#Body maintenance is well worth the time and effort it takes | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

oneofstarkskids · 5 months ago

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go to sleep

pairings: clark kent x reader

genre: angst with a dash of fluff

summary: running into an old friend brings up old memories and feelings. but what can you do with them now?

note: i think this is the most amount of words i've written on here 🤭

"c'mon," you begged the inanimate object as you held your coat close to your body. it made no effort to work, so you hit it with your fist.

bad idea. "ow! mother of-"

"need some help there?" a voice asked from behind you.

a voice you knew all too well.

you sighed, the cold air billowing out of your mouth, "it's my generator. i think it died on me."

clark frowned and knelt down to take a look. after fully inspecting it he got up with an apologetic expression, "it's fried."

"great," you said sarcastically, your bones getting stiffer and stiffer.

you would've stayed to chat with your neighbor and old friend, but you decided that it would be a good idea to search for some extra blankets before you caught a case of hypothermia.

"well, thanks anyway," you said before taking a couple steps.

"hey," clark gently grabbed you by the arm. "it's not safe to stay here without running water or a heater. come stay at my ma's place. we have cocoa and i'm sure she'd love to catch up."

you were surprised by the offer. you hadn't seen the boy since he'd left to start his journalism career. then again, that's clark. always looking out for people.

you were hesitant to accept the offer, and clark sensed that. "it's just until you can get a professional to come out and do some maintenance," he assured you. with that, you simply nodded. what else was there to say?

clark shakes your coat out on the porch of his ma's house, snow falling to the ground.

"it's colder than the dickens," martha says as she warms a fresh pot of hot cocoa.

she was expecting you. almost as if she's the one who told clark to check up on you in the first place.

you took a moment to look around the house that you'd been in so many times before as a little girl. it was a strange feeling to be back.

you and clark were the closest friends growing up, but life took you on different paths. he wanted to go to metropolis and be a journalist and you wanted to be an artist.

somehow you both ended up back here. the city didn't give clark the fulfillment he thought it would and your art career never took off.

but these walls were familiar.

your fingers ghosted over a picture of clark's dad on the mantle.

"cinnamon, honey?" a sweet voice asked.

you turned towards it to find martha holding up a mug.

"oh! no thanks," you responded politely.

she gave you the cocoa and had you sit with her at the table to catch up. not that there was too much to update her on.

martha was all alone in this house when clark was gone. you knew that and since you didn't have parents of your own to visit, you often kept her company.

clark sat down too. the energy in the room shifted instantly.

"so, how are thing's over at the daily planet?" you ask, trying to mask the resentment you have for that place. you should be happy for him, but it took him away from smallville. from you.

clark grins, sending a sharp pain to your chest. "not too bad."

there's a moment of silence as you take another sip of your warm beverage.

"how's your art coming along?" he asked awkwardly.

you just shrugged.

it wasn't something you felt comfortable confiding in him right now, but art seemed to lead you to a dead end.

yes, it was partially your lack of confidence in your pieces, but more so it was the lack of inspiration.

clark looked down into his mug. you could almost feel the disappointment radiating off of him. it made you so angry. what right did he have?

but you bit your tongue. you weren't going to fight with him in front of martha. she deserved more than that.

then again, you really couldn't stand the silence.

"should we see if there's anything worth watching tonight?" you asked both of them, but you were only looking at mrs kent.

that happened to be the only decent idea you'd had so far. the three of you watched a couple shows until martha was falling asleep on the couch.

you turn to clark as soon as you hear him laugh. it was the same. deep, but still had the same joyful undertone. it still gave you butterflies.

he caught his mom with her jaw hung open snoring quietly. the sight made you giggle softly.

"i should probably get her to bed," he said with a grin.

you gave him an apologetic expression, "i didn't mean to keep her up."

his eyes met your own as he stood from his spot on the other end of the couch, "i'm sure she enjoyed your company."

and it might have been the way he said it or the look in his eyes, but you felt like he was partly talking about himself.

you waited in the living room as he carefully lifted her up and put her in her own bedroom. you weren't sure where to sleep. the couch would've been fine but as you were getting settled, clark came back and frowned.

"what are you doing?" he asked in a hushed voice.

you furrowed your brows, "going to sleep?"

"you can have my bed, i'll sleep on the couch," he said in a very clark kent manner.

though you appreciated the gentleman he was raised to be, you shook your head defiantly. "i can't let you do that. it's your house."

clark crossed his arms.

you were both painfully stubborn and refusing to let this go.

the raven haired man smirked unexpectedly, "you know, it is pretty cold. maybe we could just share my bed."

"clark joseph kent! as if you couldn't go out there in that freezing weather half naked and come back in without a cold," you called him out.

he laughs, "i was kidding!"

you knew. the two of you used to joke with each other like that all the time.

"but... there are worse people to sleep next to. you're practically a heating blanket," you teased.

and that's how you ended up laying on your side staring at the beautiful man. the moonlight was peaking through the window, illuminating the room just enough for you to see his face.

"go to sleep," he mumbled without opening his eyes.

you felt your face flush with embarrassment, but still couldn't tear your eyes away.

he peeked open one eye sleepily, "you're staring."

you didn't know what to say. memories played like a film reel in your mind. your voice held a sadness to it, "why did we stop talking?"

it was silent for a moment. clark didn't have an answer.

"i mean, we used to be close," you said softly with nostalgia.

he saw it all too. remembered it like it was yesterday. the bubbling laughter and gentle touches. stolen kisses and secret hide-outs.

"i guess some things change," he finally responded.

you frowned and felt this insatiable frustration in your chest, "not if you try hard enough. not if you hold onto something tightly enough."

"sometimes, holding onto something too tightly only makes it slip away faster," clark said. his words hung in the air of the darkened room.

maybe he was right.

maybe you guys held on too tightly.

"go to sleep," he repeated with a gentleness to his voice.

you turned over on your other side and stared at the wall for what felt like hours.

you guessed that some people simply weren't meant to be together.

#dcu #dc fanfic #dc universe #clark kent x reader #clark kent #henry cavill #superman #superman x reader #kal el #angst #clark kent angst

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egittae · 2 months ago

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[TOAEpiphany2025 Intermission]

Within the first few hours of returning to their settlement, no worse for wear but pride shot from the last few interactions within his team. The supply run, while successful, was not as fruitful as he would have liked—but the money had been quite worth it, even if they had to leave, should their exit be blocked. Perhaps the next group would find it useful.

But, within that time between his first and second deployment, Dedue finds out that Lambert had been hurt, confined to the infirmary for... poor resistance to magic, if he was to be so crude. While Dedue was always one to stand at the ready or to handle the harsher tasks, he is not around those he must service outright—and many are just as capable to handle their time wisely, with or without him.

And he feels like extending an olive branch, he muses. Selfish for getting to know the man personally, for once.

In the infirmary he walks, a small tray in his left hand as he makes a gesture to the man on the cot, hoping to not startle the man. "Professor. I hope your recuperation has been beneficial to you, and I brought you a small tidings before the next departure."

The tray held a small amount of tea in a pot, perhaps three servings of heavily steeped tea still steaming, and a plate of egg whites and protein at the side—non-citrus fruits, nuts, and white rice. It's rather plain but he really doesn't want to overload the man, especially if he's taken anything medicinal over magic,

He takes the pot and pours the first cup of tea, starting a conversation (quite unlike himself). "I was a part of General Matthias' group. I have... quite the stories to share, if he hasn't visited you yet."

As movement around the bunker seemed to grow, Lambert assumed it was preparations for the next wave of missions. He may have to stay behind for his own sake, but everyone else was doing their best to ensure a real, proper chance to return to Garreg Mach and reclaim it from the enemy. It didn’t feel right nor thrilling to stay behind on an infirmary cot- his body wanted to move, to fight, to help, anything but to stay still on a bed while everyone else is busy, yet…he also had to accept this was, at the moment, the best way he could offer aid. By recovering well and joining them later.

“Ah, Dedue! You should not have…” Icy pools widened in surprise at the sight of the much taller student approaching with a tray- at first he expected some medicine or herbs, but instead was presented with a small meal and tea. “This is really kind of you, I appreciate the gesture, truly.” With some effort, Lambert took his time to slowly sit up. Perhaps the nurses wouldn’t be too thrilled at the sight, but he was tired of lying down. “I have been doing well, this is nothing in all honesty. Give it some time for the soreness to pass, and I will be up and ready to return to my duties.” He flashes a toothy grin, confident despite having been told his injuries would not heal from just a nap.

The professor watches the tea being poured quietly, listening to Dedue’s words with interest. “Oh, is that so? I am all ears.” Once the tea was poured, he cradled the cup gently to bask in its warmth. “He has not approached me yet. Knowing that man, he must be most likely fussing over maintenance plans for the weapons or supply logistics.” The sentence ended with a short laugh, alongside a small smile.

"My group also came across some...interesting situations, if I may simplify it."

#toaepiphany2025 #[support] dedue #[DEDUUUEEEEE PLEADINGFACE]

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socalrollerskates · 2 years ago

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The Ultimate Roller Skate Buying Guide

Hey there, roller skating enthusiasts! Are you ready to take your skating skills to the next level? Well, look no further because in this blog, we'll guide you on how to choose the Top-Notch roller skates for professional skating.

Whether you're a seasoned skater or just starting out, we've got you covered. So, let's roll into the world of top-notch roller skates and find the pair that will make you feel like you're gliding on air!

Why Roller Skates Matter?

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of selecting roller skates, let's talk about why choosing the right pair is so important.

The quality and fit of your roller skates can greatly impact your performance on the rink. A well-fitted pair of roller skates can provide better control, stability, and comfort, allowing you to execute your moves with ease.

So, investing some time and effort in finding the perfect roller skates is definitely worth it!

The Roller Skate Buying Guide

1. Determine Your Skating Style

The first step in finding the ideal rollerskates is to determine your skating style. Are you into speed skating, artistic skating, or roller derby? Each style requires specific features in a pair of roller skates.

For instance, speed skaters need skates with a low-cut design and larger wheels to maximize speed, while artistic skaters prefer high-top boots for ankle support and manoeuvrability. So, figure out your skating style and keep it in mind during your search.

2. Consider the Boot Material and Fit

The next factor to consider is the boot material and fit. Roller skate boots are typically made of leather or synthetic materials. Leather boots offer durability, flexibility, and better breathability, but they require more breaking in.

On the other hand, synthetic boots are often more affordable and require less maintenance. Regardless of the material, make sure the boots fit snugly around your feet without being too tight or causing discomfort. Remember, a comfortable fit is essential for an enjoyable skating experience.

3. Wheels and Bearings

When it comes to wheels, the size and hardness matter. Smaller wheels are ideal for speed skating, while larger wheels provide better stability for dance and recreational skating. As for hardness, softer wheels offer more grip, making them suitable for indoor surfaces, while harder wheels are better for outdoor skating.

Additionally, don't forget to check the quality of the bearings. High-quality bearings ensure smooth and effortless rolling, allowing you to glide like a pro.

4. Safety First: Brakes and Protective Gear

Safety should always be a top priority, especially in professional skating. Look for impala skates sale that come with reliable brakes, preferably located on the toe area for easy access. Brakes provide you with the necessary control to prevent accidents and perform quick stops.

Furthermore, don't forget to invest in proper protective gear, including helmets, knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards. Protecting yourself while enjoying the thrill of roller skating is essential for a long and injury-free skating journey.

Conclusion

Congratulations, dear readers, you've now become experts in choosing the perfect roller skates for professional skating!

Remember, understanding your skating style, finding the right boot material and fit, considering the wheels and bearings, and prioritising safety will lead you to roller skate heaven.

So, go out there, embrace the joy of gliding, and let your rollerskates become an extension of your body. Happy skating!

#skates

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luminaryhealth · 3 months ago

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How much does medical weight loss cost in Vancouver?

