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lov3nerdstuff · 5 years ago

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I Found {Part 2}

*Loki x reader*

Part: 2/8

Words: 3.4k

Summary: Loki finds himself stranded in Underworld, a kingdom hidden deep inside a desolate planet. In order to survive, he puts himself in the service of the tyrant king, who promises to give Loki his freedom back if he fulfills one simple task. Loki is to set out and bring the mad king his newest toy: You.

~A dangerous forbidden love. Abduction. Slavery. Tortured conscience. A mad tyrant... Escape?~

Request: A song fic based on 'I found' by Amber Run, requested by @strawberrysandcream

A.N.: So... This might get a little longer than expected 😅 already have written four parts and there's still more to come. But it's gonna be a ride for sure 😁💗

All Parts can be found on my Masterlist!

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With the panting guards trailing vaguely behind him, Loki strode into the throne room without awaiting as much as an announcement. He wanted to stay on the king's good side, but he was done pretending to enjoy it.

"My king, I bring you your selected girl." He spoke loudly, with determination but without smiles. Doing this was difficult, even for someone as practiced in ignoring his own conscience as Loki was.

"You return sooner than expected, my friend!" The king laughed and heaved himself out of his jeweled throne to take the few steps down towards Loki. Once both men stood facing each other, with your unconscious form still resting securely in Loki's arms, the king gazed down at you with a vicious smirk.

"Oh, how I have longed for this one…" He sighed almost affectionately and reached one podgy finger out towards your bruised cheek. Loki's stomach flipped almost violently and he had to bite down the prominent sickness arising from the very bottom of it.

"My king…" He spoke quickly, before the man would lay his hands upon you. Somehow he found the thought impossibly hard to bear. Indeed the king withdrew his hand and glared at Loki instead. "...what am I to do with her now?"

"Hand her over to the guards and you're free to go." The king sighed heavily, moving back towards his throne with one last disgustingly hungry gaze at your small form in Loki's arms.

"I… Eh, your highness, I think the guards have exhausted themselves quite enough for the day and I would feel most miserable imposing this task on them. Let me take her where she needs to be, let me see this done. Correctly. To… to prove to you my unyielding loyalty." Loki practically disgorged the words, bowing a little just to emphasize his point.

"You really are serious about completing your task to my fullest contentment, aren't you, little god?" The king chuckled and Loki had to smile to keep his jaw from clenching in anger. He didn't know where this protectiveness over you was coming from so suddenly, so maddeningly intense, but he was not ready to surrender you to these people just yet. The faint warmth of your body had started seeping through the thick fabric of his garments a good while back, mingling with your sweet scent to wrap around his senses, and it had something so incredibly calming, so alluring…

"Absolutely, your majesty." Loki replied with a dashing smile, tightening his grip on you ever so slightly. Obviously his entire being was working against his reason now, lovely… He had agreed with himself that he needed to get rid of you, and yet here he was begging to keep you a little while longer if only to make sure you weren't violated. Things weren't going well for either of you.

"So it be, then. You may take her there yourself, as you have thus far not disappoint me. To the baths in the East wing. Someone will meet you there to see things through."

"Thank you, your majesty." Loki replied politely, but as soon as he turned to leave, he was kept from leaving yet again.

"I assume you understand what happens to those who try to take what is mine? Who lay hand on what it not for them to touch?" The croaky tenor voice made the hairs in Loki's neck stand up in an instant.

"Yes, your majesty." He replied ever so calmly, even though it cost him quite a lot to keep his calm indeed, to keep his voice from dropping an octave in grave severity. With every word and every action he got himself deeper into this mess, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't hand you over, couldn't bring himself to be this cruel even if it would be to his own advantage. But he could shut up for now, and that's what he did.

Without another word Loki made his way out of the hall and down the tunnels towards the baths. This time it was only two guards following him with every step he took, and Loki almost laughed at their faces for seriously believing that they could keep him from doing as he pleased. He didn't feel like laughing though, not even like lifting the corner of his lips out of the grim line they were presently forming.

After a few sharp turns and almost getting lost once, he finally reached the medium sized hall that served as a bath for the inhabitants of the palace. A few natural pools lined the room, along with a couple hot springs and a very cold and very shallow lake. Loki had never liked the place, he prefered not to be exposed to the eyes of others. Maybe his physique being compared to Thor's more often than not in their youth had made him rather self-conscious when it came to nudity. The people of Underworld didn't seem to mind naked skin though, and Loki constantly had to remind himself not to wrinkle his nose in mild disgust.

Now, as he walked into the hall with your additional weight making his footsteps more audible than he was used to, his eyes scanned the room for whoever should be waiting for him here. He almost believed the cavern to be empty, until his gaze fell upon an elderly woman, stout and red-faced, but less vile looking than most other inhabitants of the palace.

She approached Loki with slightly skipping steps.

"My goodness, did you carry her all the way here?" She shrieked as she motioned for Loki to put you down on a flat surface laid out with various furs of a size that had Loki wondering which animals would be large enough to have called this skin their own. After a second of hesitation he obliged, and gently put you down, soft furs brushing against the freezing skin on his knuckles while his fingertips fanned across your soft skin. He shouldn't touch you, and even less enjoy doing it.

"I did indeed." He replied quietly, looking down at your crouched form being illuminated by the many torches attached to the walls. The caverns were brighter than the tunnels at least, making him feel less in touch with the darkness within him.

"Such a lucky girl… The guards usually aren't that gentle with them." The woman sighed as she dug out a bottle with a deep red liquid from her bag, before she looked straight at Loki. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Hm? Oh, no…" He mused, offering her a half smile and taking a few steps backwards. Behind him the guards turned to leave as well, he heard them retreating without even bothering to look. He couldn't tear his eyes off you, couldn't bring himself to leave. Leaving would've felt like a betrayal, for he knew that if he left now, a little piece of his morality would wilt and die alongside you in these crude caves. Maybe even a huge part. Being here still gave him the illusion that he hadn't completed the evil that had been asked of him, that he still could redeem himself. That you weren't lost just yet.

"Isn't she a pretty one indeed?" The old woman asked suddenly, sensing Loki's presence even though he had retreated all the way into the shadows on the other end of the empty cave.

"Maybe. I haven't noticed." Loki lied easy enough, in a more sincere calm. Being alone with only you and the old woman somehow made him feel more secure than with the guards around.

"You shouldn't lie to an old woman. We elderly folks hear enough lies from our friends, don't need any more from our fiends." She chuckled as she moved about your motionless body, making you drink the red liquid carefully. Loki found himself sauntering closer again before he could bring up the will to stop himself.

"I'm not your enemy." He replied in honest interested to make her believe his words. The way she cared for you made him certain that she might be the closest thing to an actual decent person in this godforsaken place. Well, not godforsaken enough, as the one god who currently resided here was trying to escape. But that wasn't the point.

"You brought another innocent soul for our king to devour, didn't you?" She asked calmly, looking at Loki only long enough for him to see that she didn't judge him. Not really.

"I did." He replied more quietly than he wanted to. But the weight of admitting it out loud added another boulder to his heart, another arrow to his back. "And it makes me no better than the devourer of souls himself."

"But you are still here, aren't you?" She smiled, making you drink the last of the red liquid.

"Was that the antidote?" He asked curiously, coming to stand almost directly next to you once more.

"It was indeed. Should be very few minutes until she wakes up, now." She turned around to Loki with the kindest expression he had been given in a long time. "What's your name, dear?"

For a moment Loki debated with his reason if he really should stay here, and if he should be talking to the old woman. People back at home would have considered her a witch most likely, and that alone made Loki like her a little more already. "My name is Loki of Asgard."

"Well, Loki of Asgard, since you are not going to leave anyway, you may as well help me with her." She said easily, sitting down on a large rock with a small groan, and Loki found himself inclined to agree. He hadn't left when he was supposed to, so now he was certain that he wouldn't leave at all. Before long, the woman continued. "They usually either cry once they realize what is happening or they go for the run. And in the latter case I'm not of much use. Usually the guards will bring them back here within minutes, but therefore with more bruised skin than I could possibly heal. Yet, I am under the impression that you might not want said harm to come to this girl, so it would be quite lovely if you could keep her from running when she wakes up. Do you know her name?"

"Y/n." He replied while his eyes were fixed on your chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Somehow, the sight had something deeply calming. "What will happen to her now, after she's awake?"

"She will be kept in confinement until her spirits are broken, so she won't try to flee anymore or hurt herself or other. And she will be trained until she has mastered her art." The elder sighed sadly, following Loki's gaze to your fluttering lashes.

"Her art?"

"She needs to learn how to please a man, how to please the king before she may be of service to him."

Loki's jaw clenched and his brows furrowed into a deep frown, but he didn't word his disgust nor his refusal to see this plan put into action. He should be working on his plan to escape… not on a plan to save you. If he kept on thinking like this, if he kept on actually seeing all the horrible things happening around him currently, he would really lose his mind.

Ignorance and denial had kept him wrapped in a blissful fog, but then you had literally fallen into his arms… and you had become his focal point to navigate through the haze, so he wouldn't lose sight of what he truly wanted. To escape from this living hell.

Short moments later you stirred, breath hitching as your eyes flew open with a start. You gasped, then turned your head to stare at Loki and the old lady with a shocked gaze.

And Loki almost would've gasped as well, for he had never seen eyes quite like yours, so deep and full of the universe's greatest mysteries. Of joys and tragedies unfathomable to anyone but you. He was drawn in immediately, immensely, impossibly…

"Hello Y/n, dear…" The old woman said with a soft smile.

"No…" You breathed, eyes widening even more as you looked around in the cave. "No no no…"

And with a start, you jumped to your feet and bolted towards the exit so quickly that your movements became blurred to the eye. Yet, Loki was quicker both in reaction and running and caught up with you after half the distance, wrapping his arms around your small form tightly.

"Let me go!" You screamed and thrashed wildly into the open air, actually managing to get one or two decent hits against Loki. He was impressed, but not surprised.

"We won't harm you, dear, please stop fighting." The older woman spoke calmly as Loki carried you back towards her. He couldn't help but feel even more intrigued by you now that you were awake, even if you were currently struggling against him with every power possible. Still, holding you with your back pressed to his chest and your arms pinned to your sides was not even close to a real challenge. But he was fairly certain though that you would pose a serious threat to anyone who didn't possess godly strength.

