#blood disguised as tomato juice

[muyru-iru]

The comic will be published, but first Gabriel. FOR THE SIMPS. (Sins), they had a tomato war and the used tomatos were really squishy. Here is a calm scene of Gabriel who is comforting Alt!Cesar. Nothing suspicious here.

[selunesdreams]

Chapter 14: For A Minute There, I Lost Myself

“Pick up any other souvenirs while you were visiting my family’s home?” A dangerous voice inquired from across the room. Her eyes flicked to where Lucanis was posted, arms and legs crossed as he glowered at her.

“You told him?” She asked Neve.

“Who do you think carried you back from the villa?” She replied with a shrug, “He’s the only reason we got you to Viago in time.”

Rook glanced at Lucanis, filled with remorse. He dipped his chin and averted his gaze, jaw clenched tightly. The tension in the room became suffocating as he pushed off the wall, walking towards her with calculated steps. Shoving a hand in his pocket, he produced a small ring and deposited it onto the nightstand. It scratched across the wood as he slid it toward her with two fingers.

“Explain.”

Pairing: Lucanis x Fem Rook/OFC x Spite???

Summary: Rook faces the consequences of trying to talk Illario out of his plans. Lucanis finds a familiar ring that carries some serious news. Spite recruits Rook for some help with a sad, sad Lucanis.

Word count: 4k

Things of note/warnings: 18+ fic, MDNI! warnings: : Attempted SA, violence, blood, bodily injury, death, glass-related injuries, drugging/poisoning. Please read on AO3 if you need to track warnings, they will be inevitably detailed better there (or just want to be real sweet and give me hits/kudos/comments).

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

Lucanis shut the doors of the kitchen behind him with a deep exhale. Although happy to let Taash take credit for his cooking, he had learned his lesson about sticking around. Confined to the pantry during the last meal, with no hope of escape, he endured their ceaseless bickering with their mother for hours. Already living with one incessant voice of outrage, he couldn’t bear a chorus of them. 

Cracking his neck and flexing his fingers at his sides, he scanned the empty courtyard for signs of Rook. Their earlier encounter still had him on edge. Even as he’d prepared dinner, the rhythmic knocking of his knife against the cutting board as he diced vegetables was the only thing marking the passage of time. He stared at the dining room table, unable to shake the memory of her hair in his hands, her body underneath him, nails digging into his sweater, tongue in his mouth…

He squeezed his left thumb, a bandage now wrapped around it to mark where his wandering thoughts had cost him a piece of flesh. Distracted, he hadn’t even noticed his blood amongst the tomato juice on the counter until it began to sting. 

Something about Rook completely unraveled him, making him a liability she couldn’t afford. Worse, Spite was fascinated by Lucanis’ desire for her, yearning clearly a favored emotion amongst spirits of determination. Anytime she was within arm’s reach, his ears rang with thoughts he’d once held privately, vocalized in Spite’s persistent timbre.  

Neve emerged from Bellara’s chambers, her prosthetic clicking against the stone as she ascended the steps and waved him over with a puzzled look.  

“Have you seen Bell?”

He shook his head and met her in the center of the courtyard. “Everything alright?” 

“It’s fine. It’s just-” She let out an exasperated sigh, retrieving a worn notebook from her pocket and flipping through the pages. “I needed to pick her brain about something, and she’s been gone for hours. It’s getting late…not like her to be away for so long. I stopped by Rook’s room and she wasn’t there either.”

“They’re probably working on something together. I wouldn’t worry about it, Neve.” He said, trying to disguise his unease at the mention of Rook’s name. 

The detective hummed to herself, scribbling in her notes and pocketing them. “Right, of course. It’s just-”

“Lucanis!”

The library doors burst open and Bellara fell through, doubling over to catch her breath.

“Bell?” Neve grasped her by the shoulders. “Slow down. What happened?”

“Can’t find Viago…Rook, Illario…I think she was poisoned? She won’t wake up-”

ROOK. In DANGER?

He straightened, his racing thoughts competing with Spite’s own concerned ramblings.

Bellara gasped to catch her breath. “With Teia. Under the villa. I told her it was a bad idea to talk to Illario on her own-”

Lucanis didn’t wait for her to finish, heaving open the library doors and sprinting towards the eluvian room.

“If anyone sees you in Treviso-” Neve’s warning trailed off, drowned out by the pounding in his ears as his boots hit the pavement.

“Keep looking for Viago!” He called over his shoulder. “If he’s not at the casino this time of night, he won’t be far!”

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

HELP ROOK. KILL ILLARIO. 

“No! Damnit! I’ll deal with Illario later, Spite.”

Lucanis leapt off a rooftop into the alley below, folding the demon’s wings behind him. Before he could react, he was slammed against a brick wall, a silver blade gleaming against the base of his throat. He peered down at his attacker and disarmed them in a single, deliberate movement.

“Lucanis?” Teia asked, eyes widening as she wrenched her dagger from his hand. “Thank the Maker. Here, I’ve gotten Fi halfway, but I can’t carry her seven city blocks on my own. She wanted to talk down Illario, but you can imagine how it went…” 

Directed to where she had propped an unconscious Rook against a wall, Lucanis crouched and pressed two fingers to her neck. Although her pulse was strong, it was far too slow. Roused by his touch, Rook shifted with a pained moan before her head slumped onto her shoulder. He sighed, rising to his feet and brushing himself off.

“Bellara and Neve are looking for Viago. We need to get her to the apartment.”

“Let’s not waste time then.” Teia said, taking off down the alley to scout ahead. With no other options, Lucanis prayed to the Maker that Illario’s spies were preoccupied elsewhere and scooped Rook into his arms, pressing his chin against her head to keep it from lolling back. 

“Damnit, Fiammetta.” He whispered into her hair, “Why couldn’t you just listen to me?”

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

Draped across her white sheets, Lucanis assessed Rook’s face in the low light, noting several bruises and scrapes on her cheek. Blood and lipstick stained her mouth and chin, and he tentatively reached out, tracing a thumb over her bottom lip. An oily substance adhered to his skin, and he hesitated, throat bobbing as he inspected the faint emerald gleam on his fingertips.

“Try not to be upset with her,” Teia said, steering him aside as he wiped his hands clean on his trousers. She dabbed Rook’s face using a damp cloth and scrubbed the remaining pigment from her lips. “I know Fi’s methods are questionable, but she did it for you.”

“She did it for Illario.” Lucanis said bitterly, leaning against the wall. He folded his arms, watching as she set the rag aside, turning over Rook’s palms and picking out fragments of glass. 

“She did it for you.” Teia reiterated firmly, “Fi doesn’t want Illario dead, but even more, she doesn’t want to see you hurt.” 

“Did she tell you that?” Lucanis asked doubtfully.

“She didn’t have to say a thing.” Teia wiped the dried blood from Rook’s hands, searching them one last time before resting them on the pristine sheets. “I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but she doesn’t put herself on the line for people like this. And I promise you, she wouldn’t do it for Illario.”

They each exchanged a glance at the sound of the footsteps in the hall, and Lucanis unsheathed the dagger at his chest. In a defensive crouch, he crept towards the bedroom door. Concerned, muffled voices filtered through the walls just before Viago swung the door open and shoved past him. 

“Save me the hero act, Dellamorte.” He sneered, shooing Teia out of his path as he crouched beside the bed to check Rook’s vitals. Neve and Bellara appeared in the doorway, looking on anxiously. 

Muttering to himself, Viago threw a case on the mattress, fingertips drifting over dozens of glass cylinders as he searched for the right one. 

“You know, I expected this from my cousin, but not from you, Teia.” He snarled over his shoulder, retrieving a flask of antitoxin, uncorking it, and tipping it into Rook’s mouth. She coughed and sputtered in her sleep as it went down before settling back against the pillows. 

“Vi,” Teia protested, “she would have done it with or without me-”

Viago discarded the empty vial inside his poisons case and stood to face her. 

“But you could have come to me.” He said in a low voice, full of fury and betrayal.

“Can anyone tell me what’s happening?” Neve asked, clearly losing patience with more Crow drama. “Is Rook going to live?”

“My cousin will be fine.” Viago worked his jaw, tearing his gaze away from Teia. “Let me know when she wakes. I have words for her. Several, in fact.”

Bellara flinched and pressed herself against the doorframe as Viago stormed past her into the hall. Lucanis sighed, rolling his shoulders and giving Teia a sympathetic smile. 

“You should go after him, Andarateia. We’ve got it from here.” 

She nodded, sparing one last guilty look at her unconscious friend. 

“Thanks.” she said, squeezing Lucanis on the shoulder before hurrying after Viago. 

“You go too, Bell.” Neve said, inclining her head towards the den. “Get some rest.”

“But-”

“Neve’s right.” Lucanis interjected. “Besides, you don’t want to be here when Rook wakes and Viago comes back in here.” 

Reluctantly, Bellara nodded and vanished down the hall. As Neve sat on the edge of Rook’s mattress, Lucanis closed the door and leaned over the footboard.

“My idiot cousin nearly killed her.” He muttered, watching Rook with a tortured expression.

“Can’t say I like the circumstances, but maybe the forced nap is a good thing for her.” Neve said, examining Rook’s injured hands, “She’s going to be pissed when she wakes up. Maybe Emmrich can do something about these…”

An iridescent glimmer caught Lucanis’ attention, and he frowned, hand dragging across the bedpost as he shifted closer. 

“This was my grandmother’s…” He slipped an opal ring from Rook’s finger, inspecting it more closely over a lit candle. “Caterina never took this off.”

“Pretty. Did your cousin give it to her as some kind of token?”

Lucanis closed his fist around the ring, carefully sliding it into his pocket.

“That’s what I would like to find out.”

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

To her relief, Rook woke in her own room and not Illario’s. From her place near the window, Neve smirked and silently handed her a cup of tea from the bedside table. 

“Feeling better? You scared Bell half to death.”

“Marginally.”

She accepted the mug with shaking hands and raised it to her lips. The tea was lukewarm and oversteeped, but she savored it anyway. 

“Your cousin and friend are fighting in the den,” Neve said. “Hopefully that buys you some time to gather yourself.”

“Of course they are.” Rook mumbled, setting the tea back on the nightstand. Shards of glass glimmered against the wood grain and she examined the swathes of minor cuts they’d left behind on her palms. 

“Pick up any other souvenirs while you were visiting my family’s home?” A dangerous voice inquired from across the room. Her eyes flicked to where Lucanis was posted, arms and legs crossed as he glowered at her. 

“You told him?” She asked Neve. 

“Who do you think carried you back from the villa?” She replied with a shrug, “He’s the only reason we got you to Viago in time.”

Rook glanced at Lucanis, filled with remorse. He dipped his chin and averted his gaze, jaw clenched tightly. The tension in the room became suffocating as he pushed off the wall, walking towards her with calculated steps. Shoving a hand in his pocket, he produced a small ring and deposited it onto the nightstand. It scratched across the wood as he slid it toward her with two fingers.

“Explain.”

She reached out slowly, still feeling weak, and turned the opal over between her fingertips.

“I heard something when Illario was taking me to his room,” she recalled, trying to ignore Lucanis’ visible scowl. “He blamed a cat, but your grandmother was never an animal person. When I was escaping, I found this on the ground. I didn’t have a chance to see it clearly then…” 

Her mouth fell open in recognition.

“She’s still alive.” Rook breathed, “She had to have slipped this under the door as a message.”

“As hopeful as I am that you’re right, why not just call for help?” Neve asked. 

“Reasonable caution. My cousin is messy, impulsive when he panics.” Lucanis explained, taking the ring from between Rook’s fingertips and pocketing it. “He could still kill her if we move against him.”

“As long as he thinks we don’t know, Caterina is safe.” Rook said, “He has no reason to suspect any of us would return to the villa.

“So we plan a rescue.” Neve suggested, “The sooner we get her out of there, the better.”

“We have to deal with Illario first.” Rook said. “Too much pressure, and he’ll do something rash.”

Distraught, Lucanis sat down on the corner of the bed, burying his face in his hands. “What if I go after him and get Caterina killed?” 

Rook bit her lip, watching his breathing become ragged. “Neve, could you…give us a moment?”

“Take all the time you need.”

As the door shut behind her, Rook crawled closer, reaching out tentatively to touch his shoulder. 

