#then we flushed it down the toilet for good measure

[satoruxx]

was taking my proctored exam and a giant ass bug scurried by my feet. i did in fact attempt smashing it with a shoe even tho i was on camera… and then submitted the exam early bc i could not focus and genuinely was fearing for my life..

[disneyprincemuke]

bad sushi and bad stomachs

alternatively: we're literally just kids figuring it out

in which she completely overanalyses the situation when she wakes up puking from bad sushi, forcing her to have a conversation about potentially having kids

(series masterlist)

she breathes out heavily, one hand on the rim of the toilet bowl and another holding her hair behind her back. she stares into the flooded bowl in disbelief. realistically speaking, she hasn't consumed anything that's supposed to make her this sick.

perhaps it was the street food that she tried out with logan? maybe it was the sushi from earlier? but it can't be, her stomach's not usually this weak - she literally ate soil as a kid. it can't be, right?

and she breaks out in a cold sweat: it's possible. it could actually be happening. she lifts up her arm, patting around for the cloth she'd prepared for herself and then pulls herself up. she flushes the toilet and weakly grabs her phone from the toilet sink.

she dials for the first person she knows would keep this secret until she's in the clear. it rings for a couple of seconds before a soft and tired voice comes through.

"it's 4 in the morning. come on."

"room 3409. drop by the store before you come up."

"what, why? what's wrong?"

"i think i might be pregnant."

there's a knock on her door not more than ten minutes later. she holds the warm cloth to her mouth, slowly unlocking her door and pulling it open to reveal oscar and sebastian.

"you told seb? are you kidding me?" she scolds, smacking oscar on the shoulder as they step into her room. "i called you because i was hoping you wouldn't run your mouth!"

"i'm only twenty-two, what do i know about pregnancy?" oscar throws his arms in the air, rubbing the spot that she's smacked. "i got you three for good measure!"

"what's the red bull for?" she scowls, stumbling a step back as oscar shoves the bag into her hands. "is that for you? you had the time for that?"

"it's 4 in the morning!"

"just go and take the stupid test," sebastian sighs, pulling oscar away as he closes the door behind him. "have you called logan?"

she looks back at sebastian, putting down the plastic by the foot of her bed. she shakes her head and presses her lips together. "i haven't."

"why not? you called this idiot before you called your own boyfriend?" sebastian cries, scratching his head. sometimes even he's unsure of how her brain works. sometimes she makes sense, but more often than not, she just seems to be winging it.

"we haven't really," she trails off, taking a slow step towards the bathroom. "i don't think we've really talked about having kids before. or just me even having kids."

"but you've been together-"

"and i'm also an athlete," she points out, nervously picking at the pink packaging that holds the pregnancy test. "i don't know, we've just never talked about it before. i don't even know if i want kids."

she doesn't exactly wait for a response. she just steps into the toilet and shuts the door behind her, locking herself and her thoughts for a couple of minutes to think about the potential results.

in the dimly lit room, sebastian and oscar wait in silence. they don't want to talk about the possible fallout they know could come out of this when she has the conversation with logan, so they just keep quiet.

oscar supposes it's an interesting topic to suddenly think of. growing up, they talked about their aspirations and goals, and wanting to have a family someday. but he can't pinpoint an instance in which she's talked about having kids. not with anyone, and not even with logan.

"peed on the stick," she mutters as she opens the door to the bathroom. she sighs, finally reaching for the wall to turn on the lights in her hotel room. "guess now all i have to do is wait."

"so, what are you planning to do if it's positive?"

she stares at sebastian. she shrugs. "i don't know."

"do you want it to be negative?"

"i don't know."

"what do you know?"

"i literally don't know," she shakes her head, leaning back on the wall behind her. "i can't be pregnant. i haven't even turned 21 yet. i haven't even been in f1 for a whole season! what am i going to do if it's positive?"

"okay, you're panicking way too soon," oscar mutters, pushing himself off her bed. he walks over to her, arms stretched towards her. "breathe."

"but what if-"

"seb," oscar says through gritted teeth, looking at the older man with a straight smile. "she's losing it. don't make me regret calling you."

"fine," sebastian mutters, folding his arms over his chest. he sinks into the couch and spreads his legs. "but you should have called logan."

"seb-"

"don't." oscar tilts his head, turning back to her. he sucks in a deep breath, nodding and gesturing at her to do the same. which she does, and slowly exhales when he does. "relax. don't panic yet," oscar says calmly. "you will be okay."

"it's all i can think about," she mutters. her wide eyes stare into oscar's calm stare as she stiffens up at the thought of taking a break from the one thing she's known all her life. "what's logan going to say? do you think he'll break up with me?"

"what? no," oscar scrunches his face in disbelief, throwing his head back. "no, he's not going to break up with you. how long before the results show on the test?"

"it should be ready right about now," sebastian mutters, walking past them and straight into the bathroom. "do you want to see it for yourself or do you want me to tell you?"

she breathes out shakily, looking up at oscar for an answer. she furrows her eyebrows when he stares at her blankly, lips parting when she finds her ability to speak suddenly taken from her.

"maybe you should just tell us," oscar says, giving her a small smile and a nod. he squeezes her shoulder when she returns the smile, her hand wrapping around his wrist when he follows sebastian into the cramp bathroom.

"it's negative," sebastian sighs, holding up one test to prove it to her.

she sighs loudly, a hand coming up to her chest as she falls to her knees. "oh, thank god. really? are you sure?"

"yeah. i've had my fair share of pregnancy tests," sebastian mutters. "one line means you're not pregnant. especially when it's widespread on three of them."

"i don't know what i would have done if i was actually pregnant."

"do you want me to stay?" oscar hums gently, kneeling next to her with a hand on her shoulder. "you seem pretty shaken up. you know, i bet it was that sushi we had for dinner."

"do you want me to throw these away?" sebastian tilts his head, pointing at the three lined-up tests on the sink. "i doubt you want to keep any of these for remembrance."

"no, it's okay," she smiles, leaning into the bedframe. "i just wanna be alone. thanks for coming at such short notice. i really appreciate that. i'll clean everything up myself."

"are you sure?"

she nods. and that was the biggest mistake she could have made. what she forgot to factor in was that logan was supposed to wake her up at ten for a brunch date before their flight back to the uk.

she'd spent the next hour, after oscar and sebastian had left, lying in bed with a hand on her belly and imagining what steps she would have taken if the results came out positive. she even tried to imagine how the conversation with her boyfriend would go if it went the way she didn't want it to. she spent so much of her time thinking and thinking that she'd simply forgotten to clean up her mess.

until she felt one side of her bed dip and a hand on her shoulder shakes her gently. she hums a response, eyes fluttering open to be greeted by a familiar pair of green eyes. "logan," she greets him with a smile.

and then it hits her. "logan!" she shrieks, scrambling to sit up at the realisation that her boyfriend has made his way into her hotel room. she grabs her phone and taps on the screen, revealing three missed calls and ten text messages from him in the past thirty minutes. "i'm sorry! i'm late, aren't i?"

"you're okay," logan grins, patting her knee. "i figured you slept late? by the way, did the sushi wake you up this morning? i wasn't feeling so great - i threw it all up in the bathroom at like 6 in the morning."

"right," she breathes out. seems like she completely overreacted. it's just the food. must have been some bad fish. "yeah, my stomach was pretty upset."

logan tilts his head. "are you alright? you look kinda... not great," he says softly, eyes carefully scanning her face and then her body. "did the sushi hit you differently than it hit me? do you have a fever?"

she flinches away from the hand logan extends to press against her forehead, carefully crawling off the bed. suddenly she's very hyperaware of the three sets of pregnancy tests that she left on the bathroom counter. "no, i just- babe, we're late. how are we gonna make brunch and our flight back home?"

"babe, it's okay," logan laughs, watching her circle around the small hotel room with a hand on her forehead and the other on her hip. "i'll just order us room service. don't need to rush yourself."

"i haven't even packed yet! our flights at 2. it's 10:15!" she darts all over the room, picking up loose articles of clothing and towels, and throwing them towards her open suitcase in the corner of the room. "god, i should have set an alarm."

before she can make it into the bathroom in haste, logan steps between her and the door, grabbing her shoulders with a small smile. "hey, is something wrong? if it's the brunch, we can always just reschedule," he smiles. "it's not a big deal. i'll help you pack, okay?"

"no, it's not that. i just- we don't have enough time. i really wanna make it to brunch."

"okay, relax." logan squeezes her shoulders. "i'll fix you a quick bath, and you get your outfit from your bag. i'll take care of the rest, okay?"

perhaps she let her guard down too quickly. or maybe it was the dimples and the smile and the inviting green eyes that made her suddenly forget about the one thing she spent all morning worrying about.

"okay." she slumps her shoulders and turns away for a mere second, in a trance and suddenly excited about getting brunch with her boyfriend.

it was the sound of the bathroom door sliding open that snapped her out of her thoughts. she whirls back around with logan's name on her lips, but it seems that it's too late.

because logan reappears in her room with, not one, but three pregnancy tests in his hands and an unreadable expression to come with it. "are these yours?"

she balls her fists right by her side, lips pressed into a thin line as she stares at her boyfriend wide-eyed. "would you believe me if i said no?"

"no."

"then why would you ask?" she sighs, throwing her hands in the air.

"why didn't you tell me? is that why you've been so agitated since you woke up? you were hiding these from me?"

the hurt in her voice made her wish she went about things differently. it's one thing imagining her boyfriend's reaction in her mind, but it's another to see it face to face while she is still processing the whole thing on her own.

"well," she squeaks out, shoulders shrugging up as she tries to find the words to make the hit easier for him. "i mean..."

"you thought you were pregnant? you didn't tell anyone?"

"i called oscar."

"you called oscar? you didn't think to call me? what's wrong with you?"

"we haven't exactly had that conversation yet, logan!" she rambles, throwing her arms in the air. "in fact, i haven't even had that conversation with myself! since i got this far in my life!"

he tilts his head. "what do you mean?"

"i think you should call the restaurant and tell them we'll be missing our reservation," she sighs, gesturing towards the bed. "actually, i feel like we should've talked about this a really long time ago."

"what are you talking about? why do you keep beating around the bush?" logan furrows his eyebrows. "i'll call the restaurant when i think i should cancel the reservation. could you explain yourself first?"

she sighs, looking up at the ceiling. "i made it this far," she slumps her shoulders. "i don't want to take a step back unless i really have to. unless i need to. and having kids... getting pregnant..."

"okay?"

"i don't think i see myself getting pregnant in the foreseeable future," she says softly, dropping her gaze to her hands. she shakes her head. "i don't know what's your stance on it, but i don't want to lose you over this. but you've talked about it your whole life - starting a family and stuff like that. we're not getting any younger."

he just raises an eyebrow. he tilts his head before a sigh passes his lips. instead of answering, he just takes her hand and gently pulls her towards the bathroom.