"Who are you? Where am I?" You asked defensively as Loki dropped you off on the thick furs yet again.

"Calm down, dear… You are safe with us. You're in the palace. The king chose you as his newest companion." The old woman stated calmly, sitting up a little straighter on her rock. She also seemed to have done this more than a couple times… And she didn't need to say any more, for you understood the situation you were in as if it was the most familiar idea to wrap your mind around.

"I'm his newest plaything? That means I'll be dead in a couple weeks, doesn't it?" You asked gravely as you hugged your arms to your chest in an attempt to keep in the little warmth left in your body.

"Of course not!" The old woman said with risen eyebrows.

"Yes it does." Loki replied a second later, opting for honesty at least once and earning himself a side glance from the lady on the rock.

"Let me guess, if I try to run, you'll catch me before I ever reach that exit?" You asked sadly, looking directly at Loki and causing his heart to skip a beat. He cursed his body for betraying him, but at least it didn't show.

"Unfortunately, yes." He replied as stoically as possible, averting his gaze after a moment, for he couldn't bear the sadness in your eyes, the knowledge that you were doomed. And that he was the reason for it.

"Running has no use, and neither has fighting. I'm sorry, dear, that this had to happen to you." The old lady spoke in a sigh as she rose to her feet and walked the two steps over to you to pat your shoulder in what probably should've been a comforting gesture. Loki didn't think it comforted you at all, and thus he decided to stay back where he was, silent.

"Can I at least know your names?" You requested quite calmly for someone who had just learned that their life had basically found a very stretched out ending. But an ending nonetheless. "You seem to know that my name is Y/n… And I would like to know the names of the people who greeted me here with kindness."

Yet again Loki frowned, wondering why you would say such thing, without sarcasm. He wasn't being kind, he was helping a tyrant get his way for the mere skimpy promise of freedom. No, Loki didn't feel kind at all, he only felt cold.

"I'm Agatha, your lady's maid and keeper. And that tall fellow is Loki. He brought you here." The old lady said easily and Loki immediately wished she hadn't, for your eyes snapped to his in an instant, filled with irritation and confused anger.

"YOU brought me here?!" You asked incredulously, frowning at him deeply but luckily without trying to fight this time. "But… why are you still here then? You must be one of the king's friends if he assigned you a task like this, or rather a chess piece he's not sacrificed yet, and that means you most likely were promised a reward for bringing me here. Won't you go and collect it already? Turn your back to the misery that you caused, like everyone else living in the palace? Let me ask… what is your reward? Gems? A girl for yourself? Or power maybe? I hope it's at least something that weighs up to my life's value."

Loki's words died on his lips as they dropped open a little, until his mind caught up with the questions and he had found the capability to suppress the emotions your words had stirred up within him. He shouldn't let himself get dragged into this… he should just leave and forget indeed. But he couldn't. "You know my name, that's more than enough power you hold over me. You needn't know my reasons in addition." Yes, that surely was the most imprecise answer he could've given, and Loki felt relieved. He didn't want you to know about his immense internal turmoil, hoping that things would just untangle themselves eventually if he kept ignoring them long enough.

"Don't be so hard on him, dear… He kept you safe for all the long way here, and that's more than the girls before you had. They arrived here in the worst conditions, believe me… Loki is a decent man." The old woman, Agatha, said gently as she kept patting your arm.

"You know nothing about me." Loki snapped defensively, crossing his arms in front of his chest and glaring at her. She couldn't possibly know anything about him, right? But he had kept you safe indeed, and he intended to continue to do so as long as he could.

"Yeah, he's lovely." You snorted sarcastically, looking at Loki with a risen eyebrow and then turning to Agatha. "But I must agree, I would not have expected to arrive here unharmed."

"I would hardly call those bruises on your face and shoulders 'unharmed'..." Loki commented, cringing at his utter inability to keep his mouth shut for once.

"But you didn't cause them, did you?" You asked in a surprisingly steady voice as a violent shiver made your entire form shake.

"Of course not." He replied in an instant, frowning deeply. Maybe he was a horrid person by character, but never one to cause harm to the innocent.

Agatha ordered you to wash yourself then, in that freezing shallow puddle in the middle of the cave, while she herself went to retrieve some garments for you. She also spoke the carefully worded reminder to you not to come close to the natural pools, for it was forbidden for anyone of the servant status to take a bath in those. Loki only frowned at that yet again, for he saw absolutely no reason behind such a silly rule. He didn't see much sense behind most rules, actually, and that's precisely why he usually didn't follow them.

"You shouldn't listen to her." He said to you out of impulse as you rose to your feet and made your way over to the edge of the water. Small ice crystals floated on the surface of the deep blackness, dancing slowly in the small waves your movements caused. Loki continued before he became completely mesmerized by the sight. "You're freezing anyway, and this water will make it far worse. Then you will fall ill, and as I was informed prior to this instance, the king does not hesitate to get rid of… broken toys."

"Well, all the better for me." You shrugged easily as you turned your back towards him and started peeling your clothes off, upon which Loki averted his gaze immediately, focusing very intently on a spot on the opposite wall. "I'll die in these caverns anyway, sooner rather than later. And if I freeze to death now, at least I won't have to bear the king's hands on my body. I'd rather die, honestly."

And for once, Loki didn't know what to respond as his eloquence was finally lost on him.

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If you would like to be tagged in the series or on my general tag list, tell me in the comments 💗✨😊 I hope you enjoyed this and I'm very much thankful for every feedback I get 🥰

#loki x reader #loki x you #loki imagine #Loki #loki fanfic #tom hiddleston imagine #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddleston fanfiction #tom hiddleston #loki (marvel)#loki odinson #loki #loki of asgard #loki friggason #loki x y/n #tom hiddleston x you #i found

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blissfulalchemist · 4 years ago

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“We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you wanna stop and feel the rain?” with cat and john?? 🥺🥺👉🏼👈🏼 idk why it reminded me of them ahsjfjgl

It also reminded me of them when I glanced at the list last night. So thank you for sending it in! Please enjoy this little Catlina and John snippet! I hope you are doing well dear!

Summers had always been too hot and uncomfortable for Catlina and the current summer wasn’t helping in accepting the season. She was starting to come around to the idea of summer being something she could enjoy, Montana seeming to have the perfect temperatures for her. This past summer, though, was miserable as there was a never ending streak of ninety to hundred degree weather, it’s only saving grace, the lack of humidity. Today looked to be no different and it was the second week of September.

John and Cat were making rounds in checking up the local farmers in the valley, agreements made given the drought had lasted longer than anyone anticipated. “This summer really screwed a lot of people over didn’t it?” Cat had her head resting on the window, the urge to roll it down and feel the breeze on her hand tempting her. The A/C cranked up in the truck was too precious to let out right now, “Upside is we’ve been able to help where we can.”

“It has felt good to know that we’ve been of some help,” John’s blue eyes glanced her way, “You get all the credit because it was your idea and it was you who worked out the negotiations.”

“High praise coming from a lawyer that I didn’t use once,” she gave him a smile reaching for his hand.

He let her take it from the wheel, Cat placing a kiss on the tattooed star, “Who’s next on the list?”

Cat glanced down to the clipboard, giving a few taps of her pen, “Well that was the last farm, next we check on some of the elderly. The heat isn’t good to them and some don’t have family near to care for them.”

He nodded, “Just tell me where to go.” Cat gave directions to the Miller’s running a mental list of what they had left and who was priority today. Pulling up to the residence, the two let out a sigh preparing to step out to the heat. Their clothes not offering much relief, John worse off in his linen button up and light blue jeans. The last time he wore shorts Nick Rye had a lot to say about it. Cat was able to get away with wearing shorts and a light blue tank top, her hair up in a haphazard bun. Summers suck, she thought as the two made their way to knock on the door. The door opened a crack, an older woman’s face regarding them with her grey blue eyes. “Hello ma’am. John and I are here to make sure you have what you need to endure the heat.”

Her narrowed eyes lit up in recognition at Catlina’s presence, “Oh it’s you again. Come in,” she opened the door more, a rush of cool air cooling the sweat on the pair's brows. The woman quickly shut the door shuffling her way to the kitchen, “Now I think I’m okay for now but feel free to take a look around.”

Cat gestured for John to look around the general area of the house testing the air flow while Cat looked closer at food and supply numbers. “Now hows your transportation looking Mrs. Miller? Is it suitable to make runs to the stores still?”

“I try to walk still if I can, but I haven’t needed to with you lot stopping by now and then,” she handed a glass of lemonade to her, “I think it’s gonna rain today. My knees are hurting.”

The hum of the summer bugs took over as the A/C turned off for the time being. “There’s hardly a cloud in the sky. Maybe tomorrow though, yeah?” Cat gave her a smile noting the extra fans and generator, “Is there a cellar here?”

“House been around for almost a hundred years,” the woman looked around proudly, “so yeah there is. Your husband just made his way down there.” She jutted her chin to the open door in the hall, John stepping out.

“No A/C vents down there but it’s about as cool in there as it is here,” he said catching Cat’s eyes. She opened her mouth to ask another question, “And there’s handles on either side of the stairs none of which are loose or very high.”

Cat smiled nodding, “Good. I’m glad,” she turned to the older woman, “If it’s okay with you Mrs. Miller I’d like to leave a radio at the base of the stairs just in case you need help.”

“You mean the Hope County LifeAlert?” She laughed to herself patting Catlina’s hand, “That’s what we seniors have been calling your radios. So if it makes you feel better you can.”

Cat gave the woman’s hand a squeeze making her way to the door, “Have some lemonade John I’ll get it.” He gave a small nod as she walked to the truck bed. The sky had darkened a few shades but the only clouds Cat could make out were white and far over the mountains. Mrs. Miller is giving me too much hope, she thought as she avoided burning her hands. Even with the shade of the boxes, the radios were hot as she tossed it from hand to hand waiting for the temperatures to become equal. When she made it back inside Cat held it to the vents cooling the radio down before testing its functionality, the static and repeating of words from Lance satisfying Cat. “Alright I’ll just get this set up and we’ll be heading out.”

“Did you notice the sky got darker?” Mrs. Miller pointed out to John while Cat set the radio at the base of the steps leading to the cellar.