When it comes to losing weight, many individuals in Vancouver are turning to medical weight loss solutions. These programs are often more tailored and structured compared to traditional diet plans, offering a range of services to help individuals achieve sustainable weight loss in a safe and professional environment. However, one of the common questions people have is: How much does medical weight loss in Vancouver cost?

Factors That Affect the Cost of Medical Weight Loss in Vancouver

The cost of medical weight loss in Vancouver varies depending on several factors. These include the type of program, the medical professionals involved, and the duration of the treatment. While some clinics offer a one-time consultation or short-term program, others may have long-term, comprehensive treatment plans. Understanding these components can help you get a better sense of what you may expect to pay.

Initial Consultation and Assessment

Before starting a medical weight loss program, you’ll typically need to attend an initial consultation. During this appointment, a medical professional will assess your overall health, weight loss goals, and any underlying medical conditions that may affect your weight. In Vancouver, the cost for an initial consultation generally ranges between $100 and $200. Some clinics may offer a free consultation, but this is less common.

Program Fees

Once the consultation is complete, your doctor may recommend a personalized weight loss program. The prices of these programs can vary widely. For example, a basic weight loss plan that includes regular check-ins with a medical professional and dietary advice may cost anywhere from $500 to $1,500 for a few weeks or months. More comprehensive programs that include prescription medications, weekly visits, or additional treatments like body contouring may cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 or more.

Medications and Supplements

Some medical weight loss in Vancouver programs incorporate medications or supplements that can help speed up weight loss. Medications such as appetite suppressants, fat burners, or hormone-based treatments might be prescribed. The cost for these can range from $100 to $300 per month, depending on the type of medication and the clinic's pricing structure.

Ongoing Support and Maintenance

Weight loss is a journey that requires consistent effort and support. As a result, many clinics in Vancouver offer ongoing support after the initial weight loss phase. This could involve regular check-ins, lifestyle coaching, or follow-up consultations. The cost for ongoing support can range from $50 to $200 per visit, depending on the frequency and the services included.

Additional Treatments

For individuals seeking faster or more dramatic results, certain clinics may offer additional treatments, such as liposuction, laser therapy, or body contouring. These treatments can add significantly to the overall cost of a weight loss program, with prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.

Is Medical Weight Loss Worth the Investment?

Given the range of costs, it’s important to consider the benefits of medical weight loss in Vancouver. Many people find that medical weight loss programs are a more effective, long-term solution compared to traditional weight loss methods. By receiving professional guidance, medical monitoring, and access to prescription medications or supplements, individuals can achieve sustainable weight loss in a controlled and safe environment.

At Luminary Health, we specialize in customized medical weight loss solutions designed to meet your unique needs. Our expert team provides comprehensive support to ensure your weight loss journey is effective and rewarding. While the investment in a medical weight loss program can be significant, the potential health benefits and the opportunity to regain control of your well-being make it a valuable choice for many.

If you're ready to take the next step in your weight loss journey, reach out to Luminary Health to learn more about the cost and benefits of medical weight loss in Vancouver. We are here to guide you toward a healthier, happier you.

#medical weight loss vancouver

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saunasteamau · 6 months ago

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How Do Portable Saunas for Sale Compare to Built-In Options?

In recent years, saunas have become a popular choice for home wellness, offering a range of health benefits from relaxation to detoxification. If you’re considering adding a sauna to your home, you might be torn between two primary options: portable saunas and built-in saunas.

Both have their unique advantages and potential drawbacks. In this blog, let’s explore how portable saunas for sale Melbourne compare to built-in options to help you make an informed decision.

Cost and Budget

Portable Saunas: One of the most appealing aspects of portable saunas is their affordability. Generally, portable saunas cost significantly less than built-in models. Prices can range from a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars, depending on the size, features, and brand. Their lower price point makes them an attractive option for those on a budget or who are trying out the sauna experience for the first time.

Built-In Saunas: Built-in saunas, on the other hand, tend to be a substantial investment. Costs can range from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. This higher price is attributed to the materials, installation, and customisation options available with built-in saunas. If you have a larger budget and are looking for a permanent addition to your home, a built-in sauna may be worth the investment.

Installation and Space Requirements

Portable Saunas: As the name suggests, portable saunas are designed for easy setup and mobility. They typically come in compact, foldable designs that can be assembled and disassembled with minimal effort. Portable saunas are ideal for those who may not have the space for a permanent fixture or who live in rental properties where major modifications aren’t feasible.

Built-In Saunas: Built-in saunas require a more extensive installation process. They need a dedicated space, whether it’s a spare room, basement, or an outdoor area. Installation often involves construction work and professional help, especially for custom designs. This process can take time and may involve additional costs for renovations or structural modifications.

Size and Customisation

Portable Saunas: Portable saunas come in a range of sizes, but they are generally more compact than built-in models. They are designed to fit in smaller spaces and often accommodate one to two people. Customisation options are limited, with most portable saunas offering standard features and sizes.

Built-In Saunas: Built-in best saunas in Melbourne offer greater flexibility in terms of size and customisation. You can design a sauna that fits your specific space requirements and aesthetic preferences. Whether you want a large multi-person sauna or a unique layout with special features, built-in saunas provide more options for tailoring to your needs.

Heating Technology and Performance

Portable Saunas: Most portable saunas use infrared heating technology, which heats the body directly rather than the air. This can be more energy-efficient and may heat up faster than traditional saunas. Portable saunas are typically designed to reach and maintain comfortable temperatures, but their heating capacity may be less powerful compared to built-in saunas.

Built-In Saunas: Built-in saunas can use either traditional or infrared heating systems, depending on your preference. Traditional saunas use a stove or heater to warm the air, creating a higher humidity environment, while infrared saunas heat the body directly. Built-in saunas often offer more powerful heating options and can provide a more intense and consistent heat experience.

Longevity and Maintenance

Portable Saunas: Portable saunas are generally built with lighter materials and may have a shorter lifespan compared to built-in options. They are relatively easy to maintain—usually requiring just regular cleaning of the interior fabric and occasional checks of the heating elements. However, the materials and construction might not withstand heavy use over the long term.

Built-In Saunas: Built-in saunas are constructed with durable materials like wood, stone, or tile, making them more robust and long-lasting. They require more extensive maintenance, such as cleaning and checking the heater or stove regularly. The longevity of built-in saunas is generally higher, and with proper care, they can be a lasting addition to your home.

Resale Value and Impact

Portable Saunas: Due to their temporary nature, portable saunas may not add significant value to your home. They can be easily moved or sold if you decide to relocate. Their impact on your home is minimal, making them a practical choice for those who prefer flexibility.

Built-In Saunas: Built-in saunas can enhance the value of your home, particularly if they are well-designed and integrated into the space. They are seen as a luxury feature that can appeal to potential buyers. However, the return on investment will depend on the overall appeal of the sauna and the market conditions.

Final Words

Choosing between portable and built-in saunas ultimately depends on your budget, space, and long-term goals. Portable saunas for sale Melbourne offer affordability, ease of setup, and flexibility, making them ideal for those who want a sauna without a major commitment. Built-in saunas provide a more permanent, customisable, and high-performance option, but they require a larger investment and more extensive installation.

By considering these factors, you can make an informed decision that best suits your needs and enhances your home wellness experience. Whether you opt for a portable or built-in sauna, both options can provide valuable health benefits and contribute to a relaxing and rejuvenating lifestyle.

#Best Saunas in Melbourne #Saunas for Sale Melbourne #Saunas Melbourne

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freeciaprofessional · 11 months ago

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Why Hair Care Matters: The Importance of Nurturing Your Locks

Hair is more than just the loose hairs on our heads; it plays a big role in defining our identities, self-esteem, and general well-being. Our hair has a great deal of significance, from how it frames our face to how it expresses our style. Consequently, maintaining and taking care of our locks is essential to self-care and extends beyond simple appearance. Taking the time and making the effort to take care of your hair is important for the following reasons:

1. Self-Expression: You can express yourself powerfully through your haircut. Whether you choose a wild and free look or something sleek and professional, your hair serves as a canvas to display your uniqueness and individuality. You can make sure that your hair looks its best and appropriately captures your own identity and style by taking good care of it.

2. Confidence Booster: Your confidence can soar when you have a great hair day. In many facets of your life, you're more likely to feel secure and self-assured when your hair is shining, healthy, and well-groomed. On the other hand, hair that has been neglected or damaged may have the opposite impact, making one feel insecure and self-conscious.

3. Overall Health: Your hair needs to be properly cared for and attended to in order to stay healthy, just like any other part of your body. Your hair has to be regularly cleansed, conditioned, and fed to be healthy and vibrant. More protein, minerals, and vitamin content in a well-balanced diet also helps to create stronger, more durable hair.

4. Preventing Damage: Environmental factors, styling tools, and chemical treatments can all take a toll on your hair, leading to dryness, breakage, and split ends. By adopting a gentle hair care routine and using products designed to protect and nourish your locks, you can minimize damage and maintain the integrity of your hair.

5. Long-Term Maintenance: Investing in your hair care routine now can pay off in the long run. By prioritizing preventive measures and addressing any issues promptly, you can prevent more significant problems down the line and enjoy healthy, beautiful hair for years to come.

6. Emotional Well-being: Taking care of your hair may be a soothing and restorative habit. These self-care moments, which may include anything from pampering yourself with a pricey hair mask to giving yourself a soothing scalp massage or just taking the time to arrange your hair, can improve your general emotional health.

7. Professional Image: In many work environments, how you look has a big impact on how people see you. Professionalism, attention to detail, and a polished image are conveyed by well-groomed hair, and these qualities can enhance both your professional and interpersonal connections.

More than just outward appearance, hair care is about preserving and enhancing an important part of your identity and overall health. Making your hair care regimen a priority and spending money on high-quality products and treatments will not only improve the health and look of your hair, but it will also strengthen your sense of empowerment and self-worth. So, embrace the significance of taking care of your hair and show off your locks!

#hair care #hair color #hair serum

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magichcw · 2 years ago

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How Car Detailing Restores Your Vehicle's Shine?

Is your car looking a bit dingy? Have you noticed the paint beginning to fade? If so, it may be time for some detailing. Detailing is a process that can restore your vehicle's shine and lustre, as well as make it look like new.

However, Car Detailing Chermside service isn't just about cleaning—it's about increasing the longevity of your car's finish and protecting it from environmental damage. Let's take a look at how detailing works:

Thorough Exterior Cleaning

The exterior of your car is the first thing people see when they look at it. It's also what gets dirty first, as dirt and grime accumulate on the body of your vehicle.

Cleanings start with a wash using soap and water to remove dirt, grime, insects, tar and other substances from the exterior surface of your car.

The next step is drying off any remaining moisture with an air blower or towel before moving onto polishing or waxing to protect against rusting away into nothingness (or at least delaying that inevitable fate).

Paint Correction and Restoration

If your vehicle has paint damage or scratches, you can have it repaired by a professional Car Detailing Chermside service. A car detailing service can also restore the shine of your car's finish.

The process of restoring the finish on your vehicle is called paint correction and restoration. It involves removing microscopic defects in the clear coat layer of your vehicle's paint job, which will make it look like new again!

Paint correction is done by hand or with an electronic machine called an orbital buffer (also known as a polisher). It takes time and effort to do this properly--but the results are worth it!

Interior Deep Cleaning

Car detailing is a great way to restore your vehicle's shine and make it look like new again. The process involves cleaning all visible dirt, stains, spills and odours from the inside of the car. This includes leather seats and vinyl surfaces as well.

You may think that you do not have time for this kind of work but if you hire professional Car Detailing Cannington, they will do everything for you including removing any odours from your car interior so that when they leave there isn't anything left behind for them to do next time around!

Attention to Detail

Detailing is a fine art. It's not just about cleaning your car or truck, but restoring its shine and making it look like new again.

