#Types of skin diseases

[light-wrath-paradise]

Me when I make a character who's supposed to feel dangerous and set off the alarm bells in your brain and yet again make them tall, very lanky, wiry and bony with protruding bones, and give them blond/white (usually long) hair and themes of nature/flowers:

[iamthepulta]

I just finished reading the TB post in full, and its not WRONG but also sends the wrong message that TB wasn't cut down in the 50s by penicillin. Hart did quite a bit, but there is no real "cure" for TB except actually killing the TB bacterium.

You can send the TB bacterium into stasis through rest and strengthening the immune system, but that's not an actual cure because the bacterium can reawaken at any time when the immune system is no longer able to keep it in check.

I'm also violently against "it's just because rich countries won't help". NO. England!! has a TB problem!!!! Identifying TB is tricky because the symptoms are like a cold until you reach late-stage and it's become chronic. Would you go to the doctor if you had a mild cough? Would the doctor guess you had Bronchitis or TUBERCULOSIS. TB generally only 'shows' itself with compounding lung conditions too. Like the flu. Or HIV. Or COVID. And only 10% of infected people show TB symptoms.

It's even more difficult to treat TB now because people MOVE and the cocktail of antibiotics that MAY NOT WORK take two years to complete. If they work; otherwise it's longer.

TB has been around since humans evolved. It's evolved with us and it's SO much more than 'people don't want to put the money into it'. Money would help, but TB is a nasty little bitch with a whole host of complicated reasons why we can't just stab it to death like smallpox.

[nyenyel]

Please donate to Eslam family!

“My name is Eslam from Gaza, I’m 29 years old, and I’m a children teacher from Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip. a mother of two daughters, Hanaa 5 years old, and Alma, 10 months old. My husband Rasmi is the director of 3 language and training centers. In this war, our house was completely destroyed and razed to the ground, and my husband’s centers were blown up. He lost his job, and we were completely displaced, and we are now homeless and jobless, My two young daughters constantly suffer from diseases due to malnutrition and water pollution.

Danger and death surround us all day and all night. We have lost everything and depend on donations to survive and, most of all, to have any hope of escaping this genocide and evacuating to safety in Egypt. The cost of daily living continues to rise significantly in Gaza - imagine that we cannot find the type of milk for our daughter because of its high price. There is no kind of detergent and this is the cause of skin diseases for my two little girls. We bought a piece of soap for $30! ، and detergent is 100$"

As of 8:46pm November 11, 2024 (GMT+8) $31,955 raised out of $50,000

vetted: bees and watermelon spreadsheet #175

@eslamfa9 @eslamfa8

[diabetesreversalprograminindia]

10 Health Conditions Often Found with Diabetes

This article is originally published on Freedom from Diabetes website, available here. Unhealthy diets combined with lack of physical exercise and high-stress levels are known to trigger a phenomenon known as insulin resistance. The big issue of diabetes is a damage to organs. Without treatment, it worsens and causes many health issues.

10 Common Conditions That Follow Diabetes:

Heart disease Atleast 50% diabetics are suffering from the heart disease. It has some common risk. Smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, high-fat diets, and alcohol overconsumption are commonly seen in both these conditions. That also means that the measures that work to manage blood sugar levels (BSL) are equally effective in lowering the risk of heart damage. In this condition your first priority should be take care of your diabetes, and try to maintain normal blood sugar levels. So try to follow proper diet inlcuding healthy eating, low GI fruits, carbs, fiber, protein, and micronutrients like antioxidants are considered good for both the heart and BSL. Including your dialy routine exercise, meditation can help reduce stress and lower the risk of heart disease.

Joint Pain

Uncontrolled BSL can cause significant damage to the musculoskeletal system leading to compromised mobility and pain. Almost half of all adults with diabetes end up with arthritis as well. This is a result of high BSL that damages nerves and blood vessels, which goes on to erode the cartilage that cushions joints.

Muscle mass loss Everyone wants to build muscle, but it's especially important for diabetics. While walking used to be the main exercise recommended, doctors now recognize that muscle mass is crucial. Muscles burn glucose, so having more muscle helps burn more calories.

Slow-healing wounds

This is the most common symptoms of mismanaged diabetes is slow-healing wounds. Lack of sensitivity—caused by nerve damage—most often seen in the lower extremities means that cuts, blisters, and small sores can go unnoticed, becoming a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. This leads to open wounds, which the body is unable to quickly fight off owing to its compromised immunity, due to high BSL.

5.Hypertension (High BP)- Like diabetes, hypertension does not noticed easily. Many diabetics also have high blood pressure, often due to insulin resistance. Regularly check your blood pressure; if it's over 120/80, you may be at risk for hypertension. One of the primary causes of diabetic hypertension is plaque build-up on arterial walls, which is caused by high LDL cholesterol (aka, “bad” cholesterol). Losing weight is the first step in reducing risk and preventing complications. And this means, switching to a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, managing stress, stopping smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption.

Do you want to know more about, Skin Problems, High Cholesterol, Cancer, Memory loss, Fragile bones, and joint problems, visit our Article. To read more about this, please visit our Article. Also please connect with me on my website, Facebook page, and YouTube if you want to stay in touch or give me any feedback!

[diabetes-health-corner]

10 Common comorbidities of diabetes

Diabetes is the first domino in the pile of disorders. Once it falls, a host of health complications inevitably follow. Managing BSL helps reduce the risks, but you don’t have to stop there. Over time, and if left untreated, diabetes invariably gets worse, bringing myriad health complications.

Read more: https://www.freedomfromdiabetes.org/blog/post/10-common-comorbidities-of-diabetes/2959

[health-homeopathy]

Diabetes - Major Effects And Treatment

Did you know that diabetes mellitus can have detrimental effects on your body in the long run. Chronic diabetes is a condition where your blood sugar levels remain above normal levels for many years. Over a period of time thus can have negative effects on your body organs.

Following are the effects of diabetes mellitus on your body health and well-being: -

Blood vessels - They can become narrower. This leads to reduced blood supply to organs of the body.

Foot Ulcers

Itching

Chronic skin problems

Red foreskin

Gangrene

Kidney damage

Heart damage - Angina or even a Heart attack

Breathing difficulty

ED or erectile dysfunction

Recurring cold, cough and infections

Frozen shoulder

Hence it is necessary to start diabetes treatment to treat it.

Book appointment with the best homeopathy doctor for diabetes treatment at Dr. Mehta’s clinic in Mumbai, India.

[bookdoctorconsultationonline]

Symptoms, Causes, Types Of Psoriasis & Its Treatment at Livlong

Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes a rash with itchy, scaly patches on body parts. Visit the Livlong website to get more information on psoriasis symptoms, causes & its types.

[allhealthneedsdoctorconsultation]

Symptoms, Causes, Types Of Psoriasis & Its Treatment at Livlong

Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes a rash with itchy, scaly patches on body parts. Visit the Livlong website to get more information on psoriasis symptoms, causes & its types.

[korrolrezni]

The amount of ads is getting nuts!

I've witnessed at the minimum, ten in between five posts. And not pleasant ones either!

[bogleech]

I'm curious Mr Leech, what animal do you consider to be the WEIRDEST?

idk I guess the seahorse? from what I've read at least.

The seahorse has arguably the weirdest physical shape of a vertebrate, but just shape alone isn't the only way an animal can be weird, and I think maybe the weirdest animals are myxozoa??

