#Health Care center nearby

[navjeevandiagnostics]

Best Sonography in Indore | Navjeevan Diagnostics

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[swetaroy]

Some Facts that Everyone should Know before having an Ultrasound Examination

A ultrasound imaging centre in Kolkata is used to diagnose many issues with organs like the liver, kidneys, ovaries, gallbladder, spleen, etc. in addition to pregnancy-related tests. Read More >> https://shorturl.at/elAVY

[reasonsforhope]

"For the first time in decades, public health data shows a sudden and hopeful drop in drug overdose deaths across the U.S.

"This is exciting," said Dr. Nora Volkow, head of the National Institute On Drug Abuse [NIDA], the federal laboratory charged with studying addiction. "This looks real. This looks very, very real."

National surveys compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already show an unprecedented decline in drug deaths of roughly 10.6 percent. That's a huge reversal from recent years when fatal overdoses regularly increased by double-digit percentages.

Some researchers believe the data will show an even larger decline in drug deaths when federal surveys are updated to reflect improvements being seen at the state level, especially in the eastern U.S.

"In the states that have the most rapid data collection systems, we’re seeing declines of twenty percent, thirty percent," said Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta, an expert on street drugs at the University of North Carolina.

According to Dasgupta's analysis, which has sparked discussion among addiction and drug policy experts, the drop in state-level mortality numbers corresponds with similar steep declines in emergency room visits linked to overdoses.

Dasgupta was one of the first researchers to detect the trend. He believes the national decline in street drug deaths is now at least 15 percent and could mean as many as 20,000 fewer fatalities per year.

"Today, I have so much hope"

After years of wrenching drug deaths that seemed all but unstoppable, some researchers, front-line addiction workers, members of law enforcement, and people using street drugs voiced caution about the apparent trend.

Roughly 100,000 deaths are still occurring per year. Street drug cocktails including fentanyl, methamphetamines, xylazine and other synthetic chemicals are more poisonous than ever.

"I think we have to be careful when we get optimistic and see a slight drop in overdose deaths," said Dan Salter, who heads a federal drug interdiction program in the Atlanta-Carolinas region. "The last thing we want to do is spike the ball."

But most public health experts and some people living with addiction told NPR they believe catastrophic increases in drug deaths, which began in 2019, have ended, at least for now. Many said a widespread, meaningful shift appears underway.

"Some of us have learned to deal with the overdoses a lot better," said Kevin Donaldson, who uses fentanyl and xylazine on the street in Burlington, Vermont.

According to Donaldson, many people using fentanyl now carry naloxone, a medication that reverses most opioid overdoses. He said his friends also use street drugs with others nearby, ready to offer aid and support when overdoses occur.

He believes these changes - a response to the increasingly toxic street drug supply - mean more people like himself are surviving.

"For a while we were hearing about [drug deaths] every other day. When was the last one we heard about? Maybe two weeks ago? That's pretty few and far between," he said.

His experience is reflected in data from the Vermont Department of Health, which shows a 22 percent decline in drug deaths in 2024.

"The trends are definitely positive," said Dr. Keith Humphreys, a nationally respected drug policy researcher at Stanford University. "This is going to be the best year we've had since all of this started."

"A year ago when overdose deaths continued to rise, I was really struggling with hope," said Brad Finegood, who directs the overdose crisis response in Seattle.

Deaths in King County, Washington, linked to all drugs have dropped by 15 percent in the first half of 2024. Fatal overdoses caused by street fentanyl have dropped by 20 percent.

"Today, I have so much hope," Finegood said.

-via NPR, September 18, 2024. Article continues below with an exploration of the whys (mostly unknown) and some absolutely fucking incredible statistics.

Why the sudden and hopeful shift? Most experts say it's a mystery

While many people offered theories about why the drop in deaths is happening at unprecedented speed, most experts agreed that the data doesn't yet provide clear answers.

Some pointed to rapid improvements in the availability and affordability of medical treatments for fentanyl addiction. "Expansion of naloxone and medications for opioid use disorder — these strategies worked," said Dr. Volkow at NIDA.

"We've almost tripled the amount of naloxone out in the community," said Finegood. He noted that one survey in the Seattle area found 85 percent of high-risk drug users now carry the overdose-reversal medication.

Dr. Rahul Gupta, the White House drug czar, said the drop in drug deaths shows a path forward.

"This is the largest decrease on record and the fifth consecutive month of recorded decreases," he said.

Gupta called for more funding for addiction treatment and healthcare services, especially in Black and Native American communities where overdose deaths remain catastrophically high.

"There is no way we're going to beat this epidemic by not focusing on communities that are often marginalized, underserved and communities of color," Gupta said.

"Overdose deaths in Ohio are down 31 percent"

Indeed, in many states in the eastern and central U.S. where improvements are largest, the sudden drop in drug deaths stunned some observers who lived through the darkest days of the fentanyl overdose crisis.

"This year overdose deaths [in Ohio] are down 31 percent," said Dennis Couchon, a harm reduction activist. "The deaths were just plummeting. The data has never moved like this."

"While the mortality data for 2024 is incomplete and subject to change, Ohio is now in the ninth consecutive month of a historic and unexpected drop in overdose deaths," said the organization Harm Reduction Ohio in a statement.

Missouri is seeing a similar trend that appears to be accelerating. After dropping by 10 percent last year, preliminary data shows drug deaths in the state have now fallen roughly 34 percent in the second quarter of 2024.

"It absolutely seems things are going in the right direction, and it's something we should feel pleased about," said Dr. Rachel Winograd, director of addiction science at the University of Missouri St. Louis, who also noted that drug deaths remain too high.

"It feels wonderful and great," said Dr. Mark Levine, head of the Vermont Health Department. "We need encouraging data like this and it will help sustain all of us who are actively involved in trying to have an impact here."

Levine, too, said there's still "plenty of work left to do."" ...

Dasgupta, the researcher at the University of North Carolina, agreed more needs to be done to help people in addiction recover when they're ready.

But he said keeping more people alive is a crucial first step that seemed impossible only a year ago.

"A fifteen or twenty percent [drop in deaths] is a really big number, an enormous impact," he said, calling for more research to determine how to keep the trend going.

"If interventions are what's driving this decline, then let's double down on those interventions."

-article via NPR, September 18, 2024

[fuck-customers]

This one just made me giggle all day. This was about a month ago

"Thank you for calling Dr. [OB/gyn], how can I help you?"

*very masculine sounding voice but I didn't think anything of it. If you got the parts and need the care, we'll see you* "Hi I need to make an appointment for an extraction consultation"

*SUPER CONCERNED, because maybe this person is speaking in code. Maybe someone unsafe is listening and they're trying to tell me they need something without alerting someone nearby. Panic mode activated!* "Is it okay if I ask specific questions and you answer as best you can?"

"Yeah?"

"Okay, so if you mean (uterus-centered health procedure) say August and if you need (different procedure) say September. If you need something different, say October."

"Huh??? No, I don't need any of that! I'm a man!"

"Oh. Okay, uhh... I'm not sure how we can help with an 'extraction'. What exactly do you need, sir?"

"I got two molars that need to come out! My dentist said to call you!"

"Oh! Okay! Unfortunately, you called an Obstetrician. We can't help you with that. You need an orthodontist."

Poor guy went silent then hung up very quickly

Later in the week we found out there's a new doctor in our medical plaza a couple buildings over with a similar name. He's like Dr. John and our doctor is Dr. John-Jim. We went over there as an office later to trade info with them so we can send mixed-up calls back and forth.