Detailing is one of the most important things you can do for your vehicle because it extends the life of paint, interior fabrics and leathers. The best thing about Car Detailing Cannington is that it's affordable--you don't have to spend thousands of dollars on repairs if you keep up with regular maintenance (which includes washing).

So, what does this mean for you? Well, if you want to keep your car in tip-top shape so that it looks good when someone else sees it -- whether they're admiring its lines on the street or checking out its engine under hood -- then detailing should be part of your routine maintenance schedule!

Conclusion

A car is a large investment, and it's important to take care of it so that it lasts for many years to come. A professional Car Detailing Chermside service will help you restore the shine on your vehicle and keep it looking good for years to come.

#Car Detailing Melbourne Cbd

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prostadinemenhealth · 2 years ago

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Prostadine Reviews - [Customer Review] Is It Worth Buying or Overhyped Product?

Fitness is a lot more that just working out on a treadmill or lifting weights. It is truly a progressive routine, complete with plans, maintenance, and goals. Prostadine Reviews It has many routines and pieces of equipment that require knowledge, strength, and patience. Do you have what it takes? Regardless of your answer, here are some tips to help you.

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Hatha yoga practice is an excellent path to fitness. By performing the Hatha yoga Sun Salutation, anyone can enjoy 15 minutes to half an hour of gentle stretching, deep breathing, and quiet focus every day. This physical form of yoga relaxes the mind, strengthens and stretches the muscles, and loosens the joints. Performing the Hatha yoga Sun Salutation first thing in the morning and just before bed will make a big difference in your fitness level!

In order to maximize your fitness potential when lifting weights, be sure to eat plenty of meat. Meat contains plenty of protein and other nutrients that aid in muscle growth. Lean meat is best, while turkey chicken, and fish are good for you as well. The recommended serving is about 6 ounces a day.

Weight training is vital in a well-rounded fitness program. While not every program needs to concentrate on building muscle mass like a pro weightlifter, some attention to weight training is necessary for every fitness regimen. Weight training tones the muscles and makes them work efficiently. Prostadine This has a positive impact on overall health and fitness at even the most modest levels of weight training.

Do not think of the process of getting fit as a short-term exercise with a cut-off date. Fitness is a long-term commitment. In fact, it should be a permanent one. When building a fitness routine consider not just the immediate benefits but whether or not the routine is one that can be sustained indefinitely. Fitness is for life, not just for bikini season.

Try to avoid taking a pain-reliever pill directly after you work out, even if you are in some kind of pain or anticipate it later. Research has shown that these are actually as effective as a placebo when it comes to pain relief associated with post-workout time. They are also believed to suppress muscle growth, so they are best avoided.

If you dread the very idea of performing multiple sets of chin ups, try looking at it this way: rather than focusing on the effort needed to pull your entire body weight up, think about the effort needed just to pull your elbows down. Surprisingly, this makes the entire workout seem somewhat easier.

As you begin to recover from a painful muscle injury or strain, gradually increase the intensity and duration of your recovery workout rather than jumping right back into your previous workout routine. Prostadine Reviews After each workout, apply ice to the injured area for half an hour, then repeat the process with added intensity the next day.

If you are a runner, even the way you hold your head can affect the quality of your workout. For example, most people tend to hunch forward when running uphill. By keeping your head up and focusing your vision at the top of the hill, however, you are allowing your airways to open more fully, making breathing much easier.

To improve your climbing skills, whether for rock or wall climbing, try getting tighter shoes to practice in. Get a pair that is so tight that you can easily stand, but you are not able to walk without discomfort. This may seem counter-intuitive to always getting well-fitting fitness gear, but doing this gives you optimal control of your feet and legs, which are essential to climbing.

Keep your workout machines and dumbbells in order. Use the smaller weights first and work your way up to the larger weight like barbells and bench presses, and then eventually work your way up to a machine. The smaller weights uses more of your muscle and you get fatigued easier.

Watch less television. Merely sitting and watching a few hours of tv shows means you are not up and around, which means that your body's metabolism is slowing down. Worse yet, chances of becoming obese increase with the amount of television that you watch. Instead of watching television, Prostadine try taking a walk or playing a game.

If you want to grow bigger muscles, then follow these instructions. First, you must determine how much weight to lift for a single exercise. Multiply this by how many times you lift this weight. You should aim to increase this multiplied number after every workout by lifting more weight or by increasing your volume.

If you need to build forearm strength for a sport such as tennis, use newspapers to get the job done. Lay them out flat and crumple them in your hands one by one. This actually works out the muscle you need most in your forearm, so crumple them up again and again!

When the main concern is working hard on your biceps and surrounding muscles, you should maintain a constant lifting weight at a steady pace until you are ready to advance. This is essential, because you can easily strain your muscles with poor form. The proper form is to extend the wrist backwards slightly and hold while you lift. Then, slowly release the pose and return your wrists to a normal position. This helps to build up your bicep muscles correctly and reduce risk of injury.

Study a little bit about how foods affect the body. Know what pasta does to your body compared to chicken. Understanding all of this will help you eat the right foods for your workout. Some foods should be eaten before a workout, and some should not. Get all the knowledge you can before starting.

Now you see that fitness is a lot more that just jogging on a treadmill. It takes a lot of work to sculpt the body you want. You don't want to overdo it and harm yourself, so why not take some time to learn how to do it right? The tips noted above should help.

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solhwellness · 2 years ago

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8 Effective ways to deal with Sleep Disorders | Solh Wellness

Sleep disorders are a widespread issue that affects people of all ages. These conditions can reduce the quality and duration of your sleep, resulting in fatigue and difficulty performing day-to-day tasks. Fortunately, there are ways to treat sleep disorders and improve sleep quality.

Treatment for Sleep Disorders:

Create a Sleep Schedule

One of the most effective ways to deal with sleep disorders is to keep a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, even on weekends, aids in the development and maintenance of your body's natural sleep-wake cycle, which promotes better sleep quality.

Create the most relaxing sleeping environment possible

The environment in which you sleep has a significant impact on the quality of your sleep. Make your bedroom a peaceful, dark, and relaxing space. To block out noise, use sleep aids such as earplugs or white noise machines, as well as blackout curtains to keep your room dark. Purchase a comfortable mattress and pillows if necessary.

Maintain healthy sleeping habits

Healthy sleep habits, such as avoiding caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol before bedtime, are examples of good sleep hygiene. Avoid heavy meals and strenuous exercise before going to bed. Choose light snacks and gentle stretches or yoga instead.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a therapy that can assist you in identifying and changing negative thoughts and behaviours that contribute to sleep issues. It can assist you in developing coping mechanisms and relaxation techniques to improve your sleep quality.

Sleep Therapy

Sleep Restriction Therapy is a type of behavioural therapy that helps people with sleep disorders by limiting the amount of time they spend in bed to match the amount of time they spend sleeping. This therapy aids in the restoration of your body's sleep-wake cycle.

Techniques for relaxation

Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation techniques can help you relax and fall asleep faster. These techniques aid in the reduction of stress and anxiety, both of which are common causes of sleep disorders.

Therapeutic Use of Light

Light therapy is the practise of exposing yourself to bright light at specific times of the day to help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. People with circadian rhythm disorders or seasonal affective disorders may benefit from this therapy.

Seek medical assistance

If your sleep disorder is severe or affecting your quality of life, seek medical attention. Your doctor may advise you to take medication or refer you to a sleep specialist who can assist you in diagnosing and treating your sleep disorder.

Sleep disorders must be addressed in order to improve overall health and well-being. Adopting healthy sleeping habits, practising relaxation techniques, and consulting a doctor can all aid in the improvement of sleep quality and the treatment of sleep disorders. It takes time and effort to develop good sleeping habits, but the benefits are well worth it.

#Sleep Disorders #Sleep Problems #Sleep Issues #Quality Sleep #Sleep Disorder Treatment

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sundayswiththeilluminati · 3 years ago

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TLT Theorizing Part 1

In honor of the cover reveal for Nona the Ninth it’s time for me to work through some blue-sky theorizing about the Locked Tomb universe.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR BOTH GIDEON THE NINTH AND HARROW THE NINTH FOLLOW. STOP READING RIGHT NOW IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED. IN FACT STOP READING TUMBLR AND GO READ THOSE TWO BOOKS INSTEAD. I PROMISE YOU THEY’RE BETTER THAN ANYTHING YOU’LL SEE ON YOUR DASH.

So. Consider the following facts:

Nine Resurrection Beasts were born from the nine murdered thalergenic worlds of our solar system.

Planets create thalergy via the life living on them.

Therefore, nine bodies in the Solar System must have supported enough life to create Resurrection Beasts.

Therefore, humanity had expanded beyond Earth when the Resurrection occurred.

Therefore, even though Earth was undergoing major climate change, this would not have doomed humanity.

==> Question 1: Why was the Resurrection necessary?

If nine planets in the Solar System had enough thalergy to be killed, humans must have already colonized them. That means the colonies now occupied by the Nine Houses were probably built before the Resurrection. Gideon mentions that all the life-support and habitat-maintenance machinery in the Ninth is well beyond the comprehension of anyone there, and in the Sixth House they’re basically still excavating their own facility; loss of memory after the Resurrection would explain both of those. But this means humanity had already spread to other planets. Ecological collapse on Earth would not have meant the end of the human race.

Now postpone Q1 and consider the following additional facts:

Dominicus, the Sun, also draws on John’s power. This is confirmed independently by Augustine.

The Sun is a main-sequence G star only five billion years into its hydrogen supply. It should cook along at its present size and brightness for at least five billion more without any divine intervention; in fact it would take divine intervention to stop it.

Seriously, every single human could die and every solid body in the solar system could explode tomorrow and the Sun wouldn’t notice.

Therefore: the Sun should not have needed reviving at all.

==> Question 2: Why does the Sun depend on John?

Now put both questions aside and consider the following apparently random details that may answer both questions:

Wake said John was responsible both for the deaths of ten billion people and the loss of a colossal amount of culture and history.

Wake specifically accused John of setting a bomb.

John dismisses Blood of Eden by saying, “If you abandon something, you give up the claim to own it.”

Part of the reason John’s conquering his way across the galaxy is because he wants revenge, though he won’t say for what.

Early in HtN John says, “Faster-than-light travel turned out to be a snare--the way it was originally cracked, anyway. The first method destroyed something to do with time and distance, rendering it unusable for any good purpose...”

==> Conclusion 1: What if part of humanity decided to leave Earth using a one-way FTL drive - and John stopped them?

“Unusable for any good purpose.” Why would John use those words? What if humanity’s first attempts at FTL worked, but it was essentially a one-way trip because the effects of doing it destroyed your departure point - in this case, the Sun? Maybe the drive caused ugly gravitational wobbles, or did something disgusting to time, or they needed to collapse the Sun’s core to get the power required. So humanity could leave the solar system - but only once, and it could never return. That doesn’t seem worth it...except now the Earth is dying. What if part of humanity decided that instead of scratching out a tenuous, terraformed existence on the other planets or putting in the immense effort and time to fix Earth itself, they should just leave? No waiting to figure out a repeatable form of FTL, just pack everyone up, aim the convoy at a system with another Earthlike world, and take that one-way trip?

But maybe not everyone got to take that one-way trip. Maybe some disagreed with leaving, or maybe there wasn’t enough room on the last train out. Maybe some people weren’t worthy of being saved. And maybe some of those left behind took that idea very, very badly. Maybe ten billion people loaded up on that convoy, along with all the great cultural and historical knowledge of humanity, and one well-placed bomb - the bomb Wake accused John of setting - took them out.

It would explain why the Sun also needed to be resurrected, since it had been collapsed/destroyed in the FTL process. It would explain why the rest of humanity is out among the stars. It would explain John’s relentless pursuit of them. It would explain his dismissal of Blood of Eden: in his mind that part of humanity abandoned the solar system - a kind of inverted Rapture, leaving the unworthy to suffer the tribulations of ecological collapse - and it’s perfectly fitting that those they left for dead should rise to take revenge.