“Talk to me.” She begged, tugging at his sleeve. The muscles in his neck tensed as he stiffened under her fingertips.

“Rook, I…”

Suddenly, he swiveled towards her, a violet gleam in his irises. Afraid to move, she swallowed as Spite desperately seized her by the shoulders.

“Help us. He listen. He always listens to you!”

A bright flash of light enveloped the room, and Rook blinked several times as her eyes adjusted to the dark ruins surrounding them. A thick fog hung over the landscape, but there was something familiar about it. Schools of fish swam through clouds of bubbles that rose against an invisible barrier, bearing some resemblance to the mediation chamber.

“Is this the Fade?” She asked, taking a tentative step after Spite, who waited impatiently at the end of a sandy downhill path. 

“Lucanis is here. Always! Behind locked doors. I can’t break through.”

“A prison?” She mused, “It looks exactly like the Ossuary.”

“Yes! Locks everywhere! I can’t touch them!”

“Take me to him.” Rook demanded. Spite beckoned her on, eyes shifting across the landscape warily. Rare to see a demon so anxious. 

“Rook opens doors. Not close them. Rook can’t be here!”

“I…don’t know what that means…” she said under her breath, moving toward a figure in the distance. As she drew closer, she found Caterina Dellamorte leaning on her cane, grey hair swept neatly in a bun, as it always was. 

“Tenderness and terror. Rage and relief. Old, stale fear of disappointment.” Spite grumbled beside her. 

“Oh Fiammetta, you were supposed to bring me back my Lucanis!” Caterina cried, shaking her head. “Not this abomination! ”

Rook gave Spite a sideways glance. “Is this a spirit playing tricks?”

“No! They wouldn’t dare! Lucanis belongs to ME! She is an idea!”

She grunted in acknowledgement. If Caterina was lingering in Lucanis’ mind like this, she had to be attached to something heavy. This was a prison of his own shame.

“Caterina, Lucanis is trapped here because he believes he’s let you down. But we both know he’s not to blame. This was done to him. There was no choice in this. No failure on his part.”

The old woman’s face crumpled as her memory faded away into fragments of light.

“My poor boy!” she wailed, and disappeared into nothingness.

“Yes!” Spite exclaimed, “Good. Come. There are more.”

Uncertain of how time passed in this realm, Rook followed Spite through the prison for what felt like hours, convincing the figures in his head that he was in control of himself, capable, worthy. Harding, Davrin, Neve - they all bore their own voices, but spoke with Lucanis’ self doubt. It wasn’t until she came face to face with a mirror image of herself that she took pause. Her reflection peered at her curiously, but said nothing. 

“Fascination and desire. Yearning and avoidance. Something familiar and foreign at the same time. With a little guilt.”

“Why am I here?” She asked, reaching out towards the ghostlike figure. Her fingertips met nothingness, distorting her likeness, but it did not react.

“People come in three kinds. Family. Enemies. Contracts…” Spite rambled, moving closer.

“I hope that’s just you talking…” She inhaled slowly, trying to calm her nerves before addressing her visage. “Let us pass.”

The phantom-like version of herself didn’t answer. Rook scoffed, pacing around the room and gathering parchment from nearby tables, reading the scrawled thoughts and insecurities written upon them in Lucanis’ hand.

I didn’t want you to see that. Again… (I’m not this. I cannot be this.)

I’m sorry for getting you in trouble, Fiammetta. (I never should have brought you into my mess.)

Everyone in my life has suffered because of me. I will only bring you pain. Can’t you see that? (Rook…I can’t.)

These were about her…had Lucanis been the one to write them? Is this truly what he thought?

“You really think you can help him?” Viago’s condescending asked from behind. She whipped around, scowling as he circled her. 

“He will ruin you, cousin. I have tried to protect you from this abomination for too long. The two of you will never have my blessing.”

“Do you exist in everyone’s nightmares, Viago, or just Lucanis and I’s?”

“Kissing two Dellamortes in one day, Fiammetta? Which did you prefer?”

“Strange way to tell me you’re jealous, Lucanis.” She sneered at Viago’s image. “Quit hiding behind my cousin’s form. Although your impression of him is…spot on.”

“He’s a coward. You said it yourself.” Rook’s reflection taunted, breaking her silence. “We said it.”

“And I took it back! I’m not leaving Lucanis in here alone. Get out, both of you!”

“Your funeral.” Viago said, sweeping the vision of her aside, and disappearing. Rook threw Lucanis’ notes aside, letting them drift to the ground, and pushed through the rubble into a thick cloud of fog.

“Somehow, I knew you’d be here.” She said in greeting to the memory of Illario standing before her.

Spite sniffed, leaning in close. “Sharp. Jagged edges. Hurt with every breath. Grief and relief. Hope and anger. Mixed.”

“Fiammetta, you’re too good to be wasting your time in a place like this. Forget about my cousin.”

Rook ignored him, picking up more of Lucanis’ memos of self-loathing from around the chamber.

She came after me. She came after Caterina. She will come after you too… (Cousin, what about you?)

But we’re more like brothers. Caterina took us both in. (We’re brothers…)

Death is my calling. Just as yours is to become First Talon. (I don’t want it, Illario.) 

“I can give you everything,” Illario said, following her around the room. “I can protect you from him. All I’ve tried to do is protect you, Fi.”

“I can handle myself.”

Rook crumpled Lucanis’ memos in her fist, igniting them in flame and letting the ashes drift in the wind. Illario glared disapprovingly.

“You know what happened last time the Crows fought a war of succession, Fiammetta! The Dellamortes lost everything, except the seat of First Talon. This time, we fight ourselves. What will be left then? Ashes?” 

“He. Put us HERE!” Spite roared.

“Your father would have never wanted this for you, Fiammetta-”

“I don’t give a damn what my father wanted!” She shouted, pushing through Illario’s image. It evaporated around her.

“I’ve had enough, Lucanis! Where are you?”

She stormed through the halls, ignoring echoes of Illario’s voice until they reached a vast, empty chamber. Lucanis stood in the center, not waiting, not searching for a way out, just…there. Defeated by his own mind. Startled as she came into view, he took a step back, eyes wide. 

“Rook?” He asked in disbelief, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m getting you out. You can’t stay here forever.”

“There’s nowhere to go…” His face fell. “It’s better I stay here than risk losing you. Can’t you see that, Fiammetta?”

“You SEE? He BREAKS our AGREEMENT!” Spite stepped between them, furious. “His mind is still here. So he wants to STAY HERE. So he keeps. ME HERE!”

“Mierda! Why would I want to stay?” Lucanis gestured around the Ossuary. “Even in my head, this place is a nightmare.” 

Rook stepped around Spite, her hand coming to cup the side of Lucanis’ face. “But it’s a nightmare you’ve already defeated. What’s waiting for you out there? That’s new. That’s risk.” She said, her thumb caressing his cheek. “You can survive this, Lucanis. You won’t hurt me. I know you.”

“No!” Lucanis growled. “Damnit, Fiammetta! This is not… ”

“MAKE HIM LEAVE!”

Rook threw her head back and groaned.

“Find a way to coexist! You two can’t live this way forever. Make a contract, an alliance, I don’t care. Figure it out.”

Lucanis gave her a helpless look before stepping forward and confronting Spite.

“My grandmother is alive. We free her. Together.” He proposed, “And we protect Rook, whatever the cost.”

A wide smile spread across Spite’s face.

“Together. We will fight.”

Lucanis merged with Spite’s form, the demon disappearing in a flurry of violet. In a blinding flash, Rook’s bedroom materialized around them, unchanged. Disoriented, she blinked rapidly, her gaze meeting Lucanis’ as he studied her face in the candlelight. Curiosity and wonder were etched on his features, as if he’d never seen her before. 

Reality suddenly set in, and his expression wavered. He recoiled, muffling a cough in his fist as his eyes wandered over the wound on her temple. Davrin’s stitching from the week before. 

“You haven’t taken those out yet?” He asked, clearing his throat and rising from the bed. Glass bottles and trinkets rolled around in the wooden drawers as he rummaged through her vanity for a sewing kit. Typical Lucanis, always finding work to do rather than facing his feelings.

“I can do it myself-” Rook propped herself up, wincing as her palms touched the sheets. She pulled her hand away, frowning at the crimson stain left in its wake. 

“I’ll do it.” He insisted, the mattress dipping under his weight as he knelt over her. This close, she could feel the warmth radiating from him, smell the leather of his jacket and the spices lingering on his skin from so much time over a stove. She held her breath, focusing on the intricate fibers of his sweater, the crow-shaped buttons on his collar, anything to distract her from the way his body hovered over her own.

“You should have had me do this in the first place.” He murmured as he expertly tucked a needle under the thread and clipped it with a small pair of scissors. “Our Warden friend isn’t known for having a delicate touch. I can sew, at the very least.

“You were unconscious.” She said as he pulled the final stitch free. “You’ve got quite the jealous streak, Dellamorte.”

Needle pursed between his lips, Lucanis leaned back and inspected his handiwork. Satisfied, he tucked his tools away in the sewing kit and set it aside on the sheets.

“Just recalling a conversation where you had bragged about not having a single scar on your face.” 

Tentatively, he reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear, his thumb ghosting over the friction burn on her cheek, a scabbed over reminder of the runner she’d dragged herself across to escape the villa.

“This is twice now that my cousin’s actions have harmed you.”

“Physically.” Rook added with a smirk.

Lucanis reached for her palms, examining where the glass had left behind several deep cuts. “You won’t be able to wield a blade for at least a week.”

“They’ll heal.” Rook said, pulling her hands back. “It’s my fault, anyway. I should have listened to you.”

“All that just to kiss my cousin.” A faint grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he precariously arranged her pillows behind her. “Was I that bad, Rook?”

“N-no! Lucanis-”

Flustered, her cheeks burned bright red as he leaned forward, sweeping his lips across her forehead and pressing a firm kiss to its center. As he retreated from her bedside, even he appeared surprised by the gesture.

“Rest.” He said, nodding towards the den. “I’ll go debrief the others. Spare you one of Viago’s big speeches.”

Guilt gnawed at her as she watched him leave. Maybe he could forgive her, shake this evening’s events off and make light of them as if her actions hadn’t hurt him, but she couldn’t. There was nothing she wanted more than to erase it all. As if sensing her ruminating, Lucanis rested a hand on the doorframe, casting a glance backward.

“Your sacrifices tonight didn’t go unnoticed. What you did for me…” He hung his head, staring at the floor. “If there’s one person I trust my thoughts to, it’s you, Fiammetta.”

Lucanis slipped into the hall and Rook bit her lip, rolling over in bed and stifling a sob. She allowed only a few tears to stain her pillowcase, knowing the time he'd buy her would be brief. With a sniff, she wiped her eyes and stared at the wall, waiting for the weight of Viago’s disappointment, and drowning in her own shame.

[ccrissproductions]

FOB Story I Was Consider Writing

There's this story I was considering writing when smfs dropped. Where Patrick was vampire this whole time and Pete ends up finding out and... that's the plot.

Here's what I wrote so far, but I'm not sure if I should continue it:

Ever realize how in movies or shows, when two characters are about to interact, they somehow are wearing some form of the same color. If character A is wearing a green shirt, character B is wearing a green hat or some shit like that. 

So, when Pete caught him in his dressing room drinking something that was way too red and way too thick for him to disguise as tomato juice (which Pete knows he hates with a passion), all Patrick could think of was:

'Oh look, his jacket matches my hat.'

---

Pete was stuck. He stood at the doorframe of Patrick's dressing room. He initially was going to tell Patrick that him and Andy planned to meet Joe soon to hang out; but now he was stuck. 

Directly across the room, Patrick sat like a deer in headlights in his dressing room chair, glasses and hat laid on the desk behind him. he stared wide-eyed at Pete while holding a clear pouch in his hand and straw in his mouth. 

Pete walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

"'Trick?" He started slowly.

"Hmm?"

"What are you drinking?"

"...rock star lean." 

Pete was unimpressed with that answer.

"Really? Is that the lie you wanna go with?" He crossed his arms and leaned back on the door. 

Yup.

Patrick put the straw back in his mouth and took another sip from the pouch.

"Pat that doesn't even exist."

