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bestintheparsec · 5 years ago

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The Same Coin - Part 2

Masterlist

Pairing: Javier Peña x Reader

A/N: The pace is ~slowly picking up for these two😌 I didn’t allow any pining yet but it shall come soon and I hope you like the mild softness in this part😏 I hope you like this one, and as always thank you so much for any feedback!

Words: 3.0k

Warnings: a hint of angst, slow roast burn?, a crumb of Tender™

You roll your neck and shoulders, trying to relieve some of the aches from the day. As of late, you’ve been sedentary at work, and it’s starting to have an effect on your muscles. You look across the desk at Steve, who’s been in the same boat. This new management is really starting to get on your last nerve. Lately they've been restricting the amount of time you're in the field. Before anything makes it to your desk, it has to first collect dust on the ambassador’s, then the colonel’s, then Messina’s. They’ve claimed all this funneling of information is for “efficiency”—you’re not entirely sure they know what the word means. By the time any intel makes it into your hands, it may as well have never been reported at all. You can imagine the laughs this system has given Escobar as he continues to be a free man from one day to the next.

Steve puts out his cigarette and meets your tired eyes. “You good for the day?” he asks, the same exhaustion in his own voice.

“I’m going to try to get ahead on some of tomorrow’s bullshit before I head out,” you say with a sigh. “Can you take some of Peña’s stuff to him if you get home first? I’ll bring the rest after.”

He nods and stands up, tucking his gun behind his back before grabbing the files and heading out. Your desk lamp is the only thing lighting up the space as you work quickly to get the files sorted. You’re the last one here, but you’re nearly as alone as you are during the day, with only your thoughts and the messy stack of papers keeping you company.

“That’s all we had for today,” you say, dropping the heavy stack of files onto the marble countertop. The large red stamp that says “CLASSIFIED” across the top of each folder is deceiving in its urgency; it’s more than likely just another pile of useless leads that Escobar’s already one step ahead of. But it has to be sorted through nonetheless, much to Javier’s annoyance—another long night of mindless paperwork awaits.

Javier’s off his crutches and back to work now, but only to an extent. He’s still unable to walk fully without a limp, and is currently assigned to working from home unless absolutely necessary—though he’s convinced that this is less about his safety and more about preventing him from going on another undisclosed mission. He’s only been back at the embassy a handful of times since getting shot, but if he can’t be involved in the action out on the field he may as well stay in his own place and let you and Murphy deal with the assholes that hover over everything you do.

He skims the stack of documents before looking up at you. “This is all?” he jeers sarcastically, raising his brows.

“Hey, you didn’t have to deal with the shit that Steve and I had to look over today,” you remark. “Consider yourself lucky.”

Yeah. Another fucking wasted day. Real lucky, he thinks, huffing quietly as he flips the first folder open.

He observes silently as your eyes dart to the medication bottle on the counter, then to the kitchen. You carry the same tension in your posture every time you come over here—always making sure things are in their place, even off-duty. He almost rolls his eyes, but unconsciously stops himself before you turn back to him.

You don’t say anything, but he knows you’re just itching to mention the excess bottles of liquor, or the lack of any real food on his shelves. He’s been taking his meds and cleaning his wound like he’s supposed to, if only so you would leave him the hell alone about it. Or maybe you were starting to get to him, more than he thought—and certainly more than he’s allowed.

“Do you need anything else?” you ask, tapping your fingers on the counter. It’s all become routine now—you ask if he needs anything, he replies that he’s a functional adult again and therefore should just be left alone. The usual. Though he’s recently noticed you don’t fidget with your hands or the fabric of your clothes as much anymore, for a reason he doesn’t know—why he’s caught on to this, he doesn’t know either.

Javier shakes his head, pulling out his pack of cigarettes and lighting one.

“Well, then...I’ll leave you to it,” you continue. He watches as you leave his apartment for what has to be the thirtieth time, quietly locking the door behind you—as if he can’t do it himself—the familiar sound of metal clicking into place followed by your footsteps fading away.

As you drop off today's documents, you wonder if Peña notices the slight change in your voice, the growing darkness under your eyes. Steve certainly had. “You look like hell,” he'd told you at the office today. Truthfully, you’re just tired. Tired of running in circles and chasing someone who might as well be a ghost; a ghost that leaves chaos in its wake and haunts you at night. Tired of bosses who don't seem to have a sense of urgency about any of it. So you probably do look a bit rough. But you’re too preoccupied to care.

“Murphy told me it was a long day,” Javier comments, breaking your momentary reverie. You look up at him.

It's been longer than that.

He takes a sip from his glass and gestures up and down at you with his free hand. Your hair’s a mess and your blouse is untucked and unbuttoned all the way, revealing the tank top you’re wearing underneath. “Have you, uh, slept recently?” he asks with a smirk on his face, his tone laced with teasing. You’re not in the mood for it.

“I don't want to fucking hear it, Peña.” You say it in such a way that it wipes the grin off his face.

If he’s bothered by your remark, he makes no indication of it. Instead of responding, he leans against the counter, waiting for you to continue.

“Work was work, but the ambassador gave us hell,” you explain, abruptly slamming today’s files down on the counter. “I don’t know what anybody’s problem is anymore—do they want to catch these bastards or not?”

Javier meets your eyes, speculating when the last time you actually got some rest was, if you slept as restlessly as he did. He quickly pushes the thought away—why should he be concerned? But he nods anyways, knowing the feeling well.

“I have access to better CIs than the bullshit we're given,” he remarks. “You're the one who won’t get on board.”

Your mouth twitches, and you can't resist. “Another informant? Jesus, Peña, doesn’t your leg hurt?”

He glowers at you. "Not that kind of informant," he quips, muttering under his breath.

“Anyways, I don’t know what’s worse, mindless paperwork, or busting our asses while trying not to get killed out there,” you say under your breath, mostly to yourself.

A brief silence passes. “I know,” he finally says with resignation. He rubs the area over his brow bone, seeming to contemplate what else to say. “I know how those assholes are,” he adds, and you’re surprised that it sounds genuine.

The lack of a sarcastic response is unexpected. It’s almost as if a silent but mutual understanding has materialized between you, and you’re not quite sure how to feel about it. For now, at least, it’s a somewhat nice change.

Your lips curve into a reluctant smile. “But I have to deal with those assholes, and you, too,” eliciting an eye roll and soft chuckle from him.

Another few ticks of the clock go by before you both turn to the stack of documents. Peña sighs.

You don’t know what overcomes you when you speak again. “I can help you go through it...if you want,” you offer with a shrug, though it sounds like a question.

He looks at you, a brow raised. “Why?”

You want to answer but you’re not too sure yourself. “The faster we can get this shit done, the sooner we can get back on the field.” Just this once, you think. If Peña’s thrown off by your suggestion, he doesn’t let it show.

Without another word, you each take half of the pile and get to work.

There are many things you’ve never noticed about Peña’s apartment before—you ponder this as you sit on his couch, leaning over the coffee table perusing today’s documents. You’ve been here too many times now, but have never paid attention to the smaller things. The frames that line his wall don’t contain photos of other people, but of a few dogs; presumably his, but it makes you wonder if he’s not close enough to anyone to have a picture of them. There’s a lot of books stashed away on some shelves, covered in dust but worn as though they were once well-loved. A month ago you would’ve thought the only books Peña read were those titled How to Be an Asshole 101. But most of all, you realize his apartment is just about as empty as your own; minimal decor and just the essentials. The years have gone by here in Colombia, but you have never bothered to make the place feel more like home. A job is a job. Things may change by the minute when you’re DEA, but somehow the days are all exactly the same. A heavy conscience is all that fills your empty apartment, and that’s more than enough clutter for you.

You snap out of it when he comes out of the bathroom, having just changed his bandages. The bullet wound has mostly resolved—that's what he tells you, anyways. But he still walks with the limp, and you can tell he hates it; you know he’s not someone who can sit still and do nothing for such long periods of time. Fortunately—or not—he can do some work at home. Somehow you’ve found yourself staying over more often to help get the work done; much more than the one-time occasion you'd convinced yourself it would be. At first it’s just a few spare evenings, quiet nights that would have been dull anyways; a few extra hours after work here and there, slowly making a dent in the piles of busy work you’re given. Steve comes over occasionally, but he actually has someone to go home to so it’s never for too long.

Several times you argue over the correct method to go about hunting down a new lead—conventional versus methodical, straight-forward versus roundabout. You bite the inside of your cheek when he doesn’t agree and he groans with exasperation. But how much of it actually matters? you wonder. At the end of the day, Escobar still walks free. The last time you were on the field together, La Quica slipped from your fingers, and then some.

At some point, you attempt to explain your thought process; the reasoning, the logic. It’s not the first time you’ve tried to, but for some reason, Javier listens. Really listens. And, even stranger to him, he starts to understand. His world doesn’t turn and he won’t change his mind anytime soon, but he slowly figures you out. And somehow, the few hours you spend in his flat have slowly turned into longer evenings that go well past midnight.

It takes you longer, but down the line you unwittingly start to understand him, too; not a lot, and not completely by any means. But for the first time since working with him, you no longer have this urge to shoot daggers with your eyes when you look at him.

Tonight looks to be another one of those long nights. You rest your chin on your hand, watching as Peña plots out a map of the city, narrowing down the potential hideouts of Escobar’s men. These late nights are getting to you, and you let out a big yawn without noticing. He stops mid-sentence and meets your eyes, and for a second you think you see a hint of amusement; it’s quickly replaced by his usual stoic expression.

You take a moment to stretch your arms and back, and Peña gets up to walk over to the kitchen. You decide to move to the floor for a change, crossing your legs on the cold, hard tile. He comes back with two glasses and a bottle of liquor he didn’t even have to read the label on before grabbing.

“Drink?” he asks, setting the glasses down and joining you on the floor.

You nod and push your hair out of your face, taking a glass as he pours the clear liquid into it.

“Do you think we can find them?” you suddenly ask, swirling the drink around. “Any of them?”

He looks surprised by your question; not because it’s a strange one but because it’s not something that’s ever discussed. Plans are put into place, actions are taken, orders are followed. “We’ll get him”, is the only thing spoken, a motto repeated in the face of defeat. “One way or another.” For a long time you’ve all been running on autopilot, simply chasing down one chance after another. More losses than wins, yet everyone refuses to back down. It’s the sort of thing that starts to wear a person down when they’ve been doing it long enough.

He must be lost in the same train of thought, taking a few seconds longer to realize you’re waiting for an answer.

“I wouldn’t stay here if I didn’t,” is all he says, raising his glass.

It’s nearly the same thing you tell yourself, especially on nights when it’s harder to sleep. You purse your lips and nod, turning your attention back to the files at hand.

Javier turns out the lights and pulls himself under the covers, letting out a heavy sigh as he runs his hands over his face. He needs this damn leg to heal itself soon—every day he’s not on the field is another day he can’t go after those assholes. He considers contacting one of his CIs again, but for a second he feels a sensation he can’t explain. Doubt? It’s not guilt—he can’t feel something that’s already made a home in the back of his mind. It’s fleeting, gone before he can think anymore of it. He thinks of you and wonders if it's the same things that keep you up, because it’s obvious that something does. When he finally lets himself close his eyes, he realizes he’s thought of you too often for his own liking. In his defense, you have been at his place more frequently. But so has Murphy, to some extent, and it’s not like he’s been thinking of him in his free time.

He groans and rolls over onto his good leg’s side and moves into the middle of his empty bed, waiting for the images that fill his thoughts every night to lull him into another restless slumber.

You’d come over straight after work tonight, not bothering to drop your stuff off at your own place first.

Recently the higher-ups passed a new lead into your hands—a good lead, and a usable one, for once. Finally having something interesting to follow, you’ve spent many more hours poring over the details.

You haven’t even so much as looked up from the pictures on the table for at least an hour. Javier blinks the dryness out of his eyes as he leans back and massages the back of his neck, tempted to have another smoke. The clock reads 2:03. It’s later than he thought.

He stands up, putting the papers down on the table. “I’ll be back. Gotta change this dressing again,” he says quietly.

Somewhere between the complete silence and the sound of Peña shuffling around in his bedroom, you toss your pen down and lean back against the couch. Your back aches and the back of the couch is cool and comfortable. You uncross your legs, trying to relax for just a minute.

It's a while before Javier walks back out into the living room, about to say something when he sees you leaning against the side of the couch with your eyes shut. You’re holding your hands close to your body, as though you didn’t mean to let yourself get comfortable. He initially resists the urge to smile at the sight, but lets out a chuckle when it becomes obvious you won’t catch him. He debates waking you up, assuming you’d rather not stay overnight at his place. But after a few moments he decides against it, turning to go back to his room.

You’ll just be grumpy if he wakes you up. Best to save himself the trouble of dealing with it. Javier tells himself this as he pulls a spare blanket from the closet, then limps back out towards the couch. He gently shakes the thin blanket out and drapes it over you. It smells faintly of mothballs, but it’s clean and serves its function—his other guests usually share his blanket. He’s about to go back to his room when the loud roar of the AC suddenly brings a cool breeze into the room. He looks at you again, readjusting the blanket and pulling it up over your shoulders.

