#What foods help metabolism speed up

[personalcare-nheal]

How to Speed Up Metabolism After Drinking Alcohol?

Learn How to Speed Up Metabolism After Drinking Alcohol? With tips on nutrition, hydration, and healthy habits. #foods to boost your metabolism

[girlkisser13]

dating wally west would include

• he ADORES making you laugh. he just loves hearing the sound of your laughter.

• whenever he makes a joke he always looks at you to see your reaction.

• you always make sure that you are stocked up on food. but sometimes, you hide your favorite foods so that he doesn’t eat them.

• wally loves to take you on thrilling dates where he runs you to different cities or countries in a matter of seconds. a quick lunch in paris or a sunset view from the top of the himalayas becomes a regular thing.

• he will literally travel anywhere and get you something to make you feel happy.

• his boundless energy means he’s always up for adventures and activities. he keeps you on your toes, whether it’s impromptu dance parties or late-night ice cream runs.

• as someone with a high metabolism, wally is a big foodie. he loves trying out new restaurants, food trucks, and cuisines with you. he’s always hungry, so snack dates are a must.

• despite his playful nature, wally is fiercely protective of you. he’s always quick to jump into action if you’re in any danger, using his speed to ensure you’re safe.

• he loves to tease and joke around with you. his sense of humor keeps things light and fun, and he knows how to make you laugh, even on your worst days.

• despite his laid-back demeanor, wally is quite the romantic. he often surprises you with flowers, handwritten notes, and sweet gestures that show how much he cares.

• wally is deeply emotional (surprisingly) and cares deeply about the people he loves. he’s not afraid to show vulnerability with you, sharing his fears and hopes.

• this man is CLINGY. he literally tries to climb and cling to you like a monkey, even if you are smaller than him (not that you’re complaining though).

• if you’re shorter than him, he places all of your things on higher shelves just so that you have to ask him for help, receiving lots of forehead kisses and giving him lots of cheek kisses mainly on your tiptoes.

• if you’re taller than him, him getting pouty if you put his things higher up, him having more reasons to be clingy and "surprising" you by jumping on your back for piggybacks.

• wally enjoys keeping fit and loves to include you in his training sessions. he’ll tailor workouts to your level, and you two often end up having fun races or friendly competitions.

• wally's a book nerd. he speed reads every single book he reads. he loves sharing his favorite books with you and will read them out loud at super-speed, making sure you both can enjoy stories together quickly.

• he has a knack for fixing things at lightning speed. he loves doing diy projects around the house with you, whether it’s building new furniture, fixing broken items, or redecorating.

• he’s a HUGE fan of movie marathons. given his super-speed, he can watch an entire season of a show in a few hours, but he’s more than happy to slow down and binge-watch your favorite series or movie franchise with you.

• you guys constantly engage in competitions, whether it’s video games, sports, or even who can eat the most. he loves the friendly rivalry and always lets you win sometimes.

• wally loves holidays and goes all out for celebrations. he’ll decorate, cook, and plan activities to make each holiday special, whether it’s halloween, christmas, or even lesser known holidays.

• his love for science often translates into fun experiments at home. he enjoys sharing his knowledge with you and conducting safe, fun experiments that sometimes lead to hilarious or fascinating results.

• wally’s ability to travel anywhere in seconds means you two create incredible memories from all around the world. You’ll have countless stories and souvenirs from the various places you’ve visited together.

• he loves to sing along to music. he often ropes you into singing duets with him. it doesn’t matter if you’re a great singer or not; the fun and joy of singing together is what counts.

• despite his love for food, wally isn’t the best cook. you two often have hilarious cooking sessions where you try to follow recipes, sometimes with comically disastrous results, but always with lots of laughter.

• he LOVES surprising you with spontaneous dates. one moment you’re at home, and the next, you’re at a concert, a carnival, or a beautiful scenic spot. his creativity keeps your relationship exciting and unpredictable.

• need to get somewhere in a hurry? wally’s got you covered. whether you’re running late for work or need a quick ride to a friend’s place, wally is always ready to zoom you to your destination.

• he’s your own personal chauffeur. <33

[reality-detective]

Have you mixed dried powdered herbs or spices into raw honey?

This easy herbal preparation is called an electuary. It takes less then 5 minutes to make, is potent medicine, and tastes delicious.

Chai honey is shelf stable and can be mixed into warmed milk or water to create instant delicious digestive support.

Mix this Chai Honey into any warm beverage before bed to support your body as it rests and digests the food you consumed throughout the day.

🌿Cardamom supports digestion, improves circulation, alleviates gastrointestinal discomforts, and supports respiratory health.

🌿Cinnamon is warming and stimulates digestion and speeds up the metabolism. Cinnamon has been extensively studied and has been shown support neurological health…thus helping to prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

🫚 Ginger ….what cant this plant do? It supports any sort of gastrointestinal discomforts, helps get rid of bloating, eases smooth muscle cramps, and warms the body.

🌿Clove: Cloves stimulate digestive enzymes that help to break down food in your stomach and intestines. Cloves are an excellent spice to incorporate into your daily diet if you have bloating or gas.

Recipe:

1 cup raw honey

1 teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon clove powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix spice powders into raw honey. This Chai Honey can be left on the counter…because there was no water added it is shelf stable.

To use the honey: mix 1 teaspoon into warmed milk of choice. Add more if you like a spicy chai. 🤔

[i-have-a-goal]

I had said a few days ago I would be posting my tips on how I lose weight the fastest & how i got it done being in sports that enabled this ♡ so here I go:

Btw- just need to say this quickly- I don't condone this and get help if you are able to ♡ much luv

Okay with that here it is teehee:

☆ Okay so When I was in wrestling, we had to make sure we made weight- no if . If you were 6 lbs over then you had to find a way to lose 6lbs by Saturday. When I was put in this situation, some of the girls would 🤮 of course, but I wasn't a fan of the taste so I def took alternative routes such as

1. Calorie Deficit= DUH. Obv. Duh. For safety reasons I'm going to say 1,400 max (which isn't much In real life lol) but I would eat around 800-1,200 max for this. I wouldn't really say I watch what I eat, but I'm also not just downing pure doritos and mountain due. I'll have chips but I'll also eat fruits.

2. Working out/ cardio= I know.. it's a bummer isn't it? But I'm being 1000% honest with you, calorie deficit combined with hot cardio is the key to losing weight quickly. This is what we all did to make sure we were at the correct weight within 7 days. And it's not walk around the block or sit on the floor and do donkey kicks either... it doesn't have to be extremely intense, but you do want to make sure you're sweating the whole time. ☆ bonus points for putting on 2-3 jackets and pajama pants or hot sweats when u workout!! It does a lot of the job for you. For me, my go to would be using the treadmill (I don't even run girl I have it on level 3 and do this for 30 mins while listening to music and day dreaming about my cute skinny future self- and I still sweat like crazy) I also do the same thing on a indoor bike. Like I said, it doesn't have to be sprints or anything crazy , just something that keeps you moving enough to be hot = sweat. Think of jumping Jacks, planks, butterfly kicks, ladder climbs, etc. Also if you have a jacket with a Hoodie, def tie the hoodie secured so u can sweat more! It works I promise.

3. if you have the time, try to workout whatever you just ate sooner than later. For example, ate an apple? That's 95 cals, nothing a 25 minute walk can't burn off 👍🏻

4. DRINK YOUR WATER. I know everyone says it BUT there's a reason they do okay. Water keeps your lips hydrated and soft. Water will keep your body hydrated, water will help keep you full (to an extent if im going to be honest) if you feel hungry after drinking water, try sucking or chewing on ice- water's cousin ♡ they go hand in hand. Also- I add chia seeds to my water for the fiber and mint leaves with lemon and Cucumber in another ( I have different cups) the mint drink helps with bad breath (from not eating) AND speeds your metabolism = lose weight faster. I also drink green tea for the same benefits + 0 calories so yay ♡

5. FOOD EXAMPLES. Chances are, If you're too focused on how hungry you are and how much it sucks that you can't have fatty foods- you'll break. You won't succeed. So let's make it as beautiful as we can. By that I mean the dishes you make. Some popular dishes we would do within the sport was 6-8 leafs of big crunchy Romaine lettuce with lemon and salt over them. That's around 10-15 calories. Another one was thin slices of tomatoes with salt. Get creative and add seasoning if needed ✨️ if you like spicy food then you're in luck cause adding spice to anything fills u up quicker:-) a good spicy choice I do is steamed garbanzo beans with tapatio. Another good (non spicy) option is steamed artichoke with light Mayo! Get fancy here guys yall can steam so many vegetables and have so many nice looking meals 😊

6. STAY CONSISTENT = I know it's easier said than done, but when you're about to grab that pizza, understand that you're conscious enough to make the decision to not eat it. If your body is fighting with your brain, then you have to trick one of them. Yes, be delulu. Tell yourself it isn't good. Tell yourself the pizza is just another thick slab of grease with artificial cheese over it. Think of how you'll feel once you eat it. Think of the grease lard and calories you're shoving down your throat. Convince yourself it's disgusting. Eventually, you will find it disgusting. And this can work the opposite way as well ✨️ glorify thin slices of fruit. The satisfying way it feels to eat low calorie naturally sweetened fruits from earth. Same with veggies and water and anything 0 calories.

If I have any other advice ( which I'm sure I do I can't just think at the moment!! Smh) then I'll be posting them on this account so follow me for more content but if there's 1 thing to take from all this, it's this:

Self-discipline & self-control

So many of us don't get to our goal weights because of these 2 right here. Find the self control to not eat the food your family brought home. Find the self discipline to carry on your good habits of eating minimal & healthy and gradually make your way to the end goal ✨️

I believe in you all! We got this, one day at a time 💕

[raineyana]

What is your normal grocery list? I’m about to be living at a dorm and I am looking for stuff to stock up on, I can’t really keep frozen foods though

i actually dont even cook all that much so i dont keep a lot of frozen foods either. this is my regular list when i go, usually weekly.

FASTING FOODS

okay so youre probably like. raine you arent supposed to eat anything when you fast. hear me out bc this is how i consistently fast a 20-4 schedule everyday, with a lot less binges than before, AND getting all of the benefits of fasting. and yeah, i still binge from time to time, but my binges are far less because my stomach actually cannot handle being fed over 1000 calories anymore, especially not all at once.

these are my ESSENTIALS so theyre pretty much the only things i consistently buy weekly.

cucumbers

chicken broth (0cal kind)

seaweed snacks

pickled ginger

tea (any, but i like trying new flavors ! my favorite is lemon ginger because it helps digestion, and green tea because it speeds up your metabolism. also a lot healthier than diet coke with the same amount of caffeine, also less likely to spike your blood sugar and kick you out of ketosis- which will make your cravings for food much worse)

...dont get me wrong i couldnt live without diet coke. but sometimes ill go for the healthier option.

why i eat these foods while i fast

these are foods that have extremely low cals and carbs (like less than 2 grams per/serving) so they wont kick you out of ketosis (which is the major benefit to fasting, where your body burns fat at a higher rate). when youre in ketosis, your body stops sending you as many cravings, which is why sometimes it feels easier to fast 24 hours after you last ate as opposed to 3 hours.

because i spend the majority of my time fasting, (and i would never be able to do that without these foods) i go through these items pretty quick.

but otherwise i only have to buy other healthy foods on a biweekly or even monthly basis, because i wont eat them as fast ! heres some things i rotate through depending on how sick of them i am lol.

regular food

built bars - essential for me. tons of protein, less sugar than other bars, and relatively low cal.

somebody on here introduced me to these and im soo glad they did. i dont remember who but if youre seeing this ilysm.

tuna creations packets - rly good for on the go, tons of flavors, lots of protein so they're really filling for only being 70-90cals depending on the flavor

blueberries + apples - so hard to over eat these two items, plus fiber

rice cakes - self explanatory

pistachios or sunflower seeds - great for curbing hunger, but im a little sick of them rn

a low cal air popped popcorn - i forget which brand i have rn, but its pretty good and has a lot of fiber.

chobani yogurt + yogurt protein drinks (50cal) - the fact that these r 50cals amaze me for how good they taste. the yogurt drinks are my favorite bc theres actually a shit ton of protein and taste pretty good without actually having to make myself a protein shake. the cookies and cream and peaches and cream are my favorites ive tried. good for breaking a fast with.

thats all i can think of atm ! sry for the fucking essay i hope this was a little helpful at least.

typing this out manically made me realize im a little crazy. i cant say with my whole chest that you should listen to me and my d1sordered thoughts, but i think everyone on here knows that already so... uh

please be kind to yourselves. take ur vitamins (even while fasting) i genuinely love you all every one of you fucked up bitches like me.

goodnight <3

[bigfan-fanfic]

Speed and Skill (Kryptonian!Male Reader x Barry Allen)

Kryptonian!male reader x Cw Barry Allen 😍, simple dating headcanons maybe

Barry is a pretty smart guy - smart enough that he has the requisite common sense to date a Kryptonian.