"Yes, it does." Patrick quickly retorted.

"No, it doesn't." 

"Uh huh. It's new." Patrick took another sip. Pete squinted; the pure unbelief written all over his face. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose, "'Trick, now, if there was a new drug out on the market of street pharmaceuticals, don't you think I would be the first out of all of us to know about it?"

Patrick shrugged and took another sip, "I don't know. I guess I just beat you to it."

Pete inhaled.

.

.

.

Pete exhaled.

"Patrick, I know growing old has taken a toll on you--"

"--Says the one with the Billy Ray Cyrus hair."

"--Fuck you-- but drinking an unknown substance that looks like pure blood cannot be the right decision."

"You know right decisions?"

"Fuck. You. Ok?"

[tastesoftamriel]

What kind of food gets served at like the Tamrielic equivalents of baby showers?

Every race in Tamriel welcomes the newborn into the world with love, gifts, and lots of food! Celebrations often involve feasting, and there are some dishes which specifically come out when an infant is born.

Altmer

It is a momentous occasion when a High Elf is brought into the world, and mothers are pampered with warm pastries filled with healing ingredients to aid them. Puff pastries and lots of small fluffy breads are filled with all kinds of nourishing ingredients like sliced apples and beetroot, gingko-vanilla creme, goji berry jam, and lotus seed paste. Not traditionally the sort of flavours one would normally scarf down, but still lovely (and much more palatable when disguised in pastry).

Argonians

The Argonians adore their young, and celebrate hatchings with songs, dancing, and a banquet. You'll find any and every dish in Murkmire present, but what comes out especially for the new parents is a special fish dish, made with chunks of various seafood, fresh blood cockles, and rice. It is a mild but flavoursome stew, with a thick coconut milk base, tomatoes, lemongrass, and galangal.

Bosmer

While it is true that the Wood Elves do eat their own placenta after birth, a more palatable dish that others enjoy a bit more is pulled mammoth in a thick meat gravy. Cooked on low heat over the first three days after giving birth, the meat just falls apart in your mouth and has a delightfully deep umami flavour, brought out by the smokiness of the monkey sausage served on the side.

Bretons

In Daggerfall, new mothers are treated to whatever food their heart desires, from sweets to sweetmeats. However, a staple at baby showers is a wholesome barley soup, made with two-day chicken stock. The soup is thick and nourishing, and is usually served with rye bread, a pinch of nutmeg, and a dash of tarragon or thyme.

Dunmer

The Dark Elves traditionally hold a small feast in honour of newborns, featuring many sweets. This is quite unusual, as Dunmeri cuisine doesn't normally place much focus on desserts. Everything from marshmerrow cakes to saltrice pudding, ash yam flan, and sweet chilled scuttlecake are present, and always go down a treat!

Imperials

Cyrodiilic tradition calls for a range of special pre-birth foods, which are served both at home for the mother, as well as for visiting guests. One of the most common dishes is slaughterfish stew: a tomato-based stew with chunks of seared slaughterfish, cubed potatoes, and spinach. It's nourishing but flavourful, and the ingredients are easy to procure and cook.

Khajiit

The Khajiit rejoice at the birth of kittens, and there are special dishes which are served based on the phases of the moons and the kittens' furstock. For example, Alfiq are celebrated with small jerboa tartlets with candied macadamias, Senche-raht calls for rare steak served in corn flatbread, and big bowls of curry noodles for Ohmes Khajiit.

Nords

In Skyrim, the impending birth of a child calls for much preparation, and food is of utmost importance. Gatherings call for apple juice rather than mead, as well as healthy foods like rye sourdough, trout mousse, spiced potato porridge, and roast chicken with pear sauce. It's a little fancier than normal, and a treat for everyone from parents to guests.

Orcs

While they're not quick to admit it, Orcs love babies! Where celebrating a birth is concerned, it's a party for the family (and, by extension, the entire Stronghold, who always need an excuse to have a good time). Hearth-wives and relatives of the parents work together to bake an enormous pie made from a whole mammoth, which is cooked in an earth oven dug specifically for this purpose. A large quantity of pie is also sacrificed to Malacath.

Redguards

In the Alik'r, potluck parties are the most common indication that there are expecting parents in the house. While there isn't any specific dish for pregnancies at these parties, you'll find all manner of Redguard favourites (generally fancier than daily cuisine), such as goat kebabs, devilled harpy eggs, fragrant pilaf, grilled aubergines, and smoked caviar with wheat flatbread. And of course, somebody is bound to bring caramel pudding, which is the unspoken rule of Redguard baby showers.

[serenityseventeen]

Vampire Boyfriend - Seungkwan (부승관)

----------------

What would vampire!seungkwan be like as your boyfriend?

----------------

Vampire Seungkwan is so sweet!!

He just loves to hold your hand, kiss your cheeks, and give you massages from the old times

I don't know but I picture him spitting a lot of nonsense, like he would bring up old recipes

Seungkwan-vamp would think of himself as really wise when he's mainly a comedic genius

This vampire makes you laugh a lot

It's been a long time since he loved someone as much as you so he wants to see you smile a lot, even if he has to do something dumb for it

He's also really protective of you

Vampire seungkwan likes to play pranks on you like transforming into a bat

Even though he plays pranks on you sometimes, he gets scared easily - especially by dogs (sorry bookkeu)

Kwannie gets terrified when he sees garlic, dogs, and water (he's adapted to the sunlight so it doesn't scare him anymore)

I picture him being the type of boyfriend that tries to act very modernly by putting his blood into a plastic cup, pretending it's a cafe-served drink

He's one of the only members who go out in the daytime (of course by blocking his entire body from sunlight)

This man is all for cuddles :))

He loves giving you back hugs too!!

Seungkwan can surprisingly, control his desires for blood well, maybe because he always carries a cup of blood disguising it as tomato juice

So, being his lover, you don't have to worry about being bitten, because he probably won't bite you

He probably will once in three years

Like maybe one day he's just too lazy to go out at night and hunt for blood so he's thirsty, leading him to just go over to you and bite your arm

Of course, not being used to it, it hurt a hell ton

Seungkwan apologized afterward and helped you patch it up (despite wanting to continue sucking)

Aside from that extremely rare occurrence, he's a whole sweetie

It's like you have a pet bat but instead, you're in love with him and it kisses you and hugs you a lot

I also think that vampire Seungkwan is very clingy and just won't let go of you at all!

PROS: He's a really sweet, soft, non-harmful (toward you) boyfriend that can easily be disguised as a human. He does anything to protect you and teaches you of the ‘old ways’.

CONS: He plays a lot of pranks. Vampire Seungkwan completely freaks out (like crazily) when there is no bloodstock, a lot of water, garlic, and dogs in sight.

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© serenityseventeen

5/21/21 - 6:47 pm

a/n: You think we can get ‘Don't Wanna Cry’ to 200 million before the anniversary? I think so, hehe! + This is the final line of the series, the maknae line!!! Eeek + I couldn't find a good gif with him in it that was dark and sexy so here's a cute seungkwan gif that I probably already used- but whatever he's a cutie

[postmodernmulticoloredcloak]

Fantasies, dreams and desires, ideas of normalcy and fears of difference. A slightly queer reading of 15x14

Mrs Butters is a delightful character who is built to parallel so many things in the show. She occupies perfectly the semantic sphere that the narrative has crafted around Dean’s desires; also, you know, cake.

We could talk for days about the significance of food and drink in Supernatural. One of the biggest themes that run through the entire show is hunger (or thirst) and food is very often a symbol for an emotional need of sorts. Supernatural draws a lot folklore, and human stories have always used symbologies that put together food, desire, love, sex, family, goodness and darkness and all those human experiences.

We have discussed the shit out of every instance of food in the show, analyzed parallels to other stories and fairytales, scrutinized queer-codings and subtexts, got called nasty names by impolite people accusing us of saying that a slice of baked good means Dean likes sitting on dicks. So, yeah, I’m not gonna start explaining everything from the beginning. Let’s jump to the parallels.

- The comfort food. Motherhood, hugs, and the past that can never return: the ideal of childhood and the 50s fantasy

We’ve already talked about how Mrs Butters functions as a parallel to Mary and a symbol of the ideal motherhood that both Mary and Dean struggled with. In Dark Side Of The Moon, we see a memory from Dean’s childhood, where we learn that Mary would cut off the crusts off his sandwiches. Mrs Butters also says that she cut the crusts off, establishing a direct parallel to Dean’s ideal of childhood and child-parent relationship. Or, we should say, as both Mary’s and Dean’s ideals of a child-parent relationship, because we know that Mary set up her life with John and the kids as an elaborate “scene” according to her idea-slash-fantasy of the perfect safe life.

She strugged with that, because her ideal life could never match with reality - she had loose ends from hunting to deal with, she at some level liked having those loose ends to deal with because as much as she hated the hunting life and craved for safety and “normalcy” that was still something she was in her element doing, probably more than the perfect housewife role. Of course when she came back she attempted to recreate the scene but quickly discovered that it was impossible and dropped all attempts to do so, embracing the opposite, or at least what she perceived as the opposite (having a pretty dualistic view of hunting life-domestic life where they cannot be reconciled).

Dean, on the other hand, started out with a similar dualistic view, figuring that he’d always belong to the hunting world and could never have the domestic, “normal” thing at all, embracing his “freakness” as opposed to the concept of normalcy represented by civilians, by the middle class, by the suburbs, by the apple pie, white fence life (insert heavy queer subtext here). And yet there was always an ambiguity with him (again, he’s never one-or-the-other, he’s always both), because, while on the surface he embraces this rebellious, devil-may-care persona, that’s not quite what he is as a full individual. He grew up essentially a housewife from a very early age, has a very caregiving personality, and thrives in taking care of others.

Dean is both Mrs Butters and Mary, where the difference between him and Mary is that Mary couldn’t (didn’t have the time, support, resources?) reconcile parts of her that Dean instead was able to (and in fact recently helped her with: before dying, she’d reached a pretty healthy balance of living her own life as a hunter and having a warm relationship with her sons, at least as healthy as it can get in that kind of circumstances).

Another important parallel to Dark Side Of The Moon, borrowed by Scoobynatural, is the nightgown that feels like being wrapped in hugs: we are reminded of Dean’s “I wuv hugz” from when he was a kid, a symbol for his early life of affection and safety that he lost with his mother. Childhood hugs, comfort food, loving gestures like cutting off the crusts are all symbols of a past that cannot return.

On a level, from a “coming-of-age story” perspective, childhood, with its innocence and perception that adults will always keep us safe, is obviously something that everyone needs to accept as something that belongs to the past and cannot return, to embrace instead the responsibilities and risks of adulthood in a healthy way. In a sense, Dean needs to go through all these steps - acknowledging that his mother was a flawed person, that in fact both of his parents were flawed people who made mistakes but he can forgive them for his own sake in order to be able to let go of trauma and carry on... - to become a healthy adult able to be a good parent to his own child.

(There’s also the cholesterol thing - Mrs Butters chastizes Dean for his diet, but we know that there’s a depth to Dean’s diet, not only his extreme appreciation of food due to experiencing food scarcity and insecurity as a child, but also the memory of his mother’s comfort food, such as the “Winchester surprise”, a monstrosity of meat and cheese. While the “meat man” persona would appear on the surface as a sterotypical masculinity thing, it has layers, in a typical Dean fashion... not coincidentally, in the latest episode he calls himself the meat man while wearing an apron that we’re told he’s very fond of, painting him, again, in a mixture of different meanings, masculinity and femininity, fatherhood and motherhood, devil-may-care attitude and caregiver attitude.)

On another level, a more political level, there’s the 50s fantasy element. We all know the significance of the idealization of the post-war period as the “good ol’ times” in American culture, and it’s an ideal that Mary definitely drew from when she built her perfect life with her family. Mrs Butters represents this in a very literal way, being literally from 1958 when she “froze” herself, and acts as a very stereotyped governess for a bunch of men that feel like they are above housework, what is considered women’s work. Dean initially comments “how progressive”, knowing exactly how bullshit these conversative ideals are, but then appreciates the comforts of the perfect caretaker.

