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#so that they could properly inform their subjects on the infection
ravewing · 3 months
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wof infection au part 6! all parts will be tagged under 'fragariapathosis' 😋😋
cw for scary imagery!! creepypasta-esque stuff, disease, blood, trypophobia, body horror, mentions of vomiting, mentions of death/murder, et cetera et cetera. inspired by the mlp infection aus on tiktok yayy
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edit: oh my god. i just realized i wrote unnamed instead of unborn in jerboa iiis letter im actually tweaking
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littlemissaddict · 8 months
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Tattoo's - Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader
Summary: Reader gets her first tattoo much to Eddie's surprise.
Word Count: 1277
She didn’t hear the front door open, or Eddie announce his arrival home from work. She was in the bathroom focused on cleaning her new tattoo completely unaware of his presence until she caught sight of movement in the mirror out of the corner of her eye. “Eddie!” she smiled excitedly, spinning around to face him where he was now leaning against the door frame watching her with intrigue.
He chuckled slightly as he stepped towards her, “Now baby what’s gotten you so distracted that I didn’t get my proper welcome home” he teased, smiling down at her as she stood in front of him. He figured it must be something big as she couldn’t stand still, he could feel her excitement radiating from her as she swung her clasped hands in front of her all the while a grin spread across her face.
“Well…” she draws out, her eyes quickly glancing down, so quick that Eddie almost misses the movement but she speaks again before he can follow her gaze downwards. “You know how I’ve been wanting a tattoo for a while” is all she manages before he interrupts her.
“You didn’t” his eyes widened as she nodded at him, "Let me see, let me see" he pleaded, bouncing on the balls of his feet as his excitement rivalled her own.
Holding out her arm, she watched him as his eyes followed the black tendrils of ink spanning across her forearm. His hands reached out to twist her arm slightly so that he could see from a different angle which she allowed seeing as his hands weren't actually touching the tender skin. Although the moment his hands moved to try and trace over the lines, she was quick to slap them away. "Nope not with your dirty, greasy mechanic hands" she scolded lightly, ignoring the pout that appeared on his plush lips, "I have to keep it clean so that I don't risk it getting infected" she informed him. It was something she assumed he knew considering the assortment of tattoos that littered his body and she was quick to point that out to him, "I just want it to heal properly like yours" she reasoned when he responded with a 'but baby'
Eddie snickered at that, "Yeah considering mine were done from a friend of a friend in Rick's basement it's a wonder they healed at all" he revealed, something she hadn't known before.
"Eddie it's your body, your life but it could get really dangerous if they'd have gotten infected" she urged. She'd heard all sorts of horror stories of people who had gotten ill from an infected tattoo so much so that they almost died, she shook the thought away, not willing to think of Eddie like that and instead opting just to look at him with wide eyes while she waited for his response.
"Yeah well when you short of cash you take your chances where you can" he shrugged as if it was nothing but he didn't miss the way her eyes grew comically larger at his nonchalance of the subject, "but I promise that's in the past, my last few have been from accredited tattooists in a proper parlour so you don't have to worry your pretty little head" he assured her, sealing it with a kiss to her forehead.
It had the desired effect and she relaxed at his words, though making a promise to herself to watch him closely when he inevitably got his next one. "I hope so mister" she spoke with a pointed glare his way, playfully prodding his chest with her finger, which he wasted no time in grabbing and tugging her close to him, causing her to squeal at the unexpected movement. “But can you do me a favour and help me wrap it?” she pouted up at him once the room had stilled..
A smirk grew on Eddie’s face as he, as usual, found an innuendo in everything. “Oh we’re wrapping it up now, I thought you liked it raw?” he teased, laughing as a choked sound somewhere between a laugh and a gasp passed her lips as she placed her palm flat against his chest so she could push her body away from his.
“Un-fucking-believable” she scoffed turning her back to him, not that she could fool him as he had already seen the smile tugging at her lips, well that and he could see her reflection in the mirror now that she’d turned around.
Stepping forward, until his chest was pressed against her back, he slipped his arms around her middle and tucked his face into the crook of her neck, his warm breath tickling the skin as he spoke. “I’m only kidding baby,” followed by kisses up the column of her neck to just under her ear, “of course I’ll help you wrap it” he whispered against the shell of her ear before pulling away, chuckling to himself as her body tried to follow him. “Just gotta wash these dirty mechanic hands first” he spoke, repeating her earlier words back to her as he wiggled them in her face briefly and she scrunched her face up in response.
They were quiet as he washed his hands and she turned to get the wrap for her arm. Once his hands were dry, he took what he needed from her outstretched hands, his own working expertly to cut the wrap down to size and gently place it over the tender skin with ease before he secured it with a little tape so that it wouldn’t come off during the night.
“There all done” he pulled back to let her admire his handiwork and she whispered her thanks to him as her eyes remained cast down, still focused on her arm. Eddie reached out again, hands desperate to trace over the design, only this time she let him since there was no contact with her inked skin. “It really is beautiful, don't know how you managed to keep it a secret from me though” he laughed quietly, his eyes still focused on the black ink just like her.
“It was tough, I did want you there but then I didn’t want to tell people in case I chickened out last minute” she explained, a slight pout on her face as she did so.
Eddie nodded in understanding, a tattoo was a big commitment, something you had to be one hundred percent certain with considering it was on your body for the rest of your life. “Well I’m glad you didn’t, makes you look even more metal” he joked, sending a wink her way which made her laugh.
“Well that’s easy enough to do since the only thing metal about me is you” she spoke and he gasped in response.
“T’is not you are plenty metal” he argued as she shook her head which only caused him to rattle off a list of everything he believed made her the most metal person he knew. Smothering her in praise in the cramped bathroom of their shared trailer, in their own little bubble where they could be anything they wanted to as long as they had each other, something they both hoped would never change.
Eventually they moved to the couch in front of the old tv with bowls of boxed mac n cheese in their hands with the talk of future tattoos filling the space between them, which turned into future plans, which then finally turned into them falling asleep tangled with each other awkwardly on the couch in ways that would leave them aching in the morning but their hearts full in the present.
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queersatanic · 6 months
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Hello !!! 💖 I'm a young satanist trying to figure out how to properly worship and live the lifestyle, but with all the Nazism and such that satanism is infected with, I'm a bit lost as to where to turn for good information that's not gonna accidentally get me on board with ideas that have nasty shit hidden in the shadows of them. Are there any good books/organizations I can look into or just some general tips? <3
We have a certain perspective on this, so bear that in mind.
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What is attractive about Satanism as a concept is not really the "might is right" ideology of Anton LaVey and its worship of social stratification, and it's not The Satanic Temple's pyramid-shaped classical liberalism / Gen X trolling.
Rather, it's taking the idea that even if the story of Christian mythology were true, Satan is still the hero for looking at an omnipotent tyrant and that tyrant's proposed immutable hierarchy for the universe but choosing to rebel and grant people agency over their own lives.
And it's the idea that if the Christians say we are demonic or of the devil's party for being queer or seeking the common good of all people, well, then we're with the devil and down to party.
For that reason, anarchism is more central to Satanism than wearing black or lighting candles, even though the aesthetics are what distinguish it from other strains.
From that, Errico Malatesta is a good place to start because he wrote for a long time and focused on pamphlet-style works that could make sense to a typical person, rather than academics.
Malatesta is easy to read, and still relevant in lots of ways because he lived through so much and lived his ideals (famously, for example, refusing to talk to the cops after he was shot by a fellow anarchist over an ideological dispute).
"The ABCs of Anarchism" by Alexander Berkman is also a good introductory work for establishing fundamental values and why.
You also can listen to that one as an audio book over at Audible Anarchist.
Note that both of those are straight white men, and the "mainstream" of anarchism has often had a problem of failing to recognize or live by principles of opposing all hierarchies, including white supremacy and cishetero-patriarchy. The fact that anarchist Becky Edelsohn "dated" Berkman when she was 16 and he 36 (and that this was supported by Berkman's previous partner Emma Goldman) is one example of this. Mikhail Bakunin gave us one of the best quotes of all time regarding anarcho-satanism ("But here steps in Satan, the eternal rebel, the first freethinker and the emancipator of worlds"); Bakunin was also a racist.
Other people can give better advice and examples, but Indigenous Anarchism, Black Anarchism, Anarkata, Queer Anarchism, and Anarcha-Feminism are all areas that a person needs to put work into in order to undo the kyriarchy — the whole structure of interconnected systems of oppression we're indoctrinated into and subjected to.
"But what does that have to do with Satanism?" Mainly it's to help you spot when something you come across is engaging in the sort of hierarchical, fascistic, or even neo-Nazi ideas that LaVeyan Satanism and its offshoots have always had connected with them. They're not always obvious, and having good principles established is the best immunization and antidote to being exposed to new ideas with euphemisms and shibboleths you can't be expected to be prepared for.
You also can come up with your own rituals and ideas. For example, the Satanic Flame Ritual we have is not due to access to some secret knowledge but it helps externalize and objectivize an internal, subjective, emotional process. Things like candles and flames or altars are best seen in that light.
Anyway, hopefully that helps. It's not that you should never read something like The Satanic Bible or other esoteric works to get ideas. It is that Satanism is the exact opposite of place to look for good ideology or consistency, so you want to start somewhere else for that (we say anarchism) and then look to Satanism and other Satanists for aesthetics and inspiration for rituals that you can modify and integrate into your life in ways that best serve you.
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cogglebee · 24 days
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Portal Zombie AU
I'm more of an ideas man, so actually writing out my ideas into a full story is stupid difficult. But I still want to share while I embark on the painfully long process of turning this idea into a full fic. (sorry if any of this is formatted strange or if I'm somehow posting wrong, I don't really understand tumblr all that much)
Portal Zombie Apocolypse AU!! (I started this before infection aus started popping up if that gives you any frame of reference as to how long ago I started this)
Summary: Instead of Caroline being put into Glados, she's poisoned by a jealous coworker with a strange substance from one of the labs (Cave is still alive and healthy, he's just not relevant to this story)
She goes home to her fiancé Chell (queue the gasps and cheers) Who is worried that she appears so sick and cold. Caroline brushes her off and goes to rest, insisting it's just a bug. So Chell leaves and visits her friend and former coworker Mel (queue more gasps and cheers)
It's here where we learn a bit more about Chell, she's a former test subject that left quietly after witnessing the death of a fellow test subject due to the unsafe testing conditions of Aperture. She hasn't reported anything for fear of ruining Caroline's career.