Posted by admin Rodney

[sweatermuppet]

What is it like being trans in New Hampshire? I'm trans in Maine and generally consider NH the black sheep of New England when it comes to queer politics. Some of my trans friends consider it a no-stop zone on our roadtrips.

uh it's pretty fine for me. i get kinda sad when people say NH isnt trans friendly (a sentiment ive seen a lot lately). i had an openly transitioning teacher in high school. i had many gay teachers in high school. i was one of the first kids to transition openly at my school & there were a lot of struggles but it was also 6+ years ago & mostly teachers were under-educated & didn't know how to protect me. i got in a fight & suspended over a kid who was transphobic toward me, but i was allowed to use the boy's bathroom & locker room & all of my core teachers were pretty good about using my name & pronouns

i have multiple trans friends, just locally, & know other trans people a little further out in NH from following them on IG. some pretty decent art scenes in various towns & those are LGBT-dense. one of my trans friends started estrogen yesterday (prescription thru informed consent). i will say in my experience, NH healthcare is lacking for transsexuals—it's been easier for me to go thru Massachusetts or NH planned parenthoods, but ive been able to receive treatment fairly easily (cost being one of the only major negative factors)

as for people, a lot of folks kind of don't care? there are of course republicans & conservatives & a disheartening amount of libertarians, but in my day to day, it's mostly "live free or die" & if you're not hurting anyone, it's not too big of a deal. some of the republicans in my life (like friends' dads) have the attitude of "well i don't get it" but they still call me silas & are generally alright with me, aren't hostile towards me

i see trans flags pretty often. i saw a bumper sticker last month that was the shape of NH completely colored in with the trans flag. there are a bunch of coffee shops & bookstores & artsy places nearby i can think of that employ trans people, house trans art, etc

recently, anti-trans & anti-LGBT bills have been introduced & passed in NH. two passed last month, which can be read about here. i saw some pretty disgusting sentiments shared about those bills on twitter when they were introduced. those make it harder to exist here, but it's not impossible & it does not immediately make all residents hostile toward transsexuals. i don't want people to abandon NH because they think it's too far gone or too hopeless. trans people will always exist in every state & every country & every corner, no matter how hostile those places become

people here love me, regardless of how political parties view me. people here fight for me. there are trans people & Black people & disabled people here who are more vulnerable than me who i want to stay & fight for & protect. if you'd like to learn more about diversity in NH & how to protect various human rights, here are some orgs i am familiar with:

NH PANTHERS (anti-racism advocacy & education)

Queer-Lective (art, education, & connection)

Black Lives Matter NH

GLSEN NH (LGBT resources & education for schools/teachers/students)

Reproductive Freedom Fund of NH (abortion fund, sex ed, LGBT advocacy)

603 Equality (LGBT advocacy & education)

Lovering Health Center (reproductive care, LGBT education, gender affirming care for NH, MA, & ME)

Black Heritage Trail of NH (Black history)

ACLUNH (civil liberties + human rights)

[lokisprettygirl]

Rain to his Fire (Modern! Daemon Targaryen x Female Reader) (Non Canon 80s Au) (18+)

Series Masterlist

Chapter 1

Summary: In 1985, you were assigned as a custodian in the King's Landing Psychiatric inpatient and wellness center after your mother's passing. Your job was mundane and boring, but that was until a new patient arrived, a young man with a wild and eccentric personality, harbouring a secret that will change your life forever.

Warning: 18+, discussion of mental health (it's a fic based in a mental health facility), the fic would contain several mentions of several disorders like mpd, did etc, if something triggers you don't read, smoking.

“Room 393 needs cleaning up, new guy is coming” you heard your supervisor Mona so you sighed and quickly nodded. Working as a custodian in a mental health facility wasn't ever really a dream job for you but you didn't have any option at the moment. Your mother had worked all her life for the center and when she passed, as per her request beforehand, the job was immediately offered to you, and you had debts to pay so you couldn't really deny that offer.

At thirty you didn't really see your life heading towards anything better anyways and you didn't really despise working here. Helping people feel good at times. Your job wasn't limited to cleaning services, you would often get assigned to patients who needed a caregiver for physical and emotional needs.

King's landing psychiatric inpatient and wellness center was a six floor building at the outskirts of London, it was established in 1955 and your mother had started her job the same year, it's been thirty years now and two years since she had passed, she was living nearby because she was married and had a child, you on other hand didn't want to travel back n forth so you chose to live here itself as a permanent live in staff of the wellness center.

You were accustomed to seeing patients coming in for various disorders, most were delusional at worst or suffered from some sort of dysphoria. However, the patients at the King's Landing Wellness Center were not usually considered dangerous and you had never felt threatened by any one of them except a few women who lashed out at you and pushed you around last year. But with time, you had learned to provide them with the care and attention they needed instead of judging them for the outburst.

“Are you listening y/n?” You snapped back to reality as Mona called your name and gathered your cleaning cart to go fix room 393, there was this girl that had just gotten released from the facility, Tanya, she was a shy, quiet girl in her mid twenties with a debilitating case of multiple personality disorder.

You mostly kept to yourself at the facility as you didn't want to get involved or too overly attached with the patients.

The moment you took the mattress off to deep clean the bed, you discovered a piece of paper underneath. Curiosity got the better of you, and you decided to open it. Once you saw the writing on the paper, a feeling of unease coursed through your body, the words seemed almost ominous

“They are going to hurt me. I know, I'll never get out of here, if you find this please make sure to check up on me please”

You sighed before you folded the paper and placed it inside your apron quickly before it would get lost. What did she mean you wondered? The centre was under the supervision of three doctors. Doctor Vis was a man in his early forties and he was the most feared of all three because of his unorthodox methods of treatment but the other two doctors, Lisa and Darren seemed more approachable.

As you made your way out of room 393, you saw Doctor Vis standing in the hallway, having a conversation with another man. The other man stood with his back against the wall while Doctor Vis stood uncomfortably close to him, he was handcuffed so you assumed that he was being aggressive in his therapy session, as you walked past them you looked at the man briefly and normally you'd have looked away but this time you couldn't for some reason, he had a shiny silver hair that you had never really seen on a man before and it caught your eye immediately. The uniform he had on wasn't a surprise as it was a dress code for the patients, a white shirt and same coloured trousers.

His eyes met yours briefly and he smirked so you looked away immediately ,

“You didn't tell me you hired such beautiful chicks around here to be your servant-” Daemon had barely finished his sentence before Vis grabbed his collar to warn him. Vis looked as you walked past them and turned to make left into the hallway, disappearing out of their sight.

“Don't make this more difficult than it already is you moron”

Dr. Vis escorted Daemon into the room where he was immediately uncuffed. With the doctor now gone, Daemon let out an angry roar before throwing the chair into the room's window, shattering it into pieces.

“New guy is here” you mumbled as you reached the canteen. The rest of the staff members, including those from the pantry and cleaning services, were already gathered at the table. Shyla, who was the same age as you approached you. But in contrast to you, Shyla appeared to have a backup plan in mind after her tenure here.

“Oh god have you guys seen him, he's really hotttt in a really weird way”

You gulped as she said that, she always lived on the edge, it was unprofessional and unethical to talk about patients this way. Besides, he wasn't hot at all.

“Cut out with the heart eyes girl he must be a cuckoo to be here”

Another woman, Dina , intervened as she whispered very quietly, you didn't appreciate her language but then she wasn't wrong, sane people didn't come here.

“Hey y/n, new patient broke the window in 393, clean it up”

Mona suddenly entered the canteen so you sighed but then you were left feeling confused.

“How did he break it? Those windows are supposed to be unbreakable” you asked her curiously as the windows in the patient's room were specifically designed to withstand extreme conditions and were built to be unbreakable for security reasons.

“Don't question what's and how's, do your job girl” she glared at you so you picked up your cleaning cart again.

As you entered room 393, you spotted the new patient on the bed, seemingly engrossed in a book. Your brow furrowed as you took in the sight of the debris of shattered glass scattered around the room. Quickly, you grabbed a broom and began the cleaning process, starting from the corners to ensure that you picked up every last shard. As you swept, you couldn't help but feel puzzled as to how the window was broken in the first place,

“You shouldn't be doing such things, they are not afraid of sending violent patients to the lone ward” you mumbled so he looked up from his book and then glanced at you from top to bottom before he let out a snicker.

“Awnnn do you get paid to offer advice around here or cleaning is your only area of expertise?”