In fact, Dean’s “giving in” to the comforts of a governess makes me think of that famous feminist manifesto “I want a wife” by Judy Syfers... because housework is very much Dean’s work in the bunker. It’s interesting that Mrs Butters immediately comments negatively on the cleanness of the bunker and their clothes: we know that Dean cleans and washes, and, while it’s likely that he cannot keep everything super perfect like a governess would because he’s busy doing many other things, it’s a way Mrs Butters uses to establish roles that she knows and is comfortable with. She is used to being the one who does “feminine” work while the Men of Letters have absolutely zero skills in that regard, and doesn’t really even stop to question if that’s the case with the men in front of her.

Anyway, let’s go back to the 50s fantasy. The show has repeatedly made commentaries on the vacuity of it. Peace Of Mind is the most obvious instance, but there’s plenty of subtext in the show that deals with that typically American aspect. Just like the childhood aspect, the narrative tells us that the “good ol’ times” are also an idealized thing that cannot return (if it ever existed, because Dean’s childhood was built on a fantasy, and the “good ol’ times” are also a fantasy, because the real 50s were horrible for anyone who didn’t swim in privilege). Mrs Butters cannot stay, the 50s fantasy-slash-childhood fantasy cannot last, and Dean embraces his role as an adult-slash-modern housemaker. Blah blah gender, blah blah cake. (Yeah, sorry, but you can fill in the blanks.)

- The contaminated drink. Poison and weakness from the forbidden sexual desire to the forbidden family domesticity

Aaaand now the second branch of parallels that Mrs Butters pinged on my radar, which sends us in an even more queer-subtext-heavy territory. We’re going to talk about the smoothies and the tomato juice. Yes, I know, the smoothies are given to Jack, not Dean, but symbolically Dean and Jack share the same semantic area; both are given a magically conjured drink, and both end up locked away waiting to be killed. For this analysis, they basically overlap.

Let’s start with the tomato juice. I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that Dean is given something that visually reminds of the blood the vampires drink. The tomato juice is a stand-in for blood, and blood in relation to vampirism has a long history of subtext in the show that connects to sexuality, sex, sexual fears and contamination. While vampires are not necessarily always invested of those meanings every single time they appear in the three-hundred-whatever episodes of the show, their main symbology is connected to sex and sexual fears, as vampires do in modern western literature, after all.

You’re probably going to think, wait, what? What has Mrs Butters got to do with sexual fears? Yeah, I know, it sounds weird, but hear me out.

The tomato juice - a stand-in for blood, with a vampire reference - parallels Mrs Butters (who represents trauma, remember) to 6x05 Live Free Or TwiHard. Sexual assault, blood, contamination via the poisoning liquid.

Next to the tomato juice there’s the smoothie. It’s a poison in disguise, a contaminated drink that makes Jack weak. We have, in fact, a pattern of Dean being given contaminated drinks that place him under another’s power. Not just the vampire’s blood, but also Jeremy from 3x10 Dream A Little Dream Of Me, who offers Dean a beer through which he connects him to his dreams. There’s Nick the siren from 4x14 Sex And Violence, who contaminates Dean through the flask. The venom in the siren’s saliva parallels straight to the gorgon Noah in 14x14 Ouroboros, and I don’t have to start explaining what all those things represent, right? (I have written posts about these things, it would be nice if tumblr didn’t suck and showed them to me when I go look for them.)

(Oh, there’s also Crowley’s human blood addiction, which is not, as one might expect, a parallel to Sam’s demon blood addition, but Dean’s First Blade/Mark Of Cain issue, and the First Blade/Mark Of Cain arc is all imbued by the queer subtext of the Dean-Crowley-Castiel triangle.)

Basically, Mrs Butters is inserted in a history of queer subtext, although it appears as obvious that Mrs Butters hardly represents homosexual desire, unless we go a pretty stretchy route of her occupying Cas’ space in the Dean-Sam-Cas-Jack family (I mean, that’s true, but it’s not simply that). It is also true that Mrs Butters represents Cuthbert Sinclair, and here the radar pings, because Cuthbert Sinclair is totally inside the pattern! He wanted to make Dean part of his collection just like the vampire in 6x05 wanted to make Dean part of his pack, with supernatural means of exorting control over Dean and heavy heavy rapey tones. (I know we don’t like to talk about this, but the show does play with incest subtext, John mirrors are often rapey.)

So, we have all this semantic area of poison, weakness and submission to external control painted in overtones of sexual assault and sexual fears especially in relation to homosexual desire. (I am NOT linking homosexual desire to sexual assult, nor the show is, it’s a wide and volatile semantic area where the common denominator is fear, fear of being hurt FOR being different sexually, it’s about vulnerability because of being different. It’s a horror narrative, guys, remember, queer fear is a recurrent theme in the genre. Dracula was about the horror of what happened to Oscar Wilde, we’re running in circles.)

Now, what kind of fear is explored in 15x14? Well, the episode is about the fear of losing family. The plot is about Dean’s feelings towards Jack after he killed Mary. Dean doesn’t know it yet, but he’s going to lose Cas soon also because of Jack. Mary and Cas are both very noisy absences in the episode, and we know that Dean is going to suffer something horrific again that will shatter his family again. This goes past the fears regarding forbidden sexual desire: we’re in the territory of forbidden familial desire, so to speak, Dean’s craving for a domestic peace with his family.

Jack is both the culmination of Dean’s process of family-building, as the son figure of the family, and the element of destruction of that family-building. Not a coincidence Jack’s birthday was referenced, as Jack’s birth coincided with Cas’ death and Mary’s supposed death or at least separation. Now Jack has supposedly killed Mary (or is it a inter-universe separation again? @drsilverfish​’s theory always pops up, and we keep getting reminded of other universes - the telescope is broken...) and we know that Cas’ ultimate death hangs above us.

We’re always running in a spiral, Dean’s relationship with Mary, Dean’s relationship with Cas, Dean’s relationship with motherhood and gender roles, Dean’s relationship with sexuality. There’s a big picture of mirrors in the semantic area of fantasies, idealizations, desires and dreams. I hope I managed to make this post make sense, but I’m always open to requests of clarification or elaboration. Thanks for reading!

[booksrbetterthanpeople]

François-Dupont Performs Carrie- Rehearsal

In

Luka could not keep a straight face during the interrogation scene

The actors actually related a lot to this song

Marinette and Adrien blushed when they saw Kagami in the red gym outfit

Most of the female actors weren’t so great in the volleyball scene, so the director is gonna have the girls volleyball team fill in for them

The girl’s immediately apologized after they had to insult Nathaniel

Carrie

For the iconic shower scene, Marinette added velcro and straps to the towels so they wouldn’t fall off

To make it look like blood was running down Nathaniel’s leg, they just used some food coloring

The male actors blushed and looked away when they saw the girls throwing tampons and pads

Alix: They’re just period stuff! Grow up!

Nathaniel kept tripping over his skirt, so Marinette hemmed it. (Cuz he short)

Open Your Heart

For the scene where the boys are walking home from school, Alix gave Kim skateboarding lessons

Kim was a little hesitant to lift up Nathaniel’s skirt

For the part where Billy falls off his skateboard, a thin, hardly noticeable rope was tied to it, and one of the stagehands would pull on it

The school choir sang behind the curtain to mimic the radio

Eve Was Weak

Nathaniel couldn’t help but laugh at Alya’s dramatics

She accidentally hit Nathaniel with the Bible

Alya: Oh my God! I am so sorry!

Nathaniel: Now I really am bleeding!

The World According to Chris

Marinette, as Sue, learns that Corey is a trans male

The liquor was just cranberry juice

Aurore got really into this song

Evening Prayers

The make to Biblical figurines float, Max added small, barely noticeable propellers

Dreamer in Disguise

Marc and Nathaniel may or may not have been exchanging glances with each other the whole time

Adrien threw a paper ball at Nino while he was acting as Mr. Stephens, leading to a paper ball fight

Marc was looking at Nathaniel the whole time while singing

Once You See

Having slight anger issues, yelling comes natural to Nathaniel

Unsuspecting Hearts

Aurore immediatly apologized to Nathaniel after she yelled at him during the apology scene

Aurore unleashed her inner Chloe when she threatened Kagami

This is Corey’s coming out scene

Instead of the girl’s room, Kagami took Nathaniel into the boy’s room

Do Me A Favor

Nathaniel immediately said yes after Marc asked him to prom

Nino: Not in the script dude-

Alix: SHUT IT!

I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance

Max used a remote control to make the windows shut

The students began to feel bad for Margaret after realizing she was assaulted

Two or three of the students had panic attacks. Margaret’s part was very descriptive

A Night We’ll Never Forget

Kim doesn’t like being called stupid, so Aurore just said “damn shit”

Mylène nearly fainted at the sight of the “blood”

The blood is just some water mixed with red food dye, curtesy of Marinette’s parents

For the scene where Corey makes his outfit, Marinette offered one of her old sewing machines

You Shine

Since Tommy is gay in this rendition, he and Sue were supposed to go to Prom as friends

Why Not Me?

Some of the lyrics were changed to fit a male character

‘I’m gonna walk in three-inch heels’ to ‘I’ll walk with my head up high’

Stay Here Instead

This song somehow reminded Adrien of his dad

Adrien: Man, I gotta sit down.

When There’s No One

Nino: She sounds so pretty when she’s planning to kill someone…

Adrien: … Dude.

Prom Arrival

Juleka also played the photographer

The Prom Committee helped decorate the set. They mean business

The prom outfits were either bought, brought from home, or made by Marinette

Unsuspecting Hearts (Reprise)

Kagami’s character is a lesbian (Cuz I said so)

Everyone’s in agreement- Kagami’s and Nathaniel’s voices sounded amazing together

Alix: This contest insults women and excludes enbies!

Marc: Preach!

Dreamer in Disguise (Reprise)

Marc has no idea how to slow dance, so Nathaniel took the lead and made it look like Marc was guiding him

Nathaniel and Marc immediatly kissed after finishing the song

Kim: There’s not kissing in this scene-

Alix: It’s call “improv”!

Kim: But they-

Alix: SILENCE, HETERO!

Prom Climax

Aurore accidentally spilled the “blood” a few times, so they had to put a lid on the bucket until the big scene

Alma Mater

Alix: This contest insults women!

Nino/Kagami: Ally Vale and Corey White!

Alix: YEAH BITCHES! I WON!

Marinette and Marc were both kicked out of prom after Marinette as Sue went to get help

It took a few tries to get the “blood” to splatter right on Nathaniel

And in case the “blood” didn’t splatter right, the lights are gonna turn off for a few seconds, then come back on but this time Nathaniel has on a red tuxedo jacket

The Destruction

Chloé taught Nathaniel how to do dramatic hand movements for the “Psycho telekinesis scene”

Max rigged the doors to close using a remote control

So simulate a fire, the tech crew used red stage lights and had crackling fire play in the background

Aurore and Kim had barely noticeable harnesses strapped to them to make it look like telekinesis was being used on them

Carrie (Reprise)

It took Alya a while to memorize the prayer Margaret recited

When they hugged, some of Nathaniel’s hair got in Alya’s mouth

Alya: Ugh! He does not taste like a tomato! You were wrong, Alix!

Alya sings lullabies to Ella and Etta when they’re sad, so this just came natural to her

She accidentally dropped the knife on the floor

Alya: Aw, shit.

Nathaniel: *Scandal gasp* Murderer!

Epilogue

It took all of Marc’s willpower not to kiss Nathaniel during the death scene

Nathaniel: *Whispers* Do it.

[talesofsorrowandofruin]

Disguise

[OSWC2020 Day Twenty-Eight: Disguise]

Disguises were very tricky things. Especially when you’re a human -- not a normal human, but still a human -- who needed one to sneak into a vampire’s Halloween party. Then you had to find a very convincing disguise indeed. I wouldn’t survive the night if mine wasn’t convincing enough.

The most common one is a spell that makes you appear to be a vampire for a few hours. It was only safe for those who didn’t intend to stay for long. If it wore off at an inopportune moment...

Another method was to bring along someone else’s blood and, if discovered, trade it for your life. Usually this worked. But I didn’t have access to a blood bank and couldn’t find someone willing to donate most of their blood.