The pustules on this fish are full of an organism similar in composition to a slime mold, a parasitic infection we considered a type of "protozoan" for generations

But myxozoa begin as a drifting spore, which ranges from a simple ball to these "anchor like" objects and even cube-shaped frames like in the top right here. These spores inject the slime stage into fish through a harpoon-like cell identical to the stingers of Cnidarians, like jellyfish, corals, anemones and man o' war. So eventually it was suspected that this wasn't just convergent evolution, and once we could genetically sequence living things, it was proven that this parasitic saltwater "slime mold" was an cnidarian after all, a jellyfish relative that reduced itself to nothing but bare cells. But it still gets weirder, because there also existed these weird "parasitic worms," Buddenbrockia, that ALSO came out of a spore stage, and also had stinging cells.

Finally it was proven that this isn't just another weird jellyfish relative, but specifically a species of Myxozoa. This isn't just slime anymore; it has multiple tissue layers and even muscle. So this is a sea creature skin disease, but it's also an animal that dissolved into a single celled form and then re-evolved a different multicellular animal body from scratch.

[yanderenightmare]

ooooh what kinda mythic creatures are the jjk boys?

Gojo, Sukuna, Toji

TW: implied noncon, yandere, the supernatural?

gn reader

Gojo Satoru Hybrid between angel and human

His hair is pearlescent and so are his wings—soft feathers, sharper than blades when he wants them to be. His halo can only be spotted when the sun shines extra bright—like a ring of stardust slowly orbiting his crown.

He doesn’t know his parents, nor which one of them was the angel. But it’s not something he cares much about. People call him Icarus, and he tries to live up to it the way he drowns himself in another’s embrace every new night—never the same one.

Never the same one until you. Another hybrid. No part of Angel, though…

He falls in love with it—all of it—the points of your teeth, the tiny horns that protrude from your hairline, the slim tail adorned with that pretty arrowhead, and the equally sharp look in your eyes as you glare at him with disgust.

He wants to know more. Do have markings in unseen places? How far does your tongue stretch, and is it split down the middle like with a snake? Is it venomous? Is it sweet? Does your skin burn to the touch like the sun does when he flies too close? Or will it be warm and soft and pliable?

He and his angel eyes freak you out. You advise him to leave you alone, the point of your tail threatening to slice his throat open. You’ve been shunned enough by humans—you don’t need to add a snooty angel boy to the fray. 

But then he calls you beautiful. And no one’s called you beautiful before.

Ryomen Sukuna Hellhound

The few times humans have dared try to tame him have all been devasting days of fire and death. Silly humans, thinking they can make him do his bidding like another mutt on a leash—he’ll make them all burn.

But then there’s you. You’re not like the other humans. You don’t come to him with any intention of collaring him. Instead, you have your hands folded together in prayer—sweet scripture leaves your lips, soothing his singed skin until it stops burning.

You wear holy robes and a kind smile on your face, you don’t avert your eyes even as he glares at you with the embers in his own, even as he growls and bares teeth. You don’t ignore him when he speaks, either, even when his tongue comes out split through the middle and all his words reek of smoke. You bathe him in holy water and rinse the soot out of his fur—telling him he’s a good boy.

He feels no desire to bite your hand as you pet his head and stroke his ears—he just ends up wagging his tail. But then again… he is still a hellhound. And you should know better than to feed monsters in the dark…

He leaves his room in the chapel and sniffs yours out—nothing, not even so much as a seal on your door to keep him out. You have too much faith. Your door creaks open, but you remain peacefully asleep—all soft snores as he mounts you with drool dripping down his canines…

Fushiguro Toji Hunter

Rumor has it that something far worse than ogres and trolls travel the forest. Beware of the hunter—all you little nymphs, fauns, and fairies. Some say he’ll stuff you in a bag and sell you, while others argue it’s his appetite that makes him hunt—some even mean it’s just for sport, that he’ll kill and stuff you and mount your head on the wall.

You, a poor forest nymph, are unfortunate enough to get yourself caught in one of his nets. You’re a crying little mess by the time he comes around—begging him not to sell or eat or skin or harvest your wings, barely breathing between the words.

He chuckles and promises you he won’t do any of that stuff, but the smile on his face is enough to convince you he’s possessed by some sort of demon. And as he hauls you up on his shoulder and starts carrying you further into those places you’ve never dared venture, into the thicker parts of the forest where the trees all seem riddled with some type of disease—you can’t help but believe all those rumors you’d heard.

He tells you that his snares and nets are meant for rodents and that he didn’t think fae-folk were dumb enough to get themselves caught by them as he starts cutting into the net to free you—only, he doesn’t stop at the net—but goes for your slik garb next. Whistling as he bares your pretty skin while pinning your small wrists above you in one meaty hand.

His grin is sharper than his knife when he advises you not to struggle, saying he would feel awful if he were to accidentally cut you.

♡ Nanami, Fushiguro, Naoya ♡ JUJUTSU KAISEN masterlist

[txniesha]

Complication Sylus x Non!MC reader Pt.2

This is Part 2 to Complication

Synopsis: You were never meant to matter to him, he already had someone. Someone he was bound to. And you? Well you were just a complication.

Word count: 3,410

Content: SMUT and it is explicit, cursing, some angst but not a lot, typos, grammar. Other LI are mentioned.

A/N: Thank you guys for supporting the first part and for asking for a second part. I would've written an entire second part for just one person if they asked but many loved the first part and im so grateful for that! Also the dividers Im going to use for these fic I've reblogged and liked! Also im from the south and I use a lot of AAVE so some of it slips into readers dialogue.

The ride back to your apartment that night after his little temper tantrum was nothing but awkward. The ride was filled with nothing but silence, he couldn't even be bothered to turn the radio on, immediately swatting your hand when you went to touch it. This entire situation was so out of character for him and so strange you couldn't do anything but think about what happened as you laid alone in your apartment chain smoking your third cigarette since you had gotten out of his car. Sylus didn't show back up to Taurus for a couple of weeks after that and you knew it was because of that night and that woman. You tried to let the jealousy and disdain for that woman who did nothing to you go, but it was something about her, about the way he looked at her that made you immediately dislike her. You knew it was wrong to feel that way about someone you do not know, but you couldn't help it. You wondered if Sylus talked to her the same way he talked to you when it was just the two of you. When he held you against his bare chest, his hands tracing circles around the tattoos that line the skin under your breast, whispering sweet nothings in your ear. You wondered if any of that meant something to him, or if you were just a quick fuck to get him off when he couldn't be around her. The thought of it made you feel so much anger, so much disdain for Sylus that it was physically making you sick.   

You had begun to bury yourself in work, working longer hours at the lounge to get your mind off of anything that involved with Sylus. On one of the slower nights regular at the lounge had offered you a gig, he was a man that frequently hosted big events and he wanted you to work the bar at one of his venues for a art showing. That is how you ended up with a mini vacation to Linkon City, you stepped out of the airport dragging your heavy suitcase behind you. The warm air of Linkon city hit you as you walked to find a spot to wait on the share ride you booked. It always surprised you just how much different the zone and Linkon city was. Hell even the temperature was always warmer than the cold and sunless city of the N109 zone. You were glad for the weather change though, finally being able to wear the cute sundress you had bought a while back that had an open back showing the  dragon tattoo mural that covered your back and the cute slit on the leg which put the flower leg sleeve you had on display. You were some what of a tattoo junkie and it had only gotten worser when Sylus introduced you to an artist who practically became your best friend from how often you were with her getting a new tattoo our touch up on previous ones.  