While Chell is away, Caroline begins to change, her body begins to decay, her hair loses it's color and turns white, her brown eyes shift to a haunting yellow. In a distressed state, not remembering that she pushed Chell away, begins desperately searching for her. This is when the infection spreads to other people.
By the time Chell leaves Mel's house (the next day) the entire city is desolate, she rushes home, encountering several zombies on the way. She's desperate to find Caroline again, but she doesn't find her. So she gathers a couple weapons and goes back out to search for her fiancé, on the way meeting Doug Rattman, the scientist that was working on the serum that caused all of this, he's trying to find a cure (he also has a large therapy dog simply named "Companion" that accompanies him) the two team up and travel together, eventually meeting Wheatley, whom they have to save from a small horde. Mel probably dies I haven't decided.
Angst and apocalypse shenanigans ensue, the crew travel together till they find Caroline, now Glados, (Genetic Lifeform Amplifier Destitute of Soul) (idk man I needed to get the name change in there with a new acronym) Emotional moment, Chell has to kill her, world begins to heal.
Some other information: Caroline is the patient zero in this (obviously), so she's got some abilities to kinda mimic Glados in the game. She acts kinda like the head of a hivemind, she's able to tune into any infected and see what they see, hear what they hear, etc. She uses this to spy on Chell, as she is now hellbent on killing her (I'll work out a proper reason, it's mainly because her mind is very corrupt right now and all she knows is that Chell makes her feel very upset, because when she was first getting up again while Chell was gone she found her ring on the counter)(She doesn't know that it was temporary so that she could wash her hands and just forgot to put it back on)
This all also means that killing any infected won't do much to end the apocalypse, they have to kill Caroline.
I have some other little ideas but thats about the jist of it. The idea was inspired by Brand New City by Mitski and California Dreamin' by The Mamas and The Papas
If anyone has any advice on properly executing an idea like this PLEASE share, I'm almost desperate here (I'm very desperate, writing is a tricky mistress)
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zerkenik · 2 months
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So, here are my Chara, Asriel, and Monster Kid designs for my AU (6 Feet Under)
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MOST OF THE AU’S STORY UNDER THE CUT :^)
So, I changed some stuff up with some of the characters– so Monster Kid’s there around the time where Chara and Asriel are. (Frisk is in this AU, but I haven’t drawn out their design yet).
STORY
Chara actually wandered off from home after being left unsupervised, which ended up with them wandering around Mt. Ebott and eventually tripping and falling into the underground. They ended up falling directly into Toriel’s garden in the ruins, where Asriel happened to be doing his daily chores (watering flowers, clipping vines before they mix in with flowerpatches they shouldn’t be mixing with, etc.)
Chara’s fall didn’t really end up being cushioned by flowers, it was kind of cushioned by Asriel. They both definitely kind of got hurt by the fall, but it was probably better that Chara fell on Asriel instead of nothing. Asriel brought Chara to Toriel, where they decided it’d be best to keep Chara with them in the house and care for them as if they were Chara’s own family.
Going from an only child to someone with a 6-8 year old sibling was a huge change (Asriel’s around 12-13), but he didn’t really have any friends (besides Monster Kid), so he was actually glad to have someone in the house that he could hang out with! (Sure, Chara’s like 4 years younger than Asriel, but that’s basically his little sibling now. Plus, Asriel’s used to being around younger kids because Toriel’s a teacher in this AU!)
Chara ends up staying in the underground for a while and they weren’t really a well kept secret in the Dreemurr family, as much as Asgore wanted people to not know about Chara, because they kind of just let them run around Snowdin however they wanted. (As long as Asriel was with them)
This is around a time where Alphys and Gaster are experimenting with determination with the rest of their team of scientists, which is sourced from human souls they gathered during the war. Human souls were originally being gathered so they could bring up the strength of Asgore’s army, but the war ended before they had the chance to properly test any of it. With some research and experiments, Gaster decided it was safe to inject determination into the bodies of monsters. Unfortunately, his dumb ass was WRONG!! Symptoms only started showing up later, late enough to where monsters were sent back out to their families and it was out of the team’s hands. (They never found out they could use human souls on the barrier lol, they were more focused on the rest of their research)
Gaster was one of the first subjects of his own experiment and once the symptoms began showing up, he almost immediately brought his team in to start trying to come up with anything they could make to stop the determination from further spreading through monster’s bodies.
It actually started to evolve in the bodies of those injected, making it spreadable through anything that could possibly allow an infected monster’s bodily fluids to enter the body of another. The monsters that were used as Gaster’s test subjects began noticing symptoms, starting with some common flu symptoms, slowly devolving into their bodies losing shape. Most of those monsters lived in New Home, aka the capital. New Home was highly populated, making the sickness spread FAST once it started spreading.
Asgore went to Gaster the moment he found out, spending less time with his family and more time in the lab. Mettaton’s robot body ended up being made so they could send someone out to get more information about the sick monsters’ symptoms. Instead of just having a show, Mettaton became more of a news reported. It’s not what he wanted to do with his life, but he was satisfied with helping in whatever way he could.
Gaster brought up the idea to get another human soul to conduct some research on, to see if it could be used in any possible way to deal with the illness. They’d used just about every human soul they’d gathered from the war for their previous experiments, and he decided he’d need a new one.
Asgore got an idea, he had a “EUREKA ☝️💡” moment. So he went to Toriel and explained the situation to her, trying to convince her it’d be for the best and that Chara’s not her real child anyways, so what would it matter? Of course Toriel wasn’t happy, she was pissed beyond belief. They ended up having a whole argument over the matter, somehow entirely forgetting that children are really.. REALLY nosy.
Chara and Asriel ended up listening in, which led Asriel to come up with a plan. He packed his and Chara’s things and fled towards Snowdin, where they ended up hiding out at Grillby’s for the time being. Grillby himself had just moved down from the capital, where his daughter ended up staying for college. He ended up contacting Toriel pretty quickly, to which they both made the agreement to keep Chara and Asriel down in Snowdin until things blew over. (Yippee new parental/family figure!!)
Spoiler alert! Things did NOT blow over :^(
Toriel ended up using the Ruins as a place to quarantine the sick, mostly keeping the sick children happy while trained medical professionals actually took care of the sick. A lot of monsters didn’t like the idea of shutting themselves off in the Ruins, so a lot of people ended up moving down to Snowdin, where a lot of doctors had been staying.
The guard ended up short on people because of the illness, and the royal guard ended up being broken up into a few groups of people.
Doggo, Greater Dog, Lesser Dog, Dogamy and Dogaressa, and Papyrus made up the guard of Snowdin. (Once Papyrus joined the guard, Sans ended up volunteering at Grillby’s to help make and deliver food to the sick monsters in the Ruins and Snowdin.)
Aaron (the horse enemy dude) is part of the Waterfall guard. His job is to keep watch of who’s leaving and entering Snowdin, while the other parts of Waterfall’s guard keep watch of other entrances to Waterfall.
Those two gay guards (whatever their names are) are part of Hotland’s guard, keeping watch of everyone coming through. The only people that are really allowed in Hotland are scientists and people who do check-ups on the CORE. (The MTT hotel is a thing, but it’s mostly used for scientists and such to stay in while conducting check-ins on the CORE or working with Gaster.)
At some point everyone’s losing their shit, because NOBODY has access to the true lab portion of the lab, because Gaster’s isolated himself in the lab. His own illness ended up to the point where he decided it wouldn’t be safe to let his team come near him, and then was just. He was Gaster, what more is there to say? (Said with silly intent)
There’s more business in Snowdin than there was before, and it’s more populated than New Home was. (I might draw it later :^))
Okay this is getting really long and that’s just about it, but i’ll give some more character designs really soon i SWEAR :^)
(heehee i hope you guys like it ive spent way too much time on it.. like, it’d been beint worked on since last year)
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lovesomehate · 2 years
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I feel asleep last night trying to write this, here I go again
🦃p1
Silverware clinked against plates, conversation flowed, and Travis felt like he was going to pass out. The pre-dinner meeting did not go well as hoped. Laura had explained to her parents that she was dating someone a bit older and when she told them the age she thought she was joking. When they opened the door however and saw for themselves their little girl standing next to a man a little older than their daughter they stuttered through pleasantries and never stopped scrutinizing him from across the room.
Now at the table, even more than before, Travis was hyperaware of his entire being. Was he sitting properly? He wasn't making a gross display of eating, was he? Is he sweating, please don't let them notice if he is? Had he even taken part in a conversation?
"You're so quiet Travis." A sultry voice commented.
'Shit.' Travis realized that he really hadn't said a word since earlier and the first person to speak to him again was Laura's aunt Kimberly.
Kimberly was Mr. Kearney's little sister with a similar gap between years that Travis had with Chris. It'd be a lie to say she wasn't beautiful with a river of brown wavy hair, light blue eyes, and a wide flirtatious smirk. However, she was also rather crude. The whole night she was going on about her sexual escapades and the encyclopedia of knowledge she knew about the subject. Laura had blocked her aunt from talking to him, although Travis had avoided her as much as she could, not comfortable with speaking about such things so publicly. Even if he was, he's just only meeting everyone.
"Sorry, just a few things on my mind." So much so that he didn't realize how little he'd eaten and went back to finishing some of his plate.
Kimberly's impish giggle sent worry through him and groans came from every sit at the table.
"Kimberly please don't start this." Mrs. Kearney's request went unheeded.
"What?" Kimberly looked around at her family like they were immature. "It's not like we've had worse conversations at this table. If we had to sit through Andy's gross stories about all his infections then we can talk about Laura and Travis. It's practically a tradition."
Everyone bemoaned the fact of being reminded of Andy's overly detailed information about what was happening with him, but they nodded their heads in agreement that talking about any new love developments was to grill the new introduction through over dinner. Kimberly locked back onto Travis.
"So..." She paused for dramatic effect, Travis made sure he didn't have anything in his mouth and Laura was shaking her head pleadingly. "Laura, Travis is a much older man and there are problems with keeping it up? Is he pleasuring you well?"
"Oh my God." Laura sounded like she was in pain and buried her face in her hands. "Yes, Aunt Kimberly, Travis does well, our sex life is good. Okay."
"Just well and okay?" She raised a skeptical eyebrow looking at Travis.
He realized he wasn't going to get out of this, or future conversations without saying anything.
"Kimberly, I don't think it's appropriate to say any more than what Laura answered."
Kimberly pouted at the answer, then her daughter spoke next. Laura said she would explain things later, but she and her cousin Jennifer hated one another.