“I don’t think it’s going to indicate any rain for us,” John responded, his face disappointed, “Could be smoke from the West Coast again.” He gave a small smile to Cat as he set his empty glass in the sink, “Thank you for the hospitality ma’am. Lance will check in with you in a few days.” The couple waved goodbye, their eyes straying to the sky trying to decipher if the sky was darker because of smoke or, better yet, clouds. The drive was silent as they made their way towards the north, “I’ll admit I’m disappointed that she’s wrong about the rain.”

Cat nodded letting out a breath, “Maybe tomorrow,” the static of the radio changed to the blaring sound of the national weather service. Cat plugged her ears waiting for the message to come through.

“The national weather service of Missoula is issuing a severe thunderstorm warning for the following counties,” neighboring counties were listed in alphabetical order, both Cat and John holding their breath, “Hope County with an additional warning for flash floods in Holland Valley and along the Hebane River. Please move to high ground if you are near areas with a high risk of flooding.”

John stopped the truck looking at Catlina with wide eyes, “How much do we want to believe it?” He asked, breathless.

She shook her head, “I mean….that, that has to be a good sign right?” A crack of thunder shook the truck and as quick as the announcement came the rain started. John drove turning the wipers on, the natural instinct to get to safety overtaking him. They passed an open field, “John stop!” He slowed, a smile lighting up his features putting the car in park, “I want to feel the rain!”

“Catlina my dear, we’re in the middle of a thunderstorm,” a flash of lightning followed by thunder affirming his words, “and you want to stop and feel the rain?” The sky had darkened significantly in the short time the rain started, and John was out of the truck moving to her side opening the door his hand held out to her. “Come on!”

Cat grinned from ear to ear as she grabbed his hand letting him lead her to the center of the field. The rain cooling their warm skin more as they spun arms out wide, Catlina’s mouth open welcoming the fresh water. She pulled her hair out of its bun singing and yelling against the drums of thunder. “Feel the rain on your skin! No one else can feel it for you!” John grabbed hold of her arms spinning her to him.

“I have missed your singing,” he laughed as he brushed some of her wet hair behind her ear fingers tracing her jawline. “Your smile hasn’t been this bright since the spring either,” his wet hair starting to fall into his eyes.

Cat’s breathing was heavy, breathless trying to not laugh, as she looked into his eyes, “Neither has yours my John.” She pushed some of his hair back, her fingers running down his beard, softer with the rain water. He pulled her up to her tiptoes leaning down to meet her halfway, lips meeting in time to a roll of thunder. Both could feel the smiles each wore as they kissed again and again. The flash of lightning near them pushing them to finally head home and make sure word was getting around about the flash flood warnings.

#x: tribulation #stp snippet #god been forever since i used that tag #then again been a hot minute since ive had these two together #i have more prompts for them i'm just slow lately #sorry #any way #salvations two paths #catlina rojas oc

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spookysanta · 6 years ago

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daddy’s girl. (e.d.)

Summary: he's been watching her and she knows it. He's yearning for her, and he’ll have her, but she has to finish high school first.

Pairing: Ethan Dolan xReader

WARNINGS: age gap (38 vs 18), creep shit

SAY NOTHING IM WRITING A NEW SERIES JUST READ IT AND TELL ME IF IT SUCKS

DISCLAIMER! PLEASE READ: in this, the girl (cairo) is of LEGAL age. he (ethan) refers to her as a child bc yanno.... he's almost 40 here. this isn't on any pedophile stuff, okay? just for clarification. AND as i was writing this i got jake gyllenhaal vibes from this, but then i figured ethan could be the “sexy dad” in the future (so to speak)—which is what i was kinda going for; like a man that’s older but is so irresistibly gorgeous, even young girls swoon over him.

UNEDITED

****

******

She'd caught his eye.

And he doesn't know how it came to be this way; he thought he was done messing around like this ages ago. But here he was, a thirty-eight-year-old man, watching an eighteen-year-old girl cheer at his neice's high school's football game.

She sees him though; as if he's staring into her soul. As she finishes her tumbling routine in the halftime show, her eyes dart in his direction and his never leave her. She shivers slightly--

Who is that man? she wondered, walking away from the field to distract herself.

She stands at the cash register, swiping his items across the scanner. "Did you find everything okay?" she asked in a monotone voice, looking at the clock on the register's screen.

"Yes, I did. Thank you." the man responded, fishing in his wallet for cash as he already knew how much two bottles of red wine cost. "Do you need to see ID?"

"Yes, I--" she paused, looking at the man for the first time during their interaction. This was the man from the football game! She couldn't have forgotten those pearly eyes that bore into hers, and definitely didn't forget the way he ironically made her feel when their eyes locked. "I-I do."

"You okay?" he asked with a chuckle as he handed her his driver's license. He knew exactly who she was, and after a bit of research, he knows that she's what he wants. And, likewise, he knew that she remembered him. That in itself was exciting because now he knew where she was from 9-2 every Saturday--which meant he'd be seeing her a lot more. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

She glanced at the line forming behind him and shook her head at the idea of her confrontation. She took the card and read the birthdate carefully. "1980." she muttered, handing it back to him. "Your total's $18.20."

He handed her a $20, grabbing the bottles of wine by their necks and smirking. "Keep the change."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Cairo. See you around."

She lay in her bed, wondering why this man clouded her thoughts. What was it about him that made him so intriguing? Yes, he was attractive, but he was more than twice her age--shouldn't that mean that he was repulsive to her? Should she shy away from this man and his beauty?

Ethan.

If there's anything she knew about men, it's that older men (well, boys, in her case) don't usually have the girl's best interest in mind. But no matter how many cons appear on this list, the only pro she seems to think of is the fact that he looked at her like he knew her already. His hazel eyes were almost magnetizing her brown ones to his gaze, and the energy was too strong to pull it away.

He's come to the realization that he's hooked on her.

He wants her, no--needs her.

And he knows how crazy that sounds with all of the odds stacked against him (namely, her being a child by his comparison) but he'll admit they'd look absolutely perfect together.

And there's nothing he won't do until they're in love.

day one.

She walked home from school every day. Three-fifteen on the dot, Monday through Friday. Sometimes, she takes the after-school bus after her cheer practices, and that drops her off on the same corner but at five-thirty. He sees her walk down Linden Avenue, then make a left on Conch Street, and then go into the tiny brick house at the end of the lively culdesac. Sometimes he sees her through her window at night, laying in her bed soundly. It takes everything in him each night to not climb up the big pine tree to the second floor, open the already unlocked window—she doesn't lock it anymore because the lock can get finicky at times and it can get quite hot in San Bernadino in May—and breathe in the same air as her.

Just once.

Just once, he wants to be there for her—hold her, kiss her, smell her, taste her.

Is that too much to ask?

Just one more month, he reminds himself as he perches himself on his porch chair, watching her walk into her home with her friend, Janelle.

He does not like Janelle.

Janelle has a tendency to be a bit manipulative when it comes to Cairo; she wants the best for her, of course. But she's always making Cairo go to parties that she doesn't want to go to, or do things that Cairo doesn't typically do.

Cairo's a good girl who doesn't need to be bombarded with social...ick.

"She's a good girl," he mumbled, palms set on his knees with white fingertips. "My good girl."

***

She continued her walk to the store like she usually does on Sunday mornings in the spring. Yes, she does work at the store, but why not stop by and visit her favorite co-workers while she picked up her favorite ice cream?

"Good morning, Edith!" she greeted to the elderly woman stood behind the customer service desk. She resembled Jane Goodall in a way; caring, generous, kind. "How are you today?"

"Hey, sweetie! I'm alright, hope you're doing well. Say 'hi' to Katherine for me!" she replied with a wave, going into the employee's lounge.

"Will do!" she wandered to the frozen food section, her coffee brown eyes set on the cookie dough ice cream in the freezer. With happy alarms blaring in her head, she grabbed a pint from the shelf, going immediately to the checkout line to pay for her dessert. "Hey Ricky." she said to the cashier.

"Hey, Cai." he responded, ringing up her ice cream and setting it on the counter. "$4.68. Got your employee ID on you?"

She fished through her wallet and came up emptyhanded. "Shoot. I must've left it at home." she sighed. "It's cool, I'll pay full price."

"Nah, I got you." he took a card out of his front pocket, swiped it, and put in his pin. "There ya go. $2.27."

"Thanks, Ky. I owe you one." She handed him a five dollar bill, keeping the cash fold of her wallet open so she could put her change in it.

"You know what you could do for me so we're even?" he opened the cash drawer, taking out her change and handing it to her.

"What?"

"Go to dinner with me." he wrote on her freshly printed receipt. "It doesn't have to be fancy, but if you're interested, you should hit me up sometime."

"Sure. I'd love to." she smiled, putting the receipt with her change and grabbing her ice cream off the counter. "We'll talk tonight?"

"Totally. See you around."

"See you!"

She entered the house again and put her ice cream in the fridge. "Ma!" she yelled into her mother's office as she passed it. "Ms. Edith at Ben's said 'hi'!"

"Aw, how sweet of her to think of me!" she said with a smile. "I'll have to send you by her house with a plate of cookies this week."

She groaned inwardly. Edith's a nice woman, but Cairo's mother, Katherine, does not conjure up her life-changing cookies on any given day. Which means that she would make a small batch—just enough for Edith and her husband, Clarke—and then, poof! No-one's going to see those cookies until Christmastime. Bounding up the staircase and into her bedroom, practically leaping onto her bed with a sigh.

Meanwhile, he was watching her still. He didn't even think to consider the idea of someone catching him stare at this girl, sat in the rocking chair on his front porch, watching her intently through a pair of zooming binoculars while she boredly scrolled through her phone. Quite frankly, he wouldn't care at all. If someone were to walk by and ask him what he was doing, he'd merely say: "Protecting my girl."

He doesn't give a damn if she took a glance out her window and saw a man—that man—staring back at her. Knowing her, which obviously he does, she'd probably scream for her mom and tell her mom to come and look because "there's a strange man" looking at her through her window. And then her mom would come and look but by then he'd be back in his home across the way from hers, in his bedroom, watching her panic through the telescope he'd set up.

That'd be a gift to himself, really. Because he knows deep within that she thinks about him. Even though maybe the thoughts are of worry or panic and not ones of admiration, all he cares about is the fact that he's invaded her thoughts just like she's invaded his.

