#but unfortunately if i fail it can drive my mood and energy level into the ground just as fast

[ocpdzim]

tbh i think if i was entirely oblivious to my own faults as well as to the consequences of my actions then i could get a whole lot more done all the time and possibly could have killed a god by now

[juleswolverton-hyde]

Silver Egoism

Genre: Smut, Friends to Lovers, Idol AU

Pairing: Jimin x Reader ft. Jungkook

Warnings: Voyeurism, exhibitionism, dom!/top!Jimin, unprotected car sex (ALWAYS do it safely, lads and lasses), choking, heartbreak, swearing/cussing, creampie, multiple rounds, male masturbation, phone sex (to some degree), overstimulation, (semi-)public sex (does car sex count as that?)

Summary: Within a band as close as a family there is no room for egoism, but one night the envy can no longer be suppressed as a rabbit in love unintentionally tries to outdo a silver fox.

Because when it comes to Love, the rules are different.

And Jealousy will do anything to gain the winning hand.

Masterlist

Friendships can unconsciously deepen by means of little gestures going beyond the realm of mere kindness and gifts to show a person holds more meaning to the other than initially thought. However, even then, the meaning can get lost in translation when the receiver does not reciprocate the emotions which are endeavoured to be shown.

As is the case with the obsidian leather jacket and Chanel necklace gifted to the girl met way back in high school sitting in the chair opposite Jungkook, happily chatting as an unrequited heart sits next to one that recently confessed his feelings for the woman doing the presents justice during a night of drinking white wine together. And despite being like brothers, hating the warm smiles and timidly roseate cheeks whenever Y/N comes over cannot be helped. Still, there is no merit in destroying a close bond on the grounds of unrequited love and henceforth a tongue toxically green with envy remains silent as it pretends to watch cat videos while actually observing the love of a lifetime through the lens of the camera.

Eventually, as the hour grows later and the morning brings the preparation for an interview, the chatter between friends regarded by a hushed third party dies down with the realization of having to make an early start and that going to bed would be the sensible course of action.

‘Alright, I should go.’ Y/N stretches like a feline, a habit likely picked up by hanging out with Yoongi, who is not any competition whatsoever for he acts more like a nagging older brother than a potential rival. And that is fortunate because regardless of having known him longer than yesterday, the musical genius remains a somewhat intimidating individual one should not mess with. ‘I’ll be watching the interview as soon as it comes out. Good luck, lads.’

‘If you want, I can drive you home.’ Jungkook rises simultaneously with the beautiful companion, pulling focused irises away from the screen towards reality. 

‘Thanks, but-’

‘I’ll drive her home.’ It comes out on a whim and more vicious than intended, redirecting all attention buzzing in the amicable living room still filled with the energy of the barbecue to celebrate the first good summer weather giving a clear navy and violet twilight sky adorned by sparkling stars. Unfortunately, the splendid circumstances had turned sour by the tropical monsoon that the wind whispered hints of while munching on shaved ice, pushing eight souls indoors. However, it also meant the gorgeous girl was, to much selfish relief, chased off the picnic bench just as Kook tried to sit her down on his lap in a supposedly casual fashion were it not for the clearly yet slowly hardening shape in tight denim jeans.

‘Jimin-ah, are you alright? Why are you upset?’ Taehyung’s brows furrow in sad confusion, always sensitive to the moods of anyone near the golden heart aware of the surroundings more than one might think. ‘Do you want to talk about it? I hate to see you angry.’

‘I’m fine, Tae Tae. Just tired.’ A gentle smile is fabricated with effort but has enough of an effect to make a sometimes too gullible mind believe it for the moment. Howbeit hesitantly so. ‘I’ll just take Y/N home and call it a night.’

‘Hyung, the last few performances have been hard on you so-’ The maknae speaks up again, undaunted by the sharp edge to unintended hostility, and proposes to kindly take on the role of the driver as intended.

But is repaid by the same too venomous irritated exhaustion. Withal, it is not physical tiredness but more so purely emotional. Sensitively sick, all emotions that have bottled up thanks to having to hide in order to save everything coming to a dangerous boiling point. ‘I said I’ll take her home, Kook.’

‘Chim, calm down. You’re clearly exhausted.’ The scent of tulips in spring has appeared between warring parties of which solely one is aware of the fight. The hand first covering a racing heart, the cause of the adrenaline easily mistakable for stress while it is truly the touch and her nearness, rising to swiftly comb through silver manes before coming to rest on the cheek. ‘I’ll be fine on my own and text once I’m home, alright?’

The sweet innocence of sparkling soothing eyes triggers perhaps the most idiotic and selfish decision ever, the storm of feelings no longer able to be contained. Not when being this close and every sense is overrun by the familiar scent of the never-changing perfume, the comforting touch whenever thinking all that is done or said or both will never be enough.

That I am not enough.

For her.

Notwithstanding, just tonight those lingering haunting doubts are put aside as lips unexpectedly crash into each other and a small palm grabs the behind that should have tried to sit on the lap it always does. There is no resistance nor pulling away, only the envelopment of the other cheek and a barely audible gasp dimmed by six-headed surprise filled by soft humoured baritone chuckles when not staring on in speechlessness.

And the broken heart of a long-time amazing now betrayed friend.

Alongside the cruel carelessness of not paying the pain any mind, focusing on making a lasting imprint on long-longed for lips that will ignite a hunger for more instead of on the world coming to a halt. 

An existence that slowly starts to turn again as mouths part, a soft murmur all that remains between them and possessive fingers entwining. ‘I’ll take you home. Let’s go.’

‘Um, yeah.’ The attempt of creating a lasting impression is clearly successful, Y/N rendered wordless and needing a second to gain composure before being dragged out the front door with an absent wave of goodbye. ‘Good luck, lads. Figh-’

And plopped down in the passenger seat of the shadowy onyx BMW 8 Series Convertible, proudly brought after completing the driving test and gaining a driver’s license. Swiftly, the belt is fastened and fashionable boots make way to the other side of the vehicle to do the same.

Soon, the engine roars to life, tires screeching over the driveway wrapped in the dusk and speeding towards the illuminated heart of the city. 

Towards the medium-sized luxury apartment given as a birthday present last year, simply due to being able to pay for it and wanting the beloved to live a good life. 

It has to be said, however, that the current home is a compromise because the original penthouse did not get accepted nor the option to share a roof because the gorgeous woman “did not want to keep me away from the guys and give me space”.

Yet, what was failed to be noticed was that the empty gap carved into an unrequited heart is solely filled by her presence. The reason for that is simple: it is not about money nor fame nor stage persona.

It is about an old friend. 

The dancer from Busan.

Chiminie.

‘Uhm, Jimin... about that kiss...’

‘I don’t regret it, especially not because it was in front of everyone.’ Palms tighten around the leather of the steering wheel, voice reduced to dangerous egotistical jealousy. Teeth grit at the memory of the barbecue, Kook trying to settle the wonderful girl at the window displaying a rapid blurry landscape on muscled thighs. 

Deform into a snarl when remembering the hardened shape in pants she would have sat against, feeling it. ‘In front of Jungkook.’

‘Jungkook? What does he have to do with this?’ Brows furrow in confusion, sincerely not making the infuriating connection between statements and acts. 

‘How can you not understand? After all the hints?’ With a loud noise as of nails scratching a blackboard a sharp turn towards the body of water flowing through the metropolitan is taken, stirring up gravel while descending to the river bank underneath the nearest metal monster of a bridge. 

Here, at the waterside reflecting the life of night owls, the engine is turned off before shifting to face the uncomprehending beautiful mistake with perhaps too sharp a tone. ‘I am in love with you! Fucking head over heels.’

‘Why? Why me?’

‘Because with you, I’m normal. With you, I’m okay.’ Frustrated shoulders relax as the volume of speech lowers to a normal conversational level instead of being barely shy of shouting. ‘With you, I’m just Park Jimin, a regular Busan boy.’

‘You’ve never been anyone else to me. Not a celebrity nor a distant person suddenly too good to hang out with normal people.’ A stern severity dims the well-meaning light in honest eyes caressing the cheek once more, the tenderness fading into flickering worry. ‘However, the guy I saw in the living room is somebody I don’t know. Who is he?’

‘He is the guy who cannot deal with seeing his best friend try his luck with the girl he actually loves. He’s the short-tempered unpredictable envious me.’

The me without you.

A persona who rises again by grabbing the wrist to place a wanting kiss on the inside, to take in the scent of young spring clad in leather. At war with the genuine ego forced to simmer beneath the surface and fighting a battle consisting of equal strength. ‘A guy I would never want you to date unless it’s me. No, even if it was me, you shouldn’t. Never let toxic people into your life because it is so short already.’

For a second, Y/N merely looks at double-edged melancholic lips resting on tulip skin. Were it possible, being frozen in this exact moment would likely be the best outcome of the story since this is all there shall ever be if the risked friendship continues to exist.

This is all we have.

All I have.

All that will ever be.

Although, the curiously withholding of something unspoken while continuing to solace a lonesome boy with love forms a hint towards a detail which might alter the seemingly hopeless train of thought. ‘Life’s indeed short, incredibly so. But, Jimin, because it is thus, it also makes every minute with a beloved more precious.’

‘What are you saying?’ Nothing in the attitude leaning forward gives away a straight explanation of the hidden meaning behind the wisdom likely picked up thanks to hanging out with Namjoon hyung. Again, it is fortunate the rapper is merely seen as an older brother instead of being real competition. 

‘We see each other very little, but each time we do I’m impossibly glad I have you back for a brief while. My best friend, my...’ The end of the sentence floats in the tense air, blushing cheeks refusing to speak the last part. 

‘Your what?’

But eventually do. 

‘My... crush.’

The two words spin around, warming up veins grown into arrogant ice and inflating pride to an indescribable extent. Gradually the meaning truly dawns, making both warring egos within mutually smile in relieved excited delight. 

The grabbed wrist is lead to regions below where the effects of the frustration still boil painfully though were able to be ignored until now, distracted by the suppressed jealous rage resulting in an outburst. The bottom lip is caught between teeth, not resisting another action of the selfish persona clearly elated by the confession and who has taken over demeanour entirely. Rather, it is perversely fascinated despite playing coy, more so when Y/N’s palm spreads out over hot denim like a blooming flower. ‘Chim, erm, heh, wh- what are you doing?’

I could ask you the same, pretending to be innocent and yet not hiding the need for me.

‘Get in the back, princess.’ Spurred on by the intimate contact essentially ignited by oppressed apparently futile rage, huskiness naturally creeps into the vocal manner of a chest slowly starting to struggle for breath. 

‘What?’ Keeping up the pretense or mayhaps sincerely confused by the rapid change in atmosphere, the gorgeous mistress manages to glance away from the point of fascination and take on the roll of the seeker of answers in dark irises regardless of knowing to find none.

‘Backseat. Now.’

Not until a somewhat clumsy way is made to the designated place after hearing the demanding growl and undoing the seatbelt, the hands of a best friend from a great harbour city coming to rest on hips at the end of an enchanting wake. 

Until those same hands creep up underneath the oversized shirt despicably lent from someone else before the chance to run up the stairs to retrieve something from the personal collection of clothing, the jacket discarded beforehand. Jungkook had the advantage by being situated on the ground floor of the dorm and literally sprinted to his room once a step into the kitchen was set.

Rip it to reveal the classy Victoria Secret bra underneath.

Another gift.

The meaning of which has only become clear now.

Stone-hued locks tilt to the side in amusement, loving the revelation that compliments the simple Chanel necklace perfectly. ‘Well, would you look at that. Wearing something I got you beneath the shirt of another.’ However, some of the delight dies into the snarling grave of fury at the thought of a charming bunny who outdid a silver fox. ‘Jungkook’s.’

‘He simply offered it so I wouldn’t catch a cold.’ An undignified huff reputes the selfish demeanour though the split second a pout forms tells of a pleasure in driving a boy with love to madness.

Into a persona. 

If that is how the game is going to be played, so be it. Anything to make Y/N happy, to create something of our own. Henceforth, husky lips hover over parted ones, teased and left wordless. ‘It sure looked like it, but we both know better. He wanted to see you wearing his shirt, would likely have slipped the scene to see you change into it.’

‘He isn’t like that.’

‘Fair enough, the latter doesn’t apply. Nevertheless, he wanted to confess to you tonight, make you his.’ A cruel smile unconsciously carves itself onto the mouth, thinking of the faltering young face in a disappointed vividly painted image. ‘What a surprise would it have been for him to discover my brand on you.’

‘You’re not so cruel as to actually mean that, are you?’ In spite of the contrasting message by palms slipping to the behind to bring heated bodies closer, big eyes shine with the plead for the current state of mind to not be truthful. Still, the squirming when beginning to move at a slow steady pace to fuel the heat below further while undoing the claps and tossing the bra aside hints at being entranced by the domination. Especially submissive to the tyranny when placing soft kisses from the chest up towards the ear. 

To whisper nothing but twilight sincerity. ‘Yes, tonight I am. I meant every word I said in the little periods of time we got to spend together and always will. Life’s too difficult already to complicate it further with lies.’

And show you anyone but myself.

Staying faithful to the thought, skinny jeans are contrastingly calmly tugged off before removing the pair of blushing consenting irises. They know the actual message behind the cryptic wisdom, acknowledging they are not the sole ones to be influenced by the wise leader of BTS. ‘I don’t want to lie to you.’

‘You don’t have, ah, to. Never h- had to.’ Affectionately, warm palms envelop the cheeks while the steady rhythm makes remaining in control of any sense of civilization much harder. And if not that, the barely chaste kisses surely are the cause alongside the bared skin revealed from discarded boxers achingly gliding over wet cotton. 

‘Can I ask you something?’ Enough self-control can be exerted to form an important question and register the significant meaning of the nod waiting for the inquiry. ‘Can I be selfish just a little while longer?’

‘Yes.’ The alluring warmth is revealed from beneath the underwear of which the hedonic scent sends the mind into a hazed frenzy and cuts patience short with its temptation. ‘Y- Yes, Jimin!’

Every inch adds to the scenic teary-eyed sight below on the backseat, nails digging into skin helping to colour the painting, guiding hips temporarily slowed down to adjust to the novel enrapturing heat. Exclusive to a harbour town boy with love, the guy beneath the flirty stage persona millions of voices encourage and fawn over.

But he solely does over one person.

The woman beautifully responding to every new strike as shades blend behind shut lashes and create fireworks with every meeting of mouths and stroke.

Something of our own.

This.

This perfect picture.

This is what we have.

Our ending.

And it wants to be shown to the one who almost shredded the canvas.

‘Wha- What are you d- doing? Jimin?’ Y/N looks sensually aghast laced with astonished disappointment at being left hanging somewhere along the way to euphoria despite the harmony of hues strengthened by muffled lewd sounds and physical guidance.

‘Just a minute, princess.’ A rapid mischievous kiss means to nullify the stun, which it does at the cost of creating a quizzical expression on a blushing face as the jeans thrown onto the ground are reached for. From the back pocket, fingers fish out the telephone and dial Jungkook’s number.

After going over thrice, the call is picked up. ‘Hyung? What’s up, why are you- oh.’

Oh, indeed, because neither of the two other parties fully realizes what is going on in the dazed mind under a sensational hypnosis of colourful touches until advances come freely again to resume a shared endeavour long longed for. Exploited at a more savage pace to compose compositions that could not exist with the former method, exacting bittersweet revenge on the steadily becoming breathless young rabbit hanging on the other side of the line.

Tethering.

Alone.

Whereas a Busan dancer and mistress are together on the verge of toppling over the edge.

The arrogant knowledge of this truth sounds through in the proudly jeering undertone of a clear voice leaving no room for mistake, wanting to create havoc to enjoy in schadenfreude. ‘Shit, Jungkook, she’s really tight. Takes cock so well. And her tits, so fucking nice and bouncy.’

And rejoice in the flushed cheeks of the woman the heart has been beating for since the first meeting during a student exchange in high school. Albeit with a degrading manner that expresses the frustration of not entirely coming first at the moment. ‘Do you like that, huh? Being such a slut that you’ve got a man masturbating to hearing me pound you hard and liking it? Spreading your legs just as soon as dick is offered to you?’