"Laura just trying to cover up the fact that she's disappointed twice. She's a little cop fucker with a shitty sex life."
Travis blew out a low breath of air and Laura's face twisted into fury.
"Again, my sex life is good Jen," There was a hard emphasis on her cousin's name. "Nothing to cover up, unlike the girl that had to fuck her way to a degree."
"Laura!" Mrs. Kearney shouted.
"What we know it's true." She never took her eyes off of Jennifer who flipped her off.
"Is your entire relationship long distance?" From the end of the table another cousin, Mark, spoke. "It's kind of difficult, isn't it. I've tried but it didn't work out well."
Laura gave Travis an encouraging look to answer, and get involved.
"It was concerning at first, but we managed to make it work. Everything's been going smoothly." He felt himself ease up more being able to answer something he could handle.
Mark hmmed satisfied with the answer. Yet it was more like he was satisfied with the first half of the question, across from his twin Benjamine, followed up.
"So you two are going to move in together yeah." He asked around a mouth full of food.
Laura and Travis tensed. It was a conversation that they went back and forth on. Travis spent his whole life and career in North Kill and Laura didn't think it was right to uproot him just for her. Not to mention if he was able to be successfully transferred anywhere. Laura insisted that they stay in North Kill. Travis on the other hand fought with needing to keep his job, but he would be damned if he were to keep Laura away from a better paying job in the city. They debated how commuting would work, but mentally it would have been too much for everything.
"We're figuring it out." He answered honestly.
A disgruntled noise came from the head of the table.
"Just figuring it out?" Mr. Kearney and Travis felt his chest tighten.
"Yes sir." Travis turned to face him more. "It's just a few little problems to discuss more. What's best for us, but especially Laura."
"For us?" Laura lightly corrected him.
"So you've been dating for two and a half years. Laura has become quite attached to you. She's never even gushed about Max the way she has with you. She's going to have a bachelor's degree soon and you haven't figured out what you're going to do for yourselves?"
The volume in the room decreased as everyone slowly stopped eating to hone in on what was happening.
"Dad we have time to figure it out, I've got two more years before I'm done and I don't know if I'm going to try to get a master's degree." Laura was shocked at her father and something started brewing inside her.
"While she could have said it better Kimberly is right." Mr. Kearney never took his eyes off Travis. "Travis is getting older and he's probably already stuck in his ways. You don't need to be held in place because he's playing indecisive."
"With respect, Mr. Kearney we're taking this seriously. We just want everything to continue to work for us." Travis answered, but Mr. Kearney didn't seem satisfied.
"We've got two more years. I don't mind if we stay in North Kill after I graduate." She paused briefly to stop Travis before he could say anything to her. "Its a decision we both have a say in and can change later when we have all our money in order."
"Things do change." Mr. Kearney started, Laura saying a brief yeah to something so obvious. "And I'm just concerned about Travis actually holding down an interest."
There was a heavy uncomfortable pause and Travis hated how this made him return to his regular, comfortable mindset.
"What the hell is the supposed to mean?" Travis set his silverware down staring with disbelief and anger at Laura's father.
"It means I don't think you actually love my daughter as much as you're acting to and she believes you do." Mr. Kearney said matter of factly.
"Excuse you?" Laura the earlier feeling in her stomach bubbled.
"Laura, sweetie I know what your dad is kind of thinking." Mrs. Kearney spoke much more subdued than her husband. "We can't ignore that it hasn't been that long since that mess at Hackett's Quarry. You and Max going missing, all those other camp counselors dead, his entire family involved in so many terrible things and dead." Mrs. Kearney finished and pointed sharply at Travis.
Travis shifted in his seat. He knew that the quarry might be mentioned but they got to the point where he thought that subject matter was far and away.
"What's that got to do with anything?" Laura matched her parent's judgmental eyes with her own.
"We-" Mrs. Kearney started when Mr. Kearney interjected.
"What we're getting at is wondering if Travis is abusing everything that happened that summer as a way of trapping you in a relationship."
Laura and Travis bore matching expressions of disbelief and anger.
"I would never do that. I've never thought of doing that. And I don't appreciate being accused of doing such a thing." Mr. Kearney scoffed at the reply.
"Why the hell would you even get close to thinking that?" Laura.
"Because Laura, the news, and both of you came out about murders that his family was involved in and how he captured you. "Mrs. Kearney sounded heated herself. "We don't want you taken advantage of."
Neither Laura nor Travis could deny it was a bit awkward. If it weren't for various Travis may have ended up in jail, but was acquitted
"I understand that," Laura said trying to calm herself a little. "I understand that. But I survived, I did my therapy and then some. Travis isn't blackmailing me or anything to be with him."
"I'm lucky to have her be with me." Travis followed up.
"I'm sure you are." Mr. Kearney was not about to let this remotely die down.
"Dad!" Laura gritted through her teeth.
"I doubt you had much success with relationships and trauma can blur things."
"Meaning what?" There was a bite to Travis' tone that Mr. Kearney didn't take well.
"Meaning I don't need some old murderous bastard trying to do any further harm, to my daughter."
"Your daughter knows what she's doing and she doesn't want you talking to her boyfriend like that," Laura said, she could name that bubbling filling as anger and it felt like it was boiling and leaking into her very core.
"I'm just trying to make sure you don't want you to experience a repeat of that summer." Mr. Kearney.
"We're beyond that and you don't know anything. Travis has been through just as much as I have." Laura countered.
"We've helped one another through it." Travis.
"You don't need to help her with anything." Mr. Kearney, Laura was so close to bursting.
"You shouldn't be treating her like some child." Travis's voice raised.
"And you shouldn't be using my daughter as some therapy fuck piece."
SHATTER!
Everyone became silent and Laura panted heavily standing from the table. When she shot up she knocked over her and Travis' glass causing them to shatter on the ground. She had slammed her hands down, her right one came down on part of her plate, breaking it and cutting herself.
"La-" Her father started, but
"FUCK YOU!" Laura yelled at Mr. Kearney and stomped away from the table, out of the dining room and the front door could be heard opening.
Travis was up on his feet and following. Mr. Kearney was almost at his side as if it were a race. Mrs. Kearney behind her husband the rest of the family following her, but stayed at the door. Mr. Kearney and Travis speed up their pursuit.
"Laura?" Travis called for her voice laced with concern.
"I want to go." She wept.
Travis put an arm around her and did his best to soothe her.
"I just want to go." She didn't look up.
"Okay." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
She stood close to her door waiting for Travis to get to the driver's side. As he got in and started the car Mr. Kearney approached.
"Laura." Mr. Kearney reached out for his daughter as she started to get in.
Laura slapped his hand and gave him a spiteful glare.
"Don't touch me." Her voice wavered. "I can't fucking believe you. For you fucking talk to Travis like that, to belittle me that! I don't want to fucking talk to you, understand. And don't call me."
She slammed the door, buckled up, and hid her face behind her hands. Travis pulled off from the Kearney home and drove them to their hotel.
Holy shit! This became log as fuck. I did not intend that. There's a second part to this as indicated at the start but I'm going to give a breather. I really did not intend for it to fill so much up.
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HOLY FUCK I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY OTHER THAN PLEASE WRITE MORE FJSFJAGBjfjsfna
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areaorchid45 · 2 years
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<h1>Cost Of Colored Contacts</h1>
If you are interested in altering your eyes, Hamada says purchasing from a legitimate supply, like LensCrafters or your native optician, is step one to security. "Anything put near your eyes ought to all the time be medically protected and FDA-approved," she tells us. That means it is best to skip the contacts at your local magnificence supply store as a outcome of they won't fit your eye shape — or worse — might not even be sterile. "When carrying ill-fitting and unsterile lenses, you run the risk of an eye fixed infection and will even result in severe vision loss," she explains. Alcon Dailies Colors deliver eye-changing capability to the day by day disposable modality. Pictured is Mystic Green, considered one of four options within the new product line. There are even special-effect color lenses that may make you look other-worldly . Sore, irritated or red eyes could also be a symptom of a contact lens-related eye an infection or different significant issue. Colored contacts, like clear contact lenses, have to be properly cleaned, disinfected and stored with acceptable lens care products to keep away from contamination. Our pure collection like Uris Arctic and Uris Polaris collections have been designed to offer essentially the most natural look in the marketplace, even on the darkest eye color. Which contact lenses are one of the best for brand new contact lens wearers? Getting used to the feel of contact lenses on your eyes takes a while to adjust. This process can be helped by choosing a snug contact lens. According to Lens.com, there are three contact lenses that stand out and are well-liked amongst customers primarily based on their unique qualities. Picked for https://www.magicontacts.com/collections/hot-sell of comfort and breathability, Cooper Visions's Biofinityis a month-to-month disposable lens. They add an alluring pop whereas making certain an total attractive appearance. They're usually brighter and more vibrant than enhancement tints. So-called "circle" lenses are supposed to enhance the scale of your pupil, providing you with a "doll's eye" or "limbal ring" and they solely have color on the outermost edge. Even if your lenses aren’t corrective, you must by no means share them with your mates. Colored lenses may seem as innocuous as make-up, particularly if they do not appear to be made to right your vision and you’re utilizing them solely to change up your look. However, sharing contact lenses can transmit microorganisms that may result in extreme infections. Besides, your lenses may be completely wrong in your friend, and vice-versa – so don’t borrow anyone else’s lenses, both. Discover an entire new aesthetic with Pinkicon colored contacts.
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Products which have this image are health-related objects that are most likely to be eligible for reimbursement using Health Savings Accounts, FSAs, or Flex Benefits. In many cases these benefits do not roll over and are gone if you do not use them by the top of the year. Stock up now on these items using your remaining FSA or Flex Benefits. The information and materials within this web site pertain to the US market only. Learn about eye allergy triggers like mildew and pollen, and eye allergy reduction like shots and eye drops. Blepharitis Picture Blepharitis is an irritation of the eyelids and happens in two types, anterior and posterior . See an image of Blepharitis and study more in regards to the health subject. My household has been going to him for 3-4 years now and I wouldn't go wherever else. From the very first workplace go to, the staff helped to make each of us really feel comfortable and right at house. Dr Pena takes the time to make sure everybody understands what he's telling them and solutions all of their questions.
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healthcarespeed · 10 months
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What To Do About Recurrent Wounds?
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A wound infection occurs in the event that a pathogenic microorganism gets into damaged skin and causes inflammation to the tissues surrounding. If it is not immediately recognized and treated, the inflammation could spread to potentially life-threatening chronic diseases.
