t stay here long. 

Hinano carefully circled the bed and allowed her fingers to briefly curl along her own. “You were amazing Irina Sensei...I’m so proud of you. I hope you get better soon...we’ll be back in a few,” she said softly as she withdrew her hand, trying not to be upset over just how cold her body still was, the room was cold too, but this was different. 

Lovro looked away from Nagisa and the others as he stood. “She’ll be in good hands here, I must go,” he told them before he left the room almost like a ghost who’d never been there in the first place. 

“We can’t stay too much longer,” Koro Sensei warned as they each said their peace, taking her hand briefly on their own before they all took their leave, not wanting to get caught. Little did they realize her blue eyes opened only briefly to see their retreating forms as her hand curled around empty air as darkness began to swallow her again. 

-----------------------

Karasuma looked toward the elevator as it dinged before opening to reveal Koro Sensei and the four students he couldn’t say he was surprised to find awake. For a moment neither said anything, but there was nothing that quite wiped off the looks on their faces. “Since you’ve seen her already, how was she?”

Toka looked away from him for a moment as she took a breath before she answered him. “She was still asleep, but she had a brace on her broken leg and she l-looked-“ she trailed off and her voice shook and she walked away from them. Koro Sensei cast them each a glance before he followed after her as she walked outside. His arm around her slim shoulders as she cried.

“She looked so small, she had wires hooked to her to monitor her heart rate and her blood pressure. She was cold, though...maybe you could ask them for another blanket?” Hinano questioned, taking over. Her green eyes bright as she rubbed at her upper arm. Her gaze went to the clock. “I’m going back to bed, ” With those words hanging between them, she went back to the chair she’d vacated and curled under her jacket and the blanket that was provided. 

Karasuma gave a nod, and let his gaze drift to the elevator. His mind still muddled at all that he had learned so far. As his attention went back to Karma and Nagisa, he waited for them to say what was on their mind.

Karma regarded their PE teacher for a moment, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his light grey jeans. “If you look like that when you see her, don't bother going. Do you honestly think she needs to see everyone upset over her?” he questioned, his eyes hard. “I don’t. Get yourself together, teach. It can't be that bad. She's alive, I think the worst is behind us.” With a shake of his head, he walked out of the ER as he waved over his shoulder to them. “Call me if anything changes, but I’m going home to get some real sleep.” 

Nagisa watched Karasuma as Karma said those things to him, watching the subtle shift in his features, the way his hands curled. He couldn’t say he blamed him really, Karma was an acquired taste and could be a lot for people to handle sometimes. As the redhead left, the shorter boy shifted from foot to foot. “He may not seem like it but he was worried. I don’t know what he said to her. It was too low to hear, but he cares.” As he ran his hand down his face he let his blue eyes meet his own. “There is one other thing,” he told him, his attention drifting away from him for a moment. “Lovro was here too. It seemed like he was leaving, but I just thought you should know anyway.”

Karasuma laid his hand on his shoulder as the elevator dinged signifying it had arrived on their floor. “Thanks Nagisa, we will talk more in a few. I’ll be back down once I speak with her nurses.” he told him as he entered the elevator. The fifth floor didn’t take long to get to and he found himself hesitating outside her door. He had the attention of the nurses on her unit, many were watching him. He supposed it was to be expected given the injuries she came in with. 

With a final moment to steel himself, he let his fingers press against the door as it slid open on a seamless system. Nothing could quite prepare him for what he saw. Her complexion was pale against the white sheets, somehow she seemed much smaller than he could remember. The various wires attached to her body, giving pain medication, monitoring her for any changes. His gaze went to her face, noticing the heavy bruising and swelling of the broken bones in her cheek and her jaw. The way the nurses tried to keep her from tossing her head. 