He pauses before turning off the lamp beside the table, his gaze lingering on you. You haven’t moved; it must’ve been a longer day than you let on. You’ve still got those tired lines under your eyes, but when you’re not nagging at him, you almost look peaceful. It’s such a marked disparity from the world outside that, just for a moment, he feels a bit at ease himself.

When he sees you like this, Javier decides that maybe you’re not so bad after all.

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#javier peña x reader #javier pena x reader #my ff #non sw

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radioactive-synth · 4 years ago

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#FOOCtober2020 - Oct 9 - Loadout and Living Space OR Grudge

Vaughn has some unresolved business with his long-dead father.

a big thank you for @theartofblossoming for proofreading this drabble for me!

"Why you have done this to me?"

He could not comprehend this.

Years later, and he still could not find an explanation for the abuse that he'd suffered. Emotional trauma, unseen wounds that still bled, low self-esteem, you name it, he has it.

But he cannot say he had a horrible childhood. A loving mother, a caring uncle and a cousin that was as close to him as a brother.

"I had a more decent living than others."

Even when the war started and the resources were less and less, he always ate well, wore good clothes and had access to higher education.

"Thanks to your payroll."

'He has a lot of money, that's why I can't say anything', was his habitual response to his cousin's oft repeated question on why he did not tell the truth. 'I'm too young to work, and mom's payroll cannot cover all our necessities'.

Ryan Hudson. For twenty two years, he was known as Ryan Hudson-Zander. Born of Séan and Maryanne Hudson, he was their eldest son. Being young parents, Séan and Maryanne did not know how to properly show affection to their first son. Séan was mostly away on his army duties, whilst Maryanne worked as a nurse. Eight years later, their second son, Michael, was born.

'You see, our old man needed him to be perfect, so he could be my role model', his uncle had said. 'And he was. But he was not perfect.'

"It was not my fault that you never received love."

Being put under a lot of pressure, Ryan needed to meet the expectations his father had of him. The world was changing, and they could not afford to let emotions take over their judgement. He finished military school and entered the ranks easily. He was already a Master Sergeant even before his brother had finished military school, too. Just like his father wanted.

'It's hard to believe that they were brothers', his mom said. 'One was cold and calculated, the other warm and gentle. How did I even fallen in love with the wrong one?'

Ryan had met Olivia long before she had finished her own studies. They had liked each other and dated before Ryan asked her to marry him. Olivia's father, Theodore Zander, was a kind, but unphased man. He was not impressed by the young American soldier, but he couldn't help but notice how his daughter was head over heels for him. He only agreed to let them marry if Ryan would take her last name.

'Papa thought that the Hudson name was too American, so he wanted me to keep our last name after marriage. And for what offspring we had, to also be Zander. That was his only requirement.'

"You never deserved the Zander name."

Even before they had their own child, Olivia showed that she had maternal instincts. Michael and Miriam had their first and only child, Vincent Nathaniel Hudson. Even before the kid formed his first word, his aunt was more present in raising him than his own mother. Whilst Michael was away doing his duty, he had no idea that his wife used his sister-in-law to take care of their son for a long time.

'I always dreamed of having my own children. Taking care of your cousin... that made me wish to have you. The day I found out I was pregnant, it was one of the happiest days of my life. I can't remember how he reacted, but I know your uncle was more happy than Ryan was.'

"Did you even want me?"

On the thirteenth of February, 2045, he was born. His father and uncle received some time off to come and visit Olivia at the hospital.

'Michael was happier than him. He had come to visit with your cousin, who was almost three years old. Vinnie said that you were as small as a toy and asked if I would keep you', Olivia laughed at the memory.

His father did not give any sign of affection. Olivia thought that the war troubled him but that could not be the reason. His uncle was an army medic, who retired a few years later and was still the same warm, kind person he always knew. His duty meant that he needed to face the horrors of the war and yet Michael's heart never changed.

"What war wounds had you received?"

As a young child, Vaughn had always tried to get Ryan's attention and affection by trying to initiate hugs, asking him questions, or just hanging around, yet his father considered him 'an inconvenience', to put it mildly. The only times Ryan ever spoke to his son were in a neutral or cold tone. He never raised his voice nor his hand toward his son... unless his wife was at work.

'Why do you always need to get on my nerves, boy?'

Vaughn still shudders at the memories of being taken up and then thrown on the couch, then told to sit still if he wanted to move on his own again.

"I was just a child, how could have you done that?"

'I can't forgive myself for what you endured, my baby. You didn't deserve any of that', his mom had said.

'You can't take the blame for another person's actions, mána'.

No. He never blamed her, or felt any remorse towards his mom. Yet she never got rid of the guilt that gnawed at her for years.

"It was my fault that I was silent."

'Michael was so much better. I know how much he cared for us.'

That was true. Michael Hudson always cared for the Zander family. He was best friends with Olivia and loved Vaughn just as much as he loved his own son.

'There were times when I wished I had called Michael 'Dad'.', he had told Nick and Hancock.

"I miss you, uncle Michael."

Years had passed, yet no sign of improvement was shown from Ryan. But as Vaughn got taller and heavier, Ryan could no longer throw him away yet the insults never stopped.

"Only to destroy me emotionally."

'You look just like him!', he heard other people say, comparing him to his father but they stopped saying that after the 'incident' with the blade.

"You pushed me to do this."

'I can't believe you did that, Vonnie! What you were thinking?' Vincent had asked after seeing the deep cut on his cousin's cheek.

"I found it hard to look in a mirror because of you."

'I do not want to be him! I'm tired of people telling me I look like him! Not anymore!', Vaughn cried out.

'There are other ways to be your own person. Now let's see what we can do with that cut, then later we'll look in the mirror, alright?'

Ronin bun and beard. Yes, he had worn the same style ever since he was 14 years old. His cousin was right. He was always right.

'What are you trying to achieve with your hair? This is not how men should look!' his father commented. When he had tried to cut Vaughn's hair, he had ended up with a broken hand, just hours before he needed to leave on duty. No-one had known the truth besides his cousin, who was feeling so proud of him.

"I never wanted to be like you."

Vaughn figured out what he wanted to do when he grew up.

'A Doctor! So I can help people.'

'You are breaking the Hudson tradition! Why the hell d'you want to play doctor?'

"I am a Zander. Not a Hudson."

Vaughn never had any problems at school, as far as lessons were concerned. He was the perfect student, or as some bullies liked to say, the 'teachers's pet'.

'At some point, you will be taken away. Don't think you will stay like a parasite until you finish school.'

"You wished your own son to sign up for certain death."

But the army never came for him. Olivia had faked his medical documents, making him unfit for drafting due to 'bad eye-sight and other health issues'.

"Your dream never came true."

He had graduated med school and got a job as a family doctor in a small clinic.

"But mine became true."

'Have you ever seen a girl in your life or what?', his father asked.

"You never allowed me to love who I wanted."

He had met Thomas at the Library. Two years older than him, Thomas was a very gentle man, smart and fun loving. He was mesmerized by the charm Thomas had. But it was not to be for the long term.

‘You seem to meet that boy more often than your group of friends. Better not be what I think it is, or you will be dead.’

He needed to break up for both their safety. He could not stop crying for two weeks.

“But now I am free to love who I want.”

-------

His hands were grabbed by each of his husbands'. He didn’t look, but smiled slightly at the gesture.

'You are free to do more than to love who you want.'

'He wounded you, but you are better than him. You need to remember what you have achieved.'

'And the people that surround you.'

They were right. They were always right. He had lost his family because of the bombs, but found a new one. He had reunited with his mom. And now, not only does he lives his dream as a doctor, but he is in charge of a growing group of people that defend the innocents. But most importantly, he was married to two wonderful men, and together, they raise their adopted son, Oliver.

'You were wrong about everything. I am not a Hudson, I am not worthless, I am not a parasite. People appreciate and respect me, because I help them. I earned their respect with my actions, not with my rank. And yet, I have a higher rank than you ever had. I am married, we have a son, we have a big house and a castle. I have a big family, that love and respect me. You never thought that I would have any of these, but I do. You hurt me, and I will never forgive you.’

His husbands had let go of his hands and he had slid his power fist, ‘Ares’, onto his right arm.

‘You don’t deserve to have your name remembered on a stone. You don’t deserve to be buried next to your brother. You had done nothing to deserve anything you had. Not the Zander name. Not even the Hudson name. You were the worst husband. The worst father. The worst uncle. The worst brother. Eíthe na kápseis stin kólasi, árrostos bástardos.’

He stepped closer, and hit the power fist on the tombstone, shattering it into pieces with just one blow.

He could not remember what he had said, nor in what language he had yelled but what the other two knew that he was letting out all the pent up rage he had felt over the years. It would not erase the memories but at least, he could move on.

They only sat a few meters away from him, and kept an eye out. Minutes passed, and his knees gave up. He was breathing heavily and the other two got closer cautiously. They each put one of their hands on his back. The reaction they got was a sob, followed by crying. They also kneeled beside him and wrapped their arms around him, as best they could.

‘We are here, love. It’s ok now. You are ok now.’

They couldn’t remember how much had passed, until he finally calmed down. He raised his head just slightly toward the nearby tombstone.

‘I am… so-sorry, uncle. I am sorry that you had to see that.’

#fooctober2020 #oc vaughn zander #fallout oc #fallout 4 #sole survivor #fallout #fallout ocs #blue.txt #y'all i did wrote something for once

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kexir78808 · 4 years ago

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How to Prepare Your Dog for Your Newborn Baby

If you are like much of the population, your four-legged friend is your first "baby." Many people worry needlessly about how their dog will handle a baby in their life. Many owners think of getting rid of the family pets because of fears that they will harm the baby. Please do not do this unless there is no other option. Most dogs, when treated and trained properly, can handle life with a newborn very well. https://namingyourdog.weebly.com/blog/selecting-memorable-dog-names

Children and pets make wonderful companions when raised properly together and taught how to behave with each other. Children that grow up in a home with pets learn respect and love for animals, and more importantly, respect for life. As the children grow older they can learn responsibility by helping to care for the animals. Animals enrich our and our children's lives beyond belief.

Having a baby can cause problems for both humans and dogs, as the dog tends to be treated differently, and because of this, may act differently. Some owners baby the dog more, causing the dog to become spoiled and hard to handle. Other owners get over-stressed and punish the dog for normal, curious behavior toward the baby. Often our pets are the center of our world, our "babies" if you would, and can get "jealous" if not equipped to handle losing that status to the new baby. If you are willing to make the time and effort to prepare your pets for the new arrival, everyone can live in harmony.

Sometimes the dogs become overprotective of the baby. Many owners enjoy and even prefer the dog being a guard for the baby. While it is normal for the dog to become protective of the baby, it is dangerous for the dog to become overprotective and not let anyone near the baby. All of the above scenarios can lead to the dog being kicked out of the house!

As you are making preparations to bring home baby, you need to prepare your dog(s) for the same in advance if possible. While most dogs will be very gentle with the baby, many dogs do not see babies as humans because of their size, smell, and the strange noises they make. By taking the time to give your dog some extra love and attention he should be fine and not turn to bad behavior to get your attention. You need to prepare and educate your dog for what lies ahead. This will ensure that they are ready and willing to accept the new family member with open and loving paws.

Using calming remedies (herbs, aromatherapy, oils) and or prescription medications are also an option to help facilitate a better behaved dog. You can talk to your veterinarian to inquire about these products and the implications associated with their use. I am a believer in the holistic approach whenever possible, instead of using drugs.

Please, please always be aware that your dog is an animal and animals can bite or do harm to a baby, intentionally or unintentionally. No matter how well-behaved or loving your dog is NEVER LEAVE YOUR DOG ALONE WITH YOUR BABY! I cannot stress this enough. Accidents can happen. You do not want to harm your baby or have to get rid of your dog because of an unfortunate, and possibly avoidable, incident.

If you are unsure that your dog will accept your new baby, please seek the advice of a professional trainer or behaviorist before making any decisions.

Believe it or not, your behavior with, and toward your dog matters. It can make or break your dog's acceptance of and respect for your baby. If you act like a leader, you will be treated like a leader. You want your dog to respect every human being in your household, including your baby. You must teach your dog respect for the baby. This will make life easier for all those involved.

Be firm but fair-

Do not let your dog get away with things, but don't be a drill sergeant either! Try to make any corrections as gentle as possible, but make sure they are effective. Try to have fun with your dog and the training - you both need to enjoy it or neither one will want to continue!

Your tone of voice matters-

DO NOT YELL at your dog! Convey the meaning of the command through the tone of voice - match your voice to what you are telling your dog. Commands should be short and succinct, in a low, almost growling voice. Your voice should not get higher as you give the command. Do not sing to your dog or ask the dog a question! You will not get the answer you want! When giving praise, sound like you mean it! It should be the opposite of a command - higher pitched and enthusiastic. If your dog gets overly excited when you praise him, tone it down a bit and speak softly. Your dog will still understand that he is doing a good job, but he will be less likely to jump around and be crazy.

Be calm and assertive-

Our dogs feed off of our energies and emotions. This affects their behaviors and reactions. If we are relaxed and confident, our dogs will feel the same, and know that we are LEADING them, and they do not have to lead us.