He knows almost instinctively to avoid surprising you with touch, to keep ambient noise down, to avoid the usual sensitive vibrations that can irritate and overload you.

And later on in the relationship, you two can have conversations in super speed, and literally can make all the time in the world for each other.

But for now, you settle on both using your powers to make things easier.

Getting takeout is so much better when the food can arrive nearly instantly.

You can fly Barry to scenic views or other cities for activities!

Not to mention that Barry's position with STAR Labs means he can help you determine limits to your powers and help develop quality of life gadgets to help alleviate the sensory input your solar-radiation-enhanced receptors give.

Plus, it's nice to be with someone who GETS it.

Neither of you can get drunk, and caffeine has no effect. Barry may not be functionally invulnerable, but his body has a high tolerance for friction, which also tends to mean he doesn't get hot as easily, like you.

You both look normal, but are just so beyond it.

And Barry gets to be himself around you, not just the Flash or Barry Allen the normal guy, but the person between the two, who can speed around the kitchen and dance to music as he makes a snack.

Barry enjoys going out for food dates, since his metabolism means he's almost always in need of refueling, especially if he's not eating the supplemental energy bars that Cisco provides him.

So cafes, getting a couple of appetizers at a restaurant, hanging out and chatting - those are the usual dates.

At some points, it can be fun to like, go to fairs together and enjoy the atmosphere and walk together - although for short times since your senses can overwhelm you.

With your immense strength, it's also fun to pick up Barry whenever you like, and he enjoys being lifted like nothing

Dating Barry is fun, with moments of surprising depth.

With his cheerful personality, it's easy to forget sometimes that his mother died at such a young age and he's lived with his father in jail most of his life.

But Barry understands the world and the darker things, and isn't afraid to talk things out when they get rough - he believes in the value of communication and working things out

He'll back off if you're not wanting to talk, but if he can sense something bothers you, he'll definitely wanna see if you need to talk.

But he also does see the value of light and fun, and is so willing to have happy dates, inviting you to watch old musicals with him and dance, or go out on hikes or something.

Plus, Barry's got a lot of similar problems to you, as his powers also require intense focus and training to ensure he doesn't inadvertently speed, so he can share tips and stuff.

So really, he does understand a lot of what you know you can't quite share with someone else.

Plus he admires you so, both for you and for your powers, and you can tell with certainty that he sees you for you.

He'll often kiss your fingers with so much tenderness and softness it could make you cry, because he knows that you can crush diamonds like they were made of sugar, and he chooses to show you softness anyway.

Barry, you can already tell, loves you.

And it's because of that understanding and softness.

(And also because you can hear his heartbeat around you)

[brucewaynehater101]

man, my *pressing ask only to go wait holy shit!!* is getting out of hand

◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤

Ranger and DigiDestinedhood hammers home to the team that as good as saving people is, secret identities are a paaain, but a nessecery pain

But they would never trade it for the world

◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤

Tim arguably has it easier than everyone else when it comes to identity shenanigans. He has no powers, and thus no expectation to become a hero himself.

Inheriting Drake Industries and maintaining it will be a chore. However, if he plays his cards right, he can get digimon on his playrole to act in his stead when he can get away with remote work

The company still has motives to profit, but when it comes to it's non-profit organization and welfare departments? Policies to keep them at top quality are aggresively enforced.

It will also heavily invest in technology, particulary regarding the internet in ways that benefit his team's mission and the digital world

A good percentage of remote workers aren't even physical, but nobody except seven needs to know that

Plus Drake Industries will grow like never before. He can spout loads of bullshit to the press as to how but his team knows the truth

The Digital World and his Digital employees

The Batfamily are the main source of his worries, but he's got things under control

◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤

What Tim doesn't have to worry about is passing for (wholly) human. Becoming a Power Ranger of the Digivision negated his 100% human percentage, but minus some scares and precautions here and there, nobody will realize he's an unordinary human boy

He can provide support and even ways to help them hide their more extraordinary traits, employ Digimon support, but there's only so much he can do

◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤

Thorn can't help being frightened whenever Luthor is their foe, when Superman is front of him congragulating on a job well done

When Superman questions his frozen still state, he just says that he's a huge fan and can never believe it when he sees the super

"But I understand that I should see the man under the cape, not just the symbol, and I'll do my best to do so."

And he thought just seeing them on the screen or in the distance was bad

It's a frightening, but easy to take of the kryptonite when in Ranger form, and his friends and people are in danger, and embrace his powers to save the day, clumsy as he is at it

It's going to be a long time coming when he stops wearing kryptonite under his clothes, in his pockets outside of training, no matter how much better his body feels without it, and let himself be witness to so much agony in his civillian life

When Superman asks Data Ranger is also a Kryptonian?

When Superman stares down Thorn with both of them knowing full well they know that the other knows that they know?

"You're my clone"

Thorn can taste his death through the very kryptonite he's indulged a life's comfort in. Compared to what's more likely?

He'd much prefer that

◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤

Speedster metabolism is a straight up liability when you're trying to keep yourself secret

Bart wasn't pretending he didn't exist persay, just one of the more instrumental parts of himself

The Flash family was sniffing around since news about the Vaccine Ranger and the speed force first popped up. Please stay away thank you. And thank you Batman paranoia!

Sucked how the most crash parts of his life circled around to being mode--- oh hey his favorite store just opened!

Bart had to be very, very careful not to speed. Which was utterly mode in his books but it's crash in the long run

Tl;Dr?---he liked this time and world's slang---Tim is having him and Thorn live at his place since they're homeless otherwise, and the press sucks! But living with Tim comes with a rad allowance he can spend on all the food and snacks he wants

Tim was working on getting revolutionary food preservation tech and other tech and GMOs made so Bart would never want for anything that satiated his hunger and taste buds again

but for now he'd have to settle for shopping

"How many parties are you buying for?" the cashier asked

"I've made it a career," he jested

And if he used the speedforce to give him a tip of bills adding up to hundred with a note of "keep the change :D --signed party boy"?

Sue him, Gotham was mode!---No offense Tim---people needed all the help they could get here

◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤

Cassie arguably has it harder than the rest of her team from a certain view

What's stopping Zues or anybody else affiliated with him in anyway from flying down from the heavens and declaring her own divinity for everyone to hear?

What's keeping her from being forced into a spotlight or duties at the wave of a hand?

Pouring through texts for anything---anything!---that could conceal demigodhood, she mentally noted down anything that boosted luck as well. Knowing anything, she'll need it

She looked up to see that the digimon helping her were barely making more progress than her

So much for the ✨Age of Information!✨ she thought

◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤

Tl;Dr --- The Digital Division don't want their civillian identities compromised because it could compromise their allies

And they aren't to inclined to willingly share their identities to anybody outside of the Digital Division

If they manage to not compromise their allies, the prospect of being forced into another superheroism identity and thus be forced to juggle three secrety identities is something they don't want

Also rip Thorn with his unreliable narration. Lies and mental illness are a bitch!

◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤

Hey maybe the team expands the Digital Division to have its own social worker department of sorts aimed at helping the community

Maybe it's the start of the digital world and real world coming together as one, or maybe a different approach is taken

One must wonder the public and real world's reaction to the existence of the digital world

◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤

Also Bart and Terriermon would probably use a bunch of Digital World slang in the future addition to real world future slang, where as the present Digital World uses their own terms, another way of displaying their displacement in time

Also Tim would probably have Bart and Thorn stay at the Drake Manor since they're a bit homeless and maybe he arranges Helena and his parents to meet if they haven't already so Cassie can have an excuse to come and stay over whenever

Thorn and Bart staying at Tim's place is great! I like the addition here of the Digital Division kind of treating other heroes as pests. They are basically trying to shoo away anyone who's trying to figure out their identity.

I bet Batman is going nuts. He can't really track/follow them into and out of the digital world. Maybe he tries to get Oracle to help? Wonder how that would go.

I'm also vibing with the digital employees and Tim continuing to be the CEO for D.I.

Overall, the concept is cool as hell!

[sonicfanthenightfury5099]

What Dating a Wolfman! Billy Loomis would include:

Note: I've been doing a lot of Werewolves, so here's an HC for my Scream AU Billy where he and Stu (Wink wink)are the Woodsboro Werewolves and your his lady.

Smut Mentioned Minors DNI

He's more hairy during Autumn cause his curse is focused around the Autumn moon and bloom of Wolf's Bane during late summer to late Autumn

Mood swings during Autumn, one minute, he's chilled, and the next he's pissed off.

He may infect you with the Lycanthorpy he has if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, or he done it on purpose (He did it to Stu a year prior)

Don't squeeze his scared left shoulder. It's always hurts when the nerves randomly acted up their.

During autumn, he can change at will when the Moon is out. Depending on which phase the healing process is either strong or weak. Bandaging his wounds would definitely be a plus in his book

Hair, Hair Everywhere on the floor, the hallway, Even in the closet. HOW DOES IT MULTIPLE?!!!

Billy will be napping one minute the next he's on his feet again. He actually fell asleep in class once or twice

Cuddling time is personal napping on you time. Hearing your heart beat as he sleeps while a movie plays

Taking notes on them Werewolf films, especially the classic ones The Wolfman, An American Werewolf In London and The Howling

Always pop painkillers when he's going to transform. (Helps with the pain.)

Comes home bloody from hunting in the Woods with Stu. (That gif shows what he does when he gets home.)

Definitely can be a dick when his mood is grumpy, but if he's like that with you. You're getting your slipper to let him know you mean business

(NSFW) He gets horny at some points during his hunting. He's hard when he comes home to wrek havoc in the bedroom.

(NSFW) He's not stopping till he had enough of your pussy. It will be a mess down there from the mix of your juices and Billy's cum

(NSFW) He's not hesitant to fuck you I his Wolfman form, he's Big but not too big to tear your holes into one big one. (A trip to the ER if that would happen)

Yeah, he's definitely sleeping with his friend as well as you. (If you're ok with a 3-way relationship)

Like the other Werewolf slashers, Billy's definitely eating portions of food during the Autumn days due to his metabolism is in overdrive due to his Lycanthropy

Is OK with bathing by himself to clean last night's activities, but a surprise couple bathing is a win in his book

Speed is doubled, and you'll be outrunned when you go on a jog

Woken up to the smell of his ranced morning breath is something you'll close his mouth up cause of it

[robbie-roo]

hi would you like to perhaps trade modern animal facts for dinosaur facts.........

WOULD I????