He could still hear the wheezing of her breath with each suck of air into her lungs. His gaze went to her curled fists, the busted knuckles of her fists that had been carefully cleaned and bandaged. He found his attention drawn to her shaking, the way her body shook as it fought off the fever that quickly had set in in response to the damage to it. He swallowed and stepped back over to the door, motioning for one of the nurses who came over as he lingered in the door. He barely glanced in her direction to fully notice her. He absently filed away her name, he couldn’t help the way his mind worked. But if you were to ask him if she was attractive the answer would have been no. 

“May I get another blanket?” He asked, the young girl nodded and went into their supply room and returned a moment later. “Let me-” she started, but he stepped in her way. “It’s alright, I’ll handle it, ” She regarded him a moment before nodding and moving away. “Push the call button if you need anything.” 

Karasuma softly closed the door and carefully unrolled the warm blanket as he began to place it over her. He was maneuvering the blanket underwires and over limbs with the utmost care. He carefully sank Into the chair that was In the corner and moved closer as he gently let his fingers slip into her own as he bowed his head, his other hand wrapping around her cold hand; he had to remind himself that she was here, that she was alive.

 The sound of her heart monitor increasing as the beeping got louder had him jerking his gaze to the machine and then to Irina’s form as she tossed her head back and forth. Her eyes were still closed and her hands tightening, her free arm lifting the small line that was placed in the vein of her arm was straining. As he stood, his grip on her wrist tightening to keep her from injuring herself further. As he held down her left wrist, he reached across the bed for the other. 

Gentle hands placed on her other wrist, as a restraint was placed around her wrist and locked to the railing. It was used to keep patients from accidentally pulling out their iv lines. The nurse from before slipped around him and did the same to her other wrist. “These won't stay once we can get her fully conscious. The doctor approved the Ativan drip and we will have that ready shortly. It won't hurt her, just calm her down and possibly lessen the events of today.” She moved back to check the iv line before she cast another glance at her rising stat levels. Before she moved to the door. “She might be able to hear you if you were wondering Mr. Karasuma. I'll be back in a few minutes.” 

With those parting words, the young nurse left the room. 

Karasuma watched her jerk against the restraints, getting more panicked as her arms wouldn't move. He glanced at the door a moment looking for the nurse. Where the fuck is she? Frowning, he laid his hands on her shoulders. “Irina, Irina! You're safe…” He spoke the words in a low tone, not wanting to startle her. Her breath hitched in her throat, her wide blue eyes taking a quick glance at him before she jerked her head away from him. Her eyes shut tight for a moment, her breathing rapid as her heart pounded and the beeping of the monitor slowly lowered. “You're safe now, you're at the hospital,” he continued, aware that she could hear him more fully now. He dropped his hands from her shoulders and gave her some space.

She swallowed and gave a weak cough, she could still taste the blood in her mouth and her throat was raw. She carefully flexed each of her fingers, before lowering her arms as she turned slowly to look at him. He had moved back but lingered at her bedside. She ran her tongue over her lips frowning at the split in her lower lip. Her whole body hurt and her head was pounding. It wasn’t surprising, but everything was a little hazy. She wasn’t in any hurry to fully remember. 

“H-How?” She grimaced and frowned as he held a paper cup to her lips that had a straw in it. She waited a while and jingled her left wrist as the restraint’s metal clanked against the railing. Her intentions very clear. I can do it myself, just untie me

As one blonde eyebrow arched at him, she watched him regarding her with a look of far too much intensity. He was reading her, trying to see through the wall she’d built up to keep the world at bay once more. To shut him out. After a moment she carefully placed her lips on the straw and drank only a few small sips of the lukewarm water. She was glad it wasn’t cold, she’d barely suppressed a cough. She watched as he set it down, watching his hands. He pretended not to notice the way she tensed as he set the cup on the stand beside her bed. 

“How long was I out?” she questioned keeping her voice low as she glanced around the room taking in everything that was in the room and what was out of reach. The words were slow, but she had no problem articulating what she wanted to ask him. The damage to her face wasn't going to stop her. The pain meds were still going, so the pain was bearable. Even if it wasn’t, nothing was going to keep her from speaking her mind.