The response merely consists of desperate agreeing whines, the warm colours growing hotter as the unintelligible words tumble forth and also spur on the absent yet present boy in love turned sinful in audible fanciful solitude. ‘Fuck, hyung, keep talking like that to her. She sounds so pretty, so whiny.’

The original intent has been reached, egotistically claiming the girl who has been there since the rise of Bangtan while simultaneously feeling the backlash of the sting the chosen punishment for both men in need of chastisement. One for greed and one for attempting to prevent this canvas. ‘Shut up, she’s mine. This is all you’ll get of her, all you’ll hear of her. Just tonight. And I want you to know it’s me between her thighs, not you.’

However, the sneered rebuke is not cared about as the maknae is too lost to actually care, too enraptured by the painting that cannot be seen and close to catch up with the final strokes leading to elevated completion. Notwithstanding, as the sole consciousness same enough to be somewhat of a source of order in the corrupt chaos, the final ultimate state of bliss does not want to be reached before a warning is made very clear.

To hear the mutual claim on me from the panting wonderful enchantress lying on the ruined shirt of an equally as destroyed rival. Hence is why a palm wraps around the heated throat to close off any means of air, the last extreme move to exert dominance. ‘C’mon, tell him how much better I am. That you want me, not him. Say it.’

‘K- Kookie, he- he’s so good.’ The following dominantly rough stroke coaxes out a wonderful complacent high-pitched stream claiming the canvas and the initial painter despite the narrow access to air. ‘Better than you. Fuck! So, so much better. I want him, o- only him.’

After a few repeatings of the same scenario, irritating due to a third wheel yet marvellous thanks to the stunning union, both the defeated golden maknae and Y/N lose a grip on reality. 

However, since it happens simultaneously, the younger boy might use it to his advantage in daring yet intolerable later advances or to fancy a colourful storm together with her when not being there. Regardless of what the ulterior goal of the split second of breaking into blissful fragments might turn out to be, it forces the actually still selfishly desperate hand of a boy with love. ‘And yet you cream all over me just as Jungkook cums. Looks like my princess doesn’t know how to show respect and loyalty.’

But anything can be taught if using the appropriate manner, thus hardening the strokes until screaming alabaster flows freely and ever onward without stopping.

Action.

Reaction.

Result. 

‘My name, Y/N. Scream my name.’ The slightly slackened hold on the throat forcefully strengthens again, mirroring the reinvigorated power pinning an otherwise wild waist down. ‘Scream my fucking name. Over. And. Over.’

Every word of the last command is accentuated by a sharp advance establishing the desired effect, tuning out almost completely the agonized though satisfied moans of bunny nerves being driven into overdrive. Notwithstanding, instead of allowing them to invoke another euphoria shared with the woman belonging to another, the call is ended just to childishly leave Jungkook hanging dry. ‘Keep calling, babe. He won’t get to hear you again.’

One final stroke triggers the primal second floating in ignorant bliss together with the claimed fleeting soul basking in the dusk enlightened by night owls.

A moment of us. 

Slowly and carefully, arms shivering with the blast of shades which are slowly erased lower and meet a warm welcoming pair lovingly enveloping dishevelled grey locks. The soft cheek against which a palm having calmed down in demeanour, no longer suffocating, comes to rest leans into the touch, breathless but sighing in gladness.

‘Did... did you like it? I’m sorry I involved Kook into this, but I couldn’t think clearly. I didn’t want him to confess because I was afraid I’d lose you and that, well, resulted in the self-centred man you’ve been seeing this entire night.’ The confession bordering on a futile waterfall going around in circles manages to be stopped at a good point, preventing speech from crossing the line and falling into a spiral. Instead, the dewy hot throat scented by spring tulips is nuzzled while enjoying the perfume.

‘Had it been anyone else, I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed it as much as I did. So, yes, I really liked it. Really, really liked it.’ A short moment filled with happy giggles lifts a grand part of the heaviness of heart caused by egoism, delighted to no extent upon hearing the sincere amused yet meaningful tone in Y/N’s voice. ‘And before you ask, no matter who the persona is you happen to be in the moment, I still like you.’

‘Even when I’m an arrogant selfish bastard ruining the hopes of his best friend?’

‘Don’t think of it that way, Chim. It’s the choice I made and I have chosen what is right for me. For what I have wanted for the longest time.’

‘I have as well. Wanted this, that is. Even when the company told me I couldn’t.’ A shake of the head dismisses the melancholic thought of the manager’s voice sternly renouncing dating as breathing becomes a tad shallow with grief. ‘This is what’s been hurting me, not being with you. The person who makes me love myself.’

‘Is it selfish then?’

‘No?’ Despite the underlying suggestion, the response is doubtful because the ego overrun by the sensual drive to claim wanted the same but exerted its will in an egotistical manner at the cost of another.

‘No. No, it isn’t. We finally have what we have wanted all along. I don’t want Jungkook and you don’t want somebody else. We’re happy and happiness is never selfish.’ The kiss on the forehead is soothing, assuring of the determined righteousness of the statement and solacing in the request that follows in its wake. ‘Stay over tonight. It’s been too long.’

‘Indeed, too long.’

Too long for true self-love to return.

To have kept it waiting at the door of the familiar apartment.

In empty arms finally embracing the one they should.

Just like the stars in the navy sky transforming into dusky black.

Waiting.

For us. 

[jq37]

i know you posted your thoughts on the big arguing scene in “we need to talk about pete” but i was wondering if you were going to post a full breakdown? that episode was a lot and i love hearing your thoughts on eps. ignore this if you have done a breakdown and i’m dumb and just missed it lol

**spoilers for the war of bugs and rats and we need to talk about pete**

What’s up denizens of Magic NYC? Now, I unfortunately live in normal NYC where I have to pay bills and stuff so I’ve been MIA with recaps for the past few eps but, no sweat. We’re gonna do a double feature of the above two eps and then I’ll group in the last battle episode with the upcoming episode. So lets catch up on what’s been going on in The Unsleeping City There’s a LOT to get through so vámanos y'all.

First up, we have our big bug fight in Queens, which Sophie enters with a camelback full of box wine because Emily is Emily.

“I’ve heard of gentrification but this is crazy!”

Brennan enjoys making those gross, chittering, bug noises way too much.

Have we talked about Pete’s cowboy hat? Because, for real, what is up with Pete’s cowboy hat? It seems absolutely apropos of nothing. Was he just like, “Sick,” and he decided to wear it everywhere? That seems to be how he makes all of his decisions.

“Butthole 2: Electric Boogaloo.”

Emily clocks the cat *immediately*. Like to the point where I’m almost thinking, “Did this cat exist before Emily mentioned looking for one?” And I want to say yes because La Gran Gata seems very fleshed out, specific, and intentional. But folks, we are living in a post-Avanash world so idk what to think. (Edit: The cat does have a mini now that I’ve gotten to that but idk, that insert shot could have been shot post ep so like, who knows?)

Anyway, Emily’s entire mission objective immediately becomes saving this cat she’s vaguely aware of.  

“5E you crazy.”

The Cast, Knowing Emily just rolled a 25 and still has a 1d8 Bless in Her Back Pocket if She Needs It: Brennan, Just Ask.

The horror on Emily’s face when she realizes that she just called an attack on the cat cocoon.

So Emily goes off on a very Emily side quest to rescue a random cat but happens to unlock a very cool NPC–La Gran Gata–who is like the spirit of all the bodega cats out there. Sophie immediately calls upon the entirety of her limited Spanish skills to try and make friends with the cat, and succeeds.

The, “To arms, to arms my brothers!” thing kills me every time. Are all rats just Like That? Is that what they’re like when they’re out and about too?

Kingston rolling a nat 20 to literally walk across the store is wild.

Oh also, Pete failed a wild magic surge roll which just lets him fly. So far, those wild magic surges have really been working out for him.

Anyway, Bug Boss Becky turns Ricky into a “buff-ass” dog.

Zac playing dog-Ricky with almost exactly the same self-awareness (or lack thereof) as normal-Ricky is so funny. He’s an Akita and I was expecting Dalmatian but that makes sense too. Ricky, the very good boy, attacks Becky and–as a Sentinel–stops her in her tracks.

Emily does a ton of damage and Brennan, about to describe her attack, is like, “Are you still drunk?” Emily shuts down the opportunity to look cooler and is like, “I am a messy, drunk bitch. Describe that.” Emily isn’t here to be cool. Emily is here to roleplay.

I had never heard the word brindled before now and Brennan uses it to describe two separate animals in this ep.

Siobhan rolls a nat 20 to dispel magic on Ricky which is objectively good but also I would have loved for him to be a dog a little longer. Also, this moment makes me really, really want to get some backstory on Misty. Like, clearly there are some serious Fae Shenanigans going on with her and I need specifics yesterday.

Also, Ricky comes back with pointier ears and wolfier senses and I’m just picturing Channing Tatum in Jupiter Ascending.

Before I forget, Sophie, Pete, and Misty yoink magical items from the magic bodega within the bodega La Gran Gata opened up. Sophie’s is a magic ring that amps up her punches. Misty took a mirror and Pete took a grill (like for your teeth). Not sure what those do yet.

The fact that this whole fight wasn’t under the Umbral Arcana and there are people out there that remember is a little concerning for me. I can’t quite tell if it’s the sort of thing that will come back or more of a warning of what can happen if the U.A. goes down again.

Post-fight, Sophie asks La Gran Gata for mismatched David Bowie eyes like the cat has. Siobahn goes, “That’s what you’re gonna ask? You drunk bitch.” But Sophie has her wish granted. I’m sure that won’t raise any questions with people who have known her her entire life. 

“She’s gonna fuck that cat.”

So the fight’s over and they realize that the Key to the City is missing which I can’t imagine is a good thing.

This brings us to the RP ep, We Need to Talk About Pete, which picks up directly where the previous ep ended.

Ally and Emily go for the exact same joke of getting Guinness’s post-fight. Kingston–as a medical professional, Vox Populi, and sanest adult of this troupe–loudly objects (smacking the beers out of Pete’s hands multiple times) and wants to know what the hell is going on with the bugs they just fought.

Sidenote: Sophie took a level in Warlock with La Gran Gata as her patron because of *course* she did. I wonder if this was the plan from the beginning or if Emily was watching all her friends spellcasting and started getting the jitters from magic user withdrawal.

Murph’s “What?” face when Emily says, “I’ll be waiting, but not in an impatient, desperate way,” is gold.

They search the bodega and find a thing of 1000 Hour Energy and Kugrash gives it to Ricky over Pete’s objections. They also find Holy Grail Laundry Detergent (Kingston pays for it), The Grill I mentioned earlier (Kingston hates this), and this bagel. 

All the magic users show up. Alejandro wants an explanation pronto and everyone points a finger at Pete who explains everything in his typical, nonchalant, vague, kinda spaced out way which Alejandro is not digging at all. He starts to go off on the enormity of the situation and Pete starts dropping acid.

I’m gonna stop here for a sec to talk about how Ally is playing Pete. There are moments when I feel like Ally is doing something as a comedian for a bit. And there’s kind of a sense of, is this funny? Obviously. But what are the in game implications of this move? Like the running joke of Pete constantly being high on something is funny, out of game. But,  in game, it’s massively concerning. And I’m really curious about where Ally is choosing to draw the line between doing the funny thing and doing the prudent thing. I almost said the in-character thing but Ally made a character so consistently bonkers that whatever he does could plausibly be the in-character thing. Pete is kind of a massive disaster.

Anyway, Alejandro drives home the point that Pete’s actions have consequences and have caused actual deaths at this point. Pete’s magic is internally going wonky as he gets more distressed (I really wanted to see a wild magic surge fail here but alas). But he’s still outwardly like a 4 on the giving a damn scale when the situation is a 13 out of 10. Pete is only half listening to this because he’s halfway out the door, smoking. Alejandro plans with Kingston to discuss Pete later.

Misty, always sowing seeds of chaos, suggests Alejandro stock up on Juul pods before they stop selling them completely. Kingston hates this (this is basically his mood for the episode).  

Outside, Pete gets a text from Priya which ends with them planning a meet up for later after leaving her on read for a while. Pete dips without saying anything to anyone but Kingston who ignores him (and also Sophie who Emily hilariously guilts Ally into including out of character). Dipping on the conversation about how to fix YOUR mess isn’t the wisest move but Pete isn’t the wisest guy.  

In the meantime, Ricky does the Twilight Bark to summon a dalmatian (yes!) to help him find the stolen key to the city. Kugrash turns into a busted ass dalmatian who has trouble keeping up.

Ricky doesn’t have the plate mail armor that usually makes a Paladin so unstealthy but he is so hot as to have the same lack of stealthiness which is one of my favorite adaptations of the game for this setting. Anyway, Ricky does the superhero thing of running through the city, helping everyone with a problem along the way, and loses the key in the Financial District which smells like death (feels about right).

Siobahn playing Misty as, “Oh, I can’t believe I didn’t realize it was Emma Lazarus,” when, in reality, she was the first person who made the connection was great. S/o to ppl who separate player and character knowledge. Misty partied w/ Emma of course because she partied with every historical figure that’s passed through NYC since she showed up.

Post adventure, people need to go to their day jobs. Misty has a +10 to performance but rolling a 3 is rolling a 3. It’s not her best work. Later, her assistant brings her holly, silver, and assorted other stuff which sounds like Fae BS if I’ve ever heard it. Misty cuts her off before she can elaborate more. I know we’re getting a secret spilling episode next time so I’m really hoping we get some Misty lore because she is being frustratingly cagey. She talks so much but says so little that means anything.

Kugrash sneaks into his son David’s house (while Emily learns a rat fact she clearly didn’t want to know) and Murph  and Brennan tag team go for the proverbial emotional jugular.

Murph rolls a nat 20 on his investigate and so he gets a lot of his old files and puts together that Robert is Robert Moses–a famous historical figure in NY who I actually heard about for the first time very recently. Or maybe I should say infamous. He did a lot with NY infrastructure–especially highways–(Emily connects this to the Highway Hex immediately) and he wasn’t exactly the warm and fuzzy type. His bread and butter was working the system. There’s a Pulitzer winning book called The Power Broker about how he was able to amass power and influence. I don’t know enough about NY history to run my mouth off about the guy but the little I do know is in character with his T.U.S. incarnation. Also, just FYI, irl this dude died in the 80s. So, you know. That’s interesting.

Brennan, I guess: Why invent new bad guys when history is full of terrible people I just have to give magic to?

Brennan, continuing his tradition of letting people get emotionally destroyed by nat 20s, has Murph find a crushing letter from David to Kug which was never mailed.

Note: So, as I was writing this, my video timed out right at the line, “I don’t expect this letter to find you before my funeral,” which is kinda good bc idk if this is what I need at 1 AM. Anyway, back to the pain.

The letter reveals that David has devoted his life to stopping crooks like him (Kug) and that he’s mostly upset about how his leaving has affected the younger, more fragile Wally.

“I leave the letter because I’ll remember it.” Yeah I bet you will.

It looks like Kug is gonna confront Wally next ep which I am now even more excited to see.

So let’s move onto the SECOND big gut-punch of the episode. Kingston goes down to the station to give a statement about the Santa Incident. He sees a shit elemental in a lineup which isn’t super relevant to the main events but I can’t not mention something like that.

Anyway, guess what? Kingston’s ex (Liz) isn’t dead! She’s an attorney for the justice system of The Unsleeping City and she’s pissed the hell off. During their interview, he stops the tape recorder to cuss out Kingston for going on a “date” with Misty and for getting her involved in all the magical junk which means she has to do things like fingerprint shit elementals instead of being on track to be D.A. like she originally was. The way she described it made it sound like she was press ganged into it which seems like it shouldn’t be how this works, you know? Is there no blue pill option here? Also, not to be all grass is greener but I actually am a lawyer in NY (closer to Kug’s job, minus the crime) and I would swap with Liz in a heartbeat.

The fact that anything Kingston says as Vox is per se admissible is a cool detail. 

Sophie fights an old man (Jackson) in a CVS and joins a monastery which sounds like a shitpost but it isn’t. With La Gran Gata’s blessing she is now a member of the Order of the Concrete Fist.

I saw the Staten Island joke coming the second Brennan started talking but it was still hysterical when it landed.

At the same time, Pete is getting knuckle tats because, sure. And he also goes to see Priya who I am baffled was with him for any length of time. Maybe it’s the artist thing?