"what are you-"

he holds her shoulders, bringing her to the mirror where he towers behind her. "that loser's barely getting a grip in an f1 car and that pretty girl over there is literally making history. do you really think those two care about having kids right now?"

she turns her head, giving logan a confused stare. "what the hell are you talking about?"

"listen, it's not up to me if you ever want to bear kids," he says softly. "yeah, i talked about starting my own family when we were growing up and whatever. but i knew what i was getting into when i asked you to be my girlfriend. moreso when you landed a seat in f1."

"yeah, but it's not fair. you maybe want kids, but i don't want to sacrifice my job for one," she whispers. "you'll end up hating me if you keep riding along with whatever i want, you know? that's not how this works."

"dude-"

she raises her eyebrow.

"babe," logan corrects himself with a small grin. he drops his head to the side to look at her. "you're barely even 21. i haven't even turned 23. what's the rush? we're just kids. we can't take care of one. a toddler is way different from a cat and a dog."

"what are you getting at? how is that relevant to what i was saying?"

"it's too early to have this conversation," he says slower and in a calmer tone. "kids or no kids, i still want to be with you. i still love you the same. i'm just kinda sad that you didn't think you could confidently tell me about this."

"it's a conversation i didn't think i was ready for," she frowns. "like you said - i'm barely 21. if that had turned out positive, i don't know what i would have done."

"for starters, you should have told me the minute you had a hunch," he points out with a frown. "i can't believe you called oscar before me. you think i've never had a pregnancy scare?"

she stares up at him blankly. "did you have to remind me you've been with other girls before me?"

"okay, i'm sorry," he smiles sheepishly. "but seriously. you should have called me."

"what for? you were up sick from the sushi too."

"so we can puke together, duh?"

"go and pack my bags. that's your punishment for even suggesting that."

[bitchinbarzal]

growing gigi | dad!luca au

week 13 — june 2023

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Luca calls out from the hotel room as you vomit once again in the toilet.

“Lu, I’m fine please just go see Adam and I’ll be down when-“ you cut yourself off throwing up into the toilet again “When I’m done”

“Babe I really don’t want to leave you, we should take you to a doctor”

You sighed, standing up and flushing away the remnants of your lunch before grabbing your toothbrush and headed out to face your very worried boyfriend.

“This is Adam’s draft, we’re not going to the doctor! C’mon let’s get down there” as you went to grab your clutch you knocked your suitcase by accident and tampons fell out onto the floor.

As you crouched down to pick them up you paused, gasping lightly.

“What is it?” Luca asks, looking at himself in the mirror.

“I think I might be pregnant?” You say, standing up with a tampon in hand. He’s wide eyed and looking at you but before either of you can say anything Adam is banging on the door calling you both out.

You spent the night of the draft with the question pondering in your mind

were you pregnant?

That thought however had to be pushed to the back of your mind when Adam’s name got called out on the stage.

After the pictures, the interviews and party you finally made it back to your hotel room. You threw yourself onto the bed almost immediately and heard the door shut firmly behind you.

“We have to talk about this” Luca says and you sit up.

“Lu I’m tired please-“

“You might be pregnant y/n how can you sleep?”

You groan “because it’s been a long night Luca, if I’m pregnant I’ll still be pregnant in the morning”

He conceded and got into bed, the silence didn’t last very long when in the darkness of your room he mumbles “there’s a gas station-“

“Let go then” you whine, giving in and pulling on his hoodie to leave the hotel.

The two of you looked out of place at the gas station in your pyjamas but the cashier who you’re sure was younger than you didn’t seem to care much.

With the test in hand you went immediately into the bathroom when you got back to your room.

Luca stood outside listening for any indication of an answer from inside the bathroom. When you finally stepped out with the test in hand he asked

“So?”

“I’m pregnant”

week 18 — july 2023

“Did you feel that?” Luca asks from his position on your belly.

“What?”

“That!” He points at your belly again “The baby is moving!”

Before you can correct him you feel it and stop

“Oh my god!” You can’t see it but you can feel it and it’s such a strange out of body experience.

After the fun had calmed you both resumed your spots to watch the movie and Luca mumbled “It’s so weird to think there’s a person in there… our person”

You hummed “Our baby, Lu”

week 20 — august 2023

You’d returned back to Ann Arbor for school. The car ride from Toronto wasn’t your finest moment with the limited stopping places on the 401 and you now being half way through pregnancy.

They weren’t a good mix.

Back in Michigan now you had gone to see your doctor, having to pass over all of your paperwork from your doctor in Toronto.

During the appointment your doctor sent you over to the place you would be having your appointments from now on to meet with your OBGYN.

At the appointment your doctor suggested an ultrasound just to make sure everything was ok. It felt weird doing this alone but it was always nice to see the baby.

“Babygirl is doing just fine in there, all measuring up to scale”

You stutter “I’m sorry did you just say girl?”

The doctors eyes go wide “Oh I’m so sorry I didn’t know you didn’t know!”

“No, it’s ok I’m just… wow” 

Back home somehow your house had become the social gathering spot as you fought your way in through the bodies of the team to find Luca.

“y/n!” Johnny pulled you into a hug from the side “I’ve missed you!”

You chuckle “Yeah, missed you too J. You seen Luca?”

“Yeah he’s upstairs moving boxes in, we offered to help but he said we couldn’t… think it’s your lady stuff”

You laugh “never change drus! Can you guys move our couch in from the van out front?”

A collective agreement came as they trudged out of the house. As soon as the coast was clear you took your jacket off, feeling a little too hot.

“Luca?” You called out, walking through the hallway.

“In here!” He shouts back from the spare room.

When you walk in you find him sitting on the floor with the moving box open, filled with clothes his mom had bought you guys for the baby.

“They think you’re up here with my lady stuff because you wouldn’t let them help” you chuckle and he shrugs “I didn’t want them to see before we told them, Johnny’s still pissed we won’t let him move into Adam’s old room”

The room in question was the room you were currently standing in, the one that soon enough would be filled with stuffed animals and little hockey memorabilia you were sure Luca would want her to have.

“How was the appointment?” He asks, still raking through the box.

You smile “Good, um they told me something while I was there”

He looks alerted “What? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing wrong” You crouch down and put your hand on his chest “They told me, it’s a girl”

“Oh my god!” He screams, and you try a shush him but you’re too late you can hear footsteps barging up the stairs before the door whips open.

“What’s wrong?! Why are you shouting?” You turn to face the boys in the doorway and laugh

“Well this isn’t how we wanted to tell you but we’re having a baby!” You announce, showing off your bump.

They begin piling in to congratulate and hug you before Luca shouts

“And it’s a girl!”

week 31 — october 2023

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

“Babe I’m good, go! Have fun! Me and babygirl will be here for you when you get home”

You lay on the couch, accompanied by a family size bag of candy and Netflix. Luca was attending a Halloween party on campus and you were just so big and so exhausted to even pretend you were happy at a party.

“I can stay-“ “Luca go! You won’t be out partying when she gets here so use your time wisely”

He nods and pulls his jacket on, leaning down to kiss you

“I love you”

then he kisses the bump

“I love you also, he good for mom”

You laugh at him in ‘dad mode’

“Your girls love you back, now go!”

Throughout the night you checked social media, looking closely in the stories for Luca to see if he really was having a good time.

You spotted him in the back of some stories, mainly looking at his phone which you assumed was all the times he had called you to check in.

By the time he’s stumbled back through the door of your house you’d fallen asleep on the couch watching re-runs of some show.

He came in confused why the light was still on and when his eyes landed on you, he softened “oh babe”

You’d been having a hard time sleeping lately and he knew that so he opted not to wake you but instead make you more comfortable, bringing in a blanket and a pillow before changing and situating himself next to you.

His hand rubbed over the bump soothingly and he mumbled “Hi babygirl, were you good for mommy?”

week 37 — december 2023

Your house was currently looking like a bombsite after you were packing for winter break and realised you’d be coming back with a baby and said baby had no bedroom.

So you enlisted the help of every member of the team to help put together baby girls nursery.

Half of them were painting and the other half were attempting to assemble furniture.

You’d been instructed to go and get lunch, that was all. So you went out and bought the boys all some lunch.

When you got back you heard them all arguing upstairs and waddled up to investigate.

Everyone was standing in the middle of the nursery, now painted and the crib was assembled. They were all holding up story books

“No this one is better are you insane? Humpty Dumpty do you want her traumatised?”

You looked at your boyfriend “What’s going on?”

He chuckled “they all brought babygirl books, for her story corner and now they’re arguing which is best”

Now they saw you were home, Dylan and Seamus ran over to you

“y/n which is she going to like more Goodnight moon or i might be little?”

You bit your lip to suppress your laugh “She’s one spoilt little girl”

week 40 — december 2023

Adam was in town playing the leafs so you guys headed downtown to watch the game.

Adam had asked you come down pre-game and when asking why he fist bumped your belly and said “me and my bestie have to do our pre-game” as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

After the game, Adam and some of the boys home town friends had asked Luca if they could take him out for his birthday in the morning to which you said

“I’m opting out of this one, I’m going to bed but you enjoy!”

Luca stared at you worriedly before you said “It’s your twenty-first birthday, go celebrate! I love you, I’ll see you in the morning”

They’d gotten a booth in the club and Luca was living it up. So much so, he’d abandoned his phone on the table and missed the numerous missed calls from you, your mom, his mom and his dad.

When it came time for the club closing Adam picked up Luca’s phone and his heart dropped, he called his mom back while looking for his brother.

“Adam where is he?!”

“Mom he’s- what’s going on?”

“The baby is coming”

“We’ll be there”

Adam finally found Luca outside the bar waiting for their Uber he passed him his phone

“We gotta go”

“Where?”

“The hospital, y/n’s in the hospital”

It says if those words alone sobered him up “She’s? The baby? What?”

Adam didn’t explain, just pushing Luca into the Uber and instructing them of the change in destination.

At the hospital you were stressing “He’s coming right?”

Your mom stroked your hair “He’ll be here baby, he wouldn’t let you down”

You whined, not believing her words the longer this went on.

Then finally he barges into the room “I’m here! Is she here?”

“You’re late!” You shout, mid contraction

“I know, I’m sorry I’m so sorry”

Your families left you be, hand in hand waiting for the nurse to come in and check you.

“This is really happening, eh?” He asks and you smile through the pain

“She’s really coming, our baby” Luca could sense the unease in your voice, squeezing your hand tighter.