You sighed heavily as you looked at your phone seeing a message from the driver that you booked stating that he was running behind due to traffic. You prop your suitcase up and sit down on a long bench, grabbing your cigarette out of your purse and lighting one up. As soon as you took a drag a voice that was soft, and stern spoke up next to you. “Smoking those are bad for you, it causes heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, lung cancer, lung disease and even affects reproductive health. Not to mention exposing strangers to secondhand smoke is rude” the man says. You scowl looking over at him, the man was beautiful you couldn't deny that part. Even while sitting you could tell, he was tall, his black hair in a slight side part falling neatly on his forehead and his hazel eyes bored into you with such a stoic expression you couldn't tell what he was thinking. He was wearing a three-piece suit with the sleeves rolled up slightly so you could see some scars peeking from under the fabric. You scoff at the beautiful man, “What are you a doctor or something” you say rolling your eyes taking another drag but blowing it in the direction opposite of the man. “Yes, I am actually, I work at the Asko hospital as the chief surgeon” His voice was calm and clear as he looked at you. You smile at him, there was no way a man that young was the chief surgeon at a hospital as big as Asko, “I don’t like being played for a fool now, you’re way too young to be a chief surgeon” you say rolling your eyes.   

His eyebrows furrow slightly, and he reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out a card handing it to you. You finish your cigarette and throw it to the side haphazardly grabbing the card out of his slender long fingers, you looked down at the card seeing “Zayne Li Chief surgeon Asko Hospital” with. A number and email on there. You raise your eyebrows surprised and hum, stuffing the card into your purse, “I'll be making sure to give you a call then Doctor” He raises his brow at your statement, finally showing interest in it seemed like you as a person, “that was not an invitation to call my personal number” he says a hint of amusement in his tone. You shrug at his statement and smile “well that’s what I took it as” your phone dinged, and it was a text saying your driver arrived. You stood grabbing your things and smile at the man “Nice to meet you Dr. Li, I'll be giving you a call” you say giving him a small wave. He just nods at you and hums not giving an objection instead watching you carefully as you leave and get into the car.  

After that encounter you went to the luxurious hotel which was being paid for by the man that hired you. He had set up an all amenities included room, where you didn’t have to pay for anything as he put his card on the file. You thought about all of the massages you were going to get over the next few days as you worked the vent that you were hired for. It was an art showing for some big artist you had never even heard of since you could care less about anything pertaining to stuff like that. You sat behind the bar preparing drinks from the never-ending guest who threw the drinks back as if they were juice. It finally slowed down when the official showing and selling of the pieces began. Only a few people sat at the bar including a man that was looking very bored and was mumbling to himself. You raise your brow and walk over to him, “did you want anything to drink, you look like you need it.” He looks to you, his purple and pink eyes staring into yours, you were instantly mesmerized as his eyes were something unique, something you had never seen. A small scowl appears on his face as he responds, his tone filled with sass “no thanks, if I’m going to have to deal with this boring event I’ll at least do it sober so I don’t have thoughts of killing myself. My miss bodyguard already didn’t accompany me so I’m here alone, this night sucks” he says rolling his eyes and pouting leaning on his arm. You laugh at his words a little confused “No one is making you stay, you can leave at anytime” you say with a smile. The man looks you up and down his eyes lingering in certain places longer than intended, “Actually someone is making me stay, those are my pieces in there, so my manger is forcing me to stay” his tone was bored.  Your brows shoot up in surprise, “wow! You’re the artist, I saw some of the pieces before I came to the bar and they’re incredible. You’re really talented” The man just shrugs and sighs “Im not that good at arts, and I don’t care to hear my praises sung.” He says standing and turning around and walking away.  

Your eyebrows furrow at his behavior and the sudden change in it. “What a fucking weirdo” you mumble to yourself, looking at the man's retreating figure. The rest of the night goes well or was going well until you saw her. She walked in looking beautiful wearing a soft colored dress that complimented her features really well and you cursed yourself for even thinking that she looked good. What was even more strange was that she was now with the strange man from before, his expression no longer bored or irritable but instead looking at her with affection and adoration. Why did it seem like that girl had everyone wrapped around her finger, like they couldn’t think about anything but her. She looked over to the bar and caught you staring but you turned away quickly pretending to do something else.  “Hi again” you hear her sweet and soft voice speak to you; you turn around begrudgingly throwing on forced smile. “Hey! Its good to see you” you force out through a smile, whether or not she noticed this you didn’t know because she just continued smiling at you. But who did notice this was the pretty man with purple/pink yes, his gaze hardened a little as he looked at the two of you interact. It was like he could tell you didn’t like her as you gave her dry responses to her questions and then quickly rushed the two of them away feigning an excuse. He throws a glance back your way as they walk away giving you a dirty stare. “Sassy ass man” you say sucking your teeth.  

The rest of the night was uneventful as the bar closed before the event ended so you were able to leave. As soon as you got into your hotel room, barely even having time to take your heels off, your phone starts ringing. You groan as you fish it out of your purse throwing the purse itself onto the bed. Not even looking at the caller ID you answer and was surprised to hear Sylus voice on the other end, “Why are you in Linkon” he says his voice sounding harsh through the phone. You sigh sitting down on the bed putting him on speaker as you started to undress “And how do you know I’m in Linkon, you stalking me now” your voice was filled with irritation. “I always have eyes on you, but that’s not how I know you’re there. You just walked past me in the hotel lobby” he says and then you hear a knock on the door. Your eyebrows furrow as you looked down at the phone and saw the call ended, you grab a robe throwing it on while you go answer the door. You were (not really) surprised to see Sylus standing on the other side, his eyes low and unreadable and his tilted as he looks down at you, “Not going to invite me in?” he says in his usual smug tone. You roll your eyes and open the door wider letting him in. You walk to the bed grabbing your purse, taking your cigarettes out. Before you can even take them out of the pack a red smoke engulfs them instantly making them disappear. You turn to Sylus irritated, “Aye dickhead that was my last pack” you curse at him. He just shrugs and walks towards you making you step back. You expected him to stop walking, but he didn’t, instead he just came closer and closer making you take a step back with every step he took.  

You continue to back up and eventually trip falling backwards onto the bed, he smiles as he positions himself above you trapping you between him and the bed. “Why did you come to Linkon without telling me” he says running his hand down the nape of your neck stopping just before he got to the opening of your robe. Your breath hitches in your throat as you try your hardest not to react. “Why should I tell you where I plan on going? i haven’t even seen you since that night you snapped on me.” His hand sat on your chest now playing with the opening to your robe “I’ve been busy with other matters” you raise your brow at him “like what?” You say grabbing his hand stopping him.  He flips your hand around intertwining your fingers together, “it doesn’t concern you” he says bringing your hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to the tips of your fingers. You sigh “well why are you in Linkon” you say as his other hand came from its resting place by his side and made its way onto your thigh, “it doesn’t concern you” he says again. He was really starting to piss you off. “I saw your little girlfriend today” his eyes shot up to meet yours, all his movement stopping as he looked down at you. “She was at the art showing I was working with the, get this, the fucking artist whose paintings were being sold. She looked good can’t even lie, but her and the artist were really close. He even had his arm around her waist” you say with a small smile forming on your face.   

His eyes darken at your statement and his grip on your thigh tightens. His hand leaves the fabric of your robe and grabs your chin, “you talk too much about unnecessary things, just focus on me for right now” he says leaning down his lips brushing against yours. You wanted to push him away, to protest but that man had you mesmerized. You allowed him to kiss you, his soft lips molding with yours and the taste of the whiskey he was drinking seeping into your mouth. His hand traced up the flower tattoo on your thigh all way up to where it stopped near your pussy. You bit down on his lip as you felt his fingers toy with the edges of your panties. His hand that was holding your chi moves down to your robe untying it. He runs his hands over the lace of your bra gently before he pulls at the fabric revealing your soft breast. His mouth leaves yours and he was now planting soft wet kisses down your neck, trailing them all the way down to your breast. His hand grips your other breast firmly as his mouth captures the other, his tongue swirling and sucking on the hard bud of your nipple. You let out a soft moan your fingers finding his hair and tugging at it. You can feel him smile against your breast as he bites and sucks down on your nipple and massages the other in his hand.  

