tash_novotny | Recent Entries

Muse: Sergeant Tash Novotny, CMT
Fandom: Primeval Original Character
Words: 192
Disclaimer: The world is borrowed, the character mine. I'll make not a penny, but for me that's just fine...

I don't know that I'd call myself competitive exactly, but I won't deny that within my previous posting, I did gain a certain... reputation. Call it (and me) tvrdohlavý, like my grandfather does. Call it hubris. Whatever you prefer. In my own mind, it's not about competition; it's about proving to the lads that I am, at the very least, no worse at this job than any of them are. Based on my last three rounds of weapons qualifications scores, I was a better shot than most of the lads in my previous unit. (Stiffer competition with the teams at my present position, but in the field I still out-shoot most of them on an average engagement.) I got tired a long time ago of instructors and OCs who didn't think I'd rate simply because of my gender, or my calling as a medic, or the fact that I'm short. I refuse to let their expectation of failure define me. Yes, in a way, that simple fact is defining my actions, forcing me to work harder in order to prove them wrong. Does that count as being competitive? I don't think so....

Muse: Tash_Novotny
Fandom: Primeval Original Character
Word Count: 362
Disclaimer: The character is mine. The words are mine. The world, is borrowed and returned without a penny earned.

***
There are plenty of fail-safes within my life. Some work. Others fail. I've learned to be cynical about them. I am grateful when they do their jobs, but I try never to rely on them, never to become so trusting of them that I become sloppy and lazy. Doing so brings madness for me and death for others.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not so delusional as to feel that my actions alone prevent the deaths of others. I am part of a team. It is the actions of all of us in concert that prevent the loss of other people's lives. And yes, sometimes the losses we're fighting to prevent are that of our own teammates. But all too often there are civilian lives at stake as well. But trust me, believing myself to have god-like power over others is the surest way to guarantee that at some point I will screw up. So I remain cynical. I do my job with as much care and precision as I am capable of and each time I do so, I pray that what I've done is enough to keep someone from dying. When it is? I breath a sigh of relief at having played roulette with the Reaper and won yet again. When I fail? I gently hold in my hands the life of yet another soul. I watch them slip away, listening as their breathing comes ever more slowly. I watch over them as the Reaper comes and collects his due. And I mourn.

But I do not let my failures convince me that I am entirely incapable of success. To do so would be to give up my vocation entirely. And doing that would break my soul into pieces so small that no one could ever reassemble them properly. I continue to give every ounce of effort to my vocation. I continue to do everything that is within my power on any given day in order to protect my teammates and the civilians who unknowingly depend on us for their safety. I do my best. And that in and of itself, is a failsafe.

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Location: Curled up somewhere special
Current Music: My beloved puttering in the kitchen

Day Six: Five living people who mean a lot to you (Done in no particular order...)

1. My family (I'm going to lump them all in together because if I did them all individually as they deserved, they'd never fit the list!)
2. Colonel Colby (Yes, I know it's odd, but if it weren't for him, I'd have been RTUed after my last posting. And I don't think I'd know who I am without the service as part of that identity.)
3. Christian
4. Vaclav Havel (the first President of the Czech Republic. Okay, yes, he's dead, but only recently so. But the impact he had on the place where the majority of my family still lives was immense. Without him, my grandparents would likely have ended up dead during endless "civil conflicts")
5. Oh hell, I don't have a 5th one to list. But the 1st one was a whole group of people, so I think I can get away with it.

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: Home
Current Music: Prokofiev's "Firebird"

Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.

If there's one lesson I would say that I have learned properly in life, it's that life should be lived without regrets. Looking backward rarely gets you anywhere good. And not doing things you want to leads to a life not worth living. So even if its hard and I make mistakes, I'd rather live my life without leaving anything behind to be regretted.

Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.

1. Other people's thoughts are complicated.

2. Just for once, I would like everything to be quiet without having to medicate to get that way.

3. It frightens me how much I want this.

4. No, they haven't yet invented hypo sprays like the ones used on Star Trek, you big baby!

5. What part of DON'T MOVE didn't you understand you sodding idiot?!?!

6. Yes, I really did score higher than you on my weapons proficiency ratings. Why do you keep insisting on forgetting that?

7. Yes, there really are people as short as me in the service. Why, oh why can't you understand that and make kit to suit? (Well, okay, I think that a lot less often lately. Because SOMEONE ELSE seems to be having those arguments for me. *smiles brightly*)

Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.

1. LISTEN to me and respect what I say, even if our opinions differ
2. Don't touch me unless; (a)I've asked you to or you've asked and I've said yes (b) You know me well enough to accurately read whether or not I want to be touched (c) There's a threat either to my life or someone else's which I haven't noticed
3. Give me a quiet and safe place to be when I need to put myself back together again
4. If I'm cuddling with you and fall asleep, be there still when I wake up
5. Chocolate (What?!?! I'm just as prone to that addiction as the next girl!)
6. Respect yourself, no matter who you are. (Yes, this really is a way to win my heart, even if it's about you, not me. How you feel about yourself makes a difference to me.)
7. Don't talk shop all the time. (If your job is the only thing you've got going on, you should really reconsider your priorities. Given that's coming from someone as dedicated to my job as I am, yes, you really should listen to that advice.)
8. Know how to savor the occasional silence.

Current Mood: busy
Current Location: @work WITHOUT any patients for once!
Current Music: Innocuous but sprightly classical music

Day 2: Nine Things About Me

1. I grew up spending summer and winter holidays wil my grandparents and extended family in the Czech Republic. I go back at least once a year for as long as I can manage
2. I'm a very good cook provided I've got a recipe and follow it to the letter. But I can't improvise.
3. I really disliked living in shared accomodations.
4. I'm the same height now as I was at age 12. Just with more curves.
5. I almost failed out of my first year of military training
6. I really hate centipedes
7. My father is a pacifist. He didn't come to terms with my choosing to join the service until about a year ago
8. Really good smoked whitefish is a guilty pleasure food for me
9. I really hate wearing dresses

Current Mood: bored
Current Location: Some godforsaken middle of nowhere
Current Music: Crickets and cows

Oh sure, why the hell not....