“Hey, look at me” he instructs and you do, eyes filled with tears “Your gonna be the best mom ever ok? Our little girl is so lucky you’ve been ready for this since we were teenagers, I’m the one who should be scared! I don’t know how to be a dad but I know with you by my side there’s nothing we can’t do”

“Gigi’s so lucky”

You smirked softly “Gigi, huh?”

You’d been arguing about names for months. Luca stood firm on Carson but you liked Giada.

He nods “Gigi, our girl”

She arrived a little after six, kicking and screaming until she was lay on your chest then she went silent.

You were both sobbing just at the sight of her “Hi Gigi, hi baby”

After a nap and breakfast you sat up in bed watching your two favourite people just staring at one another

“Happy Birthday, Lu… your gift is back at the house”

He shakes his head “I got my best gift right here, happy birthday Gigi”

1 year — december 2024

“…happy birthday to gigi, happy birthday to you!” Everyone sang and the one year old giggled as they finished and you help her blow out her candles.

Both you and Luca press a kiss to each cheek “Happy Birthday G”

Luca looks over at you with a smile “Best year of our lives”

[hauntedestheart]

Security Measures - Artifacts

Entry 4 in the Security Measures series- the stories of a boy named Trevor as he attempts to protect his possession-prone boyfriend Andy from snatchers.

I'm gonna start off with a clear warning: don't mess with artifacts.

I'm going use the term "artifact" to describe any sort of object that holds special powers which can be used to alter people's minds and bodies, and trust me when I say that there are many in the world.

More on that later, but first, let's discuss why I don't like them.

The obvious appeal of an artifact is convenience- an artifact has prepackaged power that can be deployed with no messy preparation, so the right artifact can put someone into a different body in the blink of an eye even if they had no clue this kind of power existed beforehand. Anyone can pick one up and use one, often with no questions asked.

But if that sounds too good to be true, that's because it is. You may be holding the artifact in your hand, but that doesn't mean that you're in control of it- in fact, I'd often say that the opposite is true. Having access to that kind of power has a funny way of messing with the user's mind and I've seen unsuspecting rubes quickly fall in too deep and lose themselves in ways they didn't anticipate.

If you get an artifact, toss it away. Walk the other direction. Put it out of your mind. You might think you've got the strongest willpower in the world and it won't happen to you but somehow, some way, you're going to wind up in over your head... and when it comes time to clean up the mess it's made, artifacts often have a way of mysteriously vanishing, off to torture some other poor soul.

I have no way of knowing how many of these things are in the world, or where they come from, but I suspect that Andy's condition must attract them like a magnet or something because we've encountered a ridiculous number of them. It's a bit ridiculous.

To give us an idea of what an artifact looks like, here's a non-exhaustive list of a few different ones that we've encountered:

A magic fountain that granted wishes to people who threw coins into it (and its answer to every wish was to put that person inside of Andy, practically turning his body into an amusement park ride until I tracked the thing down and bribed it to leave him alone)

An ancient Aztec statue that could switch people's bodies if they stood in front of it (which was triggered by an unsuspecting janitor who was going to use it to switch his friends with some of the other students until we broke into a museum to stop him)

A medallion that allowed the wearer to transform into someone else by touching an article of their clothing (the guy we confiscated it from said he bought it at a "mysterious store" but the address was just a coffee shop and the medallion disappeared the second it was out of our sight, so...?)

A hidden grotto that transformed people who touched its water into Andy's body for a limited period of time (we had to travel to stop this one but for a few weeks at least there were dozens of people running around looking like Andy until we blocked the place off with a cave-in)

A ring that allowed the wearer to switch bodies with someone by shaking hands with them (I've actually heard about a lot of these floating around out there but we've only had to deal with one, however it kept coming back. Huge pain in the ass, flushed it down the toilet.)

A camera that let the photographer capture someone's soul and steal their body (guy who owned this one was a weirdo so for once, Andy was not the only victim involved, and I didn't feel too bad about smashing the camera while the thief's soul was inside)

A fortune telling robot on a boardwalk that tried to talk everyone who walked by into wishing to be someone else (don't bother looking, we pushed it into a harbor)

As you can see, a lot of diversity there in terms of what they are and how they. Some are literally ancient artifacts while others date from the modern era. Some are migratory while others are geographically locked. Some bounce from person to person while others are entrenched with certain groups.

In fact, the more I observe artifacts the more it's clear that each one has its own particular brand of chaos, its own flavor of victim, its own pattern of movement... almost like they have personalities. I don't know if any of these artifacts are alive, but it is suspicious how two people can pick up the same artifact and will (no matter how different they are) wind up using it to act out the same story.

Are we using them? Or are they using us?

Or perhaps I'm just bitter because snatches caused by artifacts are a pain to undo. You can get rid of a ghost or a hopper anywhere (or just wait until they move on) and a spell only requires you to understand how it works, but if there's an artifact involved then the only way out is to physically get the artifact. Again, this sounds convenient but often manages to wind up as a massive ordeal.

Given Andy's situation it's tempting to try to keep an artifact or two on hand, but having one feels a bit like sleeping with a grenade under our pillow- it's more likely to blow up on us than an intruder. But just to be safe, I am active on a few forums devoted to keeping tabs on the locations of some of the more notable ones just to make sure that they aren't drifting back towards our area.

And whenever possible, I let Andy smash them.

[writtenonreceipts]

Rowaelin Month Day Fourteen: An Argument/Making up after--@rowaelinscourt

Link back to the Month Masterlist

No idea what this is, but I really wanted to write for this prompt…and this happened…and I don’t know how I feel about it, I kinda hate it. so forgive me for the mess.  Pretty sure it’s the worst thing i’ve ever written. werewolf novel included.

warnings: angsty, hurt/comfort ~2.8k words

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

fall together

The apartment was quiet as Aelin paced up and down the hallway between the bedroom and kitchen.  The golden light of dusk cast long shadows through the apartment, stretching over the couch and the coffee table.  Over the past hour the light had only grown longer and longer as it slowly shifted into night.

Normally she would be curled up on the couch with a book in hand.  Rowan would be seated beside her, computer in hand while he finished up reports.  They wouldn’t talk, wouldn’t need to, they were both just content to be in each other’s presence.

And then last night happened.

And Aelin’s entire world shifted.

She turned and headed back down the darkened hall to her room.  She hadn’t bothered to move the curtains of turn on the lights.  For no other reason than she just didn’t see the point. Everything was spotless after a morning of cleaning so there was nothing to trip over.  Just a pile of Rowan’s things she’d put together in a fit of rage.  She couldn’t quite bring herself to put it in a box.  Not that she wanted to, but as a just in case this couldn’t be fixed.  But everything could be fixed, right? 

In any case, this side of the apartment was dark, reminding her that she was alone.

Her stomach pitched violently and she stumbled into the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet.  She emptied what little was in her stomach before leaning back against the tub and flushing.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.  This wasn’t how she thought any of it would go.  Her job.  Her relationships.  Life.

All of it had taken a nosedive into a concrete slab.

Groaning as another wave of nausea washed over her, Aelin shifted to lean over the toilet.  She didn’t know whether to be relieved when nothing came up or not.  She’d used her last bit of energy in her pacing and now couldn’t bring herself to get back up.  That was supposedly alright, it wasn’t like she had an appetite or anything else to do.

From the kitchen, she heard her phone buzz with an incoming call.  Aelin let it ring, not wanting to try and stand.  She’d get a second wind eventually.  But she had an idea of who was calling and she didn’t want to talk to them.  Not after last night.

Because last night…last night…it was supposed to be a good night of celebration and excitement.  Instead, it had turned into a fit of yelling and blame.  Maybe she shouldn’t have pinned all her hopes on everything going perfectly but she’d at least thought…

Her phone went off again.

“We can do this,” she muttered before slowly easing to her knees and then her feet.  

She rinsed her mouth out with water and then splashed her face for good measure.  The cool water felt good and helped revitalize her just a bit.

After a few deep breaths, Aelin met her own gaze through the mirror.  She looked terrible.  Her cheeks were splotchy, hair a tangled braid, and she hadn’t washed her make-up off very well.  She should just go to bed.  Go to bed and maybe this would just turn into a bad dream.

She’d just managed to convince herself to walk the few feet to her bed when someone pounded at her front door.  Aelin looked up to the ceiling praying for strength.  She really, really, wanted to ignore what was waiting for her but realistically knew that she had to face this.

“We can do this,” she said again.

She put on a mask of confidence, or as near as she could in the situation, and shuffled to her door and undid the bolt.  With a leveling breath, she opened the door and stared at her boyfriend.  Ex-boyfriend?  She wasn’t sure what they were at the moment.  Either way she was pissed at him.

“Aelin,” Rowan said.  He stood just a little ways back from the door and looked just as bad as she felt.  Good he deserved it. “I tried calling.”

“Yeah, and I didn’t answer,” she replied.  

“Can we talk?” he asked.  He wore jeans and a t-shirt, nondescript.  He held a paper bag in one hand.

“I think enough was said last night,” she said.  Her heart was beating too fast and she was sure that if she wasn’t clinging to the door she would start shaking.

Rowan flinched at her words.  He looked down, causing his hair to fall in his eyes.  It looked messy and unkempt in the way it flopped around.  Aelin tried not to get a sense of satisfaction at the bit of pain she caused.  Really, she did, but after what he’d said she couldn’t stop her chin from lifting.

“Please, Fireheart?” his voice was soft as he spoke.

Her hard resolve faltered and Aelin sighed.  She stepped aside and let him in.

She could have sworn she heard a thank Mala whispered.  

Rowan slipped past as she locked the door behind him.  He stood in the middle of the room, as if unsure where to go.  Just a few days ago he would have made himself at home.  He would have made sure she’d gone to the store like she said she did and got a decent supply of vegetables.  Or he would have fallen onto the couch, pulling her with him so they could relax the entire night.

Aelin went to the kitchen table with its mismatched chairs and the stained wood.  It had been the first thing she’d bought when she moved into the apartment and she had a special connection to it even five years later.  She took a seat, figuring this was a conversation better had sitting down.  And she still felt like crap.

Rowan remained standing, only setting down the paper bag on one of the other open chairs.  He froze when he saw the small item sitting center stage.  Aelin had left it there after the mess of last night, unable to bring herself to do anything about it.  Besides, it felt like she was supposed to keep it, for memory’s sake or whatever.  But Aelin had never been someone who held onto memories.  Her childhood and young adult years had been miserable enough that she wanted to move on.

But she’d held onto that pregnancy test like it was a million dollars, like it would solve all of her problems.

Instead, it just caused them.

“How are you feeling?” Rowan finally asked.  He leaned against the chair next to her, arms outstretched and elbows locked.

“Fine,” she lied.  What else was there to say?

What the hell are we supposed to do? 

I don’t understand.

Are you sure?

How can we raise a baby?