His hand that was toying with the edge of your panties finally pushes them to side, running a long finger down your wet slit and over your swollen clit causing your moans to grow louder. He laughs at the sound, his fingers parting your lips as he rubbed your slick all over you swollen clit. His fingers toyed with the entrance to your pussy, dipping it in slightly before pulling it back out making you buck into his touch craving more. He chuckles pulling back off your breast so that he could look at you, as he rubs circles against your clit, the movement slow and unrelenting. “You’re soaking wet for me, did you miss me that much” he says with a smug smile. You glare at him and sigh biting your lip as he continued to rub circles against your clit “shut up” you say your voice shaky. He laughs, the sound rich and genuine, “it's okay to admit it, Sweetie” your eyebrows furrowed at the pet name and before you could say anything he slips a finger inside, pushing it all the way in and curling it to hit that spot that made you arch your back off the bed. You moaned loudly biting your lip and smiled down at you, as he thrusts his finger in and out. His mouth was back on your neck now, this time not kissing it but sucking it, marking you as his. His free hand held your thigh open as he pumped in and out, his thumb now rubbing circles against your clit causing you rut against his hand as you came on his finger.  

He smiles against your neck, “one isn’t enough for this greedy little pussy is it” he murmurs against. He slips in a second finger spreading them out as he thrust them in and out “so tight and wet for me” he says into your neck as he continues to suck it. His fingers continuously hit that sweet spot, and you could feel an intense release coming. You grind down against his hadn’t seeking more friction and he laughs at this, “Don’t worry I'm going to give you what you need” his thumb rubbed your clit relentless and quick. You grab his arms digging your nails into them and you hear him let out a soft moan at the action. You let out a soft cry as it became too much, and you squirted all over his hand. He pulls his fingers out rubbing your clit encourage you to wet the bed more. “That’s right, squirt for me baby” he whispers against your jaw. He pulls his fingers away and moves from where he was in your jaw and kisses you softly. The kiss was slow and deep. Your hand comes up to back of his head running your hands through his hair as you kiss him back.  

The moment didn’t last long as Sylus’ phone began to ring. You felt the vibration before you even heard it. He groans, pulling away and pulling his phone from his pocket. He looked irritated before he saw the name in the phone, and you were nosy, so you looked at it, not expecting to see the face of the woman that’s been irritating your soul since the very day you met her. He hesitates for a moment before he answers it, moving from above you. You scoff and roll your eyes getting off the bed and pulling your robe back on. You watch him as he has a hushed phone call watching your every move. You catch the words “I’ll be there soon” fall from his mouth and he hangs up the phone. Sylus stares at you and you just roll your eyes at him, “You can’t be fucking serious right now, like you have got to be fucking with me” you say angrily to him. He just lets out a sigh standing from the bed and walking towards you, he reaches out to touch you, but you avoid it. He sighs irritated “It's important” he says the annoyance clear in his voice “I’ll be back once I’m done, I promise” You scoff at his words “Don’t bother, just get out” you say moving to the side throwing your head at the door. He looks at you, the irritation on his face evident now. He sighs looking like he was going to say more but instead he just walks to the door and leaves.  

When he leaves the anger and shame of letting him feel like he could just use you and leave the second she calls builds up in you. The humiliation of letting him touch you like that, of letting yourself believe, even for a second, that you mattered more, burned like acid in your chest. You let out a sound of frustration as you march over to the bed where your purse was searching for your cigarettes only to remember that he literally made them vanish. You throw your purse violently at the wall as you let out a frustrated scream. You couldn’t believe you let him so easily come back in just for him to go running to her the second she called. That’s when you realized that you didn’t know if he actually cared for you, or if you were just a complication between the two of them. 

Tags: @sylusgirlie7 @crimsonmarabou @z3vl @thehenchsket @perqbeth

[jjaehyunnxie]

aftercare

gf!reader x caring!bf!jaemin

a/n: jaemin brainrot is a serious disease

! slightly suggestive, fluff

Jaemin pants heavily over your soft figure, trembling and whimpering under him. Your eyes were heavy, struggling to stay open. He smiles empathetically. "Shh. I got you."

His hands trace your curves before he slides them under you, picking you up with ease and carrying you to the bathroom. He places you gently in the tub, your hair tied up in a claw clip as to stay dry.

The sound of water pouring fills the room. Jaemin tests the temperature on his skin, and once it's just right, the soothing warmth envelops your sore body.

He hums softly, his hand caressing your back as you lean into his touch. "You did so well for me today, baby. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful girlfriend like you." he says with a melodic tone. Your heart swells at his words, smiling widely -- although you feel as if what he's saying isn't entirely true.

"I didn't do much, you did all the work."

His head leans in and rests in between the curve of your neck, pressing soft kisses as he smiles against your skin. "I disagree, princess. I might've done the thrusting, but who was it that took me so well, hm?"

You scoff with a laugh. He always says these types of things that leave you with no response.

Jaemin rubs the soap on a light pink loofa, lathering it up as the rose scent already envelops the room. You hum softly, inhaling the familiar smell as he starts to scrub your body. While the bubbles spread on your back, his other hand is softly massaging your muscles, earning a few grunts here and there from you as he finds the perfect spots like an expert. He chuckles at your reactions, "Shhh, relax, baby. You're still so tense..."

The warm water finds your body again as he rinses off the soap, leaving your skin smelling like a rose garden, a scent Jaemin couldn't get enough of.

Wiping you dry, he picks you up, large hands wrapping around your body, and takes you to your bedroom. His touch lingers on you for a moment as he places you on your bed, the sensation of your sheets directly on your skin leaving you feeling content. While he searches your wardrobe for a pijama set your eyes start to feel more and more heavy with each passing second, closing at last and drifting to sleep.

Jaemin chuckles softly when he sees you, his gaze taking in your beauty; peacefully sleeping, breathing steadily, with your lips slightly parted and your hair framing your face like a work of art. Not wanting to wake you up, he gives up the pajama idea, reaching instead for your favorite body cream. With immense care and adoration for you, his hands glide over your chest and body, spreading the soothing lotion which leaves your skin soft and wonderfully scented.

His supple lips plant a calming kiss on your forehead before tucking you in. The cold blanket brushes against your bare skin, a shiver running through you, but it last only a short moment until Jaemin wraps his arms around you. His embrace is warm and secure as he rubs his thumbs on your shoulder in a way that makes all of your worries melt away into a meaningless puddle. You knew that if he could just stay right beside you, like this, forever, you'd be safe and happy, protected by him.

[marchwardenofmordor]

Since people liked my post about the new Nosferatu film, I’m gonna go a little more in depth about some of the things that REALLY stood out to me

- The sound design of his voice and the blood drinking: a fucking genius choice. Each horrific rattling inhale before he speaks and the way he trails off at the end of his sentences because he’s manually breathing for the EXPRESS PURPOSE OF SPEAKING. That monotone is fucking perfect because he sound like the air is being squeezed out of him with each word. The monstrous gulping and slurping as he drinks blood is great because it sounds equal parts disgusting and sexual.

- I think, as a personification of shame, that he is SUPPOSED to make you want to crawl out of your own skin. The moaning, the nudity, the squelchy sounds… if you went to the cinema to see it, I think the idea was to make you blush and perhaps have a bit of a bodily reaction that would have you glancing around at other people in embarrassment. Not everybody is going to want him, but he will tap into the shame of witnessing something sexual in public. If we take the particular time period the film is set in, too, I think he’s supposed to have us clutching our pearls, making us collectively hearken back to the victorian attitudes towards sex and shame.