Okay. We’re halfway there. Shelve all that for a moment and consider this last apparently unrelated set of facts:

John is immortal - not the constant renewal of a Lyctor but actual indestructible immortality. Not even a Resurrection Beast can hurt him.

The inorganic habitat-maintenance machinery in the Ninth House is somehow preserved by the Emperor’s power in perfect working order - it doesn’t rust, it doesn’t break down, it doesn’t wear out.

Harrow notes several times that John’s unique powers feel extremely weird. She calls it a kind of blinding, all-pervasive light and scouring acidic scent, neither of which are associated with necromancy.

John occasionally uses less obvious abilities that have nothing to do with necromancy, such as freezing everything in the moment when The Soup Incident erupts.

Gideon’s body doesn’t decay, even after death. Same for John’s, er, DNA sample; after twelve weeks it’s still fresh as if it had just been removed from his body.

John’s disciples post-Resurrection didn’t age, but only as long as they were physically near him.

When he’s killed, John doesn’t resurrect himself; he reverses his death.

==> Conclusion 2: John Gaius controls time.

The Emperor once told Harrow, “I mastered Death. I should have mastered Time.” He gave away the whole game there: he hasn’t mastered time, but he can manipulate it. John and Gideon’s bodies are preserved not by the constant cellular renewal of a Lyctor, which should stop after death, but by actual temporal stasis. Their physical selves simply don’t suffer the passage of time. Gideon’s body could be harmed by direct injury but not by processes that rely on the accumulation of damage: the poison gas, the hypothermia. Same for the habitat machinery; it’s inorganic, which should render necromancy useless, but John’s power preserves it in the same timeless state. The machines never rust, break down, or wear out because those are all consequences of time and entropy. That’s why his disciples didn’t age as long as they were physically nearby - he could extend his little pocket of timelessness to cover them, but it only went so far.

When John resurrects himself, Gideon calls it like she sees it: “Time stopped.” And then it goes backwards. He doesn’t snap back into existence or rebuild himself from a fragment the way Harrow builds skeletons from a splinter; he rewinds. All his scattered particles pull themselves back together and reassemble in the opposite order as Mercymorn’s disintegration. It takes Gideon’s straightforward ignorance to get to the truth: in HtN’s big confrontation she says, “Whatever [John did], it was no theorem.” John’s unique necromancy feels weird because it’s not necromancy. It’s time manipulation.

Now go back to where we started: “Faster than light travel...destroyed something to do with time.”

==> Metaconclusion: John gained his powers in the same accident/intentional explosion that destroyed the human FTL convoy departing our solar system.

Let’s say John, Augustine, and some other small band of those about to be left behind aren’t gonna take this lying down. They prepare a bomb to disable the FTL convoy. It doesn’t have to be a big one; it just has to be in the right place at the right time. Maybe they only meant to disable the convoy or stop the process before it could do permanent harm; maybe they meant to destroy it from the get-go. Either way, John’s the man chosen to plant that bomb. He does it. He triggers it. And everything goes so, so much more wrong than anyone thought it would. Spacetime tears. The entire convoy disintegrates in an obscene burst of energy; quarks themselves unraveling, leaving absolutely nothing behind, no remains or salvage - only handfuls of words passed down as cherished relics. And John, who was standing at the center of it all, is frozen into the hyperspace bubble that was supposed to shift the convoy to its destination. He is, somehow, suspended in time, and over a myriad he’s learned to manipulate it.

Did the discovery of necromancy come before or after this cataclysm? Did John invent it in order to semi-revive the planets left blasted and sterile, or was their revival - and the creation of the Beasts - part of the disaster? How much life did they support if they generated such powerful beasts, or is it just that those beasts got away and had lots of time to grow in strength? Why pick John? How much does he remember? How much does Blood of Eden? I want to know. give book!!

#The Locked Tomb #The Locked Tomb spoilers #Gideon the Ninth spoilers #Harrow the Ninth spoilers #no really lots of spoilers don't read if you haven't read them #Gideon the Ninth #Harrow the Ninth #John Gaius #things I made up #words words words #in the grim darkness of the future there are only space lesbians

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mionemymind · 4 years ago

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Chapter 3: The Harsh Treatment

Fake Memories

Series Summary: After Y/n is caught cheating on Wanda with Carol, Y/n would do just about anything to get Wanda back into her life. But was it even Y/n’s fault that she cheated? Or was it the new enemy set on revenge?

Chapter Summary: What will happen to Y/n as the team pushes her past her limits?

A/n: I lied, I decided to be nice and post it now. Honestly, the amount of support that I’m receiving from this fanfic has literally made me smile so much. I really love all of you who read and/or comment. You mean the world to me. Let me know what you think. :) (Not my GIF)

Warnings: Starvation, harmful thoughts, curse words, self-doubt, mentions of blood, injuries, angst

Word Count: 5k

Masterlist

Y/n abruptly woke up at the feeling of pressurized gas coursing through her body. She quickly sat up, unable to see anything in the white fog. The cold feeling only lasted a couple seconds before F.R.I.D.A.Y stated, “Fire has been contained.” Y/n hugged herself for warmth as she waited for the fog to disappear. This was the 13th time this month that she was woken up with pressurized gas. At first, it was foam but someone in maintenance had changed the system after the 5th time she woke up.

Y/n looked at her surroundings and sighed at the damages to her sheets. There were burn marks along with small amounts of frostbite from the gas. “At this rate, I won’t have money for food.” With a grim face, Y/n got up from her bed and proceeded with taking everything off her bed, a routine she unfortunately started to learn.

Y/n didn’t know when things got worse. If she had to guess, maybe it was after the whole fiasco with Wanda. The team had been on edge ever since then. “They probably thought I hurt her,” Y/n thought at the time, but it was far from the truth. She had wanted to explain herself to the team but dismissed those thoughts with, “What’s the point in trying? I’ll always be guilty to them.”

As for Wanda, the still heartbroken girl didn’t dare to speak to the team about that night. Even she didn’t quite know what happened. Since that night, she only lied to herself stating that maybe Y/n had done something. It would probably remove the guilt she had when she thought of the blood running down Y/n’s face. But even the lie couldn’t repress the truth from her thoughts.

After she collected her bedding, she threw it away in the trash can along with the other damaged beddings. Y/n grabbed her wallet off her night stand and opened it. She couldn’t feel it, but her heart dropped at the sight of the lack of money she had. Only a $20 dollar bill as well as a couple ones were left. She closed her eyes and tried her best to keep herself calm, to try and act like the world wasn’t closing in on her. It was a couple minutes later when she opened her eyes and looked at her wallet again. “This was supposed to last me for the rest of the month.” Y/n rubbed her forehead, feeling the overwhelming stress from her lack of funds.

One might ask, “Aren’t you an Avenger? Shouldn’t you make a shit ton of money.” And at one point, Y/n would say yes, she did. But it all came back to that night. A week after, she had overheard a conversation that went…

“I just don’t understand why you’re doing this to her.” Y/n was about to go around the corner, but decided to wait at the sound of Steve’s voice. “It’s simple Rodgers - unless I have to remind you why we needed to redo the glass in the conference room.” Steve sighed at Tony’s simple minded actions. Y/n could practically feel him crossing his arms in a disapproving manner.

“Well she did work fair and hard for her money Tony - this just feels wrong.” Y/n heard a couple clicks before Tony replied with, “This is for Wanda. Anything to get Y/n out of here by her own means is worth it. If you have a problem with this, you must not care as much for Wanda as I thought.” Steve sighed again seeing as he was morally put in an awkward position. It was either care for Y/n or care for Wanda. “That’s what I thought.” Tony left with a smug look on his face as he clicked more on the screen in front of him.

It didn’t take long for Y/n to see the effects of Tony’s decision. Her pay day was the following day and the overwhelming sense of panic and anxiety rose up within her as she only had $400 to survive until the next pay day, which was a month later. Since then, her food portions have been small to say the least. Y/n learned that she only had enough money for the month to eat at least once a day and even that was cutting it. The dramatic changes to her diet had slowly affected her powers but it recently had an exponential increase.

This was her fourth month of hardly eating when her powers started to flare at night. It has gotten to the point that Y/n couldn’t control them in her sleep leading to F.R.I.D.A.Y having to deal with her fireside. But her powers weren’t the only thing that has changed. If anyone were to actually look, they would see that Y/n had gotten skinnier. Her literal glow was getting duller and duller the more time passed.

However, Y/n refused to feel sorry for herself. The sentence “I deserve this” was burned into her head. The brain tricks she puts herself through even allowed her to convince that Tony's decision was right. That Wanda didn’t need to tell the truth to the team. That Steve didn’t need to defend her. And that the team certainly was allowed to make her feel like nothing. Because to Y/n, if she didn’t deserve this, then why would you possibly treat a person like this? Just why?

Of course, Wanda didn’t notice these changes at all. The girl was trying her best to avoid Y/n as much as possible. She always had exit strategies in place in case she were to be in the same vicinity as Y/n. However, Wanda also didn’t notice that lack of Y/n’s presence. Much to her dismay, Y/n’s efforts were the reason they didn’t see each other much.

What Wanda did notice though was the slow and gradual decline of snacks in her cubby. It left her to question whether Natasha was done doing these small favors for her. But her reports were still getting done.

The red head didn’t have much room to think though as she got slammed down on the mat from the other red head. “Take a ten - you’re distracted and we can’t keep going like this.” Wanda grumbled at another failed attempt to flip Natasha over. Hand to hand combat was one of the few subjects that Wanda hated the most. With the help of Natasha, Wanda got up and walked over to the waters on the other side of the room. She was gulping down the remaining when Natasha’s words caught her off guard. “What happened?”

Wanda cocked an eyebrow while still drinking her bottle, needing more elaboration. Natasha faced Wanda while hundreds of thoughts racked her mind. Luckily for her, Wanda had trained her on how to make them quiet enough that Wanda wouldn’t be able to hear. When Natasha found the right words, she said, “I am not doubting you. I am doubting her…” Wanda closed the bottle and looked around the room to avoid Natasha’s eyes. This had been the first time that anyone from the team had remotely even asked her about that night. To be frank, she hadn’t expected Natasha to be the one to break the ice. Usually it was Steve that would act like the team’s counselor. Guess things change.

Wanda sighed and recollected her memory for the night that continued to haunt her. “One minute, I left to get a drink from the bar. - she said that she needed to go to the bathroom. The next minute, I come back to see her all over blondie.” Wanda’s grip on the bottle tightened at the words she was going to say next. “I thought it was a mistake - that she could have been too drunk that night - b-but her thoughts were so - loud.” Wanda slammed her fist at the table in front of her, tears already falling down her cheeks. “A-a-and I saw everything-”

The broken hearted girl didn’t have much energy left in her to continue. She dropped to her knees and sobbed into her hands. Natasha kneeled beside Wanda. She pulled the poor girl into her arms, trying her best to physically comfort her. But nothing could really make Wanda feel better. What could you say to a girl that saw every moment where her girlfriend has cheated on her? Nothing - you say nothing.

“It’s quite pathetic actually,” Tony said as he spun the rod, causing his player to score in foosball. He was currently versing Steve as the two decided to quietly speak about Y/n’s actions for the past couple weeks. Going on the defense again, Steve shot back but Tony was quick to block. “She’s probably just trying to get her money back.” Steve huffed from the sudden slap shot as well as Tony’s rude words.

For the past couple weeks, Y/n had gone from trying to win Wanda back to trying to win the whole team back. The first thing they noticed was all the completed mission reports and the continuation of it. Clint was the first to jokingly comment, “Bruce must really love mission reports.” But the genius bore a confused look before replying with, “It wasn’t me. Even I haven’t had anything to do in my stack for a couple days.” Bruce had a displeasured look on his face. Clint just assumed it was either he wanted to do his stack of reports or the comment was actually true...or maybe both.