They weren’t terribly young, he being twenty-six and she twenty-three, plenty of people had babies at their age, younger in some cases.  Though, Aelin would admit this wasn’t what she’d had in mind for her life, what she’d wanted to have happen.  But now that it was going to be her reality, she’d decided she would fight for it.  Even if she had to do it on her own.

“You’re lying,” Rowan said, quietly.

She could feel his eyes on her, but Aelin wouldn’t look. “Are you surprised?  Why would I tell you the truth after last night?”

Let’s just talk about this.

I can’t do this right now.

A slamming door.  

Panic.

Rowan exhaled long and slow before he pushed away from the chair so he could begin pacing the kitchen, similar to what Aelin was doing earlier, but he didn’t rove all the way down to the bedroom and instead kept to the kitchen and living room.  Like her, Rowan appeared to be a mess of anxiety as he kept moving.  The only other time Aelin had seen him like this was while he was waiting for his acceptance letter into his graduate program at the university.

A part of her knew that she shouldn’t blame him for being scared or worried.  She was too.  She knew that he would need time with this, she did too.  But after everything they’d been through together—years of hating and pinning and learning and growing together—she’d hoped they could at least keep their heads on straight.

Even if they were just kids, even now.

Rowan came to a stop beside her chair and laid a hand on her shoulder before slowly moving it up to cup her cheek.  Aelin didn’t let him tilt her chin up.  She didn’t want to react to him at all, but it was still Rowan.  And she still loved him.  Her skin prickled with gooseflesh and she felt a surge of tears rush unbidden to her eyes.

“Hey,” Rowan said, “will you look at me please?”

Exhaling slowly, Aelin raised her gaze to his.  His green eyes were guarded and his features drawn sharp as though he were trying to hold something back.  He searched her face, looking for something in her as she was in him.  Whatever he found must have affected him because he crouched down beside her, dropping his hands to her lap, braced against her thighs.

He didn’t pressure her and Aelin knew she could push him back and he would go, but having him close and feeling his warmth against her skin was all she’d wanted that day and she couldn’t bring herself to push him away.

“I’m sorry,” Rowan whispered as he flattened his palms against her legs.  She wore a thin pair of leggings and swore she could feel his callouses through the fabric. “I’m sorry for how I responded yesterday and for leaving.  I shouldn’t have done any of that.”

Aelin looked away, back toward the counter where there was a pile of dishes in the drying rack that she hadn’t touched in two days now.  One of her library books was turned upside down after she’d abandoned the miserable attempt of reading.  A dirty rag was wadded up behind the sink because of a leak.

She was a mess, she decided.

“Aelin,” Rowan said, drawing her attention back again.  He ran one hand over her knee in that soothing way he knew she liked. “I know I hurt you with how I reacted and I should have made sure you were okay.”

He let a brief flash of emotion flicker across his face--panic, worry--as he leaned into her just a little bit.  When he didn’t say anything else, Aelin drew in a breath, unable to hide the slight hitch.

She’d been on the verge of crying all day and had managed to stave it off.  Of course it was now, with Rowan beside her that she felt the floodgates start to give way.

“I don’t know what I’m doing, Ro,” she whispered.  Blinking rapidly, she shook her head as she tried to bring herself back to equilibrium.  She dropped a hand to her stomach, flat as it still was, and looked at him. “And I’m terrified.”

Rowan reached out and took one of her hands in his, gripping tightly. “What can I do for you, Fireheart?  Do you want—”

“I want to keep it,” she said, immediately, surprising herself with how fervently she spoke.  But the words felt right as soon as she said them. “I want this.”

Rowan nodded once before he stood. “Then we can do this.”

“I’m not going to force you into this,” Aelin said. “Last night—”

“Last night I was a bastard,” he cut her off, “and I was scared too.  But we should have been scared together.  Because at least then--then I would have known it would be alright instead of wandering around like an idiot.”

He started pacing again along with his rambling and Aelin had no idea where he was going with it.  She had tears in her eyes and her heart was still beating out a worry signal, ready to take flight if needed.

Turning back to her, Rowan wet his lips. “You’ve always been my strength, Aelin.” His eyes flashed then with something more than the cold persona he always wore. “And I’ll make this up to you.”

She wanted to believe him, to trust that he meant what he said.  And maybe to an extent she did—it was after all Rowan.  Her Rowan, who up until last night, had always been there for her.  And she knew last night had been a shock and overwhelming—but she had needed him then.

Aelin told him as much. “I don’t want to do this alone, Rowan.  I always thought—I always wanted to do this with you.  But if you don’t want this—”

He was back kneeling at her side in an instant.  One hand cupped her face as the other remained at his side.

“I’ll be here,” he promised, “every step of the way.  I’m still terrified, Aelin, but I won’t leave.  I love you.” 

A tear finally tracked down Aelin’s cheek and she sniffled. “I love you too.”

Rowan wiped the tear away, leaning in to kiss her, softly.  He didn’t push her boundaries or linger very long.  But Aelin still relished in the contact and feel of him.  She’d always been so attuned to his touch, reacting to every little thing, that, even with her lingering anger, she didn’t quite want to let him go.  But Rowan did eventually pull back, pressing another kiss to her forehead.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked as he brushed a few loose tendrils of hair from her face.

Aelin sighed, looking away guiltily. “I’m a little hungry.”

“I can fix that.” Rowan launched to his feet and went to the paper bag he’d brought.  Immediately he began pulling out jars of pickles, cartons of strawberries, Nutella, and even a pint of ice cream that he took the to the fridge before it thawed anymore.

“What did you do?” Aelin asked staring at all the items, reaching for the pickles.

“I may have called Sellene,” he admitted.  He took the pickle jar even at her protests and opened it. “She yelled at me before telling me to buy these specific things.”

Aelin rolled her eyes.  Rowan’s cousin, one of his only living relatives, had always had been one of her favorite people.

“I see,” she said, drawing a pickle out to eat. 

“She said she’ll help you beat my ass if ever needed,” Rowan added as though that were the most important bit of information. “She also wants to come by sometime soon for a visit.”

A smile, a real smile, took over Aelin’s face.  She’d like to see Sellene, the woman was a few years older than them with a family of her own.  After Rowan’s parents passed, he was raised with Sellene and her brother.  The three had become thick as thieves and Aelin had decided long ago, she wouldn’t mind calling them family.

Rowan busied himself washing the strawberries and putting the other items away.  He left the pickles out for Aelin to continue to munch on as he insisted on making her a real dinner.

Aelin only smiled and let him work.  She knew he still felt guilty about the way he’d acted and for the things he said.  He often showed his love through action and silent deeds, though he wouldn’t say no when Aelin pulled him into a hug and wouldn’t let him go.  Now, as he puttered around the kitchen and drew out what few veggies, she had available, he made small promises and assurances that everything would work out, that they would be alright.

Aelin stood and went to his side.  She wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her forehead to his shoulder.  He was well over six feet tall and practically dwarfed her.

“Fireheart?” Rowan set down the cutting board he found and turned in her arms, hands settling on her waist.

Aelin looked up at him, seeing the worry in his eyes.  It was worry for her, worry that his words or apology wouldn’t be accepted.

“Do you promise?” she asked.  He frowned at her words. “Do you promise we’ll be alright?”

His hands tightened as he leaned in closer. “I promise.  To whatever end.”

“To whatever end,” she echoed.

Aelin might not have known exactly what the future would hold, but she would race toward it with Rowan by her side and she knew that would be enough.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

reblogs and comments appreciated <3 thanks for reading, im not trusting the tagging system still

[talksliketherain]

Rowan Laslow - Sick

Background- Y/n is sick but doesn't want Rowan to coddle her so she tries to hide it, but her powers (and Wednesday) get in the way...

NOT PROOF READ. Please do not steal my work or post it anywhere else!! If you have an requests dm me!

______________________

Reader pov-

My eyes sprang open as panic filled my body. I quickly threw the covers over my side, running to the bathroom.

In moments like these, I was glad I didn't have a roommate. That meant no snooping or snarky comments when things like this happened.

See, Principal Weems was my mother. We were never really that close, and I kind of liked it that way. I had never really liked being cared for. I would have to grow up at some point, so why not start taking care of myself now?

She and I both lived here at the school. She had her wing all to herself. And so did I.

My room made up the entire wing. We just called it a wing because there used to be multiple dorms before I was born. In reality, it was more like an apartment. Meaning I had a kitchen, bathroom, and living room too. All to myself. I was going to be taking over the school one day so my own space was crucial.

She almost switched me to a dorm but decided it would be best to have my own room on account of my powers anyway. And it would be pointless.

I had telekinesis. Just like Rowan. That's how we became close so fast. Even though he was deemed a "freak", it was nice to be around someone with the same power.

Anyway.

There I was, hunched over the toilet spewing up what I hadn't digested from last night's dinner. Once I was done I used my powers to get my phone off of my nightstand. Once it got to my hand I looked at the clock on my lock screen.

4:06 AM

Okay. I could work with that. Just because my body doesn't want to work right doesn't mean my life stops. I still have school. I still have lessons. I still have a social life and a boyf-

Fuck.

Maybe I could convince my friends that I was alright and dodge their questions on how stable I was, but not Rowan. Rowan was extremely good at picking up on details about me. Hell, he knew me better than anyone. For the longest time, I was Rowan's only friend, meaning he was with me all the time.

Rowan still stuck by my side wherever I went, even though he joined my friend group. I didn't mind the clinginess, it was when I got sick and he treated me like a little kid. That was the only thing that got on my nerves. It's not that It was him. I just liked feeling in control of myself. I never had other people take care of me before, so I didn't need it now.

After I checked the time I sat down on my bed. I let out a heavy breath I didn't even know I was holding in. I had to get ready. No matter how drained I felt. No matter how dark my eyes were.

Makeup. I wasn't a big makeup person, but today called for drastic measures. I took out my concealer and slapped it underneath my eyes, praying that it would cover up my zombie-like coloring. I added some blush too, considering how deathly pale I looked. Maybe that was natural for Wednesday, but not me.

When I was done with my makeup I decided I might as well get ready since classes started in an hour or two. I went to brush my teeth to cover up the vomit smell that was projecting from my mouth.

Right after I swished some mouthwash around, another wave of sickness hit me, causing me to lurch over the toilet again. Gross.

I re-did my brushing routine and moved on. I pulled my hair back into a singular braid, figuring I would have to make a couple more bathroom trips.

By the time I had gathered all of my things and prepared myself for the day ahead of me, there was a knock at my door.

Rowan and I had all of the same classes thanks to my mom, so we walked together. It was kind of sweet how he made the trip all the way up here just so we could walk to our first class together.