Care experts should be extra attentive to identify signs of infection on chronic wounds. They must make sure that adequate debridement is done, use topical antiseptics for local wound infections, as well as antibiotics for spread or systemic infections. Whether you intend to to learn extra information about wound infections, you have to browse around https://gliwiceonline.pl/2018072274738/zraniles-sie-brudnym-narzedziem-jak-rozpoznac-zakazenie-rany site.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
The first step to cleaning a dirty wound or one which has developed an infection is to clean it of any dirt. Then, they should clean it using alcohol wipes or clean using water.
Then, they need to wrap the area with gauze bandages or different type of dressing to guard against germs. For minor cuts and scrapes are able to apply this treatment at home to avoid infection, but patients with bigger wounds need to have a trained medical professional perform the procedure for them.
The infection of a cut is a medical emergency and is not to be missed. The wounds infected by infection can result in swelling, redness and pain. In extreme cases, individuals can also suffer from chills and the appearance of fever. The wounds that are infected can drain pus and develop inflammation. One should see a doctor as soon as there are signs that suggest an infection that could be serious.
Beware of putting too much pressure on Yourself
An injury that is subject to enough pressure for a long time could cause a skin injury. These are often called "bedsores" and they vary in severity, ranging from small patches with discolored skin to large wounds that expose the muscle and bone. Pressure ulcers can be difficult to treat and may not heal properly unless pressure is reduced.
Most commonly, the best way to lessen pressure is by turning the affected area every 15 minutes or so. Mattress pads and pillows are available for relieving pressure in areas such as your feet, hips, buttocks and back.
Clean up the pressure sores at stage I or 2 with saline solutions (sterile water containing salt). You can then apply an antiseptic ointment such as Neosporin or Polysporin, to ensure that the area is clean. Make sure to change the dressing daily, and maybe more often dependent on the kind of injury you have.
Wear the appropriate outfit
According to studies the clothing of a person is a conduit network of infection. If nurses or doctors take a bite of an MRSA patient, uniforms of those individuals pick up bacteria in the 65 percent of instances. The improper removal and usage of protective gear (such as gloves, gowns and masks) can also cause the spread of germs between healthcare professionals as well as patients.
Cleaning your hands and washing clothes often is essential for those who have suffered injuries. The clothing can be sterilized through washing and drying. Anyone with a serious cut or scrape should always cleanse it, and then apply an antiseptic cream before wrapping it in gauze or a bandage. Scabs are the part of healing. So do not pick them.
Consult Your Doctor
Our skin serves as our body's first line of protection against bacteria and viruses. If your skin gets damaged or cut, bacteria may enter the skin, multiply and cause an infected area. This infection could cause injury to tendons, muscle, bone, blood vessels, and nerves.
Infected wounds can release pus, feel warm, and may be achy and emit a foul odor. Contact your doctor as quickly when you notice these signs.
It's important to see a doctor if you suffer from chronic or unhealing wound infections. A doctor may recommend treatment to improve the healing process.
Conclusion:
Infection is a common problem for chronic wounds. It may cause delayed healing and additional issues. It is essential for experts in wound care to identify the signs that indicate infection including increased pain, the appearance of pus, oozing, and a bad smell. It is crucial for them to control infection by removing the dead tissue using debridement and employing topical antibiotics and antiseptics for systemic or local infections.
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innatewellness · 1 year
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How I Successfully Treated & Cured My Herpes
Apparently, the illness was most distinguished within the town of Leicester England, the place the very best rate of the vaccinated lived. Therefore; the individuals finally unanimously agreed to discontinue the protocol due to the fact. This brought on a barrage of predictions that Leicester was risking the health of the whole world by not making this vaccination mandatory… hmm… sound familiar? It’s referred bioresonance allergy test to as media madness, dramatic tactics and we believe what they present and tell.. According to statistics, the rate of the illness seriously diminished as soon as the vaccine was no longer being issued. In different phrases; the vaccine was not responsible for the eradication of smallpox afterall, it was just made to seem so; another repetitive ploy.
Study - Subjective response to lysine within the therapy of herpes simplex. The monolaurin works nicely also and might actually be included. Coconut oil is wealthy in monolaurin, which is why it's effective and why we advocate it as properly.
Again; let’s take a look at nature, we can all the time be taught from that. A herd of animals will act/react in unison when offered by a menace. It often begins with one… perhaps a couple of detecting a risk; and at a mere flick of a tail and/or configuration of the ears, the entire herd responds… reacts accordingly. We are really no different… apart from ‘the flick of a tail’ state of affairs of course; we too will communicate very important information with each other; howbeit, in our own unique and refined ways. An interesting experiment was carried out with tuning forks; those 2 pronged steel gadgets that ring/resonate a selected frequency whenever you strike it?
There are many canine allergy tests out there, and sometimes it might be tough to know which canine allergy testing products to choose on. We’ve reviewed a number of the best at-home canine allergy testing kits that will assist you select the right one for your canine. Your vet will diagnose the underlying allergens through blood or intradermal allergy testing. Following diagnosis bioresonance allergy test, your vet may suggest eliminating recognized allergens. If this is not potential, your vet might advocate Benadryl or different medications , or your vet could start your dog on an allergy desensitization regime. Dogs’ skin allergy symptoms are painful and might trigger severe secondary bacterial infections.
It's quite natural and common to have the tingling during the detoxing course of. It will definitely reduce over time and finally go so don't be phased by it. First of all, I would like to be the primary to start Dr. Schultze's 30-day detox program. Remember, HSV1 can be transmitted to the genitals if someone is experiencing a breakout/shedding and performs oral sex on an unsuspecting partner. Wait a few months and get retested to ensure it wasn't a false positive.
Before jumping on the diagnosis of CIRS/mold sickness, make sure your practitioner has additionally carried out fundamental blood tests to rule in/out different circumstances. It was designed and developed by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker – arguably the world’s leading expert on mould illness bioresonance allergy test and CIRS treatment . Allergy tests are great as a outcome of in circumstances where a food regimen trial could be difficult to perform, you’ll get some course as to which elements to keep away from for the trial.
The time and effort you take to do this is basically astonishing. So I will hold this quick and straight to the purpose. I am finally ready to begin my strategy of eradicating HSV1. I was wondering when you may shed some mild on these topics. 1) all supplements should be taken individually if possible? I’m still just a bit unclear on tips on how to use the colloidal silver.
If you'll ask that question, you should really contemplate asking this question; why doesn’t everyone get sick and in the very same means at such a time then… as in… everybody? Firstly, apologise for the late reply (didn't see your query come up). This protocol will absolutely help get rid of your EBV. I'm assuming your taking the Levothyroxine for low thyroid and fatigue points. Nothing incorrect with continuing with the Lomatium either. Finally, should you're experiencing herxheimer's, which is VERY frequent, decrease the dosages and slowly construct again up.
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ttreingdar · 2 years
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Is Lanta Flat Belly Shake Results Valuable?
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Flat Belly Shake is often a metabolism superfruit menu created to burn away excess fat successfully or essentially. Shot every day, Flat Belly Shake is actually a components that will enhance your procedure, boosts vigor, and thus sizes and shapes the urge to eat. In the instance that you’re anyone is usually unable to shed unwanted weight, can’t give up cravings, or is entirely starting off unwanted weight the loss trip, then simply just Flat Belly Shake could possibly be meets your needs. Check out this lanta flat belly shake review to discover all you need to are familiar with this approach ground-breaking fresh new weight management product. Lanta Flat Belly Shake is a completely new appetite suppressant which is designed to make it easier to eliminate body fat with ease and also systematically. Their increase arrives in the perfect powdered ingredients format you ought to merge with the mineral water or maybe your favourite juice to establish a beneficial, fruity board and batten. As early as you enjoy Flat Belly Shake, the components may replenishing you from the inside out.
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Unearth Hidden Details About UTI Support
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If you are spotting lately that you choose and invariably will need to wait within the nearby level of comfort storage space for vacate your own personal bladder, so you can your primary consternation, discover that should not move urine? Or just it actually has out of the blue grown to be much worse in order to urinate? Ever had an uncomfortable knowledge of ending up hastening to the office rest room and never tends to make in good time? When you have qualified these kinds of, don't worry. Many people. You actually count one of many people struggling with urinary tract infections as well as bladder control ailments. A remote the event of urine loss may fast definitely be a lost or damaged point, nonetheless, if it's just a extra number of cases, specialist a proficient may be to gorgeous benefit. The reality is, that women in various age groups undergo urine leak someday in its stays. It may well occasionally be expected as a general real outcomes of chuckling, or perhaps being offshoot connected with various other unpredicted body side effects just like sneezing and also ugg.
Specified specific illnesses really like getting pregnant, labor, along with the symptoms of menopause on top of that get people subject to urine loss. For anybody one of the who really practical knowledge urine seepage consistently and therefore surmise you should only be forced to deal with keep in mind this, you should think again. With the help of proficient medical help, you can learn some methods just for women's bladder control. Locating a audio healthcare views may even verify people who have other types of sickness you will need to successfully confront, like type ii diabetes. With regards to diabetes sufferers, the male bodys lowered capacity process gorgeous potential clients, as well as others, to obtaining thirsty sometimes, along with drinking alcohol with less difficulty makes extra typical urination. That has more significant as well as, the exact bladder have been worried, which causes bladder control support. Neural wear and tear considered one of people suffering from diabetes also can lead to bladder crash. Any one a range of items which ranges from sensors hurt, drained pelvic muscles, being overweight, routine intake of pills, or perhaps even daily activities patterns just like a fondness to get levels of caffeine and alcohol addiction shots could quite possibly reason urine decline. As you desire, engaged everyone may easily click the link in addition to have a look at your elegant web site find out more in the best bladder control pills.
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morgellonscollege · 2 years
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Investigating Invisible Bugs
Most people will associate biting, stinging, & crawling feelings with bugs and not being able to see them is frustrating. So we get on the internet and begin searching for microscopic bugs or mites that are known to infect humans and cause these types of sensations.
The first logical conclusion most people reach is going to be scabies because this is where all the search engine results steer you. The symptoms and sores from scabies do look remarkably similar to Morgellons lesions, so we now are sure it's scabies.
Once we find out that it's not scabies, it's back to the internet to see what other kind of invisible bug it could possibly be. Most people at this point have probably seen hits for delusional paratosis or Morgellons Disease and those first Morgellons results that are returned all consider this to be a psychological disease which basically translates to delusional paratosis, and because our symptoms are not psychological we too dismiss the fact that we might have Morgellons and continue searching for answers.