#dolan twins #dolan fandom #dolan tuesday #dolan imagines #ethan dolan #planet dolan #grayson and ethan #ethan dolan smut #ethan dolan imagine #ethan imagine #ethan dolan fic #ethan dolan series #ethan dolan x reader #ethan dolan x poc #ethan dolan x black girl #stalker!ethan

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liveyourjam-blog · 5 years ago

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Managing Fear during COVID-19

World Health Organization experts agree that the spread of COVID-19 is going to get worse before it gets better. For those in the Western hemisphere, the threat is no longer far away in China. It is now at our doorstep. Taking aim at our beloved sports events, our hospitals, our schools, our tireless healthcare workers, police and even the US national treasure, Tom Hanks.

As recently as this weekend, like many of us, I was weighing travel decisions for spring break. Now, four days later, it’s clear a no-go is the only decision. Things are changing quickly. Panic is setting in and we need to manage our fear in order to get through this together.

Our brains are wired for short-term threats

Humans are wired to act on more present threats than the distant future. The thought of climate change is a far less threat to our brain than a baseball screaming at our head. There has been much written about the perils of the evolution of our short-term, problem-solving brain.

Now that the COVID-19 is a clear and present danger our brains are ready to go on the defensive. And, boy are we ready! First, we saw the supply of face masks depleted, then hand sanitizer, and now in some countries, toilet paper.

8 ways to prepare and not panic during the COVID-19

Educate yourself. Find a credible source like the World Health Organization. Read up. Write down any questions you have and follow-up with your doctor, local public health office, local government, and school system for more specific information. Writing down your questions and getting answers is a much more productive way of dealing with them than letting them spin in your problem-solving brain. And, let’s face it, if there’s an absence of information, we tend to make up stuff, and it’s not usually positive. We are hardwired to see threats, not opportunities.

Limit your social media and news cycle time – If there was ever a time to put your phone down, it’s now. Especially if social media is making you anxious, confused, or irritated. (Wait, isn’t this every day? wink wink) There are many “health experts” on social media who are not qualified to provide information as well as their cousins — alarmists and pot-stirrers. Unfollow them for 30 days or forever. Your life satisfaction will improve drastically. Admittedly, I don’t have any empirical data to support that claim – it’s just a keen hunch.

Also, stay out of the endless media news cycle. It’s not healthy. In this information age, you can go to sites (online/on-air) when you need information. Take control and don’t let information be constantly pushed at you.

Lean into your fear. Remember Stuart Smalley from Saturday Night Live? (The hyperlink includes one of my favorite bits with basketball legend Michael Jordan). Stuart would replace his negative thoughts with a positive affirmation. This is a classic cognitive-behavioral technique. His famous affirmation when the thought occurred that he wasn’t good enough was,

“I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and doggone it people like me.”

Stuart used a technique to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. While it is true that stopping a thought negative thought and reframing with a positive one is a strategy that can work. Over time, it can backfire on us. The way language works in our brains is that it is relational. Therefore, with repeated use replacing a negative thought with a positive one, the thoughts become associative and related. Meaning, our brains can equate a fearful or harmful thought to the positive one. While it’s an innocuous answer, try saying hot to yourself and then, pause. Wait for it! After the pause, often, the word “cold” will come to mind. This is the relational nature of how our brain learns language.

Instead, try leaning into your fear and defuse it. Let me explain. Many of us might experience “What IF” questions. “What IF my elderly father gets COVID-19, What IF my child gets it, What if we go somewhere and someone is infected.” What IF” questions are natural in life. But, when they become looping, repetitive, and drain our energy and focus, we need to make a change. Try this technique from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy which is rooted in research and mindfulness.

Make a distinction from the thinking mind and the observing mind.

Your thinking mind produces the thought, for example, “What if my 90-year-old father gets COVID-19?”

Your observing mind then notices the thought. And uses curiosity. Why am I worried about this? The answer would be something like, “I love him and am afraid of losing him.”

Even the act of noticing that thought vs. being in can bring you some relief.

Next, thank your thinking mind for being concerned about your father. After all, it is doing its job.

Give your fear a shape or a color. This will help defuse the fear. You might notice your heart rate reduces and the charge of the thought reduces. You might have to practice this a few times and it’s best to do it when you are really caught in the thought loop.

If you really want to take action on the thought, write it down. Then, write out the constructive ways to address the legitimate concern for your father instead of swimming in the anxiety and fear. For example, you could write a letter letting him know how much he means to you, you can make sure he doesn’t have to go out for groceries, etc. These positive actions are often helpful, constructive and can remove our suffering. Sometimes, it literally just takes defusing the fear to release it. We give it less power by leaning into it. It sounds counterintuitive, but it works. Note: This technique works best when the emotion doesn’t match the facts. So, in this case, if your father is in a safe place, has food and is well-cared for and the fact is that he is at low-risk in his current situation and you keep obsessing that he is going to become ill, then, writing down the fear and making the actions logical is helpful.

Help Others – We are relational beings — our survival depends upon it. Help others who are in need and at risk. If you know of people who are in high-risk categories, drop them a note in their mailbox, InBox, or call them to see if you can run an errand for them. Make sure they are still in connection with others. Isolation can cause stress for humans and reduce the immune system. Set-up a daily time to talk to them on the phone or a free video service like Skype or Google Hangouts.

Be with your kids – Really. Spend quality time with your family. With the cancellations of events, schools, and adults working from home, use the time for positive connection. Play board games, draw, exercise, and answer any questions they may have. Limit their screen use, too – never a bad idea under any circumstances.

Go to Nature – Mother Nature is our best healer. She is the conduit to a feeling that there is something bigger than ourselves, and can change our brain by improving our moods. She’s a powerhouse! Plus, all that quality time with your kids is going to require a change of scenery. Especially if you have two active tweens, as we do. Take your kids out in nature! They might complain at first, but they always adapt and get into it. I’m still amazed at the hours our boys can spend skipping rocks or playing by the side of a stream. And, I’m equally amazed by how fun it is when I join them despite my inability to improve my rock skipping skills.

Practice Gratitude – Gratitude keeps the mind focused on the present moment and the beauty in our lives. During times of crisis, our ego wants to take over and worry about the future and wish for calmer times in the past. Keep a gratitude journal or at mealtime have each family member share something they are grateful for in the present moment. Not what happened yesterday, but something they are feeling or having right now. It’s never too late to teach young and old this simple mindfulness technique.

Practice Compassion – Elizabeth Gilbert one of my favorite authors and people I admire just posted a helpful reminder on Instagram:

“Overreacting to people overreacting Another form of overreacting.”

Judging others is another way our ego keeps our identity safe, right. and in charge. Resist acting on the judgment. Notice it with the observing mind. And, then, put your attention on your heart. It always has the right answers. We don’t need our ego to practice compassion for others during this challenging time.

Stay safe everyone and remember to choose love not fear. Please pass on to anyone who might find these tips useful. Love and light, Ellen

#covidー19 #self care #mindful

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irwintry · 6 years ago

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Darlin’

Warnings: swearing, mentions of death, getting sick, drugs, and alcohol. this is emotionally heavy.

Author’s Note: it’s not a happy one, please be wary of that. “ghost of you” came on while i was writing this, and it made me kinda sad. i didn’t plan that.

Word Count: 4.7k

Calum fell asleep in odd places. By this point in his career, it wasn’t unusual–– everyone else did it as well. He fell asleep on his suitcase in back alleyways when waiting for a chauffeur more times than he wanted to admit. He also fell asleep in the middle of restaurants right before receiving his food. He didn’t often fall asleep in his car only to wake up in his childhood bedroom, but he knew why he was here. He knew why the burning bile bubbled in his throat as he sat up on the creaky springs.

The grief of it all had yet to hit him. It settled in his shoulders and through his chest, and the numbing in his hands had yet to pass after all of this time. It rippled down his fingers and twisted his stomach, but his sinuses refused to sting with the familiar sensation that brought hot tears down his flustered cheeks. The lack of desire to cry made him want to cry. One of these days, he knew the emotion would pour out of him, and he wished it would happen now. He wanted to feel human.

Calum ached for the day prior to hearing the news. His fever spiked the morning of, and in order to work through it, he popped two Advil and packed his things. He had to be on a flight back to Los Angeles by noon. The fever broke during the flight, his body reacted accordingly to the altered internal temperature, but he was too involved in a deep sleep to notice his sweats. He wished he could say he dreamt of you. If he had, maybe he would have thought to call you. He would go back and change everything if he could.

The cool hardwood below his feet sent a chill up his spine as he attempted to fully wake himself up. Two weeks. It had been two weeks. The surreal would soon become real, and he’d have to face the heavy emotions weighing him down. But, for the life of him, he could not cry.

The anger behind it all ate him up. You deserved better than what he could give you.

In the kitchen, where conversations lacked and contentment hid in the most complex places, his mother was washing a few dishes that had been soaking from the night before. Her back was to her son, and her shoulders were slumped low–– he could feel the somber energy radiating off of her from the entrance. Mali had herself situated at the counter while she lackadaisically scrolled at her phone, and his father had nodded off above his bowl of Cheerios. Calum waited for someone to say something. He waited for a bit of life to spark, but he realized that you had taken all of that with you.

Things had been like this since his arrival. He couldn’t remember ever hugging someone as long as he hugged his mother in the airport arrivals lot. Even then, the tears were trapped in their ducts, and his lungs were forced to heave and wheeze through the repetitive words:

“It’s not true, it’s not true.”

But Joy never said a word in response. She had soaked his shirt with her tears, although he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Calum couldn’t breathe then, and he still couldn’t now.

“Cal.”

He blinked in the direction of the voice only to find both Mali and Joy looking at him over their shoulders. He hadn’t budged from the doorway of the kitchen.

“You should eat,” said Mali, her tone low and soft. She hadn’t been this sincere with him since his latest achievement. In this case, there was no achievement but a great fallback.

Calum nodded. He knew he should eat something. The past few days were spent in tremendous dissociation, and he only knew how to stomach coffee and scotch. He spent three consecutive nights emptying the contents of his stomach in the bathroom, hoping that no one would hear his distress. Even if they had, he knew they wouldn’t speak up about it. Everyone had to handle things in their own way.