Use a crate-

If your dog does not already use a crate, now is the time to start. A crate is not cruel, it can actually be a wonderful and safe place for your dog. Confining your dog at certain times, such as for sleep or times when you cannot supervise, is no different than putting your baby in its crib for the same. It is actually very easy to teach your dog to accept being in the crate. Most people think that a dog who has not used a crate before will have a hard time, but that is not usually true. My two older dogs started using the crate when they were 7 and 8 years old, about the time my son started crawling and exploring on his own. This allowed me to know that both my child and my dogs were safe and nothing bad could happen. Your child can be hurt by your dog as easy as your child could hurt your dog. The problem lies in the fact that if the dog makes even the slightest threat to your baby or even inadvertently hurts your baby, it is your dog's fault. It is not fair to the dog for something like that to happen because you were not supervising the two together at all times!

Eliminate bad manners-

Bad manners cannot be accepted as they can be dangerous to a new baby and a new mom. Jumping and nipping are behaviors that need to be stopped right away. Stealing and rough-play also need to be nipped in the bud immediately.

Teach your dog how to be calm and gentle, by praising and treating this behavior.

Working commands into everyday life and play makes listening easy and normal for your dog. It becomes natural to the dog and it is less-likely that your dog will be out-of-control. It is also good for you too, as it makes sure that you are training your dog everyday, making you the leader - not the follower.

Exercise is key for good behavior-

As I stated earlier in the guide, exercise is imperative for your dog. This ensures that your dog will be better behaved because it doesn't have the energy to misbehave! Regular walks are important. If you do not have the time to walk for miles, using a doggie backpack can make a short walk seem like a long walk for your dog. A dog backpack immediately puts your dog into work mode, which will help to tire her brain. If you evenly balance some weight on each side, such as water bottles, it will further the amount of physical energy that is expended by your dog. Teaching your dog to walk nicely next to the stroller is also important. It is very difficult and dangerous to have a dog pulling and out of control while trying to maneuver a stroller. If you plan to use a baby carrier, sling, backpack or car seat your dog needs to behave on the leash and walk with you, not pull you. It is a good idea to practice with the equipment before baby comes (use a doll in place of the baby) so that you can work out any kinks or problems.

Have regular obedience sessions with your dog so that she does not forget her commands and remembers that she has to listen at all times. This also helps to tire her brain! Try to work the commands into everyday life so that it becomes second nature to her.

Is your dog allowed on your furniture?-

If your dog is currently allowed on the furniture you may want to reconsider this as your baby will likely be on the furniture a lot. Dog hair and dirt can irritate your baby. You also don't want to have to constantly clean up after the dog. Your dog could also inadvertently injure the baby jumping up on the furniture or repositioning himself. It's best to restrict access to the furniture so that problems do not occur.

Time-out for your dog-

Be sure you give your dog time away from the baby to settle. Time outs are an effective tool to allow your dog to keep its sanity and also for when they are doing something wrong.

Your new schedule and your dog-

It is time to readjust the dog's schedule to acquaint her with the upcoming changes. Think realistically about the time you will have for the dog for things such as walks, feeding, potty breaks, play and attention. Try to keep the schedule consistent for your dog so that she does not feel unnecessary stress from the changes that are happening before your baby arrives. Having as little disruptions as possible will help to accomplish this goal. Once your dog feels secure and is used to the new routine, try to start having slight variations in your daily happenings. When your baby arrives things do not always go as planned. You can have every intention of staying on schedule and inevitably something will change that schedule! Babies do not follow schedules! Do try to stay on schedule, when possible, so that your dog is allowed some semblance of a routine. Dogs feel safety when the rules and routines stay the same.

Pay less attention to your dog-

It is now time to teach the dog to expect less attention from you in one sitting. Once the baby arrives you will not have the same amount of quality time to spend with your dog, but it is still essential to make time for your dog. Schedule regular 5 to 10 minute sessions each day where you pay full attention to your dog. You can do things such as play, grooming, petting or just talk to your dog. This allows your dog to understand that he is still an important part of your life. You need to teach the dog that this time may be with or without the baby. This is also a good time for you to relax and unwind as pets are very therapeutic. Be aware that if you have more than one pet, each will need individual attention if possible. You can also give the pack the attention at the same time, providing they get along, or allow them to play together to burn energy.

Your dog needs to be calm and balanced-

You need to make sure that your dog is calm and balanced before baby comes into the house. It is very important for your dog to learn how to be calm so that he does not hurt you or the baby. Your dog needs to be balanced so that he does not stress needlessly and act out inappropriately. If your dog is not calm and balanced there are ways to help you accomplish this. Training and exercise are good places to start to achieve a calm and balanced dog. If these do not work your dog may have something wrong with him, such as a mental or physical problem. Consult with your vet and local canine behaviorist or trainer. They should be able to steer you in the right direction. They can help advise you of the route you should take, whether behavior modification, medication, or holistic remedies.

Is your dog gentle?-

Teaching your dog how to be gentle is extremely important so that he will not inadvertently hurt the baby. Many dogs use their teeth too much and need to be taught the proper way to use their mouths - without the teeth!

Does your dog jump?-

If your dog is a jumper, teaching proper greetings will help to curb this problem. It is vital that your dog can see people without jumping or getting overly excited. When the baby comes home there will probably be lots of people visiting and he will need to be on his best behavior. It also facilitates the proper, gentle behavior your dog should have around the baby.

How will my dog handle the baby being rough with her?-

Teaching your dog what to physically expect from your baby is extremely important so that she is able to cope with and know what to do when baby pulls, hits or pushes her. Infants and children are not necessarily gentle by nature, and have to be taught how to be so. Your dog also needs to learn how to deal with these behaviors from his small leaders. Start to gently handle your dog in a rougher fashion while praising good behavior and gently, if possible, correcting inappropriate behavior such as nipping or mouthing. Children tend to pet roughly, pull ears and tails, put their hands in the dog's face and touch sensitive areas on the dog. You need to mimic these behaviors in order to teach your dog what to expect and how to deal with it appropriately. Make it a daily habit to have time on the floor with your dog touching every part of his body in a loving fashion. This is good because it allows the dog to accept touch in areas that it may not want touched. It also teaches the dog to be gentle while on the floor and to be submissive to you and your baby. Do this slowly and your dog will understand

Obedience training your dog-

Your dog needs to be obedience trained and have basic manners. I suggest that you enroll in a training class if you can. Check your local training clubs, or facilities, for classes and make sure to observe a class so that you can see how they train. Make sure that you are comfortable with their techniques and the instructors. If you are not allowed to observe a class, please look elsewhere. Trainers who are legitimate should have no problem with this and encourage you to do so.

The following are some basic commands and actions that your dog should be able to do to ensure that he will listen and be under control:

Walk nicely on a leash Sit Down Stay Leave-it NO Understand boundaries Quiet Attention/Look Drop-it Go to Your Spot/Place Teaching the dog to respond to hand signals will also be beneficial. A sleeping baby is less likely to get woken up if you are not talking.

It is also a good idea to teach your dog to accept wearing a leash - in and out of the house. This ensures that you have control over your dog and tends to help make the dog better behaved. Most towns and cities have leash laws so it is imperative that your dog get used to the leash. You should also walk your dog everyday. This gives your dog mental stimulation, as well as physical exercise, which helps to tire them out, thus making them less likely to get into trouble and an overall better behaved dog.

Spot, Go To Your Spot!-

The "Go to Your Spot" command is a great command to have in your arsenal for a well-behaved dog. You can use this exercise to allow your dog to be with you and not underfoot, or keep your dog at a distance and still know where he is and what he's doing. It teaches your dog to go lie down on a rug or blanket and stay until released.

Long down stays are important in general, whether or not he is "in a spot", because they help you to maintain control over your dog. By your dog having to work for you, it facilitates a relationship in which you are dominant (in charge or the alpha figure) in your and your dog's mind.

Teach your dog what he can chew on-

All dogs chew. Each has a specific reason for it, and has a physical need to chew. They need to chew to exercise their jaws as well as to let out pent up frustrations. Excessive chewing can also be a breed trait. To help avoid problems, do not set yourself up for failure.

Soiling in the house-

If your dog has an accident in the house, or is not housetrained, you need to clean it properly to avoid further "accidents" or remarking of the same areas and to maintain a sanitary environment. Dog feces can contain parasites and other unwanted disease. Giardia, E-Coli, other worms and parasites are sometimes present in the feces and many are transferrable to humans.

Use high-value treats-

Use treats of high value - treats your dog loves and doesn't normally get - when dealing with new baby sights, sounds and scents. This tells your dog that these are good things, and that he should like them and associate them with rewards, instead of feeling malice or fear towards them. Make sure to keep the treats special, and only use them for the purposes of getting your pup familiar with what the new baby will be like.

The health and cleanliness of your dog is vital-

It is essential that your dog has a clean bill of health and is clean before you bring your baby home. Take your dog to the vet for a check-up to make sure that he has no health problems as these can cause unwanted behaviors in your dog that will interfere with his life with your baby. Make sure that he is up-to-date on all shots, or that his titer levels are good, and that he is worm-free.

The next thing you need to make sure of is that you bathe your dog or have him groomed BEFORE the baby comes home. If your dog sheds, it is a good idea to start a de-shedding program, such as regular grooming and adding a product such as Linatone (which you can obtain at your local pet store, online or at some groomers) which has a special combination of oils to help the skin and coat. Be careful not to over-bathe your dog as this can cause skin problems in many dogs. Make sure that he has no fleas or ticks as this is unsanitary and can expose your baby to health problems. It also creates problems as you will not have much time to bathe him once the baby is around. Using special flea and tick medication will help to ensure that he remains flea-less and tick-less.

Start teaching your dog to accept his paws and body wiped when he comes in from outside will aid in reducing the amount of dirt he tracks in the house. It also reduces the chance that your dog will carry in something that will cause an allergic reaction in you or your baby

Also, make sure to vacuum or sweep regularly as dog hair accumulates fast. This is especially important once your baby starts to crawl or be on the ground a lot, unless of course you want the baby to be a human Swiffer!

Carry a doll-

The idea of carrying around a doll (preferably one that cries) may seem silly, but it is a very good way to get your dog used to an addition to the family. Everything is different with a baby. Holding a baby changes your posture, and your mannerisms, so your dog needs to be comfortable and accepting of this. The dog also needs to follow commands and be obedient when you have the baby or the baby is out and about. Using a doll while practicing everyday commands will help your dog respond better when the baby arrives. Take the dog for walks, play with the dog, and all the normal things you do with your dog with and without the baby equipment and doll.

Baby sounds-

Getting your dog used the sounds of a baby is also a good idea. This allows your dog to familiarize herself with the alien noises that it may not have heard before so that it is not a surprise when baby comes home. Things like crying, gurgling, yelling/screaming, and baby babble are not necessarily normal for a dog to hear. There are many cds and tapes that you can purchase for this purpose. Start the volume low and expose your dog for short periods of time at first. Gradually increase the volume and amount of time you play the sounds. Try to play the recording everyday until the baby arrives.

Real babies and children-

Another good idea is to expose your dog to the real thing - real babies and children. If you have friends or relatives who have babies you can ask if they will allow your dog to listen in or even record them for you. You can visit places like parks, if your dog is well-behaved, so your dog can hear all of the noises children make. Make sure to start this away from your house so that your dog does not feel threatened in her own territory. The next step is to expose your dog in your yard, and then in your house. Make this a gradual process so your dog can slowly accept it.

Baby smells-

The smells of a baby are often unfamiliar to a dog. Slowly start to get your dog used to these new smells by using the products you will use on your baby, such as baby oil, powder, baby wash and diaper cream. Putting these products on baby blankets and baby clothes will also help. If you have friends or relatives that have babies, ask to borrow used and unwashed blankets and burp cloths so that the dog can get accustomed to the real smells of a baby.

The Nursery-

Setting up the nursery allows your dog to become acquainted with changes in the house. It allows your dog to become comfortable with the sights and sounds associated with baby equipment, thus avoiding shock when baby arrives.

If you don't want your pup in the nursery you need to start restricting access now. Keeping the door shut or a baby gate in the doorway helps to achieve this. Your dog will not feel left out or anxious about no longer being allowed in that room. Another good idea is to put a dog bed outside of the nursery so that your dog is still close to you, but not in the room. He will not feel banished, but will feel more included. Spend time in the room without your pooch so he understands that this will be normal, and that it is no longer his territory. As he starts to understand that the room is no longer his, he will accept it and be less likely to try to get in there when the baby comes home. This also helps to keep the room clean and free of dog hair and dirt. You will have more than enough to clean in the nursery as it is!

If you plan to allow your dog in the nursery start to teach the proper behaviors as soon as possible. Train her to be calm in there and not to jump up on the furniture and baby equipment. It is also a good idea to teach her to do down-stays when in the nursery so that she is allowed to be with you and the baby, but is out of the way and behaving. You may also want to have a bed or rug in there that your dog is allowed to lay on (remove it when you and the dog are not in the room). When the baby starts to crawl and move about you may want to limit the amount of time the dog spends in there and never leave the baby alone with the dog.

Baby's things are off-limits-

Make sure to constantly reinforce that the baby's things are not the dog's things. Even though you may have practiced this before the baby came home, dogs do need reminders.