When it was time for the meeting, Clint had asked everyone in the room, minus Y/n, on who was completing the mission reports for everyone. “Well, I’m doing Wanda’s and mine,” Natasha claimed as she sat in her usual spot. No one was able to detect her lie, but then again, Natasha was always good at lying.

Clint was quick to figure out that the only person remaining must have been the person responsible. With a straight forward voice, he explained to the team that Y/n had been completing everyones, besides Wanda’s and Natasha’s, reports. Still, Natasha sat there, copying the confused looks on everyone’s faces. She didn’t care to tell them the truth, it wasn’t worth it. However, the meeting proceeded with little comment on Y/n’s actions. She wasn’t worth the mention.

“What if she actually is trying to say sorry to us?” Steve couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty for Y/n, but Tony’s words made the guilt go all away. “Oh - so miss Hydra over here actually wants to apologize - hilarious Steve.” With that, Tony quickly spun the rod and scored the final point, making him win the game. What the two failed to realize was the fact that Y/n had overheard their conversation. She no longer felt hungry for the day and had retreated back to her room, feeling overwhelmingly numb from the confession she heard.

It was a new and different day for Wanda. She had managed to want to try and sit in the common room with her team seeing as sitting in her room no longer gave her the same satisfaction anymore. Scrolling through the tv, she was about to pull up Bewitched when the following words appeared on the screen:

Bewitched is longer provided on Netflix. Please see related tv shows.

“What do you mean it’s no longer available?” Wanda frustratedly questioned. And here she was trying to have a good day. “Sorry kid, I guess Netflix took it off their streaming service,” Clint said as he leaned over the couch. “No why would they do that?!” Wanda said with an exasperated look. Clint simply shrugged, Netflix did have an awful reputation for getting favorites removed or canceled. “No clue, but you could try other shows.” Wanda crossed her arms and huffed at his suggestion. “I was really feeling Bewitched today.” Ruffling her hair, Clint left after saying, “Try to feel for something else.”

However, Wanda had failed to feel anything but angry for the remaining of the day. It wasn’t until she sat in her room for the night, aimlessly finding shows in her room when she noticed Bewitched on her home screen. She quickly clicked on it noticing that all eight seasons are there for her own viewing. Her mood immensely increased for the night as she fell asleep in the middle of season two.

Outside of her room, Y/n had been cleaning up the compound for the night. It was getting harder and harder to clean the kitchen when everything in her wanted to just take a couple of snacks for herself. Her hunger was constantly on her mind as well as the stupid flashes that have sporadically appeared more and more everyday. But she wanted more than anything to prove to the team that she is a good person. Stealing, no matter how minor, was probably the last thing she needed to be labeled as.

When she completed for the night, she returned to her room but paused outside of her door when she heard the Bewitched theme song loudly play in Wanda’s room. A small smile appeared on her face as she walked back into her room and slept on the floor tonight.

“Did it ever occur to you that I love you - like a lot?” The couple were laying in Carol’s room decorated with punk rock posters and pictures of their team. Small plants were placed around the room while Malcolm in the Middle was used as background noise.

“Nah. I haven’t heard you say it in approximately - 10 minutes?” Carol laughed as Y/n glanced at her watch. They laid on their sides as they faced each other, their faces being only inches away. “Well I do.” Carol cupped Y/n’s cheek as she soon grew mesmerized.

There are words to always describe feelings with someone but they all felt overused or incomplete. Because everything felt like this daydream colored borders with warm tones and retro filters as she glanced at Y/n. She felt like she was watching a show that she would never get tired of. Even if the show was in color or black and white, new or old, slow or fast, she would watch just to see her. Just her.

“You do what?” Carol flicked Y/n’s forehead at her response. “Kidding - kidding.” Y/n said as she rubbed her forehead. Carol rolled her eyes and kissed Y/n’s head as she cuddled into her arms, legs tangled within the sheets. “I do love you.” Y/n kissed her hair as she combed it with her hand. “I know,” she whispered, hoping Carol would pick up on the secret reference. Because to Y/n, yeah, she’s worth a whole galaxy.

It was the middle of the night when Steve woke up from a nightmare that shook him from his slumber. Rather than staying in bed to force himself to sleep, he got up and headed to the kitchen for a late night snack.

Heading into the pantry, Steve pursed his lips noticing that Y/n’s cubby had been empty for weeks it seems like. The guilt that was slowly forming inside him kept building and building. Although he knew he could try to do something about it, the loyalty he had to his family - to Wanda. That was something he didn’t want to break.

The relationship with Wanda and Steve was something similar to a father and daughter relationship. Steve had always wanted a kid of his own and Wanda had lost her father. The irony of it all just happened to work for the two. Even though Wanda nor Steve would admit it out loud, they viewed each other as the roles that needed to be filled in their lives. They needed each other regardless of titles.

But then there was Y/n. The troubled girl that made Steve absolutely nervous with how quick her and Wanda seemed to like each other. It absolutely didn’t help Steve’s case when the whole team found out about Y/n’s past. His anxiety had practically skyrocketed. It eventually led to a one on one talk with Wanda about how sometimes we need to protect ourselves before letting people in.

But Y/n was still there. Breaking down Wanda’s walls. So just like any Dad would, Steve watched over. Making sure his girl was always happy and safe. So while Natasha may have refilled Wanda’ cubby and did her reports, Steve had carried Wanda to bed during nights she couldn’t sleep. He made her tea for times that she didn’t want to talk, which was often. He tucked her in at night and cuddled with her when she needed a shoulder to cry on. He was just there.

But so was she. She was there whenever Wanda cried at night. She was there when Wanda would sometimes forget to eat after busying herself all day. She was there to take care of Wanda. She was there when Steve wasn’t. And that meant everything to Steve. So why couldn’t Steve be there for Y/n?

There were a lot of unanswered questions roaming around Steve’s head. Rather than pondering more about them, he walked around the tower, eating a pack of cookies for himself. Just as he was turning the corner, he glanced towards the conference room to see Wanda asleep in front of her reports. However, the more alarming part was the girl that happened to be right in front of Wanda. Steve quickly grew on high alert and observed Y/n’s actions. However, after a couple minutes of harmless actions, Steve forced his shoulders to relax. “She’s just doing reports - calm down,” Steve thought.

But he couldn’t calm down. The guilt had maneuvered it’s way back up to his throat as he actually noticed the pale state of the once bright girl. For someone that had literal fire abilities, she lacked the glow of any raging fire. Feeling nothing but guilt all over, Steve felt compelled to say something - anything. But he froze. He didn’t know what to say.

However, the opportunity soon was lost as Y/n finished everyone’s stack of reports. Steve hid around the corner as Y/n passed him. Hearing a door close was when Steve stepped out of hiding. He glanced towards the direction of Y/n’s room, feeling every need to go to her. But his footsteps led him to Wanda. He picked her up and carried her to her room. Wanda will always be first in Steve’s heart. And nothing could change that.

“We have to stop this treatment Tony.” Steve waltzed into Tony’s lab the very next day. For once, he couldn’t sleep for the remainder of the night. Y/n was all over his mind. The guilt was practically eating him alive.

Tony rolled his eyes at Steve’s dramatic fashion for entrances. “Oh - good morning Tony - how are you - I’m actually pretty good.” Steve rolled his eyes as he stood in front of Tony, a hologram in between the two.

“Cut the crap Tony - I’m being serious.” Steve crossed his arms. This needed to end. “And you think I’m not Rodgers?” Tony was quick to respond, already growing irritated by the conversation.

“This isn’t right - none of this right.” Steve wiped the hologram to finally get a clear view of Tony as he grew frustrated by the second. Tony simply swiped it back, not wanting to deal with the issue. “Well maybe if she just quit - we wouldn’t need to worry about anything. It’s not my fault Fury hired Ms. Hydra - and if he finds out I fired her, he would not allow it at all.”

“But can’t you see that your stupid plan isn’t working? All we’re doing is abusing the girl.” Steve wiped the hologram again but Tony simply walked to a different station and continued his work. Angry with his response, Steve walked around the table and stood beside Tony.

“This needs to end Tony,” Steve said through his gritted teeth. The man was clenching his jaw so hard, it almost looked as if he was going to break his teeth. However, Tony quickly glared at Steve at the mention of his threat.

“Don’t you fucking dare. Can’t you actually see that I’m trying to protect Wanda.” Steve tilted his head at the awful reasoning for his actions. “How is this protecting Wanda? Why are you even trying to protect her?”

Tony slammed his fist into the table, feeling his anger rising by the second. “We - no - I need to protect her Steve!”

“Why Tony? Why?”

“Because I’m the goddamn reason her parents and her country is dead. I’m the reason that everything she ever loved is gone. I’m the reason for her sadness. She, of all people, deserves happiness. And I sure as hell won’t let anyone else hurt her anymore - no more Steve.” Tony didn’t give Steve a chance as he walked out the facility needing a day drink more than ever.

It was lunch time and all Wanda could think about was the need to cook paprikash. She didn’t know when the last time she had actually cooked. And seeing as the majority of the team was on missions, she could actually cook without interruptions or lingering eyes.

Walking into the kitchen, Wanda tied her hair up and started to take out the necessary ingredients for the meal. It was when she was talking the spices out when Vision had appeared out of nowhere, nearly scaring the girl. “Vision!”

Sensing a slight rise in her heart rate and anger, Vision had quickly apologized. “Sorry Wanda.” Wanda shook her head and quickly resumed prepping. “I will try to work on making my presence known. If I may ask, what is it that you’re doing?”

“I’m making paprikash.” Vision’s mind grew curious at the word and quickly searched his database for it. “I see. A traditional Sokovian food.” Wanda didn’t realize it, but she had felt a little annoyed at the synthezoid’s presence. It wasn’t anything he did, but Wanda desperately wanted alone time for herself.

Before she could ask, Vision had said, “Good morning Y/n.” Wanda’s quickly grew wide as she avoided glancing in Y/n’s direction. She hadn’t stayed in the tense position though as Vision announced, “Oh - it seems she had left before saying hi back.”

Feeling ever more frustrated with people’s presence, Wanda was about to ask him to leave but noticed the confusion written all over his face and didn’t hesitate to ask, “What is it Vision?” Vision pursed his lips and contemplated his words. It was visibly obvious to see that he was trying to wrack up what to say. “I think...it’s just…” He sighed knowing that this was going to be a sensitive subject to the witch but knowing everything she's been through, lying was not the best option. “It’s just that Y/n-” Wanda quickly cut Vision off in desperation to know what Y/n had done to Vision. If the girl were to even lay a finger on him, she was sure to deal with it herself. “What did she do? Did she hurt you? I swear-” Seeing her eyes turn red, Vision immediately explained himself. “-No no no. It’s not that, the complete opposite actually.” Wanda’s eyes slowly turned back to normal. When Vision saw that her heart rate was close to normal, he continued. “It’s just that...Y/n’s vitals have been decreasing in a fluctuating matter. Some days it would be a small decrease, but some days it would be a big decrease. Overall, her health has been poor.” Vision looked back at where Y/n once stood. If he hadn’t quickly analyzed her, he wouldn’t have noticed that today’s vitals was record worst. “Although she does have physical injuries, she seems to continue to radiate pain throughout her body even when those injuries have healed. It starts through her head and it spreads like a radio wave through her nervous system. I’ve done my calculations and the leading cause could be migraines...” Vision soon was in deep thought, trying to recalculate just to make sure what he was about to say was correct. “...but it doesn’t make sense.”

Wanda tilted her head. Processing this information was hard seeing as at her darkest moments, she wanted nothing but Y/n to be hurt. She deserved it for all the pain she caused her to go through. But hearing it now? That was a different story. It was like an internal conflict was going through her. Should she even care about Y/n’s health? “What doesn’t make sense?” Vision looked hard into Wanda’s eyes as he said, “Migraines shouldn’t cause her heart to stop multiple times.”