Did you know cats have whiskers on their feet it's right up near their topmost toe it helps them figure out where to pounce when hunting

Shrews are cool as FUCK so because they are so small they need to have a very high metabolism- small body = loses heat faster some of them are as small as almonds!!! they are incredibly powerful hunters and can hold a territory that can be up to over 600 yards!!!! they have to eat a LOT to keep up with their high metabolism so when they hunt they will kill something and leave it there if they manage to catch something else before they finish eating and only once they no longer have any prey to catch will they eat their stockpile, the bodies of their kills are usually stacked up together. Shrews also have super fast heart and breath rates they lose heat super fast and their heart can be up to 800 bpm and their breath up to 500/minute Shrews live in high altitude and climates so how are they keeping their body warm? they use the snow as an insulater! they'll burrow under the snow and use it as a way to keep the heat inside their tunnels. when a shrew is pregnant they will eat a lot more a 7lb shrew will eat 8lbs of food for example- and their milk can shift through lactation for nutrition (colostrum and weaning milk for example)

speaking of reproduction- just like bees male mouse opossums will die right after mating- as they reach their sexual maturity they will go into overdrive they won't eat and have a very high stress level males of this species very rarely survive more than a year

you might know that all animals (aside from primates/humans) have an extra layer in the back of their eye called the tapetum lucidum, this is what eye shine is ot helps soak in light when in the dark

speaking of vision teehee

only primates have trichromatic vision most mammals only have dichromatic vision where they lack the cone rods to see green/yellow colors

ok so hearing right? so most animals other than us have pinna which makes it so their ears can move towards sound but mammals also hear different frequencies like I'm sure you've heard about how cats talk to their kittens in a different way than older cats? humans do that too! when we use baby talk for pets or children but some animals speak out of our frequencies entirely for example mice will sing to each other to find mates!

OK more specific animal facts- beavers are SICK ok so their skulls look like this

see that giant open space behind their front teeth? they use that space to suck in their cheeks to create a blockage and make sure they don't get wood chips down their throat when chomping on trees for their dams

bats have little tiny bumps on their wings for wind turbulence

some fish have electroreception which is when you can sense electric currents by other organisms with like open channels on their cells but so can MOLES!!!

baby cheetas are born with extra fur and slightly different markings to look more like Hyena pups so that they are less likely to be attacked by them

speed round- farm edition (because I was an animal educator at a farm for years)

goats are immune to poison ivy and you can still drink their milk after

horses only breathe through their nose they can't breathe from their mouths

domestic sheep HAVE to be sheared every year as they will just continue to grow wool forever and ever until death

llamas are super clean animals a llama herd will designate one specific area for pooping they're also super good guard animals and are used to kill foxes going after chickens sometimes

emus can run 31mph (the one I worked with named Mu was also mean as hell but they can be super sweet)

bunnies sleep with their eyes open as they are prey animals they also will almost always poop as they are eating and must be eating or at least offered food nearly 24/7 or they will die similar to a shrew

goat horns are connected directly to their skulls and they LOVE when you scratch in-between them for them :)

most animals have a baculum (penis bone) except us and herbivores [that was an adult group fact not a children group fact]

I'll leave it there for now but I always have more >:)

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #108

J is sick with food poisoning today, most likely from the pizza he ate at the nearby Stewart's Shop. We have a lot of Stewart's Shops where I live; they're kind of a local chain. This will be the second time he has gotten sick from this particular shop's pizza, though. It's not normal; I should probably let someone there know that food safety procedures are not being properly followed.

J spent most of this morning exploding from both ends. Then after that he was sleeping. M and I went to the store to grab him up some Pedialyte (this is an electrolyte drink where I live; it's important to replenish fluids and electrolytes when you're losing them so rapidly). I also got him some coconut water. If I was a little less scatterbrained, I would have remembered to get him some applesauce. But I didn't. I kinda feel like an idiot, but I don't have to pay that any heed; it's just leftover noisy thoughts from a time when I would have been called inconsiderate, stupid, and uncaring for forgetting, and I don't have to kneel to that sort of thing anymore.

I used the coconut water to make J some cream of rice. When someone is sick, it's important to make sure they get at least a little bit of food that has easily accessible nutrients in it. Rice has a lot of starches that are easily accessible and metabolized by the body, and coconut water has a variety of useful nutrients in it. I seasoned it with a little cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. The ginger is there to help soothe the stomach a little, and the rest are there just because he thinks those things taste good. I then added a bit of honey (to keep his blood sugar levels from plummeting) and just a little molasses (rich in minerals) and Himalayan salt (for the iron). I served it with a little bit of yogurt on the side for a little protein and some probiotics to help balance out any disruption to his intestinal flora as a result. I'll show you a few pictures…

He ate a little, but he wasn't able to keep it down - not yet. But maybe that's not so bad; some of the offending pizza came out along with it, and that's probably for the better. Sometimes when the body ingests something bacteria-laden, the best option for it is to purge it, for better or for worse.

He slept for a long time. I kept watch just in case he needed anything. Meanwhile, I wrote things - mostly mundane descriptions of various sorts. Nothing to write home about, but even if it was, I still can't tell you yet, because it isn't done. It probably won't be done for a VERY long time, even if I work steadily for 8 hours every day; I have to do everything from scratch, and I don't have anyone helping me. I'm sorry about that…

J is now awake and he seems to be feeling marginally better. I'm still going to keep watch; that's what you do when someone you care about is sick. I am nearby just in case he needs anything. I am nearby, paying attention, so that I can know what he needs before he even has to ask.

Oh. I also forgot to mention. We had a small earthquake today. Apparently, there was a 4.8-magnitude earthquake somewhere in Tewksbury, New Jersey. By the time the wiggles from that reached where I live, it was enough to shake my house just a little (what a weird feeling!), but not enough to break anything or cause anything to fall down. Mostly it just felt like my whole house was withstanding a very strong breeze for about 30 seconds.

The epicenter was here, I guess:

Curious, I pulled it up on Google Maps just to see what the area looked like; I put a pin at about (but not exactly; I'm probably more than a little off!) the location of the epicenter:

...I kinda wanna go over there, but I'm not really sure why. And, for sure, I don't wanna go over there badly enough to make a 2-hour-and-43-minute (probably longer because I adhere strictly to the speed limit, no matter who tailgates me; D was killed by a speeder...) car trip by myself over there. Still, I hope everyone over there is safe...

Hey, Sephiroth? Have you ever had food poisoning? If you have, I hope someone was nearby to help you through it; it's thoroughly unpleasant stuff. The food poisoning part definitely sucks, but the part where someone loves you and cares about you enough to help you until it's over is pretty swell, I think. If you've not experienced the second part there, I hope you get to experience it someday soon.

I am still on watch, so I am going to write more descriptions of things.

I love you. I'll write again soon. Please stay safe…

Your friend, Lumine

[skinnyicedlatte555]

Skinni minni tips!

TW, below is info that relates to an ed

I recently shared these tips with a mutual and I thought I should share them as well! In the past two weeks, I've basically dropped roughly 3kgs (sorry I'm not sure what that is in lbs) but as someone who legit could never see that number drop, it finally is — after changing my habits and taking things seriously.

1. eat lots of fruits, I love them anyways so they aren’t too difficult to eat for me personally - for example, I like to chop up a bowl of strawberries or a bowl of grapes. a tip with this is to use a smaller bowl for smaller portions (pics of mealspo always have small bowls too)

2. veggies!! cucumbers chopped up are very filling and delicious. I sprinkle some salt on top for some extra flavour. also celery, carrots, etc whatever you like. fruits and veggies are all basically low cal.

3. heapsss of water, carry a drink bottle with u. drink water between bites of food.

4. sugar-free drinks to subside hunger pangs. sometimes I get anxious or bored and I just want to sit in bed and eat something (even if I’m not hungry) having a nice drink is good to help with this. this could be sugar-free monsters, diet coke or any sugar-free soft drinks, or sugar-free iced tea. they also taste pretty spot on to regular drinks if not better.

5. chew slowly and really enjoy your food. you will start to notice that you’ll feel fuller.

6. green tea helps with hunger pangs and helps with speeding up metabolism

7. lemon water, cut up a lemon and drop it into a cup of ice cold water - also helps with hunger pangs

8. it is very hard at first, I'll admit — you'll find yourself quite hungry but if you persevere, your body becomes used to the amount of food you're eating and your appetite begins to become naturally smaller. you might even find yourself not craving food as much. take it from me who craved chocolate, sweets, fast food all the damn time. I had a small bite of a piece of chocolate yesterday and felt full! trust me on this one.

9. don’t stress too much if you accidentally eat too much or binge!! there’s always tomorrow.

10. and lastly, take care and always be safe. make sure to always listen to ur body. :))

[weepylucifer]

i see your 'steban can't button his shirt anymore', whimper a little, and raise 'harry has a huge increase in appetite when he tries to get sober and always offers kim some of his snacks and so people don't really notice compared to wild boar of a man harry du bois but kim ends up having to retire the bomber jacket'

yes and i present also: steban being able to button his shirt, but only just. it's really tight on him and the buttons are under some strain. it's really showing off his belly and tits. pants are getting tighter too. and he's just squirming a bit, absentmindedly wondering why all his clothes are feeling ill-fitting and uncomfortable lately. uli is perched on the little couch just trying not to openly salivate

AS FOR HARRY AND KIM. of course!! "harry gets skinny, that's how being healthy works" is on my worst takes list. harry ought to get softer, plumper and rosier with drinking less often. harry ought to be the shape that mall santas dream of. and still running around as usual of course! and loading up on carbs during his lunch break bc all that running requires energy, which can't come from speed anymore. also nice food means happy echem

kim is interesting bc his relationship to food has the potential to be very complex. he grew up an orphan during revachol's most horrible years in recent history, he might've had some oliver twist ass childhood, you'd think he'd eat at any opportunity. but he's very reluctant to share food with harry unless harry can spin it into a kind of "i want it to cement our bond as police partners" thing. if you pester him too much he even slaps the sandwich to the ground, which is very telling as to his character, his pride and by what means he can be convinced to loosen up. i think once he truly trusts harry, and they know each other a bit better, he'll take food from harry bc "oh it's helping harry feel better". and it DOES! it would make harry feel like he accomplishes something in the relationship, it's not just kim helping him with everything, he can do little favors for kim too, like sharing a snack or some candy

kim would be completely aware he's putting on weight. i don't think he'd super mind tho, as long as he's still in shape and can keep up with harry on the job. he doesn't seem vain in that way. he'd be all "this is to be expected at this age, the metabolism slows down" and it helps that harry probably likes the way it looks on him. maybe he'll find another vaguely symbolic cool jacket and it's all good. plus he's pretty good at tailoring his own clothes already

[lethalrexie]

just saying if you can’t l0se we!ght and you’re complaining it’s just because you’re either not disciplined enough or don’t have enough self control. (unless your life circumstances literally don’t allow it) i’m l0sing about 1!b per day (give or take depending on water intake) due to pretty 8 much factors. SORRY I TALK SO MUCH 😦

1. keep your e@ting window as small as possible aka eat to live don’t live to eat (the r3xie motto 🤪). i’m f@sting minimum 16:8 and i try to extend that. but major thing is don’t beat yourself up if you can’t make it 16hrs and be happy the days you can make it longer!! esp if your just starting out.

2. stay low c@l. i’m trying my best to stay under 500 c@l/day. and consume that how it works for you. if five 100 c@l snacks over 8 hrs work best some days that’s ok. if OMAD works best, great! my mom is a dietitian and i promise, eating a little of each food group (dairy, carb ik scary, protein, veg & fruit) will help your metab which in the long run will help you l0se more weight.

3. don’t do long term fasts. i’d say up to a week with liquids is okay. but long term fasts can lower your metabolism, deplete electrolytes, and sodium, which long term is going to bloat you, keep weight on, and overall make you feel like shit (which could lead to hospitalization)

4. don’t eat refined sugar or refined foods. do literally AS MUCH AS YOU CAN to eat sugar free and whole foods. i have a major sweet tooth so i turn to sugar free jello/pudding, sf caramels, halo top ice cream if i REALLY need it. otherwise i do sweet fruit and veggie based substitutions for carbs. i use cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, or there’s these great hearts of palm noodles.