So I had to resort to the third method: not bother with a disguise at all. Or, more accurate, disguise myself as a vampire pretending to be a human. This was a surprisingly popular fad among vampires. I chose the most stereotypically “tourist” costume I could find, added a few fake crucifixes, and sprinkled tomato juice over my clothes. In this costume I was indistinguishable from the twenty or so vampires wearing near-identical ones.

Now I just had to hope no one would see through my disguise before I got into the library. I could easily escape from there if I had to. First I just needed to get through the house’s ground floor. And to sneak past the hundreds of vampires already there.

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Aftershocks (baon)

Summary: Everyone is still dealing with the effects of the events in 'Any Other Tuesday'.

Tags: Spicyhoney, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Depression/Therapy/Nightmares

Part of the ‘by any other name’ series.

~~*~~

Read it on AO3

or

Read it here!

Despite years of being above ground, Edge never lost the habit of sleeping lightly. Not that he’d ever tried; his trust in this world only extended so far and he often woke a time or two in the night, listening through the white noise of the fan before relaxing back into sleep.

It had its uses. For one, it made it very difficult for Stretch to hide that the nightmares had started again. Whether he was curled around Edge or sleeping in a sprawl, taking up far more than his fair share of the mattress, he couldn’t hide it when he woke with a jolt. Couldn’t disguise his trembling, the panicked tempo of his breathing, the sweat that slicked his bones and the sheets.

Those nights, Stretch said nothing, but if he saw the gleam of Edge’s eye lights through the darkness, he would shift into cradle of Edge’s arms. Grip at him with too-tight hands and lie awake, his own eye lights a bare pinprick through the dim.

He didn’t talk about it then or the next day, didn’t protest when Edge randomly Checked him, silently verifying his HP was holding steady. And Edge didn’t comment when Stretch started taking his sleeping medication again.

There was nothing to be said. Not when his own dreams held memories of blood, of Jeff laying dying on the ground, and the unsettled LV in his soul was a bloated, uncomfortable pressure when he woke.

Every day gave distance for Edge, every night he dreamed of it less and less. But Stretch’s nightmares seemed to be lingering despite the medicine. Still, Edge didn’t press Stretch to speak of it.

Not yet.

It was the morning after one such nightmare and Stretch was sitting in the kitchen with him far earlier than normal, watching Edge silently as he went through his morning routine. The sun was only barely creeping in through the window, a promise of the coming heat. There was a cup of coffee was in Stretch’s hands, swimming with his normal amounts of cream and sugar, but it was mostly untouched. The shadows beneath his sockets were only a little worrisome; more so was the way his eye lights flicked around the kitchen, focusing on anything but Edge. The way he fiddled with the muffin on his plate, tearing it to crumbs without eating a bite.

Even in the quiet kitchen Edge strained to hear him when Stretch finally spoke, “so, um, i scheduled an extra appointment to see my therapist tonight. think you can drive me?”

That uncomfortable mumble filled Edge with overwhelming relief that he quickly hid, answering with a bland, “Of course.”

Of course.

That evening, Edge sat alone in the waiting room with his laptop, working, deliberately sitting as far away from the door as he could. He ignored the lurch in his soul when Stretch emerged again with tear-stained cheekbones. Allowed Stretch to come to him, settling at his feet and the laptop was pushed carelessly aside to make room for Stretch’s skull to rest in his lap. He crooned soft, wordless comfort, gently stroking his skull until he was ready for a mostly silent drive home.

But there were no nightmares that night.

The next day, those shadows beneath his sockets were softened, Stretch’s smiles coming easier without the strain lurking beneath, and if he went back to seeing his therapist twice a week instead of once, then Edge was more than willing to go with him if that was what Stretch wanted.

Not perfect, not yet, but proof that things would get better, slowly, in drips and drabs. All Edge could offer was the comfort of his arms. He could, and would, be there, for whatever Stretch needed.

From those soft smiles that were re-emerging, Edge thought maybe it was enough.

~~*~~

~~*~~

In the time since his brother moved in with Edge, Blue had grown accustomed to living on his own.

Mostly accustomed, and honestly, even before Papy moved out, Blue had been spending quite a lot of time traveling, going to different cities and countries, meeting head of States, and spending his days discussing treaties and trade agreements.

It was all very exciting and enjoyable, though there were secret, guilty moments where he wondered if those frequent trips had been the start of his brother drifting away from him.

But no, surely not, because even when they were at home together, his brother could be frustratingly difficult. Insisting on doing things on his own when he should be resting, for example, and honestly when a person was sick, they should allow themselves to be sick rather than stubbornly insisting on getting their own glass of juice or sneaking a cigarette that would only hold back their recovery.

Blue loved his brother dearly, but Papy excelled in being exasperating. It was a wonder that Edge tolerated it with so much patience.

His Human friend, on the other hand…

“Could I have another glass of juice, please?”

“Of course!” Blue beamed at his house guest and bustled into the kitchen. Apple juice, with plenty of ice, and Jeff’s honest gratitude for it made Blue’s soul feel fluffy and light.

Jeff was settled in on the sofa, plenty of pillows surrounding him and extra blankets within reach. His breakfast dishes were all but licked clean, Blue noticed with delight. Even better, his manners were impeccable, he chewed with his mouth closed, always tucked a napkin into his lap, and happily accepted seconds.

Next movie night, Blue planned to slyly suggest his brother to spend even more time with his friend. Enough exposure and some of those manners might rub off.

It was worth a try!

Plus, Jeff was a delightful companion. He loved puzzles and games, was content to watch Mettaton specials, and with him here, Papy stopped by daily to check in, often staying for lunch.

It was enough to make Blue mourn that the days of bed rest were coming to an end. The doctors believed Jeff would be well enough to return to work next week, and Blue supposed he’d have to trust their expertise, even though he privately thought someone who’d been through such a traumatizing experience should take a little more time, honestly, he’d had surgery, surely a few more days was appropriate and—

Suddenly, Blue realized that his house guest was very quiet this morning. Requests for juice aside, Jeff hadn't made a single comment about the Good Morning with Mettaton show, not even to criticize the choice of outfits or guests, something both he and Blue did daily with shared enthusiasm.

“Is everything all right?” Blue asked, gently. He moved to sit on the end of the sofa, noting the way Jeff did not look at him. Ah, here was the hint of Papy’s nature in him. Keeping secrets that need not be kept, for reasons that Blue never understood. Papy always kept to his stubborn silence, but perhaps Jeff only needed a bit of prodding. “You can talk to me, you know. Maybe I can help!”

“It’s just—" Jeff sighed deeply and proved once again to be far more sensible than those he befriended by saying, “Antwan is acting weird.”

Weird? Blue wasn’t sure about that. He didn’t know Antwan well; his own work didn’t often involve the legal department. He seemed friendly enough. He came to visit daily after work, often bringing small gifts and treats with him. Nothing outrageous, but often adorably thoughtful. Now, his taste might be questionable; one day he’d brought a small plushie that resembled an angry tomato and Blue hadn’t a clue why Jeff found it so hilarious, but the toy was by his side wherever he was resting. Antwan always stayed for dinner, giving Blue another guest to fuss over, honestly, Antwan was growing on him as quickly as Jeff had.

“He seems all right to me?” Blue ventured, hesitantly. “How is he being weird?”

Jeff only shrugged and his downcast expression made Blue frown in concern. “He just is. He’s so quiet when he’s here, and he doesn’t even seem to mind sleeping on the sofa. I just…maybe he’s thinking about dumping me.”

The last was said in a rush, as though Jeff forced the words out. The little tomato was in his hands, the poor thing bulging with how hard Jeff was gripping him.

Blue could only blink at him, utterly bewildered. “Why would he do that?”

His experience in relationships was admittedly as an observer only; that was how Blue preferred it. But frankly, he rather thought Antwan seemed more distraught than distant. He looked similar to Edge whenever Papy was hurt or injured, concern leaking around the edges of control, and if nothing else, Blue knew that Edge adored his brother.

But Jeff only shrugged again, that downtrodden expression lingering.

Hm, that would never do, not for someone recovering. “Well, I don’t think you need to be worrying about that, but if it helps, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you like.”

That finally made Jeff look at Blue in hopeful surprise. “Really? The doctor said I should be back in my feet by next week.”

“That’s true,” Blue agreed. “But I have a spare room and aren’t you supposed to be moving to New New Home, anyway?”

Jeff nodded thoughtfully. “Edge and I talked about it once, but we didn’t decide anything.”

“I would be happy to help you decide,” Blue assured him. “And you’d be more than welcome. Now, tell me, what do you think of Mettaton’s shoes today?”

Immediately Jeff launched into a rant about Louboutin heels, and Blue listened peacefully, interjecting occasionally but mostly basking in Jeff’s chatter, his wild gestures, so very much like Papy when he was worked up. Shoes instead of science, but still much the same.

It would be rather nice to have someone stay with him a bit longer. If Papy stopped by for lunch today, perhaps they could discuss moving Jeff’s things.

Plan made, Blue focused on listening, absently planning out lunch and dinner in the back of his mind. There were guests to cook for and he wanted them to enjoy his best efforts.

~~*~~

~~*~~

The Embassy building had taken close to a year to plan and another to construct, with both Monsters and Humans involved in its completion. Everything from location to safety requirements to possible expansion and parking was taken into careful consideration and when it was finished, it was a fine, welcoming structure for Monsters to begin their integration into the society Aboveground.

Asgore for one appreciated the high ceilings.

His bulk still made passing through the hallways somewhat awkward. Other Monsters were often forced rather close to the wall, though no one ever seemed to mind. Asgore was always met with happy greetings and warm smiles from all, a welcome sign that despite any setbacks, his people were growing and flourishing.

The difference between this and those graying, last days Underground was enough to prove all his efforts were worth it. Someday, perhaps, his people would be well-established and no longer need him, and when that day came, his gardening would be more than a hobby to be dabbled in. It was a quiet hope he carried with him through his days.

Janice was at her desk when he went into the outer office, and her professional smile widened when she saw him. “Good morning!”

“Howdy!” Asgore boomed, jovially. “Is he in?” It was more than likely a rhetorical question. Edge was always in, usually eating his lunch at his desk and staying far later than he should.

Though to be fair, the days of staying late in his office had dwindled quite a bit since his relationship began with Stretch.

Stretch, ah, now there was a conundrum. Outwardly lazily cheerful, inwardly filled with strange depths and unspoken secrets.

The first time they’d met, these strange skeletons from unknown worlds, Asgore hadn’t known what to make of them. It challenged his understanding of the very Universe, but that knowledge had quickly been shuffled aside by the sudden appearance of a Human, of Frisk.

Even with all the time that had passed since then, Stretch was still the outlier, still the one who clung to his dislike. Not that Asgore didn’t understand, far from it. It was at that first meeting and of all of them, Asgore had seen the cold truth in Stretch’s expression. The flare in his eye lights was the same one that Sans wore on the very rare occasions he was pressed into his other, unspoken duties.

From the visible distaste that came afterward, he’d Seen far more than Asgore would ever willingly share. Stretch had seen the state of his soul and found it lacking, and that knowledge weighed heavily.

It wasn’t Asgore’s place to beg for forgiveness, he knew. What was done was done, apologies changed nothing. All he could do was try to better himself and perhaps someday, that Judgement would change. He’d seen such a thing before, with Edge.

That, too, gave him hope.

But that was a matter for another day. Janice shooed him readily on and Asgore went to the door of Edge’s office, knocking politely before he went in.

Edge was at his desk, still typing as Asgore sank into a large chair with a groan. If there was any stress hidden beneath his aura of cool competence, Asgore could not see it. The moment Asgore was settled, Edge’s full attention was on him, laser-sharp. His eye lights missed little and Asgore could almost feel them observing his carefully hidden exhaustion, taking in every minute detail. It made him excellent at his job, though there were days Asgore wished Edge saw a little less. At least the depth of his sight ended skin-deep.

“What can I do for you, Your Highness,” Edge asked crisply.

With an effort, Asgore resisted the urge to remind Edge yet again to simply call him by his name.

“I had a meeting with the Mayor today,” Asgore said. He no longer bothered to disguise his weariness, not in this office. He did not miss the faint irritation that crossed Edge’s face, but it was quickly gone.