Wanda stared at Vision, processing the information that the love of her life is practically dying. “A-are you sure?” Vision slowly nodded. “However, after some calculations, I do believe she will be okay. She only needs a good source of food for her healing regeneration to fully heal this.” Wanda relaxed at Vision’s words. Although she has been through immense pain through these past couple months, having Y/n gone from her life like that would hurt more than anything.

Before Vision could continue his explanation, F.R.I.D.A.Y stated, “Emergency alert. All available Avengers please head to the quinjet per the request of Mr. Stark and Mr. Rogers.” Quickly, the two headed to the plane as the important part of Vision’s explanation was missed. Little did Wanda know, Y/n would not heal any time soon.

The trio arrived on the quinjet and wasted no time trying to figure out the mission that was ahead of them. There was a serious feel in the atmosphere sensing that this had to be bad. There was no way that it couldn’t have been. Because if it wasn’t, they certainly wouldn’t have invited Y/n to this mission.

Lately, the girl has been assigned to only solo missions. Y/n couldn’t quite remember the last time that she was on a mission with any team member nevermind the fact with the whole team.

“Backup is needed immediately after touch down. Vision and Wanda, meet up with Steve and Sam at the Northeast corridor. Y/n, you are assigned to the entrance,” Tony stated through the intercom.

The feeling in Y/n’s stomach worsened. Not only was she hungry and sleep deprived, she didn’t also have a partner with her. It also didn’t help the fact that the flashes have gotten worse. Y/n couldn’t help but pray for a miracle. After all, they were dealing with the very people Y/n hated - Hydra.

Y/n couldn’t quite tell when things on the mission got to shit. Maybe it was the fact that as soon as they touched down and went to their assigned positions, Y/n received a massive swarm of Hydra agents. It didn’t help that her health regeneration was not at its peak or these agents actually were decently trained. Or was it during the third wave, that was currently happening, where Y/n tested the limits of her body.

Seeing the onslaught of agents coming her way, Y/n decided it was time to test out her new ability. She rapidly swung her right arm, building momentum as the fire within her right side blazed. As soon as the enemies were close, she released a fire tornado in their path. It had managed to take out at least half of the wave, but more and more kept coming.

Pressing her comms, Y/n said, “Can someone send back up my way?! There’s too many for me to handle.” Y/n kicked back the agent that was about to stab her in the back, but was too distracted to the point a different agent was able to cut her leg. “Fuck.”

Y/n quickly released an ice wall that at first glance, appeared to be the same height as the Great Wall of China. She hoped the barrier would give her enough time for her backup to appear. Focusing all her energy on her fireside, Y/n aimed at any agent near her, using her arm as a flamethrower.

However, worry immediately grew when no one had responded to her call within a couple minutes. Before she could request again, Nat had spoken bitterly in the comms, “On my way.” Sighing in relief, Y/n continued to fight off the agents the best she could.

But no matter how hard she tried to buy herself time, it seemed that Natasha was taking forever to come. It had gotten to the point that multiple lashes already appeared. Her healing regeneration couldn’t keep up at all. Not only that, but her body was either giving up from exhaustion or blood loss. It was only during the last couple agents when Natasha had shown up and quickly killed the remainder.

Y/n glanced at the assassin and noticed the lack of any injuries on her and it was as if she barely broke a sweat. “What happened? I almost got killed.”

Natasha glared at Y/n as she responded with, “I helped Bucky and Rhodey on the way, they needed it.” Y/n swallowed the lump in her throat knowing the redhead in front of her had practically lied. If backup was needed, it was always voiced through comms.

Even if Y/n had wanted to confront Natasha about it, she couldn’t. Natasha had already left to head to the quinjet. Y/n simply limped a couple feet from her. When Y/n arrived, it seemed that everyone else was already prepared for take off. Feeling ever more guilty, Y/n simply sat at the closet seat to the entrance that was away from the team. But something inside her broke even more noticing the lack of any questions or concerns from the team in regards to her injuries.

Not even bothering to buckle up, Y/n sulked in her thoughts when she realized, “Why doesn’t anyone care about me?”

Tag List: @halobaby @arelyitsherec8 @blackxwidowsxwife @cristin-rjd @madamevirgo @trikruismybitch @paradiselost916 @mmmmokdok @morbid-gaymer @dailyavengering @itsnottilly @helloalycia @randomshyperson @tomy5girls @daenerys713 @ensorcellme @lezzzbehonesthere @imagine-reblog @sighsam

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda x reader #fake memories

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living-in-the-pokemon-world · 3 years ago

Note

If it's okay I live a Pokemon match up from you!

I don't imagine myself entering competition or battles, just living a domestic life with my Pokemon.

The area I live in straddles between a city and a wildlife covered in golden hillsides, the place is dry and droughts are always a risk. Meaning whenever it rain it's considered a big event.

All the same were only a few miles from the coast.

I'm a quite person who likes going online, reading books, and writing.

I'm also a bit of a craftsman and love to make things. Sewing, drawing, and cooking are favorite hobbies.

I'm a bit of a slob and lazy, prone to depression and lethargy. But I put out an effort to things that are important to me.

I'm studying for most of the year but can spend a good amount of time with my Pokemon. Generally outdoors to walk and explore.

I'm at a point in my life were I transition from one place to another. Hope to find a Pokemon who's okay with traveling and moving once a year from a place with just one resident to full house and doing the cycle over again.

Anyway thanks for answering!

This was another one that I had to think about. At first, I was debating between Fire-types or Water-types but, in the end, I actually wound up picking a Grass-type that I think would do very well living with you: meet Maractus!

No need to worry about these little guys if a drought occurs, generations of desert-dwelling have made it so that Maractus are able to, essentially, internally store and ration the water they take in, meaning that they can go long periods between drinks, which makes them quite well-suited to more arid environments where rainfall is scarce.

Maractus are about as low-maintenance as you can get, making them great companions for students and other busy individuals. Their grooming needs are pretty much non-existent, though you may need to keep an eye on them after heavy rainfalls in case they've managed to somehow take in too much water, which is rare but can be quite serious if left untreated.

There are two ways that Maractus obtain the nutrients they require: they will bask in the sun in order to photosynthesize, and they will also root themselves into the ground and obtain nutrients that way.

Maractus are pretty easy-going Pokémon, but every Pokémon has their limits and, in Maractus' case, surpassing those limits can end up with you taking a few spikes to the face. Luckily, Maractus will typically give warnings when they're reaching their limit by shaking their bodies to create a upbeat, maraca-like sound (it is worth noting, however, that they will also do this when they are enjoying themselves, especially if there is already music playing) It is also worth noting that their (fairly pointy) spikes contain a mild toxin, so care should be taken whenever handling your Maractus.

#pokemon headcanons #pokemon ask blog #pokemon askblog #pokemon #maractus #pokemon matchup #pokemon match up #match up monday

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sulphuryasecretcloset · 4 years ago

Text

What if...? Part 6

Again, this one goes out to you beautiful enablers! You who comment, reblog and are along for this journey through AU land! I see you, I appreciate you and you make my day :D

So, uh, a quick question: Which do you, read readers, prefer; either one giant part 7 or more regular sized part 7 + a part 8... What’s your vote?

What if Dulsissia hadn’t died, what if she had grabbed Corin and fled? What if she met Davarax? What if…

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

“I want you to train me. Teach me how to fight.” Dulsissia blurts it out as she settles herself down next to where Davarax is sitting on the floor with his blaster meticulously laid out in pieces on a blanket in front of him to do maintenance on the different parts.

Davarax freezes for several seconds and then he cautiously puts the pieces he was holding down and he looks over at her. “I, uh, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” Dulsissia frowns. He doesn’t think she can handle it?

“I’m sure we can ask Decco to train you.” Davarax offers.

“Bee-cause you don’t want to.” Dulsissia draws out the word, not entirely sure whether to be hurt or offended, but right now she’s leaning towards both.

Davarax lifts a placating hand, sighing. “It’s not that I don’t want to. I just… I don’t think it would be a good idea.”

Had it been any other man, Dulsissia would have gone on a rant by now, but she knows Davarax wouldn’t say no if he didn’t have a good reason. “Would you mind telling why not?”

His hand slowly sinks down again and he makes a couple of efforts at starting a sentence, but in the end; Davarax’ shoulders sag slightly with defeat. “It’s just… not.”

“Why not.” She insists. Fine, Dulsissia can ask Decco, but she will at least know why the most skilled fighter in the Covert refuses to train her. He’d even called her Mandokarla once. “You don’t think I’m Mandokarla any more?”

When had she broken his faith in her? When she’d panicked over that storm trooper? Was that it? Mandalorians aren’t allowed to show fear?

“You are!” Davarax blurts out. “You definitely are. Mandokarla. You are.” He then sighs again and gestures faintly towards himself. “It’s me, okay? I’m the problem.”

“You?” She narrows her eyes suspiciously. How can he be the problem? He’s their best fighter.

“I’m too…” Davarax searches for the right word. “...invested.” He finishes, somewhat lamely, and his hand just drops to his lap.

Dulsissia snorts. “You’re training my son, your own kids, but you can’t train me?”

“You’re different.” Davarax mumbles, sounding awkward.

“Nonsense.” Dulsissia inches closer. “I want to learn and I want to learn from the best. Please? I’ll be a good girl and do everything the teacher says.”

Davarax makes an odd sound deep in his throat.

“I know you are busy and you’ve already helped me so much and it is incredibly selfish of me to put another burden on your shoulders,” Dulsissia confesses, feeling the taste of shame again, “but I trust you. And… I like spending time with you. No offense to Decco, she has been wonderful, but she’s not exactly… cheerful. Or especially fond of conversing. She threatened to glue my mouth shut yesterday and I honestly think she wasn’t joking.”

Davarax chuckles, sounding both resigned and fondly amused. “She wasn’t.” Then he hangs his helmet low for a moment or two before sighing yet again and looking over at Dulsissia. “Okay.”

Letting out a low squeal of delight, Dulsissia bumps her shoulder against his. “Thank you! You won’t regret this.”

Davarax makes a sound as if he’s not entirely convinced about that before he picks up the blaster pieces again and continues his work. “Tomorrow. Thirty minutes before I teach the kids.”

“Thirty minutes?” The man pushes the children far harder than that. “That’s it?”

“One, it’s your first lesson. We’ll be going over basics. Two,” Davarax’ t-visor turns to look at her, “I thought you were going to do what the teacher told you to do?”

Dulsissia puts on her sweetest smile and nods. “Thirty minutes. Before the kids. Yes, sir!”

Davarax sighs, how many times is that now in such a short while, and turns back to his blaster.

She meets up a little early, eager and wearing her finest skirt, ready to impress and become the best student Davarax has ever had. Dulsissia straightens her spine and gives him a bright smile when Davarax enters the training room.

He comes to a halt when he sees her, then clears his throat and continues to walk over to her. “You’re early. Good.”

Dulsissia tilts her head, still smiling. “Ready for training. As you can see.”

Davarax makes a non-committing hum.

She can’t keep it up any longer. Dulsissia reaches down, undoes the two buttons and lets her skirt fall to the floor to reveal the far more practical pants she’s wearing underneath. “Ha! Got you!”

He does the Davaraxian huff of a laugh and rewards her with a faint nod. “Funny. Very funny.”

Stepping out of the skirt before picking it up to fold it, Dulsissia rubs her successful prank in with a smug cackle. “I can’t believe you weren’t going to say anything. You’re so sweet.”

“I can’t believe that you don’t think I won’t get back at you for calling me out on it.” Davarax replies, crossing his arms and tilting his helmet in a challenging way.

Dulsissia grins, puts the folded skirt by the wall and trots over to stand in front of him without a hint of fear. “Whatever you got, my good Lord Davarax, I can take it.”

Davarax just looks down at her, breathes, and for some reason; Dulsissia’s heart does a flip.