You glared at him as he said that but you remained calm, you couldn't raise your voice with patients even though you had been wanting to do it for a long while now.

“Sir im just-” you cringed internally as you addressed him as sir, it wasn't a norm but then you didn't really know his name yet. He had changed out of his uniform so you couldn't even read the name tag.

“Do your fucking job girl and get out”

You cut back on your words as he spoke rudely to you, perhaps he was admitted for extreme anger issues, whatever it was you just wanted to get out and not see him at least for a day.

You missed Tanya, she was a sweet girl, and you hadn't forgotten the note you had found under her bed this morning but then she wasn't exactly stable in her mind, people often scribbled down their most intrusive thoughts in their free time, and there was abundance of that around here. Besides you had bid her goodbye, she had hugged you warmly and she seemed happier for once.

During the lunch service you saw his smug face again as he sat down in the corner of the cafeteria, his eyes met with yours and he gave you a small smile but you didn't return it. Though you didn't want to take his words personally, he was dealing with something and that's why he was here.

“Mrs Rodriguez, are you finished with your food?” You asked the elderly lady so she snapped out of her thoughts and nodded but as you raised your hand forward to pick up her plate she grabbed your hand,

“Simon thinks i should eat less” she mumbled almost fearfully and your heart clenched for her, Simon was merely a figment of her imagination.

“Well he's wrong because you are eating as much as you should” she let go of your hand and smiled as you said that to her. When you reached around his table you noticed that he hadn't even touched his food,

“Are you going to eat sir? Your half an hour is almost over” you asked him so he chuckled. New patients in the center had strict rules and regulations to follow during the beginning of their treatment.

“Who should I be asking around here for a smoke?” He asked you and your brows furrowed.

“That's not allowed, i will help you with a nicotine patch if you're feeling restless -” he rolled his eyes as you said that.

“I don't need that shit” he grumbled under his breath so you looked at the time. Looking at him you couldn't really tell what actually was wrong with him, well besides the anger issues obviously, he seemed almost normal, almost self aware which really wasn't usual around this place.

“Please finish your food, dinner service is around 8 and a man of your size won't get any nutrition from the snacks we offer during tea time” you spoke a bit sternly and the corner of his mouth curved into a small smile.

“What's your name y/n?” He asked you so you looked at him baffled, he clearly read your name on the badge and he said it as well.

“I don't know your name either” you mumbled politely so he gave you a smile

“Daemon”

“Have an easy day Mr. Daemon, first few days are always difficult” you ultimately grabbed his plate as you left because he didn't seem to be in any mood to eat at the time.

Around evening as you finished your shift you made your way to your room at the fourth floor to take a shower and relax a bit. You took out the note you had found under Tanya's bed and placed it inside your cupboard safely, a part of you continued to feel uneasy about this thing, another was thinking about Daemon.

Why was he there? What had he done? You were not allowed to enquire about these things unless or until you were told the information by the authorities.

Daemon couldn't really sleep at night, how could he? He was locked up in here and was being treated as if he was crazy but he knew what he was and he wasn't delusional about it either. Even as sleep came for him he had a horrible nightmare that had him tossing and turning in his bed again so he woke up and stepped out of his room quietly as the room was starting to suffocate him. That's when he found the window at the end of the corridor and that was all he needed.

Around 2 at night, you were enjoying a peaceful moment to yourself on the terrace of the building, taking a break with a cigarette. As you were absorbed in your own thoughts, you heard a loud thud sound from behind you. Startled, you jumped and quickly turned around, only to find the new patient, Daemon, standing there. You couldn't believe how he had gotten there, he didn't have the key to the door and you clearly remembered locking it when you had gotten in. The terrace was strictly off-limits to patients for obvious reasons.

“What..are you doing here, you can't be here mister” you almost sounded frantic and kind of scared to be honest. And why didn't he have a shirt on? It was freaking cold out here. And why was he so freaking ripped?

“Hooking me up with a bloody nicotine patch when you got this sweet thing right here?” he asked you as he approached you so you took a few steps behind you until you had hit the ledge. You quickly threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it under your flip flops before he could attempt to steal it from you.

“Now that's a waste of a good cigarette” he almost seemed offended with his brows furrowed and scowl on his face.

“Look, don't come near me alright?” You warned him so he crossed his arms and stepped closer to you despite your warning.

“I'm not going to harm you, I can, don't get me wrong.. but I won't”

Was that supposed to make you feel better?

“Please come with me, let me take you to your room .. please”

As he heard your gentle voice his teeth gritted together. “Please just listen to me ..it's only best for you” You brought your arm forward to grab his forearm but you flinched away as soon as you had touched his skin.

“Are you sick? You're burning like a furnace” You asked him worriedly so he scratched his scalp before he looked around and took a deep breath “And how did you get here?”

“I'm not sick, do I look sick to you?” He asked you so you shook your head but that was pointless, if he was a regular smoker, perhaps he was feeling the withdrawal.

“Just one puff, I'll be indebted to you forever darling, please, what do you want me to do beg? I can beg on my knees .You want that?..”

“Ohhh shut up for god's sake -” You cut him off mid sentence as he started to ramble but the stupid smirk on his face was still there. “I'll lose my job Daemon -”

“Nobody will know”

“I can't do it.. please understand please..”

He sighed and the pleading look on your face made him willing to listen to you ultimately.

How did he even come up here? You had come via the main entrance and it was locked from inside. As you escorted him back to his room, you mumbled a quick good night but he suddenly grabbed you by the shoulders and pushed you against the door, your heart was right into your mouth at the moment for several different reasons, you had been pushed over by several women at the facility but never a man, especially not a man like him who seemed so strong and so unstable. If worse comes to worse you knew you wouldn't be able to defend yourself.

“Daemon let go of me” you mumbled sternly but his hands were on your upper arms, holding you tightly still. He wasn't hurting you, not yet at least.

“Shhhhh shhh shhhh” as he whispered in your ear you were going to scream but nothing came out of your throat, not even a squeak, you feared that he was going to touch you inappropriately, if this wasn't inappropriate as it was, but then he placed his nose on the crook of your neck and took a sniff. Like a wild animal he sniffed you, literally.

One sniff, two sniff, and then one two three at once, you couldn't help but wonder why you weren't feeling as uncomfortable as you should have in a similar situation.

“What are you doing?” You asked him gently to not aggregate him so he looked you right in the eyes before he cupped your cheeks and stared at your lips, his nose rubbed slightly against yours before he closed his eyes, grunted a little and finally stepped away from you. His chest was heaving from breathlessness, same as yours as you both stared at each other for a moment. What the hell was that?

“Get out lady”

He mumbled so you immediately got the fuck out of there, you were looking behind every step of the way to see if he was following you but he wasn't. At the end of the corridor you stopped as suddenly, your feet came in contact with a piece of fabric on the floor, and when you bent down to investigate, you realized it was Daemon's shirt but it was completely shredded in several pieces - the same shirt he had worn this evening.

The realization left you feeling even more puzzled and disoriented. How had he managed to enter the terrace when it was locked from the outside. It seemed impossible. It was impossible. Or perhaps there was another way? Or maybe you were going crazy yourself? Now that was possible.

As your head hit your pillow you ran your fingers over your neck, right where he was sniffing, he seemed so...so primal in that moment, so animalistic, if that was the right choice of word. Did you atleast smell good? God you hoped so. Or not. He was a patient, you had to keep that in mind, he had issues.

The next morning while Daemon was away for his therapy session with the doctors you decided to clean up his room, he had left you feeling a bit unnerved last night with his strange behavior but you weren't really scared of him and then you wondered why you weren't scared of him after what he had done.

The iron bars on his window were the first thing you had noticed as you had entered the room. As you heard loud footsteps approaching the room you quickly collected your stuff to prepare to leave.

As Dr. Vis entered with Daemon he looked at you and spoke politely “Will you please step out ?” Vis asked you so you nodded immediately.