“About four hours, your surgery lasted about three.” He told her softly, his gaze drifting from her only to check the room himself as though he wanted to be sure it was safe too. That she was safe. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but her nonchalance at everything wasn’t quite it. He reminded himself she was probably still in some form of shock. Nothing had settled in yet. His gaze flickered to the heart monitor, it spiked ever so often, but it was from the pain, if the curling of her hands was anything to go by. She had seen something when she’d come too; her reactions had been too real.

“When will the bracelets come off?” The blonde questioned as she rattled the wrist restraints again. Only this time when she looked at them, she was back in the basement. She could feel the weight on her wrist and her stomach rolled like acid. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, unable to hear Karasuma calling her name, for a moment she felt the touch at the base of her neck as long fingers curled tight before he shook her violently. Look at me Irina! Came the thundering words of her capture. “Irina look at me!” Her blue eyes snapped open colliding with his before skirting away to see a young nurse undoing her restraints as quickly as she could and Karasuma looked like he’d been punched in the gut. Unable to hold the expression of impassiveness. She watched his hands tracking where he’d left them at his side. She looked away from them both, her breathing rapid, before it lowered as she got herself under control. She locked down the memory circling to take her under.

“Whose asinine idea was this, they should be fired” she muttered to herself and carefully drew her arms closer to get a good look at them. As she fingered at the white bandages on both of her wrists. Silently she took note of her injuries, of what hurt the most. Of where her chest tube was and of what she wouldn’t be able to do for herself if she wasn’t careful. She promised herself she could make it on her own. 

“When can I be discharged?” 

The question hung in the air and neither party answered her for a moment. “Well?” she repeated. “Was that too complicated for you honey?” she sneered, her lips pulled back over her teeth.  “Do I need to dumb it down for you?” There was a heavy amount of contempt in her voice. Back Irina Jelavic into a corner, and you get met with an angry viper who's ready to take you out. 

“I want to get out of here. If you can't answer the question, get me someone who can. Better yet take him with you.”

Karasuma began to object, but she held up a hand. “I’m not asking. Anyone who's a problem for your patients health should be removed. Isn't that your policy?”

“It is, but…” The young woman didn't seem for a moment to know what to do with this turn of events, in all her years as a nurse, she’d never quite had a situation like this come up. Usually family had to be removed for fighting, or being upsetting to a patient, but this was different. “Did I stutter Miss Rinkcoff?” She snapped angrily. “Mr. Karasuma...I’m afraid I’ll need to ask you to leave. Follow me please.”

The look he gave her was ice-cold as he walked to the door, anger in every fiber of his being.  They left closing the door to her room softly, it seemed to drive home just how alone she was. The two conversed quietly in the hallway for a moment before he left, in precisely the direction she wanted him to go. 

Her hand raised to wipe at the tears slipping down her cheeks, surprised to see them. The watery chuckle she gave herself, was fitting for the turmoil building. “You’re a real piece of work Irina,” she muttered as she pulled her knee up to her chest and curled her arms around it as she buried her face into the fabric to hide the rest that followed. 

-----

Tagging: @oldloveforever​

[ambarlucia]

Good morning MR. President,

My name is Ambar Lucia Dominguez LEON DIAZ INOA Nena es mi mama 11/03/1989 US passport 555032385 Nena dormia en mi apt con Tatiana dark skin y duramos 6 Anos de relationship. I contacted you around 4-5 months ago in regards the stalker/ harraser and his group. I am still a victim of bullying, identity theft, assault, bank fraud, and more. No doI got8 an email response in July to my JetBlue email but since that day July 05/2022 the harraser Steve and another supervisor Marilyn sent me to the hospital when they noticed on the email I said something about their ADA fraud. I went a year to a mental health institution in DR and after several test they got into the conclusion that it's him harrassing what cause my stress, anxiety and depression it's him due to his harrasment. He steals every dollar I got he steals my HRA Snap benefits monthly I'm supposed to get 220 cash and 280 food and I get 80 cash and he stole 42 cash from my bag and 80 in food. He stole my ERAP funds, my housing application too. This is the 6th time I apply and he only let me get snap. This Group of ppl has me tired. I don't want to kill myself but sometimes I wish I Don't exist due to his harassment. I want him to leave me alone I'm lesbian I like who martins wife has Yakaira Valerio mule 46 yrs old , Esther Gonzalez named by kidnapper Judio ° so I can live, travel like b4 and be a lesbian like always means to leave me alone or I will put myself in the middle so he can kill me. I am homeless because of him. He intrigued in every situation of my life to get the worst or don't get shit. After the mental health institution I came back to start again and tried to have a normal life . I was smoking,