Then the Mandalorian suddenly unfolds his arms, clears his throat and steps away to take up a position she’s seen the children start the day with.

“We’ll start with the basics. Just the basics. It’s going to be harder for you than the children because you’ve grown accustomed to your body in a way they haven’t had the time to yet, and you’re going to have to unlearn a bit of that plus replace some old reflexes with new ones.” Davarax says.

Dulsissia forces herself to focus and tries to copy the stance. “I’m ready to sweat. Show me.”

Davarax glances over at her, she can feel his gaze slide over her, then he nods.

Yeah, okay, Dulsissia is starting to understand why he’d been hesitant to agree to teach her. He’s an excellent teacher, explains things so well, but she’d failed to take into consideration how every single touch of his hands on her, despite the gloves, despite the layer of clothing, results in flares of heat, moments of complete distraction and a flush to her face that has nothing to do with the strain of the exercises.

She had complained about thirty minutes not being long enough, but after twenty five of them; Dulsissia resolutely sits down and lets out a loud, unladylike groan at the ceiling. Who could have known copying moves that Davarax makes seem easy would be this hard? And while Dulsissia had not considered herself to be out of shape, this has left her completely exhausted.

“Still five minutes left.” Davarax points out, standing next to her, sounding smug.

Dulsissia decides to wipe that smugness off his face. Fast as lightning, she flings herself over and grabs a hold of his lower leg with both of her hands, aiming to bring him down to her level, and she yanks with all of her might.

Nothing. It’s like trying to pull at an AT-AT. And Davarax just looks down at her.

Groaning, Dulsissia lets go and flops over to lie on her back. “It was worth a shot.”

Laughing, a low, warm sound, Davarax eases himself down to sit next to her. “It was cute.”

Cute? Dulsissia glares over at him. And before he realizes his mistake, she launches herself at him, climbs into his lap and shoves at his shoulders. Maybe she couldn’t topple him over on his feet, but surely she can knock him over like this?

No.

She’s not entirely sure how he does it, he moves too fast, he’s too strong, but suddenly she’s on her back on the floor and he’s hovering over her. His hands are pinning her wrists to the floor and a quick tug tells her she has absolutely no chance of getting loose. Dulsissia grins. “Also worth a shot.”

Davarax hums, deliberately not to touching her with anything but his grip on her wrists. “Be careful with your shots, Dulcy. You don’t want to end up like this with the enemy.”

Her face burns. She’s suddenly so very aware of him. “It doesn’t feel all that bad, to be honest.”

It feels like all of the oxygen in the room abruptly disappears, gravity gives up and the temperature sky-rockets. Neither of them move. The tension keeps growing and then…

Davarax looks over at the door and scrambles away from her half a second before the children come stomping into the room, chattering and eagerly anticipating today’s lesson.

Dulsissia closes her eyes and let out a long exhale, just as she hears;

“Mom…?”

It’s Din’s birthday. Dulsissia had overheard it by accident when Din had been talking to her son and he’d mentioned how he was counting down the years to when he would finally be allowed to put on the helmet.

She’d asked when he was having his birthday celebration so she could get a present for her son to give him and felt no small amount of horror when Din said there wasn’t going to be one. His parents had said there was no point so he assumed that meant no celebration.

Well, he was wrong about that.

As Din is more comfortable there, she arranges the birthday celebration in her and Corin’s room and invites the rest of Davarax’ children, plus the man himself. It’s a small thing, compared to the parties she used to throw, but it is a huge deal to Din. He shies a bit away from being the centre of attention, but with Davarax and Corin both encouraging him; Din ends up actually enjoying it a little.

And it is all worth it when a red-faced and awkward Din gives Dulsissia by his own free will a quick hug at the end of the day.

Dulsissia then has to hide a smile when Paz ‘innocently’ mentions how he has his birthday exactly one standard week after Din’s while they are seated at the table and devouring the sweets she’s made. (She’s getting pretty good at this baking thing. The fighting? Less so, but she’s improving.)

Paz’ father has a big celebration for his day, but while Dulsissia mostly observes it from the outside, she can’t help but to notice how, while it is in his name, very little is focused on Paz himself. It’s mostly about his father, adult food and strong spirits. Not much for a twelve year old to enjoy.

So she throws him a party in her quarters with the other children and their teacher like she’d done for Din. And Dulsissia feels her heart break yet again when, at the end of the day, Paz hugs her so tight he almost squeezes the air out of her.

Standing next to her, Davarax sighs as he watches Paz leave with the other kids in tow. “I didn’t really celebrate my own birthday much so I never thought about theirs. I let them down.”

“From what I’ve seen,” Dulsissia replies with a bittersweet feeling, “you are the only person in this place who hasn’t let them down.”

Davarax shakes his head. “Not entirely true, but thank you.”

She turns to face him, places her hand on the breastplate where she’d feel his heart if not for the armor. “You took them under your wings when everyone had given up on them. You didn’t just give them the abilities to survive that they are going to need, but your attention and kindness as well. You are those children’s entire world. And I don’t think they could have chosen a better man.”

Davarax reaches up and covers her hand with his. “Dulcy… Do you know what a kov’nyn is?”

She shakes her head. Her heart is going faster and faster.

“Find out.”

“How?”

Davarax does his trademark huff-laughter. “You’re a clever girl. You can do it.” He then lets go, says his goodbye to Corin, who sits on the bed and watches them with a far-too-knowing grin on his face, and gives a final bow to Dulsissia before leaving as well.

Flustered and a little breathless, Dulsissia walks over to clean up the last traces of the dinner.

“Mom.” Corin says.

“Mmh?” She replies, wondering if she can ask Decco what a kov’nyn is or maybe just try to find some sort of dictionary so she won’t have to trouble her all the time.

“Can we ask Din to stay here with us?”

Dulsissia gathers up the plates. “Baby, I don’t think Din’s parents would like that.” Unfortunately.

“He says they wouldn’t mind.” Corin replies. “Also, when you and Davarax become girlfriend and boyfriend, can I call him ‘dad’?”

Dulsissia straightens with a jolt and her face flares up so badly it hurts. “Go brush your teeth, baby.”

“But-”

“Go brush your teeth!”

The Tribe doesn’t have an abundance of datapads or old fashioned books. Most of their teachings are done verbally, but Decco is kind enough to ask around and two days later, a Mandalorian in an orange armor agrees to borrow Dulsissia something similar to a dictionary.

Too curious to wait until she is back in her room where Corin is getting ready for bed while she rushed out to get the book, Dulsissia stops in the middle of a hallway to look up the word. She’s dying to know what Davarax had hinted at, what he was trying to tell her and wanted her to know.

Turning the pages, Dulsissia finally finds the word. ‘Kov’nyn’! There it is!

A headbutt.

Dulsissia blinks. What? Excuse…? She vividly remembers the sight and not to mention the sound of Davarax headbutting that poor Mandalorian during his training and her eyes widen with startled surprise. What?! Was he going to do that to her during their next training? Oh, nonono, no way.

Just as she’s about to slam the book shut and declare that Davarax had been right; Decco might be a better teacher after all, Dulsissia almost accidentally reads more of the text.

Or: A kiss between couples when wearing armor.

Now she does slam the book shut and she’s finding it a bit hard to catch her breath.

Oh.

“I heard you were looking for a book on Mando’a.” A voice says behind her.

Making a startled sound, clutching the book close, Dulsissia spins around and is even more startled when she sees the golden armor and fur cloak.

It’s her. The leader.

“Yes. I, uhm,” Dulsissia awkwardly pushes a lock of her hair behind her ear, “I thought it was about time I learned a little more about… Mando’a. You have all been so kind to me.”

The leader looks at her and her body language is as impossible to read as her facial expression hidden by her helmet.

Dulsissia tries to smile.

“I also hear your son is making good progress in his training.”

Nodding, Dulsissia tries to hide how nervous she’s feeling.

“On his travels, Davarax has brought back many Foundlings. That is his Way and that is The Way.” The leader says. “But he has never brought back an outsider.”

Dulsissia loses the smile and she feels her shoulders sagging a little under the heavy weight of shame. “He… He was kind enough to save me from some horrible men.”

“Mmh.” Is the flat reply. “Are you going to take the Creed?”

Surprised, Dulsissia struggles to find the right answer. She’s been so busy trying to deal with the present that she hasn’t really planned her future. “I… I don’t know.”

That does not seem to impress the leader of the Mandalorians. “Then find your Way. Before you ruin his.”

Watching the Mandalorian walk away, Dulsissia isn’t entirely sure how she feels about this conversation. She’s getting the distinct feeling that this was a message for her to stay away from Davarax, but why? Surely the leader of a warrior tribe does not care about the love life of one of her soldiers? And what gives her the right? Rude.

Frowning, Dulsissia starts walking back to her room while the thoughts keep churning in her brain.

She doesn’t know what she’s going to do, not even when she walks over to Davarax’ door instead of her own and finds herself knocking on it. Dulsissia waits until he opens the door, says her name in a slightly confused tone, and then… she drops the book, reaches up with both hands to take a hold of the top of his breastplate and promptly pulls him down to thump her forehead to his helmet.

Ow.

Letting go, Dulsissia takes a step back and rubs her forehead. One eye closed, she stares at him in confusion. “I think you people got kissing a bit wrong. It’s not supposed to hurt, you know?”

Stunned, Davarax finally straightens back up and reaches out a hand to take a hold of her upper arm in case she falls over. “I don’t… That’s not how…” The Davaraxian laughter huff appears before he urges her to take the step back to him. “Can I show you?”

Dulsissia moves closer to him willingly enough, but she keeps rubbing her forehead and hesitates. “I’m not sure if I want another concussion.” Maybe she isn’t Mandokarla after all? She prefers softer things than headbutts from her date.

“Trust me?” Davarax asks in a quiet tone.

Sighing, Dulsissia lowers her arm. “Fine. But if I am knocked unconscious, you’re in charge of making breakfast to Corin tomorrow as an apology.”

“Deal.” Davarax murmurs, but in an absent way. His hands are already sliding up to cup her face and she shivers at the memory of them without gloves. “Close your eyes, Dulcy.”

Swallowing hard, she does. Suddenly she doesn’t care if he headbutts her into tomorrow as long as he doesn’t take his hands off her or stop talking.

“It’s mean to be gentle…” Davarax says, so soft and smooth, his hands tilting her head backwards, just a little, but enough so her body automatically arches against his. “It’s meant to be warm…” One hand moves to cup the back of her head, the other slides down to her lower back. “It’s longing…” Smooth beskar gently meets her now very warm skin and he eases her body close, so very close, until she’s firmly up against him with a very strong arm around her waist. “and it’s giving.” He tightens his grip around her.

Reaching up, Dulsissia’s fingers dig into the fabric on his upper arms, desperate to hold on to something so she doesn’t just swoon in his arms like a bad theatre actress.

Davarax lets out a soft exhale, it’s sounds almost like relief, and she can feel the muscles in his arm tightening a little more, his hand cupping her head and holding her there, as if she still isn’t close enough for him.

Time stands still. All she feels is heat, him and her own frantic pulse.

Breathless, far too warm for any decent explanation, Dulsissia reluctantly opens her eyes when he pulls away and shivers with disappointment when he lets go of everything but her hand.

“That’s what it’s meant to be like.” Davarax says.

“Oh.” Dulsissia manages. Okay, maybe everyone else had something to learn from Mandalorians.

It takes a visible effort for Davarax to make himself let go of her hand, for a second she can see the twitch in his shoulders when he stops himself from pulling her close again, but he lets go and now he is the one to take a step away. “Good night, Dulcy.”

“Good night.” She whispers, and it takes a visible effort for her to turn around, pick up the book with numb fingers and go over to her own room.

Stupid Mandalorians and their stupid headbutt kissing! Now Dulsissia can’t even look over at Davarax without feeling her face burn or be near him without having her heart to backflips all around her ribcage. This is making her life very frustrating!