It is important to dispose of dirty diapers properly to ensure that your dog does not get them. Dogs love things that have human waste on them, such as dirty diapers and feminine products. Keep these products out of reach as they will make an awful mess and are very unhealthy for your dog to ingest. They have chemicals that are not good for your dog and can cause blockages. Besides, the consuming of human waste can also make your dog sick (and have disgusting breath!).

Teach your dog to leave baby blankets alone and not to lay or step on them. Lay them on the furniture and the floor to teach your dog that they are off limits. If your dog tries to walk or lay on them use a firm "NO" and redirect your dog to a proper spot and have him lay down. When your dog avoids these on his own, praise him for his good behavior with a treat or petting and he will understand that these items are not something to go near. You want to prevent possible injuries to your baby from your dog while baby is lying on or hiding under the blankets (as often babies do!).

Teach your dog which toys belong to him-

It is recommended to teach your dog what toys are his and what toys are the baby's before baby arrives so that you will not have problems after. This is also a good idea because you can purchase toys similar to what your baby will have and not worry about using baby's actual toys for these exercises. An easy way to do this is to use peanut butter (or something like it such as cream cheese or cheese spread) and bitter apple (you can purchase this online or at pet stores). Put bitter apple on the baby's toys and peanut butter on the dog's toys. Before you give your dog the choice about which toys he wants, take a little bitter apple on your finger and wipe it around in your dog's mouth. This will help your dog to immediately identify the nasty taste on the baby toys. If you do not do this the bitter apple often dilutes and the dog will be able to get the baby's toys because the taste is bearable. Make sure to have some treats ready to reward your dog when he chooses his toys over baby's. Put the dog's leash on and you are ready to begin. Put the "marked" toys on the floor and let your dog decide which toys he prefers. If he still tries to take the baby toys, tell him "no, leave-it", and if necessary pull him away with the leash with a quick jerking motion. Do not try to hurt the dog, just give a quick correction as you repeat "no, leave-it". When your dog does "leave" the baby toys alone, praise and treat. You can also teach the dog the concepts of "Mine", "Baby's" and "Yours" by adding these phrases to the training sessions. When the dog goes for his toys you can say, "Good! Yours!" When the dog goes for the baby's toys say, "No, Leave-it, Baby's". You can use the same principle as used for the baby's toys when the dog goes for something that is yours by substituting "Mine" in place of "Baby's."

Please remember that if you leave your baby's toys lying around your dog will most likely try to steal them. The temptation is too much for her to handle and she probably will fail. Do not set her up for failure! Try to get toys for the dog that are not like the baby's - no stuffed animals and things that rattle. There are plenty of good dog toys that are very different from baby toys. Lastly, only keep a few of the dog's toys out at a time. This will avoid her falling prey to the syndrome of "everything within my reach is mine!" If she understands that the three toys on the ground are hers, she will be less apt to take things she shouldn't.

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fridlyckans124536 · 4 years ago

Text

How to Prepare Your Dog for Your Newborn Baby

If you are unsure that your dog will accept your new baby, please seek the advice of a professional trainer or behaviorist before making any decisions.

Be firm but fair-

Your tone of voice matters-

Be calm and assertive-

Use a crate-

Eliminate bad manners-

Teach your dog how to be calm and gentle, by praising and treating this behavior.

Exercise is key for good behavior-

Is your dog allowed on your furniture?-

Time-out for your dog-

Be sure you give your dog time away from the baby to settle. Time outs are an effective tool to allow your dog to keep its sanity and also for when they are doing something wrong.

Your new schedule and your dog-

Pay less attention to your dog-

Your dog needs to be calm and balanced-

Is your dog gentle?-

Does your dog jump?-

How will my dog handle the baby being rough with her?-

Obedience training your dog-

The following are some basic commands and actions that your dog should be able to do to ensure that he will listen and be under control:

Walk nicely on a leash

Sit

Down

Stay

Leave-it

Understand boundaries

Quiet

Attention/Look

Drop-it

Go to Your Spot/Place

Teaching the dog to respond to hand signals will also be beneficial. A sleeping baby is less likely to get woken up if you are not talking.

Spot, Go To Your Spot!-

Teach your dog what he can chew on-

Soiling in the house-

Use high-value treats-

The health and cleanliness of your dog is vital-

Carry a doll-

Baby sounds-

Real babies and children-

Baby smells-

The Nursery-

Baby's things are off-limits-

Make sure to constantly reinforce that the baby's things are not the dog's things. Even though you may have practiced this before the baby came home, dogs do need reminders.

It is important to dispose of dirty diapers properly to ensure that your dog does not get them. Dogs love things that have human waste on them, such as dirty diapers and feminine products fridlyckans . Keep these products out of reach as they will make an awful mess and are very unhealthy for your dog to ingest. They have chemicals that are not good for your dog and can cause blockages. Besides, the consuming of human waste can also make your dog sick (and have disgusting breath!).

Teach your dog which toys belong to him-

It is recommended to teach your dog what toys are his and what toys are the baby's before baby arrives so that you will not have problems after. This is also a good idea because you can purchase toys similar to what your baby will have and not worry about using baby's actual toys for these exercises. An easy way to do this is to use peanut butter (or something like it such as cream cheese or cheese spread) and bitter apple (you can purchase this online or at pet stores). Put bitter apple on the baby's toys and peanut butter on the dog's toys. Before you give your dog the choice about which toys he wants, take a little bitter apple on your finger and wipe it around in your dog's mouth. This will help your dog to immediately identify the nasty taste on the baby toys. If you do not do this the bitter apple often dilutes and the dog will be able to get the baby's toys because the taste is bearable. Make sure to have some treats ready to reward your dog when he chooses his toys over baby's http://www.fridlyckans.com/ . Put the dog's leash on and you are ready to begin. Put the "marked" toys on the floor and let your dog decide which toys he prefers. If he still tries to take the baby toys, tell him "no, leave-it", and if necessary pull him away with the leash with a quick jerking motion. Do not try to hurt the dog, just give a quick correction as you repeat "no, leave-it". When your dog does "leave" the baby toys alone, praise and treat. You can also teach the dog the concepts of "Mine", "Baby's" and "Yours" by adding these phrases to the training sessions. When the dog goes for his toys you can say, "Good! Yours!" When the dog goes for the baby's toys say, "No, Leave-it, Baby's". You can use the same principle as used for the baby's toys when the dog goes for something that is yours by substituting "Mine" in place of "Baby's."

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nitro-nova · 5 years ago

Text

Radicalize Now

All of these factors are present in every country, every civilization. It is up to you and the people you meet to fight together, now.

Poison #1: A populace fighting itself can't fight back.

Antidote:

DISENGAGE. Do not bother digging heels in and arguing with MAGA Manfred or Neoliberal Becky or whoever the fuck on Twitter dot com. If you’re criticizing politicians and they show up, don’t bother arguing, block them.

Any nazi you see online, copy their handle and send it to a blocklist before reporting. Get them off of the platform. If they’re stupid enough to publish employment details, show their shit to their boss, get ‘em fired. Just. Don’t. Engage. Them. They want that.

The reason why younger generations hate corporate media is because they were shown all of the classist shit talking that happens to them. Do the same with this for other groups. Whenever they slip up, screencap it and call it out. It steals the profit *and* it pulls demographics away from these outlets.

Poison #2: An unstable populace cannot fight back

Antidote: Social safety nets and communal support are needed more than ever. Make groups of people that will try to do the following:

Join your strikes/protests to help push the numbers up.

Help with getting groceries, babysitting, anything that people need, even for just a few hours, offer it.

Assist each other with rent in the event of a job loss or shortage of hours.

Offer to be references for any new job applications.

Promote gofundme style fundraising efforts on social media.

Offer a place to stay in case anyone ends up in danger, fines, or bail (activists are often arrested for political activity).

Moral support/venting.

Poison #3: A desperate populace cannot fight back.

Antidote: Like above, shelter and food can be precarious.

Start researching a network of resources for community members and encourage the people in your group to use them.

Assist your group not just with shopping for groceries, but with finding affordable and nourishing recipes, to use again and again, as well.

If you’re within distance, once the pandemic is over, start eating together and socializing more. The more socialized you feel, the more secure you feel, the less desperate you feel.

Poison #4: A tired populace cannot fight back

Antidote: Exhaustion not only comes physically (malnourishment, poor sleep), but emotionally (performative labor, outrage fatigue, depression).

The group must understand that these are hard times, and people will often be suffering from mental illnesses they can’t afford to treat. If possible, pool together resources to give them the therapy care they need. A therapy session is typically $60 - $120 per hour. Sometimes, this is negotiable with the therapist.

Help each other with free time by offering to lend some of yours towards helping with their chores. Even planning a grocery trip and organizing their list is considered to be help. If you have programming skills, build tools to help make these tasks easier.

Once the pandemic is over, you can offer to help with cleaning, organizing, dusting, dishes, meal preparation, etc. The less personal work they have to do, the more time they have to decompress and rejuvenate.

Organize social events according to the preferences of the participants. Hang out in virtual calls together. Play games together. Try to make each other comfortable.

Take breaks/set bans on sharing outrageous news when the group is down for the count, if possible.

Poison #5: A witless populace cannot fight back

Antidote: This is a time where advocacy for information to be free.

For starters, build repositories of online information; masterposts are some of the best examples. I myself run StudyGameDev.com to collect resources for learning skills for an industry. Find as many free resources as you can and try to curate and arrange them.

Multilingual folk can contribute by offering translations and captions.

Fight to protect your libraries from privatization. Work with libraries and don’t underestimate what you can donate to them! I donated a microcontroller kit with an incomplete project.

Add to the strength of activists by including advice and insight that you know will help, and do your best to listen and parse good advice.

Antidote: While we’re in the midst of a pandemic that has crushed our health care system as well as lost the only candidate that supports medicare for all, we have moved a majority of the public to support this policy.

Promote fundraisers for members of your collective who need access to medical supplies and medicine.

Offer to share over-the-counter medications that may be used infrequently, like pain relievers.

Continue to promote policies like medicare for all, which would enable everyone access to health care.

Poison #7: A populace in fear cannot fight back.

Antidote: Probably the hardest point of all, that as the government continues to corrupt and militarize, people will fear the repercussions of speaking out.

All whistleblowers should be supported, in finance, moral support, petitions, and so forth. Support political prisoners. The more support they feel they have, the more resolved they can be to survive.

If a member of your collective may by some chance end up having to speak out, devise a plan not only to protect them, but to sustain them for the coming months and possible years.

Always practice online safety by concealing your identity as much as you can. Political action you engage in that is expressly antifascist should be done with anonymity to avoid targeted violence or assassination.

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70swonderpoisonstark · 6 years ago

Text

Poison ( IV )

Villain’s are people too, are they not? (Y/N) is taking the “home grown” terror title a little too seriously. You’re really really bad, until you meet a certain super soldier who makes you consider a career change. It’s a lengthy process, but you’re willing if it’s for the right reasons. Maybe you’re not so bad after all?

//basically poison ivy and a little bit of bane but with marvel characters?? I’d be original but I love her and them so much so sorry. also some changes, idk I’m making them my own but completely based of the DC characters SNS. Nickname Ivy, real name, yours duh!//

***this is my first attempt at fanfic so any feedback is welcome! I love all these characters dearly so, here goes nothing! Hope you enjoy***

A/N: Violence, language, crime. Mentions of domestic violence and sexual assault(no details or descriptions) I’ll update these as the chapters come out

recap: the team has been desperately searching for you, but you’ve never been a predictable catch.

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Months of searching, months. They knocked on every door of every person on the list, tracked every donation, stood on every street corner, and found nothing helpful.

"I don't know who donated that, we're very thankful, so if you do find her, tell her we are so very blessed by her loving deed." The receptionists were too nice, they definitely knew something, they had to, right?

"You think even if I knew her name that I'd give it to you? My child, and a a lot of these children were able to eat because of her. Medical bills, education, groceries she just comes, knocks on our doors and hands us the money. I hope you never find her."

"Yeah, I know who you're talking about. Ivy's not her real name, but that's all we ever get. She gives us what we need to be safe, clean needles, condoms, ways to defend ourselves. She bailed Mary over there out of jail a week ago, totally unfair the way she got arrested. I doubt you'll get much more out of anybody else. We know she's not an Avenger like you guys or anything, but knowing she's around, and cares, makes life out here a lil easier."

These were the responses they got from everyone they questioned. Nobody was willing to give them anymore information than they already knew. You were smart enough to transfer the money through various account trails, all leading to different banks in different countries the US wasn't allowed to have access to, so that was a dead end too.

"Who the hell is this chick? She's poisoned multiple people out of cold blood, stolen millions upon millions of dollars from various organizations and people, and just gives it away? What kind of threat are we dealing with here? What makes her charities different than the ones she's stealing from? Why these families, why these street corners?" Tony was in overload, something that started out so simple spiraled way the hell out of control. He knew chasing a criminal was going to be a challenge, it always was. However, you gave them the leads, and still, not an ounce of information was given.

"I'm thinking the same thing, Stark. We're missing something here, it's not adding up right." Steve glanced over to his friend, everyone was consumed in confusion, but Bucky, he had no idea what to think. Why had she given him the information, what did she mean by she liked him, why did she trust him of all people?