His frustration that he wasn’t invited to these meetings was a point of friction between them. Asgore’s reasoning was twofold; Edge was excellent as a director, but struggled with politics. He wasn’t always good at reading intentions, especially Humans, his honesty was occasionally troublesome, and while his self-control was excellent, the ability to sit in stoic silence brought little to the negotiation table.

There was also the simple fact that Humans often found Edge’s appearance threatening. No fuzzy buns for him and never mind that Asgore’s LV was the higher of the two of them. Humans didn’t know that and despite his size, they generally found him warm and charming. His booming voice was jolly, not threatening, his fur-softened face reminiscent of childhood movies.

To be fair to the Humans, Asgore had found the Monsters from Underfell somewhat unsettling when they’d first arrived in this world.

Frankly, Red still unsettled him.

But that often meant Asgore was left to his own devices in these meetings with no one but his own guards. Easily handled, of course; his centuries as leader of his people gave him no little experience in politics, but it was wearisome.

Human laws and restrictions were like that.

If nothing else, commiseration softened some of Edge’s rigid formality. “What is it this time?”

“It seems someone on the City Council decided to introduce an idea for all Monsters to have their LV included in their ID.” He held up a hand as outrage flashed across Edge’s face. “He was only making me aware and I’m doing the same for you. The Mayor has already reminded them that not only does that violate the amnesty agreement, but unless they are prepared for the Humans of Ebott to list their criminal activities on their ID’s, it’s a prejudicial.”

Edge was already typing furiously and Asgore had no doubt that there were already several ideas on the cusp of being implemented with others being planned. Edge was a brilliant strategist, could see outcomes from multiple angles and the Embassy relied heavily on his skills.

Perhaps that was what made it easy for others to overlook or simply forget how young he was. Asgore couldn’t help feeling somewhat fatherly towards him, an urge he tried to suppress with limited success, knowing it would not be welcome. His own years pressed down on him all too often, centuries worth, and they might well need Edge’s skills for a long while yet. Fatherly urges or not, he wasn’t about to allow Edge to follow him down a path that only led to loneliness.

“I’ll have teams looking into it immediately,” Edge was saying, still typing furiously. “We’ll need to make sure there’s no motions we’ll need to file.”

That intensity was one of the things that made him so excellent at his job. A shame it was time to pull it out from under him.

“Good,” Asgore said heartily. “And how is Jeff doing?”

The non sequitur broke through that implacable focus, as it was meant to. Edge blinked, his attention refocusing on Asgore, “He’s fine as far as I know. He’s scheduled to start working next week in Public Relations. Half-days to begin with, until he’s fully recovered, but I think he’ll be invaluable to their team.”

Of course Edge would find a way to bring work back into it. But Asgore hadn’t been a King for centuries without knowing how to handle people. “I think so as well. And Stretch, he’s doing well?”

One of the quickest ways to throw Edge out of his working persona was to mention his husband. Merely saying his name was enough to bring a certain warmth to his expression. It made nostalgia twinge in Asgore’s soul, the memory of another hope, another person from whom he was still waiting on forgiveness

“He’s doing better.” No mention of Stretch’s upcoming appointment with Alphys, but that was no surprise. Edge was rather firm on his privacy and even so, if there was anything to be truly concerned about, Asgore would hear it from Alphys herself.

“That is good to hear. I’d say give him my well-wishes when you go home tonight but—" Asgore trailed off meaningfully.

Edge nodded somewhat wryly, well aware of Stretch’s dislike, but Asgore’s mission of subtly reminding Edge to go home instead of working all night was accomplished.

If it was less than successful, well, Edge wasn’t the only person who could strategize and there were plenty of people who would be willing to interrupt his work until he fled in a huff of self-defense, home to the person he cared for most.

That tug of fatherly affection niggled in his soul, and if Asgore allowed it to stay, well, there were few who could see it.

Perhaps it would raise him in their esteem. Perhaps not. There was time yet to earn it and until then, that little hope was set alongside his mental garden, where Toriel’s forgiveness lived.

Someday, all Monsters would be free and happy. Even him.

-finis-

[digitalbloodhound2]

Cult Film: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!

A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, an elaborate subculture that engage in repeated viewings, quoting dialogue, and audience participation.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

Director: John De Bello

Date of Release: October 20, 1978

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clqDkCJs19s

Theme: Watch out for tomatoes, the government is incompetent

Iconic Elements: Giant tomatoes, tomato gurgling sound, man dressed up as tomato, soldier carrying parachute, un-toasted marshmallows, man disguised as Adolf Hitler, tiny conference room table, spinning and crashing helicopter, people squishing tomatoes with their feet, people not caring that their family is being killed, “pass the ketchup”

Promotional Materials: 

Review:

I started watching this film with the expectation that it was going to be stupid. I was not wrong. However, the not-so-bright characters, awful jokes, and ridiculous plot only made the movie funnier. It started out with a warning that nobody took Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds seriously, but nobody laughed when birds nearly took over a town in Kentucky. This warning gives you a glimpse into the rest of the movie. In the first scene, a tomato rises up out of a sink and kills a woman. The police discover that the dead woman was not covered in blood, but tomato juice.

Following numerous tomato attacks, the president puts together a team to fight the tomatoes, while simultaneously trying to convince the public that there is no threat. The cheesy acting done by the team members adds to the overall comedy of the movie. One man, disguised as a tomato so he can fit in and spy on the tomato’s gang, accidently reveals himself as a human when he is eating a hamburger and asks if anyone can pass the ketchup. An African-American member of the team disguises himself as Adolf Hitler during the film. Wilbur Finletter’s job was to warn people of tomato activity in a certain area, but the only person he finds is dead woman. He warns her anyway.

The clueless characters bring this from a regularly stupid film into a hilariously stupid film. The plot is so over the top and pointless, but it somehow works. The crazy scenarios that are set up make it worth watching giant tomatoes roll around for 90 minutes. The jokes are random and not funny on their own, but work together to create this comedy. I don’t think I would have enjoyed The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes as much if I had been expecting a “good” movie from the start. I think you will enjoy the movie more if you go in with the expectation that it is going to be stupid.

[thetakenpokemon]

Cheri@Duskfall; “My oh my! My calculations say you’re not just one type, but you’re definitely my type~” she teases with a wink as she floats around the hybrid. “But I am curious, why is a hottie like you here? In this little party twilight thing I keep hearing about? You could be a model instead!~”

[PoV: Chevalier]

Even though I wait patiently for Alicia and Elisabeth to return, simply standing out in the open continues to make me feel more and more uncomfortable…

…that and I notice that part of the reason for my comfortableness is that my stomach is now telling me that I need food. My eyes widen upon realizing this, since the last thing I wish is to be hungry in a public place...filled with people.

I turn and reach over to the satchel hanging on my side, in which I pull out an aluminum can covered in a wrapper that says ‘tomato juice’. However this is not actual tomato juice, for the words are simply meant to fool anyone who saw me drinking from it.

Opening the can I start quickly drinking, the thick red liquid pouring into my mouth. The strong taste of iron spreads over my taste buds and into my throat, slowly sating my hunger with each drop that enters my stomach.

Blood…that is what’s in the cleverly disguised can.

As I’m about to finish the last of it, a sudden voice startles me mid-drink. I start coughing into the can, trying my best to contain it in order to prevent me from spitting the red liquid everywhere. When my coughing starts dying down I turn over to see who’s talking to me this time, but I freeze when I see that it’s an unusual Pokemon with a very playful smile on her face.

…

Did she just…?

My expression becomes something like that of a Deerling caught in headlights, my eyes wide and body frozen still.

T-Type? H-Hotty? M-M-Model?!

“Uh…” The only sound that escaped my mouth as I struggle to figure out what to do, since even though I’ve dealt with Elisabeth’s flirting numerous times…never have I experienced this sort of situation with a complete stranger. I could feel my white face start to burn up, the normally pale white skin becoming a shade similar to that of the liquid inside the can in my hands.

What do I do?!

“Th…Thank you?” I manage to say, my eyes darting around anywhere but her. This proved to be difficult however, seeing that she’s...floating around me. “I-I never t-thought myself as h-ho-” The words die, signifying this train-wreck of a conversation is only beginning.

I clench my eyes shut and grit my fangs together, but thankfully my lips were closed so she can’t see what’s inside my mouth.

C’mon Chevalier, she asked a question. Just answer it. Just…answer it. It’s not that hard.

“I j-joined the G-Guardians of T-T-Twilight b-because they helped m-me.” I stutter, fighting a losing battle against my nervousness. “I f-fight monsters a-and-”

Oh for Arceus’ sake! I’m fucking useless at this!

Out of nowhere I let out a loud growl of anger, in one swift movement I twist my body and punch the brick wall behind me…hard…

If the brick wall was capable of speaking it would be laughing right now, since even though the punch was strong…it only left a faint imprint. In fact I’ve done more harm to myself than the wall, since now my fist is hurting like crazy...and can feel blood starting to trickle out from a fresh injury on my knuckles.

…Damn it…

I quickly apply pressure to my fist with my hand, although the bleeding isn’t much…I still wince from the pain.

Yeah…this is even more awkward now, and I probably look like a damn idiot. Or Dummkopf, as Alicia might say.

“I a-appreciate the t-thought of me maybe b-being a m-model, but I don’t t-think I could stand being in the s-spotlight.” I speak up, trying my best to break the awkwardness and embarrassment I’m feeling. “And I’d r-rather help p-people, since being part of t-the GoT allows me t-to save those w-who are in d-danger.”

…Maybe this conversation is salvageable.

I try to smile at her, but my lips keep twitching too much to stay fixed. Eventually I give up and look away, since at this point I can’t bear to look her in the eyes. “S-So...” I say more quietly, taking note of her unusual appearance through the corner of my eyes. “W-What a-about y-y-”

So much for this conversation being salvageable, I couldn’t even formulate a proper question to ask in return...

[judaiteitoreokou]

HajiShun AU Story Idea

Judai: To my fellow HajiShun shippers, especially to my HajiShun comrades:

@zephyrsus @shiroekoyuki @kirakirafairyprincess @six-gravity-procellarum

And to those who are interested…

I have this story idea…. A HajiShun one. If anyone is interested to write it, feel free.

Anyway, remember since Shun-sama is always the one with the incredible powers in different worlds, I have this idea (I blame my toothache since I’m currently on a sick leave from work) wherein:

All Tsukipro’s talents are in one academy (Tsukino Academy) where all students are either part of the supernatural community (i.e. vampire, werewolf, witch, wizards, mummy, etc.) or humans that can control elements (i.e. fire users, water, wind, nature, etc.).

And one day, their principal (Tsukino Mikoto) decided that he wants the school to be open to all, meaning humans can also study in the establishment.

And in order to fully establish their identity as a free-for-all school, they have to do an exchange student program with a normal school.

And so, we have Shun-sama, a normal human being from a normal (human) school who accepted the exchange student program and now enrolled to Tsukino Academy.

There, he will meet the Procella, solids, quell, soara, growth and Gravi groups.

Especially the charismatic student council president (and perhaps his first love): Mutsuki Hajime.

Now, there’s one rule in the academy that all students (except Shun), teachers, and staff should abide.

That is:

Shun should not know that what they really truly are. They have to disguise themselves as human beings.

The problem? There are people in the academy who are against having human beings invade their territory.

A story in which Shun is a normal human being with no powers enrolled to a school filled with supernatural beings and people who possesses magic.

============

Judai: the funny thing about this is that, in my thoughts, Shun seems to make excuses in his head (a logical explanation) as to why his fellow classmates and schoolmates are acting weird.

For example: Iku being a werewolf, suddenly his ears appeared. And Shun will be like:

“Ikkun so cute~ your wolf ears are cute. I didn’t know you own a pair of wolf ears. I want to have them to~ I wonder where I can find a headband like that…”

Or Shiki being a vampire was seen by Shun drinking blood in a clear glass.

“Shiki, I didn’t know you like tomato juice.”

And many other ridiculous excuses. I can’t help but laugh.

And of course, it will have plenty of HajiShun scenes.

By the way, I think Hajime will be a Vampire prince.

Like one time, he really needs to drink blood cause he haven’t drank any blood for a week and he saw Shun. His vampiric instincts went haywire cause he likes the smell of Shun’s blood, he find it sweet.

So he attacked Shun and drank his blood.