- You know what else is great about putting us in that mindset as an audience? It makes us remember that talking about sex and death are still considered shameful and taboo - the Victorian period really wasn’t that long ago, and some aspects of that history still casts its shadow of shame over us. But as ashamed as we are, we’re also curious creatures.

- Sex and death are very closely linked. Again, a little death being a term for an orgasm, the fact that indole is a chemical that both repels and attracts us (the scent is commonly used in perfumery, and in small amounts, smells alluring and seductive, like white florals, or the literal smell of sex, but in large concentrations smells fucking rancid, like rotting bodies). When we die, our brains release a rush of endorphins, etc. Dead bodies have a ‘sweet’ smell before they begin rotting - again, that’s probably indole, and would explain some of the subconscious urges of a necrophiliac.

- He is also called ‘death’ multiple times, and we know that a little fraction of his power is bringing ‘la petit mort’ (a little death / orgasm) to his victims.

- Even rats are symbolic here of sex, death and disease: we know terms like ‘multiplying like rats’ obviously, and how rats are symbolic of the plague (even though it was the fleas that caused it). The presence of the rats and the cries of townsfolk about ‘disease’ and ‘plague’ are less like the actual literal plague, and - considering that Orlok is ‘shame’ - more like a metaphorical miasma sweeping through victorian society, reinforcing ideas of shame and purity and what is or is not proper.

- Bodily fluids!! There are tears, there’s cum, considering the rats (again) there’s excrement (also on the walls of the cell in the asylum??), and with the Renfield-type character there’s also saliva. This isn’t just for shock/horror - the main fluid shown is blood, and in the mindset of a victorian christian (historically, blood transfusions could only really be shared between a man and a woman who were married because blood was a life-giving bodily fluid likened to the life-sowing fluid of semen), the idea of a blood-drinking monster was fucking horrific and blasphemous, sinful beyond measure.

- Orlok’s appearance and the treatment of the G*psies in the town (once more - “bringing shame to this inn!” Likening them to the vampire) is indicative of the xenophobia and prejudice towards Romani Jewish people of the time period, where white victorian christians feared Romani people as being ‘child-stealing’, ‘blood-drinking’ (again, look up Blood Libel) barbarians prone to SA (stereotypes which sadly persist today), but also fetishised them as mystics. (I did my university dissertation on ‘boho’ tattoos, cultural appropriation and the origins of the ‘boho’ aesthetic and why it is just ✨not it✨ but I won’t go into that in depth because my analysis was literally over 5000 words)

- I love that the message at the end was basically ‘the only way to kill your shame is to lay with it, to accept it and love it’ - which is honestly true. If you learn to accept uncomfortable aspects of yourself and face them, they no longer have any sort of power over you.

- The female protagonist is dressed all in white, indicative of her purity and chastity, and it’s interesting to see how her wardrobe gradually darkens throughout the film, showing her becoming quite monstrous herself in one particular scene where she rips open the top of her dress and demands Thomas to ‘take her’, up until the final scene, where she is stark naked and covered in blood. Honestly wicked. I love a good corruption. Her character is so symbolic of the struggle of someone who is deeply repressed and chastised for her desires. Desires which started innocently and then - through suppression in an oppressive society and household (her father discovering her naked and screaming at her for being sinful)- were twisted and given form as something monstrous that literally eats away at her and those around her, because she brings her shame wherever she goes, and in the end, even though she faces it and sets an example, it ultimately kills her to do so.

- Also notice how NOBODY fucking listens to her. And every time nobody listens to her, Orlok grows stronger as she grows angrier and more frustrated. They’re feeding him by ignoring her. It’s sad that they look at her in the end, and deem her ‘sacrifice’ as noble, only really paying attention to her once she is dead, with her shame laying on top of her, crushing her. This is the torment of the Victorian Woman, told that she must deal with her problems alone by the male characters.

Edit: Also because the film is German in origin, I’d recommend looking up the ‘Nachzehrer’ creature - a ghoulish vampire-esque creature that would rise from the grave to drag its victims into death with it through various means, known to devour its own funeral shroud, rendering it naked. Fun fact: it was said that if a corpse was clutching its left thumb in its right hand with the left eye open (I think? It’s been a while since I researched it), it would rise as a Nachzehrer. They are also thought to be able to drain their victim’s life force remotely. The threat was said to be particularly great if the living gave the Nachzehrer a personal affectation - in the case of Orlok, it would be Thomas giving him the locket containing Ellen’s hair.

[ppomumgranatum]

the dance of love's sweet potion.

also available on Ao3

pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

tags: fluff, one shot, you POV, house-neutral reader, jealousy, protective

word count: 5.3k

Warnings: MAJOR HEADCANNON, the books and the potions are all in my head just for the sake of this story, characters are in their 7th year, I finally caved and wrote the cliche protective and jealous seb and i fucking love it

Summary: When a potion meant to repel backfired, it became a mishap that turned your world upside down.

Notes: I was craving some fluff, so a fluff was created ❤️

Revulsaroma is a powerful potion that demands careful handling and discretion. Designed for specific situations where deterring unwanted advances or repelling individuals is necessary, its potency requires utmost caution. Ingredients: • 3 drops of essence of skunk cabbage • 2 crushed doxy wings • 1 teaspoon of powdered Boomslang skin • 4 ounces of extract from a Devil's Snare vine • 1 pinch of powdered Basilisk fang • Hair from the person brewing the potion

You carefully traced your finger along the intricate words laid out in the book you had kept from your parents’ dusty collection on potion making and meticulously followed the instructions. Taking advantage of the quiet after hours, you used the station at potion class to get on with your mission.

You’re not a pro in potion making per se, but the way you precisely measure out ingredients, stirring the potion with such poise, you feel as skilled as Professor Sharp– if he was plagued with a horrible disease of a red-haired boy goes by the name of Leander Prewett. 

For weeks, Leander had been following you around so relentlessly and constantly asking you out. It was cute at first but now it was starting to feel like pure harassment. Despite numerous rejection, it didn't seem like he’s the type of guy who understood the concept of boundaries and your patience was wearing extremely thin. 

You remembered an old potion you once came across when you were younger– Revulsaroma, a repelling potion. You figured it was time to revisit those pages since you’re in a dire need for a solution. 

You stirred the components inside of your cauldron with a pinch of determination, distress, and a lot of rage. The earthy and putrid notes filled the air and it was probably going to stick with you for a while but you surely hoped this was going to be worth it.

When the potion finally came to completion, you carefully transferred it to a pumpkin juice bottle to trick Leander into drinking it.

“Alright, that looks good.” You sighed in relief as you put the bottle down and stared at the securely stored dark liquid with pride, knowing that soon you’d be able to take a break from the unwanted attention. At least for a while just until you could figure out a permanent way to stop him, 

You proceeded to clean up your station and returned some tools that you took from the inventory room, making sure that everything was back in its rightful spot. Because Merlin knew that you couldn’t take another chide from Professor Sharp about the importance of being responsible and organised.

Just when everything was about to be restored to its pristine state, you heard a loud retching coming from the other room. When you rushed outside, you saw your bestfriend, hands desperately grasping the edge of your station, body racked with violent gagging, and breath ragged in a grave attempt to gasp for air.

“Sebastian?” You exclaimed while rushing to his side, “Are you alright?”

“Came to—bleughh—look for you,” Sebastian managed to say in between his guttural heaves.

“What’s wrong?” Your voice trailed off when you saw your pumpkin juice bottle collapsed and empty. Right at that moment, your eyes widened at the realisation that Sebastian just drank your Revulsaroma. “No, no, no. You bloody, bloody idiot!” 