I was hunched over my toilet again when the knock was heard, so I quickly finished up and flushed the toilet. I had already brushed my teeth about 4 times, so this time I just washed my mouth out with some mouthwash.

"Coming!" I called. I didn't want him coming into this. I had opened my window on account of how hot I was, making my room as cold as the arctic.

I ran out of the bathroom and grabbed my bag. I ran over to the door and opened it, revealing Rowan with that usual tired look on his face when he first got me in the morning.

I attempted to try and cover up my illness and exhaustion. I knew this act wouldn't last for long though. He was practically my other half, and he was telekinetic, so he could kind of pick up whenever anything was off about me. I guess it was like a sixth sense because of the whole moving things with your mind thing.

He went in for a kiss like he usually did but I dodged it and hugged him instead. He raised his eyebrow at me a little bit.

"You feeling okay?"

"Yeah of course. I just woke up kinda early so I'm ready to start the day." Nice going idiot.

"Really? You're never like this. May I ask why you were up early?"

"I just kinda woke up for some water and ended up deciding not to go back to sleep. I'm just a little more motivated today I guess." I continued, moving down the hallways with him.

"Oh. Well okay then."

I let out a little sigh of relief, quiet enough so he couldn't hear me. When we arrived at class I took my usual seat next to him.

My entire body felt like it was on FIRE. I was certain Rowan could feel the heat radiating off of me. I was trying so hard to not do anything suspicious. It's not like Rowan would grill me for a cough or sneeze. But he would absolutely smother me if he knew about my condition right now.

I could feel him looking at me out of the corner of his eye for almost the entire lesson. I knew he was onto me, but I couldn't give in. I had to stick this out, or he would put me on bed rest for the next couple of days. I couldn't afford that. I hated falling behind because it was just more work I would have to make up.

I felt a burning in my lungs, then my throat. I had to cough. Whatever. Let one slip. It was cold in this class anyway.

I opened my mouth to cough. It wasn't even that bad, just a small one. To my surprise, as soon as I let it out my pen shot across the room.

Everyone looked at me.

"Sorry," I said looking up at everyone.

No way I was getting up to get my pen right now in front of everyone, so I just pulled out another one.

"Are sure you're okay y/n?" Rowan whispered to me.

"Yeah Row, just clearing my throat, nothing serious"

"Ok," he said, looking convinced enough for me to clear my mind.

I managed to get through the rest of our classes, only making one trip to the bathroom to puke. What a life.

We ended up going to lunch, sitting down with the rest of our friends. I sat next to Xavier as I usually did, Rowan on the other side. He and I had been friends for a long time, plus he stayed with my mom and me sometimes instead of going home for break. He was like my brother, and Rowan got along with him just as well.

Wednesday sat across from Xavier. They were a couple, but Xavier always preferred sitting opposite of her so he could draw the details of her face better. She looked up at me as we sat down. She frowned a little bit and pulled out the phone Xavier had got her.

I felt my phone buzz from inside my pocket. I looked at the text she sent.

It read-

I know you're sick. You look ill and your makeup is rubbing off.

I replied with-

Don't say anything, please. I don't feel like being smothered for the next few days.

She looked up at me and slightly nodded her head. Wednesday was also my best friend (you can imagine how excited I was when the two started dating) so she knew about how bothered I got when people took care of me.

I took my food out of my bag. I packed lunch since I had my kitchen. My friends were tired of the same "maybe cooking is my REAL power" joke.

I quickly threw it down, knowing I had to get some real substance in my stomach. Knowing I ate everything fast, I sat there waiting for bedtime else to get done, trying to keep my mind off of what would come up later.

Rowan looked over at me, seeing I had eaten all my food.

"Want some of mine?" He asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"No thank you." I felt pressure in my stomach.

"But I do have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." I continued.

I got up and left my seat, heading to the bathroom down the hall. Thankfully nobody was there, giving me at least a little privacy.

I closed the stall door and got on my knees, falling to the floor as I let my lunch out of my system.

When I finally got done I washed my hands and then washed my mouth out with some water.

I headed back slowly to the lunch room. On the way, I thought to myself.

I'm not getting any better. Which sucks. Oh well. Like goes on. I'll take some medicine after my classes and drink some water.

I got back and sat in my seat. As soon as I sat down everyone gathered their things and left, leaving me and Rowan.

"Lunch over already? That went fast." I laughed.

"Y/n. You were in the bathroom for 20 minutes. Are you sure everything's okay?"

He looked worried. It made me feel guilty, but it was a personal problem. I just wasn't covering it up well enough.

"It's nothing, Rowan. I'm fine." I smiled at him.

He stayed silent with the same worried look. Think think think. Say something that'll convince him.

"I'm serious. I've just got caught up talking to my mom in the hallway."

"Fine....but you're acting a little weird-"

"Cmon. We're gonna be late to class."

Two classes left. That's it. I just had to make it through two classes. The first class was easy, I felt fine and life went great. And the very last class was a breath of relief. That was the only class I didn't have with Rowan.

I sat next to Wednesday listening to the teacher drone on about the history of supernatural powers. Interesting class, boring teacher. We moved on to textbook work and Wednesday and I talked about the summer camp her parents forced her to go to when she was younger.

I suddenly felt my stomach shoot up a bolt of lightning-like pain. I clutched my stomach and laid my head on the desk.

"Sorry, Wen. This sickness is kicking my ass." I spoke up to her.

"Y/n. I know you don't like how Rowan gets all over you when you're sick, but this is pathetic. If you just let him take care of you maybe you'll get better."

"Wednesday. I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'll take some medicine when I get to my room and be fine."

"Whatever..." she said with no emotion.

Class ended and I made the slow trek up to my room. I think using my power to carry me would just drain me more. But these stairs made me want to die.

I got to my room and slammed my stuff down, not bothering to look where it landed. I took off my dumb uniform and pulled on some shorts and a tank top. I was still. Burning. Up.

It was the start of winter, so the window being open was like a blessing.

I brushed my teeth for what seemed like the thousandth time today, took the caked-on makeup off, and took out my braid. I hated having my hair up anyway. I'll just pull it out of my face if necessary.

I went down lay on my bed and saw him. Already sitting there. Shit. I must not have heard him come in.

I turned around from where he was sitting and almost went back into the bathroom to hide, but with a swipe of his hand, the door closed right in my face.

"No. Come here. Now." He said.

I was surprised at his sudden command. He usually wasn't ever like this. I walked over and stood in between his legs, acting innocent. Like nothing was wrong.

"What's up, babe?" I said, looking down and smiling a little.

He stood up over me with a serious look on his face.

"Y/n are you sick? Be honest with me."

"What? Oh my gosh no why would you thi-"

"Wednesday told me." He said, crossing his arms.

Bitch.

"Wednesday is delusional! You should know that by now Row."

"Oh really?"

"Yes!"

"Okay then prove it. Here."

There in his hand, he held out a thermometer.

"Rowan I shouldn't have to PROVE I'm not sick to you."

"Well if you're not sick then you have nothing to worry about."

I glared at him, watching the triumphant smirk grow on his face.

"Fine," I said with a huff.

I stuck the little glass stick in my mouth and sat on my bed. 10 minutes. And I glared at my boyfriend the whole time while he gave me a shit-eating grin.

When the 10 minutes timer went off, he grabbed it from my mouth before I could get ahold of it and lie.

"Damn. Nope. Lay down. Bed."

"Row. Come. Onnnnn." I protested.

"No. You have a temp of 103.8  are you kidding me?"

I stayed silent.

"How sick are you? What's been happening?"

"Nothing. I've just been throwing up here and there and got some minor stomach pain."

"So I'm guessing that means 'I've been throwing up nonstop and my stomach hurts like hell'."

"...accurate. I guess." I sighed.

"Listen I know you don't like being taken care of when you're sick. But it needs to be done. You need to tell me about these things."

"I know I know I know."

"My first sign should've been how freezing cold this room has been all day. Here take this."

He gave me some medicine and Tylenol for my stomach pains. Little shit. He then pulled over a trash can for me, just in case. I hate that he always knew just what to do.

He set a sheet down next to me on my nightstand with a few worksheets and page numbers written down.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Your homework for the next two days. I went around to your classes and got it for you. Told them you weren't feeling well. It's not much. But if you need any help I'm here."

I wanted to cry. God. He had always been so thoughtful. He put himself in my shoes a lot, which meant he paid more attention to detail. Also meaning when I was feeling down, so was he in a way.

I felt bad. I shouldn't have kept this from him. Here I was lying and all he wanted to do was help me.

He kissed me on my forehead and grabbed his stuff when he had given me everything I needed.

"Okay well. I know you need your space so. Text me if you need anything. Love you."

"Wait! Rowan."

He stood at the door and smiled back at me, knowing what was coming.

"Yes, love?"

"Can you stay, please? I know I was stubborn. But I think you being here is a part of the process."

He shut the door behind him and took his things off.

"Thought you'd never ask," he said with a smile.

He walked over like he owned the place. He then said.

"Wait. I need to change first."

He then walked into my closet, where most of his clothes were on account of how much time he spent in here, and changed into sweatpants and a hoodie.

He came over and got under all of my blankets. No matter how hot I was I immediately cuddled up next to him. He was cold anyway. I felt his hands rub my sides and I leaned into his touch more.

I nuzzled my face into his chest and hugged him tightly. I took in his usual smell of fresh air. He always smelled like cold, crisp air. Perfect.

I was kinda glad he found out. Maybe I would get used to this...

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THANKS FOR READING. DM ME IF YOU HAVE ANY REQUESTS!!

[captain039]

PART 2 Giving in to the wild side

Dean Winchester x reader

Warnings: AOB, mentions of past trauma, family death, hurt/comfort, mates, claiming, eventual smut, lots of feels

Continuation of Craving the wild side

Summary: after leaving the Dean Winchester case you quit your job you over your as normal as you could. You woke up, helped your mum, worked on the farm but you always felt that hole.

Not knowing if he show up or not you gave up on hoping till someone came knocking.

Last part <-

You awoke to your alarm and sighed hitting the stop with a huff. Champ barked making you jump a mile and glare at him, not that he understood.

“I don’t want a heart attack dude” you muttered and Champ tilted his head.

“Good dog” you rolled your eyes as you pulled yourself out of bed. You went to the toilet then to the kitchen to grab your mum her meds. You knocked lightly on her door as you walked in and gently woke her.

“Meds mum” you said and she groaned, definitely mother like daughter.

“Give em” she huffed sitting up and yawning.

“You want breakfast?” You asked and she shook her head.

“Sleep” she grunted and you chuckled whistling for Champ.

“Hey big boy” Your mum said as Champ laid down by her and she got comfortable again.

“Go back to sleep” she commented grumpily as you left smiling.