Buried in thought, the team returned to the compound exhausted from another day with no new leads. As they entered the building, soft laughter broke the silence of the semi-defeated heroes. Immediately refreshing the team, all thoughts of a good night's sleep escaped into the wind along with Peter's soft laugh. Tony, who had left Peter at the compound to finish homework, took the lead due to his imminent worry for Peter's safety above everything else.

"Kid, you doing alright in there?" He yelled out into the living area where he last saw Peter. He could hear a feminine laugh along with Peter's, did he have the balls to invite a girl over while they were gone? No, not Petey, there was no way, plus they were so far away from his school..

"Yes Mr. Stark! Mr. Banner's niece stopped by while you guys were gone so we've been hanging out waiting for you guys to get back!" He heard papers rustling and a chair scooting. Tony's hair stood up on end, his muscles clenched, and his heart rate accelerated as the adrenaline rushed throughout his body.

Banner doesn't HAVE a niece.

And if he did, he surely would've shared that she was coming to visit. Tony walked out into the living area, trying to remain as calm as possible to gauge what exactly they were up against. Natasha and Clint headed for higher ground, hoping to gain the upper hand in whatever was about to go down. The rest of the team followed Tony, all to be entirely taken aback.

There you were, the woman they'd been trying to find for way too long, sitting in the living room of one of the most state of the art buildings with a whole ass teenager. You were in a leather jacket, a "Save the Fucking Planet" t-shirt, bell-bottom jeans, and converse, casually talking to Peter. Your red hair was unmistakable, and for Bucky, your piercing (Y/E/C) eyes solidified the fact that it was you.

"Let's not make this awkward, shall we? I know Widow and Bird boy number one are a floor above with their sights locked, bird boy number two probably went around back and is coming from that direction to try and capture me. Well, I have no intention of being thrown in jail, so, if you'd like to avoid a very unnecessary conflict I suggest everybody calm the hell down and chill the fuck out." Nobody moved a muscle. They weren't going to negotiate with a criminal, not in their own house. You groaned, tired of fighting everybody you ever came into contact with, and rolled your exhausted eyes. "Are y'all always this prejudice? I came here, and hung out with your kid, who's probably one of the coolest teens I've ever met, just a by the way. If I wanted to harm you, I would have started with the youngling and picked you guys off as you entered the building, not helped the spider-kid with his homework." Still nothing. Good intentions pave the way to hell, and nobody, especially Tony, was going to risk dropping his guard because a terrorist said so. "Okay fine, we can do this the hard way." As you spoke your last word Natasha and Clint were ripped from the top floor, a thick, green vine had wrapped around their ankles and torn them off their feet. Plummeting them down a story, stopping only an inch short of the ground where they now hung upside down. Tony readied the blasters, Rhodey secured his mask, Steve's shield was in his hand in less than a second, and Bucky was hesitant, but ready to fight. Thor glanced around the room, his kingly intuition analyzing the scene in front of him, anxiously weighing his options, would this be worth the risk? You weren't engaged in battle until you were forced, you posed no threat to the most vulnerable, and even Banner wasn't hulked out.

"WAIT!" Thor yelled to his colleagues. "Wait just a damn minute! Are we willing to risk injury and destruction to our dwelling, to fight a woman whom we've just spent hours looking for, and who was with the child of spiders for Odin knows how many hours? Are you unharmed, son of Tony?" He looked at Peter, who was red in the face, scared, and embarrassed that he'd let a bad guy into the actual Avengers compound. Peter shook his head, he was having the worst anxiety attack of his life being in the middle of all this, but he was physically intact.

"Hey, Petey" You moved closer to him, making him flinch, but fear kept him relatively close. "I know this is a lot for you right now, all of us pointing things at each other, but if you want to go over towards Tony and the rest of your family I won't hurt you." You gave a reassuring forearm squeeze and shifted you full attention on Peter. You now had your back to the team completely vulnrable, looking Peter dead in the eyes with a caring, strong, and kind demeanor that confused the other half of the room while reminding Peter of his Aunt May. Natasha was trying her hardest to free herself from the vined-snare, they just kept growing back anytime she made progress.

"No, I think I'll stay where I am if you don't mind."

"Of course not, love. I don't think it's the safest option for you, but you won't have to listen to me yell at you later." You winked at Peter, who was now completely carefree with his position. Thor had a point, all you had to do was drug him or something and he'd have been dead by the time they'd gotten back, but instead you'd helped him with his advanced biochemistry homework. "If you change your mind let me know, there's no need for you to get hurt in all this, okay?" Another reassuring smile, as your gaze shifted Peter could see your demeanor change, you were fierce, and tense and ready for anything. He knew it was wrong, but Peter kind of liked you. He admired the strong, and if you're ballsy enough to face the entire Avengers team by yourself, that was a pretty strong feat to even try.

Tony hated it, but he was going to entertain the idea, if Peter wouldn't come over to him so he could blast this bitch into mulch then he'd have to play it safe for Peter's sake, who was in so much trouble Tony couldn't think about what to do with him.

"Fine. We'll sit, but the second something sounds or looks funny I'm arresting you, release my assassin's." And you did, they dropped with a thunk, and the guns and weapons they had on their possession were confiscated into the new plant life that enveloped the living room. The team reluctantly sat along the three long couches in the room after what felt like an hour of disarming everybody in the room except Thor and Banner. With the couches full and you standing, they all began to worry about an off guard attack, but just as Tony wiggled out his hands, you GREW a fucking throne made entirely out of a tree that spouted in the middle of their hardwood floor.

"So. You've heard, and seen a lot of me over the past weeks. Lots of stolen things, maybe a hundred bodies, and large amounts of money. All of that ring a bell, yes?" The team, still reserved and hypervigilant slowly nodded, never taking their eyes off of you. "Well, first of all I want you guys to relax, you're not in any danger unless you want to be. I, am Ivy, obviously, and you've all met Viktor, who is not here fyi, and I'm an advocate for plant and human rights. The media still thinks I'm a man of great brute strength and blah blah blah. So. I have a preposition for you."

"And why would we listen to anything you have to say, murderer?"

"Ooh, talk about your cold shoulder." The corners of your mouth turned down, revealing a frown, with absolutely no real emotion behind it. "You know," As you spoke, a very large very frightening thing grew next to you. "I always wondered how many people died in that alien attack however many years ago, or that robot escapade across the world, or even that DC disaster not too long ago? Anybody? Death toll counts? Start at what, at least a couple hundred thousand?" You sat and waited, nobody was going to throw stones at you, especially not when they lived in glass houses. Absolute silence filled the room, tension spreading thick through the air like the plague.

The Avengers were collectively pissed, and rightfully so. This Villainess walks into their home, converts THEIR spider-kid, and is now throwing this in their faces? The only thing keeping any of them going was knowing you'd be arrested in about half an hour. Tony couldn't think of enough ways to broadcast your arrest, would he be the one to escort you to that max security prison in the middle of the ocean? He sure hoped so.

"So, everybody here has killed somebody, yes? Except for you Petey, I know you wouldn't hurt a fly." You flashed him what seemed like a genuine smile. Peter knew the death left after the Avengers battles weighed heavily on Mr. Stark, and none of them were on purpose, he wasn't a bad guy at all, he was just doing his job and the bad guys were the ones who hurt all those people.

You didn't want to re-traumatize the avengers, you knew they were just good people attempting to help a vulnerable world. But they were already looking down on you, thinking of you as a lesser, evil being. Maybe a little sadistic, but evil? Certainly not.

"Not on purpose, not through poisoning, not slowly and painfully how you do it."

"Oh Sammy dear, I think internal bleeding after a buildings fallen on you is a pretty slow and painful death, wouldn't you say?" Another smart-ass smile.

"We never killed on purpose. Innocents have died yes, but never on purpose, and always with a large emotional toll on all of us. You kill on purpose, you take people out one by one. The media may not be on to you, but we know the call signs." So noble, thinking death in any way is better than another.

"Aw Stevie, I'm sure your thoughts and prayers really mean a lot to the families whose loved ones were taken away and never mentioned because the rest of this city was too busy sucking your dicks to care." You shook your head in disbelief, they really didn't know? These "great guys" that wound up dead, they thought THEY were innocent. Good lord, for a unit ran by an intelligence agency, they were fucking idiots. "Do you guys even know the targets I took out? What their skeletons in the closet were? What they did in their spare time? I could name chilling details about every single man and woman I've killed, and trust me I remember all of them." You waited again, you knew you didn't have to explain yourself, but you needed them to trust you if you were to get what you wanted.

"Chad Emerson. Great guy, faithfully married, donated millions to orphanages around the globe, adopted and raised children who weren't adopted before the age of 16. You poisoned him in his penthouse suite, leaving a single black rose behind. What could have been so wrong with that guy?"

"Chad Emerson? That's who you picked for your first option, as if the red flags weren't big enough with him. Try twenty-four charges for sexual assault of a minor that were all dropped due to the fact that he had money, and 'provided them with a better life'. Try embezzling money from his wifes non-profit, and using that to participate in sex trafficking of, you guessed it, MINORS. Any more questions?" Keep 'em coming, You going to rip the roof of off the rich guy ring of corruption.

"Brandon Wilfred. Again, faithfully married, raised two brilliant children, lives quietly with his wife in the middle of nowhere, and occasionally donates to wildlife and ocean preservation organizations. You strangled this one with a plastic garrote in his living room, again leaving behind a single black rose." Ugh, again with the faithfulness, is monogamy held that high in society that not cheating on your partner made you a saint? It's boring how low the standards are.

"Wilfred, he was a fun one actually. Yes because he not only cheated on his wife any second he got a chance, but also beat the living hell out of her if she said anything about it. I'm not even talking about confronting him, just asking him to wash the sheets afterwards, or at least telling her to leave before fucking his twenty-three year old mistress on the kitchen table. She's had more ER visits within the past year than some of you have had all your life. Oh and the donations? Just a cover to hide the fact that his factories and businesses have been ruining my planet's seas and poisoning her skies with toxic waste and mass amounts of CO2 production. Conservation? All that man knew how to do was exploit and ruin."

This went on for some time, each person they named worse than the last, all violent, corrupt, and some down right evil, not a single one of them were anything like what they presented. The harsh justice you gave them made the Avengers very uncomfortable. You were killing them, ending their lives for good, and didn't care because what they had done had evened out your sin of murder. It was a wicked way to think, terrifying at the least for anybody around you.

"Okay, we get it, every rich man or woman with the white picket fence is a corrupt asshole who abuses their partners and children and animals and steals and lies and cheats and steals. Why are you here, and why should it matter to us?" Tony was not falling for this bullshit. He understood that they deserved punishment, but actually killing in cold blood was wrong.

"Because I want to make a deal. You bring me onto the team, provide legal support for the women, children, and families affected by this cities corruption, and I'll stop killing, and become a full forced good guy." You knew this would be a tough sell, however, you had a slight feeling that things might go her way.

"That's it? You'll stop killing, and we're supposed to just welcome you to the team? You lie, and cheat, and steal-"

"And give the money back to the people! The people you seem to deem unimportant and forgettable!" You were on your feet now. "You say you care about this city but I never see any one of you volunteering in low income neighborhoods. I don't see you providing care for the homeless and the prostitutes. Thousands of people are starving and freezing to death on these very streets. You say you protect this city, but suddenly that protection stops once you hit a certain tax bracket."

**6 Months later**

After a very heated argument, long talks, a contract, extensive fingerprinting, DNA samples, and blood draws, you were allowed to be trained. Your only drawback was that you refused to give them your real name. You'd deleted your true identity years ago, they couldn't trace your DNA to anything or anyone even if they tried. (Y/N) (Y/L/N) did not exist anymore, you'd buried her a long time ago, and refused to share that intangible information with the team, only giving them Ivy, or Poison. You weren't trained as a member of the team, but at the very bottom of the totem pole. You were taught how to punch, how to kick, and how to defend yourself from a thirteen year old with no previous fighting experience. It was awful, but you knew deep down you needed another way to provide for your loved ones. You weren't trained with the other entry level recruits, which was nice; however, one on ones with various members of the team wasn't all that great either. They would either keep it at a beginner level, or use their time to try and kill you. Natasha was your favorite person to train with solely because she never went easy on you. Sure, waking up with two swollen eyes, a busted lip and a fucked up shoulder wasn't your favorite way to start your mornings, but after a while it turned into one black eye, then none, then just shoulder pain, and eventually just busted up knuckles.

The team hated you, or at least they wanted to. After spending time with you for six months they couldn't deny you weren't too terrible of a person. You spent a lot of time by yourself, but the conversations you did have with them were either insanely intelligent or outrageously hilarious. They would get all wrapped up in the conversation and forget they were talking with a confessed serial murderer. You had multiple PhD's, making you one of the most educated members on the team, spoke twelve different languages(Including Russian which really shocked the hell out of Bucky and Natasha one morning), and were tech-savy. You were helpful with chores, cooking(which always made everybody very nervous, you WERE poisonous), rarely complained, and spent your free time in the med bay helping injured recruits.

You, however did complain a lot, to yourself at least. You were not used to rules and regulations, strict training schedules, and intense security. You were forced to sign a log telling FRIDAY when and where you were going, how long you estimated you'd be there, and tracker installed into your phone (which you were very capable of disabling, but that wouldn't be a very good way to build trust, would it?). You were still allowed to help your people out, Tony was more than willing to help provide for the less fortunate, especially if it meant people stopped dying on both sides, and even started mapping out a Stark refuge for the struggling and homeless. He said it would include a food pantry, basic necessities, shelter, and healthcare.