Quickly, you summoned water from an empty jar that you found nearby and gave it to Sebastian who was still fighting the disgusting taste stuck in his throat.

Gulping down the entire water in a matter of milliseconds, Sebastian attempted to catch his breath, “Your pumpkin juice— is expired, by the way.”

“Oh my God, oh my God, Sebastian!” You ran your fingers through your hair in distress. What was already a pretty stressful situation just got a whole lot worse. 

“What?” He was truly not getting your frustration. He gagged once more, recoiling whatever last bit of that disgusting liquid he's tasting.

“That’s not pumpkin juice!” You scowled and gestured abruptly.

“What is it, then? Poison?” Every muscle on his face seemed to tensed up, still.

“Why would you fucking drink that? It was meant for Leander.” You grunted.

His grimace was then taken over by disbelief for a moment, “Gods, killing Leander is a bit extreme, don’t you think? Even for me.”

“No—ugh,” You sighed heavily, feeling totally overwhelmed. Slumping on your station, you rested your head on it "This is bad. It's really bad."

“You're freaking me out. What is it?”

You lifted your head from the table, meeting his concerned gaze with a weary expression.

“It’s a potion called Revulsaroma. It is supposed to repel whoever drinks it.” You admitted.

Sebastian was still focused on getting the foul taste out of his tongue, but his eyes were quickly narrowed in the scrutiny of your last sentence, “And why exactly are you trying to repel Leander?”

Catching Sebastian's look, a twinge of guilt pricked at you. You winced inwardly, realising you'd never really spilled the beans to Sebastian about the whole Leander debacle. Partly because you didn’t want to give him the wrong idea and thinking that there was anything romantic going on between you and the Gryffindor boy. 

The line on your relationship with Sebastian had always been blurry, if you could be honest. You’re obviously friends—best friends—but at the same time, the chemistry between the two of you would be such a waste to stay as friends.

You’d occasionally exchange innocent flirting, teasing each other and bantering in a way that felt more than platonic. You couldn't deny the butterflies in your stomach that fluttered every time he smiled at you and the way you felt when he complimented you.

Things had been going very well lately, and you'd like to think you had a shot to turn it into something more.

But now, he’s consumed the one thing that was going to seal the chance you have with him. Because whatever feeling he was going to feel, the potion was supposed to make him feel it so strongly. 

The thought of losing Sebastian terrified you.

“That’s not what we’re supposed to be focusing on.” You diverted the topic and reached out to your book, checking for things to look out for. Your eyes trailed the ink that explains the detail of the potion.

You noticed Sebastian had shifted his weight from the corner of your eye, moving somewhat uncomfortable in his feet.

"But what does that mean for me?" he asked.

You sighed, trying to collect your thoughts. "According to the potion's effects, you're supposed to start feeling aversions towards me," you explained, gesturing towards the brewing cauldron with a frustrated gesture. "and I have no idea how to reverse it.”

Your voice was heavy with disappointment. The same emotion was written all over Sebastian's face. There was silence as you both processed the fact that there was no quick fix to this mess.

“So, I’m supposed to hate you? Just like that?”

“That’s kind of the whole point of the potion.”

Sebastian's eyes scanned the cluttered laboratory, a look of resignation settling over his features. "Well, this is just great," he muttered under his breath. Sebastian's complexion turned paler, a nauseous expression crossing his features, "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Sebastian stood there, his hand pressed against his stomach, unsure if the wave of nausea washing over him was solely due to the potion's effects or the unsettling thought of hating you.

But then he felt his body teetering on the brink of collapse. You grappled his arm to provide support but his condition worsened in an instant and he started to fall backwards. Using every ounce of your strength, you were struggling to keep him upright because damn this boy was heavy. And when his weight eventually bore you down, you lowered him down gently.

There was no response even after you called out his name and shook his body. His breathing was laboured and you were panicking. You didn’t know the potion would be this strong.

Spotting a group of students who were passing by outside of the classroom, you called out to them for assistance. Sebastian was then taken to the infirmary and was given proper treatment by Nurse Blainey.

You had to awkwardly explain what caused the brunette to lose his consciousness. Given the fact that you were practising and using potions for non-study purposes, disciplinary action was necessary and you were required to attend detention tomorrow.

When you returned to your room that night, all you did was shift around in your bed. Spending the entire night thinking about Sebastian and how he will wake up in the morning hating you.

But for now, all you could do was wait.

 - 

When the sun rose, you were quick to get back on your feet and head towards the infirmary to check on Sebastian before breakfast started. But to your surprise, he was no longer there. Nurse Blainey said he woke up all energetic and there were no signs of any disturbance so she allowed him to get on with school.

You were slightly relieved to know that Sebastian was feeling better. Although the question of his feelings towards you remained unknown.

So you ventured on, heading to the Great Hall for breakfast. Moving along with a crowd of students who were also making their way to the venue you suddenly bumped into someone.

“Oh, sorry.” You glanced up to see it was no other than Sebastian, “Hey, I was looking for you.”

You’ve caused some traffic considering you abruptly stopped in the middle of a walkaway crowd. Some were bumping into you and muttered under their breaths in annoyance. It was a horrible time to be upsetting people—hungry and grumpy people.

So Sebastian dragged you away from the crowd. You were caught a little bit off guard at the sudden tug on your elbow. Your feet were almost stumbling around trying to catch up to Sebastian’s pace.

“Are you insane?” Was the first thing he said when you found a quiet little corner away from the bustling people.

Your stomach clenched. 

This was it. 

The memories you shared for the past two years dramatically flashed before your eyes— the adventures, the late night studies, the stupid unfunny jokes he made but you laughed at them anyway— fuck. 

This was it.. he hated you.

“Why would you tell Nurse Blainey the truth about everything?” He sounded quite aggravated. Unexpectedly, it was not for the reason you thought it would be— albeit he should be angry towards you for no reason at all considering the potion.

Your mouth gaped open but you were struggling to find the words. 

"You could've just said it was a bad batch for our assignment," He explained. "You didn't have to get detention for it."

“What?” You finally managed to sputter out.

“Blainey said she gave you detention.” He added, “I feel bad.”

You can’t feel bad for someone you hate unless they fall into lava and viciously die or something. Because to feel bad meant having empathy, and to feel empathy meant he cared, which meant he didn’t hate you and the potion never worked.

Right?

“So you don’t hate me?” You asked carefully.

His tensed brows gradually softened as realisation dawned on him. He was so focused on you that he never really thought of what the potion was supposed to make him feel.

“I don’t, actually.” He sounded relieved and as were you upon hearing his confirmation, “I guess the potion never worked after all.”

Relief washed over you like a cool breeze on a hot day. Though you started wondering if the potion didn’t work on Sebastian, it might’ve not worked on Leander either. Which meant you were back to square one, trying to figure out how to deal with his annoying arse. 

But it was a problem you didn’t want to think about too much at the moment. You were just glad your friendship with Sebastian remained intact despite the unfortunate mishap.

“So what did Blainey assign you to do?”

“She said Scribner has been fussing over some organising issues.” You grumbled, “She told me to give her some assistance after classes.”

“Yikes.” Sebastian said, “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry.” You retorted, “Are you really feeling alright?”

“As normal as I can be.” He smiled reassuringly, “Though, you still haven’t told me why you were trying to repel Leander.”

“He just..” You hesitated for a moment,  annoys me.” 

Technically, you didn’t lie. Leander’s entire antics had been nothing but annoying to you. Sebastian only pursed his lips and nodded. Be that as it may, his eyes were looking at you rather dubiously. But he didn’t pry further.