You laid down in your bed wanting to enjoy a sleep in but it never happened so you began your day. You needed to head to the grocery store. As you waited for your mum to awake you showered and had your own breakfast before making a list. Your mum came out in her fluffy robe and sat down in her recliner sighing.

“Breakfast? You asked and she nodded.

“Tea or coffee?” You asked putting on the kettle.

“Coffee love” she said still waking up.

After you prepared her breakfast you said you were going out and headed to your car.

You headed to the shops and sighed having to deal with people wasn’t amazing.

You grabbed a trolly and went up and down the isles grabbing what you needed before heading to the check out. The cashier gave a polite greeting before realising you weren’t the chatty type. You were thankful they could tell, you didn’t like talking that much. You paid and left, packed your car and headed home.

Dean sat nervously in the car, Sam had managed to find out where you lived and offered to take him. He went instantly No thought but now he was sweating.

“Hey, relax” Sam smiled and he glared at his brother.

“This is stalking” he said and Sam laughed.

“People take serious measures to find their mates” Sam chuckled.

“Yeah well this is creepy” Dean sighed clenching his fists.

“When we get there it’ll go away” Sam stated.

“Yeah Dean muttered.

Your farm was how you described it. Family home big enough for four, 1 story, nice porch with a barn to the left and paddocks around. Dean grew nervous when he saw no cars though as Sam parked.

“She’s not home we should go” Dean quickly said and Sam huffed. The door opened though an older woman there and a big white dog by her side, Champ.

“Get out” Sam laughed and Dean huffed getting out.

“You boys lost?” The woman called.

“No Ma’am” Sam said as they walked to the balcony.

“Well what’s handsome men like you doing out here” she smirked. Just then a car pulled in and Dean glanced before his heart stopped.

You frowned seeing another car in your driveway, you weren’t expecting any delivery’s or people. You parked seeing two men on the porch and got out.

“Everything-“ you froze seeing one turn around. It was Dean, Not feral and well, clothed too, clean shaven his hair cut nicely. Champ came running up to you happily and you subconsciously let him. Dean was tense, his eyes filled with emotion you couldn’t see from here.

“Hun?” Your mum called and you snapped out of your trance.

“Huh?” You blurted before flushing. You quickly busied yourself and opened your boot to grab the shopping.

“Y/n” Dean called but you tried to ignore it for some reason. You left him why the hell would he want to see you? Your dreams still continued even after you left and they exhausted you, you figured he’d find a job and forget about you. You shot up bumping your head in the process making you whimper. You went to hold your head but a hand was already their, a worried alpha in your personal space.

“You ok?” He asked checking your head.

“No blood, you’ll get a bump though, do you have ice?” He added and you stared at him. Your mouth opened and closed as you tried to form words. You were filled with so much emotion as your eyes began to water. He smiled softly pulling your head so you went to him. You cried then, arms going around him tightly as you breathed him in. Dean held you tightly too, head in your neck, he��d finally be able to smell you. You sobbed softly muttering sorry over and over again. He shook his head pulling back before cupping your cheeks and wiping your tears.

“I’m so sorry” you cried and he hushed you pressing a soft kiss to your head. You sighed closing your eyes as he stayed their for a moment. He had tears down his cheeks also but he had a smile.

“You had too” he said and you shook your head.

“No you did” he added and you deflated.

“It helped me, I got better I swore to get better for you so you’d never have to see me like that again” he whispered and stroked your cheek.

“I had some set backs but I got out, quickly too the docs were happy with how I was going” he smiled.

“I’m on a trial run at the moment I’ve been out for a week and a bit” he explained and you felt a smile. Champ barked at you and you laughed as Dean knelt down to let Champ sus him out.

“Oh your a big boy” he said as Champ sniffed and licked.

“Dog kisses are gross” he said and Champ barked.

“Maybe some are ok” he added giving Champ lots of pets. You laughed lightly wiping your eyes as you looked to your mum and the other man who you assumed was Sam. Your mum had a warm smile as did Sam, he looked proud and happy. Dean stood wiping his face as you laughed again which made him smile.

“I have to get the frozen stuff in” you said referring to the shopping.

“Course” Dean said grabbing some bags. You smiled lightly as you grabbed the rest and headed to the door.

“Come in” you said to Sam who followed behind. Your mum sat down while you and Dean put the shopping on the counter. You opened the fridge and turned seeing Dean already unpacking. He handed you the frozen stuff before you left the rest.

“Have a seat anywhere” you said as Sam and Dean sat.

“Uh drink?” You asked.

“No thank you” Sam smiled.

“I’m ok” Dean nodded.

“Got mine” your mum said holding up her cup.

“Ok” you said sitting down awkwardly.

“Geez introduce me at least” your mum huffed.

“Yes right sorry um” Sam chuckled lightly.

“Mum this is- this is Dean my-“ you faltered glancing to him as he smiled warmly.

“Mate” Dean finished.

“Dean in the flesh” your mum said smiling.

“My brother Sam” Dean said as Sam gave a little wave.

“Ilene” your mum said. You nodded hands in your lap, fiddling with your fingers.

“I uh-“ you gulped nerves on edge. You tried to gather your thoughts but you were over whelmed.

“Im sorry to show up like this” Dean said his calming pheromones reaching your nose.

“No, no it’s fine I’m-“ you stuttered a bit.

“She’s processing” your mum gave you a comforting smile and you nodded.

“I would’ve messaged you before hand, I don’t have your number though” Dean added.

“It’s ok” you said.

“How’s it going?” You said awkwardly.

“Sam let me show you the farm” Your mum said suddenly.

“Mum-“ you frowned getting up to help her.

“Oh shut up, I’m not that old yet” she huffed and you gave a worried look.

“Talk” she whispered holding your hands.

“Just talk” she smiled slowly walking outside with Sam.

“My mum-“ you stopped.

“She’s sick” Dean said and you nodded.

“I can sense it” Dean said and you nodded. Anytime someone got terminally ill their scents would change, their normal scent with something wrong and dull, just a reminder. You sat down again by Dean avoiding eye contact.

“Im sorry” you said feeling tears again and Dean shuffled and held your hand.

“Why?” He asked.

“Everything I did” you sighed wiping your eyes with your free hand.

“You didn’t do anything” he smiled.

“What, what happened when I left?” You muttered and he tensed a little.

“I was in a feral state for weeks, I didn’t snap out of it I was avoiding my emotions my feelings, then one day I crawled out of that hole, I swore to myself I’d see you and be normal when I did, I did everything they said, I took my lessons everyday, my medication every day and it got easier, it felt real like I was going somewhere” he smiled.

“I was allowed to call Sam within my last month, we talked an hour a day before I was finally released. To see him all grown up, successful, a mate and a big house. I was so happy I got him out” he added as you clenched his hand.

“I stayed at his house in their spare room, one of their spare rooms” he chuckled.

“I got a phone, an ID, credit card, I learned how to use my phone better. I downloaded Facebook and looked you up” he admitted a tinge on his cheeks.

“Why didn’t you send me a request?” You asked chuckling.

“I was worried about stalking” he blushed and you laughed softly.

“It’s stalking when you don’t send a friend request” you teased and he huffed.

“Sam finally found you somehow I don’t know he won’t tell me” Dean huffed.

“He’s a lawyer isn’t he?” You asked and he nodded.

“Some big time one” Dean chuckled.

“I was so nervous the whole way here, seeing you for the first time in months, I almost didn’t come” he sighed softly.

“I’m happy I did though” he smiled looking to you. You kept his gaze admiring his green forest eyes.

“I never stopped dreaming about you” he chuckled embarrassed.

“Neither” you muttered and he frowned lightly.

“I googled it actually” you chuckled.

“Mates once they meet, have dreams about each while away from one another, like a mind connection thing, I don’t know, doctors can’t explain it” you shrugged.

“But you’re here now” you whispered and he smiled.

“I’m here now”

Next part ->

Tags:

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@globetrotter28

@deans-spinster-witch

@sassy-pelican

@bluedragonflylady

@lyarr24

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[wilcoxenplumbing]

Clogged Drainline: What to Do in Johnson City, TX

Hey guys! Well, if you have ever had to face this horrid thing called a clog down in your drainline, you know it can transform an excellent day into a complete plumbing nightmare. Being from Johnson City, TX, and stuck in a situation with a stubborn block, you should remember that we help you out in the form of giving the best tips on how to handle this particular predicament through amazing drainline services in Johnson City, TX. Here's what you do in case of encountering a clogged drainline and when calling professionals is necessary.

1. Stay Calm and Assess the Situation

First things first—take a deep breath. Panicking won't help, but a quick assessment will. Is the clog causing a minor inconvenience or a major backup? Check if the clog is confined to one sink or if several fixtures are affected. These can give you clues as to the severity and possible cause of the clog.

2. Try the Plunger

Before you call in the cavalry, reach for a trusty plunger. Incredibly simple, yet sometimes amazingly effective. Use the appropriate type of plunger: flange plungers work best on toilets, while a cup plunger may be used on sinks and drains.

Sinks: Place the plunger over the drain and make certain it is a good seal. Just push down and pull up real quick in order to create suction. You may need to do this several times before whatever is clogging the sink is no longer there.

Toilets: Make sure there is enough water in the bowl to cover the cup of the plunger. Proceed just like above with force, yet be careful not to splash.

3. Use a Drain Snake

When the plunger won't work, that's when the big guns are pulled out of the drain snake. A drain snake, otherwise known as an auger, is a long, flexible tool that can reach further down inside the pipes to break up blockages or pull them out. Push the snake into the drain and turn it slowly. You might feel resistance; this may be the blockage. Keep on turning until you feel the blockage release.

Note: If you are not comfortable with using a drain snake, it's a good idea to call in a professional, as it might further damage your pipes if it is not used correctly.

4. Homemade Drain Cleaner

Do-it-yourself cleaner: Mix half a cup of baking soda and vinegar in a ratio, then pour it down the drain. Allow it to sit for about 15-20 minutes, then flush with hot water. This will help in breaking minor blockages and cleaning out the residue.

Tip: Avoid using commercially available chemical cleaners for drains since most of them destroy your pipes and are not effective against serious blockages.

5. Call in the Professionals

Sometimes, the clog may just be too stubborn despite trying your best to get it off. This is where drainline services in Johnson City, TX,come into play. If the methods mentioned above have been put to work and yet aren't helping to eliminate the problem, it may be time to call in the pros for an emergency drain cleaning.

Emergency Drain Cleaning: Experts use proper equipment and methods that can deal with the most persistent blockages. They are also capable of determining if there is some hidden problem that acts as a catalyst for clogs.

Emergency Plumbing Repair: If the blockage has resulted in serious damage, or if you are facing many plumbing problems, you can then seek emergency plumbing repair to get this issue resolved efficiently and as soon as possible.