After discovering that doctors are either unwilling to help or would not take me seriously, I felt the only option remaining was for me to do my own research. I may not be the most intelligent person in the world, but I am pretty smart and have always been able to learn anything that I have an interest in. Over the years, I've successfully self-taught myself how to write software in 3 languages, repair electronics, and rebuild car transmissions. I am fortunate that I can read technical manuals and quickly grasp the subject nature, and although my research may not be perfect there is a lot of useful information I've assembled.
I still had a good quality binocular compound microscope with 1000x magnification from my college biology classes when I was in the pre-med program so I do have a small amount of experience and know how to properly use a microscope. I also ordered an attachment that positions a cell phone camera properly for taking pictures of microscopic specimens. If you have a microscope, I highly recommend getting one of these because you can zoom in on a microscopic image and see every last possible detail.
I will go into more detail with microscopic images in some future posts.
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prettyflyshyguy · 3 years
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Oops I wrote more C virus stuff
I got super energised and spent all night drafting up a one-shot about what happens when Ashley reunites with Leon post RE6 in the C-Virus AU cannon. It’s unfinished and is very much a draft, but I’m excited so I wanted to post what I have so far. I intend on compiling a bunch of these together and putting them up as chapters on AO3 and Fanfic.net once they’re edited, featuring various different characters.
You came this far just to become a Monster - The Aftermath
A brief summary: Ashley visits Leon while he’s stuck in quarantine. It gets a bit emotional. 
I’m assuming the President in RE6 was the same in RE4 despite the uh long time difference between the two games. It’s 9 years and I’m Australian so I know nothing about American politics but I think a president can only serve 8 years in one stint so uh maybe he’d just been elected in 4 and was just running out of time before he died in 6? I’m rolling with that for the sake of my head-cannon/AU storylines. It makes sense given Leon was described as being good friends with him, and we can assume the friendship started once he got Ashley back home safely after the events of 4. 
Given Ashley was 19/20 during RE4 she should be 28/29 post RE6 depending on her birthday. 
-
The conversation with Hunnigan echoed in her mind as she walked down the labs corridor. 
“While pursuing Chief Security Advisor Simmons, Leon became infected with the C Virus. He’s OK, don’t worry. It’s just we’re still running tests to make sure he’ll stay ok.
I know the report I gave you didn’t have much to go on in it, I’m sorry. I wasn’t allowed to provide you with much more information. You’ll just have to wait until you can see him for yourself.
He’s happy to talk with you, you can go down to the labs today if you’d like.”
“He’s happy to talk? You mean I can’t see him?”
The warm smile was betrayed by the sorrow in Hunnigan’s eyes. 
“He’s still adjusting to everything. He’s spoken to a couple of our doctors and he’s dealing with a lot of internal negative emotions right now, about what people think of him. I don’t think the tests are helping.”
Hunnigan reached out and gently held Ashley’s hand, squeezing it lightly.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll be happy to have you visit. It’s what he really needs right now. Trust me.”
-
Standing outside the viewing room door, holding her keycard at the ready, she steeled herself. The way the security staff described the setup, Leon had access to a shutter system on the viewing window, giving him control over how and when visitors can see him. It allowed him much needed privacy given his life since coming home was endless tests and scans and scientists. 
Tapping her card against the reader, the light flicked green and she heard the lock release. Pressing down on the cold handle, she slipped inside. There was a small coffee table near the viewing window, the shutter was down. A few chairs were on the far wall, she pulled one up to the window and sat down. On the table there was a remote control, it looked custom made for the setup. It only had a handful of buttons, the most important of which was a ‘call’ button that she was told would alert Leon that someone was in the room, and a ‘mic on’ button. The room had an inbuilt microphone and speaker system to allow comfortable communication even if large groups were there. 
It felt uncomfortably sterile. Worse than a hospital. She looked up to the top left corner of the room, where a security camera stared back. She was also told Leon had access to the feed. She wondered if he was watching now? Hunnigan said she’d call ahead. Was he waiting for her to do something first? Would he be upset that she was so hesitant? 
Shaking off the feeling she hit both buttons on the controller and flashed a smile and a wave towards the security camera, for good measure.
A moment passed before she heard a light clicking sound on the intercom, before a voice emerged.
“Ashley, hey…”
She was surprised that he sounded so… Normal. She wasn't sure what she expected, no one had given her any information other than that he’d been infected but he hadn’t lost his mind. There was an extensive report written about the events that went down, she’d been able to convince the BSAA to let her read a copy of it but it was heavily redacted. Particularly the parts pertaining to Leon. 
“It’s… good to see you.”
She was relieved to hear the sincerity in his voice, despite how slightly rough around the edges he sounded. He was Leon, that hadn’t changed. But she could tell he was different all the same.
“It’s good to, uh, hear you, haha..”
Her feet shuffled, she started bouncing one leg. Looking longfully at the window glass with the shutter still closed. She was fine with phone calls but this was making her nervous. It hadn’t been that long ago that they’d last spoke, that they’d last caught up in person. 
“I’m sorry, about your dad. I’m sorry I couldn't make it to the funeral. I’m sorry for everything, Ashley.”
“It’s ok, Leon. You did everything you could.”
Despite the lack of contact, the uncomfortable fog in the room was palpable for both parties. Her leg bouncing rate increased. Shuffling could be heard over the intercom speaker. They each heard the pain in the other’s voice. The wound was still fresh and very deep. 
Not wanting to have that conversation to a wall, Ashley attempted to change the subject.
“So how are you holding up? I mean with the tests and everything. Hunnigan said you shouldn't have to be in isolation much longer.”
“Uhh yeah… It’s fine. I’m doing fine.”
She let out a small sigh.
“You can’t bullshit me, Leon.”
Silence. 
“You’ve been stuck inside that room for almost three months now. You must be tired of it, and lonely.”
She paused, before continuing.
“When I got back from Europe after you rescued me, they kept me in isolation for precautionary testing for two weeks. They were paranoid I guess. I know for you they didn’t need long to clear you of any issues. Those two weeks were the worst of my life.”
“Worse than being injected with a mind-controlling parasite?” he joked back. 
“Much, much worse.” she playfully replied, “I didn’t have a strong, capable, and handsome government agent to save me from a bunch of creepy scientists in hazmat suits.”
She heard what sounded like a muffled laugh. A smile crossed her face. 
“Unfortunately for me the only ‘strong, capable, and handsome’ government agent I know is limited to Visitors on Wednesdays only.”
This made Ashley giggle suddenly, the first time she’d properly and genuinely laughed since before the C-Virus incident even occurred. 
“When I came home, Dad was so worried. He just wanted to make sure I was gonna be ok. He was always so busy and worked so hard. He just wanted to make sure he could change something for the positive. In the end you made sure that happened. You and Helena.”
A tear rolled down her cheek and gently dropped off her chin. Followed by another.
“I’d known Simmons for just about my whole life, he’d had family dinners with us, we’d visit his house frequently. Dad had confided in him about so much I just… I can’t believe he’d betray us like that. I can’t believe he would be so selfish.”
The tears were making it hard for her to see, her words were mixed in with sharp breaths as she began to sob.
“He killed dad and all those people, after everything, he just fucking killed him and killed everyone else and burned it to the ground all for what!! And now he’s gone and I don’t know what to do, Leon I just don’t know what to fucking do!”
She cried for a moment, letting the anger and the grief flow. Purging her system, letting it out. As she started to calm down she pulled a packet of tissues from her bag, to clean her face.
“I want to make a difference. I want to do something, like dad did.” she said slowly through strained breaths.
“I never want to feel helpless and small ever again. After you rescued me in Europe, after everything you did to stop Simmons, I want to do something for the world too.” 
She glanced up at the security camera, as if it would respond back somehow. Hoping he was watching.
“You and dad made me realise what I wanted to do with my life, what I cared most about. I even changed my college degree to International Relations when I got home but I mean, you already know that. Now with the BSAA here, I’ve asked Hunnigan if she can help me shift my career slightly, and work with you and everyone else here.”
“Really? You want to work for the BSAA?”
She nodded, not knowing if he could even see. Taking the moment to have a drink from her water bottle to gather herself.
“... I’ll put in a personal recommendation, if they’re still accepting those from me after everything.”
“Thank you Leon, I’m sure they will.” Ashley smiled.
“Well if they let me do anything, once the tests are cleared, I’d like to go visit your old man with you. If you don’t mind. I couldn’t be there for the funeral so… “
“Of course Leon,” she wiped a tear from her eye, “I’d love that. I’m sure dad would too.”
“I think you’d be great here, we need more people like you Ashley.”
“Of course, someone needs to be around to stop you getting into more trouble right?”
She was hoping for a smart ass response, a laugh, a quip, something. Her comment was met with silence. Her heart sank.
“What happened to you, Leon?”
He avoided responding, she could hear more slight shuffling noises.
“I know you feel uncomfortable, god knows I would too. Everyone’s talking about you, saying you’re a hero. You and all the others that worked together to stop the C-Virus from spreading. You saved people's lives.”
“... I don’t think you’d be calling me that if you could see me right now.”
The most she’d gotten to read about the effects of the virus on him were small comments about carapace and ‘external structural changes’. In all honestly she had no idea what he looked like, if he was even recognisable. She didn’t really know how to ask, besides the fact she really only knew Hunnigan well enough to be confident posing the question.
“I wouldn’t know. No one’s shown me any photos of you. I have no idea.”
He was silent again.
“But you’re still you, in the end. Does it matter what you look like?”
“It does when you look like a monster.”
She recoiled slightly at the tone of his voice.
“When I was in China, when it happened. It didn’t really matter to me. People's lives were at stake, Simmons was out there, I embraced it in the moment because I couldn't let people down. I needed to do something. I couldn't just give up and avoid facing the world. But now? I’m stuck in this cell and every few days I get more needles poked into me and more scans and more people asking me stupid fucking questions and I just.”
He paused suddenly. Breathing for a few moments.
“I can’t deal with all of this. I’m as good as a lab animal now. And why would anyone think any differently if they saw what I’ve become.”
“C’mon, don’t say that.”
Suddenly the shutter began to move upwards, a brighter light from the room beyond the glass spilling in. It took Ashley a moment to adjust before she could fully stare at the figure sitting opposite her.
“If you were in trouble and the thing that came to help you looked like this, would you still call it a hero?” 
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quicksilversquared · 4 years
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The Wavering Peahen: Chapter 1
When Nathalie started feeling oddly ill again, both she and Gabriel were worried that the Peacock Miraculous might somehow (impossibly) be to blame again.