Also, Sophie keeps postponing her meeting with Mario which is concerning to me. The story is still happening when you’re not interacting with it. Brennan specifically said when she texted him that she got no response which doesn’t make me feel good about what’s going on with him.

Ricky has three super jacked, fratty firefighter bros, all named John who are like woke as hell. I wish I could follow the dude around for a day because every single facet of his life is wild.

Well, this episode promised we were gonna talk about Pete so let’s talk about Pete.

The gang, sans Pete, meet up with the magical powers that be to discus the destruction the newest Vox his leaving in his wake.

Sidenote, wild that Sophie has been magic for like 15 minutes and got to go to this meeting.

Alejandro wants to know what the plan is for if Pete’s powers go off the rails again. Kingston, who has clearly seen Old Yeller, offers the most drastic solution immediately: if it comes to it, we take him out. (Cut to Ally’s “Yikes” face). Kug, Sophie, and Ricky push back on that.

Misty, hilariously (and also suspiciously), is mainly concerned about NY because she needs theater to keep happening. This woman is chaotic something and I’m not convinced it’s chaotic good yet.

Anyway, I already did my big write-up on this part of the episode, but I’ll say it again: Kingston is right. He’s harsh but he’s right. This is some Phoenix Force BS that’s happening and do you know how that arc ends (the OG one, not the million other Phoenix Sagas that have happened since)? It ends with Jean Grey killing herself so she doesn’t lose control and eat another planet. Ricky is too dangerous for his own good and he doesn’t seem to have the emotional maturity to care (or at least to care at the correct level). Like, he was a drug dealer when this started which is already not ideal. He caused a huge mess and then just bounced without trying to help fix it. He thought that a week was enough time for human casualties to be water under the bridge. Frankly, not considering the nuclear option and just having to figure out if killing him is something the group is willing to do on the fly would be the more irresponsible option.

And not including Pete in the discussion would bother me more if he hadn’t openly blown off every serious discussion people have tried to have with him so far. If he’s not going to take things seriously, it makes sense they don’t invite him to the serious discussions.

The version of this story where Pete accidentally gets a bunch of people killed, finds out what he did, cries about it for a full day, and then finds out they’re talking about possibly killing him is a story where Pete is more sympathetic imo. But still, finding out that people talked about killing you under any circumstances has got to be rough.

IMO, the order of things that should be done right now are (1) putting magical training wheels on Pete, (2a) getting Pete trained or his powers transferred if it’s possible/he wants out, (2b) either way, getting Pete into therapy (like, he needed therapy before he got magic. now it’s just a matter of life and death–besides just his own), (3) talking to Pete again about the stakes and telling him point blank but not in while heated that there’s the possibility of a scenario where his powers go out of control and you have to understand that at that point it’s a matter of saving as many lives as possible. Like, Kingston can say, with conviction, “If I go rogue, you should do the same to me.” They’re in the same boat. Kingston’s just been rowing longer. Well, similar boats anyway. I imagine the Vox Populi powers are less inherently chaotic. And maybe the knowledge that a nuclear option is on the table would make Pete not want the job or want him to have his powers muted or something. Cool. Then you have that discussion at that point. Just, these are the conversations that need to happen. And maybe his own mortality will be the thing that helps get Pete’s head in the game. 

What jewel did Ale take out of his pocket during this conversation? Taking note of that. (Juul, not jewel. Duh. Thx thethief )

Pete gets in touch w/ Alejandro’s granddaughters who tell him that Alejandro’s still pretty pissed (which is surprising to Pete but like, bro. People died). Then, Robert shows up to sweet talk Pete and show him the video (that he somehow has) of Kingston talking at the Pete Meeting. When I was watching this the first time I was like, “How long before this blows up in their face–oh, almost immediately. Cool.”

He takes Pete to his vampire nightclub and hits him with Pete’s own “I didn’t create the demand” line that you just know Brennan put a pin in to hit Pete with that Uno Reverse card.

Robert tries to get Pete to summon Nod and then just does it forcibly with some kind of blood magic when Pete is hesitant. Pete wild magic surges, kills a bunch of vamps, and Nod (super injured by being in the waking world) teleports them both to the subway.

The group (including Alejandro) meets them there so they can catch the L train to Nod but Epona shows up. And you already know from Fantasy High that Brennan is on the ACAB train (or is that AFCAB?). Epona is now wearing a crooked badge–crooked badge for a crooked cop. She wants Nod. No can do. The gang gets ready to–to quote Mr. Cubby-make some bacon while Alejandro tries to cast a spell to summon a train to Nod (the place not the person).

So I’ll see y’all next time (whenever that is) for some subway fighting and some backstory unlocking! 

[missmentelle]

What is BPD and how does it manifest? What are your personal experiences with it and what are the misconceptions?

Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental health condition that severely disrupts your ability to form stable and healthy attachments to others, and to form a stable and healthy sense of yourself. It usually develops for the first time in your late teens or early 20s, and it can last for the rest of your life, although many people with BPD are able to successfully control their symptoms or even achieve full remission if they seek mental health treatment. BPD can be a brutal disorder to live with, and the symptoms can seriously impact your day-to-day functioning. People with BPD may find it incredibly difficult to achieve their goals or lead a “normal” life. Unlike people with other personality disorders that affect relationships, people with BPD desperately want to have healthy relationships with other people, but their symptoms make this incredibly difficult to achieve, which is a constant source of frustration and shame for many people who have this disorder. Symptoms of BPD include:

Intense and near-irrational fear of abandonment. They live with constant fear that the people in their lives will abandon them, even if there are absolutely no signs that this is the case. They will go to extreme lengths to avoid being abandoned, even if the risk of abandonment is entirely imaginary. 

Relationships that are very intense, and very unstable. They tend to engage in a pattern called “splitting”, where they see someone as wonderful and flawless and perfect in one moment, and then see them as worthless, unreliable and untrustworthy the next. They either have you on a pedestal or they are convinced that you hate them, with very little time spent between those two extremes. 

Frequent mood swings. This is more than just the usual “up and down” of something like bipolar disorder - they swing between a wide range of emotions like shame, disgust, euphoria, despair, rage and everything in between. 

Disproportionate emotional reactions. People with BPD have more or less the “correct” emotional reaction to events in their lives, but the intensity of their emotional reaction is completely blown out of proportion. A neurotypical person might be mildly annoyed if their partner forgot to text them when they promised to. A person with BPD may lapse into full-blown rage and despair, and these intense feelings could last for hours or days. Anger is the most common emotion that they experience with added intensity, and it can even cause harmless interactions to quickly escalate. 

Reckless behaviour. People with BPD often partake in high-risk behaviour, like drug use, unprotected sex, gambling, spending sprees, or unsafe and reckless driving. They also have a tendency to self-sabotage - sometimes when things are going well in their lives, they will suddenly quit their jobs, drop out of school and break up with their partners with absolutely no warning. 

An unstable sense of their own identity. This is hard to explain to someone who doesn’t experience it, but most people have a pretty stable sense of who they are, what they value, what they want, what their goals are, etc. People who BPD do not have any stable answers for any of those things. Their sense of “self” shifts rapidly and often. They may completely change their entire image of themselves from day to day, or go through periods where they even doubt if they exist. 

Self-harm and suicidal behaviour. People with BPD frequently self-harm, and they have one of the highest suicide rates of any disorder. Their self-harm is usually triggered by a real or imagined abandonment or rejection, and it can be extremely difficult to manage. 

A general sense of emptiness. People with BPD often feel that their lives are meaningless, or that they will never be happy. They might feel like nothing matters, or that they are bad, worthless people who do not deserve to be happy. 

BPD is a very tricky disorder to cope with, especially when it comes to relationships. It is important to remember that people with BPD are not bad people, and it is not their fault that they have this disorder. Many of the behaviours they exhibit are the result of all the pain and distress that they are feeling, not because they have any malicious intent. Many of them are simply desperate to be loved, and their extreme emotions are what prevent them from achieving this in a healthy way. At the same time, though, it’s important to acknowledge that people with BPD can cause serious harm to people they form relationships with, and the pain that their friends, family members and partners feel is just as real and just as valid. People with BPD are sometimes the perpetrators of abuse (as well as the victims), and it’s naive to think that a potential partner can overcome these issues through love and patience alone. The symptoms are aggravating to deal with as a person with BPD actually experiencing them, and they can be exhausting or terrifying to deal with as the partner of a person who has BPD. A diagnosis of BPD is not an excuse to treat others badly, and people with this disorder are still responsible for recognizing when they need to seek help, or when they might need to take a break from relationships as a whole. 

I’ve had numerous experiences with BPD in my lifetime. I’ve worked with it as a mental health professional; many of the homeless kids I worked with met the criteria for BPD, and for many of them, BPD was at least contributing to their ongoing homelessness. Some had burned bridges with family members or professional organizations that could help them, due to their erratic or intense behaviour. Many had experimented broadly with drug use, reckless behaviour or casual sex, and had faced life-altering consequences - like drug dependency, criminal records or unwanted pregnancies - as a result. Many of them were caught up in very intense and very unhealthy romantic relationships, and they were unable to work on other aspects of their life (finishing school, finding housing, finding employment, etc) because all of their time and energy was devoted to their high-needs relationships. It’s hard to get someone to sit down and work on their math homework when they feel an intense need to comb through their partner’s instagram for any signs of cheating. It can be a very tricky disorder to deal with as a professional, because you are no exception to the person’s fear of abandonment or their intense relationship style - it can be more difficult to form consistent trust and rapport with BPD clients than it is with other clients, which makes treatment difficult. 

I also have a lot of hands-on experience with BPD in my personal life. I lived with a partner who had BPD for two years, although he only received his official diagnosis after we had already ceased living together. We got together as teenagers, and as far as I can tell, he developed BPD in his early 20s, around two years after we met. My ex refused all forms of mental health treatment, and living with a person who had untreated Borderline Personality Disorder was one of the most exhausting and difficult experiences of my life. He had the classic “splitting” pattern; much of the time, he had me up on a pedestal, and he would boldly tell me and other people that I was the most perfect person who ever lived, that I was the answer to all of his problems, and that he never needed anything or anyone else in the world as long as he had me. Other days, he would tell me that I never cared about him, that he would never be good enough for me, and that I secretly wanted to leave him. We had some happy days, hanging out and just being best friends who were madly in love with each other, but as his disorder really took hold, the extremes became much more common. His behaviour became reckless and erratic, and he started leaving our apartment at night to break into nearby abandoned buildings and construction site. He never developed any anger problems, but he became despondent, and started spending entire days sobbing on the couch and contemplating suicide. His goals and view of himself changed weekly - some weeks he saw himself as smart and studious, and some weeks he saw himself as being doomed to homelessness. I cared about him very, very much, but I could not live like that anymore. He was not a bad person and his situation was not his fault - although it was his responsibility to accept help, which he failed to do - but he was not good for my own mental health. No one is obligated to stay in such a tumultuous and unstable relationship, and unfortunately it reached a point where I could not do it anymore. 

Unfortunately, my current partner and I are also dealing with a situation with BPD at the moment. In this case, however, he has an ex-partner with BPD who cannot accept that their relationship is over. Every couple of weeks she calls him in the middle of the night, sometimes to declare that he is the most wonderful person she ever met and insist that they were meant to be together. Other times, she calls to tell him that he is a terrible person who never cared about her or respected her, and she informs him that she is in the middle of self-harming because of him. We both acknowledge that she is a deeply troubled individual, and neither of us have any ill will toward her. He informs her family every time she calls, and I have no issues with him picking up the phone to talk to her in the middle of the night if it means that someone can be made aware of her in-progress self-harm. Again, she is not a bad person and her issues are not of her own making. Her case happens to be particularly extreme - most people with BPD do not even approach this level of inappropriate behaviour - but I cannot deny that it is a source of distress in my life. 

There are two big misconceptions about BPD that I think should be dispelled. The first is the notion that BPD is a “female” problem. While it is true that female diagnoses of BPD outnumber male diagnoses considerably, there are probably a lot of social biases at play. A man who has intense relationships in his early 20s and copes by doing drugs, sleeping around and driving fast is seen as “normal”, or “just blowing off steam”. A woman who behaves the same way is considered mentally ill. Men who present with characteristic symptoms of BPD may instead receive a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder, depression or anxiety, due to the notion that BPD is only a female problem. Women who have symptoms of Bipolar Disorder, depression or anxiety may be diagnosed with BPD. People tend to see what they expect to see, and many clinicians expect to see lots of women with BPD. 

The other misconception I want to dispel is that idea that BPD never gets better. It is the most treatable of the personality disorders, and most people with the condition see at least some improvement after their mid- to late twenties. Therapy and medication can help treat the symptoms to make life and relationships more manageable, and people with BPD who receive proper treatment can even achieve full remission of their disorder. This is a difficult disorder, but it is not a life sentence, and it should never be assumed that people who have this disorder are going to be this way forever. Hope and treatment are out there. 

Hope this answers your question! 

[anonthenullifier]

Do you think Tommy and Billy would ever given a tour of Stark Industries? I mean their Dad did technically help run it in a previous life.

Thanks for the ask!  I don’t think this is what you were looking for, but it is the first thing that came to my mind after reading your ask. I do apologize if the characterization is off at all, I don’t usually write from either of the twin’s perspectives but it was the only way to do this story . Hope you enjoy!

“And now we move into what many consider the true heart of the tour,” a peppy smile goes with a peppy wave of her arms and the impressively uniformed pep in the tour guide’s step, “the hall of heroes.”

“Kill me now,” Tommy groans next to him, mood perpetually spiraling downward for the last hour, “please just blink me out of this reality.”

The field trip isn’t that bad. Well, it’s not great, but it could be worse, like the time they went to the wastewater plant and there was a leak. “This is the last room.” It is also, admittedly, the worst room to be in as children of Avengers. Being in a shrine devoted to worshipping your parents and family while surrounded by peers that already view you differently kind of sucks.

“We’re at Stark Industries,” Billy waits for his brother to make some sort of point, shrugging off the aggravation in his voice and inspecting the first generation uniforms of their parents. The plaque has an asterisk that leads the eye down to a note stating all uniforms on display are originals, graciously donated by the heroes except for The Vision’s (Billy frowns at the unneeded The) which is a replica due to the still unexplained power he has to shift molecules.

Tommy begrudgingly joins in staring at the uniforms, “This crap is not what we should be seeing. We’re not fucking tourists.”

“Language.”  

Dad has been trying, and failing miserably, to curb impolite language, so when he is not around, Billy takes joy in turn-coating his allegiance and policing it. “Oh bugger off, traitor.” They both laugh at the loophole they discovered early on. If dad doesn’t realize they’re cussing, then they can do it freely, until mom stares them down, anyway. “I’m serious, I want to see the top secret stuff, not,” he flings his hands out at the post-Thanos uniforms, “this.”

They’ve listened to their grandpa wax poetically about his innovations, sat dumbfounded at the technical questions from both their dad and their other science minded relatives. There is so much more than old Iron Man uniforms and the ten different shields good ole Captain America has used to protect freedom. “Mom and dad are meeting us at the end, we could just ask-“

Tommy recoils at the comment, side-eying him the same way you would a person espousing mind control through frozen corn kernels on the street corner (though that actually ended up partially correct and led to a few months without corn in the house and deep, empty looks on their parents’ faces). “You trying to steal the funkiller crown from dad?” Hands turn Billy toward a small, gray door with a white and red sign stating Authorized Personnel Only. “You know the good stuff is back there.”

“No,” even if they can easily distract the chaperones and slip away from their classmates, it’s not worth it. “In less than a day, I get to go with Teddy on a houseboat.”

Tommy’s unempathetic stare is typical when matters of his relationship come up, “And…?”

“And I’m not risking it.”

Billy moves on to the current day display (all replicas), fingers tapping through the buttons on a screen introducing him to the training rooms and the Stark tech that is changing not just the world but universes too. Unfortunately the twin devil on his shoulder follows. “We won’t get caught.”

“We get caught 91.35% of the time,” a stat so graciously computed by dad three weeks ago when Tommy ran (literally) out and got them Taco Bell for lunch and then proceeded to proudly eat his chalupa in front of the teacher monitoring the lunchroom.

A scoff signals this fight is nowhere near done, “One, even dad admits his computation is flawed,” a margin of error assumed of plus or minus five percent for instances of misconduct that went fully undetected, “and two, that means we have a ten percent shot at success.” This is said as if ten percent is equatable to seventy five.