6. Prevention of Future Clogs

Once you have cleared this present clog, here are some precautionary measures to ensure your drains remain free:

Do not use grease and large food scraps down the drain. Place a strainer in your drain to catch any debris.

Regular maintenance: Make regular services of drainlines part of your routine maintenance to keep your pipes intact and find problems well before they are out of hand.

Conclusion

With these tips, you are pretty well equipped to handle most situations that concern a clogged drainline. Remember, in case of doubt or a persistent, stubborn clog that just refuses to move, consult for an emergency drain cleaning or emergency plumbing repair service. For all of your plumbing needs in Johnson City, TX, the pros at Wilcoxen Plumbing have got your back! Stay cool, stay tuned, and happy unclogging!

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or require further assistance. We are literally one call away!

[coastdbbakersfields]

What is the importance of bathroom remodeling?

Making changes to the bathroom is a fun thing to do for you as well as your house because it has numerous advantages. Are you willing to make your bathroom an area you'll be happy to show off? Try bathroom remodeling Bakersfield, where plumbers and bathroom remodelers can help you with any kind of bathroom remodel! As you think about remodeling your bathroom while creating plans for how big the job will be, think about the five good things that remodeling your bathroom can do for your home.

● Better safety

We put safety first when we think about the pros of remodeling our bathroom. Broken or broken tiles, crooked floors, lead-based paint, mildew and mold, and other things can be dangerous in old bathrooms. It's easy to fix all of such safety issues and add additional security measures at the same time during a bathroom update. For example, general contractor Bakersfield can add non-slip flooring, grab bars, portable shower heads, walk-in tubs, as well as chair-height toilets. This will help make your bathroom safer right now and down the road as well. Keeping these bathroom remodeling tips in mind may assist you stay in your residence longer or safeguard you a lot of money on healthcare costs from mishaps. No matter what stage of life you're in, talk to our bathroom makeover team about how to make your bathroom safer and easier to get to.

● More efficient use of energy

The latest toilet is what will really save you money on your energy bills, even though changing the lights is a simple way to make the bathroom more energy efficient. A toilet that is 30 years old uses about 3.5 to 6 liters of water each flush, while a toilet that is newer needs only 1.28 gallons each flush. 173–368% less water! Improvements to toilets and lights are not only better for the natural world, but they also save money on energy bills, which comes up to big savings over time. You can also choose a general contractor bakersfield who knows how to last longer and are better for the environment.

● Adding more features

It's possible that the layout of your bathroom and home wasn't the best to start with, or your wants and way of life have evolved over time. If that sounds like you or someone you know, bathroom remodeling Bakersfield might be the best way to make your house and bathroom more useful for you and your loved ones. You can make your bathroom more useful by making the most of the space you have, adding storage, making the room bigger, installing bigger drain pipes for better drainage, incorporating heated floors and more lighting, as well as more!

● Improved style and looks

You utilize a lot of time in the bathroom, even if you don't know it. It should be a room that you really like! You might want to update your bathroom if it's old, out of date, or just doesn't fit your style. Going into a place you love may truly enhance your happiness, make you more productive, and lower your stress. ● Home value increases

Finally, one of the best things about remodeling your bathroom is that it can raise the value of your house. HGTV says that a small bathroom makeover has an average return of 102% when it comes time to sell.

A bathroom makeover can make the house more appealing to potential buyers, that can help you move it faster. It can also raise the value of your home overall.

[devotedlyhopefulcolor]

A Comprehensive Guide to Pump Control Systems

In our daily lives, we take for granted the constant flow of water, whether it's for drinking, showering, flushing toilets, or watering our gardens. But behind the scenes, a complex network of pumps and control systems ensures that water reaches where it needs to be, at the right pressure and volume. Let me share to you some good things for having it.

Understanding the Need for Pump Control

Water pumps are the workhorses of any plumbing system, responsible for moving water from its source to its destination. However, simply installing a pump isn't enough. We need a mechanism to regulate the flow and pressure of the water to prevent issues like:

Water hammer: This phenomenon occurs when a pump suddenly shuts off, causing a surge of pressure that can damage pipes and fittings.

Constant cycling: Without proper control, the pump might turn on and off frequently, even when there's minimal water demand, wasting energy and reducing its lifespan.

Inconsistent pressure: Fluctuations in pressure can lead to problems like low flow at faucets or malfunctioning appliances.

Introducing Pump Control Systems: Taking Command of the Flow

Pump control systems address these challenges by providing an intelligent layer between the pump and the water supply. They act as the brain of the system, monitoring various parameters and adjusting pump operation accordingly. Here are some of the key components of a typical pump control system:

Pressure sensors: These sensors monitor the water pressure in the system and send signals to the controller.

Flow sensors: These sensors measure the rate at which water is flowing through the system.

Controllers: The controller is the central unit that receives signals from the sensors and determines when to turn the pump on or off, based on pre-programmed settings or real-time demand.

Variable speed drives (VSDs): In some systems, VSDs are used to adjust the speed of the pump motor, allowing for more precise control over water flow and pressure.

Benefits of Implementing Pump Control Systems: A Multifaceted Advantage

Integrating pump control systems into your water system offers several advantages:

Prevents water hammer: By gradually ramping down the pump when it shuts off, the system eliminates the pressure surge, protecting your pipes and fittings from damage.

Reduces energy consumption: By optimizing pump operation and eliminating unnecessary cycling, pump control systems can significantly reduce energy consumption, leading to cost savings on your electricity bills.

Extends pump life: By preventing water hammer and ensuring the pump operates within its optimal parameters, pump control systems contribute to a longer lifespan for your pump.

Maintains consistent pressure: The system ensures consistent water pressure throughout the system, regardless of demand fluctuations, preventing issues like low flow or malfunctioning appliances.

Improves system automation: Pump control systems can be integrated with other smart home technologies, allowing for remote monitoring and control of your water system.

Choosing the Right Pump Control System: Tailoring the Solution to Your Needs

With a diverse range of pump control systems available, selecting the right one for your specific needs is crucial. Here are some factors to consider:

Type of pump: Different pumps, such as centrifugal, submersible, or jet pumps, may require compatible control systems.

System size and complexity: The size and complexity of your water system will influence the features and functionalities you need in a control system.

Desired level of automation: Consider how much control you want over the system and whether you require remote monitoring capabilities.

Budget: Pump control systems vary in price depending on their features and complexity.

Partnering with a Water System Expert: Ensuring Optimal Performance

While pump control systems offer numerous benefits, proper installation and configuration are essential for optimal performance. Partnering with a qualified water system expert like WaterTech Plus can provide several advantages:

Expert guidance: They can help you choose the right pump control system based on your specific needs and system requirements.

Professional installation: They ensure the system is installed correctly and configured to function optimally.

Ongoing support: They offer ongoing maintenance and support to ensure your pump control system operates smoothly for years to come.

Conclusion: Taking Control of Your Water Flow

Pump control systems play a vital role in ensuring efficient, reliable, and safe operation of your water system. By understanding their functionalities, benefits, and the factors to consider when choosing a system, you can make informed decisions that optimize water flow, reduce costs, and extend the lifespan of your pump.

[manhattansewerdrain]

Clogged Drain Emergencies: What to Do When Water Won’t Flow

Are you facing the frustrating and inconvenient issue of a clogged drain in Manhattan NY? Water not flowing down the drain as it should is a common problem that can disrupt your daily routine and lead to a host of other plumbing issues if left unattended. In this comprehensive guide, we, as experienced professionals, will walk you through the steps to address clogged drain emergencies effectively. 

Understanding the Causes of Clogged Drains

Before we delve into solutions, it's essential to comprehend the factors that contribute to clogged drains. A clear understanding will help you prevent future blockages more effectively.

1. Accumulated Debris

Over time, debris such as hair, soap scum, food particles, and dirt can accumulate in your drainpipes. This buildup restricts the flow of water and eventually leads to blockages.

2. Grease and Fat Buildup

Pouring grease and fat down the kitchen sink may seem harmless, but it's a significant contributor to clogged drains. These substances congeal and form blockages in your plumbing.

3. Foreign Objects

Sometimes, objects like jewelry, toys, or even toiletries can accidentally find their way into your drains, causing obstructions.

4. Tree Roots

In older properties, invasive tree roots can infiltrate your sewer lines, causing severe blockages that require professional attention.

Also, read for 5 Dangers of a Blocked Drain in Your Home

DIY Solutions for Minor Clogs

When faced with a minor clog, there are several DIY methods you can employ to clear the drain and restore water flow.

1. Plunger

A plunger is a simple yet effective tool for dislodging minor clogs in sinks and toilets. Ensure you have a good seal, then plunge vigorously to create pressure and dislodge the blockage.

2. Baking Soda and Vinegar

This natural remedy can work wonders for minor clogs. Start by pouring a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down the drain. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, then flush with hot water.

3. Drain Snake

A drain snake, also known as a plumbing auger, is a handy tool for reaching deep into your pipes to break up and remove clogs. Use it cautiously to avoid damaging your plumbing.

When to Call Manhattan Sewer Drain Services 

While DIY solutions can often clear minor clogs, some situations call for professional assistance. Here are some indicators that it's time to reach out to Manhattan Sewer Drain services:

1. Repeated Clogs

If you find yourself dealing with frequent clogs in the same drain, there may be an underlying issue that requires professional inspection.

2. Slow-Draining Water

When water drains at a sluggish pace, it could signal a significant blockage further down the line, which DIY methods may not resolve.

3. Foul Odors

Unpleasant odors emanating from your drains may indicate a more severe problem in your plumbing system.

4. Gurgling Sounds

Gurgling noises coming from your drains can be a sign of trapped air due to blockages. It's crucial to address this issue promptly.

Preventing Future Clogs

After addressing your current clogged drain emergency, it's essential to take preventive measures to avoid such issues in the future.

1. Install Drain Screens

Using drain screens in your sinks and bathtubs can help catch debris before it goes down the drain, preventing blockages.

2. Regular Maintenance

Consider scheduling routine plumbing maintenance to identify and address potential issues before they become major problems.

3. Responsible Disposal

Avoid pouring grease, fat, or foreign objects down your drains, as these are common culprits for clogs.

Conclusion

Clogged drain emergency can disrupt your daily life, but with the right knowledge and tools, you can effectively address and prevent these issues. While DIY solutions work for minor clogs, don't hesitate to contact Manhattan Sewer Drain services at +1-(212) 641-0256 when you encounter more challenging plumbing problems. By understanding the causes, implementing DIY solutions, and knowing when to seek professional help, you can keep your plumbing in excellent working condition.