Day 1: Things you want to say to 10 different people

1: Respectfully, sir, you've barely got half a clue what I'm capable of. And if I can, I plan to keep it that way.

2: Ugh! No I do not want to "play doctor" with you. Grow up already.

3: You are an anchor of tranquility in the storm of life. That's unique, and rare, and frightening.

4: If its all the same to you, sir, I'd really rather not have to do small weapons requalifications at all? You've seen me in the field. Isn't that enough? I HATE testing.

5: How can one person be a genius and an idiot at the same time? Its rather perplexing.

6: I'm stronger than you think I am. While I understand where the mentality comes from, please stop trying to protect me when we're in the field.

7: No, sir, I really don't have any desire to be pushed toward promotion at the minute. I know that's a foreign concept to you, but please at least respect it?

8: Come within touching distance of me again and I'll use the nearest object, sharp or blunt, to put those brass balls of yours back in a box where they belong!

9: Don't wibble so pitifully, its not making my impression of you any better. You knew he was a card shark when you sat down at the table. Its your own bloody fault you're going to be broke till next pay cycle.

10: Thank you, having another place to hide out momentarily when I need it is quite welcome. This place is a madhouse sometimes!

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot.
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession

I've checked; none of you need immunization boosters before leaving for Israel.

1: Being hauled away from work WITHOUT my mobile. Hooray for being out of reach of the idiots and their silly games for just a little while! I'm told Mace and Lily had a lovely time beating the tar out of them and that they should be nursing their bruises for a few days. That ought to give me some peace and quiet.

2: Embarrassing a twenty something by taking her sex toy shopping. At least said twenty-something is now of the opinion that she no longer needs men to enjoy herself. Given her taste needs serious work, for the moment, that's a good point of view for her to have.

3: Enjoying a really good dinner with friends. Mmmm, duck.

4: Mead. I haven't had good mead in such a very long time. *sighs happily* Fee, I'll happily pay whatever forfeit you ask of me to get more of that, please?

5: A warm bed and an even warmer body with which to share it. *blushes*

The next one of you arseholes to get hurt while not on a call out is either going to have to put up with me calling Garrett in to read you the riot act or getting stitched up without anesthetics.

No more knife fighting practice with live blades!

HAVE I MADE MYSELF CLEAR?

(Right about now I'd actually pay for someone to go blowing up New Dawn again, just to get them out of the ARC and off doing something useful. Fucking holiday jitters. The entire mob of them need to go get pissed and blown. In that order.)

*stomps off angrily*

1: Reorganizing the supply closet without telling me
2: Playing at knife fighting because your bored and not wearing a fucking stab vest
3: Whining at me when you come in for stitches after said knife fighting bout
4: Whining even more when said CMT leaves you half stitched up because she gets called off for IMPORTANT duties.
5: Playing snarky when you end up with the CMT standing over you picking off raptors
6: Making me pick up all the leftover parts from said raptors.
7: Going back to knife fighting after the call out because you're a bunch of fucking adrenaline junkies and now you're too wound up to go the fuck home.
8: Ending up in the infirmary with a concussion from said knife fighting
9: Whining at me when I make you STAY in the infirmary until the concussion's cleared.
10: Bugger, there is no number 10. I've had it with you lot today!

Current Mood: Furious
Current Location: Still at work 20 hours later
Current Music: Jamie and Ian snoring

Someone, I'm not going to point fingers, goaded me into starting a journal. We'll see whether this is worth doing. Personally, I doubt I'll have time to keep up with it.....

Sergeant Natasha “Tash” Novotny - Combat Medical Technician (CMT)

Age: 26

Appearance: Short wavy blond hair and green eyes. She makes even Abby feel tall at a bare 5’ 0” with a woman’s curves despite years of time spent out in the field.

Languages: Czechoslovakian

Family Background: First name is Natasha, but she'll deck you if you call her that. She prefers to go by Tash. She's a second generation immigrant and still goes back regularly to visit cousins and the like.

Career Notes:Tash is trained as a combat medic, capbadged to the RAMC - consider her the military equivalent of a senior paramedic - or possibly even an emergency care practioner in the UK, but also used to acting under fire. She came to the ARC by way of Hereford as a “gift” from the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). They threw her at Hils because she's proven she doesn’t quite fit with any of their standard units, but she’s far too useful and has too good a record to throw back to her Corps in disgrace. Sending her back to Afghanistan with one of the Para companies was going to end unfortunately, probably with a spate of arrests. She happens to have a peculiar knack for knowing when someone’s hurting and how.
Tash was one of the last pieces of the unit’s backbone to fall into place, but she did so easily because her finely honed intuition helped her fit in quickly with the existing personnel. She handled herself calmly her first time out which won points with Hils. The Sgt running that team complained. He’d ordered her to do something which would have put an injured serviceman in jeopardy. Instead Tash stood over one the fallen man during an incursion, calmly picking off predators until the rest of the team got her the breathing room to treat the man and save his life. Since then she’s proven to be entirely unphased by the ARC’s remit and hence earning the field teams’ respect as well.

Personal Notes: Upon joining the ARC, she got caught short when Major Sayer met her and correctly altered her name to the respectful form of address for her native Czech. (The family name is Novotny, but the respectful form of address for a woman of that family line would be Novatnah.) Eventually she and Sayer hit it off, which turns out to be very good in the long term for them both.