“Or we don’t and I have a hundred percent shot at a weekend without mom and dad.”

“Traitor.” Tommy shoves him out of the way, taking over control of the interactive display. “Yo display lady.”

A pleasant, lightly accented voice streams from the luminescent screen, “How may I help you?”

“Where are these rooms?”

A three second lag exists between the question and response, “Official training rooms are located at the Avengers compound, while beta-testing and highly complex simulations are housed here at Stark industries.”

Tommy stares at him, assuming this is somehow convincing. “No.”

“How many records are held by Vision?”

More silence and then the screen displays a table of dates and times, “Vision,” no The this time, likely because it was programmed by grandpa, “has eight time trial records across the two facilities.”

Another look from his brother implies this is all they need to know. Billy shakes his head. “And Scarlet Witch?”

The screen dissolves before providing new information. “Scarlet Witch has five records for time and three for amount of damage caused.”

“Go, mom!” Tommy is always more impressed by damage than time, something Steve has issues handling in their own training with the Young Avenger Initiative. “What about as a team?”

It’s to the credit of Tony’s programming that the AI understands the request in relation to the prior two questions. “Scarlet Witch and Vision, as a team, hold ten time records and eight damage records, including a combined record on training course Twenty Three, level of difficulty Wish You Were Never Born that has gone unchallenged for over eleven years.”

“Unchallenged.”

A smarmy confidence rests in Tommy’s eyes and finally the logic of his questioning clicks.  “No way.”

Tommy glares at him before returning to the screen, “Where’s that course?”

“Course Twenty Three is located here at Stark Industries.”

There’s something infuriatingly infectious about his brother’s need to rebel as a means of satisfying his drive to surpass others. It’s so tempting to say yes, but Billy digs his heels in, refusing to go along yet again with one of Tommy’s plans that, though always fun, never have fun consequences and dammit, he wants to spend the weekend with Teddy. “Not a chance.”

Exasperation fills every inch of Tommy’s flail. They move on and the silence is nice, if not a bit unsettling. “Question.”

Billy makes sure his annoyance is firmly on display. “What?”

“Would you rather try and break their record or,” a lightning fast push spins Billy around, “watch Cody manhandle mom?” Mortification gnaws at his resolve, their classmate groping the mannequin from the brief time the Scarlet Witch wore a leotard and tights. It’s when Cody makes direct eye contact with them and starts pantomiming his intentions that Billy’s hands snap shut, blue energy tingling under his skin. “You take him down, guarantee that houseboat is gone.” An arm loops amicably around his shoulder, pivoting him towards the authorized access door. “We go see the good stuff and you have slightly better odds.” Billy is turned back to Cody, who has only grown more vigorous in his lewd gesticulating, “No houseboat,” and then back to the door as if there are only two options, “or a shit ton of fun and possibly a houseboat.”

Billy sighs and Tommy’s mouth tips into a beaming smile. “Fine.” Immediately his mind starts justifying the decision, an 8.65% chance not the worst odds in the world, plus, if they aren’t in the room when the prototype of the next-gen Iron Man happens to fall on Cody, then no one can point at him as the culprit.

Wordlessly they carry out the escape, Billy always taking on the role of distraction through subtle manipulations of perceived reality and Tommy gleefully vibrating his molecules to slip through the wall and open the door. “Let’s go.”

For some reason, he had assumed walking through the door would be like that one movie they watched, with the oompa-loompas, a door opening and a world beyond imagination appearing before them -flying suits, disappearing materials, explosions, scientists in white coats and blue gloves. Instead it’s just a hallway with beige walls and linoleum floors and doors lining the way. “So, what’s the plan?”

A thrilled, unconcerned lift of his brother’s shoulders drops their chances of success at least a percent, “Walk like we own the place and see what we find.” It’s sadly not his worst plan.

And walk they do, Tommy’s chest puffed out and arms swinging in casual authority. Technically, they sort of own some of the place, via dad’s stake in the company, so it’s not like they are being overly deceptive. Each hallway looks the same, making it difficult to track exactly where they are going, until they find another door stating Credentials Required and a face scanner affixed to the wall. Tommy doesn’t even hesitate in shimmying through the wall, so Billy follows, hands parting the space in front of him so he can walk through, closing reality behind him with some hesitation, certain there have to be cameras somewhere tracking them.

That concern is tossed aside because now they find the cinematic reveal, an open hangar in front of them with some sort of alien-esque ship on the ground and four floors of glass doored, luminescent laboratories spanning the reach of their eyes. “The good stuff.” This is far better than replica uniforms. “Let’s go find the simulation.”

“But look at this stuff!”

The self-confidence he had admired earlier also goes hand-in-hand with a tendency for fixation. “Yeah, I see it.”

Billy does his best to keep pace with his twin, who has a habit of speeding up his walk when excited while forgetting other people can’t move nearly as fast. That combined with Billy’s desire to peer into every lab space and marvel at the work, makes their trip stream by incomprehensibly. He thinks he saw a phasing suit, maybe a new particle generator, some sort of extraterrestrial looking staff, a portal to a mountain side, what he thinks might be a baby raptor, and also their grandma, who he usually loves seeing but pulled Tommy out of view before she could spot them. “Do you have any idea where you’re going?”

“Nope.”

“Fantastic.”

“Where are you going?”

The voice is instantly recognizable, one they’ve grown up hearing and it’s a little judgmental and a little bit amused. Tommy swings around and puts on the fakest innocent smile the world has ever seen. “Hey, Grandpa!”

Tony smirks, unconvinced by the tone of the greeting, but he isn’t angry, which is a good start. “How are my favorite rebels doing?”

“Great, on a field trip.” Billy is in awe of people like Tommy and Tony who can act so natural, can just ooze bravado and a sense of entitlement on a whim.

There is a nod and a contemplative droop of his goatee. “Seems you got lost.”

Tommy nods along, “Yeah, been trying to find our classmates, have you seen them?”

Now Tony chuckles, slapping his hands together, giddy at the lie but still showing no signs of annoyance or reprimand. “I have not, but I imagine they can’t phase through walls like you two can.” Billy, personally, wilts at the calling out, while Tommy shrugs again, matching Tony’s stance and attitude. “What do you two want to see?”

“What?” It comes out before Billy can catch it, surprised at the quick approval of their misdeeds.

“I asked what you wanted to see,” Tony stares at them, concerned he has somehow slipped into another language, “There has to be a reason you barged through my walls.” Learning to function in both the superhero world and just being a teenager with parents who have rules you don’t agree with, requires an ability to spot entrapment, certain phrases purposely worded as openings for waltzing right into admonishment. When neither of them take the bait, Tony acts hurt, a shake of his head and a pained, expertly acted, clutched chest. “I thought I was the cool, eccentric grandfather,” a smile threatens to wash away Billy’s anxiety as Tony continues in pantomimed betrayal. “Is it Thor? Would you tell Thor what you want? I mean, I don’t blame you, those gorgeous, puppy dog eyes are a killer.” A snigger from Tommy and all apprehension leaves the atmosphere, Tony’s toothy grin absolving all guilt of their sneaking around. “Seriously, what do you want to see? I’ve got a brand spanking new interdimensional travel lab, some Skrull-based camouflage trials, there’s a spaceship downstairs, Helen has an updated, palm-sized cradle.”

All of it, every last one is what Billy wants to see, but Tommy beats him to the request, “We want to do simulation twenty three, Wish You Were Never Born.”

Understanding dawns on Tony’s face, “Want to show the parental units up, huh?”

“Yep.” Tommy is close to vibrating through the floor.

“It’s really dangerous,” the mood darkens until Tony presents them a masterclass, uncaring shrug they’ve seen numerous times in his press conferences and Senate hearings, “but I’m not your parents and so it is my duty to aid and abet your delinquency.”

An ecstatic arm closes around Billy’s shoulder as they follow their grandpa down four different hallways and three staircases, emerging into a vast, utterly empty warehouse. “You all have suits?” Tommy whips off his sweatshirt to reveal the Stark crafted, green and white suit he always wears under his clothes, yanking his goggles from his back pocket and pulling them down over his face. Since this seems to actually be happening, Billy waves his hands, materializing his own caped suit in place of his jeans and t-shirt. “All right then, let me go upstairs real fast.”

The climb into the observation booth is agonizing under Tommy’s uncontainable excitement, his feet a blur as he warms up, running in place. “Quick disclaimer, boys,” they look up at Stark’s face through the window, “there are numerous things that can seriously maim you in this course, kind of why your parents hold the record, the whole made of vibranium slant your dad’s got going makes him uniquely qualified to handle a lot of this and your mom is terrifying as well, so together, magic.” A seed of doubt sprouts in Billy’s mind, yet it is not given time to be nurtured a, “Anyway, best of luck!” and then the room comes alive around them.

To say the difficulty level name is apt is a bit of an understatement. At any given time there are over a dozen different foes, and for each type of challenge, there are at least a dozen individuals within it. It ranges from laser guns, incendiary robots that look an awful lot like Ultron, replicas of the Black Order, phasing, flame wielding alien things, and Billy’s least favorite right now, microscopic, swarming jellyfish that blister the skin on contact. In amongst the chaos of fighting, he can hear Tommy cycle between “Shit, shit, shit,” “Oh my God!”, “What the fuck is that,” and maniacal glee. Slowly, and painfully, they take down the threats, sometimes combining forces to remove a particularly difficult foe, and sometimes splitting up to decimate the weaker challenges.  

Looming over them is a very large clock, ticking away at their time and next to it, is the record of their parents. Their own clock continues, the numbers growing more similar to the goal and Billy assesses the surroundings, only taser faced bear-like creatures and giant bouncing orbs made of some sort of sticky, burning compound left. “Tommy!” His brother skids into view, mouth in a perennial smile and lungs heaving as he waits for the next strategy. “We have ten seconds, I say we vaporize.”

What seemed impossible is proven wrong, Tommy’s lips curving even higher as he fiddles with his goggles. “You hold them steady.”

“Will do.”

It’s a technique they birthed from their mistakes, the possibilities of their powers unknown and often discovered in embarrassing and unintentional ways. Like vaporizing soccer fields during gym class. Billy winds his powers around the last group of adversaries, wincing at the weight of their resistance as he adds more and more force to his hold. While he does this, Tommy runs a large circle around the bound creatures, legs pumping faster and faster with each lap until even Billy can’t track his position. That’s when it happens, a sonic boom that spreads through the warehouse, shoving Billy to the ground, puffs of smoke making the air murky, and then there is a “Hell yeah!” and the telltale sound of the buzzer their own training uses to signal success.

Tommy collapses on the ground next to Billy, “That was amazing.” All Billy can manage is a nod, lungs and body aching. “Do you think we did it?”

“Though impressive, unfortunately you were 8.65 seconds over.” Disappointing, but not bad. Far more worrisome is the unmistakably even English accent informing them of their failure.

Billy strains to sit up, glancing over his shoulder at the deep scowls of disappointment on his parents’ faces, next to the apologetic wince of Tony. “Fuck.”

“Language, William.” Tommy snorts and is met with a jab of blue to his chest. 

Two strikes in less than three seconds and the houseboat is most definitely floating away, “Sorry, dad.”

“What are you two doing here?” This time it’s their mom, her accent thicker when she’s angry and currently it sounds like she just moved here from Sokovia.

A hand pats Billy’s arm, a reassurance that really isn’t helping. “The field trip was just so boring.” Nor is Tommy’s attempt at defending their choice providing any hope of bringing the boat back. “We just wanted to see stuff.”

The intercom clicks and they are presented with a predictably logical alternative, “You could have asked us after the field trip. You had shown interest in a more detailed tour the other night, hence the reason why your mother and I were meeting you here instead of at home.”

Billy flops his head to stare deep into his twin’s goggled eyes, “I suggested that.”

“Shut up.”

Another click and mom is back on the microphone, “We’ve been speaking with the Altman’s,” any last, clinging hope withers away, “they were really looking forward to having you with them this weekend,” the feeling is mutual, “they suggested a nice compromise.” He waits to learn what this is, worried if he asks it will harm any goodwill left. “They invited all of us along on the trip.” 

Despair is far heavier than the physical toll of the course, and isn’t helped at all by the thumbs up next to him and the out-of-breath, “Yes, I love houseboats!”

[space-unicorn-dot]

Star Stable Music Reviews: Starshine Legacy

Big hint: I’m going to attempt to do the thing, so smack me if this is actually interesting to some of you and I forget to continue because I can do stupid stuff like that forgetting things I want to do sometimes. Or I just get anxiety about how I want it to come out because I play with things too much in my head and then never actually write things down.

Ehhem! Welcome to my brand new shitpost series! I mean, Star Stable Music Reviews! Please remember that I’m doing this for fun. I’ve never actually studied the concept of music in anything besides mandatory grade school classes, so this isn’t necessarily a technical analysis, though some elements I’ve heard of may find their way into these writings occasionally. Whatever I think, I’mma smack down. Some of these will just be me oohing and ahhing over how pretty it sounds, and some might include some story-related elements. If you have not yet unlocked areas, I would suggest avoiding posts relating to the albums of that area. Most are conveniently titled after their area (IE, Epona) and therefore easily avoidable since I’ll put the album title in the post title. Others, like their album “Races” may be harder to determine. If there are any specific notes about things, I’ll try to include them in this top section of posts if it’s a full-album thing, or in the beginning of the specific track’s section.

So, without further ado, the first album I’ll be reacting to is my good, old friend, the music of Starshine Legacy! If ye be new around these parts, Starshine Legacy was a part of my childhood and I, thankfully, have managed to retain all four of the games and the cases of two of them. Somewhere along the line, I lost the case to Episodes One and Two, but that’s alright. They might be really old and the WASD and mouse controls might drive me a little nuts sometimes, but I still love them.

And, boy, do I love the music of Starshine Legacy.

“DEVINE FRIENDS”

Yes, it is actually spelled that way. Yes, I only just noticed. Yes, it drives me a little nuts, but also makes me think of Vines, but, no, unfortunately (fortunately), this track has nothing to do with Vines.

This is an actual classic of Starshine Legacy, a classic of the Soul Riders, the kind of music I think of when I think of the Soul Riders. This plays in the opening message of the Starshine Legacy games over a rotating view of the Secret Stone Circle. It feeds into the sort of mystery and fantasy elements of the game and sets a good tone for that kind of atmosphere, especially when thrown on top of the Stone Circle. I believe it also plays over the end credits of the game or over the start screen, and, to be quite honest, I’ve sat for a few extra minutes on the home screen after playing through the game just because it adds to the energy of the story I just experienced. This track also captures some of the action and adventure of the girls’ story. Definitely one of my favorite tracks of... all time, actually? I guess since these games were such a part of my childhood, it’s just something I easily recognize, and it never fails to get me in a good, excited mood.

“FIRST DAY IN SCHOOL”

In this track’s piece, I will be referencing Golden Hills. If you would not like to hear about this area for spoilers’ sake, please skip this track.

The standard track of the Jorvik High School and also why I was on the edge of my seat when I first unlocked Golden Hills and Cape West Fishing Village. I believe I saw it mentioned somewhere else that this is a track often associated with discoveries in the Starshine Legacy game that were important to the story, so, by association, I was ready to discover something deep and interesting in Cape West. While Pi the Witch and the Dark Horses were certainly an important development in our story, they weren’t directly tied with this music and the main village, so I never made such a connection and may have been a little disappointed that nothing happened in the village. >.>

In hindsight and after some experience with the village, I see how this track may align with the vibe of the village. As a fishing village, there’s plenty going on (even if you have to imagine most of it). There’s some dock workers actually roaming around, their sailors there on break from their cruises, it’s one of the most expensive places to shop in all of Jorvik and has some pretty desirable gear for it, naturally, fishing, and ferries cruise in from Jarlaheim and Fort Pinta, bringing loads of supplies and eager travelers (and people who just want to train their horses) alike. Jorvik High School had this same sort of “busy energy” vibe going on with the students milling about, going from class to class, idling in the halls with their friends, etc. So, while it’s a bit of a missed opportunity on a thing SSO seems to be good at (more on this later) in associating the same sort of rhythm or musical pattern in different tones, it’s not a super bad choice for the village.

“INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX”

Minor spoiler alert for Dark Core activities in the Valedale Lake area contained in this piece.

The classic track of Dark Core and the Generals of Garnok. This track is prominent at Dark Core locations. In Episode One, this was the track of the DC Barricade, where Lisa had to venture to save Starshine from Mr. Sands and Dark Core. In Episode Three, it appeared again on DC’s base off the coast (not unlike the oil rig a la SSO), seeing Mr. Sands welcoming Jessica through the portal and, again, as thematically Dark Core/Garnok’s Generals. While featuring heavily on hard, industrial sounds, as the name suggests, the track also repeats some of the fantasy elements integral to the game’s story. It also capitalizes on creating the sense of action and pressing times in the story. This is another easily identifiable track of Starshine Legacy. Of course, since it’s such a signature track, the them was, thankfully, kept in-tact. If I’m not mistaken, this theme may be heard in Dark Core’s mini-base above Vale Lake.

“SEARCHING FOR CLUES”

Actually, I might be slightly mistaken for calling the “First Day at School” track the one commonly used for important discoveries because this is truly the track that takes that role prominently. It is similar to the aforementioned track, but differs in tone. Some darker, more ominous and mysterious elements are present here. For example, I believe this is the track playing over the Library at Night level in Episode One as Lisa learns more of Mr. Sands and Dark Core from Linda’s research while Lisa was at the stable meeting Starshine.

“STONEHENGE”

As you may have guessed, this is another track tied with the Secret Stone Circle. It’s a very short piece presented as the Circle is discovered by the four girls and captures the mystery and awe of the location.With its place in the story and relation to this location, it is another identifiable and standout track from the original series.

“THE LEGACY OF STARSHINE”

The longest track of this album clocks in at just shy of eight minutes. As is common throughout the rest of this music, it is a variation of “Devine Friends,” softer and in a slightly different tone. While “Devine Friends” opens and closes the episodes, this is the variation that truly lays over the home screen of the games. It actually goes on to incorporate a variation of other tracks present from the game and a segment that is probably recognizable to SSO players as a variation of the race music common in many of Jorvik’s current races.

“VANISHED”

Another track of mystery and discovery, “Vanished” plays with elements and themes of some of the other tracks to bring the music of the levels where the Soul Riders prepare to face a challenge. If my memory hasn’t failed me, this is the music that sees Lisa off to the DC Barricade after Starshine is taken by Dark Core goons, and possibly (stretching my memory here) Anne when she must rescue Concorde. This track plays with suspense and the action of the pending challenges in the story while staying true to the mysterious and fantasy-oriented nature of the games.

“WINNER’S CIRCLE”

The final track of the album, and fittingly so because this is the track that sees us out of every episode. The final level of each game, barring the fourth game, is a competition the girls have been training to partake in. Lisa races on Starshine against Sabine in Episode One, Linda beats her in a Show Jumping Competition in Episode Two, and Anne participates in a Dressage Competition. When you’ve completed the course successfully and won, this music will celebrate your heroic victory and your success in the ring. Fun fact: the confetti that falls over the finish of the Championships is a hat-tip to the confetti that celebrates your win with this track in the main games, as it falls over you (as the Soul Rider of the Episode) and their Soul Steed as the episode is concluded.

OVERALL

Part of what makes this such an enjoyable album is because these tracks paired up nicely in a game. No, the graphics and control mechanics didn’t age well, but I, personally, feel that these tracks did a good job paired with what was going on in the games. They carry a theme to build with the story and match with one another and have never felt out of place in the game, in my experience. I’ve replayed the games several times and still have yet to tire of these tracks. If you are interested in full play-throughs of the Starshine Legacy games, feel free to message me so I can send you a link to the folder of my recordings in my Google drive. They are straight-through runs without breaking up by levels/chapters and do not intentionally have any commentary, though I realized after that they may have picked up some sound because I wasn’t aware my screen recording software could also pick up my voice. Episode Four, in particular, probably has some random recording of my screen at the very end because my recorder did a weird, so I had to fight with it to get it to stop recording.

[ballad-of-me-and-mybrain]

hello. welcome to my journey.

to give you a brief overview; I am a non-binary queer person with (currently) undiagnosed mental illness. I wanted to document my journey and find some communities who understand my struggles, and to have an anonymous place to vent.

current situation: I am in a mostly depressive episode. I say mostly because there are fleeting moments of okayness: where my partner has cheered me up, or someone makes me laugh. my moods are not fixed, though: they can change daily, or even through the course of a day. at present, I don’t have any highs, feelings of mania, or true happiness. it’s either an ocean of intense sadness, or a grey numbness: or both. I have had 2 serious instances of suicidality in the last week. I am prone to dipping very severely to feeling suicidal when I am upset, particularly if there’s an argument with someone I really love, but this has been more persistent. It wasn’t fleeting along with the situations, it was present and heavy and caused me to pour tablets into my hand and stare at them, or write my suicide notes and plan my wishes. 

I was referred to secondary care after an initial assessment with the primary care mental health team, who deemed me slightly too complex for primary care. after an MDT meeting, I was contacted to be informed of my being placed on a waiting list for group DBT sessions; via online-video of course, because... well, COVID.

I have my assessment with secondary care in a fortnight. after my first episode of severe suicidality this week, I contacted my GP to inform them that my depressive episode was worsening. the first offer was of medication and I am quick to hesitate; I have promazine (a low-dose anti-psychotic) on hand to take ad hoc, but due to my history with medications (which I will get to) I am very reluctant about them. 

secondly, the GP offered to inform the mental health team to see if they could ‘speed up’ my assessment.

hours later, I was contacted by them. It was a brief conversation, basically telling me that my assessment cannot be brought forward, but that the team could be called any time and I could get a call back within a number of hours; or I could contact the crisis team, failing that. it was a comfort of sorts to know that there was someone there.

the next day of difficulty was 4 days later, with no particular trigger. the first was triggered by a heated argument with my partner; the second seemed to have no trigger. it was simply there. I felt incredibly sad and low for the entire day, having feelings of wanting to die or otherwise not be around. my partner’s family were due to come over, in part due to a sister needing some comfort in their own situation, and I hid in the bedroom for the entirety of the evening. crying regularly, and unable to concentrate on anything at all. I decided to contact the team, and I had a call back about 2 or so hours later. Bez and I talked for about 30 minutes, and he told me to buy a book: mindfulness for EUPD, and encouraged me to keep a gratefulness journal. he told me that the waiting list for DBT was 1-2 years, which both shocked me and left me in a bit of dismay. he did make me feel a little better, particularly around my guilt for needing my partner there when she needed to be elsewhere, and I wasn’t quite on the brink of suicidality anymore, but I still felt defeated, exhausted, and terribly sad. I took a promazine later in the evening at my partner’s encouragement, and I went to sleep a couple of hours later. current symptoms: suicidal thoughts; feelings, loose plans, rapid mood changes, deep sadness, irritability, crying suddenly, quick to upset, low motivation, low concentration, isolation, lacking in logical thought, ‘black or white’ thinking, splitting, low opinion of self, critical of self and others, needing regular reassurance, mild paranoia, jealousy.

history: in brief;

-  I had experienced panic attacks as a child which stemmed from my father driving very fast and unsafely on motorways. I experienced physical and mental abuse from my father and sexual abuse from my brother at around the ages of 8-10. my parents had been separated since I was 2. I lived with my mother, who I had a good relationship with, and my step-father, who I did not get on with and was quite strict.

- I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression at the age of 15 and was sent for counselling which I only attended briefly.

- I re-attended the GP later on in 2011, at 18. I was given citalopram to try and help my depressive/anxiety symptoms, which unfortunately didn’t help. I came off the medication a number of months later, shortly after my relationship had a breakdown. I self-referred to MIND for counselling and I engaged, but unfortunately my counsellor was very poor and kept cancelling our appointments, sometimes when I was literally on my way to an appointment with her.

- in early 2016, at age 23, I attended the GP again with high anxiety in the hope of trying something new. I was prescribed sertraline which only worsened my symptoms. I was unable to sleep, eat correctly, was self-harming in the form of cutting myself, and was feeling very low. I saw a private counsellor at my GP which helped somewhat in relation to my childhood trauma and having someone to ‘vent’ to.

- later on in 2016, I became very suicidal. my GP wondered if I might have bipolar disorder, and I was referred to the mental health team. after a number of A&E visits, discussions around admission, and a psychiatrist, my sertraline dose was increased. my mood changed very fast: I was high-energy, feeling paranoid, seeing things that were not there, had grand ideas, was engaging in risky behaviour, and felt urges to harm. I had never experienced this before and it was very new to me. during this time, I also spent a lot of money and engaged in drawing and painting, something I wasn’t normally interested in. I didn’t sleep a lot and I was unable to work. I was prescribed olanzapine to level my moods and the psychiatrist pondered the bipolar diagnosis alongside traits of eupd.

- I improved on olanzapine after a number of months, though it made me sleep too much to function. I ended up easing off it, and my psychiatrist discharged me without a firm diagnosis.

my current situation is the most severe in mental health issues since. I have had counselling privately online, and this helped some: I was active, eating well, and feeling okay. unfortunately, this didn’t last. I have very childish behaviours; screaming and sobbing when upset, irrational anger, fast and sudden mood changes, severe ‘splitting’ around myself and my partner especially; I react very strongly when voices are raised or if anything becomes remotely physical which I know is due to my childhood. 

my gp, mental health team, and assessor all agree that I probably have eupd/bpd. unfortunately, of course, I need to see a psych to be *officially* diagnosed, which I suppose is my next movement. 

if you read this far, well done...

& thank you for joining me in my journey.

[ultimatescenarios]

Hey! Can I request some headcanons for how Chiaki, Kirigiri, Ibuki, Kirumi and Kaede would help cheer up a friend who recently went through a really bad breakup and is having a really rough time? Thank you!

Of course…

I’ve also quite recently gone through a bad break up, so this was lovely to write, thank you for requesting it !I hope that my experience was able to help make this more effective due to the fact that I‘ve experienced at least some of your pain.

And since this is more for comfort and you’re not supplementing yourself as the character’s significant other, I’ll be using Y/N (Your Name) for self-insert and character addressing purposes.

I hope this helps. You’re super strong! And you’ll get through this! Just like I, and billions of others have! Never lose hope, it’s always there.

- Mod Kaede

Chiaki Nanami, Kyoko Kirigiri, Ibuki Mioda, Kirumi Tojo and Kaede Akamatsu help cheer up a friend getting through a rough breakup

Chiaki Nanami

It takes her some time to notice your more down mood.

She’s so wrapped up in video games that even when spending time with you she forgets that she’s suppose to socialize with you.

Once leveling up in whatever game she was playing this time, she notices your lack of interest and energy today.

“…Y/N? Are you alright? You seem a little out of it today…I think…”

She isn’t one to know about the gossip or news that spreads around so she was quite surprised when you told her that you and your S/O had broken up.

She doesn’t really know what to do.

But she can’t just leave you sitting here conflicted.

Even when you’re smiling she can see it in your eyes that you really just want to cry and let it all out.

It surprised her to see you like this.

She instantly wraps her arms around you in an attempt to support you.

You feel the tears building up, the tighter her arms become around you.

“It’s…okay Y/N…”

She’s trying to be helpful.

“You have me…and you always will…”

That’s the Chiaki you know. Always trying her best to help her friends.

“Hey, hey…maybe…if you’re feeling up to it… We could play some rounds of that one game you seem to enjoy…”

You always seem to enjoy playing games with her, so she just thought it would be nice and hopefully get your mind off them.

“And then, maybe we could get some food and rest…”

You had a feeling she wasn’t going to leave your side for quite some time.

She’s persistent so it might be easier to just go with whatever she wanted to do to try and make you feel better���

“I know this sucks…but I also know you’ll get through this.”

She believes in you. You’re strong and smart, and she knows you’ll get out of this.

She’s not the best with this, but she figures just being with you might help…

“…m-maybe you could even come to my house tonight…and we could have a sleepover…just the two of us…”

You seem to have fun at her place…playing video games, snacking on food all night, wearing silly matching pyjamas…it’s a riot of silly giggling and playful pillow fights.

It never fails to get you smiling, so she thought it might help the grieving process a bit.

And whenever she is to see your ex in public she’s quick to get you out of the situation and glare them down before leaving herself…the most discreetly an angry Chiaki can of course…

Kyoko Kirigiri

She isn’t really one to comfort or get in tact with her emotions. But because of your close bond she does her best to be supportive to you at the very least…

She knows what’s up, being a talented detective, it didn’t take her long to figure out what’s been going on. So she decides not to go down the ‘what’s wrong’ path.

She just strokes your back with a comforting smile on her face.

You seemed really on edge, she could tell you found this strange and out of no where.

In fear of your sorrow eyes trembling into tears she’s quick to move closer and give you a hug.

This was strange even to her.

The feeling hitting her within her chest at how obscure this was, but she pushed it aside just for you. One of her most cherished friends.

She feels a little at ease once feeling you accept her hug and return it.

“It’s…it’s going to be alright, Y/N…” She suddenly speaks up. “I know…things may seem quite…difficult…as of now…but please, don’t lose hope. You’re going to get through this…I just know it.”

She’s trying, you can hear it in her voice.

She really does care about you, and something within you wants to believe her. You know you’re going to get through this. eventually- but don’t think like that.

With or without her beside you, you’re strong and she has faith in you.

She gently rubs your back.

“It’s going to be alright Y/N. It’s going to be alright.”

Her grip only tightens around you.

She knows you would never give in to the despair, even if you had lost someone you cared for to such an extent.

But you’re wonderful, and no matter the reason as to why they broke up with you, she knows it’s their loss.

“Y/N…if someone isn’t able to see…or isn’t able to take the time to get to know the real you…then they aren’t worth your time. Period. People like that don’t deserve you.”

You mean so much to her, please know this. You’re loved and cared for, maybe not by your ex anymore, but by your friends and family of course.

She just wants you to know how loved you are. She knows this is what you need to hear, after loosing someone you believed cared for you more then anything.

“This isn’t the end of the world. You’re going to get through this.”

She’s confident you will. You can hear it in her voice.

Ibuki Mioda

“Heyo! Heyo! Y/N! Y/NNN!!”

She’s just as bouncy and bubbly as ever.

Her outward and positive personality was quite nice and refreshing compared to your current upset and down mood.

She clings to your arm tightly, excited to take you out for your plans to go to the arcade. She overheard Chiaki talking to some reserve course boy on the way to school, something about there being a few musical and vocal based games, and she really wanted to go check it out for herself, so of course she asked you to tag along. You’re a lot of fun to be around, according to Ibuki.

She’s babbling your ears off about how excited she was and what kind of songs you both could sing. She mentions it’s not as fun to copy other songs but with you, she knows it’ll be a blast!

It takes her a while to notice your more slow and droopy attitude.

She stops plain in her tracks, her arm still clinging onto yours, she forces you to come to a stop as well.

“Heyyy…are you alright?” She asked, her cheeks puffed in a pout. “I thought you’d be more excited about this!”

You either brush it off or reassure her that you are, and glad to be able to spend time with her after what had happened between you and your not-so significant other. Depending on your persona.

Her expression instantly drops.

~How could Ibuki be so careless???

She’s never been one to get serious about emotions. So she does her best to cheer you up!

She always plans outings for the two of you, and right now, it seemed like you really needed it.

“W-Well…Y/N shouldn’t worry about that awful person! Who are they to do such a thing to you??” She seemed genuinely confused at this point…

You’re just so funny and kind, sure you had your flaws and bad habits, but no one’s perfect!

“If..! If they can’t see how amazing you are…then that’s their loss! C’mon! Let’s go already! And put that meanie outta your mind!”

And with a bright smile she grabs a hold of your hand and pulls you along to your destination.

She promises to get you both ice cream after this! Or whatever break up after care you need! She’s certain Teruteru can batch up absolutely anything your aching heart desires! Or so help her she’ll play her most outrageous songs to drive them all to do her bidding!

You could already tell that, that night you’d be staying at her house and just letting her pamper you…

Ibuki’s just doing her best to cheer you up.

Kirumi Tojo

You decide to stay back and wait for her as she cleans the tables again.

Sipping on some tea she pre-made for you and the rest of the class.

It was nice, warm and soothing. No one’s tea could compare to Kirumi’s. And even if you don’t think of yourself as much of a tea lover, you could never turn down Kirumi’s.