They watched him amble over to the cabinets, poor posture and all before he reached up and retrieved the box of Cheerios. And when he took his first bite, they finally looked away, satisfied with the fact that he had taken one more step in the direction of caring for himself.

“Cal, it’s four in the morning. Nothing you say is of importance to me at four in the morning.”

Your words were hushed through the receiver. The elderly cat you had adopted recently passed, so there was no one else around you to wake.

He wanted to chuckle. He wanted to laugh and joke like the two of you always seemed to do, even in the most serious situations. And yet, your voice penetrated his brain as he stared hopelessly at the hotel wall before him. “You used to tell me to speak my truth.”

“Hm?”

Calum blinked. “When we were growing up. You said that nothing would change or go my way if I let things hold me back, that I should speak up when it mattered most.”

“I– I vaguely ‘member,” you mumbled sleepily. “Wha’s this, Cal? Ya okay?”

He shook his head, but the only living thing around him to face the gesture was the bug he spotted forty minutes prior. “I have t’speak up now. ‘Bout us.”

There was a short moment of silence on your end, and it didn’t settle right with him, even when you said a soft, “okay.”

“I can’t stop thinkin’ about what you said to me before I left,” he continued, his knee bouncing as the nerves jolted in his chest. The air conditioner droned loudly beside the bed, meanwhile, he had no idea what he was going to say. He just needed to say something. “Ya said my arms felt like home, ‘n I didn’t say anything. Don’t know why I didn’t say anything. You’re home. You’ve been my home for– for eight years.”

“Cal– “

“Even when I’m halfway across the world,” he said, “jus’ hearing your voice brings me home. I’m walkin’ down Brighton all cheeky with our backpacks over both o’ my shoulders, and you’re skippin’ over cracks in the sidewalk while talking ‘bout Ms. Pettis’ homework. I’m not calm unless I’m with you.”

He heard you sigh on the other end, but you weren’t going to speak up again. Not when he was talking the way he was right now.

“And, it’s kinda crazy to think this way,” he breathed out. His other knee began to shake. “Y-you follow me around wherever I go, and– shit, I haven’t even seen ya in a year, and somehow ‘m still convinced you’re with me. When I realize you’re not... “

Calum leaned back and let himself fall against the white duvet below him. There were tears pricking at his eyes, and before he took the chance to swallow them back, the heavy weight in his chest overcame his emotions. It took every part of him not to choke out sobs. “’m so lonely without ya.” He sounded so pathetic–– he couldn’t imagine the disappointment you were feeling on the other side.

“Cal,” you said, tone low and steady unlike his. “What is it? What are you feeling?”

His lips trembled, and he could hardly keep his eyes from wincing shut. He knew what he wanted to say now, but he didn’t want to say it either. “I’ve been stupid, t-thinkin’ all these years that all ya were was just a friend. A-a r-r-really good friend who made me feel fu-u-ucking different from my other friends. Din’ know why. Couldn’ figure out why. But– shit.” Calum took a shaky breath, his lungs filling with as little air as possible through the tight passageways his body allowed. The tears burned his slickened cheeks. “It’s cos’ I’ve been so in love with ya, darlin’.”

With the A.C. running and his heavy breathing filling the room, he could hardly hear the white noise on the other end of the phone call. All he wanted was an immediate response. He wanted you to be so unbelievably confident in your response, whether it was a rejection or not.

Nevertheless, he didn’t expect you to say, “come home.”

Calum had been in the shower for eighteen minutes and counting, but he hadn’t moved a muscle. The steaming pellets felt like bullets against his skin, and the supposed positive effects of hydrotherapy through showering weren’t allowing him any relief. He still couldn’t cry. His body could let himself feel–– God, he felt so much. He could feel the grief swallow him up and twist his chest in its death grip. Sometimes, he’d wonder what would happen if it squeezed harder.

He hadn’t come to terms with your passing, nor would he let himself. He wouldn’t let himself think about anything aside from your absence because he knew the anger would surge up on him, and he knew he would have no self-control once his fists did the talking. If he ever got his hands on the man who caused your death...

Calum pressed his knuckles against the tiled wall and let out a guttural noise, and truth be told, it was more of a growl than anything. He had gotten mad while trying not to get mad. It coursed through him as he shut off the water. It ached in his veins while tossing on his clothes. It stained the whites of his eyes, and it pierced his heart; it was too late for control now.

How could he let himself fall apart like this? You would be deeply disappointed in him, but that didn’t sway his mood swings. Once his temper got the best of him, hope felt lost. He felt lost. He felt lost without you. He could no longer enter a car without violently shaking.

His mother had placed his suit over a chair in the dining room, the note reading “ironed, not fitted– hope it works”. Calum felt sick at the sight of it. He hadn’t given the memorial service a single thought, and he knew he would have to eventually. From the very moment he heard of your service, he knew he would give a speech. You deserved the best damn speech, even if it dried his soul of every emotion. Even if it meant scraping his brain of every single memory of you.

He felt for his mother. Though her support meant the world to him, she had no idea how to edge her son out of his painful silence. He couldn’t muster up the energy or strength to utter a coherent sentence that wasn’t a mumble or nod. He didn’t know what she was thinking or feeling–– she had loved you, too.

The home phone rang once, then twice. Calum stayed put beside the suit as the phone finished ringing and went straight to voicemail.

“Calum Thomas, there is a time and place for ignoring phone calls, but right now is not one of them.”

Mali’s voice echoed throughout the house, and after he didn’t make an effort to move to answer the phone, she continued on.

“Cal,” she sighed. “I– I’m just calling to let you know that we’re dropping by in a few to get ready for–“ Another sigh. The time on the stove read 7:52 in the morning. “For the service. We have the flowers and such. Lilies.”

Your favorite kind of flowers. Calum winced.

“See you then, Cal,” said Mali.

“Cal-wal-pal-towel, baby, hand me that bottle of– “

“No, no more for you,” he joked, holding the bottle of whiskey up and out of your reach. He should have known this would cause you to crawl on his lap to stretch yourself out. “Darlin’, ow– ow, don’t put your knee there.” Though Calum chuckled through it, your knee had hit him in a certain area, and it hurt more than he played it off. However, despite his pleads, you continued your expedition, and he wrapped his arms around your waist to tug you down.

“No, no, no, no, no!” you wailed as you placed both of your knees on either side of his hips. This meant you were straddling him, and Calum didn’t know what to think.

“Sorry, sweets,” he said. Calum hid the bottle behind his back, but instead, that only made you press your chest to his so you could get to the whiskey. “Hey, hey, darlin’, please,” he begged, pushing the bottle back and sliding it against the hardwood floor. “You’re wasted, and ya gotta teach tomorrow.”

You huffed, your head falling against his shoulder as you mumbled out, “I don’t wanna.”

“Jus’ show a movie, darlin’.”

“Mhm.”

“Hey,” Calum said and tugged on your waist a bit, but that only made you squirm against him. “N-no, don’t do that.” He grimaced and pushed your hips away from his. This caused you to pout. “Don’t do that either.”

“Why?” You continued on pouting. “You’re makin’ me sad.”

Well, Calum thought, you’re making me horny. But he wouldn’t say that. If he said that, your drunken stupor would find a way to make a joke of it. He knew you. It was either that, or you would tease him until you passed out.

“Sorry,” he replied, voice gruff as he leaned back onto his hands. Him touching you would only make his desires worsen.

And then, you began to giggle. You giggled and giggled, your arms wrapping around his neck while you mumbled his name against his skin. There were two things going through his mind meanwhile, and one was trying to keep the situation in his pants from getting worse. The other was trying to resist temptations.

“You’re so pissed,” said Calum, and that was when you reached around him to grasp his wrists and place his hands back onto your waist. He tried to chuckle through it, but the amount of heat swirling around his brain and his body urged him to elevate the circumstances occurring. “Darlin’.”

“I like it when ya call me that,” you whispered into his skin, and it sent shivers up his spine. “Makes me all tingly inside.”

He hummed–– he didn’t have any other words aside from the ones that would express his current feelings, but he couldn’t say those. He still didn’t know what to say when you moved his hands up and under the material of your sweatshirt, and he could feel every single nerve under his skin dance at the touch.

“I have an issue, Cal,” you mumbled the moment you started kissing up his neck, and he convinced himself that after that, he was officially done for.

“Mm, what is it, baby?” he wondered, voice low with rapture.

“There’s this guy I know,” you said. Your lips had found a dainty spot just under his jaw that made him tense up at the contact. You knew what to do after that. “And he’s so, so responsive. Jus’ makes me wanna lick him clean. But I dunno how to tell him how badly I want him.”

Calum smirked, digging his fingernails gently into the hot skin of your back as you sucked and nibbled on a sensitive spot near his ear. “’m sure he wants you just as badly darlin’,” he sighed. He couldn’t hold back the pleasure any longer; he let his eyes roll back while he let out a subtle groan.

“Yeah?” you breathed. “What makes ya think that?”

He groaned again, this time louder once you began rocking your hips. “Cos’, baby, you’re makin’ him all crazy right now.”

Calum could feel you smile against him, and the two of you soon realized that there was no use for words after that. Your lips were decorating his neck in all kinds of colors, ranging from blues to purples and browns darker than his skin. A moment later, the motion of your hips slowed, and the pressure of your lips left his neck. You rested your head back against his shoulder, and without a word, you soon drifted off to sleep.

He didn’t mind all that much–– he wouldn’t have wanted things to escalate with you as smashed as you were. Solemnly, he stood, careful enough to hold you in his arms without waking you before caring you off to bed. Calum could take care of himself. The next morning, it was as if nothing had happened.

He had yet to speak a word on the car ride over to the church. His palms, now imprinted with crescents from the blunt ends of his nails, were painted in sweat. It felt as though the long tie around his neck had slowly started to choke him, and he held back the urge to wheeze in order to alleviate any unwanted attention. Calum wanted to sob, but his body refused.

It refused when he glanced over at the photos adorning a petty folding table by the entrance to the sanctuary. Memories, most shared with him, were all placed on some gaudy tablecloth your mother must have chosen. She was smiling and greeting old friends, but Calum noticed the tears in her eyes. He noticed the pallid color wash over her skin, and he noticed the tight lines by her smile. She had lost her child, her baby.

Calum excused himself to the bathroom until the service began. The photos were haunting him, and the lurking sense of panic that loomed over him had started to creep up the more he surrounded himself with people. He needed to escape for a brief moment of time.