–

After breakfast, you had some time to kill before class started. You found yourself seeking solace in the quiet lounge area near the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. With a book on Revulsaroma in hand, you sought answers in its pages that you might have missed. It explained further about its history and the past research on this potion. As you delved deeper, a particular section caught your eye that described a crucial detail—

The Revulsaroma potion's effectiveness in repelling a drinker is contingent upon the absence of strong positive emotions towards the potion-maker. If the drinker harbours genuine affection for the potion-maker, the potion's repelling properties may be nullified or significantly weakened. This phenomenon is attributed to the potent influence of positive emotions, which can act as a counterforce against the potion's intended repulsion.

Before you could dwell on it further, Leander plopped beside you out of nowhere and casually draped his arm around your shoulder, interrupting your thoughts.

“Good morning, beautiful.” He greeted you with a smile so charming if he wasn’t so pushy about it you could see yourself giving in to his cheesy escapades. You subtly shifted away from the sudden proximity, hoping he would take the hint some time.

“Good morning, Leander.” You replied politely.

He seemed to be undeterred by your subtle attempt because he leaned in closer, “So, I was thinking, with the weather getting nicer and all, let’s take a trip around the highlands.” He sounded so enthusiastic for a suggestion that’s so inappropriate, “We could explore the beautiful scenery. My family has this cosy little cottage just outside of Keenbridge that we can use. What do you think?”

You scrunched up your nose because it sounded bloody ridiculous, “A bit intimate, don’t you think?”

“What’s wrong with a little bit of intimacy?”

“Nothing wrong with it, of course. If you’re a couple.”

“Oh, come on. You’ll love it.” Leander’s enthusiasm didn’t waver, if anything he sounded even more excited. 

“It’s too much—”

He interrupted you with a tone so persuasive, “Okay fine, how about just a simple Hogsmeade date, then?”

You sighed at his persistence. It’s really getting too much. 

“Leander, it’s really sweet but—”

Suddenly, your conversation was interrupted by a looming shadow casted over the both of you. Glancing up, you saw Sebastian standing there with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

“I’m going to count to three, Prewett, and you are going to stand up and get your arse the fuck out of here.”  He demanded.

“What are you going to do about it if I don’t?” He was annoyed  by Sebastian's sudden intervention.

The brunette’s gaze was focused on the way Leander had his arms wrapped around your shoulder and the way his hand was caressing your arm at the same time. Then he stared dead into Leander's eyes, “You don’t want to find out.”

Somehow you found yourself caught in the middle of the sudden hostility. 

“Sebastian.” You warned him softly.

“Ignore him.” Leander didn't care for the threat. But Sebastian wasn’t having it and when Leander was ready to ignore him and continue his conversation with you, Sebastian grabbed him by his collar that it forced Leander to stand up, and he dragged the red haired boy away and slammed his back into a nearby pillar.

“I told you to fucking stand up and get out of here.” Sebastian scowled.

“Get your filthy hands off of me.” Leander attempted to shrug off Sebastian’s grip but it only grew tighter.

“Then you better get yours away from her.” His voice was so low and menacing. You had no idea what possessed him, because as aggressive as Sebastian could get he wouldn’t be so quick to resort to anything so recklessly physical unless it’s necessary— at least not anymore.

“Are you both out of your minds?” You stood beside the conflicting boys, “Stop being children or you will get into trouble.” The confrontation was drawing more attention from onlookers, and you could sense the tension rising. 

A crowd started gathering around to see what the fuss was about. Students nearby paused and turned their heads, curious about the commotion. Whispers and side conversations began to buzz through the group as they watched the confrontation unfold.

You felt a bit awkward with the sudden attention. The whole thing was getting more dramatic than you'd anticipated, and you just wanted to find a way to sort it out before it got worse.

“What is your problem, Sallow?” 

“You are the problem, Prewett. Can’t you take the hint?”

“It’s none of your business.” The Gryffindor boy was defensive— as anyone would be if someone just randomly shoved you into the wall and told you what to do. 

“It becomes my business when you decide to harass her.”

“You are making a scene. Stop it.” You warned them, hoping they would steer away from the conflict. But they were still too busy with each other.

“Trying to be a big hero, aren’t you? Protecting her?” Leander was clearly taunting him. Sebastian wouldn’t usually allow himself to be bothered by whatever nonsense Leander would do. But this time was different,  “She doesn’t need you. She can make her own decision.”

“And she did, when she said no.” Sebastian retorted sharply, “So back off.”

“If you are so worried about me taking her out then you should’ve asked her first. Don’t come here and act all heroic because you missed your chance.” Leander fired back, “If you weren’t such a coward—-”

There went the last cell of Sebastian’s brain that allowed him to think rationally when he decided to punch Leander in the face, sending the red-haired boy stumbling and his nose bleeding. 

“Sebastian!” You stepped in between them, trying to push Sebastian back behind the line he just crossed. His eyes were glaring and breaths were rather ragged from the anger, “What the fuck are you doing?”

After being punched unexpectedly, Leander's pride and dignity were hurt. He wouldn't tolerate being attacked without retaliating. He mustered all of his anger and frustration to punch Sebastian with all of his force. 

But before he could, Sebastian struck again, landing a second punch on his face. Leander stumbled backwards again, but this time he was quicker to get back on his feet and lunged forward, swinging his fists wildly. 

Sebastian was able to dodge a few of his blows, but Leander managed to land a couple of powerful punches on Sebastian's cheek. 

Sebastian stepped back, his face red from pain and anger. Now the two of them had no choice but to fight, and you had no choice but to look for some help. Luckily, it wasn’t long for you to reach Professor Hecat, because when you returned to the brawl, Leander was already pinned to the floor with Sebastian on top of him, landing more punches.

Professor Hecat swiftly casted a spell that immediately shoved both of them away from each other. 

The two boys stood there with battered faces and were later sent to the same detention as you.

You had no desire in conversing with idiots, so when the three of you shared the space on one of the library aisle, organising books, you gave all your might to ignore them, especially Sebastian.

You thought he’d left his impetuous behaviour back in the catacombs two years ago, but clearly you were wrong. The way you aggressively shoved books into places allowed Sebastian to notice that you were furious.

“I know you’re angry at me.” He said, breaking the silence.

“Oh really? Didn’t think you’d notice. I was being subtle.” You replied sarcastically.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what had gotten into me.” His voice was soft but outright, “You know I don't fight muggle-style.”

You remained cold. There was nothing about his apology that made you feel better. So you continued to ignore him and he tried to speak up again.

“Can we talk?” He pleaded but you ignored him. You picked up a stack of books and moved to the next aisle to shelve them in their proper places.

Sebastian followed you behind, not backing down, “I’m really, really, sorry.”

He seemed genuinely apologetic, but you were reluctant to give in. After all, his actions had caused this entire mess and resulted in the two boys getting detention.

You didn’t want to argue with him, but you couldn’t resist making a point.

“Tell that to Leander and his broken nose.”

Sebastian let out a scoff, “I’m not sorry about that.”

“Seriously Sebastian? You hit him first. He just reacted.” You turned to face him this time.

"He was harassing you," Sebastian defended himself, "I had to do something."

"Did you have to punch him in the face? Repeatedly?”

“Why are you defending him?” His tone was rising, "What do you expect me to do? Just stand by and let him flirt with you?"

“What is so wrong with that?”

“Because—” Then he stopped himself. Eyes flustered and flicked between yours like he was trying to gather his own thoughts. Then he let out a frustrated sigh,  “Leander is a self-oriented, self-indulgent, arrogant, selfish, insufferable jerk.”

You shook your head in disbelief and stared dead at him in the eye, “Well, right now it sounds like you were just describing yourself, Sebastian.”