After the incident, Shun was like:

“Hajime… I didn’t know you like S and M play…”

And everyone can’t help but facepalm.

Lol…

- Judai

[tipsycad147]

The Gypsy Diet

Published October 9, 2016 | By shirleytwofeathers

Diet was a very important part, not only of health, but also of beauty for the Romanies. Much of the malaise and depression around today stems from a sluggish system. Walking and fresh air help to combat this, but the best way to keep your system clear is to stick to a careful, sensible diet. Eat fruit, plenty of vegetables, salads, stewed prunes occasionally, take butter milk or malted milk. Eat sparingly of rice, pastry, pasta and sweets.

It is a fact that the true Romany only begins to grow old at around the eightieth year. What secrets enable them to keep their youth? One of them – and this will disappoint meat lovers – is that they do not eat a lot of meat which is not, as is often thought, an essential part of the daily diet. On some days Romanies would make do with nuts, herbs and vegetables and avoid meat altogether, it does the stomach good to have a rest from it.

Eat plenty of cheese – it is full of protein to build strong teeth and bones and to keep the muscles firm. And there is a miracle of nourishment in an egg yolk – vitamins A,D,E,B1,B6, riboflavin, iron and calcium. Milk is also a valuable source of protein, fat and carbohydrate and you get essential vitamins from butter and margarine- butter provides calcium as well. There are foods that, even for the determined slimmers, should always be included in the diet. It can be dangerous to cut out starch completely. Wholewheat bread, for instance, contains calcium, iron, vitamins B1, B6 and E, riboflavin and nicotinic acid. Oatmeal is also a valuable source of these.

Potatoes were always part of the Romany staple diet, usually eaten the healthy way, baked in their jackets in the ashes of a fire. If you are boiling potatoes, don’t peel them, but just scrub the skin. Many minerals that we especially need are directly under the potato`s skin and are completely lost when they are peeled and then boiled.

Leprosy, scurvy and other skin diseases were rife in Britain before the introduction of the potato in 1563. Their useful citric content, together with salts of potash and sulphur, make them very valuable – they also help to keep the skin and hair healthy. Grated raw potato is very good for you, and if you don’t fancy the taste it can easily be disguised in a varied salad.

Another very valuable vegetable is the onion. 2,000 years before Christ, the onion was looked upon as an object of great value. And when the Pyramids were being built, tons of gold were spent buying onions for the workmen and slaves. Did you know that if a cut onion is left lying around it is said to draw all kinds of germs to it? For this reason no Romany woman would use an onion for cooking if it had been cut and left exposed to the air. This theory can easily be accepted by those who have painted a room and removed the smell of paint completely by placing a cut onion in it. The Romanies used a great many onions. They knew they contain free uncrystallised sugar, starch, alkaline, salts, sulphur and many other valuable food substances.

Turnips are very nutritious, but not recommended if you have a weak digestion as they can cause wind and distention of the stomach – expectant mothers should not eat turnips. However turnip tops, cleaned and boiled, are more digestible, marvellous for cleaning the blood and work miracles on the complexion.

Parsnip is a very beneficial vegetable and delicious if mashed with pepper and butter after boiling. Celery, which is particularly good for rheumatism, contains many nourishing salts and a great deal of organic sulphur. Stewed celery was a very frequent dish of the Romanies, it should be served moistened with a little of the water in which it was stewed in.

Watercress is also valuable, especially if gathered wild. It contains iodine, potash, sulphur, phosphate salts and is so rich in anti-scorbutic salts that it is one of the most valuable foods for keeping the blood healthy. Eat watercress raw as often as you can, and also raw spinach and oranges, which also have a high content of iron and sulphur. They clean out your inside as if it had had a good bath and supply plenty of vitamins. The peel of citrus fruits is often richer in vitamin C than the flesh, that is why marmalade is good for you. Whenever possible add the grated rind of citrus fruit to recipes.

Radishes are another valuable vegetable, they are good for purifying the blood. The Romanies used to boil radishes and eat them as a vegetable. They should be boiled rather slowly in salted water for an hour, but do not eat radishes if you have a poor digestion. You can add the leaves to salads. You should eat a salad daily as it is the perfect health meal. If you make a salad with celery, tomatoes and radishes, you will be giving yourself a natural antiseptic protection from infection. It has a tonic effect too, as it eases nervous exhaustion, sinus congestion and catarrh.

Another tonic salad which is particularly beneficial if you eat it when you have a cold is made from grated raw carrot, young dandelion leaves and lettuce. Don`t discard the green outer leaves of lettuces or other vegetables- they contain more vitamin A than the pale ones. Lettuce has been eaten for hundreds of years. It was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians and in China. In biblical times lettuce was a sacred plant used by the Hebrews in the Passover ritual and in Rome it was brought into favour by Antonius Musa, physician to the Emperor Augustus, who prescribed it as a health food. It was usually eaten as a dessert, but Emperor Dominitian changed all that- he innovated the salad dressing and lettuce became an hors d`oeuvre! If using a lettuce with a dressing, make this of lemon juice and olive oil which is more beneficial than other dressings.

Chicory leaves can be used in your salad. The roots of chicory can be dried and ground and mixed with coffee to give it an unusual, slightly bitter flavor. You can also boil chicory and use it as a vegetable. This way it is also very tasty and health giving, in fact it is helpful for gout and rheumatic complaints. Mushrooms are the Romany’s great friends. They contain nicotinic acid and riboflavin and are very good for the blood, never peel the mushrooms because this takes away the flavor and goodness.

Disclaimer: I cannot find the original source for this post. I did however find copies of this post in various places around the web.

https://shirleytwofeathers.com/The_Blog/gypsy-magick/the-gypsy-diet/#more-189

[itstomwilliams032-blog]

How to know the benefits of juicing?

Take your first steps towards a lifetime journey of successful juicing. Learn how to juice, what to juice and when to juice, along with loads of tips from expert Sara Ding.

This page will introduce you to fresh fruit and vegetable juicing—how to juice, what to juice, when to juice, along with loads of expert tips from juicing expert, Sara Ding.

Once you have mastered the basics outlined in this beginner’s guide to juicing, you will be ready for more advanced techniques such as juice fasting and juicing by ailments.

What is Juicing?

Juicing is the process of extracting juice from fruit, vegetables or tubers. The juice can be extracted using any one of a growing number of juicing machines including hand juicers, masticating juicers, twin juicers, hydraulic press juicers or centrifugal juicers. The resultant nutrient-rich liquid is usually consumed immediately after juicing to maximize the health benefits. What Is The Best Juice For Glowing Skin https://www.juicingpoint.com/what-is-the-best-juice-for-glowing-skin-recipe-tips-for-best-result

What Are The Benefits Of Juicing?

Although fresh juice contains the same nutrients as the original fruit and vegetables, the juicing process removes fibers making the juice more concentrated, and so easier to digest and easier to absorb into the bloodstream. Consequently juicing is a more effective way to absorb high concentrations of nutrients (vitamins, minerals and enzymes) from fruit and vegetables into the body.

Why Do We Juice Instead Of Eating The Whole Fruit?

The main benefits of juicing are: • Juicing allows for quicker digestion and an improved rate of absorption of nutrients into the body. • Juicing leads to better detoxification and improved health. The increased absorption of nutrients will have two general effects on the body: more nutrients will get to your cells and tissues, and the body will be better able to detoxify. The list of potential knock-on benefits to your health is endless and can range from better hair skin to clearing up of long term illness. • Juicing gives your stomach and intestines a rest as it removes hard to digest fibers. • Fruit and vegetables can be combined to make super juices whereby one component compliments the other. In this way, juices can be created with the ideal nutrient combinations for treating specific ailments. Find out about juicing by ailment. • By using strong flavors such as orange or lemon to disguise the taste of other ingredients, juicing can be a great way to get kids to eat their greens or any other vegetables that they will not eat in isolation. Some of my favorite juice combos are lime with papaya, and Banana with ginger – perhaps not everyones taste in hwne eaten in isolation, but delicious as a mix. Can You Mix Fruits and Vegetables When Juicing https://www.juicingpoint.com/can-you-mix-fruits-and-vegetables-when-juicing

Juicing Vs Blending–What’s The Difference And Which Is More Beneficial?

When you blend, the whole of the fruit or vegetable including the pulp (fiber) goes into the drink. Body energy and enzymes are expended when digesting the pulp. Consequently, it takes more effort for nutrients to be absorbed and less nutrients are being assimilated. This means healing is slower, compared to juicing.

Juicing on the other hand removes the tough fiber, making the resultant drink quicker and easier for the body to absorb. Though juice will obviously lack roughage, which is aids later stages of digestion. Whether you juice of blend depends on what you’re trying to achieve. Here is my full juicing versus blending discussion.

Manual, Masticating, Twin Gear, Centrifugal and Hydraulic Press juicers–There Are So Many Types Of Juicer–Which Is Best For Me? Choosing the right juicer for you is an important choice, and depends on your level of juicing experience, how often your will juice, and even your health objectives/ what you want to achieve.

My guide to buying your juicer will help you understand exactly which juicing machine is best for you.

Your Ultimate Guide To Juicing

10 Important Things to Know When You Start Juicing

# 1: Assess Your Current Health

Drinking fruit juice causes a rapid rise in blood sugar. In a healthy person, fresh fruit juices would not pose a problem as the sugars in fruits are easily assimilated and digested. If you are a generally healthy person eating a good balanced diet, you’ll never get diabetes from drinking juices. best masticating juicer under $200 https://www.juicingpoint.com/best-masticating-juicer-for-all-requirements-and-budget

Children or people do not become obese from drinking fruit juices. Obesity and diabetes are caused by faulty diets that lead to faulty organs, not because of fruit juices.

However, if you are even borderline diabetic or suffering from Candidiasis, or are prone to suffer from thrush, please refrain from consuming fruit juices. But, know that you’re diabetic because of your faulty diet. If you want to reverse your condition, begin to eliminate these harmful foods from your diet, then come back to juicing. Opt for vegetable juices.

If you suspect that you may have a yeast infection in the digestive tract, have low blood sugar level (hypoglycemia), or if you put on weight easily please check with your doctor before you embark on a juicing diet.

In these cases, done correctly, vegetable juicing would not be a problem and may improve your blood and health condition. Here are loads of delicious green juice combinations to take inspiration from. Well, I hear you … some of you don’t like to eat your greens but it’s really not that bad.

# 2: What To Expect When You Begin Juicing—The Healing Process When you start juicing, you are consuming superior quality foods–nutrient-rich fresh fruits and vegetables. Your body will get to work eliminating inferior tissues and toxins; and start to build newer, healthier tissues.

For example, when you stop taking your daily stimulant “fix” such as coffee, tea or chocolate; headaches or migraines may occur. This is part of a normal cleansing and regeneration process. Your intelligent body discards toxins like caffeine or theobromine from your body tissues and transports them out of the body via the bloodstream. Your liver and kidneys work overdrive to remove the toxins from the blood. The temporary increased toxin levels in the blood may cause side effects such as headache, joint pain or weakening of a limb. You may also experience slower heart rate which your mind may translate as lethargy, or lower energy levels.

When you encounter these symptoms, do not give up. Your body is going through a cleansing and regeneration process, which may take 7-14 days, depending on the toxicity level in your body. Take this period to rest as your body recuperates and prepares for better health ahead. Remember, your success starts here—you are on the way to a healthier and new you.

Find out more about the body’s healing and detoxification process.

# 3: When Is The Best Time Of Day To Drink Fresh Juices?

The best time to drink fresh juices is on an empty stomach—at least half an hour before a meal. This is when your stomach hungers for food and would absorb anything you consume.

When you drink a healthy, nutritious juice, your body quickly absorbs all that you consume, wasting nothing. Likewise, when you eat something harmful on an empty stomach, it is also quickly absorbed. So choose wisely.

As a general rule, drink fruit juices mostly in the morning as they provide the complex carbohydrates to fuel energy. For the later part of the day, drink juices that are less sweet, like partial or full green juices.