“Cal, we ordered take-out the last time we spent a night together,” you said, a graceful smile growing on your cheeks. Your face was blurry and pixelized, but he still thought you were beautiful. “When’s the last time you had a home cooked meal, bub?”

“Bub?” he chuckled, and he could feel his own face light up in reaction to yours. “That’s new.” He noticed you shrug. “Are ya offering to cook me dinner, darlin’? That’s–– I can’t believe that. You? Nice? Hah.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Oh, very funny. I’m only offering because you’re like, never not traveling.”

“I have a house,” he said, “in LA.”

Once again, you shrugged. “And, do you cook?”

Calum didn’t reply, but he couldn’t suppress the twitching grin.

“Thought so.”

“What would you make me, darlin’?” he asked, setting his phone against the wall above the hotel sink in order to get ready for bed. “And if you say– “

“Pasta.”

Calum rolled his eyes. “–pasta.”

You laughed lightly, and for a moment, he lost himself in admiration of you. All you were doing was working on your lessons for the school week, and you looked too damn cute doing so. Ever since the day he met you, Calum knew you were going to be a teacher. It was in your nature–– you were kind and loving, and you made sure every toad and stray kitten on the street knew you loved them. And, you loved kids. You had talked about wanting a few of your own one day. He had no doubt that you would make a great mum.

You were never going to have kids. You were never going to get married. You were never going to see another sunrise or sunset. You were never going to grow old with the person you love. You were never going to take another late-night drive. You were never going to celebrate another holiday. You were never going to adopt a pet and name it Freckles. You were never going to hold his hand through sad movies anymore. You were never going to burn cookies for your child’s bake sale. You were never going to celebrate another birthday. You were never going to write the novel you longed to write. You were never going to laugh at his dumb jokes again. You were never going to buy a house in the suburbs. You were never going to reunite with old friends after years apart. You were never going to sing your favorite songs again. You were never going to tell him you loved him. He was never again going to tell you he loved you.

“You’re–– shit, you’re here early!” you exclaimed, wrapping your arms around his waist in a tight embrace, but it was over quick as you ushered him inside. “The cake is in the oven, so at least now you can help me ice it! Joy’s literally gonna cry until she floods the house, I hope ya know.”

He laughed and threw his bags by the front door. Calum was undeniably at his happiest around you. “Oh, I know. And she’ll think I had nothing to do with any of it, I hope you know.”

“Psh.” You rolled your eyes as you darted around the small kitchen of your place. “I’ll give you credit. You painted the pottery.”

And, quite literally at that. Calum had found a place in LA that let you paint pre-made pottery, and he had been on FaceTime with you as he tried his best to emulate your artist skills onto a large platter. Your mention of the gift reminded him to retrieve it from his luggage.

“I figured out how to crumb a cake, so tonight’s about to get real lit,” you said in a teasing tone. “If this cake tastes like shit, I’ll just tell her you made it.”

“Uh, no you will not,” Calum replied and poked your waist as he set the gift down onto the little bit of counter space you hadn’t taken up with baking supplies. “’m a good baker, and you– “

“I am also a good baker, Mr. Hood!” you yelped.

“Uh huh, Mrs. Hood.”

“Mrs. Hood?” you asked, eyebrows quirking with the question. “Are we playing house now? Can I be Mr. Hood, then?”

Calum snickered as he dipped his finger into the icing in the Kitchen-Aid. “Gonna wife you up.”

“I don’t think your girlfriend would like the sound of that.”

His smirk slipped into a frown at the thought of her. She was lovely, but she wasn’t you.

Calum had spent too long with his butt on layers of toilet paper, and he had slowly grown annoyed with the number of people coming in and out of the bathroom. His hand shook as it unlocked his stall, and it continued to shake through turning on the faucet and splashing water on his face. Meanwhile, a child had walked in, and it took Calum a matter of seconds to realize that he did not recognize this kid one bit. Had it been one of your students?

“Are you Cawum?” the toddler asked, his beady brown eyes gazing up at the taller boy, almost in admiration.

Calum replied with a nod. He hadn’t heard his own voice in ages it felt, not even when rehearsing his speech. He had no paper to read off of, just feelings.

“Auntie told me t’come get you,” the small boy said. “’m Thomas, but my mum used t’call me Tommy.”

Calum furrowed his brows and nodded once more as he allowed the toddler to escort him out into the lobby. There, folks were making their way into the sanctuary. They all appeared too happy for him, even when there was hardly a single smile in sight. He wanted to believe he was the only one aching. He wanted to believe his sadness surpassed theirs.

Though he had been wringing his brain of every memory shared with you, he felt unprepared as he stared down at the sea of eyes facing him. It was halfway through the service, and he still hadn’t cried. He hadn’t broken down, he hadn’t emoted. At that moment, he felt nothing. A part of him expected the words to come flooding to him, but they were stuck in his throat as the anxiety gripped onto his shoulders. His hands were numb against the wooden podium. Calum had to work through the pain, so he opened up his mouth.

“I was supposed to– “ He glanced over to his mother, and she gave him the weakest smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. “I was supposed to write something. I was supposed t-to think of an amazing thing she had done when we were friends. I was supposed to wrack my brain for something. You’re just– you’re gonna have to cut me some slack for now. She deserves something spoken from the heart.”

Calum could feel it building. The dull twinge had sparked low in his gut, but he had to keep going.

“Nobody– “ He took a breath. “–nobody ever imagines having to say goodbye. And the sad truth is, they’ll most likely never get the chance.” He closed his eyes. It would all be over soon–– he just had to remind himself so. “I jus’ didn’t think. I’d spent so much time without her, but I always knew I was gonna come back for her. We would eat ramen in our pajamas at three in the morning, and I’d consider it the best day ever. Even through playful insults, she was my world.”

Calum sniffed and continued on. “I was gonna come back for her no matter what. I told her that from the very start. From avoiding sidewalk cracks so we wouldn’t break our mums’ backs, all the way to skinny dipping in the lake by the old camp we met out. But I guess people didn’t really need t’know that.” There were a few laughs. “I was supposed to come back for good. It wasn’t gonna be today or tomorrow, but it was gonna be for her, and it was gonna be for good. All we needed was time. Time to figure out who we were. Time to settle into ourselves before we settled together. We were going to better ourselves so we could be better together. I– “ Calum let the taut string in his chest snap. It had been waiting for weeks to do so. His tears flowed faster than he ever thought they could.

“I was supposed t’come back,” he said through trembling lips and spurring sobs. “And s-she waited, because God, she always had to pu-u-ut others before h-herself. She waited, and it took me t-too long to figure out how-how lucky I truly was.” Calum could no longer see the people before him through the haze of his tears. “I never got t-to thank her for being the best thing I-I ever-r knew. I never got-got t’thank her for making her wh-who I am today. She has every right t’know, but she-she won’t. She won’t see the wo-world like I planned on showing her.”

Calum took a breath to steady himself, and the sobs died down as well. “But we’re not here to wallow in sadness.” He shook his head multiple times. His temples ached. “We’re not here to join grief counseling. We’re here to talk a-about the amazing person she was.” He glanced at the photo of you to his left, and he still couldn’t believe it. He still couldn’t believe the world had lost you. “You were so amazing, darlin’. I-I love you very much.”

His eyes were trained on his feet until the end of the gathering. Even with the light pat on his back from his mum, Calum couldn’t look at another soul. People feasted in the room next door, but he didn’t eat a single bite. The only person he had given his attention to was Thomas as he darted back and forth between your sister and your mum.

The car ride home was silent as well, and not even Mali could lighten the mood like she always seemed to do.

That night as Calum stared at the ceiling of his childhood bedroom, his life with you flashed through his head. As he cried and cried, he swore, somehow, even with his skeptic heart, that you had said to him, “it’s okay, Cal. I’m here. You’re okay. I’m okay.”

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cleancarpet093 · 3 years ago

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Some Known Details About Carpet Cleaning

It's not that hard and it's a great deal of enjoyable! Published in: Specialist Carpet Cleaning.

The Advantages of Carpet Cleansing on a Routine Basis. Why you should consider a Dang Good Carpet Clean. Intro to the Benefits of Carpet Cleansing. Generally, Carpets can add a comfortable sensation to any house particularly throughout the harsh bitingly cold Alberta winter seasons. In some cases there is nothing better than the high-end of sitting on a carpeted floor in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate in hand.

Numerous families believe in the common mistaken belief that vacuuming is all it takes to eliminate dirt and particles from their carpet however regrettably that is not always so. Lots of issue areas do not get the care and attention they need which causes an accumulation of dust and toxins that can trigger allergic reactions and asthma.

Regular expert carpet cleaning might be necessary, for the health of you, your household, and your guests, however likewise so that you can feel comfortable in your house, specifically in one inhabited by young kids, pets, or the elderly. Continue reading if you are wondering: "is it worth getting your carpets professionally cleaned?" We think it is and below are the reasons why.

Gets Rid Of Carpet Stains Have you ever tried to get a stain out of the carpet yourself? You believe it has actually gone however then a couple of days later on you are entrusted a grubby spot that simply bugs each time you walk past it. Sure, no stain particularly however not exactly tidy either.

Plus, if you do not catch that accident straight away it can take in into the underlay and end up being a returning stain. Always mop up any excess straight away with tidy paper towel and after that consider contacting an expert. Another of the advantages of carpet cleansing is that a skilled service technician has actually studied the various kinds of carpet fibres and has the experience to understand precisely what to include as a pre-treatment to steam cleaning to get rid of difficult discolorations such as from coffee spills, wine, physical fluids, dirt, muddy paws, and other pet stains.

Removes Residue that might be left by a Rental Carpet Cleaners Possibly you are someone that believes there is a compromise. You do not desire to invest too much cash on an Expert Carpet Cleaning Service, so rather you utilize one of those house or rental carpet cleaning machines?

For sure they may work as a short-lived service, however do not you desire to know your carpets are genuinely clean? Keep using that house carpet cleansing system and you will likely keep needing to go over and over the very same spots which undoubtedly will take a toll on your carpets.

Obviously, that assumes the carpet is stained instead of used thin from age. Unfortunately, no quantity of steam cleansing can bring back threadbare carpet. Contributes to the total Clean Feel of a House Do you have particular times of the year when you like to carry out a cleansing overhaul project? For some it is just before that vacation season, for others it might be just after or undoubtedly others like to do it both prior to and For numerous Spring activates the cleaning bug in them.