working with a 2 hour commute from the heights to queens, painting, singing, learning Portuguese online, paying of my best friends my car debt and taking care of my dog, used to meet up on Sundays with my family and hang out with my best friend but he started to harass more and more again and in March after COVID I decide to take a break because a work they said I wasn't focused. That's when I started to be stressed and depressed and very anxious and smoking more and more.El acosador dojo q Ella perdio la memoria. Yakaira Valerio Mule 46 anos Esther Gonzales ahora Prisionera en la 187 en Manhattan Keiry arriba 3E y yakaira abajo 2E en Los apt de Ella pereaux mule que Ellos pa robarle la trancaron. Yo prefiero vivir como lesbiana que soy que me gusta viajar pero no sin fumar y sin Ella y menos sin El dinero de mi banco q El robo pa eso prefiero morir y ponerme en El Medio a q me mate Steve que vivir sin Ella , sin fumar y mi dinero por UN ladron con titulos medicina interna diciendo q es psicologo o sin titulo. Emy Lopez Guerrero bartolinos owner, Dominique and silva que usando globalsign falsifica universidades online titulos y con El software de loss pianos hace career que hablaa con gente pa manipular. Como UN ladron que TE causa ansiedad estando tu homeless por el y mirando como TE roban pretende q no TE de ansiedad y dejes de fumar? Solo UN NO PROFESIONAL hace eso HELLO el de la Vos de Carlos Gomez

frustrado con Ella Ayerla tenia la mujer de Martin la vi en Roosevelt con 79. Y Jeffrey El de gio abre mi correo housing y dicen q no me Llego nada por la pelicula?

Sino es facetime no fue quien la Rata TE dijo. Geo Cuomo USA escopolomina esel liquido d limpieza de bano TE phone rapida. El tiene una companies de Las del liquido del q Tiran en la escuela 187 .Estas en peligro.

La basura que El TE diga no es lol que digo yo. Respete o llama me facetime pa que veas SI lodije yo.

The trash he talks the dominican dike it's what he says no what I think. Call me facetime to see if it's true or I never said that. He only lies.

[queen-ofsunflowers]

Shujin Assassins Brainrot Pt. 3

I HAD A THOUGHT. A VERY VERY DEVIOUS THOUGHT.

---

I am now reminded that the island stuff in AssClass happened in Okinawa.

Which is a location in Strikers.

...these kids can't catch a break there, can they?

---

I just realized the Okinawa arc is where we see the beginning of the Phantom Thieves. Not in Tokyo, not in Kamoshida's Palace. But in the real world with their friends' lives on the line.

So much oof.

---

It also hit me how pissed off Zenkichi is/might be when he finds out about the kids' assassin backgrounds. Especially as to WHY. And how old they were, too. I think they were the same age as Akane when they started holy shit--

---

(The 3E group chst sometime during the class’s first year of highschool)

Ann: ryuji’s in the hospital

Ann: a teacher broke his leg after ryuji went and pulled a karma on him.

Karma: i don't know if i should be proud or disappointed

Ann: I don't know either!

---

3E group chat again when Ren got arrested

Itona: Ren got arrested

SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE TYPING...

Sugino: What do you mean he got arrested?!