All through lunch she could tell something was up.

As the Ultimate Maid, she’s use to noticing things out of place.

“Y/N?” While wiping down the table she decides to bring it up. “Are you alright? You seemed awfully quite during lunch today…”

Your struck silent for a short moment, her sudden comment catching you off guard, surprisingly or not.

You murmur out a reply, before going for another sip.

She half listens to you, paying more attention to your tone of voice rather then the words you spat out.

“Interesting thing about maids, they tend to hear all the latest news lurking around…”

You hadn’t realized she was already aware of what happened.

And because of previously knowing, she brings out a plate of your favorite desert and takes a seat beside you.

“I’m so sorry such a thing has happened to you Y/N.”

She gently rubs your arm, in an attempt to keep you stable.

“You’re wonderful. And unfortunately these things happen. But with every broken heart, you’re closer to finding the perfect one… and you’ll appreciate them all the more.”

She gets up and gives you a tight hug before bringing out the broom and sweeping the floor.

you know how much she adores cleaning so you can’t really blame her

She’s amazing at everything so of course she’s wonderful at consoling you.

She’s there by your side at every moment.

You know she’s the perfect shoulder to cry on for the material of her dress is quick dry and ultra soft for your comfort, as well as this, she always knows exactly what to say at every moment in your stages of grief.

She’s absolutely wonderful support and her comforting hugs and reassuring squeezes are greatly reassuring when you doubt yourself.

She’s watching out for you for days after the event, just making sure you’re alright and randomly giving you sweet comments and extra attention to make you feel better.

You mean so much to her as a companion so she’s just doing her best to make you feel better.

Feeling so brokenhearted is awful and she just doesn’t want you to go through this alone.

Kaede Akamatsu

She’s super friendly, and cares so much about her friends. And you know this from being one of her most closest.

She adores the time you spend together, and you knew she’d be the perfect person to talk to about this. But from being as oblivious as she is, it takes some time for her to bring your mood into account.

“Y/N? What’s up? You know you can talk to me about anything? Right?”

And due to her obliviousness and not being very close to your past S/O you unfortunately have to revive the painful memories of the event once again. Acting as if your countless questioning about what went wrong wasn’t enough…

She’s instantly in shock, she thought you two were doing so well, and who in their right mind would want to break up with you?

Your so amazing and lovely, it’s honestly their loss for having to lose someone as you.

And she’s not just saying that as a supportive friend, she seriously means that.

In seeing your upset state, she instantly welcomes you into a warm hug.

Whether or not you gratefully took it, she’s around you in a second and passionately trying to console you as soon as possible!

“I-I’m sorry Y/N…I…I didn’t know they had…”

She knows your hurting, she can feel it. And as a result in feeling so awful for not knowing, and how terrible you must be taking this, her grip only tightens around you.

“H-Hey…d…don’t worry Y/N, they were dead weight anyway…if they can’t appreciate and see how amazing you are, then that’s their loss. And besides…you deserve so much better…please don’t ever forget that.”

With your past memories of your time with your ex flowing through your mind, and the warmth and genuineness of her embrace, you could feel the urge to cry only growing.

She rubs your back, not wanting you to hold in the tears. It’s alright to cry. And she encourages it all the more for you to do so.

“Please know that this is natural Y/N. Y-You’re allowed to cry after all.”

Believe it or not she’s crying as well. She’s so compassionate, and swears she can feel your pain, she’s trying to take some away for your relief.

Surprisingly, she honestly doesn’t know what to do. She just wants to be here in this moment with you. Holding you close and letting you know that everything is going to be alright.

“Everything is going to be alright. I’m right here. And you’re going to get through this…I just know it.”

She’s smiling, through everything, she has so much faith in you.

And she knows you have the strength to move on.

“It’s going to be okay Y/N.”

It’s going to be okay.

I hope you don’t mind the style I chose to write this in…if not then just let me know and I’ll give you some extras.

Take care Y/N. Take care.

[senfinity]

Dear Cosette, aka my mother-in-law, mother, and wife, but most importantly one of my best friends (and I guess ‘my little star’ but we never speak of those nicknames alksjdf)

NOTES (1) First and foremost, YES there are going to be periods, and you are going to deal with it because there is no possible way I can go that long without using them >:[ (2) You, especially of all people, know how incredibly awkward I am with emotions and expressing myself, so I hope you will forgive exactly how awkward I sound :( You also know that I am “annoyingly grammatically correct” and can’t help but to sound formal when left to my own devices (SEE) and might sound fake because I tend to always sound fake when I get all deep and proper EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT but you’re not used to me like that so... But despite that just know that everything I say is 100% sincere :((( (3) Don’t make fun of me or I’m gonna fight you.

Unlike you, I don’t talk as I think and I spend an inordinate amount of time picking and choosing the words I say carefully, and you also know my immense love for lists and order, so I feel like the logical place to start is how we first met because honestly when we look at how we started and how we are now and the fact that this isn’t even the end, it’s quite a beautiful love story don’t you think lmao. Every time I think about how we first met and all the circumstances that surrounded it, it always amazes me just how fake... we were alsjdf. It started off with that random Secret Valentine’s anon thing, that not only was your last time doing anything like that, but mine, too. To top it off, you were so bad at replying on time, and I was literally so fake when replying to you and when I look back on it I could tell that you could only talk about Baek, but I could really only talk about Sehun and we were both just overall more-or-less disinterested in the other. But then when you revealed who you were, I thought I should follow you out of courtesy, but then you thought that I was being a fake hoe and following you to get a mutual but followed me back anyways AND IT’S JUST SO FUNNY? That was literally the worst, most shallow, fake, misunderstood-on-both-ends start to a friendship ever; I really don’t think anyone, especially not us two, would’ve thought we would get this far. And it’s just amazing to think that that tiny little coincidence and thing that we did without absolutely any real thought or desire to achieve anything lead us to both be part of a friendship that would mean so much to the both of us. I’m not really sure why it happened and what weird grand power led us to that state, but I sure as heck am glad that it did. I’ll just pretend it was the stars since you love astrology so much lmao.

And I remember when you left Tumblr and I dramatically and immensely starry-eyed..ly sent you that message on kkt, I really didn’t expect much of a reply BUT YOU SENT THIS PRETTY MASSIVE REPLY (well, massive compared to mine at least) that went a lot more into detail than I expected you to reply with, and I remember thinking, “... Why is she telling me so much lksjdf I didn’t ask for this,” even though now I know that you tend to ramble a lot when you’re not close with someone (which is literally the exact opposite of what I do) but that was the start to our string of (unfortunately) essay-long messages that we secretly hated doing. Honestly, considering how little energy I have in general - much to your surprise because you mistakenly thought that I was bubbly and happy and energetic - and your actual lack of desire to be social with that many people from Tumblr, we spent so much time writing those messages, so maybe that was the universe’s little way of nudging us towards each other. And when you think about it, I feel like that is a weird parallel to our friendship now, because for as different and opposite as we are, we put so much effort into each other no matter what, so maybe those messages were a tiny little hint of what was to come.

And it’s honestly just really nice to look at how our friendship has evolved over the last little-over-a-year - and also kind of funny because at each ‘era’ of our friendship, we always think, “Man, we’re so close right now, look at us,” and we act like we weren’t going to go any farther, but time and time again we keep getting closer, and even in the last 4 months between when you wrote your birthday message to me and now, so much has changed, so I can only imagine what more is to come for us in the future. I distinctly remember in the first 3? months of us being friends, we were discussing the ‘levels’ to our friendships, and I think your highest level was ?? 5 or something like that, and I remember thinking, “I’ll probably never get that far - I’m not really the type of person Cosette would like that much probably, so I won’t hope for much,” (which I later found to be not completely true once you finally nudged me to open a bit up to you so that I wouldn’t be paranoid for 500 years that you secretly hate me) but I somehow managed to get here, and idk it just makes me oddly happy and idek how to explain the feeling but before it sounds like I’m accepting some grand award I will just stop there alksjdf.

To continue on with that note (gdi I sound so systematic, I hate myself laksjdf) we are so immensely opposite from each other and yet at the same time we’re just like two peas in a pod, it’s kind of funny. You’re extroverted, love to express your emotions to the ones you love with words, are incredibly caring and comforting, filled with energy and life (but secretly dead inside), have an immense passion and drive, are actually good at carrying convo, >:[[[ funny, have bad memory, can’t spell, old, small brain big heart, always in el bano. And then there’s me - introverted, emotionally constipated in almost every single way, awkward at probably everything tbh, no motivation and zero life, literally has nothing else on her mind other than Sehun and animals occasionally, can’t crack a joke to save my life, great memory, pretentious but amazing at spelling and grammar, young, semi-big brain small heart, never goes to el bano. We deal with our problems differently, the way we talk to each other is completely different, we can’t even talk with that much depth about each others’ biases because when it comes to anyone other than our own we have the emotional range of a teaspoon, you never listen to me when I tell you something >:[, I can’t give you proper emotional support because I am just awful, and just ? so ? many ? things ? that are so opposite to each other? I think the only thing we have in common is that we’re both equally bitter about almost everything lmao (and also emo half the time).

Yet despite all that we always make the time to talk to each other any time we can - honestly if it was possible we’d probably be talking every waking minute - and even though we talk about honestly the exact same stuff all the time, we just love to be in each other’s company no matter what. And to be perfectly honest, I associate my time with you with comfort, warmth, happiness, laughter, and in a weird way home, because that’s honestly exactly what you give to me. Whenever we’re talking, be it about us yelling about sebaek to each other without the other one hearing a thing, or about something we’re immensely bitter about, or just some mundane thing we did during our day, I always feel happy and comfortable, and I don’t even know why but I catch myself smiling (and begrudgingly laughing at your lame-ass jokes :/ that aren’t funny btw) because Cosette = laughter and that’s just how it is >:[ Gotta add the >:[ to soften the cheese >:[ Whenever we’re not talking to each other it feels like something is wrong with my day and like eternity has passed even though it’s honestly probably just been 2 hours lmao. With you time simultaneously slows down and speeds up (//insert you singing Transformer//) and I just don’t know how to explain it? We’ve been friends for a year but it doesn’t even feel that long; when we talk to each other for just an hour for some reason it feels like 5 have passed (in the best way possible) and I really don’t understand how that works, but I guess it just shows that I just really enjoy every moment I spend with you (>:[) and I wouldn’t trade any single moment for anything. Not to mention that when I don’t talk to you, I tend to feel weirdly empty, and those are the times where my odd and sad moods creep back in, and whenever that happens, I always think, “Man, this is why I need Cosette,” because you really just make me forget about all the sadness that’s locked away and I think it takes someone really special to do that, considering I am the most pessimistic fellow around (yes, I stole your word). And it’s cute because we talk so much that we adopt words, phrases, and emoticons that the other use, we adopt each other’s bitterness and general feelings just automatically, and if you’re mad then I’m (ง'̀-'́)ง along with you and vice versa, and it’s honestly such a cute dynamic, I really ship us :( I bet my, and your, nonexistent asses that if we were idols we’d be the best ship, no questions asked.

But of course between the ups in our friendship, there’s plenty of downs, which is inevitable because of how different we are from each other, but I love that no matter what we always come right back out of it and come out even stronger, and I think that that is one of the best part of our friendship? We might be immensely awkward at bringing it up first (though I fail at it 100% of the time so bless your awkward yet brave soul), but we always manage to talk about it and it starts off a little odd but we always make it work. And I think what I love most about you, among the 500 other things that I love the most about you, is that you’re always so considerate and understanding, and are always willing to listen. It’s one of the things that I really love about our friendship because you know me and how I cannot stand for the life of me inconsiderate people who never listen to a thing you have to say and let misunderstandings and ill feelings brew to the point where neither of us care anymore, but we never let that happen, and I just really appreciate that. I know I am impossible to access emotionally, both for my own emotions and to reassure yours, and that I can be a bit careless and thoughtless at times (unintentionally of course), and that I probably do a lot of things that rub you the wrong way because I am wired in a completely different way than you are - but you’ve never once blamed anything on me or wished for me to change, you’ve allowed me to explain myself both in regards to you and in regards to my inner thoughts, and you’ve always reassured me that you still care for me. And that really makes me feel so much more comfortable to slowly show you my emotions - which is near impossible for anyone to do - and I think that says a lot about how much you mean to me and how much I love our friendship. The complete understanding and consideration you have for me is one of the things the cherish the most, and I hope that I’ve been able to do the same for you, because for as cold and awkward as I am and seemingly careless as I may seem, I would never want you for one second to doubt just how important you really are to me and just how much this friendship means to me.

I’m sorry that I can’t always express myself and give you that reassurance when you oh-so-obviously hint at me that you need it, or if I come off disinterested at times, but I hope you know that I am 100% of the time always soft when it comes to you, and I probably think you’re adorable like all the time (what with all your random inst inst insts and outbursts of astrology facts - which I honestly quite enjoy - and little comments you make here and there that are probably nondescript for you but make me smile and get an intense feeling of fondness and all you random little quirks that I could go on and on about) but shh you didn’t hear it from me, and I admire just how strong you really are (war flashbacks to me saying that in my first birthday letter to you alksjdf but I wasn’t lying back then and I’m not lying now either >:[) and the passion you have for what you love (even though you don’t always believe that you really are one strong cookie), and though I don’t strive to be just like you because we already know my little mentality on this, it always makes me proud to think of all that you went through and are still going through but that you still manage to stay on top (I know you think I’m lying but I’m not >:[). I’ve seen you go through incredibly down moods, and I know that I don’t even see the half of it, and it always made me so sad to see someone with so much love and care and passion to feel like they weren’t worth it or that they didn’t have anything going for them, when it’s so much the opposite. But hearing you talk about all the goals you’ve set out for yourself this year and how you’ve gotten this newfound motivation and hope for what is to come, and have been filled with so much more excitement and happiness and a desire to live, makes me so incredibly happy because you deserve to feel that important and deserving every single day. I hope that for all the days you went through those immense lows, that you experience highs 100-fold because you deserve not even 0.000001% less.

Finally, I just want to end this by saying that I really do wub... l*ve... love... wub you (AHHH) and even though that took me the most amount of effort, the fact that you always say it to me and treat me with so much love and kindness masked behind the constant teasing - which I admittedly am endeared by :/ - the least I can do is tough it out and finally say the words that express what I feel. The more I mean those words, the longer it takes for me to say them out loud (or well I guess in print) and just know that that took me like 10 minutes to type out ajsdf. This letter honestly wasn’t as long as I would have hoped it would be, because I know that I have a million things I want to say, but my emotions are scaredy-cats at times and like to play hide and seek on me, and so I just know I’ve missed out on so many things. But I hope that despite that you know that you mean the world to me; I don’t have many close friends and I have even less favourite people, but I’m proud to say that I consider you both. And so on that note

Happy Birthday, my little star

Sincerely,      (your) little moon

[easyweight101]

SST Glow Review (UPDATED 2017): Don’t Buy Before You Read This!

SST Glow is a female thermogenic which supports fat loss, healthy skin, and even mental focus. They add how women who want to look and feel their best can benefit from this brand.

It works in 4 distinct phases, each one helping work within the body to help maximize its mental and physical potential. By stimulating fat loss via thermogenics, it can also support mental energy. They add that this formula also works to help convert fat into energy as a quick a reliable fuel source.

The top ranked female libido and overall wellness supplement was found to be Libitrinex. Our review experts examined user reviews, its potent dosage formula, and the wide array of potential benefits that the ingredients can offer. To read about the benefits Libitrinex can have for energy, mood, and sex drive click here.

EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this supplement with a proven female libido enhancer such as Libitrinex for better results.

SST GLOW INGREDIENTS AND SIDE EFFECTS

The full ingredients include:

Cholecalciferol Nicotinic Acid Methylcobalamin Caffeine Anhydrous Ashwagandha Advantra Z Synephrine HCI Huperzine A Yohimbine HCI Mucuna Pruriens Bioperine Medium Chain Triglycerides Lipowheat Phytoceramides Glycosylceramides Safflower Extract Conjugated Linoleic Acid Evening Primrose Oil Gelatin Sucrose Starch Silica Povidone Titanium Dioxide Magnesium Stearate

Caffeine Anhydrous: Dehydrated caffeine added in the amount of 170 mg per 2 capsule serving, which is a full daily serving of SST Glow.  Caffeine can help increase mental focus, support metabolism, and increase energy levels.