Clean every surface, every baseboard and every wall, door, and doorknob, however if your carpets look grubby, your effort will feel like it has actually all been for nothing. Professionally cleaning carpets is just not something you want to leave off your cleansing list. There is no question that one of the benefits of carpet cleaning is that it contributes to the general aesthetic, tidy appearance and feel of any home.

Urine in the carpet can be a problem. Coffee for instance has a distinct fragrance (good when fresh) but stagnant and difficult to eliminate if it has worked its way deep into the carpet. A Professional Carpet Cleaning Company has actually specialized sterilizing items that will assist remove smells.

A word of caution too. Maybe you understand your 'furball' has actually had one or insufficient accidents over the years on those carpets however either you have ended up being nose blind, or the smell has actually certainly dissipated. The minute you add steam or water or any other liquid to those carpets the smell and bacteria will be reactivated.

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hotspringsseniorcare · 3 months ago

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wichitahandyman · 4 years ago

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Exceptional Air Conditioning Repair Service and Cost in Wichita KS | Handyman Services Of Wichita

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Air Conditioning Repair Service Wichita: Are you searching for air conditioning repair service in Wichita KS? Handyman Services Of Wichita give you delightful experience while providing the best air conditioning repair at the affordable rates in all regions of Wichita, KS. Best air conditioning repair service of Wichita! Free estimates. Feel Free to Call us now or book online quickly!

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Air Conditioning Repair Service Wichita: Air conditioner repair service is an absolutely vital piece of home maintenance. It increases the likelihood that your cooling system will run uninterrupted throughout the summer, that any needed repairs will have a reasonable price tag, and that your system will operate at its optimal level of energy-efficiency. It’s also a piece of home maintenance that’s difficult for many to keep up with. The best air conditioner maintenance starts in the spring when many homeowners are preoccupied with other household projects or life in general. Take at this checklist and possible outcomes for your air conditioning system, then decide whether it’s time to place air conditioner maintenance as one of the priorities for your home.

You rely on your air conditioner to keep you comfortable when temperatures soar. If it breaks down in the middle of summer you can look forward to hot, sticky, humid conditions until it’s been repaired. Extreme temperatures can even be dangerous, especially to the elderly.

There are a variety of problems that can cause your air conditioner not to function properly: it could be that your thermostat or sensor is not working correctly, or the motor or compressor may have failed. A dirty filter or evaporator could also cause problems, or you might be low on refrigerant.

It's important to have an experienced and trustworthy technician examine your system; improper care -- like adding the wrong refrigerant, failing to fix a leak or making other errors – can create even more problems. So, relying on Handyman Services Of Wichita for these kind of services will give you delightful experience.

HANDYMAN SERVICES OF WICHITA OFFERS THE FOLLOWING AIR CONDITIONING REPAIR SERVICE FOR OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS ● Outdoor Condensing Unit: Make sure this unit isn’t blocked by high grasses, weeds, or other lawn and garden components. The unit needs to draw air into the system in order to cool and circulate inside, but the process is hindered if it cannot pull in enough outside air. Some people intentionally cover their condenser to protect it from the elements during the winter, but these units require no protection since they are designed to be outside. ● Conduct a Test Run: Sometime in the spring, crank your system and let it run for up to an hour. If you can identify problems early, you’ll find HVAC contractors may still have an open calendar. Wait till the first 90-degree day and you may end up on a waiting list. ● Change the Air Filter: Dirty filters will destroy your unit’s energy-efficiency or, worse, cause the evaporator to ice over. If you know you’re bad at remembering these types of recurring maintenance, install a permanent filter that needs only to be cleaned, instead of replaced, each year. ● Check Access Panels and Obstructions: Be sure all access panels are secure, with all screws in place. Clean obvious obstructions, such as newspaper and leaves, from around the exterior of the unit. ● Set and Double-Check the Thermostat: Be sure the thermostat is set in the cooling mode. Just setting the dial below room temperature will not activate the air conditioner if it is set in the heat mode. If you have a programmable thermostat, customize your cooling for various time periods throughout the day.

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airstarheating · 4 years ago

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Knowing the Basics of Furnace, Both AC and HVAC Care

Were You Aware on a Typical, People in America invest 93 percent of The Life Indoors,'' as Stated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

That the EPA Go on to convey Which Indoor Air Quality Is accountable for Different work-related and Skin Care issues. That the air pollution Level boosts two into one hundred Times Within your house In relation to the External.

SO suitable operating and upkeep of one's residence's HVAC process is definitely an essential component of its own functioning. Because of this, it's almost always a fantastic concept to seek the services of HVAC repair contractors to address some issues which you can deal with.

The ideal time for you to schedule an HVAC support and care is always spring or fall up. That really is crucial to get a very long and much healthier lifetime span of this body.

Some matters will probably be needing your prompt awareness, even though some might be viewed just one or two times per year or two.

You obtain an HVAC San Diego Ca system to get a comfortable place temperature throughout year round. However, in addition, you ought to keep up it and also care to this on the standard basis to guarantee smooth operation.

Listed here are 10 methods to lengthen the life span of one's HVAC process and give a wide berth to its premature breakdown.

Particles and filth around your HVAC technique may restrict heat. Thus wash the neighboring spots routinely.

A sudden program failure as a result of improper setup can be very easy as are erroneous strategy options. To guarantee the machine has been installed properly and is still performing about the most suitable preferences.

Folks feel that even bigger the AC, the higher it really is. But this is a fable! Get in touch with a trusted HVAC company that will counsel you to the proper dimension of this HVAC strategy.

The perfect temperature to your own HVAC process is seventy eight levels through the summer season and 68 degrees through the winter months.

Appropriate understanding of this HVAC program may assist you once it's malfunctions. You might find a way to trouble shoot before an HVAC supplier towards you comes to resolve it.

Halt the drinking water source into furnace replacements in sexy weathers. In the winter, place the humid stat amongst 30 percent and 40 percent simply turning the drinking water source .

In order to prevent stress in your own HVAC process, place the registers over 20%.

It's better to displace the bolts in carbon dioxide detector one time per year in the a minimum twice.

Inappropriate lubrication may boost the friction of moving elements, cutting back the efficacy of one's own body. This will result in this deteriorating prior to anticipated. S O scatter your own body in frequent periods.

Thoroughly clean up the condensate drain frequently to make sure it is absolutely free of germs, algae, soil, and bacteria that are harmful.

#ProTip

Blend inch cup bleach with 3 cups water and then stir it nicely. Pour the solution right in to the condensate drain to completely clean it.

All done and said, HVAC techniques do not continue for ever. They've a lifetime span of roughly 1520 decades past

If a HVAC process is nearing that era, you then might need to look at investing in a fresh system rather than repairing the older you.

Below are some aspects to think about whenever you are on the lookout to get a fresh platform.

Feb Sq. spot to become heated/cooled

The kind of structure (concrete, timber or some material)

sum of colour your house gets

perfect in door temperatures you are comfortable with

Insulation given to ceilings and walls

quantity side, doors and skylights

going through management of windows and doors

From contemplating the aforementioned things, you're going to be equipped to put money into something which is employed economically throughout yearround.

H-Vac is your respiratory program of one's house. It retains the mind and heating a-c systems inplace. Maintain them tidy as well as in easy functioning state in the least moments. Additionally, be sure your air ducts are all tidy by shifting filters when each 3 weeks or even if they're cluttered.

Filthy filters may impact the HVAC method from the next manners.

Result in strategy collapse

build-up dirt and debris such as pet hair, mildew, fleas and dust infestation can decrease the efficacy

Wastage of electricity contributes to lengthier power invoices

By appearing following your furnaces in addition to heating a-c approaches, you also can guarantee the HVAC programs have a fantastic shape.

Listed here is the thing you want to be on the lookout for in the those scenarios.

Furnaces

The back fire may be sign representing their condition of one's own body. In case the shadow is sharp blue, then then it really is fine and at a fantastic working condition. However if it's while in the colors of crimson and yellowish, then you should telephone a expert furnace repair corporation.

Assess your basic safety whilst the very first measure. Any leakage or shed connection may result in safety difficulties or reduce the efficacy.

The elderly your own furnace undergoes, it grows more likely to overtraining. If a furnace is more old compared to 15 to twenty decades along with also the repair prices you 15 percent greater than purchasing brand new furnace, then you then need to ponder changing it.

An over worked furnace will probably set you back longer in electricity payments. In the event you start visiting a substantial escalation inside your debts, then put in contact a neighborhood furnace repair corporation towards one to put in a brand new furnace.

An ineffective furnace could cause several rooms staying warmer or colder compared to some others.

An obsolete duct technique could reduce its capacity to disperse heat evenly across your home.

If you begin experiencing any one of those aforementioned, qualified information is undoubtedly superior compared to the usual DIY tactic.

Heating AC Methods

It really is not simple to repair your heating a-c techniques, specially if sunlight is just about the corner.

It really is worse if your furnace gets broken , and now you've got to contact to get an urgent situation neighborhood HVAC repair agency . That really is only because it is going to definitely cost you more.

Many physicians dismiss those indicators of heating system issues inside their HVAC techniques. However, you ought not!

You're spending a lot about heating system, and also the invoices will be costing you you more.

However large you turn the thermostat up; it really is still not hot enough for that full home.

As soon as an AC limited bicycles, it is maybe not working to finish a heating cycle, even utilizing a whole lot of electricity whenever it must stop and start.

Should you become aware of fire discoloration, then you should instantly switch off the furnace. The fire must remain blue. Otherwise, it's an indication of rust or debris within the burner.

Obtain a expert service close to to look at out your HVAC atleast two times annually. They'll assess for flaws with electric motors and supplies.

#HVAC San Diego Ca #San Diego Furnace Repair

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techcrunchappcom · 4 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/the-latest-s-korea-reports-virus-numbers-trending-lower-national-news/

The Latest: S. Korea reports virus numbers trending lower | National News

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has reported 73 new cases of the coronavirus, its fifth straight day of below 100, although officials expressed concern that could rise because of increased travel during a five-day holiday period that ended Sunday.

The figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Monday brought the national caseload to 24,164, including 422 deaths.