It was a Friday night when the team finally started to warm up to you. Game night to be exact. The team had mandatory bonding time every great once in a while to ground themselves from the busy day to day of tracking hostile threats. You had just gotten back from a twelve hour shift at the hospital (Twelve PhD's were paid for by a Nursing career((and stolen money from now-dead men but shh))) and were walking past the living room to the kitchen when a drunk Natasha invited you to come relax with them for the night. You froze, not knowing whether this was a trick or a joke.

"I'm being serious P, we're being normal people for once and I think there's more to you than we know and we have WINE!" Okay, you can either run away screaming and potentially murder your chances at these people actually accepting you, or you can take a deep breath, make your way over to the group of people that have kicked your ass for the past six months and deal with whatever repercussions come later. The second one was less humiliating... and it did give you a chance to build rapport.

**2 hours later**

They had drank their way through seven bottles of wine, a large flask of Asgardian mead, two bottles of whiskey, and a very miniscule amount of water. The team was crying laughing and playing truth or dare, each answer seemingly getting more and more detailed.

"Truth." Natasha said, slurring the entire word.

"Uhhh, if you had to sleep with anybody here, who would it be and why?" Tony always went for the sexual ones. Shocking

"OH OH OH!!! I, It would have to be, hm, UH, fuck, uhhhh. Wanda." Cue intense laughter from all the females. "The rest of you are unnaturally greasy and she's the only one I'd be okay with seeing me naked." The men were appalled, however you, Nat, and Wanda were laying face down on the ground shaking with laughter.

"Okayokayokay, Ivy, you know the question, pick!" Though Wanda was sitting on the ground, she swayed with every word and ended up leaning on you as she yelled.

"Truuuuth. Y'all ain't gettin me to do nothin." Giggling filled the room again, You couldn't tell if it was just the girls that were drunk or if everybody else was as trashed and you were. It didn't really matter though, you were actually having fun with these people and you'd do anything to keep it going.

"What actually ARE your powers? Are you just a really good gardener or what?" Oh shit, she wanted to get personal.

"I, can do lots of things, growing scary plants, I can make this thing that makes everybody become like super duper high, uh, I'm immune to all poison, duh, I can charm snakes, I can do a lot of things, mostly plant ssstuff though." You were trashed, swaying, slurring, giggling, the whole nine, and nothing, absolutely nothing could get you to stop staring at Bucky. He was so stunning, even as he sat there and pretended he didn't notice you glancing at him the entire night. He was so off, so unique, an emotionally vulnerable man who truthfully wanted nothing more than to be happy again. You could just eat him up, honesty in men was, in your experience, very hard to come by. (Unless you have them dangled over a balcony but shh)

Bucky watched on as the group became more and more drunk, his eyes never leaving the cold blooded woman beside Natasha. He barely spoke to you the entire time you were around the team. How do you say "Hey you tried to kill me and knocked me out every time we met but I can't stop thinking about you for some reason and I'd like to know why." without sounding like a freak? You were smart and funny and kind of a bitch but in a good way? You had to be messing with him, or up to something entirely. You were slipping your drug into his coffee or blowing it into his air vents, he couldn't be this invested in somebody with a wrap sheet like yours. but here he was. Something about you made him crazy, he hated it, and it wasn't exactly something he could share with his teammates.

"She's actually pretty hot huh tin man?" Sam fucking wilson nudged Bucky as the inner circle kept going with truth or dare.

"She killed people, for sport, Sam." Bucky shot him a death stare, yes, watching you interact was enough to get Bucky to think about an unwholesome thing or two.. He was NOT sharing that with Falcon of all people.

"Yeah but that adds to it, the dark, secret, mysterious 'I could stab you and make you say thank you' vibe's kinda hot." Bucky rolled his eyes, feeling his facial expressions reacting to Sam's shallow statement before his mouth even had time to speak. "That's fine if you don't think so, Cap obviously does." Whiplash. Bucky had turned towards his best friend so fast he was sure his brain slammed into the bones of his skull. Bucky had hoped Sam was teasing to get a reaction out of him, but Steve really was close to you.

"So you can just touch somebody and poison them?" Steve slowly moved closer to you as you answered him. He wanted to know how, somebody as innocent looking as you could kill a person simply by placing your soft hand on their shoulder. You seemed sweet enough, but that's probably why you were so good at your job. OLD job, Steve corrected himself.

"Well kindaaaaa, it's whatever I feel like at the moment." Your body shook slightly as you giggled, causing you to just barely lean into Steve as you spoke. "Like when I met you and Bucky for the first time, instead of poisoning you I just made you really really angry and full of lust." Steve lowered his voice and drunkenly whispered into your ear.

"Are you doing that to me now?" Steve had searched his brain for months trying to find a reason why he found you attractive, not just physically, but as a person you were intense. You never took no for an answer, rarely compromised, were tough as nails, and never backed down from a fight. Your intelligence took the whole team by surprise, you were almost always right and rarely bragged about it. Steve loved all those things, but Natasha was the same way and he didn't feel like this around her. He chalked it up to the alcohol and decided to let the conversation go wherever it was supposed to.

"Are you angry right now? Cause that might be because you suck at this game." Smirking, you winked at the drunk Captain. People were so predictable when they drank. You couldn't deny how handsome he was though. His muscles, the golden boy reputation, his undying loyalty to the people, it was all very enticing... You tilted the amber whiskey bottle back, a little to forcefully and fell backwards pulling Natasha with You.

"Dammit Ivy!" You yelled at yourself, they were all sitting down so it's not like you were in any pain, just embarrassed at how clumsy you never failed to be. Natasha looked over to you, she really was enjoying hanging out with you, and you really liked being liked. The girls were both laughing as you handed Natasha the whiskey bottle. "Apparently I've had too much."

Bucky loved watching you, but watching Steve flirt with you heated his blood to a not so safe level. His super-soldier hearing didn't help much either, the circle might not have heard Steve's flirty whisper, but Bucky sure had.

"I think it's time for me to go to bed, one of you are going to wake me up at the ass-crack of dawn to fuck me up." You tried to stand, but your legs were numb from sitting so long, and the alcohol hadn't helped either. The girls all laughed daintily as you tried to stand straight, you were wobbly, and your steps, when you finally did get up, were crooked and stumbled. You thought you had finally gotten the hang of it when you tripped over your feet, bracing for impact you tensed up, only to be caught by the one and only Bruce Banner. Steve wasn't far behind, and Bucky had shot straight up out of his chair when he saw her trip, much to Sam's amusement, but Banner had gotten there first.

"Thanks, Bruce. I don't understand how my own two feet can plot against me like this." You smiled weakly, embarrassed again by your own clumsiness.

"Self-sabotage, the worst kind. Let me walk you up, if FRIDAY wakes Tony that you're passed out on the floor he might have flashbacks." Looking at Bruce's soft features made it so obvious as to why Banner was your favorite. He was the only person that never treated you too much like a villain. He was always asking you questions about your research, if you'd read a new article that had come out about microbiology, your day. He was like the cool brother you'd never had, and that made you open up as much as you could with Bruce. You took his arm and followed him to the elevator and all the way to your room.

"I appreciate you Bruce, I knows it's a lot of gross emotion but, you're family to me now. Jus figured you sould know." Drunk, blurry vision, barely able to stand, and now you were professing emotion? You needed to stay far away from the liquor with these people for sure. YOu were sure it would have weirded the always quiet Bruce out, but he cracked a faint smile, kissed you on the forehead and spoke.

"Welcome to the team, Ivy."

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// How’s it doing so far?? I’m really liking how it’s all going so far! P.S. if you guys want to throw random vocab words at me I’ll try and find a way to incorporate them and tag you! Thanks for reading! May Odin bless you! //

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elliepassmore · 6 years ago

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Crooked Kingdom Review

5/5 stars Recommended for people who like: heist stories, fantasy, multiple POVs, revenge, diverse characters CK picks up about a week after the end of SoC with a whole slew of new problems for our favorite gang. To recap, Van Eck the Elder has Inej, the Dregs are out 30 million, Kaz made a deal with Pekka Rollins, Nina took parem and is now addicted, but alive, and, newly discovered in chapter one, the Shu are sending weird Grisha/bird/angel things after other Grishas. Sounds like a Monday in the the Barrel. While the plot of the first book mainly focused on the Dregs getting a scientist out of the Ice Court, this one focuses on them getting their money's worth from Van Eck after he double-crossed them. Of course, nothing is ever that simple with Kaz, who has now made it one of his personal missions to not only get the $30 million from Van Eck with a little to spare, but also to ruin Van Eck's reputation. This is next to his other personal mission of tearing Pekka Rollins down brick by brick. The issues that arise as the Dregs try to accomplish this are ridiculous . Not ridiculous as in 'outside the realm of suspension of belief', but ridiculous as in 'wow, you guys just keep getting in more trouble of your own making.' Everything fits, even Kaz's admitted missteps--yes, Kaz admits a mistake aloud, I was shocked the first time reading it too--and it all plays surprisingly well into the story. I'll start with the characters that had more of an arc this story than the last one. First up is Jesper. Remember in the last book when he admitted to Inej he wagered his father's farm in a loan? Well that comes to fruition here, and his father, Colm, is dragged into Ketterdam as a trap to try and get the Dregs killed or captured. Having Colm in town drudges up a lot of Jesper's issues with gambling or, more accurately, his issues with losing at gambling. We got to see Jesper explain that gambling, much like shooting, help soothe what he referred to as 'the itch' of restlessness he has. Despite the tension between him and his father, it was nice to see the two of them interact, Bardugo wrote their relationship in such a way it's clear how much Colm cares for his son, even when he messes up. It also added some dichotomy between the group, showing that Jesper really is the only one with access to a parent who cares about them; Nina, Matthias, and Kaz's parents are dead, Inej's parents are a sea away, and Wylan's father cares more about money than him. The arc for Jesper in this story did focus a lot around his father, but it also focused on him making amends and growing as a Grisha. Jesper made some mistakes in the last book that he's working to fix now, and it leads to a pretty poignant exchange between him and Inej toward the end of the book that sticks with him. With his father involved, he's clearly struggling to reconcile the idea that he doesn't want to disappoint his father and wants to keep him safe with the reality that he's made some bad decisions andbecause of that his father isn't safe. Compounding on all these problems is Jesper also struggling with the idea of being Grisha and how to handle that moving forward. Things clearly changed for him during the Ice Court job, but he's not entirely sure how to handle that change. Nina wants him to go to Ravka, of course, but there's hesitation in Jesper that's telling him to stay away. There's also the fear of staying in Ketterdam as a Grisha. It's later discovered that this hesitation and fear is in part due to his mother being a Grisha and dying trying to help someone, and in part due to his father's reaction to her death. After being taught to shove down his powers for most of his life, the idea of living in harmony with them obviously scares Jesper, and another large part of his arc in this book is wrestling with that fear and this 'new' identity as Grisha and whether or not to let the fear stay--it is not entirely unfounded--and continue on as he has, or to embrace being Grisha and all that comes with it. Nina also has a stronger arc in this story than in SoC. At the end of the last book, she was still recovering from the effects of taking parem in order to help the group escape Fjerda. At the start of this one she's still struggling with the addiction. The danger of withdrawal is past, but she still craves the drug, even going so far as to beg Matthias for a little bit more. The toll the drug has taken on her is monumental, she's lost weight, has little appetite, seems perpetually tired, and has difficulty using her Heartrender powers, even on herself. I actually really liked Nina's story line in this book because we so rarely get to see addiction in fantasy formats, especially in the sort of light Bardugo frames it in. In other formats the addiction is phrased as a medication the character is addicted to and needs for their health or something that was forced upon them. Here, Nina took parem to save her friends, knowing what would happen, and life after taking it and becoming addicted is presented as hard and unpleasant and sometimes feels like it's not worth it. Everyone is clearly worried about Nina, taking quiet victories in her eating a little more than the day before or joking around or standing up to Kaz on behalf of the other Grisha in the city. A second part of Nina's arc, related to parem, is that her powers have become something different, something she feels isn't wholly natural. As a Heartrender, Nina had control over people's body and could raise or lower their heart rates, relax muscles, and even had a limited ability to heal and disguise people. All of this created a connection to people and to the living. After parem, her power's have manifested in having control of the dead--think, dust clouds and bones as shrapnel and, yes, even getting the dead walking--and to her it feels like a part of her is hollowed out because of it. So, on top of having to deal with still craving parem, she also has to reconcile how she views her powers and their/her place in the world. Matthias also has a lot of character development in this book. After/during the Ice Court job, he softened up around the crew and even began changing how he felt about Grisha. These changes really come to fruition here. The more he sees and learns about Grisha, their powers, and even how different cultures view them, the more he seems to understand that Grisha are as natural as humans and begins questioning just how the drüskelle and Fjerda managed to tilt so far in the opposite direction. He even recognizes something Nina did in the previous book--for all of Fjerda's dislike of the Grisha, it's almost certain the miracles of their saints and even the Ice Court itself is due to Grisha powers. As the book continues, Matthias begins recognizing more and more the toxicity of what the drüskelle preach and comes up with a loose idea that he wants to work to change the teachings and get rid of some of the hate. Wylan's story is changed in a major way over the course of the book when he realizes something his father kept from him (*SPOILER* his mother is not dead, but instead locked away in an asylum his father stuck her in when he decided he wanted a new wife and a new heir *SPOILER END*. He also advances as a character who sees more than just the good side and bad side of things, but also the middle, the idea that good people do bad things and that bad people are sometimes the most effective vessels for change for the better. Wylan also wrestles a bit with his identity in this book, as he's stuck looking like Kuwei Yul-Bo for most of it, a change he seems to not mind that much until Jesper gets the two of them mixed up. After the surprise discovery, and toward the end of the book, Wylan gets to decide what kind of person he's going to become. He seems to decide to take a page from the books of the people surrounding him try to have "every bit of bravado he'd learned from Nina, the will he'd learned from Matthias, the focus he'd studied in Kaz, hte courage he'd learned from Inej, and the wild, reckless hope he'd learned from Jesper, the belief that no matter the odds, somehow they'd always win" (427). Inej's goal for the future is clearly set in her mind during this book, and she seems eager to get her ship to hunt down slavers. That's not to say, however, that she's done with the crew. She's still the Wraith, she still sees Ketterdam as one of her homes, she's still a Dreg. As clear as her goals are, she wants to be around to help Nina and Matthias and the other Grisha get to safety, to help Jesper protect his father, to help Wylan get his back at his father, and of course to help Kaz get the money. She seems to worry more in this book, but has a greater feel of freedom about her as she does so. To me, reading her chapters, it felt like something had been lifted off her shoulders and she decided once and for all that she is Inej Ghafa, the Wraith, future slaver hunter, and that she will not settle for less, even if it means letting go of some people. I like how Inej's story line wraps up at the end of the book, and I would definitely be open to reading a book about what she does next, if Bardugo ever decided that's something she wants to pursue. Finally, Kaz. He's definitely gotten trickier in this book. Throughout the story he's playing two, three different games, arranging and rearranging people as he likes as if they're chess pieces, or whatever the chess-equivalent is in Ketterdam. He says things that hint, and sometimes almost blatantly tell, at what he's planning on doing, and even how he'll achieve it, but it's hard to catch if you aren't looking for it. Some things don't go to plan, a lot of things don't go to plan, and Kaz actually does admit to his mistakes aloud in this one, but he thinks quickly and has contingent after contingent ready to pluck from his mind. You definitely get to see how his mind works more in this one than in the Ice Court job, and with all the cogs that turn in his head I'm actually surprised he waited this long to oust Per Haskell. Of course, he plays the long-game, so it's entirely possible he had a plan like this in his head all along an the job from the first book and the issues with Van Eck just sped it along. Aside from further developing his criminal mastermind, we also get to see some development on the personal front. As opposed to the barely-held thread Kaz held onto when his skin was touched in the first book, we see him tolerating a little more in this one when he deems it necessary--bathroom scene, the Slat scene, the last scene. Further, we get to see him caring for the crew a little more overtly in this book, admitting to Jesper that he cares, working to get the Grisha to safety for Nina, trying to let his barriers down for Inej, and even essentially giving Wylan an empire (though I have no doubt Kaz plans on utilizing that at some point in the future). Bardugo left the ending for the book in a nice place. It can be complete here, the story lines from the first book are all closed, the characters each got a wrap-up, but it's also left open enough that she could come back and write more about the Dregs without it feeling forced or unnatural. I, personally, really want to know more about what Inej (Inej-Kaz team?) and the Jesper-Wylan team are up to, since I know we'll probably get to see more about Nina and the Grisha in King of Scars . Like SoC, the plot was mostly character-driven, but there was a lot of action and high-stakes moments throughout the story. There were twists I did and didn't see coming and, overall, I'm pretty happy with how the book went.