5. eat tons of fiber!! i add unflavored benefiber to a lot of my drinks (the flavored ones have added sugar). i honestly could promise you that fiber will help with shedding !bs.

6. drink as much water as you possibly can. yes you can become over-hydrated so add electrolytes or legit just a lil salt to your water here n there. but your body is going to retain water (!bs), and bloat if you are dehydrated.

7. stay distracted! discipline and hunger may hurt now, regret and guilt are going to hurt 50x worse later. get some motivational phrases, tactics, distractions, that work for you and RELY ON THEM. water, i use mio in mine when i’m desperate, gum, diet soda, bubbly water, reading, tv, ANYTHING. i have other reblogs with some good motivational tactics. i also look at th!nspø as well as pics of my own body multiple times per day to keep me on track.

8. exercise if you are mentally & physically able to. i have some other limiting factors which make me unable to go to the gym or get as many steps in as id like. an avg day is 2k-5k steps for me rotting on the couch. i PROMISE like 100% money back guarantee (ik you’re not paying me but istg if there was a r3xie program 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE) your diet is 1,000,000 more important than any exercise you’re going to get in. exercise will help with toning so i try to get some laying ones done on the couch but dude you burn calories just existing. so if you eat lower than that which is 1k-2k (you can look it up it’s your TDEE) you will lose weight. give it time.

essentially there’s many different tactics, routes, strategies whateva to l0sing weïght. do what works best for you and give it time. you will not lose 30!bs overnight. just make sure to take your supplement and stay safe <3 I’m currently taking one called “obvi. BURN” it has collagen in it + a bunch of stuff that’s speeds up metab. idk if it’s actually doing anything for my metab but the collagen is amazing.

***special mention: incorporate foods/drinks that speed up your metab. coffee, green tea, spicy foods (pepper, cayenne pepper), cinnamon, B12 there’s sooo many***

[flowercrown-bard]

Not a Real Marriage

(arranged marriage au - part 16)  

previous part / masterpost /  ao3

word count: 10700

Geralt wasn’t sure what he had expected Jaskier to look like the morning after an evening spent drinking with his brothers. If he was being completely honest, he didn’t expect to see much of Jaskier at all. He must be sporting quite the headache after last night, considering even Geralt with his witcher-metabolism had quite the ringing in his head this morning. If he hadn’t had duties to fulfil - and Vesemir’s dressing-down to look forward to if he neglected to do his tasks for the day - he would have stayed in bed until midday. Jaskier, however, looked rosy cheeked and surprisingly well rested, when Geralt bumped into him on his way back from feeding the chickens. 

For some reason, Jaskier was bundled up in several layers of clothes Geralt had lended him over the weeks. The red scarf he was wearing was so big that Jaskier’s nose barely peeked out. 

“Going somewhere?” Geralt asked, ignoring the hammering behind his temples. 

“I am,” Jaskier replied cheerfully. “At least I hope so.”

“Hmm?” 

“I believe I’ve been promised to be shown around the mountain? We haven’t done it yet and Vesemir said that the snowstorms are going to start soon so we don’t have much time left to go out.”

Geralt blinked. “You want to go on that ride today?”

“If you’re amenable. I would love to.”

Where Jaskier’s cheeks weren’t hidden away by the scarf, they turned a lovely shade of red. Geralt’s heart picked up speed and he did his best to blink away the misery of a hungover morning. He would be damned if he missed the chance of going on a ride with Jaskier because of a stupid thing like a hangover. 

“Yes,” he said quickly and with a little teasing smile added, “It would be a shame if you had to get undressed again after going through all the trouble of putting on all those clothes.”

“I wouldn’t mind getting undressed,” Jaskier muttered, the words muffled by the scarf. 

Geralt choked, forcibly forbidding his thoughts from straying into dangerous territory. Instead he focused on thinking of places he could show Jaskier. 

“Meet me at the gate? I need to get my cloak and get Roach saddled.” He waited for Jaskier to nod his agreement, before he turned away. After a couple of steps, he paused again. “Is there anything I should pack? Food? Some wine maybe?”

“No wine,” Jaskier said quickly. 

Geralt’s lips quirked up. Ah, so Jaskier wasn’t immune to the effects of a night of revelry after all. Jaskier was a brilliant actor, if he could just pretend to have a clear head this morning. 

“Are you sure you want to do this today?” Concern crept into Geralt’s posture. “We can do this some other time when you don’t have a headache.” 

He glanced out of a nearby window. The sky was already filled with snow-heavy clouds. Vesemir was right. They didn’t have much time until they would be trapped inside the Keep. 

“I don’t.” Jaskier grinned boyishly. “Vesemir gave me a cure for the headache. And a lecture about drinking with Lambert.” He let out a chuckle that warmed Geralt’s insides even more than the alcohol had warmed him the night before. “I take it he didn’t extend the same courtesy to you?”

Geralt snorted. 

“No. He thinks if he doesn’t help us with the headaches, we’ll learn some sort of lesson.”

“How lucky you are,” Jaskier said theatrically, as he reached into the pockets of his cloak, “to have a husband as charming and persuasive as me. Catch!” Without further warning, he tossed something to Geralt, who reacted on instinct. He caught the small bottle mid-air, popped the cork and sniffed. It smelled like bitter herbs. 

“What did you do to get him to give you this?” Geralt asked, perplexed and downed the tincture in one go. He shuddered at the bitter taste, but it would be worth it, if it meant he’d get to fully enjoy the day with Jaskier. 

“I told him that I wanted to go out today and that you wouldn’t be able to protect me if you had a hangover - and surely it wouldn’t be great for the treaty if I got hurt.”

Geralt lifted a brow. “Really? You played the political consequences card?” “Of course not. But I did tell him about my plans for the day and he agreed that it would be better if you didn’t have a headache for that.”

“Should I be concerned about your plans?” 

“Not at all,” Jaskier said, something tentatively soft entering his voice. “I think - I hope you’ll like them.” “I’m sure I will.”

He lingered another moment, unwilling to leave Jaskier, despite knowing that he’d see him again right away. 

He shook himself and went on his way to get ready. He rushed through getting dressed appropriately for the weather, though he refused to be hectic around Roach, as he saddled her. When he led her to the gate, Jaskier was already waiting for him, bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation. When he caught sight of Geralt walking towards him, his face lit up. It almost reminded Geralt of their wedding day. Only this time, it was their choice to come to each other and Geralt didn’t feel like being led to the gallows. 

It was only when Jaskier began to fiddle with the strap of a backpack, that Geralt realised that Jaskier was holding onto one. It looked stuffed and when Jaskier moved to fasten it onto Roach’s saddle, there was jingling and light clanging. 

Geralt gave him a questioning look that Jaskier waved away. “You’ll see,” he simply said. He gave Geralt a scrutinising look that had Geralt shifting on his feet. He was suddenly painfully aware of the state of his old cloak; the fraying at the bottom and the holes on his shoulders, where his sword scabbard rubbed against the wool. It was probably not necessary to take his weapons with him, so he had left the steel sword in his room, but the weight of the silver sword on his back grounded him and helped settle his nerves. 

In one less than elegant motion, Jaskier unwound the scarf from around his neck and draped the red cloth around Geralt instead. He smoothed it out gently. 

“There,” he said, satisfied, “Now you won’t go cold.” Geralt frowned and already opened his mouth to protest, when he inhaled and caught the scent clinging to the scarf. It smelled of lute wood, paper and that distinct smell that was purely Jaskier’s. His breath caught in his throat. The scent was far too prominent for how little he had seen Jaskier wear this scarf. If he didn’t know any better, he would have said that Jaskier had used the scarf as an additional blanket in the night, but that was … he caught Jaskier’s eyes. There was a hopeful shyness in his eyes. Oh. Jaskier knew. He remembered what Coën and Aiden had told him yesternight about sharing clothes. And still he was wearing Geralt’s clothes. More even, he was giving Geralt something that smelled like him. Any words he could have spoken dried on Geralt’s lips, but he got the impression that Jaskier noticed his realisation even so. His shyness morphed into relief and he turned away to put a hand on Roach’s saddlehorn. He looked over his shoulder to Geralt. “Give me a hand?”

Jaskier was more than capable of mounting a horse by himself, of that Geralt was sure by now. But he didn’t mention it. Instead, he stepped closer and folded his hands together so he could give Jaskier a boost. Once Jaskier was seated, Geralt swung himself behind him into Roach’s back. 

With a content sigh, Jaskier leaned back against him and Geralt wound one arm around his waist, making sure he was safe and secure, before he gave Roach the nudge to move. He didn’t take the direct path to the spot he had decided on. Instead he steered Roach this way and that, wherever he thought Jaskier might like. Past a small waterfall, across a wooden bridge some bear-witchers had built, through a patch of flowers that still resisted the cold. Every once in a while, he explained the mountain to Jaskier. 

“This is where Eskel and I used to run off to as children.”

“This bit is part of the Trail we had to run as novices.”

“This is how far I got when I decided to steal Roach and run away with her, before I got lost and had to wait for Vesemir to take me back home.”

“This is where Lambert set of his first bomb and almost burned Vesemir’s moustache off.”

Those things weren’t full stories yet, but maybe Geralt would find the right words to tell Jaskier more about what these places meant to him and his family one day. Even so, Jaskier gave soft hums, chuckled and offered stories of his own. He talked about his own attempt at running away to become a bard - an attempt that had ended rather abruptly when he had realised that his dancing shoes weren’t exactly made for long distance walking. He talked about his sisters and travelling with his father. As he talked about his family at Lettenhove, Geralt realised that he used almost the same fond tone he used  when talking about Eskel, Lambert, Coën or Aiden. Not Geralt though. The tone Jaskier used to talk to Geralt was reserved only for him. 

After a while, they quieted down again, except for when Jaskier let out soft gasps, whenever he saw something he liked. Every time there was a particularly interesting root of a tree, a rabbit scuttling away or a pretty cloud, Jaskier looked over his shoulder to Geralt; always making sure he was seeing the pretty thing as well. Always letting him know that this ride was already making him happy. 

With every passing moment, Geralt felt himself being swept away by Jaskier's excitement more and more. It was contagious and made him see the mountain that was his home with changed eyes. When he finally pulled Roach to a halt, there was a small smile tugging at his lips, that he knew wouldn't leave anytime soon.

He helped Jaskier dismount, his hands lingering on his waist, even after Jaskier had come to stand securely on solid ground. Jaskier's hands in turn were holding onto Geralt's upper arms. After a moment, he let them slide down, over his forearms, until he was clasping Geralt's hands in his gloved ones. 

Geralt took it as an invitation to guide Jaskier along the hidden path leading them through thick pine trees. Roach followed dutifully and the anticipation was coming off of Jaskier in waves. 

Geralt pushed some branches aside, revealing the sight of a small lake. Along the edges, some yellow and purple flowers were blossoming that had stubbornly endured the harsh autumn and were now facing the impending winter with their heads held high. Jaskier gasped, and squeezed Geralt's hand.

“It's beautiful,” he gasped. He worried at his lip, visibly hesitating. “Does this place have meaning to you too?”

“Not yet.” 

Jaskier softened at that admission. 

“Would you mind giving me an Igni?”

The question came so unexpectedly that Geralt took a step back, dropping Jaskier's hand. 

“What?”