Fifty-one of the new cases were reported from the greater capital area, where health workers have scrambled to stem transmissions tied to various places, including churches, hospitals, schools, restaurants and workplaces. The newest cluster of infections in the region is an army unit in Pocheon, north of capital Seoul, where more than 30 troops have so far tested positive.

The KDCA said nine of the new cases were linked to international arrivals, including passengers from the United States, Poland, Britain, Russia and Uzbekistan.

There’s a possibility that the downward trend in confirmed infections is related to the fewer tests that were conducted during the five-day Chuseok harvest holiday. Health Minister Park Neung-hoo during a virus briefing Monday urged people who experience fever or other symptoms after traveling during the period get tested immediately.

Park said usage of express buses and rail services declined by more than 40% during the holiday break compared to last year as officials pleaded that people stay home to help slow transmissions.

———

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— Virus spreads on panel handling U.S. Supreme Court nomination.

— Pope: Market capitalism has failed in pandemic, needs reform.

— South African coffin-maker saw COVID-19 at work and at home.

— South Africa and India have asked the World Trade Organization to waive provisions on intellectual property rights to speed efforts to prevent, treat and contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

— Madrid, Europe’s most critical coronavirus hot spot, is under a partial lockdown, with police controlling travel in and out of the city. Still some flamenco houses reopened, with precautions.

———

Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

———

HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

ROME — The Italian government is weighing whether to require masks outdoors nationwide amid a steady, nine-week increase in coronavirus infections.

Already several individual regions have imposed outdoor mask mandates in a bid to curb the rebound in infections. On Sunday, Italy added another 2,578 confirmed cases, far fewer new daily infections than in neighboring France or Spain, but cause for concern in the onetime European epicenter of the pandemic.

Another 18 people died, bringing Italy’s toll to 35,986, the second highest in Europe after Britain.

Health Minister Roberto Speranza told RAI 3 television a national outdoor mask mandate was being considered by the government in a bid to keep infections from spiraling out of control now that schools have reopened. There have been 900 cases tied to schools, and 14 school-based clusters in the last week alone. But health authorities said in their weekly monitoring report that it will still be some time before they know the full effect of schools reopening on the infection curve.

———

ATHENS, Greece — Greek health authorities announced 229 new coronavirus cases and 4 deaths Sunday.

The total number of cases since the pandemic started is 19,842, with 409 deaths.

There are 82 patients on ventilators.

A health ministry expert said that, while people largely abide by the face mask and social distancing rules during the day, they largely ignore them at nights and this has helped fuel the rise in cases: about 80 percent of new COVID-19 cases have been registered over the past two months.

Government experts say daily new cases must drop before colder weather sets in.

—-

NEW YORK — New York City’s mayor says he has asked the state for permission to close schools and reinstate restrictions on nonessential businesses in several neighborhoods because of a resurgence of the coronavirus.

Shutdowns would happen starting Wednesday in nine zip codes in the city.

Mayor Bill de Blasio says about 300 public and private schools would have to close. Indoor dining, which just resumed a few days ago, would be suspended. Gyms would also close.

De Blasio said the city needed the state to sign off on the restrictions.

Over the past two weeks, the number of new cases of the virus has been rising in pockets of the city.

—-

LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has defended his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, but warned that the country faces a “bumpy” winter ahead.

Britain has Europe’s highest coronavirus death toll, at more than 42,000, and Johnson’s Conservative government is facing criticism from all sides. Opponents say tougher social restrictions are needed to suppress a second pandemic wave, but many in Johnson’s own right-of-center party argue that restrictions must be eased to save the economy.

Johnson told the BBC that the government had to strike a difficult balance and he couldn’t “take a course that could expose us to tens of thousands more deaths in very short order.”

Johnson expressed hope that progress on vaccines and testing would “change the scientific equation” in the next few months, allowing a return to normality.

But he said “it’s going to continue to be bumpy through to Christmas. It may even be bumpy beyond.”

Britain on Saturday reported a record 12,872 new coronavirus infections, by far the highest daily total since the outbreak began, though the figure included a backlog of previously unreported cases.

—-

NEW DELHI — India says it is planning to immunize at least 250 million of its 1.4 billion people by July 2021 after receiving between 400 and 500 million coronavirus vaccine doses.

Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Sunday said the government will ensure “equitable access” to the vaccine and is in the process of identifying the high-risk groups that will be the first in line, including health care workers.

India is testing three potential vaccines, including one being developed jointly by the University of Oxford and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

That will be mass produced by India’s Serum Institute, the world’s biggest vaccine producer. The Serum Institute has said it would produce 200 million doses of coronavirus vaccines for developing countries, including India.

India has reported 6.5 million cases and more than 100,000 deaths in the pandemic.

—-

MOSCOW — Coronavirus infections in Russia hit a new record on Sunday, with the government reporting over 10,000 new confirmed cases for the first time since mid-May.

The 10,499 new cases reported on Sunday bring the country’s total to over 1.2 million. Russia currently has the fourth largest caseload in the world and has so far reported over 21,000 deaths.

The Russian authorities insist there are no plans to impose a second lockdown in the country that has lifted most of the virus-related restrictions imposed in the spring. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday another lockdown is currently not being discussed in the government.

At the same time in Moscow, which reported over 3,000 new cases on Sunday in the biggest surge in months, officials have recommended the elderly to self-isolate at home and have extended upcoming school holidays by a week.

—-

WASHINGTON —— President Donald Trump went through a “very concerning” period Friday and faces a “critical” next two days in his fight against COVID-19 at a military hospital, his chief of staff said Saturday — in contrast to a rosier assessment moments earlier by Trump doctors, who took pains not to reveal the president had received supplemental oxygen at the White House before his hospital admission.

Trump remained at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Sunday. He offered his own assessment of his status Saturday evening in a video from his hospital suite, saying he was beginning to feel better and hoped to “be back soon.”

Hours earlier, chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters, “We’re still not on a clear path yet to a full recovery.” In an update Saturday night, Trump’s chief doctor expressed cautious optimism but added that the president was “not yet out of the woods.”

The changing, and at times contradictory, accounts created a credibility crisis for the White House at a crucial moment. With Trump expected to remain hospitalized several more days and the presidential election looming, his condition is being anxiously watched by Americans.

—-

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia’s record surge of new confirmed coronavirus cases has not slowed down despite tough restrictive measures, surpassing 800 new daily cases for the first time.

The Health Ministry says the day-to-day increase reached a new record high of 818 on Saturday. The government has reacted to the recent spike by declaring a state of emergency accompanied by strict restrictions.

Prime Minister Igor Matovic call3e on fellow Slovaks on Sunday to avoid any public gatherings and not to organize any family celebrations.

“We’re heading for very difficult days,” Matovic said on Facebook.

Slovakia has reported 13,139 virus infections and 55 deaths, still low numbers compared with other European countries.

———

JERUSALEM — A member of Israel’s Cabinet has tested positive for the coronavirus as the country remains under lockdown while battling a second wave of infection.

Gila Gamliel, Israel’s environmental protection minister and a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, announced on Twitter Sunday that she had tested positive. She was the fourth minister in Israel’s government to test positive.

The Israeli government imposed a nationwide lockdown on Sept. 18 ahead of the Jewish High Holidays in an effort to rein in a runaway outbreak of the coronavirus. According to Health Ministry figures, Israel has recorded over 264,000 cases and almost 1,700 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

———

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation, which sprawls across Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, reported 17 new coronavirus cases and no new deaths Saturday.

The total number of deaths related to the virus on the huge reservation remains at 558, and the total number of cases is now 10,421.

———

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan authorities closed schools countrywide and imposed a curfew Sunday in two suburbs in Western Province, after a person tested positive for the coronavirus.

The person was being treated at a hospital for a fever when a coronavirus test came back positive. About 15 hospital staff and 40 co-workers have been put in self-quarantine.

On Sunday, the Education Ministry announced that schools are closed from Oct 5 after the authorities decided to advance the school holidays to Oct. 5 from the scheduled date of Oct. 9.

The curfew imposed on Sunday covers Minuwangoda and Divulapitiya suburbs, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of the capital Colombo, from where the patient was reported.

For more than two months, health officials have been saying that they have prevented the community spread of the virus.

The country has reported 3,388 confirmed cases, including 13 deaths. Of the total, 3,254 have recovered.

———

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia —A very small, limited number of people donning the white terrycloth garment symbolic of the Muslim pilgrimage circled Islam’s holiest site in Mecca after Saudi Arabia lifted coronavirus restrictions that had been in place for months.

The kingdom had taken the rare step of suspending the smaller “umrah” pilgrimage that draws millions year-round from across the world in early March as the coronavirus morphed into a global pandemic.

But as nations begin to ease those restrictions, the Saudi government on Sunday started allowing a maximum of 6,000 pilgrims a day to enter the sprawling Grand Mosque in Mecca. Only Saudi citizens and residents will be permitted to enter the mosque during this first phase of reopening, and each person has up to three hours to complete the pilgrimage.

—-

MELBOURNE, Australia — The premier of Australia’s Victoria state has called on citizens to “stay the course” after large groups flooded beaches and parks at the weekend in defiance of strict lockdown regulations.

Victoria, emerging from a major winter spike in coronavirus cases, relaxed lockdown regulations last weekend but still allowed only five people from up to two households to congregate outside.

Many ignored those regulations on Saturday and crowded parks and beaches, causing Premier Daniel Andrews to remind Victorians not to be selfish and maintain social distancing. Victoria reported only 12 new coronavirus cases and one death Sunday, well down on the peaks of winter.

Andrews said the situation in Victoria is “delicately poised” as the state moves toward further easing of lockdown rules.

“People love to go to the beach when it’s sunny but there’s a global pandemic on,” he said. “Surely, there’s a greater urge to see this thing, to defeat it and to have a normal summer and have a COVID normal Christmas and 2021.”

———

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has reported 64 new cases of the coronavirus, the fourth straight day its increase came below 100, possibly reflecting the fewer number of tests conducted during one of the biggest holidays of the year.

The figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Sunday brought the national caseload to 24,091, including 421 deaths.

Thirty-eight of the new cases were reported from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area. Health workers have struggled to track transmissions tied to churches, hospitals, schools and offices. Seventeen of the new cases were linked to international arrivals.

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handymanservicesvegas · 4 years ago

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