So naturally, they pick someone else to be the Peacock for a bit. You know, as a test subject. Except the new Peacock... doesn't exactly know that.
links in the reblog
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Ever since Miracle Queen's akumatization, Gabriel Agreste had been feeling pretty optimistic about his now-improved chances of defeating the superheroes. While he had lost the box of Miraculous because of his poorly-thought-through gamble with Miracle Queen, he had made other gains.
He knew who Ladybug's backup teammates had been, and could use that against them should they show up again. He had gotten the digital copy of the Grimoire, which was- well, maybe it was only partially translated, and some things still seemed to be in code, but it had some pretty interesting information in it, like what powers the other Miraculous- the ones that he hadn't seen in action yet- had. And best of all, because of the Grimoire, he had gotten the Peacock Miraculous fixed and now Nathalie could join him on a much more regular basis without putting her own health at risk. He had figured that that should be enough for them to secure a victory within a week, or at most a month, if things went really badly.
It had been five months and the superheroes weren't giving any ground, standing solid as they fought akumas and sentimonsters alike. It. Was. Infuriating. And for a man like Gabriel, who wasn't particularly patient to start with...
Well, some days it felt like anything could set him off. They should have won by now, darn it. They were two adults up against two kids. Getting their Miraculous should have been like taking candy from a baby... and yet it wasn't.
Across the room, Nathalie coughed, pulling his attention away from the grimoire and the hints for the potion ingredients that still seemed to be listed in some sort of ridiculous code. Gabriel glanced over at her, and Nathalie gave him an apologetic grimace before returning to her work.
She had had this dratted cold for at least two months now, and no, it wasn't just him exaggerating out of annoyance. It had started small- just a small cough here and there and the occasional sneeze, or the need for her to finish a day early because she wasn't feeling well- and gotten gradually worse. He had hoped that she might have recovered at least a bit over the weekend, but instead she had come to work looking substantially worse than before.
While he had tolerated her coughing before- after all, she was helping him out with his mission and previously getting sick because of it- coughing from a common cold was simply annoying. It was grating and disruptive and kept pulling him out of his concentration. He hadn't said anything about it yet, of course- it was not, after all, Nathalie's fault, she didn't want to be sick- but it was annoying nonetheless.
Gabriel reached across the desk for his phone and ordered a large ginger-honey tea and a bag of cough drops for Nathalie. Maybe that would help quell her coughing.
Now, back to the grimoire... what on earth could they mean by tears of joy...?
Seven minutes later, the tea and cough drops arrived and were promptly delivered to Nathalie's desk. She murmured a quiet thank you. The chef nodded, then retreated from the room at once. As soon as the office door swung shut behind him, Gabriel could feel Nathalie's gaze slide to him.
"I take it you're annoyed by my coughing, sir?"
"It is a bit disruptive, you have to admit," Gabriel told her, finally deciding to put a flag on the potion ingredients section (really, he could only puzzle out about half of them, it was ridiculous and Nooroo apparently had no idea what the infernal clues were referring to either) and move on. He was severely behind on his design work, so perhaps he would do that for a while. "So I came up with a potential solution for it. Is that a problem?"
"No." Nathalie considered her tea, then took a small sip and made a face. "Though I might have preferred to order my own tea. This one...is not a favorite of mine."
"It is what many people recommend online for a sore throat. I thought it would be best, considering how long this cough seems to be lingering."
Nathalie opened her mouth like she was going to comment on that, then clearly decided against it. A moment later, she smothered a yawn. "I suppose that makes sense."
Gabriel frowned. "Is your cold still not getting any better? It's been months."
"Not particularly. I haven't been congested, which is a relief. But-" She yawned widely again, then frowned. "And I've been sleeping fine! I don't know what the issue is."
"Well, maybe you should finish what you're doing and then take off for the day," Gabriel suggested, both because he was tired of the coughing and, well, if Nathalie was feeling poorly and coughing that much, then the smart thing for her to do would be to go home and not infect the rest of the house. If that was even possible, considering how long she had been feeling under the weather. "Get some rest, and come back when you're feeling better."
"And if there's an akuma attack?" Nathalie asked, straightening and frowning at him. "I don't want to be the reason you miss out on winning, simply because there wasn't a sentimonster there to assist."
"If you're awake and able to take a break to help from home, then that would be much appreciated," Gabriel decided after a moment's consideration. "Thank you."
"Of course, sir." Nathalie glanced back at her screen, did a few quick clicks, and then downed her entire cup of tea in one go. "I've come to a decent stopping point. Anything else can be finished at home."
"You're meant to be resting," Gabriel reminded her. "The work can wait. And the company does have plenty of secretaries, we can always assign some of your work to them. Actually- yes, if you're feeling up to it, it would be nice to get a list of what can be done by others. Then I can reassign those things right away and get them checked off before we get too far behind."
"I'll have an initial list done by the evening." Nathalie did a couple more clicks, then shut her computer and started gathering up her things. "Text me if you're going to akumatize someone, and what their powers are going to be. Then I can come up with a complimentary sentimonster. I can set up an alert on my phone so I won't miss it."
"Thank you." Gabriel watched as Nathalie packed up her computer, then rose to open the door for her. "Keep me updated on how you're feeling, okay? And don't push yourself too hard to come back early. You do better work when you're not ill."
"Of course." Nathalie nodded to him, then headed out the door. Gabriel watched her go for a moment, then turned and headed back to his work.
Maybe he really should spend the rest of the day focusing on his designing. After all, if Nathalie was sick, it was probably only a matter of time before he got ill as well. And Gabriel no longer designed when he was unwell, for- well, for a multitude of reasons.
(He had only just managed to get fully out from the shadow of the infamous Cold Medicine Dress of '02 recently. Misstepping and having a repeat of that particular incident would not reflect well on the company.)
Actually, now that he was thinking about it, it was better to be safe than sorry. Reaching for his phone again, Gabriel ordered an array of multivitamins for himself, plus a bottle of hand sanitizer for his desk. He also requested that the maid to come in early and wipe down Nathalie's work area, just in case.
Some might call it overkill. Gabriel was simply of the opinion that it was better to be proactive than reactive.
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  Five days later, and Nathalie was still feeling under the weather. She had even fainted later in the week, she admitted to Gabriel when he called to check in on her. And she swore that she had been resting properly and getting plenty of sleep.
"It's been really odd," she told him two days later, after dropping into the mansion to collect a few more things to work on from home. "I've not been congested or had a runny nose at all, and that- that's a hallmark of cold and flus, right? And there's not been a fever at all." She frowned, clearly reluctant to continue, but she forged on anyway. "It almost feels like- like a slow onset of- no, that can't be it. It's impossible, I shouldn't even think about it."
Gabriel frowned for a moment, about to snap at her to just spit it out, and then it hit him like a train. Tiredness, weakness, fainting, feeling sick but not congested or snotty at all- those were all things that they had seen before.
Like a slow onset of using the Peacock when it was broken.
He wouldn't want to say that out loud, either. That sort of possibility...
But he had fixed it!
"Nathalie, do you think..." Gabriel started, then trailed off, entirely unsure of what he wanted to say. The Peacock causing the problems should have been an impossibility, but- well, how were they meant to test that? Because they had to test it, before Nathalie got any sicker. "Perhaps we should hold off on any further involvement from the Peacock for the time being, and return the brooch to the safe? Just in case."
"But Ladybug and Chat Noir!" Nathalie protested. "And this could be a cold, but there was just some damage still from using the Peacock before and it's gotten snarled up in the cold? Or maybe it's just lingering effects that are rearing their head. Because you fixed the Peacock, it should be perfectly safe to use."
"I know, but we should test it." Gabriel didn't like the idea, either, considering that it meant no sentimonsters assisting him. He would double-wield, but Nooroo had told him that it wasn't the best idea. Besides, if something had gone wrong in the fixing, he didn't exactly want to risk his own health. Particularly if he was going to be going out to assist his akumas to try to tip the scales in his favor. "I wonder if a couple weeks without using the Peacock would be enough for us to draw a conclusion about if that's at the root of the problem, or if we might need longer."
Nathalie was frowning. "But sir, if we just go back to akuma-only attacks- right now, we still have the advantage. Ladybug and Chat Noir haven't managed to fully rebuild and retrain a backup team yet because we've kept up the pressure on them. If we let up on the pressure, that could let them catch back up. We have to keep up on the attacks."
"And I'll do that, with the akumas." Gabriel's mind was made up now. He couldn't risk having Nathalie getting sicker. Besides, what if it was something more serious, like- well, perhaps like cancer? He wasn't sure what signs of cancer were, really, but those kinds of symptoms seemed like the sort of thing that cancer would maybe cause. At this point, he honestly wasn't sure what was the worse option, cancer or the Peacock somehow malfunctioning again. "And I want you to go to the doctor and get tests run. We want to come at this from all angles. Maybe it is just a cold, but we want to be sure."
"I can have the tests run without giving up the Miraculous," Nathalie protested. "Wouldn't it make sense to at least check and see if there's something else going on before we jump the gun and take the Peacock off of the battlefield? And what if it's just a cold and I coincidentally get better after I'm not wearing it? There's no real way to test anything."
That was fair enough, Gabriel supposed. He tapped his lips, considering.
They could, of course, just go off of whether or not Nathalie got sick again once she resumed using the Peacock- assuming, of course, that her health improved after she took it off. But that would be putting her at risk again, and he didn't particularly want to do that. If they had another ally, they could always have that person use the Peacock while Nathalie recovered. If it made them ill, then he would simply have to lock it away, or attempt to do another fix on it.
Except- oh. He had almost forgotten, but technically they did have another person on their side! She wouldn't be his first choice in most circumstances, but the number of people who would actually go along with Hawkmoth's plans was limited and he couldn't be too picky.
"We can have our other ally test it," Gabriel announced grandly, quite pleased with himself for coming up with the plan. "Then I'll continue to have a Peacock by my side, and if they get sick, too, we'll know what the problem is."
Nathalie frowned, puzzled. "Another ally? Who? The Gorilla?"
"No, no, of course not!" Gabriel snapped, somewhat exasperated that she hadn't immediately caught on. Adrien's bodyguard was loyal to the family, sure, but not that loyal. He'd turn them into the authorities in a second if he found out about Gabriel and Nathalie being the city's supervillains. "Are you crazy? He would never support this. Think harder- the only person besides us who has willingly been akumatized!"