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lifemedicalsupply1 · 2 years ago

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How Does a Mobility Scooter Work?

Mobility scooters are a great way to get around if you have difficulty walking or if you have limited mobility. They work like small motorcycles, and you simply sit in the seat and steer with your feet. Mobility Scooters in McAllen, TX can be used for a variety of purposes, including transportation, shopping, and recreation.

Most mobility scooters are powered by electric motors, but some models may also use gas or oil. The motors typically produce between 2 and 4 horsepower, which is enough to move the scooter at a speed of up to 12 miles per hour.

There are a few things that you need to know before using a mobility scooter. First, make sure that you have the right equipment. You will need a helmet, goggles, knee and elbow pads, and a protective vest. Second, make sure that you have the proper licensing and insurance. Most states require that you have a driver's license or an identification card that shows that you are qualified to operate a mobility scooter. Third, be aware of your surroundings. Do not ride on busy streets or in areas where there are a lot of traffic hazards. Finally, be patient and take it easy when beginner mobility scooter users first start using them.

Safety Tips for Using a Mobility Scooter

Mobility scooters can be a great way to get around, but like any piece of equipment, there are some safety precautions that you should take when using one. Here are a few tips to help make your mobility scooter experience safe and fun:

1. Always use caution when crossing streets. Mobility scooters can be fast and unpredictable, so always be aware of traffic and watch for cars coming in your direction.

2. Use common sense when driving on the sidewalk or road. If there is an obstacle in your path, stop before going over it. Remember that mobility scooters are not designed for off-road use and can easily become stuck in mud, sand or snow.

3. Make sure you have the appropriate insurance policy in place if you plan to use a mobility scooter outside of your home or office. Not all sidewalks and roads are accessible by mobility scooters, so be sure to check with your insurance company first!

How Do You Care for Your Mobility Scooter?

Mobility scooters can be a great way to get around, but like most things, they need proper care. Here are some tips to keep your mobility scooter in good condition:

1. Check the brakes and throttle regularly. Make sure they're functioning properly and that the brake pads are in good shape. Replace them if necessary.

2. Inspect the wheels for cracks, chipped paint, or worn tires. Replace them if necessary.

3. Check the suspension system and make sure it's holding up well. If it's not, replace the springs or shocks as needed.

4. Clean the mobility scooter regularly using a hose or a vacuum cleaner with appropriate attachments. Be sure to remove all of the dirt, dust, and debris before storing the scooter away.

Conclusion

A mobility scooter is an excellent option for people who have difficulty walking or need to move around frequently but don’t want to rely on others. These scooters are equipped with several features, including an electric motor and large tires that make them very stable. They also come in a variety of different styles and colors, so there’s sure to be one perfect for you. If you’re interested in trying out a mobility scooter for yourself, be sure to check out our selection at Life Medical Supply!

#Mobility Scooters McAllen TX #Mobility Scooters McAllen

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energy-general · 4 years ago

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Walking Your Dog

If you are like much of the population, your four-legged friend is your first "baby." Many people worry needlessly about how their dog will handle a baby in their life. Many owners think of getting rid of the family pets because of fears that they will harm the baby. Please do not do this unless there is no other option. Most large dogs, when treated and trained properly, can handle life with a newborn very well.

If you are unsure that your dog will accept your new baby, please seek the advice of a professional trainer or behaviorist before making any decisions.

Be firm but fair-

Your tone of voice matters-

Be calm and assertive-

Use a crate-

Eliminate bad manners-

Teach your dog how to be calm and gentle, by praising and treating this behavior.

Exercise is key for good behavior-

Is your dog allowed on your furniture?-

Time-out for your dog-

Be sure you give your dog time away from the baby to settle. Time outs are an effective tool to allow your dog to keep its sanity and also for when they are doing something wrong.

Your new schedule and your dog-

Pay less attention to your dog-

Your dog needs to be calm and balanced-

Is your dog gentle?-

Does your dog jump?-

How will my dog handle the baby being rough with her?-

Obedience training your dog-

The following are some basic commands and actions that your dog should be able to do to ensure that he will listen and be under control:

Spot, Go To Your Spot!-

Teach your dog what he can chew on-

Soiling in the house-

Use high-value treats-

The health and cleanliness of your dog is vital-

Carry a doll-

Baby sounds-

Real babies and children-

Baby smells-

The Nursery-

Baby's things are off-limits-

Make sure to constantly reinforce that the baby's things are not the dog's things. Even though you may have practiced this before the baby came home, dogs do need reminders.

Teach your dog which toys belong to him-

If you follow the guidelines set forth in this article you should be able to accustom your dog to your newborn without much difficulty. Remember, when in doubt, always consult a professional trainer!

#dogs #pets #large dogs

0 notes

fridlyckans123 · 4 years ago

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How to Prepare Your Dog for Your Newborn Baby

f you are like much of the population, your four-legged friend is your first "baby." Many people worry needlessly about how their dog will handle a baby in their life. Many owners think of getting rid of the family pets because of fears that they will harm the baby. Please do not do this unless there is no other option. Most dogs, when treated and trained properly, can handle life with a newborn very well. fridlyckans

If you are unsure that your dog will accept your new baby, please seek the advice of a professional trainer or behaviorist before making any decisions.

Be firm but fair-

Your tone of voice matters-

Be calm and assertive-

Use a crate-

Eliminate bad manners-

Teach your dog how to be calm and gentle, by praising and treating this behavior.

Exercise is key for good behavior-

Is your dog allowed on your furniture?-

Time-out for your dog-

Be sure you give your dog time away from the baby to settle. Time outs are an effective tool to allow your dog to keep its sanity and also for when they are doing something wrong.

Your new schedule and your dog-

Pay less attention to your dog-

Your dog needs to be calm and balanced-

Is your dog gentle?-

Does your dog jump?-

0 notes

shbettereveryday · 7 years ago

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One Year: Coming home to Outpatient Therapy

The theme of my recovery could easily be titled “The New Normal”. Going home was scary. My entire time with this injury I was surrounded by doctors, nurses and therapist. They watched over me when I had a fever, helped me to go the bathroom, and instructed me on how to do things. Being on my own meant that safety net wasn’t immediately available so there was a lot of fear. An entry from my first day speaks to that:

“Going to start making dinner. I started to cry not sure why. This will be something that happens. My feeling was that I missed therapy and as much as I like being home I miss the hospital too. As it got later in the evening I got really tired of sitting in the chair. I just couldn’t get comfortable so I went to bed.

I am sure as the days go by I will be more comfortable on my own house but it feels like I am just learning it again. Just take it day by day on this road to being bettereveryday”

I am also in the early stages of learning the obstacles that I will have to deal with. There is the obstacle of the house not being as good as it can be for me, Hitting walls and door frames. Taking off pieces of laminate on the kitchen island. Accessibility at home and elsewhere will always be an issue. When venturing out of the house the first time I noticed it first hand:

“Did discover some of the frustrations that I will run into such as sidewalks heaving up that my power chair can’t navigate so I end up on the street. Cars blocking sidewalks as well can be a problem."

The early days of the New Normal was finding our routine. Sleeping schedule eating schedule all worked around my needs bowel routines, cleaning, cathing, and meds etc. There was frustration because I was expecting home health care but it took a little over a week to get that started and it wasn’t quite as helpful as I had hoped. The biggest thing was trying to find help and support to use the shower transfer seat we had so I did a lot of bed baths during this time, The shower seat I practiced on in the hospital but in the small space we had the tranfer was difficult and daunting. We hoped the OT would help in reality she gave use the confidence to try with her standing by, Here is a pic of that transfer seat:

You can probably see the difficulty in getting a chair in there and than transfering at an odd angle might be problematic but as we did get used to we already started another new normal. One other thing that I struggled with was accepting that needed all this assistance:

“The thing that came out of this is that Michele and I are working well together as a caregiver and somebody who needs care. We are doing this just as well as we have made a team in life. It is a difficult thing to have this new dynamic. Difficult for me not only because I require this assistance but it also difficult to ask this from somebody who has already done so much for me, It is difficult for Michele because it is very hard work as well as take care of Norma our other resident.”

The teamwork lesson was an important one and is really a big part of where I am now that we have been able to work efficiently as a team, But needing to get assistance is part of what brought me together with Vocational Rehabilitation services and you will hear a lot about them but there was a struggle at least internally about getting that assistance:

“There is something about accepting help from the government that makes if feel like you aren’t able to contribute or do what you need to do on your own. I don’t think anybody prepares enough for this sort of thing so I shouldn’t feel too bad about it but it will be really helpful and will allow us to do some things that would probably have been well out of our reach.”

Most of the next few weeks were trying to figure out how to function in my house in my chair. We had PT/OT coming to the house with the eye on starting outpatient day institute therapy for a few more months before being able to return to work.