And her only comfort is suspecting that Davarax isn’t faring much better either. Judging from how he walked into that table yesterday when she stretched out.

The training? Oh, it’s the sweetest torture ever.

She’s on her way to pick up Corin at Din’s room when a familiar piercing way of screaming catches her attention and Dulsissia doesn’t hesitate to run towards the sound.

Inside what looks to be school room with several pillows on the floor placed around a larger one. A group of scared children are huddled together in one corner while a Mandalorian who looks to be the teacher is restraining a fully feral Raga, with one big hand gripping her arm and the other hand is locked around her neck and preventing her from moving her head.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Dulsissia shouts, stalking in and shoving the Mandalorian away.

Once again surprise is on her side and the Mandalorian stumbles away, releasing the little girl and Dulsissia does not hesitate to crouch down and wrap her arms protectively around the flailing child. Pain flares when sharp teeth dig into Dulsissia’s arm and latch on.

“She’s completely feral!” The teacher shouts, pointing at Raga. “I’ve taught children, youngsters and foundlings alike, for decades and I’ve never met a child that feral! She’s hopeless!”

“What do you expect when you restrain her like a rancor? I’d bite you too!” Dulsissia shouts back at him. She gets up, hoists Raga in her arms, ignores the pain of the teeth still digging into her and marches out of the room with her.

She’s halfway to her quarters, Raga still hasn’t let go but at least she has stopped flailing and screaming and is just quietly twitching so that’s something, when a Mandalorian comes trotting with Davarax on his tail. They both come to a halt when they see Dulsissia carrying Raga.

“I was just coming to…” Davarax points helplessly in the direction of the classroom. “They said she…” He sighs at the sight and reaches out towards Dulsissia’s arm. “Here, I’ll try to-”

“No.” Dulsissia snaps, turning away to shield her arm and Raga from him. “I got her. I’m taking her to my room. You go tell Corin, he’s with Din, that I’m going to be late, and then you go get us Paz.”

Davarax seems a little surprised, but eventually he gives a nod and Dulsissia continues her march back to her room, giving a quick couple of pets to Raga’s back as she’s still twitching.

Once they are inside in the safety of her and Corin’s room, Dulsissia walks over to sit down on the bed. Raga is a bit larger than Corin, her thin frame doesn’t make her much heavier, but she’s taller and it takes a little arranging of her skinny legs and arms. Once they are settled, Dulsissia continues to run her hand up and down Raga’s back and just waits.

To her surprise, Raga lets go of her arm. And a few seconds after that, the girl quietly mumbles; “M’ sorry…”

Smiling, Dulsissia continues to stroke her back. “It’s okay, baby. I know you didn’t mean to.”

“He said I had to sit in the corner because I threw some thing at him.” Raga mumbles. “But I didn’t. It wasn’t me!” She starts to get agitated again. “I told him it wasn’t me and he said he was going to tell my parents I was a liar and have them punish me!”

Forcing her own anger away, Dulsissia strokes the girl’s back again. “I’m sorry he did that to you, sweetie. I’m sorry he didn’t believe you. That was wrong of him.”

“It wasn’t me…” Raga whispers.

“I believe you.” Dulsissia reassures her. And for the next ten minutes, she just holds her close, strokes her back and pets her hair. And anger quietly simmers inside.

Finally Davarax arrives and in his footsteps, Paz follows. He instantly darts by his teacher at the sight of Raga and the girl doesn’t hesitate to twist around to reach out to him.

Dulsissia gets up from the bed and watches Paz take her seat, pulling Raga close and lets her curl up on his lap. She almost disappears in his embrace. That boy is going to end up a giant if he doesn’t stop growing soon and yet he treats his friend with such mesmerizing gentleness.

“Your arm…” Davarax asks quietly, looking over.

“It’s fine.” Dulsissia replies. It aches like crazy and there will definitely be bruising, but that is not what is important right now. She looks over at him. “They called her a liar. They were holding her down like a rabid loth-cat. And they are surprised she bites?”

Davarax shakes his head. “I know…” He sounds pained and resigned. “The four of them are marked as troublemakers. If something goes wrong, if something could have gone wrong, they’re always blamed. And I can’t stop it.”

Dulsissia’s eyes narrow. “Stay here with the kids.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have to talk to someone.”

Dulsissia raps on the door with urgent haste and this time she doesn’t wait for the drowsy Mandalorian to speak before she asks; “Is he in?”

He is.

She knocks and then barges in to the room, startling Barthor into a defensive stance. Dulsissia ignores the tiny fists. “What I’m about to ask you can never be repeated. Do you understand?”

Barthor stares at her, slowly lowering his fists. “What?”

Dulsissia stalks closer and he backs up a step so she crouches down for them to be the same height. “I need you to do something for me and no one can ever find out.”

Barthor’s dark eyes slide from side to side, as if checking for hidden cameras. “Do… what?”

“I want you to make me a stink bomb.”

Snorting a laugh, Barthor shakes his head and walks over to sit on his bed. “I don’t know how to-”

“You know.” Dulsissia interrupts him. “Will you make me one?”

Barthor frowns, now suspicious. “Why? What are you going to do with it?”

Dulsissia raises an eyebrow. “I want to place it in the room belonging to man who teaches Raga’s class.”

That seems to make Barthor even more suspicious. “Why?”

“Because he’s a bully to Raga.”

Something flickers in Barthor’s eyes. “He was mean to Raga again?”

Again. The word hurts Dulsissia’s soul. If that man had been mean to her son, he wouldn’t have had the chance to do it ‘again’. She nods.

Barthor stares down at that floor for a little while, then he jumps to his feet and sighs. “Okay, give me ten minutes.”

It takes him eight to finish it. But he insists on joining her when she goes to plant the contraption.

“You might do it wrong.” Barthor informs her, gingerly easing it into a small bag.

Dulsissia rolls her eyes but follows him when he marches off towards their unsuspecting victim.

Once there, it’s clear it won’t be as easy as they hoped. The man is in his room.

“You distract him, I’ll plant it.” Barthor declares.

Dulsissia nods. “Be careful.”

Barthor smirks. And they go to work.

Knocking on the door, Dulsissia waits for the man to open it and then begins lecturing him on all the wrong ways to handle a sensitive child, not letting the man get a word in, and she barely catches the shadow of little Barthor sneaking by them and into the room.

She keeps her rant going, the man is too surprised and startled to do much than come with feeble objections, and the second Dulsissia sees the shadow sneak out by the man’s legs again, she finishes her speech.

“Good day to you, sir!”

Marching down the hallway, she rounds a corner and finds Barthor there. He looks up at her with a hint of respect.

“Not bad.” He says with grudging respect.

“You too.” Dulsissia replies, reaching out a hand and shakes his when he takes it. “But remember, no one can know.”

Barthor grins. “Don’t worry. No one is going to be able to to prove anything.” “Good.”

When the stink spreads in the man’s room, Dulsissia and Barthor has picked up Corin, and somehow Din ends up tagging along, and they are all safely in Dulsissia and Corin’s room, along with Paz, Raga and Davarax. Eating cookies.

And Barthor was right; nobody is ever able to prove who was behind it.

“Mom, are you sure we can’t ask Din to stay here?” Corin asks one morning.

Sighing, Dulsissia looks over at her sweet son. “I told you, baby. I don’t think his parents will like that. Is there something wrong? Is that why you keep asking?”

Corin, sitting on her bed, shrugs and looks down. “He doesn’t like it there.”

Clearly, as the child spends most of his time with them rather than his parents, but Dulsissia isn’t sure how Mandalorian adoption works. She’s fairly certain it would be frowned upon if she just started hoarding children from them. Otherwise, she would probably have had bunk beds and five children in this room. “I’m sorry to hear that, Corin. Has he tried to talk to his parents?”

Corin shakes his head. “He doesn’t like talking to them.”

Dulsissia has a sneaking suspicion that Din doesn’t like much, except Davarax and her son. At least he has excellent taste. “Do you think he’d like me to talk to them?”

Corin shakes his head again. “He won’t like it if he knew I’d told you.”

Figures. Dulsissia sighs. “Then I don’t know what we can do, baby. They are his parents. We are guests here.”

“Well,” Corin looks over at her, “at least he can come and visit as much as he likes?”

“Absolutely.” Dulsissia confirms. “And I’ll ask if he can stay over some time. Would that help?”

Her beautiful boy lights up with delight. “Really? You’re the best, mom!”

“Remember you said that when I tell you to clean up your toys.” Dulsissia declares.

Corin laughs.

It’s such a wonderful sound. He never used to laugh. He’s always been such a silent child, like Din, but the longer they have stayed here at the Covert; the more Corin has come out of his shell.

He no longer cowers behind her leg when they are in the common room with the other Mandalorians. He still flinches when someone raises their voice, but at least he doesn’t go pale and look like he’s about to pass out. He has friends. And there is a father figure whom Corin greets with joy and looks forward to spending time with, unlike his biological father.

Losing her dresses and servants is a price she’s more than willing to pay to see her son this happy.

There is just thing that could ruin everything. And considering it’s not just harmless flirting any more, Dulsissia decides it is time to tell Davarax.

She asks Decco to look after her son, which she grudgingly agrees to despite meaning the boy is old enough to look after himself, and then Dulsissia asks Davarax to meet her in Din’s hiding space.

“Well,” Davarax say as he steps over a piece of engine and barely manages to make his way over to where she’s sitting on a sofa pillow without falling or knocking himself unconscious against some metal part sticking out amidst the debris they are surrounded by, “this is romantic.”

“Sorry.” Dulsissia says, too nervous to be amused by the graceless way he tumbles down on the pillow next to hers. “I just wanted us to be able to talk in private.”

The tone of her voice makes him sit up and pay attention. “What’s wrong?”

“I want to tell you something.” Dulsissia says, sighing. “And I’m not sure how you’re going to react.”

“You can tell me anything.”

Oh, how she hopes that is true. Dulsissia takes a deep breath, looks down at her own hands as she wrings them nervously in her lap. She smiles a little when his hand moves over to cover them and stops her from hurting herself. Okay. Here goes. “I told you my name is Dulcy.”

“Yes?”

“It’s not.” She glances over at him. “Well, it kind of is. It used to be my nickname. My name is Dulsissia.”

Davarax gives a faint shrug. “Okay?”

“Dulsissia Motti. The man looking for me, his name is Macero Valentis. He is Corin’s father.” Dulsissia braces herself, turns her gaze down to his gloved hand over both of hers and dreads the moment it will withdraw.

Davarax’ voice is carefully neutral. “If you’re a Motti, surely your family will help you get rid of Valentis?”

Dulsissia’s smile is bitter and it hurts. “No. I stupidly defied them to marry him and I’ve been told that I have to lie in the bed I made.”

Davarax hesitates. “Would you like to go back your family?”

Looking over at the man by her side, unable to stop the tears from welling up in her eyes, Dulsissia shakes her head. “No. And they’re not my family. They don’t know what the words means.”

Davarax’ hand withdraws from hers, but only so he can gently cup the side of her face. “Mottis and Valentis, they don’t scare me if that’s what you were worried about.”

“Kind of.” Dulsissia admits, a tear slipping from her eye. “I have seen the destruction they can cause. I don’t want to bring it here.”

“We’re Mandalorians.” Davarax says, a slight grin in his voice. “We thrive on battle. It’s in our blood. And they would find us a lot more dangerous than any other opponent they’ve been up against in the past.” His thumb caresses her skin, wiping away her tear, and his voice softens. “They don’t matter. They’re in the past. You are here now. You’re Dulcy. And Corin is safe. You both are.”

It might not be Mandokarla, but Dulsissia doesn’t care; she leans over and he wraps his arms around her.

“As long as I breathe,” Davarax mumbles, holding her close, “you and Corin will always be safe.”

#the mandalorian his son and the storm trooper #Dulsissia Motti #Davarax #Baby Corin #Fearsome Four #Mandorin AU #What if

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