Itona: it means he got arrested

Karma: I always thought I'd be the first to get arrested. Me or suzui.

Nagisa: This isn't a joke!

Ryuji: what happened?!

Ann: ren wouldn't do anything without a good reason. He's just that kind of guy. So what did he do?!

Itona: i don't know. his mom just left to see what's going on. I won't know anything until he gets out of detention.

SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE TYPING...

(essentially, a lot of panic since Ren didn't have his phone on him. A lot of people get PISSED when they find out what happened from him later on.)

---

When Ren fakes his death, you know how he gets those texts from confidants to see if he's alright?

Unfortunately his confidants in class E have no chill. Only one who bothers to text is Karasuma. The others, do not. So you have a handful of teenagers storming the attic and tackling Ren off the cratebed.

---

Ren: *gets speared trying to protect the others, nearly dies*

Also Ren: I might need some therapy after this.

(How much said therapist and/or certain counselor gets told is currently up in the air.)

---

The trio having a MAJOR breakdown following Okumura's death. After what happened with Korosensei, they were the most adament about the no killing rule. They had to kill someone they deeply cared about, and never wanted to kill again PERIOD. The only reason they take the risk is because people might get hurt if they don't, like with Shiho.

---

I apologize for all the brainrot, I'm just having so many ideas.

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Mission

With a black umbrella held over his head, Lu Mingfei looked up at the Cassell Clinic on the top floor.  The rain fell in white drops from the dark cloud overhead, hitting his face and running down his cheeks like tears. Tigre was back in hospital after a huge blackout had rocked the campus. Lu Mingfei had been called to a meeting in the Library.

Four somber professors had faced him. Guderian, his mentor and recruiter all those years ago, Schneider, the leader of the Executive Department and the mentor of Chu Zihang, his Senior Brother, Manstein, mentor to Nono and leader of the Disciplinary committee,and Toyama, the school Psychologist and mentor to Tigre.

They stood in front of a holographic map that displayed the border of the United States and Mexico. A bright red circle was hovering somewhere near Texas.

Did they really have to explain? Whatever that angry red circle meant it had to be something big for all of them to be here and, given the recent events, he wouldn’t be surprised at a direct attack. 

Lu Mingfei was just tired.

And who wouldn’t be? The idea of fighting dragons never appealed to him. It was true that he’d rather be here than wasting away in his Chinese hometown. But did he always have to choose between two extremes? Either wasting his life on pointless pursuits, or risking it in grave danger. 

He’d managed to make a few friends, but they were all gone. He came to Cassell for Nono. Now Nono left to do Bridal Training after accepting Caesar’s proposal. Caesar was gone managing the Italy Branch in Rome. And Chu Zihang was wandering the world doing missions. Not even Fingel was here, reassigned to Cuba weeks ago. Technically, he was supposed to be running the Student Union, but Isabel was the one who followed him around and did everything for him most of the time. As for the rest of the Student Union, he had little in common with them. Those people were obsessed with their assets and dignitaries and properties and procedures, and none of these things interested him. His life was suddenly very dull. You would think that having this mission would excite him. He just groaned when the message came on his phone.

Now he was fighting dragons without even his friends for company.. He dreaded it. Not even the Little Devil was interested in his mission. Usually that irritating child would pop up if there was a lucrative opportunity for him to try to get him to sell his life away. 

Lu Mingfei sighed to himself and said nothing.

Guderian frowned a bit but then continued. “Now that we’re all here. Let’s get started. Norma? Please report.”

“Gladly.” The ethereal translucent blue girl floated down like an angel from the ceiling. “I scanned the records for similar EMP reports around the area where the student called “Tigre” was discovered and found three separate instances. In the Chihuahuan desert.”

The map zoomed in and three X marks appeared. “What is more, these EMPs correspond to a spike in deaths and disappearances from migrants crossing the border into the US from Mexico. It is said that hundreds disappear at this time never to be seen again. While some disappearances can be explained as natural, it’s possible that they are related to dragons. This particular route is called the “La Ruta de Muerte”. it's rumored that no one who passes through this route ever makes it to the other side.”