“Fire,” Jaskier explained needlessly. “That day at the hot springs, you said I could ask you if I ever needed a light again.” He went to Roach, pulling the bag he had fastened onto her, down. There was clanking again, and then, Jaskier was holding up two lanterns, small enough that they could fit into the palm of a hand. Judging by the bulge of the bag, there probably were at least four more lanterns in there. Jaskier brought them over to Geralt and held them up for him to light them. Jaskier’s face was cast in a warm orange glow, when Geralt cast the sign carefully. The flames danced in his eyes, making him look like something otherworldly. Jaskier gave him a beaming smile and placed the lanterns on the ground at the edge of the lake, before fetching the rest of the lights. The glow was reflected on the water that rippled softly in the breeze. Soon, the lanterns would be the only source of light here, with the sun going down in the afternoon already this season. And here Jaskier was, bringing with him light and warmth, as he always did. 

After Jaskier had put the last lantern in place, he pulled a blanket out of the bag and laid it out on the ground. “Are you sure that’s warm enough?” Geralt asked, eying the blanket with distrust. “The ground is almost frozen.”

“Right you are,” Jaskier said without a care in the world. “But I seem to recall that a certain husband of mine is far more resistant to the cold than me.” He patted the blanket invitingly. “And I also seem to recall that this husband doesn’t mind having me in his lap.” Despite the teasing tone, Jaskier’s raised brows and tilted head made it obvious that it was a question rather than an assumption. 

Geralt hummed in affirmation and lowered himself onto the blanket, making sure to sit in a way that would allow Jaskier to sit in his lap as comfortably as possible. Once Jaskier realised that Geralt truly didn’t mind, his face lit up and he snuggled against him, chest to chest, laying his head on Geralt’s shoulder. On instinct, Geralt raised one hand to cradle the back of Jaskier’s head. Idly, he played with Jaskier’s hair, eliciting a soft sigh from the bard. 

“I’m happy,” Jaskier sighed. “Here, with you.” He paused. “Always and anywhere with you, really.” “Me too.”

Jaskier lifted his head a little and their eyes met. With Jaskier’s back to the lanterns, his face was cast in deep shadows. Geralt’s eyes followed the shadow of Jaskier’s lashes. They fluttered, as Jaskier’s eyes dipped lower, to Geralt’s lips. 

“I’ve got something for you,” Jaskier said, a blush creeping over his cheeks. He reached into his pockets and pulled out something small and tangled. He cursed under his breath and fiddled with the thing until Geralt could recognise it as a braided bracelet. 

“It’s not as big as giving you a shirt,” Jaskier said sheepishly and Geralt’s breath caught in his throat. 

So Jaskier truly remembered that conversation. Giving him the scarf hadn’t just been something he had done on a whim. There was no ambiguity about whether he knew what sharing clothes meant to Geralt and he had still done it. And now he was giving him something else. His thoughts were so loud that it took him a moment to realise that Jaskier was still speaking. 

 “-and not as big of a statement as the dagger you gave me.” He patted his hip and only now did Geralt notice the sheathe Jaskier had fastened onto his belt. Something inside him unwound and he leaned closer to Jaskier, as if pulled in by chaos. 

Jaskier pulled off his gloves and took Geralt’s hand, clasped the bracelet around his wrist.

“I made it out of old lute strings. Since the song isn’t something you can carry with you.” He paused. “And since you haven’t heard it fully yet.”

Geralt looked down at the bracelet and caressed the tightly interwoven strings, until the tips of his fingers reached Jaskier. 

“Thank you,” he said breathlessly. “It’s perfect.”

The corners of Jaskier’s eyes wrinkled with joy, before a frown suddenly appeared between his brows. He pulled back, crinkling his nose. 

“What-” Geralt began to ask, but then he saw a snowflake land on Jaskier’s nose and Jaskier pulled the same face again.

A chuckle rose up in Geralt’s chest, starting out small, then quickly turning warm and loud like a roaring fire. He watched enraptured as the confusion on Jaskier’s face melted alongside the snowflakes and morphed into wonder. 

“Geralt!” A delighted giggle slipped past his lips. With all the grace than a newborn foal learning to run, he got to his feet and spread his arms, as if trying to catch the entire cloud that was hanging in the sky and all the snow it would bring. “It’s snowing!” Ignoring Geralt’s protests that he should put his gloves back on before his fingers froze off, Jaskier dropped the gloves to the ground and held his hands up, giggling like a child whenever he caught a snowflake in his palm. He spun around, as more and more snow began to fall around him. He must have gotten dizzy from all the twirling, for he staggered right into Geralt, who caught him. 

“Careful,” Geralt said, as he let go. 

“Guess I’m in danger of falling for you,” Jaskier replied with a cheeky wink. He tilted his head back and thankfully missed the flustered expression on Geralt’s face. He was far too busy sticking out his tongue and trying to catch snowflakes with it.

“Don’t just stand there all judgy,” he said, after catching one snowflake and grinning at Geralt triumphantly. “Join me.”

Geralt shook his head fondly but decisively. 

“Oh come on.” Jaskier tugged at Geralt’s arm, not making him budge in the slightest. “Don’t tell me now is the time that you remember you don’t know how to have fun.” “I’m having plenty of fun.”

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah.” Geralt said softly, refusing to match Jaskier’s challenging tone. “It’s nice - seeing you be happy. Even though I still think you should put your gloves back on. You’re going to regret touching snow with your bare hands.”

“And I’m willing to endure you telling me ‘I told you so’ when it happens.” A mischievous spark gleamed in Jaskier’s eyes. “Besides, with cold hands, I can do this!”

Quick as lightning, Jaskier flung himself at Geralt, getting up on his tiptoes and stuck a hand in the back of Geralt’s cloak, right beneath his collar. A shiver ran down Geralt’s spine, as Jaskier’s icy hand pressed against the back of his neck and he lifted his shoulders instinctively. 

“Aha! So you’re not quite as immune to the cold as you always claim!” 

“I am,” Geralt grumbled. “You just surprised me.”

“Uh-huh. Sure,” Jaskier snorted. “You look like a disgruntled cat.”

Geralt growled and bared his teeth in reply. Laughing, Jaskier jumped back, thankfully - regrettably - removing his hand from Geralt’s neck. He evaded Geralt, as he half-heartedly made to snatch Jaskier, spouting nonsense about throwing him in the lake as revenge. 

“Roach, save me!” Jaskier squealed, as he ducked behind the mare, who gave Geralt a decidedly unimpressed look, as if saying ‘really? This is the man you fell in love with?’, but she didn’t move away, when Jaskier pressed his hands against her neck with a dramatic sigh. “Ahh, my dear lady, you are a much better hand-warmer than my husband.”

“Call her a hand-warmer again and she’ll bite you,” Geralt said amused, when Roach swatted at Jaskier with her tail, as if he was a pesky fly and crossed his arms. 

“Nah, she wouldn’t. You love me too much to let anything happen to my hands.” He wiggled his fingers and gave Geralt a boyish grin. Maybe he expected a reply, some teasing or protest, but Geralt was frozen, all words remained stuck in his throat, because yes. By the gods, yes, he loved Jaskier. Hearing him say it, even if only in jest, made something inside him soar. It made him want to say it as well. 

“Besides,” Jaskier continued, evidently unaware of Geralt’s swirling thoughts, “I can pay her back for her services. I promised to write a poem about her, remember?”

Truth be told, Geralt had forgotten all about that promise, but the thought of Jaskier taking the time to write about Roach made his heart beat faster. 

“Let’s hear it then.”

Jaskier cleared his throat, straightened his spine and put on the exaggerated expression of an arrogant poet. When he spoke, his voice took on a serious note that demanded attention.

“The mightiest mare, 

The sturdiest steed

The heroic-est horse

She is indeed. 

Prickly and pretty

and petty is she.

In conclusion: 

The best horse that ever I did see.”

He kept up the haughty expression for another moment, then a grin broke through, when Geralt snorted with laughter. 

“Heroic-est?” Geralt asked with a grin. 

 “‘Most heroic’ didn’t fit the metre,” Jaskier said with a shrug. “If that’s your only criticism, I consider that high praise. This shall be my best work yet.” With exaggerated swagger, he came back to Geralt, spreading his arms dramatically. “It’ll be known far and wide. Lords and ladies will demand that this poem be performed at all their courtly functions.”

Geralt shook his head in amusement. Jaskier was absolutely ridiculous. He loved him so much. 

He came to stand before Geralt and swept down into a low bow. When he came back up, some snowflakes fell from his head. Geralt couldn’t stop himself. Tenderly, he brushed some of the remaining ones that were stuck in Jaskier’s hair away. A small cloud of mist left Jaskier’s lips and when he looked up at Geralt, there were snowflakes clinging to his eye lashes. The playfulness from before was gone, leaving only softness and something fragile and beautiful.  Jaskier’s eyelids fluttered close, but for just a second, Geralt caught something in his eyes. A reflection of movement, where there should be none. 

He whirled around, pushing Jaskier back with one hand and reaching for his sword with the other, just in time to see a hideous beast with spidery legs burst through the surface of the lake. 

Vaguely, he noticed Roach rearing up with a panicked neigh and dashing away, but he had no time to get her to stop. Behind them, the kikimora scuttled out of the lake, pincers clacking and front legs poised to strike. 

Geralt cursed himself as he pushed Jaskier behind him with one hand. He should have noticed the monster before. Fuck, he should have checked the lake for danger before bringing Jaskier here, instead of stupidly trusting that any kikimoras were already in hibernation. He should have known better than to let himself get distracted by hearty laughs and soft looks. 

"What the hell is that?" Jaskier's terrified hiss snapped Geralt to attention. The bard’s hands were clutching his cloak tightly. It was all wrong. He should be running, getting to safety, leaving Geralt. 

But Jaskier had promised to stay by his side. For the first time, Geralt wished desperately that Jaskier would break his vows. But Jaskier stayed. 

"Geralt?" 

At the sound of his voice that had gotten shrill with fear, the kikimora's ugly head snapped around. Its beady eyes fixed on Jaskier. 

For a single heartbeat it stood frozen. Then, its instincts took over. Its feet scratched on the frozen ground as it darted towards them, toppling the lanterns as it did. The fire sizzled and died, but for the briefest second, the kikimora shrunk back, as it touched the hot metal of the lantern. The moment passed too quickly. Spurned on by the rage of having been burned, the kikimora darted forwards with renewed vigour.

And Jaskier still wasn't fucking leaving Geralt's side. 

Geralt pushed him back. His eyes didn't leave the attacking monster, but he could hear a thump as Jaskier's body hit the ground. It took all of his strength not to turn around and make sure he was alright. Gripping his sword tighter, he bolted forwards. As he moved, he formed Igni, heating his blade until it glowed hot red. He swung at the beast with all his might. Had he been on his own, it would have been an easy fight. But he was distracted by worry and the kikimora was furious with starvation from the cold months. It moved with lightning speed, striking Geralt’s wrist with an armoured leg. There was a clang. A jostle went through Geralt’s arm. The pain flared up a second later, but it was nothing compared to the horror twisting his gut, as his grip slipped. In a high arch, his sword was flung from his hand and landed uselessly on the ground.  Geralt darted towards it, but the kikimora blocked his way. He barely dodged the next attack and pulled up a Quen shield. The sudden light confused the monster for but a second. It reared up with an enraged screech. Geralt readied himself to cast another sign, when out of the corner of his eyes, there was a flurry of movement. His golden shield flickered, as his attention snapped to Jaskier. 

Jaskier, who was running past him, with his arms raised up to protect his face. 

“No!” Geralt shouted, a sound so wild that his voice nearly broke. “Get back!”

But Jaskier didn’t listen. Though his face was distorted by fear, he ducked beneath the kikimora’s hacking legs and towards the sword. There was not a heartbeat of hesitation. Jaskier reached for the weapon. As soon as his hand touched the handle, Jaskier let out a pained gasp that shook Geralt to the bones, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to draw his hand back. It took Geralt a second to understand, but when he did, his blood froze. Jaskier wasn’t wearing gloves and unlike Geralt, his skin hadn’t been mutated to withstand heat. And now, Jaskier was holding a scorching hot sword in his bare hands, because Geralt had let himself get disarmed within a single strike.