It’s advised by the Mayo Clinic and many other health groups to limit intake to a maximum 400 mg a day, which is equivalent to roughly 4 cups of coffee. Therefore this supplement has about the same caffeine in a full serving as 2 cups of coffee.

One must be careful as this can potentially lead to:

Trouble sleeping, jitters, and rapid heart rate.

This form of caffeine is standardized in a way to make it more readily digested by the body.

We’ve compiled our best of list to help users know what the best supplements are for female libido.

Advantra Z: Patented version of a plant known as bitter orange, this has been shown to raise blood pressure, increase heartrate, and it can affect blood vessels. It has been combined with caffeine in order to help further improve metabolism, but this mixture can lead to a rapid rise in blood pressure.

Web MD notes that this can lead to:

Headache, incase sun sensitivity, heart attack.

Fainting, stroke, and difficulty relaxing.

Synephrine HCI: A standardized version of bitter orange which is used also for fat burning. This also has similar potential side effects. Web MD adds that this has a raised risk for side effects when taken:

“with stimulants such as caffeine”

They add how this can even potentially lead to stroke and death. This is not advised for people who have any cardiovascular issues, as it can be particularly damaging to the heart.

Huperzine A: Found within the Chinese club moss, this ingredient is often used in supplement form by being extracted from its processed form. Notable potential side effects can include:

Loss of appetite, twitching, and vomiting.

Slurred speech, restlessness, and blurred vision.

Yohimbine HCI: Extracted from a tree native to Africa, this has been used for the improvement of blood flow, stimulation of nerve impulses, and the improvement of metabolism. It can be potentially unsafe causing symptoms such as:

Tremor, anxiety, and vomiting.

Tremors, nausea, and heart issues.

When this is blended alongside other stimulants it further raises the potential risk for damaging side effects. Yet another concern is that Examine.com says that the dosing is often inaccurate:

“often does not match the actual dose”

This can mean one might receive much more than what is claimed, which can be potentially harmful.

Lipowheat: Patented ingredient which is meant to work deep in the body to help support skin hydration. Clinical studies have ben performed which showed that 95% of users saw benefits.

Sucrose: Simple sugar carbohydrate which is often extracted from things like sugar beet, sugar cane, and much more. This takes away the vitamins and minerals which are found, and it is used as a cheap additive to help provide flavor. As this is an inactive ingredient, this is used more as filler.

Our featured top 10 list goes over the year’s very best female libido supplements.

SST GLOW QUALITY OF INGREDIENTS

Many kinds of stimulant ingredients are added to this formula, and because of this mixture thee is a possibility for damaging side effects. While this can help raise metabolism, for users who are particularly sensitive to stimulants there is a risk factor.

When using stimulants like this one must be careful as to how much one ingest, and it’s also not advised to take it too late in the day as this can lead to sleep related issues.

It does have some potentially helpful fatty acids which can help with skin hydration and energy levels. Extracts from Primrose Oil for example have fatty acids that the body can use efficiently.

Discover what brands were top rated for their ability to reduce fatigue, improve wellness, and aid sex drive.

EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this supplement with a proven female libido enhancer such as Libitrinex for better results.

THE PRICE AND QUALITY OF SST GLOW

The official website redirects to a 3rd party which offers this supplement at $64.99. This lasts a total of 30 days when used at the full dosage strength.

This is particularly pricy for a thermogenic blend, as many of the stimulants like ingredients are cheap to source. These additives due to come with a potential for side effects, which is why the company advised one take a half dose to start with in order to gauge whether or not one’s body can handle it safely.

While stimulants do have the potential for fat burning, this has a degree of potential side effects, and when used repeatedly the body creates a tolerance which can greatly diminish its intended benefits.

The top 10 list features our favorited female libido brands which were highly touted by users.

BUSINESS OF SST GLOW

Performix, LLC owns this brand and they only provide a contact form as well as contact information for people sending an infringement compliant:

Phone Number: (866) 686-1337

Address: 221 South Cherokee St.

Denver, CO

Email: info@performixdriven.com

No sales are offered on the official website and therefore they fail to honor a money bac return policy. No issues were mentioned by any 3rd party websites, nor have they had any recalls.

The link here will take you to our experts top 10 list of the most beneficial female libido supplements.

CUSTOMER OPINIONS OF SST GLOW

Reviews have been very mixed, here are user opinions found online:

“expected a lot but it didn’t help my skin it actually caused breakouts. Wouldn’t try it again I had more craving for foods as well”

“not effective for when I work out, had better results with other brands”

“Worked for my needs but this was too expensive”

“Raised my energy levels but it didn’t do anything for weight loss”

The main repeat positive effects users had been that it increased their energy, and that they were able to put more effort into activities. As far as negative experiences people often said it failed to produce any weight loss, and that it made them feel uncomfortable. Side effects were a repeat issue and some said it made it impossible to relax or to go to bed at night comfortably.

Some also added how it gave them really bad jitters, and that it took some time to wear off for them to return back to normal. This is a common side effect when mixing many stimulants, and unfortunately users saw this even when using the recommended half dosage strength to test it out.

After much review our experts have determined what supplements were top ranked for female libido enhancement.

CONCLUSION – DOES SST GLOW WORK?

Judging from use reviews there is going to be a notable change, but this varied so much that it makes it difficult to know for certain what may result. The formula is heavily reliant on stimulants that have a potential for some serious side effects, and some these side effects have been experienced by users. No money back return is offered either from the official website, so you aren’t guaranteed a refund in case of any issues or lack of effects.  This is also very expensive for what is offered, as the main active ingredients can be sourced elsewhere for a reduced cost.

The number 1 rated female libido supplement which had the best user reviews and the overall best formula is Libitrinex. Its ingredients can help increase blood flow, reduce fatigue, improve mood, and support overall wellness. Users who have taken it have said it gave them some notable changes.

Added to this blend are many aphrodisiacs, all of which are natural and shown in 3rd party studies to have notable benefits. The entire formula is produced in a facility that is GMP approved to help ensure routine quality. To learn about what Libitrinex can do for overall wellness and libido, click here.

from Easy Weight Loss 101 http://ift.tt/2fBnxGj via The Best Weight Loss Diet In The World

[thealmightyrage-blog1]

Into the depths

As if having my daughter being removed from my home wasn't enough of a traumatic experience, within 30 mins of the removal, my wife and I were summoned to our local DHS office for a drug screen.  Now, for all you guys out there who are now in fight or flight mode, answer me this.  Can you pee?  How about now?  Can you pee in front of a woman?  My wife was allowed to pee, supervised in front of a woman, but because no men were employed by DHS at the time, I was subjected to having to attempt to urinate in front of a woman.  I don't believe I had a whole lot of hydration in the 30 mins since my daughter had been kidnapped and I have a condition called "nervous bladder" to begin with, it is extremely difficult to urinate while I know others are watching.  After about ten minutes, they grew impatient and marked me down as a refusal to provide a sample.  I would not get a visitation with my daughter on that day but not because of an allegedly failed drug test, because DHS wasn't ready to grant me a visitation.  I was under the impression that they were evaluating her for adoption, photographing her, detailing anything they could use to get more money by declaring her medically needy etc.  I am positive that they saved her photos and information to put on a website later; they assumed I was not going to fight for my daughter.  Boy were they wrong.  I don't think they anticipated me.  It was after the sham of a dependency hearing that I first heard the word "staffing".  This was the meeting where they would make they're ransom demands.  They call it a case plan, I call it ransom demands.  At the first staffing, they had the audacity to demand that I pay child support; I asked what the child support was going towards.  It was my lawyer who informed me that it went towards a Well care checkup and medical needs, so I asked her what the hell the insurance we had for her was for?  Not too many answers on her end.  Don't get me wrong, I liked my attorney but she was not a rock the boat kind of attorney, she was conditioned to tow the line, follow the crowd, she had been beaten down by DHS so many times, I am confident that her legal prowess was impotent at this point.  She did fight for my wife and I because I know she believed we were fit parents but I think she could have fought harder.  Having a fact finding session where the lies of case workers and investigators could be exploited would have been beneficial to later cases I believe, but I am no lawyer.  Just a pissed off parent who wanted his daughter back.  The case plan contained a reasonable amount of nonsense.  I had trouble getting my daughter to stop crying one day and I was always told to call somebody for help if you got frustrated, well I had no friends or family in the area and my wife was at work.  I called the worst person I could have ever called for "help” I called the investigator from DHS.  God, could I get any dumber?  She said she just got out work and would be right over; it was a 5 minute drive from DHS to my house.  She showed up in what I can only describe as yoga shorts and a sports bra.  (She just got out of work in that?  Was I sure she worked at DHS)?  Unfortunately for me, the house was a bit of a mess, this was before the removal (I just around a lot so try to keep up) There were old beer cans lying around the house, so naturally she assumed I was under the influence of alcohol while caring for my daughter.  She would later include this in a falsified report.  She called my wife at work and had my mother in law come over, she said if they did not show up, she was going to take my daughter, but luckily she showed up.  I believe my mother in law asked my wife who the hooker was holding her grand-daughter.  After about an hour of DHS inspired drama, she left, my wife was home from work for the rest of the day, out half a day's wages and our daughter was still with us, my wife lost money because the investigator was a drama queen with a pathological lying problem.  The next day, I was visited by Caitlyn Jenner to talk about my obvious substance abuse problem (Sarcasm) so, fast forward to the staffing meeting, after my daughter had been removed and we are staring at the domestic terrorist's list of ransom demands.  Attend 24 hours of parenting classes, maintain stable employment, stable housing, transportation, I was required to attend AA classes (and somehow manage to maintain employment) I think I attended about 8 weeks of them before an old timer questioned why I was even there.  "You’re not an alcoholic" he told me.  Well no shit.  What I am was a pissed off father who was willing to do anything to get his daughter back.  I never admitted to anybody that I had a substance abuse problem, because I didn't.  Receive a psychological evaluation, attend counseling to address substance abuse (Counselor didn't think I had a substance abuse problem) Undergo a drug and alcohol assessment to determine my level of substance abuse (Evaluation came back that I had a low probability of having a substance abuse or drug problem) Legs were being kicked out from they're case and they were growing desperate but there was a silver lining for them!  They're paid psychologist diagnosed me with "ADHD and narcissistic tendendaices” Apparently challenging they're authority and knowing I was better than them was narcissistic, but kidnapping children with visions of valor was not.  Now remember I said I had difficulty urinating in front of other people, let alone women?  Well, apparently if I drink a certain energy drink, it apparently gives me temporary diabetes and I can piss in a war zone with bombs dropping and gunshots going off.  Of the incidences where I was able to urinate, not a single drug test came back positive for jack shit.  One test however, did test positive for THC, the tester was a known pot user so I know exactly how that happened.  I contested it by marking it down on a piece of paper but they later lied and said I never contested it.  My attorneys forced DHS to pay for a hair follicle test, surprise!  It came back flat line negative.  Now, if a hair follicle test is good enough for the FBI and other government agencies to test for drug use, you would think it would be good enough for the Arkansas Department of Children and Families?  Noooooo.  The cheap knock off urine tests continued and sometimes I was able to pee, and sometimes I was not.  Still not testing positive for anything.  I should mentioned that my wife tested positive for THC on her very first drug test, she was on her period, on birth control and the mere smell of pot closes her throat so since she was still alive and not smoking pot, another bogus test for them to parade around in front of the judge.  They eventually gave up on the drug tests and in year or so this case has been going on, my wife and i have each tested positive for THC once each.  The funny thing about the counselor who DHS paid to talk to me about my substance abuse is that she talked a lot of shit about DHS and the case workers don't get me wrong, she was happy to cash the checks they wrote but man the stuff I learned from this counselor was priceless.  Visitation started out as one hour a week in hell (DHS location) and slowly started to progress, we had supervised visits in the community at the Jones Center in Springdale.  I want to say in fairly short order, once they determined our house was "good enough" and a sufficient amount of the case plan was completed, they gave us unsupervised visitation in our home on the weekends.  Now imagine this, your about six months old and once a week for two days a week, you get put in a car, driven about an hour away and then have to go back in about two days, repeat this about 4 or 5 times.  My daughter was taken on June 23, 2016, by about October; they were starting to talk about trial home placement.  With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I started to make a real strong issue and made sure they knew that if my daughter were not allowed to celebrate her first Thanksgiving and Christmas with us, we would be they're conscious and we would not let up.  Trial Home placement began I believe on November 21st 2016, just a few days before Thanksgiving.  She was home!  We were instructed to document everything; the foster mother had previously accused us of causing her diarrhea.  You know what else causes diarrhea?  Frequent medication changes, stress, confusing amounts of travel, ya know the stuff DHS was subjecting our daughter to because well, medically needy here!  So we documented EVERYTHING.  What time she ate, what she ate, we photographed every single diaper and indicated whether or not it was a diaper full of pee or a diaper full of DHS promises.  We weighed her once a day, documented her weight and the time her weight was taken.  We documented her baths, her mood, just about everything you could document about a baby, just to protect ourselves against lies.  Oddly enough, at some point during trial home placement, she wasn't on as many medications and as my daughter's stress was relieved, so was her d diarrhea.  Legal custody was returned to us by a judge on January 21, 2017 following a 60 day trial home placement period.  The judge's order did some important things, not only did it return legal custody of our daughter back to my wife and I, it voided all child support, including any amounts we still owed.  I made sure to pay just enough child support to keep my license from being suspended and myself and my wife out of jail.  My wife and I were married so you would think that we would be jointly paying child support?  Oh no, DHS loves double dipping.  My wife and I EACH had our own child support account, we each had to pay $10 a week to care for the medical needs of our daughter that my daughter’s insurance was already paying for.  So where did that extra money go I wonder?  That is the end of this chapter of my blog, tune in next time to find out how DHS wormed they're way back into my family's life and kidnapped her without a warrant yet a second time.   https://www.facebook.com/One-after-another-1387559854882114/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel https://www.gofundme.com/andrewandchrissy

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Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula

You are likely to experience many issues when there is a hormonal imbalance in your body. Lower testosterone levels will make you feel lethargic, and that is when you can try Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula, a dietary supplement designed to balance female hormones to boost vitality, energy, and vigour.

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula claims to be one of the very best supplements to help maintain a balance between your oestrogen and testosterone levels. Regular intake is also supposed to help you reduce fat and increase energy production. Should you really be going for Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula for fat loss and energy? Here is our review to help you decide.

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula Pros

May help boost concentration and stamina

Includes natural ingredients

Easy to take

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula Cons

Does not contain effective ingredients

Uses a proprietary blend

Could cause several side effects

Very expensive

Watchdog Rejected Diet Pills

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What You Need To Know About Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula is one of many products currently available in the market to help boost testosterone levels for better energy, focus, muscle, and fat loss. Something that makes it a better alternative to other testosterone boosters is that it lays its emphasis on maintaining a balance between testosterone and excess oestrogen to achieve desired results. This balance is essential for a woman’s health, and that is what Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula claims to do. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence suggesting that this dietary supplement can reduce weight or increase energy effectively.

What Are The Side Effects Of Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula?

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula includes natural ingredients, but it may still cause some side effects, such as irritability, insomnia, stomach discomfort, diarrhoea, and increased heart rate mainly because it contains kola nut. Refer to our ‘Side Effects’ section to learn more.

How Much Does Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula Cost?

You will have to pay $34.95 to get a bottle of Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula.

Our Verdict On Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula claims to help women maintain hormonal balance and achieve their fitness goals more efficiently. Its ingredient profile looks good, but combining a number of natural ingredients is never enough to formulate something that helps with weight loss or boosts energy. The same is the case with Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula, which does not seem to have enough of Damiana root, eleuthero root, or licorice root that may help maintain a balance between testosterone and oestrogen. It includes kola nut that may help increase attention and energy because it contains caffeine, but do not expect anything out of the ordinary here. The price is on the higher side as well. Our verdict: avoid it and put your money on something that actually works.

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Key Features

Ingredients

Side Effects

Testimonials

Guarantee

Where to Buy

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula Review

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula combines a number of herbs and other natural ingredients to maintain a balance between your testosterone and oestrogen levels. It is especially beneficial for women because it is supposed to slow down the conversion of testosterone into oestrogen. However, many of its ingredients are going to do nothing to help you burn fat – and of course, they have no scientific evidence suggesting that they can boost testosterone levels.