“Yes doctor, I'm almost done” you grabbed your cart and walked past them, your eyes met with Daemon and he seemed angry, but also really sad? His eyes were read and teary, such a contrast from his snarky demeanor yesterday.

As the door slammed shut, you found yourself in a state of morbid curiosity. So instead of minding your own business as you should have, you pressed your ear against the door instead, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside. Why did he look so sad?

“You had promised you wouldn't start with the absurdity right off the bat” Dr. Vis yelled at Daemon and that bothered you. Why was he yelling at a patient like this on his second day?

“Absurdity? You think me speaking of my true self is absurd?” Daemon asked the doctor and you didn't understand what was happening, what was he suffering from?

Dazed and confused as you reached the staff area Shyla walked around the table with a smirk on her face so you finally gave in.

“What?”

As you asked her she slammed her hands on the table in a dramatic manner.

“I found out why the new guy is here”

You weren't the one to gossip but you really wanted to know why Daemon was there? Why was he here? What was hurting him?

“How did you find out?” You asked her to seem disinterested as you didn't want to make your interest apparent.

“I have my source girl” she patted herself on shoulders so you crossed your arms together.

“Uhuh and what did your source tell you?”

“Well you're not ready for this-"

“Just spill it already” you chuckled as you spoke but the way she was stalling had only gotten you more curious.

“He thinks..now listen to this..he thinks he's a dragon” she mumbled excitedly so you stared at her all perplexed.

“What?”

“The new guy believes that he's a human dragon hybrid or something like that.. unbelievable right?”

Oh well!! That was a big problem huh.

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

[ahmadismaeel]

@90-ghost @el-shab-hussein @sayruq @nabulsi @neptunerings @flower-tea-fairies @appsa @a-shade-of-blue @sar-soor @moayesh @commissions4aid-international @paper-mario-wiki @dlxxv-vetted-donations @gaza-evacuation-funds @writerqueenofjewels @the-ballerina-battle @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @just-browsing1222 @girlinafairytale @khanger @magnus-rhymes-with-swagness @maoistyuri @dykesbat @acepumpkinpatrick @thetownwecallhome @tsaricides @feluka @brutaliakhoa @kordeliiius @queerstudiesnatural @the-bastard-king @aria-ashryver @malcriada @vakarians-babe @bat-luun @mangocheesecakes @violetlyra @nightowlssleep @self-hating-zionist @staretes @friendshapedplant @yokohama-crackhouse @omiteo777

Hi! I'm Ahmad Ismail Alhabil, 24 years old. I have a family of 8 members. I'm from Gaza but I've got displaced so many times from Gaza to many cities in Gaza Strip.

Actually I've left my home in the first week of the war cos of bombardments in my neighborhood. I've gone to UNRWA health center as a shelter for a month. During this month I've lost my dear dad, he has got killed cos of nearby bombardment while he was shopping. I've become responsible for my family even though I've lost my work.

In brief, this ongoing war hasn't just taken our lives but it has taken our souls, our happiness, our safety, our peace of mind, our quiet great life, everything!!!

Nowadays I live in nightmares, hoping this ongoing war finishes. We have no water, no money, no electricity, no shelter, no home which has been destroyed, no healthy place, no source of money, no health care. The life became extremely hard!!!

We live very hard circumstances. Unfortunately, we live in an unhealthy place full of diseases. We live in a tent which doesn't protect us from sunshines. We have children in this tent who can't bear this very hot place. That's the terrible place we live in.

Every time I wake up from my dream, I suddenly find it hasn't finished yet.

So please donate helping us alleviate these very hard circumstances. Please donate to help our little children.

Your donation helps us.

[im-his-druidess]

For anybody wondering Smith's Grove Sanitarium is the mental health facility and detainment center for the criminally insane in the film Halloween!

(22. Omega goes to an Alpha and clings on them to get away from another creepy Alpha/Beta. & 24. “My ex-boyfriend is here, please scent me before he tries to do something.”)

"'Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world...,'" you muttered, eyeing the man swaggering around the cafeteria as if he owned it.

It was your ex, someone you never thought you would see again after a tumultuous relationship and an even more volatile breakup, and yet here he was. In the same institute you were currently locked in. You would have laughed in any other circumstance, seeing him incarcerated at Smith’s Grove, but it was hard to find amusement when you were in the same building as him. Also, it was hard to laugh through the sudden surge of sheer panic rushing through you at the sight of him. Clutching your food tray until your knuckles turned white you cast your eyes around wildly. Usually people gravitated towards their own dynamic, Omegas huddled together far away from the group of loudly talking Alphas and the few Betas sprinkled amongst the remaining tables talking normally and without care.

Your ex, an Alpha that liked to puff out his chest to appear bigger than he was and bully those he deemed weaker, was busy stealing food from a smaller Alpha and laughing. Anger burned in the back of your throat at the display, but it was quickly replaced by terror when his eyes met yours from across the room.

His look of shock was quickly replaced by a wide grin full of nothing but malice.

You trembled at the sudden phantom echo of his screaming in your head, his venomous degrading words hurting worse than any slap he ever delivered, and you felt the urge to curl up into a ball. You spun on your heel and began weaving through the lunch crowd when he stood from his seat. There was a guard chatting happily with the lunch lady and you knew he probably wouldn’t do much to protect you if you approached him. Your flitting gaze searched through the sea of issued white scrubs, eyes burning at all the white clothes against the white walls and white tile floors, before landing on a spot of bright orange at the back corner.

Seated alone at a table, chaperoned by a tense guard standing a few feet away, was the Sanitarium’s most known and feared patient. Michael Myers sat with slightly drooped broad shoulders, a paper mâché mask that looked a bit like a jack-o-lantern placed over his face with his long dirty blond hair hanging in front of his masked face like a curtain, and he was eating lazily with his head tilted towards the table. Everyone knew who he was, throwing glances his way and whispering to each other, and you remembered how you nearly fainted from fright the first time the murderous behemoth shuffled past you in the halls. He didn’t say or do anything in particular that frightened you, he didn’t even look at you, but his sheer presence made your inner Omega howl at the feeling of a predator so close.

Not only was the man huge and stacked with muscles that made you gape like a fish out of water, but he was an Alpha.

Even with the mandatory scent suppressants you could still catch the natural spice of an Alpha. Immediately, an idea popped in your head, and you didn’t even give yourself a second to fully think about it before you beelined for his table.

Out of the corner of your eye you could see your ex following you and you all but flung yourself into the empty seat beside Michael Myers. Instantly all the chatter in the room stopped, all eyes swung to you, and the guard nearby paled.

Michael continued to eat.

You felt a small sense of relief wash over you as the man’s body heat seeped into your suddenly freezing body, his spicy scent tingling your nose, and his broad shoulders blocked out most of the stunned crowd. You tried to continue as if this was a perfectly natural thing to do, unraveling your plastic spoon from its napkin before scooping up a helping of mashed potatoes, and you forced your trembling hand to still before you accidently dropped your spoonful. A wave of whispers suddenly rushed through the room and you saw your ex stop and linger a few tables away. You glanced over at the giant man beside you, noting that what you could see of his blue eyes were still trained on his tray in front of him, and you couldn’t help but notice how comically small and fragile his spoon looked in his large hand.

Feeling a need to justify yourself for sitting so close to him you leaned a bit closer to whisper to him in a voice that only he could hear.

“My ex-boyfriend is here, please scent me before he tries to do something,” you said in a rush, shifting nervously in the hard chair at the sight of your ex still too close for comfort, before staring wide-eyed as Michael’s mechanical movements slowed slightly at your words.

You knew that he heard you and you suddenly wondered if you were going to meet a gruesome end by way of plastic utensil. You saw his head tilt minutely, eyes still trained on his food, but you could hear a small huff of breath beneath his mask that you otherwise wouldn’t have heard if you weren’t so close to him. It took you a few moments to realize that he was subtly scenting you. You fought the urge to shiver at the discovery of him breathing you in.

Your eyes dropped to his plate and another idea struck you.