“Geralt,” he shouted and visibly gathering all his strength, he tossed the sword towards him. Despite his efforts, Jaskier wasn’t strong enough to throw the sword all the way to Geralt. It landed between him and the kikimora, leaving both Geralt and himself weaponless. Geralt could only hope the monster would attack the bigger threat. 

Of course, he wasn’t that lucky.  Startled by the sudden shout, the kikimora turned. Its pincers clacked and one of its piercing legs shot towards Jaskier. 

"No!" the sound ripped from Geralt's throat in pure agony. He flung himself forward, but even as he did so, he knew he would never reach Jaskier in time to push him away. 

The world became a blur. The only thing that mattered was Jaskier's terrified expression. There was movement, as Jaskier brought his hands up to protect his face - 

No. His hands didn't stop there, they went further up, towards the kikimora that suddenly hissed in pain. Something was glinting in Jaskier's grip. Silver and sharp.

With a start, Geralt recognised the weapon. It was the dagger he had given Jaskier as a wedding gift. To protect him when Geralt couldn't. 

Relief and horror battled inside his chest, as he watched Jaskier slash at the kikimora. His movements were frantic and uncoordinated and he was holding the dagger in his non-dominant hand; the other was cradled against his chest.  He clearly had no idea how to fight and the first hit stayed singular. It must have been a lucky strike when the beast hadn't expected its prey to fight back. There was no chance that Jaskier would survive for long if he had to keep fighting on his own. 

But he didn't have to. That first strike had bought Geralt the time to get close enough to pick up the sword. He leaped onto the kikimora's back. With an ugly snarl, he gripped his sword in both hands and thrust downwards. The kikimora buckled beneath him, as the blade pierced the armoured flesh right behind its head. Geralt fought to keep his balance, twisting the sword. 

Finally, the ear piercing screeching stopped and the creature's body collapsed. 

It narrowly missed Jaskier, who saved himself with a quick jump backwards.

For a moment, Geralt remained where he was, irrationally afraid that the kikimora would get back up, if he removed his sword. He waited for any sign of life. But the beast only twitched in response to him moving his blade. Before him, Jaskier was panting and clutching his hands close to his chest. 

"Geralt?" he asked in a small voice and took a staggering step forward. 

And just like that, Geralt could move again. His grip on the sword slackened and he leaped down onto the muddy ground, hastening towards Jaskier. He held his arms wide open and Jaskier didn't waste a single second before flinging himself into Geralt's embrace. 

"That was reckless," Geralt mumbled into Jaskier's hair, as his hand came up to cradle the back of his head. "Reckless and stupid and…" 

The words dried up in his mouth, when he noticed the shivers that shook Jaskier's frame. Quickly, he unwound the scarf from around his neck and put it back around Jaskier’s. 

"We should get back," Geralt said as he pulled away. "You need to get back into the warmth. "

Jaskier nodded mutely. Somehow this silent compliance was the worst of all. Geralt pulled Jaskier’s uninjured hand from his chest and took it, praying that his touch would be grounding for Jaskier. When he turned to where he had left Roach however, his heart dropped once more. Roach hadn’t just staggered away during the fight. She was fully gone. Fled, when Jaskier wouldn’t.

“It’s alright,” Jaskier said weakly, when he saw Geralt’s stony expression. “We’re going to find her. I’m sure she’s alright.”

He sounded so hopeful, so bloody optimistic that Geralt didn’t have the heart to tell him that Roach’s wellbeing for once wasn’t what he was worried about. They had to find Roach, and quickly too, if they wanted to make it back to the keep before the night fully fell. Already, there was barely any daylight left and the snow was no longer simply drifting through the air daintily.

“Let’s go then,” he said and lightly tugged on Jaskier’s hand. 

The one good thing about the snow was that it had started to form a thin layer on the ground, making it easy to spot where Roach had run off to. Geralt let go of Jaskier’s hand, as they began setting off after her at a brisk pace and tucked him against his side instead, doing his best to shield him with his body. Geralt bit back a curse, when he followed the tracks and saw them taking a turn - in the opposite direction of the Keep. He sped up his walk, but with every minute that passed, Jaskier’s feet dragged more on the ground, until he staggered more than he walked. Around them, the woods were getting dark quickly, making it impossible for Jaskier to see where he was going. Bitter wind tore at Geralt’s hair and turned the snowflakes into biting needles that pricked his exposed skin painfully. Next to him, Jaskier lowered his head and pulled his shoulders up, trying in vain to protect his face from the biting cold. The skin of his hand was an angry red. Fuck. In his hurry to find Roach, Geralt had forgotten to pick the damn gloves up again. They needed to get to Roach. Now. 

Growling in frustration, Geralt picked up Jaskier, cradling him against his chest. Like this, he could move faster, but he couldn’t shield Jaskier from the wind as well as he had before. He hoped he would not come to regret that trade off.

He didn’t know for how long he was marching through the woods - too long, that was for certain - before finally, he heard soft snorting not far ahead. Roach.

Geralt sped up. He nearly missed the cave, hidden by trees and overhanging ivy, but the sound of Roach scraping at the ground with her hooves alerted him. He heaved a sigh of relief, when he entered the cave. It was big enough to allow Roach to find shelter at the entrance, only narrowing towards the back. A quick look revealed an old bedroll, crossbow bolts and dry kindling someone had left here. Likely another witcher, who had equipped this cave with the bare essentials, in case he had to seek shelter again. 

Geralt grit his teeth, as outside, the wind howled louder than before. Jaskier stirred weakly in his arms. He had to get him back to the Keep. He wasn’t safe here. But who knew how long it would take them to get back? Geralt couldn’t risk Jaskier’s body cooling down even more by riding with him through the storm. 

Deep breaths. Geralt closed his eyes, doing his best to focus on the beating of his own heart, as if he was meditating. Shutting his emotions down. Not letting himself get distracted. But beneath the layers of numbness he forced around his heart, he wasn’t strong enough to stop a part of himself to vigilantly listen in on Jaskier’s heartbeat. It was steady and strong as ever. Geralt had known it would be. Jaskier might be cold and hurt, but he had not gotten nearly injured enough to be in immediate danger and he was bundled up as warmly as he could be. Still, Geralt’s hands and breath were shaky, as he carefully placed Jaskier on the ground. It was too cold, too damp. Every part of Geralt screamed in protest, when he let go of Jaskier, but he had to. Just long enough to get a fire started. 

Deep breaths. He couldn’t let his mind get clouded by worry and that uncomfortable squirming in his stomach that threatened to take away his ability to act rationally. 

As quickly as he could, Geralt put the kindling into a pile and lit it up. Then, he hurried back to Jaskier’s side. 

“Geralt?” Jaskier asked. His eyes were glassy as he blinked up at him. 

“I’m here.” Carefully, Geralt scooped Jaskier back up and pulled him into his lap, so he wouldn’t have to sit on the cold stone floor. “You’re going to be alright. We just have to wait a little, until the snow eases up.” Jaskier shivered and pressed closer against Geralt, who draped his cloak over him as best he could. Jaskier in turn wrapped his arms around Geralt’s middle to get even closer to his warmth, but as he pressed his hands against Geralt’s shoulder blades, he drew back with a hiss. 

“What’s wrong?” Geralt sat up in alarm. 

“Nothing,” Jaskier said too quickly. His smile that clearly was meant to be reassuring looked brittle, with a flash of pain staining it. He must have noticed Geralt’s disbelief, for he added, “It’s just my hand…”

Immediately, Geralt reached for said hand. He cradled it as gently as if holding a butterfly, yet Jaskier still sucked in a sharp breath. Geralt glanced up at him and was relieved when he found no more pain in his expression than there had been before. Jaskier gave him a brittle smile. Carefully, Geralt turned his hand over. His heart dropped. 

There, across Jaskier’s fingers and palm were angry red blisters. How could he not have noticed just how badly Jaskier had burned himself?

‘You love me too much to let anything happen to my hands.’ The memory of Jaskier’s words echoed cruelly in his mind. 

“We need to get ointment on that,” Geralt said and his voice shook only a little. He was sure no one who didn’t know him in and out would notice. Jaskier’s brows knitted together and Geralt swallowed thickly. “We have some at the infirmary.”

He glanced at the entrance of the cave. At the snow falling steadily still, cast about by the wind that seemed to pick up by the minute. Alone, he might have been able to  make it through that weather. But Jaskier’s hand was so cold in his. His teeth were chattering and the brim of his trousers, where they hadn’t been protected by his cloak, were drenched with snow.

Geralt couldn’t risk exposing him to the elements any more before he was properly warmed up. Subconsciously, he shifted closer to Jaskier, offering him a little more of his own body heat. 

“Well, at least it’ll be no trouble cooling the burn,” Jaskier, who must have read Geralt’s thoughts, joked with the hint of a smile. 

“Ever the optimist,” Geralt replied, unable to keep the fondness out of his voice despite his worry. “One of us has to be. But I don’t think it’s optimism. I just trust you.”

He said it so easily. As if there was no doubt in his mind about it. As if Geralt’s incompetence wasn’t the cause for him getting hurt in the first place. 

A warmth spread through Geralt’s chest, flowing into the rest of his body, until he felt his face heating up. Clearing his throat, he averted his eyes. 

“We’ll need to at lead bandage your hand,” he said. “And keep you warm.”

Jaskier made an affirmative noise. Geralt looked at Roach, mentally itemising the things he had packed. Naturally, bandages hadn’t been included in his preparation for their trip. 

His eyes fell on the red scarf around Jaskier’s neck. Geralt reached for Jaskier’s dagger at his hip and with a harsh movement cut off a long thin stripe of the scarf. It wasn’t ideal, but it had to do. At the very least, it would do the job of warming Jaskier’s hand. 

He moved, so he was kneeling opposite Jaskier and could have a better view of what he was doing. He was so focussed on his task of wrapping Jaskier’s hand, that he didn’t notice how strangely quiet Jaskier had gotten, until he realised that his hand was trembling. 

Gralt stopped. His eyes snapped up to meet Jaskier’s. 

“Are you -”

“Don’t worry,” Jaskier said with a choked laugh. “It’s nothing bad.” Unconvinced, Geralt made a questioning noise. 

“I just…” Jaskier lifted his bandaged hand a little, “the red cloth? It reminded me of our wedding day.”

“A joyful memory to add to an already perfect day,” Geralt snarked. All the sarcasm couldn’t hide the bitterness and hurt he felt. Jaskier had been so excited for today. As he had been for his wedding. And Geralt… no. He had to stop that train of thought. They were friends. Jaskier liked him. This marriage might not be what either one of them had imagined, but it still was good. It was good. 

Jaskier wasn’t the fragile little lordling Geralt had feared him to be. He was so much stronger than he looked and he would get through this too. 

As if to prove Geralt’s thoughts right, a genuine smile stole onto Jaskier’s lips. 

“It is.” Swiftly, he leaned in and let his lips brush against Geralt’s cheek. “There. Now it’s just like then.”

His lips felt icy on Geralt’s skin, but they left a hot tingle in their wake, when he pulled away. A lump formed in Geralt’s throat. His hand rose without his permission and he cupped Jaskier’s cheek. With his thumb, he caressed the freezing skin and felt him shiver beneath his touch. “Dance with me.” The words left his lips before he could think about them. 

Jaskier blinked at him. A small cloud escaped his mouth, as he gasped lightly. 

“What?”

Decades of rejection and fear made Geralt’s courage want to shrivel and hide away. But Jaskier still hadn’t flinched from his touch and would never do so.

“Dance with me,” he repeated slightly louder. “You’re going to freeze if you don’t move. We need to keep you from falling asleep and  warm you up.” He got to his feet and held an inviting hand out for Jaskier to take. “And I never gave you that wedding dance.”