Nathalie only had to think for a moment, and then her eyes went wide. "Lila Rossi? But sir, isn't she, ah..." She tilted her head to the side, considering how to word her concerns. Gabriel chuckled.
"Spiteful? Petty? Childish? Perhaps. But she's also hell-bent on revenge against Ladybug at the moment, has no moral compass, and is very easy to manipulate. She wouldn't think twice about taking on a Miraculous and using it regularly." Gabriel was liking the idea more and more, really. If Lila got sick, it was really no skin off of his nose. Her use to him in her civilian form was starting to wear thin, and she was regularly gumming up the works in the photoshoots that she took part in. Her no longer being allowed to model due to health reasons would be a bonus, not a concern. "I would know who she is, she wouldn't know who I am, and if she tries to step out of line, I know who her mom is." He had an entire file folder on Mrs. Rossi and her ex-husband, plus some information on Lila's extended family. If she tried to take the Miraculous and run... well, he knew exactly where to look. "A few well-placed threats, and she would fall right back in line. She could take over the Peacock's duties for a month or two to give us the chance to figure out if your health has anything to do with the Miraculous."
"It seems risky," Nathalie commented after a moment. "I mean, I don't doubt that you'd be able to control her, at least in the long term. But what if she goes out and joins the fight? She's ruled by her emotions, it seems, and she might not think through the possible consequences." She snorted. "Actually, never mind might- she won't think through the consequences. Add in the fact that she'll only be able to be out for five minutes after she creates a sentimonster..."
"It's not ideal," Gabriel acknowledged. "But your health is important. This will allow us to ensure that the Peacock is safe to use going forward, while still providing me with some degree of backup."
Nathalie sighed, then very quickly slid into a nearby chair before she could collapse after her legs wobbled. "I suppose. I want to say that I'm just being paranoid, but this is just a little too similar for my comfort."
"It is. It's not just you." Gabriel tapped his fingers against his leg, trying to consider everything. He would bring the Miraculous over that evening, once dark had fallen. "Anything else to consider? You've dealt with Ms. Rossi more than I have."
"Just that she thinks that she's a master manipulator and will probably think that she's capable of tricking you," Nathalie warned after a minute's consideration. "Every time I talk with her, she has this look on her face that just screams that she thinks we're dancing to her tune. Something like that could be a liability. She could think that she can get away with more, unless you're very clear with her about how she doesn't fool you one bit from the start."
"True." Her delusions had to be very thoroughly stomped out. Perhaps he should record their entire interaction when he gave her the Peacock, just for blackmail purposes. One foot out of line, and he could get her in quite a lot of trouble. Working with a supervillain would not be taken lightly. "I'll do that. And if she decides to act out and cross Hawkmoth... well, she'll regret it."
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  Just like he had suspected, Lila had been all too willing to take over the Peacock duties. He hadn't told her why, other than Mayura was temporarily unavailable and unable to fight, but that wasn't information that she had to have. Perhaps she would have accepted despite the potential risks- Lila seemed hotheaded enough for that to be a very real possibility- but he wasn't willing to risk her turning him down.
Gabriel smiled to himself as he tucked away a copy of the recording of his visit to Lila away in a safe spot. He had her right where he wanted her, and if his read on her emotions was anything to go off of- which it was, his magic emotion detector was very reliable- then she wouldn't be acting out or attempting to double-cross him. Lila had promised to make it to every akuma battle that she could- she was very interested in seeing Ladybug's downfall, after all- and to exercise some common sense about what she could and couldn't handle, since Hawkmoth would be very displeased with her if she lost the Peacock... and besides, being unmasked as a supervillain in that way wouldn't go well for her, either. Being defeated and unmasked as an akuma didn't ever get anyone in trouble, but if she had had a Miraculous...
Lila had turned sheet-white at that thought. Clearly even she wasn't cocky enough to think that she would be able to get away with something like that.
All in all, it had gone pretty well, Gabriel thought. Soon enough, they should know if using the Peacock was still a problem, or if Nathalie could reclaim it. If it went well, and if they ever managed to get their hands on another Miraculous- one of the ones that the superheroes always pulled out as their backups- then they would have a third team member trained and waiting in the wings.
He truly hoped that it would go well. If it went really, really poorly... well, he might just end up regretting this whole thing.
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katblu42 · 3 years
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The End?
This is something I wrote for a creative writing competition. The challenge was to write something (within a week) starting at the end and working back to the beginning. For some reason the prompt/challenge sparked this little piece, which is pretty much non-fiction. I guess it came at a time when the subject matter was on my mind. I wanted to post it now because a related anniversary is coming up.
There are warnings!!! Please heed the tags. Death, Sickness, Hospitals, Cancer. (If more warnings/tags are needed please let me know so I can make appropriate edits!)
Below the cut for length and warnings.
This was not how their story was supposed to end. There were still so many chapters they had hoped to write together, so many journeys toward possible futures that they had imagined spending side by side. She never anticipated being a childless widow before she had even turned forty-two. She’d never considered being faced with a hopeless situation, or the unenviable decision to allow them to stop treatment and let him slip away. Treatments that could prolong his life a little, but not fix him. Their plans had never included his hand desperately clinging to hers as she tearfully told him it was okay for him to let go and leave her behind.
He had wanted to fight. It broke her heart that there was nothing the combined efforts of all the medical staff could do to support his fight. It was a losing battle. His body was giving up on him, organs shutting down even though his mind was not ready to give up. The three weeks he lasted in the ICU had left him battle-scarred and exhausted, but he had still not wanted to give in, or let her down.
His Forty-second birthday was less than a week before the end. It was spent with family, visiting two by two according to ICU visitor limits. He was barely able to communicate by then, his lips scabbed and bloody, and a ventilator tube in his throat inserted by tracheostomy. The medical team had not wanted the tube to remain in his mouth any longer, but he was too weak to breathe on his own.
He had been off the ventilator for a while, during one of the hopeful moments. They’d been able to remove the breathing tube, and they had been able to reduce the blood pressure medication for a while. His temperature had stabilised and she’d focused on the improvements, encouraging him to think positive. Facing the alternative had been unthinkable.
She had put such hope in the drug she’d had to sign permission for them to administer – one that had to be shipped urgently from interstate, that had approval for use in the US, but not here. They had told her it was possible too much time had passed for the reversal drug to be fully effective. It had been more than five days since the chemo treatment which now needed reversing had ended.
Hope was all she’d had at that point. Seeing him finally settled in Intensive Care with all the monitors and their beeps and alarms, the ventilator with its click and hiss, the hum of the heat pump regulating his temperature, the blood transfusion and IV lines all keeping her unconscious husband alive, she had to cling to every scrap of hope she could. His immune system was so compromised she had to wear the gown and gloves and mask just to sit in the corner of the room and let the silent tears fall.
The ICU waiting room was deserted during the wee hours. She and her Mum stayed until dawn before buzzing the door intercom to enquire about seeing him. His Dad had left after the surgeon had spoken to them all some hours before, explaining that in his current state surgery was not a viable option for the infection in his gut. The previous wait in Emergency had been shorter, and the waiting room slightly more comfortable, but the constant worry and the lack of information had been excruciating.
Two ambulances had attended their tiny unit in answer to her call, such was the seriousness of his condition. Despite having four uniformed people fussing over her husband, she had not been given much information about what was happening. She’d been instructed to get all his medication together to bring with her to the hospital, then left to change out of her pyjamas while they loaded him into an ambulance. All this happened in a blur of action and confusion. Less than 20 minutes before they all headed to the hospital she had been performing chest compressions on him on the tiled floor of their cramped bathroom.
The Emergency Services operator on the other end of the phone had talked her through the CPR procedure. She’d learned it years before in first aid training, but having to actually perform the chest compressions on someone she loved was still horrifyingly daunting. He hadn’t stopped breathing, but the ES operator had assured her CPR was necessary because his gasping breaths had been so far apart.
She had never had to call an ambulance for anyone before, but it didn’t take a genius to see she needed help. His level of responsiveness had decreased so rapidly after she’d found him slumped forward sitting on the toilet, unable to sit up unaided. The yellow tinge to his skin had startled her. He had cried out to her in such a way that instinct had brought her rushing from the loungeroom without taking a moment to process anything more than the feeling that something was very wrong.
He had just wanted to sleep, so she tried to give him space to do that, sitting quietly in the loungeroom while he stayed in the darkened bedroom. He had refused to let her bring him something to eat, which had concerned her. She’d offered to call the hospital for advice, knowing he was uncomfortable and wanting to make sure he was okay, but he had refused to let her, insisting that there was no need to make a fuss. She’d arrived home from work around five, and suspected he had been in bed all day, “just feeling a bit yuck.” Later she would feel so much guilt for not trusting her instinct to get help for him then.
For the first couple of days after his chemo treatment ended he had seemed okay, feeling upbeat, acting normal. He had been in high spirits despite the prospect of months of treatment still ahead. There had been a little grumbling about feeling a little bit off, but that was to be expected, right?
His first (and only) round of chemo had been a five day affair. Three medications, two of which had been administered within a day at the clinic and the third he had carried around in a little pack while it slowly released over the five days. The plan had been laid out by the oncology team, with lots of consultations and discussions during the preceding weeks. He was to have two or three rounds of the chemo drugs, then radiation treatment would begin. Combination therapy to treat the cancers in his mouth and throat.
There had been months of discomfort, reducing his ability to eat properly, or enjoy food. He had lost a considerable amount of weight before she had been able to convince him to finally go and see a doctor and find out what was wrong. He’d always been the type to avoid going to a doctor unless he was literally at death’s door. She knew that part of what had held him back for so long was the fear that it could be something serious.
He didn’t want to ruin their holiday, but he promised he would see someone about the sore throat when they got back from the Gold Coast. It was only a week spent away, but they had visited all their favourite haunts. This was one of their regular holiday spots during their ten year marriage. They always felt like big kids, visiting the theme parks and the beaches, playing mini golf, messing about in the resort pool.
The two of them had been lucky to share many little trips away over the years. They’d had many more days of laughter and smiles than they’d had of tears and troubles. There had been precious gifts exchanged between them – but not many in a physical form she could lay her hands on. Each of them had broadened the other’s horizons, sparking interest in new experiences, sharing the activities and pass-times they loved.
Their wedding day had been filled with fun and friends and family. She had seen then how many people his bright and generous personality drew to him. So many people had wanted to share in their joy, and had told her she would never find a more loyal and loving mate. All the elegance and finery, the colour and music, the celebration of their union had been a wonderful way to begin their journey hand in hand to the future.