He was picking around his food, avoiding the mushy peas and soggy carrots that was served and focusing on the mashed potatoes and bits of shredded chicken slathered in gravy, and you spotted the pudding container that was served as dessert. The chocolate pudding cup was completely empty, virtually scraped clean, and you came to the amusing realization that he had eaten his dessert first. With a deep breath you grabbed your own pudding cup and placed it near his tray.

A peace offering or a bribe you weren’t entirely sure.

His movements slowed even more and you pretended everything was normal about your interaction with the man by shoving another spoonful of potatoes in your mouth. It tasted like ash and settled in your stomach like lead, but you forced yourself to appear as normal as possible. You spotted your ex taking a few hesitant steps closer, making you subconsciously sink further against Michael until your arm brushed his side, and you nearly leapt out of your skin when a heavy overly warm hand landed on the back of your neck.

In a quick move you didn’t see he had placed his hand on the back of your neck, grip loose and almost lazy, but the possessive hold was as obvious as if he stood and shouted in the now tense cafeteria.

‘Mine’.

The guard fidgeted nervously with the taser on his belt, the crowd falling deathly silent at the uncharacteristic movement of the infamous killer, and you forced yourself not to go absolutely rigid at the unexpected touch. You noticed that your ex had paled, the malice on his face dropping to an expression of fear, before he scampered back towards his original table.

You could perfectly visualize a tail between his legs as he retreated.

Your entire body relaxed at the threat leaving you alone and you swore you felt those long fingers twitch against your neck before they pulled away. He snagged your offered pudding cup and you smiled. Looks like you both had come to an agreement and, despite sitting next to the most dangerous man in the entire building, you felt yourself relax.

[kimingyuslover]

SUNG HANBIN FIC RECS

boys like u! by @seosracha (smau, idol!au, fluff, drama)

synopsis- getting invited on an idol reality show where two groups have to live with each-other for a month seemed.. awful. but at least you got to bond with your long time crush and fellow leader over taking care of your own grown ass members?

only one by @juyomiao (smau, high school au, fluff, crack, some angst, is 'clueless idiots who dont realize their feelings are reciprocated' a genre ? i hope so)

☆ SYNOPSIS: sung hanbin is everyone's dream guy: perfect grades, perfect looks, perfect personality, he has it all. he's even class AND student council president! everyone loves him, and you, as his vice-president, are no exception to that. having been in love with him since you were 12, you try to tone down your feelings "for the sake of professionalism" and claim it's simple admiration for someone who objectively has no flaws. but there is one small detail you missed, in all these years admiring him: he has an even bigger crush on you.

cupid's arrow by @foryiujeans (fluff)

synopsis. a wall full of hearts and arrows written by mysterious cupids of ships around the school, what happens seeing your name with a certain someone?

unapproachable by @harunade (one sided enemies to lovers, only one bed trope)

falling in love with live by @taeraemisu (angst, grim reaper!hanbin, death x life, deaths, not sure if it should count but i read the book thief a couple of years ago and i am not so sure if you can consider this to be inspired by that)

synopsis ; grim reaper hanbin always appears at one’s last moment. that’s just who he is. he never wondered on how it’s like to be alive. but after certain few deaths in a row, he notices how the reader is always nearby, as if they are a sign of death too. curious, he starts to observe you. but what happens when he starts to wonder on how it feels to be alive?

can you hear me? by @taeraemisu (somewhat soulmates au, fluff but angst, different universes, the classic you-can-hear-your-soulmates-voice-in-your-head au)

synopsis ; in which reader thought they were crazy when they start to heart a certain voice in their head, finding out their soulmate is universes away from them.

blooming day by @zerobaseonefics (smau, college au, fluff, my broken sense of humor, mf who just wants to sell flower x mf who can't accept rejection to lovers ig.)

synopsis . . . never in his life hanbin would have expected to be rejected by anyone or anything. so, the day you rejected him with flowers, asking him to pay 12$ for the said rejection, he kind of lost it. alternatively, sung hanbin trying to make you fall in love with him after you broke his heart (and his perfect love record).

The follow-up assignment by @zellypop (fluff, romance, college, social media)

SYNOPSIS During a late-night rehearsal for the upcoming music club concert, Sung Hanbin twists his ankle and is rushed to the university health center. Intern nurse on duty Y/N breaks the bad news to him that his ankle is severely sprained. She advises him to rest up for a few weeks, however, things may not be so simple as the follow-up of his condition could become a graded assignment for Y/N.

[theivorybilledwoodpecker]

I was exactly halfway into my second pregnancy, and up until that point, we were so ecstatic to be expecting again — a baby we’d been praying for. We kept talking about and imagining the joy it would be to bring our new baby home to meet our 2-year-old daughter. But at my 20-week ultrasound, a day that is supposed to be full of excitement and awe, we received devastating news. Our baby, a second daughter, had many severe and insurmountable skeletal and organ issues. Fetal specialists told us that it was extremely unlikely she could survive because all her major organ systems had significant development issues. We were blindsided and heartbroken, and yet somehow clear-minded. We chose to do what we believed was best for our unborn daughter as well as for our family; because that is what you do as parents. And we saw the choice we ultimately made as an act of love for her. We respect and honor that other parents have chosen — and will continue to choose — the only other option our doctor suggested to us — to let the pregnancy take its natural course and provide specialist or palliative care as needed. And that is the point. Individuals and their families — no matter where they happen to live — must be able to make the best choice for them. They need to be free to choose their own act of love. I believe now more than ever that anyone’s reason for seeking an abortion is valid. Who are we to say it isn’t? What we didn’t know when we made our decision was that in addition to being so difficult emotionally, it would be made so much worse by the abortion bans recently enacted in Idaho. Because of these cruel laws, my Idaho doctors could not provide me with an abortion — something they could easily have done before Roe v. Wade was overturned — in my own community supported by family and friends. We had to spend the following days cold-calling countless clinics in nearby states where abortion is still legal, but found out that because of all the other new abortion bans in states across the country, many clinics had closed, most had no open appointments for several weeks, and still others considered my pregnancy, at 20 weeks, too far along for me to receive care. The thought of waiting out this pregnancy, possibly for weeks, or however long, while trying to get through the day working as a chiropractor and still being active and present for our toddler was more than I could handle. All I could think about was whether the daughter I was carrying was already suffering; my anxiety and sadness were overwhelming. We both felt hopeless and heartbroken until we reached a Seattle clinic with a last-minute cancellation. Although relieved, there was so much we had to do to get there in the haze of our grief. There were flights to make, hotels to book, a car to rent and medical care our health insurance would not cover because we were going out of state to access and receive it. One of the most tragic — and degrading — parts of our situation was knowing that people in my home state of Idaho believe this is acceptable, denying me bodily autonomy. We will always be grateful to the clinic and team in Seattle for offering us professional, compassionate care. I am a person of faith and for months after my abortion, I kept telling Brandon there had to be something positive that would come out of this experience. Several months later, I learned that the Center for Reproductive Rights was putting together a challenge to Idaho’s abortion laws, and I knew immediately that moving forward as a plaintiff in the case was something I had to do. I’m proud to be one of the many women and doctors challenging and broadening these laws. Physicians in Idaho must have greater discretion over when abortion exceptions are warranted, and the decision should be the patient’s in consultation with their doctors.

[nerves-nebula]

Splinter smiled to himself as he finally stood and looked at his handiwork. Was it pretty? Maybe not, but it worked. An old television set stolen from a thrift shop, a handmade entertainment center that was mostly just pieces of scrap he’d found in the nearby junkyard, and lots of illegal wiring that definitely wasn’t safe to be around this much water, and now their underground home was just a little cozier.

The boys were all sitting on the couch (which had been a bitch and a half to get down there in the first place), watching him curiously. They were getting so big now, and everyone except Donatello was stringing together near-sentences.

“Dada, what is?” Leonardo slapped the cushion between his little legs, a determined frown on his face.

“This is a television.” He told them, “We can watch movies on it.”