A long blood red trail was marked on the map. “It is about 10 miles long in total. However, we will only need to concern ourselves with the inmost trail. Because this matches the information given to us by Doctor Toyama.”

“The evidence is still shaky. It is difficult to confirm anything. The desert environment efficiently removes all traces of bodies. However, we have been able to receive confirmed sightings of aberrant creatures within the vicinity for quite some time. It wasn’t until Toyama’s vision that we believe we have enough evidence to put together a team.”

“Vision?” Mingfei turned to look at him. He didn’t know much about Toyama. There was not much reason for him to see a psychologist. 

Toyama stepped forward and handed him a black folder. “These are all my findings so far. We believe that some sort of dragon has come into contact with Tigre. That is why his dragon blood purity is so high without him turning into a Death Servitor. What the 3E detected wasn't him, but what was inside him.”

“Inside?” Lu Mingfei opened the folder.

“The EMP that shook the campus occured when we tried to run an MRI on Tigre. Whatever is implanted in his skull woke up and used an EMP as a defense mechanism.” 

“Wait… Tigre has a dragon… in his head?” Lu Mingfei stared at the picture of the eye shaped scar on Tigre's scalp. "A tattoo of an eye…"

"Chu Zihang reported an eye shaped mark on a man captured by the hybrid smuggling ring where Tigre came from." Schneider said. "He attempted to free that man but when he damaged that eye-shaped mark, the man died."

Lu Mingfei's eyes suddenly turned dull. "What do you want me to do?"

“Right now, Tigre is our only lead. He provided us with a vision of a great tree that is growing out of a dragon. We are not certain what that vision means but we believe that sending him with you is the only way to find the mystery at the center of all this..” Toyama said.

Lu Mingfei lifted his head from the folder. "What? Isn't he just a freshman? But he's your student?!"

Toyama sighed, but didn't reply. “There are no reports of any such large tree and this environment would not support a tree of this size. We believe that the tree is residing in a Nibelungen. It's possible you will not be able to reach it without him."

Lu Mingfei took the stairs to the fifth floor. Physical training had made him physically stronger, and his experience in Genji Heavy Industries turned him off elevators forever.

He entered the vault using his phone. Tigre was once again in bed, sleeping but now he was hooked up to a lot more monitoring equipment.  A dozen little paper disks adhered electrodes to his head. EVA was likely monitoring his brain waves.

When Tigre turned to look, he had no contacts in, but wore sunglasses.  His eyes were clear and innocent. "It's too early for dinner…" He said.

"I'm not here to bring you food. You've… been assigned to me for a Dragonslaying mission." Mingfei had heard those words so many times. But this was the first time saying them. He felt sick. How could it be possible that words could taste so disgusting? Is it because he finally understood their meaning? 

Or was it because he finally was on the other side of it. As a freshman student, he was clueless of the danger. There was no way anyone could have been able to tell him what he was in for without scaring him off. But they knew.

That's what sickens him now. 

When Chu Zihang was recovering, Lu Mingfei tried to visit him as much as he could, but while he was at his bedside, Zihang confessed everything.  He'd wanted to save the man in the smuggling ring. Release his contact with the illegal organization.  He wanted to let the doctors go… but he'd failed all of that. 

"But Tigre is doing well." Chu Zihang turned and looked at him, covered in bandages, tubes and wires. "Please care for him. I can't be here to help."

"Are you alright?"

Lu Mingfei suddenly realizes he's been silent for several seconds.  He laughs, completely changing demeanor.  "Oh I'm fine! Fine! I daydream a lot. There have been times I've just completely zoned out and missed a flight or a train. Don't mind it."

Tigre smiles a little.  "What's the Dragonslaying mission about?"

Lu Mingfei's smile fades a bit. "Oh you won't have a big role. Don't worry about it. I'll take care of most of it. Just… treat it like a field trip."