Original Source: https://bit.ly/3Mvg37b

[helloemergencyservices]

How to replace a toilet

Do your homework

Make sure the floor where the toilet will be placed is level. If it is not, you will need to use shims to level the toilet once it is in place. Then measure from the wall to the retaining bolt. Most drains are either 30 or 25 cm long; buy the toilet in the appropriate size or buy a special offset toilet flange.

Remove the old toilet

To learn how to replace a toilet, you need to get rid of the old toilet. First, turn off the water. Then flush the toilet and remove the remaining water with a sponge. Unplug the water line and unscrew the mounting nuts. If the nuts are rusted tight, try using penetrating oil to loosen them. Or cut the nuts off with a hacksaw. Then lift out the toilet and remove the used wax ring.

Prepare the new toilet bowl

Carefully remove the new toilet bowl from its packaging and place it upside down on a padded surface, such as a rug or folded tablecloth. Spread a piece of plumber's putty around the perimeter of the bottom of the bowl and place a wax ring over the drain opening. Make sure the four retaining screws are in good condition and replace them as needed.

Install the bowl

Return the bowl to its upright position and carefully place it on the flange of the toilet. Make sure the retaining screws line up with the holes in the base. Using both hands, press the bowl down firmly and align it to allow the wax ring to compress and seal around the flange. Slip a metal washer and nut over each bolt and tighten slowly. Do not over tighten the bolts or the shell may break.

Prepare the tank

First, place the nozzle gasket, beveled side down, over the inlet port of the tank. It forms the seal between the tank and the bowl. For older connections, you can also slide the gasket onto the threaded piece at the bottom of the tank.

Inserting the tank

Carefully lower the tank onto the bowl, aligning the holes in the tank with those on the back of the bowl. Secure the tank to the bowl using the bolts, washers, and nuts provided. Make sure the rubber washer under the screw fits inside the tank.

Attach water supply

Complete the installation by connecting the water supply line. The easiest way is to use flexible plastic or chrome-plated supply pipe. You can also use chrome-plated flexible copper pipes and compression fittings.

Call the Emergency Plumber in Basingstoke. We are available around the clock. Call us now, 01256594007.

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

396 of 2023

Unpopular health and wellbeing opinions

Chiropractic is (for the most part) a load of bullspunk. Lemon water’s supposed benefits are completely placebo effect and based on bad science. Motivational authors/speakers are frauds scammers and salesman. Packaged foods can be healthy. Some forms of religious ritual can be very beneficial to mental and emotional health (others are utterly toxic). Noise (especially vehicle noise) should get way more recognition and priority as a public health issue. To feel well is nearly impossible when your brain is very loud and destroy everything also the rare "good" moments. Way too much health and wellness media is literally fucking up people's wellness by fear-mongering about certain foods being horrible for you. It's fun to laugh at alternative medicine, but it's also important to recognise that a lot of people turn to it because the medical system has failed them. A person's weight is a poor measurement of their health. Public spaces should have areas that are friendlier to people with sensory issues. Sometimes an action or product that's physically not very healthy is still worth using if it has psychological and emotional benefits. Moral prohibitions against partial nudity are bad in general. Intentionally only sleeping 4-5 hours a night (as in for bragging rights, not because you don't really have a choice due to responsibilities, insomnia, etc.) isn't impressive, it's dangerous to others. Every dollar spent on seeing a naturopath would probably do you more good if you flushed it down the toilet. Citalopram is (edit: usually) just the 'we don't know what the fuck to do with you anymore' pill. Most of the evidence against diet soft drinks is flimsy. Everyone should be offered the option to communicate with their therapist via email/text/writing, partially because of anxiety but mostly because things can easily get twisted to make a person look 'unstable/incompetent' unless it's in writing When it comes to health and wellbeing misinformation google is probably a bigger offender than facebook. Being self-critical and thinking about all your own mistakes is a disease in itself that I will never be able to defeat. It's very bad to self criticise based on the expectations of people who don't know you and don't know your life. You're not obligated to do things you can't do because other people think you should do those things. Your wellbeing matters more than appeasing other people's ignorance, especially when their ignorance dehumanises you and serves power and privilege against you. The glycaemic index is a little overrated (unless you're diabetic). It is important to skip breakfast and give your metabolism an extra few hours of rest. Eating fruits is not as good for you as people think it is. Overeating is way too normalised in our society. Obesity has little to do with genetics. It is mostly a lifestyle problem with too much highly palatable ultra-processed food and no portion control. Starvation mode isn’t real and is used as buzzword. Therapy is not as useful for everyone as most people think, especially if you are already self aware about your problems and where they stem from. People like to tell people to just go to therapy when they have problems and ignore that its not accessible to everyone and that having access to therapy is a privilege. Healthy at every size is a logical fallacy. Therapists can be dangerous because they can make people believe things about themselves or their patients which are not necessarily true. Stereotypes are harmful and you shouldn't assume things about other people's health. Examples are assuming all east asians are naturally skinny or all quiet people are depressed. Just because someone is fat or even obese does not mean they have an ed. Doctors should find out what the cause of the problem is before prescribing medication. Children should not have to change in order to not be bullied. As of recently, having ADHD has become a 'quirky' personality trait for many and it's what makes people who actually experience these issues silent sufferers. Mental illnesses are not a trend.

[suburbanplumbingexperts]

How to Avoid Plumbing Emergencies When You're Out of Town

Going out of town can be a wonderful experience, but the last thing you want to worry about is a plumbing emergency occurring in your home while you're away. Plumbing emergencies can lead to significant damage and costly repairs, so it's important to take preventative measures before you leave. In this article, we will discuss several tips to help you avoid plumbing emergencies when you're out of town.

1. Shut Off the Main Water Supply

One of the most effective ways to prevent plumbing emergencies is to shut off the main water supply to your home. Locate the main water shut-off valve, typically found near your water meter, and turn it off before you leave. This will eliminate the risk of water leaks, burst pipes, and flooding caused by plumbing failures.

2. Drain the Plumbing System

After shutting off the main water supply, it's essential to drain your plumbing system to prevent any remaining water from causing damage. Begin by turning on all faucets, including outdoor spigots, to allow the water to drain. Next, flush all toilets and run the dishwasher and washing machine on empty to remove any excess water. Don't forget to turn off the water heater to avoid it running dry and potentially getting damaged.

3. Inspect and Repair Leaks

Prior to leaving for your trip, it's crucial to inspect your plumbing system for any existing leaks. Even small leaks can worsen over time and lead to significant issues. Examine all visible pipes, faucets, and appliances for any signs of leaks, such as puddles or water stains. If you notice any leaks, it's important to repair them before you go or hire a professional plumber near you to fix the problem.

4. Clear the Drains

Clogged drains can cause backups and potential flooding. Before you go out of town, make sure to clear all drains in your home. Remove debris from sink and shower drains by using a drain snake or pouring a mixture of vinegar and baking soda down the drain followed by hot water. This will help prevent blockages and reduce the risk of water overflowing from the drains.

5. Inform a Trusted Neighbor or Friend

It's always a good idea to inform a trusted neighbor or friend about your upcoming trip. Provide them with your contact information and let them know how to access your home in case of an emergency. They can keep an eye on your property and check for any signs of plumbing problems, such as water leaks or unusual odors. If an issue arises, they can contact you or a professional plumber to handle the situation promptly.

6. Consider Installing a Water Leak Detection System

For added peace of mind, consider installing a water leak detection system in your home. These systems use sensors to detect any water leaks and send alerts to your smartphone or a monitoring service. If a leak is detected, you can take immediate action even if you're far away, minimizing potential damage.

7. Hire a Professional Plumbing Inspection

If you're planning an extended trip or have concerns about the state of your plumbing system, it may be worth hiring a professional plumbing inspection before you leave. A licensed plumber can thoroughly inspect your pipes, fixtures, and appliances, identifying any potential issues that could lead to emergencies. They can also provide recommendations and perform necessary repairs, ensuring your home is plumbing problem-free while you're away.

Conclusion

By following these tips, you can significantly reduce the risk of plumbing emergencies while you're out of town. Taking preventative measures such as shutting off the main water supply, draining the plumbing system, inspecting and repairing leaks, clearing the drains, and informing a trusted neighbor or friend can help keep your home safe from water damage and provide you with peace of mind during your trip. If in doubt, always consult a nearby plumber who can assist you in ensuring the plumbing system is in optimal condition before you leave.

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The Ultimate Toilet Cleaning Regime

Research from Bloo, the UK’s number one toilet hygiene cleaning brand, reveals that Brits spend over 20 months (625 days) on the loo in their lifetime! Since we spend so much of our time on the toilet, it is important to keep hygiene levels high. While applying some toilet cleaner in and around the bowl every now and then is a good start, the experts at Bloo have shared the ultimate toilet cleaning regime to really make it sparkle and shine. Before we get stuck in, we would always advise people not to use bleach with cleaners as some contain ingredients which can release harmful gases if mixed. For example, descaling products and bleach should not be used together. Finally, remember to put on protective gloves for good measure! Step one: Deep clean the rim and bowl (once or twice week) Start by applying a liquid or gel toilet cleaner inside the full rim of the toilet. Allow this to soak in to really help lift off any dirt. Use a toilet brush to scrub the bowl clean and pay extra attention to the rim, with it being out of sight, it can get very grimy! Step two: Keep the rim Clean & Fresh Now you’ve scrubbed the rim and bowl clean, you’ll want to do the most to make the sparkle and your efforts last longer. You can do this by inserting a rim block such as ‘Bloo Brilliant Gel’ which protects against adhering dirt and offers a fresh scent experience. Remove the foil and place on the rim where the waterflow is strongest and with each flush you’ll keep your rim clean & fresh! Step three: Deep clean the toilet pipes (Once a month) Stains and limescale don’t just build up in visible areas of the loo. You’d be surprised at what lurks beneath the bowl, inside your toilet pipes and where the brush is difficult to reach. So, for deep pipe cleaning without the fuss of scrubbing, use toilet tabs which fights through scale and stains. For stubborn dirt leave overnight and for lighter build up wait for a couple of hours before flushing through. Step four: It’s what’s inside that counts You may rarely think about your toilet cistern but keeping it clean with the right products is a vital part of maintaining a hygienic loo. Did you know there’s one nifty little cube that can keep your loo hygienic and fresh? Place one Bloo Toilet Block cube inside the tank on the opposite side of the water flow. No need to remove the film as this dissolves in the water. The self-foaming technology and active ingredients of the formula cleans from the tank right down into the toilet bowl, preventing limescale build up and leaving a fresh scent after every flush. Step five: Make your throne sparkle – the best seat in the house! Now the inside of your loo has received the royal treatment, take an all-purpose disinfectant spray and spray the outside of the toilet, seat and lid. Using a cloth or sponge, wipe everything clean, making sure to get in between the hinges, base and around the floor. Read the full article