His proposal on the beach, early in the morning in a place he had been holidaying with his family every year since he was tiny, had taken her by surprise. He had asked her to come with him for a walk. They had travelled quite a long way up the beach, just watching the waves crash on the shore, listening to the shrieks of the gulls and making small talk. Then he had dropped to one knee and asked the question. She needed a moment to take in what was happening. His heart just about stopped, thinking she was hesitating. She had said yes, and put him out of his nervous agony.
Their first “proper” date was a walk to the local McDonalds for burgers and sundaes. Neither of them had much money, so neither had wanted to go anywhere fancy. She had been happy with the little things – like the way he always walked beside her on the footpath placing himself between her and the busy road. He was not rich, nor did he have impressive style or a brainiac’s intelligence, but he was open and funny and kind and she wanted to spend time with him.
She hadn’t ever been to the trivia night at the local bowling club, so she wasn’t sure what to expect, or how it all worked. The lady who hosted the quiz gave her an answer sheet and steered her towards a table, telling her the young man with the twinkle in his blue eyes, and the dimpled smile would look after her. That was the moment their story had begun.
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xshielded · 3 years
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SERVICE RECORD: ROGERS, STEVEN GRANT, CAPTAIN, US ARMY
Summary: 
After serving as air support to Captain Margaret Carter during WWII, Captain Rogers was treated with a serum derived from Captain Carter’s blood and accidentally exposed to tesseract radiation, which caused him to undergo a metamorphosis similar to hers. However, his cells became reliant on the tesseract’s energy, and when he became unwilling to use the Hydra Stomper against civilian targets, Captain Rogers destroyed the Hydra Stomper and was put into cryogenic stasis by Howard Stark until such a time as a cure could be found for his condition.
Full Report:
Originally deemed unfit for military service, Captain Rogers was selected for Project: Rebirth, which would have, in theory, transformed him from a small, sickly man into the first of the Allied super soldiers. However, sabotage during the procedure resulted in Captain Rogers being injured, and to save the project, Captain Margaret Carter volunteered herself as a subject, becoming the hero colloquially known as Captain Britain. See attached file: Captain Britain.
Still highly-trained and eager to participate in the war effort, and to fight alongside Captain Carter, Rogers was chosen as the test pilot for Howard Stark’s Project: Iron Man, better known as “the Hydra Stomper,” a mechanical exoskeleton powered by the extraterrestrial artifact known as the tesseract, recovered from a Hydra facility during one of Captain Carter’s early missions.
As the Hydra Stomper, Captain Rogers was able to provide air support for Captain Carter, and served alongside her until his capture by Hydra, and Captain Carter’s eventual self-sacrifice to drive an alien entity back through a rift in space. 
Over the next few months, Rogers was given his promotion to the rank of “Captain,” and he, along with Howard Stark, pushed for the formation of a defense organization to protect against supernatural threats and other enhanced warfare. The organization was to be named SHIELD, in Captain Carter’s honor, with Stark as Director and Rogers as military liaison. 
During Operation: Slash and Burn, in which Captain Rogers and the “Howling Commandos” worked to destroy the remnants of Hydra, Captain Rogers took ill with a sever upper respiratory illness (despite his exoskeleton, he remained a small and sickly man beneath it). On the verge of death, Rogers learned that Hydra’s remnants were preparing their Valkyrie Bombers for a massive retaliatory airstrike on London--an airstrike that only the Hydra Stomper was equipped to defend against. Rogers was desperate for a cure--any cure--to his condition.
Howard Stark provided that cure. Using one of the last vials of Captain Carter’s blood, he had created an experimental serum which, he hoped, would replicate some of the original serum’s effects. He injected Captain Rogers with the serum, despite orders to the contrary. 
Results were almost immediate. Captain Roger’s respiratory infection cleared, and his overall health improved drastically. Eyesight tests showed results of 20/10 or better vision. Captain Rogers reported feeling “better than ever.” Blood tests and x-rays showed increasing muscular and skeletal density, increased strength, and heightened dexterity. Metabolic rate increased at least fourfold, contributing to his healing factor. His body chemicals suggested preparation for a puberty-like growth spurt, such as the one catalyzed in Captain Carter via an infusion of Vita Rays. 
Captain Rogers wasted no time once he was cleared for duty. He entered the Hydra Stomper armor and flew into battle. He drove back Valkyrie Bombers, but a stray bullet ruptured the tesseract’s reactor casing, flooding the Hydra Stomper’s cockpit with gamma radiation and cosmic rays. Captain Rogers crashed in the London Channel. It took three hours to retrieve him. By then, his metamorphosis had been completed: the energy from the tesseract served to catalyze a full physical transformation, just as the Vita Rays had for Captain Carter. Captain Rogers emerged from the Hydra Stomper as a new man, now standing at well over six feet tall, muscular, and free of all his former ailments.
Unfortunately, his transformation had unforeseen side effects: his cells were now reliant on the tesseract’s radiation, as channeled by the Hydra Stomper’s power systems, to regenerate. Spending more than a few hours outside of the armor would cause Captain Rogers’s cells to break down rapidly until he was returned to the confines of the suit. For a while, this was enough: there was still work to do. 
With the War in Europe waning, the Hydra Stomper was reassigned to the Pacific Theatre. Here, Captain Rogers became increasingly uncomfortable with the targets chosen for him, and when Howard Stark--again, acting against orders--shared classified intelligence about the Manhattan Project, Captain Rogers made his decision. He sabotaged the Hydra Stomper, destroying it so thoroughly that all that remained after the explosion was the tesseract and Captain Rogers himself. Apparently Howard Stark was privy to this plan, as he destroyed all blueprints for the Hydra Stomper, and refused to build another.
Knowing that Captain Rogers would soon begin to weaken and, eventually, die without the protection of the suit and the tesseract energy it channeled, Stark put Rogers into a state of suspended animation at a newly-built SHIELD facility until such time as a cure for his condition could be found, or the tesseract’s energy channeled into a suitable containment unit. 
Reportedly, Captain Rogers’s final words before entering stasis were, “even if I never wake up, at least I’ll be dreaming of Peggy.””
He remains in stasis to this day. 
END OFFICIAL REPORT.
FOLLOWING ADDENDUM ONLY ACCESSIBLE WITH H-LEVEL CLEARANCE. EYES ONLY. 
PROJECT: WINTER SOLDIER
Hydra operatives brought into SHIELD during Operation: Paperclip were eager to work on what Stark had begun to refer to as Project: Winter Soldier. Stark was, after all, a mechanical engineer, not a microbiologist. Furthermore, as Director of Shield, he was too busy to oversee the day-to-day research to revive his friend. He assigned the task to biologists, radiologists, chemists, physicists, and engineers which were all put into place by us. 
We began by exposing blood samples from Captain Rogers to tesseract radiation via proximity to the artifact itself. To our surprise, if the energy was properly modulated through one of Dr. Arnim Zola’s gamma capacitors, cellular deterioration could be halted and reversed without the presence of a complex containment system. The next logical step was to remove Captain Rogers from stasis, maintaining sedation, and test these effects on a larger scale. We quickly discovered that any cellular damage incurred could be reversed by simple exposure Dr. Zola’s gamma capacitors, channeling the energy of the tesseract itself. 
The scale of this discovery was monumental: one of the world’s two remaining serum survivors was at our disposal, and was, for all intents and purposes, an unused piece of equipment which would hardly be missed. We began our work at once. 
Dr. Zola was assigned to the project as head Hydra scientist by [REDACTED], and he turned again to his wartime designs. He began with the machine he built to increase compliance of captured prisoners, improving it with post-hypnotic triggers and conditioning, assisted by [REDACTED]. This allowed Hydra to  implant a secondary psyche beneath the original mind of Captain Rogers. 
This psyche could be activated via a combination of trigger words and electroshocks, turning Captain Rogers into a perfectly-obedient soldier and assassin who, upon being “deactivated,” would have no memory of the work he had done for Hydra, or, indeed, of ever having left his pod (this last being a necessary security precaution, should Howard Stark ever succeed with his “Arc Reactor” research and remove Captain Rogers from our immediate reach.
Next, with the tesseract at our disposal once again, Dr. Zola was able to perfect his capacitors, creating man-portable power cells which would allow Captain Rogers--our Winter Soldier--to function longer in the field before needing to return to his pod to recharge. These power cells, combined with a subcutaneous system of cybernetic enhancements, allowed tesseract energy to be fed to every cell in the Winter Soldier’s body for as long as his power cells lasted. Further improvements were made, all fueled by the tesseract, incorporating aspects of the original armor directly into the Winter Soldier’s physiology. 
The project was a near-complete success.
There were setbacks, of course, but we have our ways of turning every setback into an advantage: when Sergeant James Barnes, a friend of Captain Rogers, began to grow suspicious of our activities during one of his visits to Captain Rogers’s containment pod, we sent one of our Red Room operatives to put a stop to his investigation. Sergeant Barnes’s apparent death was convincing, even to Director Stark--after all, he left his arm behind--and now we had had gained a new test subject, one with whom we did not have to maintain pretenses.
Sergeant Barnes already contained some cellular enhancements from Dr. Zola’s work during the early stages of the War, and once we had replaced his arm and completely erased his original psyche, we possessed two Winter Soldiers, Subjects 001 (Rogers) and 002 (Barnes). Subject 002 was sent to our Siberian Facility, allowing us to operate them separately in two hemispheres, or jointly for more important missions. 
Our Soviet Branch was even able to use the blood from Subject 002 to create Alexei Shostakov, aka the Red Guardian. Emboldened by his success, our SHIELD Branch was ordered to create a superior serum from the blood of Subject 001, to be smuggled into Russia for Project: End of Winter.
Unfortunately, there proved to be a leak in our network. While the traitorous agent in question was dealt with, the information he slipped to Director Stark made things a good deal more difficult for us. For over forty years, this project had borne results without any significant oversight; now, we had Director Stark himself to contend with. Luckily, we had solidified our position so that when history did not cooperate, history could be changed. 
In December of 1991, Director Stark obtained the enhanced serum intended for Project: End of Winter, and was attempting to transport it to a secure location where he could have analyzed and surely would have realized our plans for it. 
On December 16, we dispatched Subject 001, Captain Rogers, to silence Director Stark and retrieve the serum. 
The mission was a complete success.
The serum was handed off to Subject 002 in Cuba and transferred to the Siberian Facility. Subject 001 was returned to stasis, and SHIELD was now even more susceptible to our influence. 
FINAL ANALYSIS: Project: Winter Soldier // SUCCESS.
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