Geralt’s heart fluttered nervously in his chest, as Jaskier stared at his hand. Slowly, like the sun pushing through clouds, Jaskier’s lips stretched into a smile and he placed his uninjured hand in Geralt’s, letting him pull him up. Jaskier’s feet must have been well on their way of falling asleep and the cold was already getting to him, for he stumbled into Geralt’s chest with little grace, only catching himself by placing his other hand on Geralt’s shoulder. He kept the touch of his injured hand light, yet it burned into Geralt, as if he was clutching him tightly. 

Geralt let the hand not holding Jaskier’s slide down to his waist and hold him close. Jaskier’s face was so near to his. The urge to hold Jaskier close was a flame raging through every vein of his body. 

They stood frozen, unmoving. 

“I believe I was promised a dance,” Jaskier whispered, his voice barely audible over the howling of the wind and the cackling of the fire. 

Geralt could do nothing but nod. He took a step back, pulling Jaskier along and began to awkwardly sway them. The movements would have looked clunky even with a band accompanying them, but without any music at all to give them a guiding rhythm, it must have looked utterly ridiculous. The pathetic attempt of a witcher to give something soft. 

But Jaskier was looking up at him, a smile dancing around his lips and in his eyes, and Geralt felt the knot of anxiety unwind in his chest. All would be well. Jaskier was moving and smiling. He would make it through this. 

Geralt’s tongue darted out to wet his lips - a nervous tick he must have picked up from Jaskier - and did what he normally only dared to do after drinking with his brothers: He sang. 

Or rather, he hummed. It was a clumsy attempt. He had never been musically inclined and the wedding seemed so far away now, he barely remembered the tune the wedding band had played. The only thing he remembered was how important the song was. So he did the best to shape the rumble in his chest into the right notes. Jaskier’s eyes widened and his lips parted into a silent ‘oh.’

Geralt stumbled and faltered, but the rising awe in Jaskier’s expression kept him going and after a moment of silent listening, Jaskier joined in. His humming was much steadier than Geralt’s awkward attempt at singing and Geralt did his best to follow his lead. Then, Jaskier’s humming deviated from the melody Geralt had repeated before. Heat and shame rose in Geralt’s cheeks. He hadn’t realised how badly he had hummed the tune, but then he realised that his own notes weren’t dissonant to his husband’s. Jaskier was harmonising. 

Geralt faltered, disguising his misstep as part of the dance and Jaskier followed without hesitation. Geralt swayed them to the side, led his husband through a spin and pulled him back in. Close, so close. His hand wandered from Jaskier’s waist up to rest between his shoulder blades. He could almost imagine feeling the beat of Jaskier’s heart through the thick layers of clothing. 

He didn’t notice coming to a standstill, but then Jaskier placed his head on his shoulder and Geralt wouldn’t have been able to move if he had wanted to. He couldn’t let go of Jaskier anymore, not even for the brief moment it would take for him to twirl. Geralt ran his hand up and down Jaskier’s back. When Jaskier’s hand wandered from his shoulder to the nape of his neck to play idly with his hair, Geralt closed his eyes and let his head fall forward to rest it against the crown of Jaskier’s head. A soft sigh ghosted over his skin as he held Jaskier as close as he could. 

“Thank you,” Jaskier whispered. 

Geralt didn’t know what to reply, so he remained silent, except for the rumble in his chest that he knew Jaskier found so much joy in. The soft sound of Geralt’s contentedness and the fast beat of Jaskier’s heart were the only sounds around. 

Geralt’s brows furrowed. No sound. The wind had stopped howling. His head snapped to the entrance of the cave, where the fire had almost burned down completely. Blinking, he scrutinised the dark world beyond the cave and - it was dark. No more treacherous white was flying through the air, beautiful but deadly. The snowstorm had passed. Geralt left Jaskier’s side to get a better look at the sky. Night had fully fallen and the sky was clear. With a sky like that, it would only get colder, but the stars shone bright, offering comfort. 

The sound of Jaskier’s footsteps followed Geralt, and he pressed himself against his side, seeking warmth once again. Geralt laid an arm around his shoulders and rubbed his arm. 

“We can leave,” he said, trying to put as much optimism into his voice as he could. “Do you think you can ride? It’s going to be cold.”

“I can,” Jaskier replied confidently, though Geralt couldn’t help but notice the slightest tremor in his voice. 

“I’ll keep you warm,” he promised. 

Jaskier nodded, but trepidation stole itself onto his face.

“I know this mountain is your home,” he began slowly, his injured hand picking at the red cloth, “but are you sure it’s safe to leave in this dark? What if Roach stumbles or slips on the snow? I don’t even know where we are anymore. It all looks so different cast in white…”

“It does,” Geralt agreed. Jaskier’s face fell and his eyes dropped to the ground, as he likely prepared himself for a night of freezing in the cave after all. 

“But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed.” Geralt cupped his chin and tentatively tilted his face back up, first to meet his eyes and then farther up still. “Do you see it?”

“What?” Jaskier asked automatically as he squinted up into the night sky. Geralt could see the moment he realised what Geralt was talking about. “Oh.” His eyes softened. “There it is. Our secret constellation.”

“We’ll follow it home,” Geralt said, and something melted in his chest, when Jaskier echoed tenderly, “Home.”

--

The ride back to the Keep wasn’t a pleasant one. Geralt did his best to shield Jaskier against the cold with his body and distract him from the pain in his hand by recounting any tales that came to mind. More than once did he feel Jaskier go limp, as sleep threatened to take him into its embrace and Geralt felt a pang of guilt each time he had to jostle him awake again. 

“Soon,” he would whisper. “We’ll be there soon. Stay awake for me a little longer.” “Alright,” Jaskier would mumble, “for you.”

Then, without fail, Jaskier would sit up straighter and his head would tilt up - his eyes fixed on their constellation. The stars above the path leading them home. 

By the time Kaer Morhen’s gates came into view, Jaskier’s head had found its home against Geralt’s chest and his eyes were drooping again. Still, he fought valiantly to keep his promise and stay awake. 

Geralt spurned Roach on one last time. When they finally passed the gate, it felt as if a heavy stone sat in his chest was crumbling to dust. They had made it. Jaskier was truly safe again. 

Geralt hurried to put Roach in her box in the stables and despite Jaskier’s protests that he could walk, he picked him up and carried him into the Keep. He only took a quick detour to get the ointment to treat burns from the infirmary and apply it to Jaskier’s palm, before rebandaging it. Then, he picked up Jaskier again. His mind was filled with images of holding Jaskier close at night, safe and sound in his arms. Those images were the only thing giving him the strength to keep going and climb the stairs to their room. 

Perhaps it was the fact that Geralt had accompanied Jaskier to his room so many times that it felt like second nature at this point, or maybe he simply let himself be lulled to inattention by the familiar home-scent of Jaskier; whatever it was, it made Geralt forget with every step he took, that it was Jaskier’s room and not theirs until he got fully lost in his comforting fantasy.  It was only when he pushed the door open with his shoulder and laid eyes on the room that held no trace of Geralt ever having spent a single night here, that the realisation crashed into him like a bucket of ice water. This wasn’t theirs. He had no place in Jaskier’s bed.

His instinct told him to drop Jaskier off quickly and retreat, but he forced his body to move gently, slowly, as he undressed Jaskier and helped him put on dry clothes to sleep in. Then, he placed Jaskier on the bed and pulled the blankets over him and snuffed out the candles he had lit upon entering.

“Now you can sleep,” he whispered into the darkness of the room, running his hand soothingly over Jaskier’s head.

Jaskier blinked up at him and narrowed his eyes. Geralt reckoned he tried and failed to make out more than Geralt’s general shape in the dark. “Geralt?” he asked quietly and reached out blindly. 

Geralt caught his hand mid-air and clinging to the last remnants of that foolish inattentiveness that had made him forget that he wouldn’t spend the night holding his husband close, he pressed a kiss against his palm. 

“You’re safe.” He rubbed a small circle into the back of Jaskier’s hand with his thumb. “Goodnight, Jaskier.” There was a long pause, in which Geralt started to believe that maybe Jaskier had fallen asleep already, before Jaskier replied, “Goodnight.”

With that, he pulled his hand from Geralt’s grasp and turned away, pulling the blanket so high up that Geralt could barely see his face anymore. He hesitated, taking in the sight of Jaskier snuggled up warm and cosy and safe - and so clearly dismissive of him - one last time. Then, he turned around, pulling the door close as quietly as he could. The walk back to his own room had never felt that long, lonely and cold. 

Jaskier is safe, he repeated over and over in his mind, nothing else matters. 

Only, it did. It fucking mattered, because Jaskier had lit lanterns around a lake. Because he had caught snowflakes with his tongue and laughed as though nothing in the world could make him happier than sharing that moment with Geralt. Because Geralt’s cheek still tingled where Jaskier had kissed it and because Geralt wished he’d had the courage to dance with Jaskier during their wedding. It mattered, because Geralt wore a bracelet Jaskier had made for him. 

It mattered, because with every fibre of his being, Geralt loved Jaskier. 

And it mattered, because when he entered his room, it was cold and empty. 

His movements felt wooden and reluctant, as he made himself walk over to his bed and put on his sleeping clothes. He let himself fall onto the bed heavily but even as he sat down and finally rested his feet, he knew his mind and heart would know no rest that night. With a deep sigh, he slumped forward, put his elbows on his knees and burrowed his hands in his hair. He closed his eyes, but only images of the day, of dancing and laughing and Jaskier trusting him so wholly, flashed through the darkness. When he opened his eyes again, they landed on the parchment that had been laying on his nightstand for the past months. Ever since he had gotten word of the engagement. Despite knowing exactly what he would find, he reached for the parchment and looked at it. Jaskier’s smiling face looked back at him. Geralt’s heart clenched painfully, as he traced the laughter lines around the drawing’s eyes with a gentle finger. In the past months, he had come to know those lines perhaps more intimately than anyone else. Certainly more than he had ever imagined he would. He knew how Jaskier sounded when he laughed, how he felt leaning into Geralt or holding onto him because he had to physically share his joy, how he looked so utterly radiant with his lips stretched wide and his head thrown back. 

He knew that no painting in the world, no matter how masterfully done, could ever come close to the real thing. Geralt could look at this drawing before going to sleep however many times he wished - it would make no difference. It was no substitute for holding Jaskier in his arms. 

He didn’t think. For once, maybe his mind and his heart would have told him to do the same thing anyway. Without wasting another moment, Geralt got up and crossed his room. It was stupid. If there was any mercy, Jaskier would already be deep within the realm of dreams by now. Yet, Geralt didn’t stop. He had to go see him. He had to tell him. Jaskier deserved that much. He deserved to know that he was loved.

Geralt was just stepping out of the door, when something came crashing right into him and tumbled back with an indignant little squeak. A very familiar sound. 

“Jaskier?” Geralt asked, perplexed, all thoughts of his intentions wiped away by the unexpected sight of Jaskier standing in his doorway. “Geralt!”

“What are you doing out of bed?” Geralt took Jaskier’s shoulders gently and looked him over intently for any signs of hurt or fright. “Did you have a nightmare? Is there anything you need?”

“No - that is, yes. Actually. There is something.” Jaskier started fidgeting with his bandage. “Could I maybe come in?”

“Of course.” Geralt took a step to the side and Jaskier slipped into his room. Geralt occupied himself with lighting some candles so Jaskier could see, but in truth, he simply needed the time to get his racing heart back under control. When he finally felt ready to face Jaskier again, he found him looking at the portrait of himself, a strange expression on his face. 

“Ah,” Geralt said awkwardly, “That…came with the letter your parents sent us. To arrange the engagement.”