They all stared at him, clueless.

He shook his head, bending down to pick up the few films he’d managed to swipe. He’s tried to find some for a younger age group, but all he’d managed to find was a VHS of Sesame Street and… no. First off, there was no way he was finding a VHS player and second, he’s not watching that. He could not deal with puppets singing, even if it was supposed to be good for the kids’ developmental health or whatever.

“Here.” He came over, picking up Michelangelo and Donatello to make room for himself. Thankfully, they were still big enough for him to be able to keep them on his lap, though that wouldn’t last too much longer. He winced as Leonardo and Raphael climbed on, their little claws digging into his legs. As they settled he fanned out the available movies. “We can choose from these.” He pointed to each title as he read them out, “This one is called ‘Back to the Future’. It’s about a time traveling car. This one is ‘Samurai Rabbit’. It’s about a, well, a samurai rabbit.” Michelangelo giggled and he bounced the leg he sat on, chuckling with him, “Then we have ‘Mulan’. This one has singing in it, but it’s about a Chinese girl being a hero. Which one do you want, boys?”

Donatello plapped his hands against Splinter’s legs, turning to look up at him with wide eyes. Splinter held his breath a moment, hoping his youngest would finally start properly talking.

“Daddy.” Donnie wobbled and grabbed onto the front of his robe. He grinned wide, gap toothed from where a couple baby teeth hadn’t grown in yet.

Splinter sighed, “Yes, I am your Daddy.” It was okay. He would catch up. He was younger, he had time to catch up.

“Bunny!” Leonardo screamed, practically shoving Raphael aside as he leaned forward to grab at the Samurai Rabbit case, “Daddy, issa bunny!” He turned around, eyes wide and bright, “Bunny go hop!”

Two sentences. Well, toddler sentences, but still. He set the other two disks aside, letting Leonardo look at the art on the one he chose, “That is a bunny, good job, Leonardo.” He leaned down, kissing the boys head, “That’s my smart boy. Do you wanna watch the bunny?”

Leonardo nodded, slapping his hands onto the disk cover, “I like the bunny!”

Now that was a full sentence.

Two years later Splinter would have to console Leo when the disk finally got scratched beyond use after so many watches. Two months after that Draxum would show up with the entire collection of the main actor’s works.

Splinter refused to admit that he found the rabbit plush out of jealousy. He merely thought he son would enjoy the piece of memorabilia, and the children were still young enough to have toys. Nevermind that Leo had practically cried with joy when Draxum had showed him and had climbed into Draxum’s lap to watch one of the movies with him.

He certainly didn’t care about that at all.

The doll wasn’t in the best condition, with the fluff flattened and some of the details rubbed off from some other kid playing with it, but Splinter had gotten it nonetheless.

Maybe that’s why, when years down the road he decided that they were too old for dolls and toys, he didn’t try to take the rabbit plush.

——

I wanted to write something Splinter-centric, but I’m not in the headspace to write him being super terribly bad, so I went for turtle tot time. Especially since we’re discussing Usagi and his place in the AU.

-Monster Anon

consider this fanfic basically canon ! i fuckin!!! loved this!! augsdhuaghs!!

[pink-key]

Old 2015 version

A young man was sitting on a concrete block, lacing up his rollerblades. His hands were shaking with excitement. He had been thinking about this upcoming moment for several years. Tightening the tongue of his skate, he stood up and rolled forward slightly. He looked around. The building he was in was once supposed to be a small shopping center, but the company went bankrupt and left the building in an unfinished state. This place had been his refuge ever since.

His appearance was not remarkable: disheveled long black hair and always tired gray eyes with an eternal, distant look. He was wearing an old, tattered sweatshirt and dark pants, in which some small holes were already visible, undoubtedly the result of street fights.

Taking the claw hammer, he swung it a couple of times and quietly muttered, barely smiling, "Everything should go perfectly; it would be a shame to end up in that damned hospital with a broken leg again."

At a young age, he was hit by a car, resulting in hospitalization. At that time, there were many war veterans there. Every day, he heard their groans, cries of agony, and curses when they realized that their limbs could not be saved. This moment stuck in his subconscious; he felt a certain detachment from reality, his consciousness slowly peeling away from his brain. At least that's how he described it to his overprotective mother. Like any mother, she was worried about her son, but she did not consider therapists and psychologists to be real doctors and treated his mental health in her own way. She worked as a court assistant lawyer and often brought pictures from her work. These were photographs of crime scenes, and she thought that by showing them to her son, the boy would not consider blood or corpses, for that matter, as something scary. She was always too close for his comfort.

Ruffling his hair sharply with his free hand, he shook his head. He didn't want these memories to ruin his night. He glanced at his belongings lying on a nearby cement block. A shabby backpack, a couple of trinkets and his old hockey stick. He grinned, taking the hockey stick and putting it in the case on his back that wrapped around his torso. He glanced at his watch. 2:34, time to act. Leaving the abandoned building, he skated on a deserted road.

With every second, emotions of immense joy filled him more and more, although he had not even reached his goal yet. He had not felt such bursting emotions for a long time; they were comparable to those he felt when he learned to roller-skate. 

He considered skates an extension of himself and felt awkward not wearing them. After all, he could run away or catch up with anyone when he was wearing them. He especially enjoyed it when he skated away from a salesman after stealing a sandwich or chips from him. His friends praised him for his agility and speed. However, they were hooligans and often fought and abused stray animals. He didn't spend much time with them; he believed that animals should not be tortured. All human beings, even children, are born spoiled and prone to cruelty, while animals do not have human thoughts and a thirst for sadism. He was so obsessed with this philosophy that the smell of cooked meat started to make him vomit. 

A girl appeared on the horizon. No older than 25, she wore a short dress that barely covered her bottom. She stared at her phone, typing something on it. She didn't care about the slightly cool wind or the completely empty road on which she stood. He was looking for her.

He leaned a little, gaining speed, and squeezed the hammer in his hand while whistling a simple classic tune.

"Hey, Oli-dolly! You're not a man? Why are you refusing meat? Should I knock the crap out of you? Frigging princess, all polite, quiet, well-mannered. You fight like a girl too." Words ringed in his head. If he was provoked, he had no brakes; he was ready to fight to the death. That moment in the past was no exception either. The long refusal of food made him more sullen, any bullying addressed to him angered him more easily than usual; when he grappled with the leader of their gang, he couldn't restrain himself and, out of hatred, bit off part of his opponent's cheek. In that instance, he realized how to live, everything seemed to fall into place for him, as if with the snap of fingers. Undoubtedly, all people are corrupt, but there are those who do not even try to pretend to be correct and give themselves over to their pleasures and sadistic inclinations. What if there was a way to erase them from existence completely? After all, their soul cannot exist outside their flesh, just burying the corpse won't be enough.

A dull sound echoed down the street. The girl fell to the ground. There was a pause as Oli slowly lowered his arm after the blow. He thought he would behave like the killers from the films, laugh loudly, shake with happiness, and burst into loud speeches. Yet he stood quietly, watching his victim, a slight shiver of adrenaline running through his body. Blood dripped down her silky blonde hair. She raised her head, looking in disbelief and horror at the teenager in front of her.

"O-oli?! Why... why did you do that?"

Tears poured out of her eyes. Not waiting for an answer, she got up, wobbling, and rushed in the opposite direction from him. He skated smoothly behind her, wondering how long she could run with a smashed head. She could not scream out words from the stupor of fear. However, when she gained strength, seeing the light in the windows of a house in the distance, Oli took out his hockey stick and knocked the girl down with it. She fell, face on the ground.

He hit the girl on the back with his weapon, so she couldn't make any more loud sounds. The man moved in front of her face, waiting for her to lift her bloody head up.