I was learning how to get around the kitchen and other places in and outside my house but for the first few weeks we didn’t travel at all. I did have doctor appointments I needed to get to. Establish care with a new PCP and a urologist. I did find a taxi company that I could use for transport but this obviously wasn’t cost effective solution. I had hoped to have the metro bus call-a-ride as my solution but after weeks of frustration getting my info from the social worker to the Metro Bus people. It turns out my chair with me in it was too heavy to be able to take call a ride, I had to take the regular bus which based on where the stop was and how I wasn’t ready for that it wasn’t an option either. More on transportation later. In the process of getting comfortable in the house we got comfortable with having people over. Mostly family but others had also stopped by,

Here I am enjoying a visit from my sister, brother in law and their pets. This is Peggy she loves me and also makes Norma jealous. In the middle of this I am still dealing and struggling with what has happened to me and all that it entails as my post grad day 10 (Day 56) shows:

“I have to accept where I am now and not dwell on what if’s and second guess my decisions. That is all too much distraction from what is the fight of my life for my life. To say I have never done or dealt with anything this difficult in my life would be an understatement. This is physically and mentally the hardest thing I could have imagined. I am stressing the parts of my body that are working and there is pain everyday. There are days when I can’t imagine just having the strength to get out of bed”

Back to transportation. I finally got it worked out where I could start the day institute almost 2 weeks after I got home. It doesn’t seem like a long time but to me at the time it seemed like an eternity sitting at home feeling like I was sliding backwards in my abilities on top of already shaky confidence. The good part is they would transport me too and from. The bad part is there was another delay based on transportation for another few weeks. We eventually worked a schedule that worked for their drivers and me. This will begin the next phase of my recovery and start yet another new normal..For the next 2 months I will for 3 days a week leave at 9:45 and return home at 3:30 or so spending those days in much needed therapy, I did get my first trip out of the house before that would begin and that was to see my new Primary Care Physician. I used the taxi service I had talked about. It was important because it was my first trip into public outside of the hospital or my house since my injury.

View from my spot in the back of the cab. We used them a few more times but the first driver we had was the best of them all and we only had him one other time. I think we used the taxi a few times. I still carry the card as a back up to my current transportation situation,

On/e thing I wrote on day 62 is important and something I have tried to maintain through the whole process:

“Keep celebrating life and always keep the most important things first. Yes my injury was/is a big deal but remembering to celebrate the more important things is part of being bettereveryday.”

During Outpatient Therapy I was dealing with other things. Obviously multiple medical issues and of course insurance and Disability Insurance for work. The latter was very frustrating and difficult to deal with and that caused a great deal of stress to me during my therapy. Meanwhile we had gotten to that new New Normal. Having therapy 3 times a week was nice but we were still lacking independent transportation so besides goling to therapy we were home all the time and it was still difficult to get to doctors. We had a taxi company that we were using and one day we rented a wheelchair van for a Neuro Surgeon follow since it was further away and that was my first experience of having some independent travel.

As it turned out later this was the same model of vehicle we would end up with. I was in the process of working with Vocational Rehab. I had started a bunch of different things. One of the first big things was a workplace visit from the OT from Wash U. We used this van again for that and it was a special and emotional day. It worked out well because the same day they happened to be having a going away event for the man who hired we at KSDK. He was going to work at corporate in Virginia, He and his wife who also worked for us as a producer were one of quite a few visitors I received in the hospital. They had also coordinated an increadible gift that my co-workers had given a large sum of money they had collected from coworkers. Anyway this day was the first day I will have entered my work since a week before my surgery. The support that was shown to me on what was an event for somebody else was amazing. So many people came up to me and expressed how happy they were to see me and couldn’t wait for me to come back to work. They made me feel as I no this day Day 85:

“It truly was a feeling of belonging and affirmation of being in the right place for me to move forward working with my injury.”

This was a group photo I was involved in. It was a very special day to be back. Everything still feels like that now by the way and sometimes if feels like the chair just melts away and it is just me doing my job. After all this it was back to business. The OT, the Chief Engineer, and HR made our way around the building and the OT made notes about things they could do to help make it is accessible as they could for me. My notation in the blog represented my feelings about this day:

“My work was very receptive and involved in the process. When I mentioned how great they have been through this whole process. She said I can tell you the majority aren’t that way and they will fight you on every suggestion where to their credit they were on board with everything we discussed. In the end it was a great trip because of all we had accomplished but most of all because it reassured me that I work with some fantastic people who not only like they value me.”

I did have a brief hiccup in my therapy where the Insurance didn’t seem to be covering my therapy so I stopped going letting them know we needed to get that worked out. It took a week and they did but it was stressful and very upsetting. In the middle of all that a coworker who’s family owns one of the nicest restaurants in the city set up a night out on him. He covered transportation and a dinner at this restaurant as well as a visit back to work to see some people on a more informal visit. It was an incredible night.

Finally during the last few weeks of Therapy we were able to get our own transportation. It was a long time coming and a lot of work with Voc Rehab in driving evaluations, van evaluations etc but the day finally came.

This was a life changing thing for us and allowed us to start being independent in our life but start considering a return to work on a part time basis which would be allowing me to meet one of my long term goals set way back in the beginning of therapy but in the short term it allowed up to as noted on Day 123:

“Expanding our boundries together will help us be bettereveryday."

I had time all along to reflect and express feelings about my injury and my life since and one of those things you might not think about is:

“I am thankful to all the doctors, nurses, techs, and therapists that have helped get me to where I am at. I can say they convinced me that I could do things that I have thought weren’t possible the entire way. All along they encourage me to think of the possible and not allowing me to think about the past. That is exactly what it is, the past, and I just keep looking ahead and moving forward.

I am thankful to have the opportunity to be bettereveryday.”

It lead to me being very thankful to all the therapist, and doctors that allowed me to get to this point where I could be starting work again. I still had thereapy to go just a few more days at the day institute and so much unsure about how I would continue therapy and physical improvement but I finally got to go back to work and it was amazing and a culmination of everything I had been working torwards This link below is video of my first day back to work:

https://youtu.be/7lHDHyyPqBc

#bettereveryday

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bulletproof-heaven · 8 years ago

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The Angel In Pink - Chapter 3

Chapter: 1 2 3 4

The door opened to reveal Jin, who looked half asleep, wearing a baby pink pyjama set, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Namjoon cursed at himself for not realising that the sun had already set and that Jin probably finally got some sleep after a long shift. At the same time, he couldn’t help but stare at how adorable the man looked; all droopy eyed. Namjoon opened his mouth to introduce himself but Jin started speaking, no longer tired look but instead, the man was glaring. “You have some nerve coming back here…”.

The doctor shook his head before turning to walk deeper into the house as he continued to talking. Namjoon took this as a ‘please come in’ and walked in, closing the door behind him. He took off his shoes and was careful to not to bleed all over the expensive carpet. He quickly followed the elder’s still ranting voice into the bathroom, entering the room just as the elder turned around to face him. “…I don’t care about you so what makes you think I’m going to help you this time?”

“Um…” Namjoon had to hold in a chuckle; to him, the man was so precious when he was trying to be mad, “because you let me into your house and you already got out your first aid kit?”

Jin looked down and indeed, he was holding the box of medical supplies. He glared at the ground for a moment to yell at his body for moving on autopilot before glaring at the man in front of him, “Sit. Not another sound from you”.

The gang leader kept quiet, sitting on the edge of the bathtub as the doctor stitched him up. He knew that Jin was still angry with him because everything he let out a sound of pain, the doctor would mutter something under his breath. It took a while but Namjoon was finally all patched up. Jin sighed when he finished, washing his hands, water running red. “Go sit in the kitchen. I have to clean up”. Namjoon looked around; his bloody button-up laid discarded on the tiled floor surrounded by a few cotton balls also soaked with blood and the kit laying opened, supplies everywhere. He started to reach down-

“Don’t even think about it” Jin stated, back still facing him. “I don’t want you to rip open your stitches”.

Namjoon stood back up and gave him a goofy smile through the mirror. “So you do care about me”.

Jin turned around as he scoffed before rolling his eyes. “If your stitches come undone, I’ll have to spend another 20 minutes of my life redoing them. No, thank you”. He then proceeded to push Namjoon out the door. “Kitchen. Go sit”.

It took Jin exactly 7 minutes and 38 seconds, not that Namjoon was counting, to return to the kitchen, sitting on the counter chair next to the leader.

They sat in silence for a few moments before Namjoon decided to break it. “I didn’t think you’d remember me”.

Jin scoffed, “please, I’m a doctor. I always remember my patients, especially disrespectful ones who disappeared without so much a note”.

Namjoon gulped, nervously.

“So, you better answer all my questions honestly to repay me for my generosity,” The doctor narrowed his eyes at the other, “got it?”.

The leader nodded quickly and Jin smiled, “Good. What’s your name?”

“Kim Namjoon”. The words gushed out of his mouth before he could stop it. The leader mentally slapped himself for being so weak against a guy who looked like he couldn’t even throw a decent punch.

“Well, Kim Namjoon…” Jin smiled for it quickly slipped off his face, “Wait…Namjoon…Namjoon” The leader furrowed his brows. Why was he repeating his name? “…NJ!”

Oh. That’s why.

“You!” Jin’s glare returned, “You’re the one who sent all those flowers”.

Namjoon gave a goofy smile, “Do you like them?”

“Yes-” Jin blurted out, “I mean, no-”. Namjoon frowned. “I mean; one bouquet would have been nice but you fill up the entire reception area everyday.” The doctor gave him a small smile, “It’s kind of turning into a safety hazard”.

“Oh…” Namjoon stared down at his hands in gloom. “I didn’t think of that. Sorry”.

“Seriously though, thank you for the flowers but please don’t send anymore…”.

He looked back up, eyes widening at Jin’s smile. To Namjoon, it seemed like there was a glow around the other man.

“…why flowers though, people usually send fruits baskets?” Jin added quietly as an afterthought, more to himself than anyone else.

Namjoon closed his eyes mentally slapping himself for not realising sooner; Jin liked flower but he loved food. The leader remembered back to how the doctor loved to spend his time-off trying different restaurants. He glanced at Jin with a smile, “Okay, I won’t send anymore flowers”.

“Good” Jin replied, “So why were you stabbed?”

“Um…” Namjoon hesitated for a moment seeing as he couldn’t say ‘so I could come see you’. “My hyung stabbed me”.

The doctor’s eyes widened before exclaiming, “What kind of hyung is that?”

“The closest kind” The leader grinned. Jin shook his head. This guy was not right in the head.

“That night…’ Namjoon started to ask, “did you happen to see a small box?”

Jin looked off to the side and tried to remember the night two weeks ago before nodding, “Yeah, I remember seeing it. Why?”

“Was it in my pocket when you found me on the street?’

“Yeah, it was”.

“Do you know what was inside?”

Jin nodded again, “A USB. The box fell from your pocket when I was stitching you up and the USB came out of it. I put it back though. Why?”.

Namjoon released a sigh of relief before shaking his head with a smile, “Don’t worry about it”.

“Okay, you sure are a weird one” Jin said with a certain tenderness in his eyes.

They continued to stare at each other for a few moments; Jin was basking in the comfortable silence while Namjoon was slowly wrecking his mind. He tapped his fingers against the marble countertop, inhaling every couple of seconds like he wanted to say something but just ended up biting his bottom lip to stop himself.

“Is there something you want to say?” Jin asked, slightly concerned about how the other was acting.

In his mind, Namjoon said ‘fuck it’ before blurting out, “Would you like to go on a date with me?”.

Namjoon came bursting through the front door into the living room where everyone was resting with a giant smile on his face. “I told you it wasn’t Jin” He said more to Yoongi than to the couple.

“Well, look who’s back” Hoseok teased, head in Taehyung’s lap as the other typed away on his computer that was perched on the couch’s armrest.

“That doesn’t solve our current problem, does it?” Yoongi drawled, ignoring Namjoon’s obvious ‘ha, I was right’. “We still don’t know who took it and we don’t have the information”.

“Yeah, that’s true…” Namjoon trailed off. In the last two weeks, he hasn’t really spent much time on ‘gang’ stuff, not that there were much to do in the first place. The clubs basically ran itself, they had people who collected shipments for them, there was nobody on their hit list yet, and nobody was trying to kill them. The only major issue was concerning the USB and the information which they found out today. Normally, he would have thought of a solution already but he was a bit occupied.

“Just tell whatever-his-name-is to send another one. Also get him to send us the location when the USB is accessed” Taehyung stated absentmindedly and everyone else stared at him. “What?”

“That is a genius idea, babe” Hoseok gave him a giant kiss.

Namjoon continued to start at the kid, “That was so obvious, why didn’t I think of that?”

“Maybe it’s because you mind was filled with your lover boy” Yoongi teased.

The leader just ignored his comment before pulling out his phone and calling Minwoo. “Minwoo, you have a tracker on that USB, don’t you?’

“Yeah…why?” Minwoo asked cautiously from the other side. He still hadn’t gotten over the fact that he was stabbed by Yoongi.

“I want you to send us the location when it gets accessed”.

“Okay, I can do that”. He quickly agreed in fear that Bangtan was going to kidnap him again and stab him some more if he didn’t.

“Also, send us another one” Namjoon ordered.

“Heck no,” Minwoo replied sharply, “I’m not losing another delivery person. If you want the information, go to Taiwan yourself. I’ll text you the details”.

And with that Minwoo hung up. Namjoon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“What did he say?” Taehyung asked.

“He’s not gonna deliver it. We have to get it ourselves”.

“Okay,” He nodded before glancing at Yoongi, “Hyung can do that”.

Yoongi shot up in his seat, “Why are you looking at me? I’m not going”.

“Come on, hyung” Taehyung whined, “You’re the only that can go. Namjoonie hyung can’t because he’s the leader. Hobi is afraid of flying, and I… well, I have to take care of security stuff so you have a safe flight.”

Yoongi scowled, knowing that the kid was right. “Fine, book me the flight, I’m leaving tonight”.

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