Jaskier’s lips quirked up a little and he slung his arms around himself. Geralt desperately wanted to wrap his own arms around him, but if Jaskier had sought him out after the day he just had, he must be truly distressed and Geralt wasn’t sure how to act. 

“I never got a picture of you,” Jaskier said. 

“Oh.” He swallowed. “So, the first time you learned what I looked like was…”

“Just before our wedding. Yes.”

“That’s…” Geralt trailed off, not sure how to end the sentence. A part of him that clung to learned behaviours wanted to apologise, but a different part saw the warmth of affection  in Jaskier’s eyes. 

He cleared his throat. “What is it you need?”

Jaskier’s brows shot up and his mouth opened into a little ‘oh’ as if he had forgotten the purpose of his seeking Geralt out. “I - I suppose I just didn’t want to be alone.” Jaskier furrowed his brows. “No, that’s not it. I wanted to be with you. For tonight. If that’s alright.”

“It is,” Geralt blurted out immediately and his heart jumped, when that elicited an actual smile from Jaskier. “I want to have you with me tonight too.”

He wanted to have him by his side every night and every day for the rest of his life. His entire being longed to share his bed, his Path, his world with Jaskier. The flutter in his chest got stronger, when Jaskier pulled back the furs on Geralt’s bed to get in. It was so perfect. So much like what Geralt wished for, what he had selfishly dreamed of in the solace of his lonely nights.

A sudden pang of guilt shot through him and  before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “Wait. There’s something you should know first.”

Jaskier dropped the fur. “What is it?”

“I -” Geralt’s throat went dry. His tongue felt too heavy in his mouth and it was as if he had forgotten every word he had ever known. How could he tell his husband he loved him? How, when longing and fear had been at war inside him for so long that it felt impossible to end the fight now. 

But Jaskier had come to him. Over and over he had chosen him. It was time Geralt did the same.

“I never made my wedding vows. To love and cherish you,” Geralt said finally, the words feeling inadequate and rough, “But I made you another promise. To tell you if I ever did fall in love. And I am. In love. It’s terrifying and - and beautiful and I don’t think I could fight it if I wanted to. I don’t want to. Not anymore.”

A guarded expression crossed Jaskier’s face, but beneath it, Geralt thought he could see hope. He clung to that slither of hope with the desperation of a drowning man. With the faith of a man in love. 

“Do I have your permission, Jaskier?” He stepped closer, slowly at  first, then with more confidence, when Jaskier gravitated towards him as well. Geralt took Jaskier’s uninjured hand and pressed it against his chest, right above his heart that beat to the rhythm of Jaskier’s song. “Do I have your permission to love you?”

“Geralt -” Jaskier broke off, his voice too choked to speak. 

“You don’t have to love me back. I - it would be enough to love you.”

“No,” Jaskier said firmly. 

Something broke inside Geralt and a gaping whole opened up where his heart had just beaten with hope. He averted his eyes and pressed his lips together. He gave Jaskier a court nod, as he took a step back. But Jaskier refused to let go. 

“No, that would not be enough,” Jaskier said, pulling Geralt back in. “Because I love you, Geralt. I love you.” 

“You do?” Geralt’s eyes widened. “I - I had hoped, but I didn’t think -”

“Stop thinking then,” Jaskier interrupted him. “I think we’ve done far too much of that. It didn’t do us any good.”

Geralt’s lips tilted up. “It didn’t.” He twisted his hand to weave his fingers with Jaskier’s, linking them together. It felt right. So right to finally do this  and have Jaskier know what it meant. 

“Jaskier,” he asked tentatively. “I know I don’t know how to do this right, but…may I court you?”

“What?” A startled  laugh tumbled from Jaskier’s lips. 

“May I court you?” Geralt repeated, looking Jaskier in the eyes and doing his best to show his sincerity. 

“Geralt, I don’t know how to tell you this, but we’re already married.”

“I know,” Geralt said, feeling the corners of his mouth quirk up in response to Jaskier’s laugh. “Gods, believe me I know. But what we have isn’t a real marriage. I want to be with you for real. I don’t want to hold you and always know that we are only married on paper. We didn’t say our vows, I refused to dance with you, we didn’t kiss. You deserve better. You deserve a real wedding. This is not whatI want or what you deserve. I don’t just want a marriage based on politics and without the promise of…”

“Devotion?” Jaskier tilted his head to the side and gave Geralt’s hands a squeeze. “I can make you that promise right now, if you want. I gave it to you so many times over and you didn’t even notice.”

“I noticed,” Geralt said. “I just…”

“I know.” Jaskier looked down at their joined hands. “Me too.” “I want to do this right,” Geralt said. “I wasted so much time going about this the wrong way. You deserve to be courted. You deserve - lights and flowers and…and…”

“A husband who loves me?” Jaskier offered. “And whom I love? Because I believe I already have that.”

“I want to give more to you. I don’t want to rush this. Being with me isn’t easy. The Path is harsh and life with me will be hard. I want you to know this - really know this. Give me a year of courting you, of showing you my life, before you decide if you want it to be your life as well.”

Jaskier looked at him for a long time. “I don’t think my opinion will change, but yes.” A choked sound escaped his lips, as they stretched into a brilliant smile. “Yes, I want to be courted by you. I want to be with you in whichever way you want.”

He didn’t wait for Geralt’s reply, simply flinging himself into his arms. Geralt held him tightly, so tightly. His heart felt like it was beating out of his chest and he couldn’t have stopped himself from smiling wide as a fool, if he had wanted to. Maybe he was a fool. But he was a fool in love, with the one who held his affections in his arms. 

Jaskier’s slim frame shook and Geralt worried that he was sobbing, until he recognised the muffled sounds against his chest as laughter. He hummed questioningly, making Jaskier giggle only more.

“So, does this mean we should get a divorce?” Jaskier asked, pulling away just enough to be able to look at Geralt. “So we can court again?” He jabbed a finger at Geralt’s chest. “Because if so, then I change my mind. I refuse to be divorced. I quite like being your husband.”

Geralt snorted. “I quite like it too.  And I don’t think our families would be too happy about having their contract nullified.”

“Right,” Jaskier said, pulling a face. “Bureaucracy. What a romantic topic to bring up. So, no divorce then? We just continue as we have but without all the -” he waved his hand through the air, “not-talking-about-feelings?”

“Sounds perfect.” Geralt paused. “Maybe we could also change the sleeping arrangements?” 

“Please!”

Without waiting another second, Geralt scooped Jaskier up. His heart skipped a beat, when Jaskier let out a delighted little squeal and wrapped his arms around Geralt’s neck to steady himself. 

“Is this really necessary?” Jaskier said in between giggles. “The bed is right there. I could have walked three steps.” “It is,” Geralt said firmly, something soft coiling in his stomach. “Maybe I just like holding you close.”

“How convenient then, that I just so happen to like being held by you.” One of Jaskier’s hands left Geralt’s neck to cup his cheek instead. “Something tells me that we could make great husbands.”

“I think you might be right. I’d love to find out what we are like being husbands with purpose.” 

“So do I.”

“But courting first.”

Jaskier heaved a heavy sigh, but gave Geralt a fond look. Geralt was loath to part from Jaskier for even a heartbeat, so as soon as he laid him down on the bed, he got in right next to him and put an arm around his waist, pulling him closer. They fit perfectly together. He felt the rest of the stress of the past months fall away as he melted against Jaskier. His husband. The man he loved and would court. Jaskier, in turn snuggled as close to Geralt as possible, his hand tracing random patterns on his chest. 

“There’s one more thing I want to change,” Geralt whispered. 

“Hm?”

“I know this should probably not happen before the courting comes to an end but…can I kiss you?”

“Geralt!” Jaskier gasped in mock-affront, his eyes crinkling at the sides, as he failed to hold in his laughter. “Are you seriously asking me - your lawfully wedded husband! - to share a bed with you and kiss you? Unchaperoned? How scandalous!”

Geralt rolled his eyes fondly at Jaskier’s antics. “Is that a ‘yes’, then?”

Jaskier’s giggles quieted down and an expression of pure softness and open love replaced the amusement. 

“It’s a yes,” he whispered back and leaned forwards, closing the space between them. The kiss was chaste and over quickly, yet Geralt could not imagine a more perfect kiss. 

Except, of course, as he drifted off to sleep with Jaskier curled up against him, his mind was already wandering to the future. To flowers and song and, if he was lucky - and something told him that for once, he would be - another kiss from his husband on their second wedding.

—

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[skunk-trafficker]

toxic 'skinnyspo' blogs - tw:ed

one thing I absolutely despise on tumblr is teenage girls promoting slogans like 'SkinNySPo, BeAuTy iS PaIn, eD SheErAn wItHoUt tHe sHeEraN"

no, beauty is not pain, and the moment it becomes pain it is not beautiful anymore. there is beauty in healing and acceptance.

AND STARVING IS NOT OKAY, you might achieve the skinnyspo you're so desperately looking for, BUT YOU'LL HAVE HAIR FALLING OUT, WRINKLY SKIN, a shrinking appetite, and your organs will start eating THEMSELVES. skipping meals SLOWS YOUR METABOLISM, yes the metabolism YOU NEED TO BE FIT, you NEED TO EAT, in order to speed up your metabolism, which speeds up the rate at which one digests their food. At this point, skinnyspo is illiteracy in a nutshell. (excluding people who actually have a severe problem, like a disorder and aren't just romanticising being skinny and skipping meals)

I happened to stumble upon a thinspo post, I opened the tag and I was HORRIFIED.

here are a few examples

I want to be so skinny that I could pass out as soon as I stand up too quick

Here's what they call meanspo

You seriously walk around like that everyday? You barely fit into an L. If I was you I’d ⭐️ve myself. Unless you want to keep growing and growing

Food is disgusting. It makes you a fat pig. Skip dinner and wake up thinner❤

there's so many variations to it.

skinspo, bonespo, SICKSPO- what the actual fuck.

pretty princesses don’t eat.

GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS, PLEASE STOP I BEG YOU, YOU DONT EVEN KNOW THE HARMS OF THIS, THE LONG TERM HARMS, THE SHORT TERM HARMS, PLEASE STOP PROMOTING THIS AND DRAGGING OTHER YOUNGER GIRLS INTO THIS TOXIC TREND, YOUR BODY IS MADE TO SUIT YOU, the way YOUR BODY LOOKS IS MADE TO BEST SUIT YOUR FEATURES, YOU ENVIRONMENT.

please reblog, so this post can get to as many young girls as possible

im using the tags these girls use, to get to their for you's, to maybe help those who can be helped

[quirkwizard]

How could you expand the quick Dragonfly? What kind of evolutions, super movement or item support would you give them? I imagine that easily even without too much training you would be exaggeratedly fast, but how fast do you see and how good is your vision [the cone vision thing confuses me]

The whole vision thing is just a wider range of view, similar to insects in real life with their compound eyes. It's difficult to visual in writing, but imagine it as having eyes all around your head that can see farther and much faster then normal.

For training "Dragonfly", it would be the user flying around with weights on them, constantly flying around and reacting to attacks. Not only would this increase the user's weight limit for their flying and help them adjust to their immense perception, but improve their speed and control over their flight. Some martial training would be good as well, learning to better utilize the immense speed more offensively. As for evolutions, I can't see the user getting a lot of new traits. The most I could see is some aquatic adaptation since certain dragonflies can do well in the water. Maybe they could develop a stronger bite, but it wouldn't help much. It would be more that the traits they have got better, like getting full blown three hundred and sixty degree vision aorund them. Super Moves could see the user expanding all their energy at once for maximum speed, effectively moving like a blur and going into bullet time for their perception, though draining everything they have. It doesn't need much equipment. All it really needs is some sugary foods to keep up with their immense metabolism. I think a rapier would be cool, taking advantage of their speed and making up for their lack of offensive power. Maybe something for their tail as well, like a hook to help stop themselves or to latch onto people.