Sofia didn't do anything bad to him. She was very close to him, playing the role of an older sister to him and other street children in their area. Occasionally, she made snarky, playful remarks to them when they engaged in various hooliganism. However, Oli always considered her useless. She was from a dysfunctional family, of no use to anyone, bringing nothing to society. Only a rich family man wanted her body. No one will remember her or miss her. Therefore, he chose her as his first project, a kind of realization of his philosophy; it became his passion and meaning, without which he could not live.  --

"Did you guys hear? That maniac, Hitblade, killed someone again. Like, the quiet one from sociology, Rebecca or Raven was it." An anxious brown-haired girl sat down at the table where four of her classmates were having lunch.

"They haven't caught him yet? How hard is it to catch a cannibal on roller skates? Our police are completely slacking." Her red-haired classmate sitting opposite her answered displeasedly.

"I recently heard from a youtuber he ended up beating and eating his mother when he was a teen, even lived with her corpse for months, but these are just speculations, and these crimes are stated to not be related. Eh, don't worry, you look too young to be his next target." the third talkative classmate whispered, sneering awkwardly.

"Ahem, guys, I'm scared you know, I work the evening shift, what if he kills me?" The brunette muttered anxiously.

"Yes, I'm worried about you, Miriam. Oh, I have an idea! What if I accompany you after work to your home? I will be passing by there anyway, need to return a book to a friend." The black-haired guy said with notes of concern in his voice, moving his laptop away.

"You know, it's a good idea. He never attacks girls who're with someone. I finish at 22:00 you know the place." she said calming down.

"Of course." He answered with a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Oli!"

[writtenjewels]

Biker, redux

[long story short: I like this AU but was having severe writer's block on how to continue it, so I'm basically rewriting it from the beginning]

The sidewalk was mostly deserted, and any pedestrians who drew close gave a respectful distance. A few members of the gang chuckled and revved their engines; the civilians quickened their pace. Salim took in another hit on his cigarette and watched as the people disappeared down the street. He didn't personally find any entertainment from intimidating people, but Dar felt it was important every now and then.

Movement from across the street caught Salim's attention. He glanced up and saw that the doors to the community center were opening. He was familiar with the place—Zain sometimes went there after school. It was far too late in the evening for any of those activities, though. As he watched, a group of adults filed out of the building. It was hard to judge from this distance, but they all appeared different ages. Most of them split off to go to their cars, one lingering behind to lock up. Another figure was making their way to the crosswalk.

That path would bring the person close to Salim's gang. He watched with growing anticipation as the stranger crossed the street. Dar called out and revved his engine; the others followed suit, jeering at the stranger. The stranger casually showed them the middle finger before walking on. Salim chuckled to himself.

[Hey!] Dar shouted. He dismounted from his bike. [Come back here and learn some respect!]

[Dar, wait,] Salim interrupted, swiftly moving to stand in front of his leader. [Let me take care of this.] Dar pursed his lips and glanced between Salim and the retreating figure. After a moment Dar nodded his approval.

[Go ahead, lieutenant.]

Salim let out a breath and hurried after the stranger. The person had just walked into a nearby convenience store. Salim followed and immediately moved down an aisle so the civilian wouldn't notice him. Salim sneaked glances to better judge who he was dealing with. The person had their back to him: all he could see was a black T-shirt, worn jeans, and a baseball cap covering dark hair. They were built more slender than him, their exposed arms muscular. The person opened the fridge and took out a drink.

“A Red Bull at this time of night?” Salim didn't mean to speak the words out loud. The person turned at his voice, revealing their face to him. They turned out to be a man, fair-skinned and clean-shaven. There was a white snake printed on the front of his shirt. Salim couldn't help taking note of the slope of the other man's nose, the shape of his thin lips, the cut of his jawline.

“Yep,” the stranger responded, emphasizing the “p” with a pop of his lips. His features were somewhat shadowed by the brim of his cap, but Salim could still see those dark eyes take in Salim's appearance. Salim was dressed to match the rest of his gang: dark pants, leather jacket over a plain black shirt. Chains were looped to his belt and tonight he had put in his stud earrings. Yet the look didn't seem to faze the other man.

“It's an interesting choice,” Salim commented. The man shrugged and moved to another aisle. He grabbed some beef jerky and a bag of chips. “Your dedication to health is inspiring,” Salim noted wryly. The man turned to look at him again.

“You must be the kettle,” he remarked. Salim raised an eyebrow at the words. “I can smell the cigarette smoke on ya from here,” the man continued. Salim took note of the Southern drawl in the man's accent.

“You make a good point,” Salim conceded. “I apologize; I was only making conversation.”

“And here I thought you came in to measure your dick like your friends outside,” the man drawled. He moved toward the counter with Salim following. “Unless you're here to rough me up for flickin' those guys off.”

“That's what they think I'm doing,” Salim agreed. “I actually came in because I was curious what sort of person would give a biker gang the middle finger.”

“Not all of 'em,” the other disagreed, turning his attention back to Salim briefly. “Just that one asshole.”

“Ah, but you see, that's the problem: 'that one asshole' is the leader.”

“Figures.” The man paid for his items and ripped open the bag of beef jerky. “You want some?” he offered. Salim eyed the bag skeptically.

“It doesn't say that it's halal.”

“I got not idea what that means.”

“ 'Permitted,',” Salim interpreted. The stranger glanced at the jerky for a moment before shrugging and popping a piece in his mouth. “My name is Salim,” Salim introduced. He had to wait for the other to chew and swallow.

“Jason.”

“Do you like snakes, Jason?” Jason looked confused and Salim pointed meaningfully to his shirt. Jason's expression turned incredulous.

“What kind of biker gang member doesn't know Whitesnake?”

“Oh, so it's another gang?”

“It's a band,” Jason corrected, rolling his eyes. “Tell me you at least know Van Halen.” When Salim didn't answer, Jason shook his head in disappointment. “Bon Jovi? Queen? For fuck's sake, do you live under a rock?!” Salim tried not to laugh.

“I'm sorry. I actually prefer David Bowie.”

“Oh.” Jason looked startled. “Well, yeah. Who fuckin' doesn't?” Salim shared a smile with him. The way Jason's face softened made him look younger while still emphasizing the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes. It was a charming look.

“Do you live nearby?” he asked.

“Nah. Took a bus to get here.” Jason glanced down at his watch. “Speakin' of, I'd better go out and wait. Next one should be comin' soon.” Salim felt disappointment sink into his gut. He was enjoying this conversation with Jason. “Do you live nearby?” Jason countered.

“Yes, this is my neighborhood.” Jason's eyes moved over Salim, slower this time.

“Maybe tomorrow you can show me what's halal in this store.”

“Oh.” Now Salim was the one who was startled. “Yes, I could do that. Let's say five o'clock?” Jason nodded, his eyes passing over Salim for a third time. Salim swallowed and gave into the temptation of doing the same. Jason's fair cheeks looked a little red, but the other tugged down on the brim of his cap, effectively shadowing his face.

Jason headed out the door. Salim waited before exiting as well and heading over to join his gang. He was sure his expression was neutral despite the thrill of that encounter.

[Well?] Dar demanded.

[He got the message,] Salim assured him. And Salim was going to see him again.

[simslegacy5083]

NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 9

Today's (7/9/2024) Episode: Baby Blues

Noemi had been worried about giving birth, but it was the post-birth recovery that really demolished her, physically and emotionally.

Besides her much abused nether regions, her milk came in with a vengeance, leaving her feeling swollen and uncomfortable from top to bottom! Every time she had to get up and go to the bathroom it was an achy ordeal, and it felt like she needed to go to the bathroom constantly.

When her never ending need to go was complicated by a burning itch, she gave in and asked Isra to come over and watch Skye so Luigi could take her to the clinic. The meds she received for her UTI would help, but the milk that built up during the long wait left her in pain for an entirely different reason, her breasts unbearably heavy and full.

Things only got worse when Luigi started his new job. He’d offered to delay a little longer or have his dad and stepmom come help, but she’d said no.

Noemi knew how excited he was to begin gaming professionally and they needed the money. As for his family… as much as she liked them, she didn’t feel like socializing, and she wanted to prove to herself that she could do this on her own. Skye was their son and their responsibility.