Before you could say anything else, you left him alone in the aisle and this time he didn’t follow you.

—

It was Saturday morning, and while you had no classes to attend, you were still stuck with detention for a portion of the day. Not only did this eat into your weekend leisure time, but you also had to spend it without talking to Sebastian.

You sighed as you placed books somewhere in the corner of the library right where they belonged. 

Couldn’t help but think that spending your weekend somewhere in the castle, perhaps the undercroft, reading books and being alone together with Sebastian was where you belonged. 

Time sure felt lonely without his presence.

Then as if he could read your mind from miles away he showed up, “Do you like Leander?”

Shocked and confused by the sudden question you turned to find Sebastian standing at the end of the aisle.

His face was a patchwork of bruises and cuts, a visible reminder of the fight he had gotten into with Leander. A purplish bruise marred his cheek, and a small cut above his eyebrow was still fresh. Despite his battered appearance, his eyes were focused intently on you, filled with an intensity that made your heart skip a beat.

“What?” You asked.

“I spent the entire night thinking about you. I thought maybe you like Leander, because why did you defend him so much yesterday?” He rambled.

You opened your mouth to say something but Sebastian wasn’t finished.

“But then I thought, if you liked him, why did you want to repel him with the potion?” He continued, “And why did you reject him when he asked you out? Five times, over the past month.”

You opened your mouth again, but this time every single word you have learned seemed to have fallen over your head because not a single thing came to your mind.

There were two things that surprised you.

One, Sebastian spent the entire night thinking about you.

Two, Sebastian knew that Leander had been asking you out.

And your brain did not know which one to stress about first.

“You knew about Leander?” You finally said.

“We share every class everyday. You don’t think I’d notice?” He replied with another question, “He wasn’t subtle about it either. Was I not supposed to know?”

You fell quiet, unsure of what to say next. The more you opened your mouth, the more you found yourself with nothing to say. 

Sebastian waited for your response, but when it did not come, he continued, “Why did you keep rejecting him?”

You shrugged, slightly flustered, “Simply because I don’t want to go out with him.”

“Why did you not tell me about him, then?”

“It wasn’t worth mentioning,” you replied, avoiding his gaze.

“You’re kidding me, right?” Sebastian stared at you, as if he couldn’t believe your answer.

“It was pointless,” Your tone was rising slightly, “It’s not like I would ever date Leander. I wasn’t even giving him a second thought. So It doesn’t matter.”

Sebastian was silent for a beat before he spoke again. “It matters to me.”

Your pulse raced, and the air suddenly felt tighter.

Sebastian was staring at you, his eyes intent and penetrating. The silence stretched on, and you had to force yourself to look him in the eye

“Everything about you matters to me. You’re my best friend. We’re supposed to share everything, right?” He added, “Isn’t that what best friends do?”

As you stood there, guilt was eating you inside out. Your decision to leave him in the dark unexpectedly hurt him more than you thought. The look in his eyes was so unfamiliar you couldn’t pinpoint his emotion.

He took a step closer.

“Why do you care so much? It’s just Leander.”

“Don’t you get it?” He said softly, “It’s not about Leander. It’s about the fact that he’s been asking you out, flirting with you relentlessly, being so close with you.. in a way that is supposed to be only for me.”

You stood there, stunned. His words hit you like a bolt of lightning, and you felt a mix of shock and confusion wash over you.

Sebastian took another step towards you, his gaze steady and unbreaking, and it was piercing through your soul.

“It’s supposed to be just for me” He repeated the phrase as if he was talking to himself. The look in his eyes was intense, and you could feel how important this was to him.

A moment passed until you realised that you should respond. The longer you stayed silent, the worse it felt. So you spoke up, “Are you jealous?”

“Yes.” He simply replied.

His response set your body ablaze. You could feel your heart pounding in your throat.

“I was supposed to hate you, but instead I woke up that morning in the infirmary and I couldn’t be more sure that I am utterly and completely in love with you.” His voice dropped, “And when I saw you with Leander and hearing all the things that he said, I meant it when I told you I had no idea what had gotten into me but all I knew was every single cell in my body was on fire.”

You thought for sure your heart would explode as all of this sunk in. You had expected anything but a confession. Your heart was beating so fast and hard that you had to concentrate on breathing, or else it felt like you couldn't breathe.

“I spent the entire night thinking about all of the time we've spent.” He added, “I can't stop thinking about the sound of your laughter. The way you'd still genuinely laugh at the most unfunny joke I would tell. Or how your usual bright eyes would fall into a deep immersion when you read. And the way your delicate finger hovers over the edge of a page, turning it over.”

A smile tugged on the corner of Sebastian's lips as he recalled every little detail about you that only he would care about. The beat of your heart went faster with each syllable that came out of his mouth and every nerve in your body was shaking.

“I always wonder how the touch of those fingertips would feel on my skin,” There were so many things he wanted to say to you. Every detail of you that made him so desperately in love, “and how perfect your fingers would be intertwining with mine.”

For a moment, you were one-hundred percent sure this was all a dream. Because everything around you seemed so blurry and all of the sudden everything felt surreal. But when Sebastian took another step closer, and another until he was close enough to grab your hands and intertwine your fingers together, the haze dissipated. The way his touch alerted every single nerve in your body, you knew that this was real— he was real and he was in love with you.

The two of you stood there, inches apart, staring at each other with your emotions overflowing.

“We belong together.” You could see that his intensity and raw emotion was getting the better of him. His words were coming out quick and sudden, “I should’ve asked you out long before Leander did. Just another stupid mistake I made.”

He inched closer and closer until you felt Sebastian's breath on your lips, and your body trembled in anticipation. You took a deep breath and let yourself fall into the moment.

“You could’ve been too late, you know?” You whispered.

“Am I?”

You shook your head and smiled against his lips, “No, you’re not. I’ve been stupidly waiting for you.”

Sebastian's voice was soft and tender as he spoke again, “I’m glad we’re both stupid enough, then. And for many other things that make me glad you're finally mine."

“Even the potion?” You smirked.

“Especially the damn potion.” A smile spread across Sebastian's face.

Your breaths were laced with desire, and your thoughts went to the first kiss between the two of you were going to share. It felt surreal to have arrived at this moment that you had both anticipated for so long.

Your lips were close enough to touch. Your hearts were beating so loudly. And in this moment, it felt like a moment out of time.

When his lips met yours, the world seemed to melt away and everything else faded into the background. It was everything it had built up to be—hot and passionate and exciting.

You kissed him deeply and all was right with the world. Sebastian's hands wrapped around your back, and yours around his neck. 

Your senses were all focused on Sebastian, on the kiss and the way he made you feel. This was what you had been waiting for, and it was everything you dreamed of and more.

When you pulled away, your eyes were locked and you found yourselves smiling uncontrollably. There was nothing left to feel awkward or unsure of, and it felt as if a weight had been lifted.

Sebastian brushed his fingers through your hair. You were finally getting your happiness.

"I love you," He whispered against your lips.

“I love you, too.” you replied softly, brushing your noses together.

You spent the rest of the day making out in the deepest corner of the library, neglecting your detention. And when Madam Scribner found the two of you some time later, all dishevelled, you were granted another detention time.

But neither of you cared. Because it was all worth it.

In an extremely rare case, the Revulsaroma potion could have an unprecedented effect, completely opposite to its intended repelling nature. Rather than nullifying or weakening, the potion might paradoxically amplify and reinforce any existing strong positive feelings that the drinker harboured towards the potion-maker. Due to genuine and deep-seated love for the maker, the drinker might experience a surge of intense emotions that can be both overwhelming and consuming, such as, jealousy, protectiveness, and overwhelming affection.