Add citrus to aid digestion

You may have been told not to eat a citrus fruit or drink its juice on an empty stomach in the morning, because of its acidity. Not to worry, although citrus fruits taste acidic, they’re really alkaline-forming foods. I suggest you try a little bit and see if it does give you any problem. Once your stomach is conditioned to drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices, you shouldn’t have problem taking citrus juices. In fact, I feel that the optimum absorption of the vitamin C does wonders to my skin! What Juice Can I Drink If I Have Diabetes https://www.juicingpoint.com/what-juice-can-i-drink-if-i-have-diabetes-7-diabetic-juice-recipes-included

# 4: What To Juice

Step 1: Start with the fruits you enjoy eating. Use common produce which are mild on the taste buds and easier on your stomach—such as carrots, apples, oranges or watermelons.

Step 2: After juicing these a few times, you may feel ready to add something new to your menu. I like to use carrots and green apples as the base for most of my juices and add in other items to improve the taste and nutritional value.

Now you are ready to add vegetables. Vegetable juices may not be palatable to some people in the beginning and take time to get used to: but their health properties are immense.

Here are some helpful tips to make great tasting green juices. On days that I’m feeling lazy, I simply juice one carrot, one apple, one tomato and one orange altogether. This provides a synergy of powerful nutrients that keep me at my peak throughout the day, and tastes delicious.

I try to add at least one or two medium-sized beetroot per week in my juicing diet. As beetroot is both a powerful cleanser and a builder of the blood and kidneys, its consumption should be limited to no more than one/day if you’re just starting.

Step 3: The greener the vegetables, the more nutritionally valuable they are, and less palatable. Sticking with carrot and green apples base, add any greens you fancy: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, cucumber, lettuce, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, etc. The more greens you have, you may want to compensate with extra green apple and lemon to taste. By the way, lemon is a superfood that will not only help detox, but also multiplies your nutrients absorption rate by up to 5 times. Juicing lemon with the peel for its bioflavonoids and essential oils that make it a super immunity booster. More about what you should peel or not to peel.

Step 4: You may now start to experiment with all other combinations. Check out these lists of fruit and vegetables and their health benefits. I recommend adding vegetables that are currently in season where you live.

If you have a tight budget, here are some tips on how you can keep juicing even on a budget.

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15 Foods That Are good for High Blood Pressure

►► 15 Foods That Are good for High Blood Pressure

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►► What is hypertension? Hypertension, or high blood pressure, refers to the pressure of blood against your artery walls. Over time, high blood pressure can cause blood vessel damage that leads to heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and other problems. Hypertension or high blood pressure is sometimes called the silent killer.

►► According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 75 million Americans have high blood pressure. Many risk factors for high blood pressure are out of your control, such as age, family history, gender, and race. But there are also factors you can control, such as exercise and diet. A diet that can help control blood pressure is rich in potassium, magnesium, and fiber and lower in sodium.

►► While there are many prescription drugs that help to lower blood pressure, it can also be treated with all-natural remedies. Today’s video will discuss 15 home remedies to lower blood pressure.

►► 15. Fat-free yogurt: One cup of fat-free plain yogurt provides 49% of the calcium, 12% of the magnesium, and 18% of the potassium you need every day. Which will Reduce your High blood pressure.

►► 14. Mangoes: Don’t deprive yourself of your favorite sweet treats just because you’re trying to lower your blood pressure. Mangoes are a great source of both fiber and beta-carotene, both of which have been deemed effective at lowering blood pressure.

►► 13. Bell Peppers: Making some stuffed peppers for dinner tonight could be the first step on a journey toward a healthier heart and lower blood pressure.

►► 12. Lemons Lemons remove the rigid nature of the blood vessels and leave them soft and flexible. This, in turn, lowers the blood pressure level. Consuming lemon juice regularly also lowers the change of heart failure because of the high levels of Vitamin C.

►► 11. Dark Chocolate: Don’t deprive yourself of dessert just because you’re eager to get your blood pressure under control. A little dark chocolate can go a long way reductions in blood pressure.

►► 10. Apples: An apple a day really does keep the doctor away, particularly for those struggling with high blood pressure. In addition to the 4.5 grams of blood pressure-lowering fiber you’ll get from each apple.

►► 9. Garlic Raw and cooked garlic can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels by relaxing the blood vessels and increasing the body’s production of nitric oxide and hydrogen sulphide. Consume one or two crushed garlic cloves per day.

►► 8. Carrots: That bunny food is blood pressure medicine in disguise. Carrots pack a one-two punch of beta-carotene and vitamin C, getting your blood pressure into a healthy range.

►► 7. Pink Grapefruit: Start your day with a round of zesty pink grapefruit and see your blood pressure numbers shoot into a healthy range in no time. In addition to being an excellent source of blood pressure-lowering, immune-boosting vitamin C, pink grapefruit is a good source of lycopene, which multiple studies have deemed effective at reducing blood pressure.

►► 6. Berries Berries, especially blueberries, are rich in natural compounds called flavonoids. One study found that consuming these compounds might prevent hypertension and help lower blood pressure.

►► 5. Tomatoes: A little tomato on your menu could be the key to healthier blood pressure. In addition to boasting plenty of vitamin C and quercetin, tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, which researchers at Ben-Gurion University in Israel have linked to significant reductions in blood pressure.

►► 4. Onions: They may not be great for your breath, but when it comes to your blood pressure, onions can’t be beat. Onions are a great source of quercetin, which researchers at Germany’s University of Bonn have found effective at lowering blood pressure in overweight

►► 3. Bananas: One medium banana provides 1% of the calcium, 8% of the magnesium, and 12% of the potassium you need every day. bananas help lower stress hormones in the blood.

►► 2. Honey: Honey calms the blood vessels in the body and lowers blood pressure. Simply consume two teaspoons of honey on an empty stomach each morning. Also, you can mix one teaspoon of honey with one teaspoon of ginger juice and two teaspoons of cumin seed powder. Consume this Every day Morning Which will Reduce your High blood pressure.

►► 1. Watermelon: watermelon has a good source of blood pressure-lowering vitamin C and lycopene, research published in the American Journal of Hypertension reveals that patients with prehypertension who added watermelon to their diet significantly reduced their blood pressure.

►► Most importantly, if you suffer from high blood pressure, it is highly recommended that you consult with your doctor and follow their directives.

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Health Disclaimer

The information on this channel is only for educational purposes. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care.You should not use this information to diagnose ore treat any health problems.Please Consult A Doctor With Any Questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your family members Condition.  Thanks.

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How The Health Benefits Of Your Organic Food Diet Get Compromised

The popularity of organically grown food has increased immensely over the last decade or so. The reason for the partly shift away from traditional fast food is that it has become more and more important for many people to lead a healthy lifestyle. Apart from exercising on a regular basis and working in a profession that is enjoyable and fulfilling, people pay attention in particular to the individual quality of food that ends up on their dinner table. This is not only a question of whether or not a tomato is GMO-free, consumers want to be confident that what they eat isn’t contaminated, for example with chemicals like pesticides, herbicides and nitrates.

Although organic food is considerably more expensive than regular food, I honestly believe that it’s worth every dime you spend on it. But is an organic food diet sufficient to living healthily and eradicate the potential harm of environmental toxins from our lives? Or can the health benefits that come with an organic food diet get compromised by other factors?

Sources of Toxic Substances in our Everyday Lives

The short answer to the first question is ‘No’. Eating organically grown food is a step in the right direction, but aside from our nutrition, there are other sources of toxic substances that we get in contact with daily. Therefore, the answer to the second question is ‘Yes’. The health benefits of your costly organic diet can get compromised and here is how:

Drinking Water

Tap and bottled water can contain an endless number of toxins. Among the most common are pesticides and herbicides used in agriculture, which through rain end up in our groundwater, heavy metals, first and foremost lead, that originate from different industries, and various acids as byproducts of treating wastewater with disinfectants like chlorine.

The only way to reduce your exposure to toxins that can be found in your drinking water is by either buying bottled spring water that is proven to be toxin-free, because it gets thoroughly tested on a regular basis, or by applying a drinking water treatment system in your home. From experience, I know that the second option will save you money in the long run; it’s what I’ve been doing for years. Depending on your circumstances, you have many possible choices to find the product that’s best suited for you.

Air

The human body can survive weeks without food, at least a couple of days without water, but only seconds or minutes at most without air. An adult human being breathes 12 to 18 times per minute. This also means that depending on where you live and where you go to work etc., chances are that you inhale toxic air pollutants all day long.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency currently monitors 181 of these air pollutants all over the country and found that, due to more emissions, the density of toxic pollutants is higher in urban areas. In conclusion, you have the highest chance to reduce your exposure to them by living in the countryside. If that is not up for debate, try to avoid doing any activities that increase your respiratory rate, like running and cycling, in or close to the city. Also, spend as little time as possible in underground parking garages and the subway and, if you don’t mind the funny looks, wear a face mask, whenever you are in the city.

Personal Care Products

American women use 12 different personal care products per day on average, which account for 168 unique ingredients that come in contact with their bodies. Men use about half as many. Of course, not all of the 168 ingredients are toxic, but about 12.2 million adults living in the U.S. are exposed to substances that are known or probable human carcinogens every single day, due to their use of tooth paste, lotions, deodorant, hair gel, shampoo and more.

From now on, check the list of ingredients first and primarily avoid all products that contain parabens, diethanolamine (DEA), phthalates, acrylamide, formaldehyde and phenol. Also, don’t get confused if ingredients are listed as ‘fragrance’. It’s just a clever way that manufacturers came up with to disguise problematic substances. And last but not least, don’t blindly trust a label that says ‘organic’ or ‘natural’, because these aren’t protected terms.

Clothing

Giovanna Luongo, a scientist from the Department of Analytical Chemistry of the University of Stockholm, could prove the presence of more than 40 different chemical residues (quinolines, benzothiazoles and benzotriazole) in a set of garments, which she acquired not only in Sweden, but also on the global market. According to Luongo, ‘The hazards posed by the identified substances were primarily skin sensitization and irritation, but also reproduction toxicity, and proved or suspected carcinogenicity’.

Furthermore, Luongo points out that any of the residues has the potential to get absorbed by the human skin and eventually enter the body. What was once harmless could then be converted into a harmful toxin or become dangerous, because it forms a compound with other substances.

If you’ve expected that fashion made from organic cotton was less stylish than commercial clothes, you were wrong. You can find a list of 13 trending organic clothing brands that offer apparel free from toxic pesticides and fertilizers here.

Household Cleaners

From baking soda, vinegar cleaner and hand-wash dishwasher detergent to furniture polish, multipurpose cleaner and carpet stain remover, $655 is what the average American household spents on housekeeping supplies in 2015, having in stock a whole arsenal of cleaning products.

Only a fraction of these cleaners a free from chemicals that are harmful to our health, if we inhale, touch or ingest them. In case of contact, acute symptoms include rashes, burns, headache and respiratory complaints. Long-term consequences can be chronic diseases like cancer.

Although the majority of manufacturers don’t list all of their products’ ingredients on the label, because they are not required to, here is a list of chemicals you should be aware of: Chlorine bleach, ammonia, fragrances, monoethanalomine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), triethanolamine (TEA), ethoxylated alcohols, butyl cellosolve, alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), trisodium nitrilotriacetate, triclosan, sodium hydroxide, nonylphenol ethoxylates.

Make sure to stay away from household cleaners that contain hazardous substances by following these rules:

If you can’t pronounce it, put it back on the shelf. As you can see above, most of the ingredients you should try to avoid have long and complicated names no one has ever heard before.

Except for specific cases, there is no need for a huge variety of products. Stick to soap, water, vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice and a well-tried sponge combined with a little blood, sweat and tears.

Carefully read labels and look out for words like ‘Danger’, ‘Warning’, ‘Poison’ and ‘Caution’, and phrases like ‘may cause skin irritation’, ‘vapors harmful’ and ‘may cause burns on contact’. Skip these products.

If you find a product that says ‘no solvents’, ‘no phosphates’, or ‘plant-based’, that’s great!

Here is a great resource that lists eco-friendly all-purpose cleaners, plant-based bathroom cleaners and much more.

Organic Food – Only The Beginning

Drinking water, air, personal care products, our clothes, and household cleaners, all of these things expose us to environmental toxins in our everyday lives. It becomes obvious that following an organic food diet can only be the beginning to protect our health in the long run.

The post How The Health Benefits Of Your Organic Food Diet Get Compromised appeared first on Best Reverse Osmosis Systems for Home Use.

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