Amaya had given birth to her boy Greyson at right around the same time as Noemi and she seemed to be doing great. There was no reason, Noemi thought, that she couldn’t do the same if she just tried a little bit harder.

Luigi had done his fair share of the baby care prior to starting his new job even though his squeamishness made it unpleasant. Once he was working, however, he became laser focused on his professional responsibilities, as he was prone to do, leaving Noemi to take on the bulk of the parenting.

She didn’t bring it up, not wanting to distract Luigi and reasoning it was only fair since she wasn’t planning to return to work until Skye aged up. She’d been enough of a burden already – she was starting to feel better physically, she could handle it.

At Luigi’s new office, he learned that Beau was not the only coworker with whom he had a previous connection. The two team rookies were warmly welcomed by Isra’s husband Rhys, who had also achieved his dream of going pro. The three sims quickly found themselves forming a tight bond.

Rhys and Isra lived right down the beach, and when Beau talked about selling his dad’s old place and moving out of the suburbs Luigi convinced him to buy a nice waterfront lot nearby that he and Noemi had rejected during their own home search due its lack of space for a stable.

One of the requirements of the boys' new job was to keep their skills sharp in their off time. He and the others used the nearby gaming center’s frequent virtual gaming tournaments to both practice and hang out. Soon the dedicated Luigi began to win many of those competitions.

With his name beginning to circulate on the gaming circuit the mods and app Luigi had made back in college for Sims Forever got noticed. He’d always had a small but loyal following of folks who liked his work but now the big-name publications and streamers that covered the game were interested.

Luigi had become a bit of an online sensation, and the recognition of his hard work made him feel fantastic!

Stuck at home, Noemi sank further into despair each day. She had so little time to herself, and no energy left to meditate or work on her own hobbies.

Her health had improved, but her mood was worsening, and that just felt ridiculous to her. She was thrilled for her fiancée’s happiness and refused to worry him with her own silly concerns, hiding her growing pain. This would all blow over if she just kept pushing forward, she was sure of it.

Instead of getting better Noemi hit her breaking point late one night. Rising from bed to attend to Skye’s cries, her breasts, as always, painfully full, Noemi went to feed their son but was unable to bring herself to enter the nursery. Suddenly it was all too much. Rather than opening the door she slumped to the floor beside it, an overwhelming feeling of sadness overtaking her.

Skye’s frantic wails finally broke through his daddy’s heavy stupor. Confused Luigi rose, stopping dead when he found Noemi slumped outside the door.

She didn’t respond when he called her name, but Skye’s unceasing cries dragged him away to change their baby. When he came back out to ask if she could feed him, she still wouldn’t look up, holding her hands out in front of her and making vague gestures as if to push him away.

Now Luigi knew something was very wrong. He gave Skye a bottle Noemi had pumped to deal with her overflow and hurried back to his distraught lover.

When he couldn’t get Noemi to tell him what was going on, her only response blank stares and tears, Luigi began to panic. In desperation he called the one person he knew that might be able to help, and her father agreed to come right over, despite the late hour.

Gilbert arrived quickly, but Noemi wouldn’t talk to him either. He finally told Luigi to take her straight to the hospital. With his promise to keep his grandson safe here until she returned, Noemi finally let herself be led towards the teleporter that would transport them to Magnolia Promenade.

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[bethelctpride]

Get ready for Mutual Aid Day! Saturday, March 23, 202412 to 3 PM First Congregational Church of Bethel, 46 Main Street. Bethel CT

All ages! An LGBTQIA+ Event

Get free clothing, shoes, toiletries, makeup, nail polish, condoms, plants, and more as part of our Transforming Closet and Resource Exchange!

PeerPride will be bringing free binders and providing fittings on site!

Six free haircuts will be available on a first-come, first-served basis! Haircuts will be provided by Ferni’s Barbershop, who you may have met during our previous Prides and is Best of Connecticut’s 2023 Barbershop of the Year!

Free and confidential sexual health screenings and vaccines (Covid, mpox) will be provided by Circle Care Center!

Snacks and hang out area will also be available to come chill out, chat, and work on a decompressing craft!

Accessibility info: Masks encouraged. Event will be held on a lower level accessible via a small staircase. Noise may become loud depending on attendees. Ear plugs, quiet space, and interaction badge system will be available. Bathrooms and chairs available on site. On site parking will be reserved for those with mobility needs. Street and nearby lots available for other parking. Bus route and MetroNorth Railroad station nearby, please check maps and timetables.

[mcatmemoranda]

Trauma Center Levels

As mentioned above, Trauma categories vary from state to state. Outlined below are common criteria for Trauma Centers verified by the ACS and also designated by states and municipalities. Facilities are designated/verified as Adult and/or Pediatric Trauma Centers. It is not uncommon for facilities to have different designations for each group (ie. a Trauma Center may be a Level I Adult facility and also a Level II Pediatric Facility).

 

Level I

Level I Trauma Center is a comprehensive regional resource that is a tertiary care facility central to the trauma system. A Level I Trauma Center is capable of providing total care for every aspect of injury – from prevention through rehabilitation.

Elements of Level I Trauma Centers Include: 

 

24-hour in-house coverage by general surgeons, and prompt availability of care in specialties such as orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology, internal medicine, plastic surgery, oral and maxillofacial, pediatric and critical care. 

Referral resource for communities in nearby regions.

Provides leadership in prevention, public education to surrounding communities.

Provides continuing education of the trauma team members.

Incorporates a comprehensive quality assessment program.

Operates an organized teaching and research effort to help direct new innovations in trauma care.

Program for substance abuse screening and patient intervention.

Meets minimum requirement for annual volume of severely injured patients.

 

Level II

A Level II Trauma Center is able to initiate definitive care for all injured patients.

 

Elements of Level II Trauma Centers Include:

 

24-hour immediate coverage by general surgeons, as well as coverage by the specialties of orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care. 

Tertiary care needs such as cardiac surgery, hemodialysis and microvascular surgery may be referred to a Level I Trauma Center. 

Provides trauma prevention and continuing education programs for staff. 

Incorporates a comprehensive quality assessment program.

 

Level III

A Level III Trauma Center has demonstrated an ability to provide prompt assessment, resuscitation, surgery, intensive care and stabilization of injured patients and emergency operations.

Elements of Level III Trauma Centers Include: 

 

24-hour immediate coverage by emergency medicine physicians and the prompt availability of general surgeons and anesthesiologists. 

Incorporates a comprehensive quality assessment program.

Has developed transfer agreements for patients requiring more comprehensive care at a Level I or Level II Trauma Center. 

Provides back-up care for rural and community hospitals.

Offers continued education of the nursing and allied health personnel or the trauma team. 

Involved with prevention efforts and must have an active outreach program for its referring communities. 

 

Level IV

A Level IV Trauma Center has demonstrated an ability to provide advanced trauma life support (ATLS) prior to transfer of patients to a higher level trauma center.  It provides evaluation, stabilization, and diagnostic capabilities for injured patients.

Elements of Level IV Trauma Centers Include:

 

Basic emergency department facilities to implement ATLS protocols and 24-hour laboratory coverage. Available trauma nurse(s) and physicians available upon patient arrival.

May provide surgery and critical-care services if available.  

Has developed transfer agreements for patients requiring more comprehensive care at a Level I or Level II Trauma Center. 

Incorporates a comprehensive quality assessment program.

Involved with prevention efforts and must have an active outreach program for its referring communities. 

 

Level V

A Level V Trauma Center provides initial evaluation, stabilization and diagnostic capabilities and prepares patients for transfer to higher levels of care.

Elements of Level V Trauma Centers Include:

 

Basic emergency department facilities to implement ATLS protocols.

Available trauma nurse(s) and physicians available upon patient arrival.

After-hours activation protocols if facility is not open 24-hours a day.

May provide surgery and critical-care services if available.  

Has developed transfer agreements for patients requiring more comprehensive care at a Level I through III Trauma Centers.