The supplement provides you with Damiana herb that is supposed to have anti-aromatase properties. Aromatase is an enzyme responsible for converting testosterone into oestrogen. Some supplement manufacturers even promote this herb as a ‘testosterone booster’, but that is not true. Even if it inhibits aromatase, it does not mean it would lead to a significant increase in testosterone.

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula Facts

Improved concentration

59 ml bottle

Easy to take

It is worth pointing out that some studies show that Damiana supplementation failed to help men notice an increase in strength and decrease in fat percentage. For instance:

At the beginning, I weighed in at 209.4 lbs going on a pretty strict exercise/diet regimen. At the end of the 40-day supply I weighed in at 208.1 (1.3 decrease) with minimal strength gains. This product stumped me, at times I felt like it was working and other times it didn’t. Reasons as to why I think it worked: swelled up balls – didn’t hurt (very minimal effect), lean dry look with minimal water weight, and joint pain ‘all closely related to AI’s. As for the negatives – my strength gain way minimal, mood/oestrogen feelings, minimal test levels from the doctor.

Things do not change even when women take Damiana to increase testosterone and energy production. Some studies have noticed minor improvement in energy, but even those studies have used up to 2,000 mg of Damiana to see results. You are surely not going to get this much from Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula, and that is why it is quite a useless addition to this supplement.

Eleuthero root is another ingredient. Also called Siberian ginseng, it is supposed to work as an adaptogen to improve your work capacity. It also claims to help reduce environmental stress. Does it help burn fat? Not really. It actually relies on the fact that you can perform better in the gym when you have more energy to handle your workout sessions. Some studies have shown positive results, but it was later found that those studies had the worst methodology. Moreover, those studies suggest that you may notice some fat-burning effects when you take up to 1,200 mg of this ingredient, which is again not what you are going to get from Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula. You may also want to avoid its use because it can lower blood glucose levels quickly. For instance:

A decrease in glucose consumption during exercise (without affecting metabolic rate and due to an increase in fat oxidation) has once caused an acute lowering of glucose. The magnitude is quite minor, and there is no evidence to assess the effects of eleuthero on fasting blood glucose or in diabetes management.

Liquorice root is also an ingredient found in Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula. There are a number of studies conducted on the effects of licorice root, but there is nothing concrete available to support the use of this ingredient for any specific health condition.

One study found that a preparation of licorice may reduce body fat. Fifteen people of normal weight consumed 3.5 g of licorice each day for 2 months. Body fat was measured before and after treatment. Liquorice appeared to reduce body fat mass and to suppress the hormone aldosterone; however, the people in the study retained more water.

It suggests that you may notice some reduction in weight only when you take larger doses of licorice root. Unfortunately, you are not going to get 3,500 mg of licorice root per serving of Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula. Another study shows that you should at least be taking 900 mg of licorice to reduce body fat.

How to Take Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula

Here is what the official site says about taking Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula:

Two droppers of Women’s Formula a day in 2 ounces of juice or water –?or up to 10 droppers at one time for special occasions.

Some other ingredients are also there in Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula, but they fail to raise testosterone levels or aid weight loss. Sarsaparilla root, for instance, is an ingredient in this supplement, but it is generally used to decrease joint pain and inflammation in the body. Some supplement companies promote sarsaparilla as an alternative to anabolic steroids because it contains testosterone, but that is not the case. There is some evidence that the plant steroids in sarsaparilla can be synthesised into steroids, but that can only happen in the lab and not in the human body.

Similarly, saw palmetto berry has failed to boost testosterone levels. It is mostly used to treat urinary symptoms, hair loss, decreased sex drive, and chronic pain, but not enough scientific evidence is available to support these benefits. In fact, some studies have confirmed that saw palmetto berry fails to increase testosterone or DHT. For instance:

80 mg of a lipidosterolic extract of saw palmetto (Permixon) taken twice daily for a total daily dose of 160 mg over the course of a week failed to influence testosterone or DHT concentrations in otherwise healthy young men.

It is also important to point out that regular use of saw palmetto may actually lead to certain side effects, such as diarrhoea, nausea, and dizziness. It may also increase your risk of bleeding. These side effects may become worse with kola nut included in the blend. It contains caffeine and may help increase energy to some extent but may also leave you with several side effects, including increased heart rate, gastrointestinal discomfort, elevated blood pressure, and insomnia. However, kola nut also contains a vasodilator Theobromine that works as a diuretic in the body. It means that it is possible to lose water weight when taking kola nut, but that is not weight loss in the true sense.

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula Concerns:

Ineffective ingredients

Proprietary blend

Possible side effects

Very expensive

Finally, you find ginger root and nettles herb in Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula, but these ingredients fail to change anything. Ginger root is there in most weight loss supplements because it boosts thermogenesis that helps you burn more calories. It is also supposed to limit the amount of fat your body can absorb. Unfortunately, there are only animal studies suggesting that ginger root extract can aid fat loss. Human studies have not shown great results. For instance:

This study looked at the effect of resistance training and ginger supplementation for 10 weeks on a group of 32 obese men. The men were split into 4 groups – placebo, ginger 1g/day, resistance training plus placebo, and resistance training plus 1g/day ginger. They found that although ginger did reduce obesity-associated inflammation, it seemed to have no significant impact on weight loss.

Similarly, nettles herb may help cleanse your system and aid weight loss, but it will not help burn fat or increase testosterone levels. It may help your body function better by getting rid of metabolic waste, but do not expect a miracle here.

The fact of the matter is that there is nothing special in Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula that would make it better than other so-called testosterone boosters currently available in the market. It does nothing to increase fat loss and is therefore quite ineffective for people who are looking for a supplement to aid fat loss. It is not an affordable choice either, especially considering that there is not enough scientific data to confirm it works. So, avoid it and look for a supplement with positive customer reviews and effective ingredients to see results.

What Does Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula Claim To Do?

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula combines a number of herbs and natural ingredients to offer a variety of benefits. Here are some of its claimed benefits:

It helps increase natural testosterone levels for energy.

It helps lock up excess oestrogen to prevent complications.

It helps facilitate the process of energy production.

It helps reduce symptoms of PMS by rebalancing hormones.

It helps reduce fat, improve muscle tone, and promote better circulation.

Does Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula Work?

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula is supposed to help keep you lean by boosting testosterone and limiting oestrogen. It claims to work great for women because hormonal imbalances can keep them from getting their fitness goals. Unfortunately, there is no special ingredient in this supplement that promotes fat loss or helps get rid of excess oestrogen in the body. It seems that ingredients like Damiana herb, eleuthero root, and licorice root are effective but under-dosed. Other ingredients like nettles herb, ginger root, and even saw palmetto are not going to increase testosterone levels or support weight loss. Therefore, you should look for something else to achieve your fitness goals.

What Are The Ingredients of Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula?

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula contains a number of natural ingredients, and is therefore considered an effective way to boost your overall health. Here is what you going to find in this supplement:

Damiana Herb: It is used in this blend to provide you with anti-aromatase properties, but this does not mean that supplementing with Damiana can also boost testosterone levels.

Liquorice Root: Mainly used to soothe digestive system, it may not help a lot with energy production and fat loss. It can also cause several side effects.

Kola Nut: It is supposed to work because it adds caffeine to the blend, which may increase energy and focus. It may also work as a diuretic.

Ginger Root: It may help boost thermogenesis in the body to burn calories, but there is insufficient evidence to support these claims.

Saw Palmetto: It may actually prevent overproduction of testosterone but may help improve menopausal symptoms.

Siberian Ginseng: It may help increase gym performance and enable you to perform your workouts with more intensity, but it may not directly affect female health.

Does Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula Have Any Side Effects?

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula consists of natural ingredients, but it can still cause several side effects. It contains kola nut that provides you with caffeine. People who are sensitive to caffeine may have to deal with problems like increased blood pressure, elevated heart rate, irritability, and sleeplessness. You should avoid it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Liquorice root may also be associated with certain side effects. It can lead to a condition in which you become very sensitive to a hormone in your adrenal cortex. It can lead to problems like fatigue, headaches, and hypertension. It may also lead to water retention and result in leg swelling. Some other serious complications associated with licorice root are diabetes, liver disease, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, heart failure, and prostate cancer. It is important to avoid licorice root in pregnancy because it increases risk of stillbirth.

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula also contains Damiana leaf that puts you at an increased risk of developing allergic reactions. It may also cause a severe headache and result in other problems, such as depression, nervous energy, constipation, and gastrointestinal problems.

Caution: Avoid if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.

Are There Any Customer Reviews For Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula?

Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula claims to be among the best supplements for women, but it does not have positive customer reviews to support its use. Here are some examples:

I have been using it for a few weeks to improve menopausal symptoms, but it has done nothing for me. It has not affected my weight either.

It is not working for me. I have been taking it for three weeks now but have not noticed any change in my weight, concentration, or energy. I think I should look for something else.

Does Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula Offer a Money-Back Guarantee?

Yes, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, but it is hard to get a refund.

Where Can I Buy Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula?

You can buy it directly from the official website or order through third-party retailers.

The post Baseline Nutritionals Women’s Formula appeared first on Diet Pills Watchdog.

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Vagifirm Review (UPDATED 2017): Don’t Buy Before You Read This!

What is it?

Vagifirm is a supplement that claims to tighten the vagina with regular use. The official website also mentions this product is used to maintain vaginal cleanliness and help restore the user’s desire for sex.

Vagifirm relies on phytoestrogens to help restore vaginal muscles and cells, as well as herbs that aim to rid the body of toxins. Additionally, this product has the added benefit of boosting the vagina’s natural ability to self-lubricate.

We’ve evaluated every kind of menopause product from sexual aids to probiotics, hormone replacements and herbal remedies. Based on our experience, we’ve found Femmetrinol to be most effective in helping women deal with hings like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings, and a whole lot more. Click here to learn more about the long list of benefits you’ll get when you try Femmetrinol.

Top Rated Menopause Supplements of 2017

Do you know the Best Menopause Supplements of 2017?

Vagifirm Ingredients and Side Effects

Vagifirm’s creators make a lot of claims about this product—from firming the vagina and breasts to restoring libido and increasing estrogen levels and fighting menopause symptoms.

Here’s a look at the ingredients listed on the website for evaluation before you buy Vagifirm:

Morinda Citrifolia Kacip Fatimah

Morinda Citrifolia: A small evergreen tree from the South Pacific, morinda citifolia, or noni, is used to treat a number of conditions which range from headaches, high blood pressure and heart disease to depression, digestion and menstrual issues.

Noni is thought to help repair damaged cells, as well as strengthen the immune system with use.

In large doses, noni may cause liver damage.

Kacip Fatimah: An herbal aphrodisiac that hails from Malaysia, this ingredient is traditionally used as a tonic to support women’s reproductive systems.

It is thought to tone and firm the vaginal walls, and is used to help women get back in shape after childbirth or to tighten the vagina as women get older.

Kacip Fatimah contains phytoestrogens, which are thought to act similar to the estrogens naturally made inside the body and may help relieve menopause symptoms or menstrual issues.

People with hormone-sensitive cancers should avoid using Kacip Fatimah, as it may worsen the condition.

Not much is known as to whether or not this ingredient causes any adverse reactions with use.

Click here for a look at our experts’ favorite lubricants for menopause.

EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this supplement with a proven menopause pill such as Femmetrinol for better results.

Vagifirm Quality of Ingredients

Vagifirm for all the claims this product makes, it’s notable that it contains only two key ingredients. Both noni and kacip fatimah seem to be fairly safe ingredients for most users, but their use as vaginal rejuvenation ingredients or for menopause hasn’t been widely reviewed.

While a supplement containing phytoestrogens is likely to help with menopause symptoms to some we’re not all that familiar with kacip Fatimah and it isn’t used all that often in menopause supplements.

Vagifirm’s official page has a section dedicated to science, but it mostly just features pull quotes from various websites that highlight the historic use of both key ingredients in folk remedies. There’s nothing printed that definitively proves these ingredients are useful in doing all that the web copy claims.

Overall, we’re skeptical that Vagifirm can live up to all the benefits advertised, but there’s likely no major risk in trying this product.

Find the menopause pill that exceeds expectations — click here for insider info on what to look for in a supplement.

The Price and Quality of Vagifirm

Vagifirm is sold on the official website and offers this product at $64.95, with free shipping and handling. Though there is a drop down menu that allows for ordering in larger quantities, shoppers won’t get any discounts by purchasing in bulk.

Amazon is also currently offering this product for $64.95 for bottle containing a one-month supply. It doesn’t look like users can save by shopping through third-party channels.

Based on the fact that this product contains only two ingredients, this product seems expensive. We acknowledge that kacip fatimah and noni aren’t the cheapest supplements on the market, but both can be found for less than $20 for a large bottle—making it a more economical choice to buy them separately.

Click here to browse our collection of reviews, and read about the best menopause supplements of 2017, so far.

Business of Vagifirm

Vagifirm is made by made by a company that also goes by the name, Vagifirm. For your reference, we’ve listed their contact information below:

Phone: 877-438-1729

Email: support@vagifirm.com

Address: 2028 E Ben White Blvd

#240-4455

Austin, TX 78741

The Vagifirm website feels a bit older, and isn’t well-designed, but it does provide an e-commerce platform that’s relatively straightforward.

In looking at the language listed on the website, there are an awful lot of claims regarding the restorative power of this product. While the customer reviews suggest Vagifirm is effective in improving libido and tightness, some of the web copy feels a little deceptive.

For example, the homepage contains a lot of information about how this product is effective for improving sex lives, transforming vaginal muscle and tone and improving energy levels — all due to the presence of the herb, kacip fatimah.

Vagifirm links to all sites that mention the use of this herb as a folk remedy or cite its phytoestrogen content, but there’s not any information that definitively says that this ingredient is effective for every indication mentioned on the site.

While this product is likely safe, and effective for a number of the uses claimed on the site, it seems that this company is trying to oversell the benefits, which makes the web copy seem somewhat “spammy,” in spite of the fact that this has pretty good reviews.

Customer Opinions of Vagifirm

Vagifirm has a lot of positive reviews, from people who claim this product really helps women feel firmed and more aroused. Most of the reviews highlighted these benefits only, failing to mention whether the presence of the phytoestrogens had an effect on any menopause symptoms.

Here’s a look at some of the feedback we found:

“This product does work. I felt it working within about two weeks and so did my husband. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure it gave me a horrible yeast infection and I had to stop using it.”

“The best part of this supplement is how easy it is to get aroused. I used to not care all that much about sex, and now, for better or worse, I think about it all day. It’s improved my relationship quite a bit.”

“I was surprised this product worked as well as it did-and so was my husband. After about a month, I was noticeably tighter and felt like I had more lubrication. My sex life has changed for the better.”

“I have been using this product for the past few months and have found it to provide some serious benefits. I feel healthier in the vaginal area and have seen an increase in my sex drive. It really firms!”

Vagifirm has mostly positive reviews, but it’s not clear if the phytoestrogens are making a difference in the body outside of the vagina, as we don’t know much about the ingredients.

A couple people mentioned some issues, like the user who experienced a yeast infection — but most users claimed this firmed their vaginal muscles and increased libido.

Based on the reviews, it seems this is a good product for women looking to revamp their sex lives, but those seeking menopause relief may want to look elsewhere for a solution that offers more phytoestrogens, along with ingredients that boost progesterone production.

Click here to learn more about the root causes of your menopause symptoms.

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Conclusion – Does Vagifirm Work?

Vagifirm doesn’t necessarily claim to be this magic solution for women looking to improve their vaginal health, nor does it claim to completely get rid of menopause symptoms.

This product’s use as a menopause supplement is touted as a secondary benefit on the website, meaning it’s not likely to have much of an effect — but users may see some benefits, especially if they aren’t experiencing severe symptoms.

Vagifirm did have some good reviews, many women said this helped them improve their sex drive — which is a major plus, but there wasn’t much information about

For women experiencing menopause, it seems like Vagifirm might not be the best solution for dealing with all the symptoms they may be dealing with.

We don’t know how many phytoestrogens are actually present in the formulation — which can make a huge difference in how well it works for hot flashes, mood swings and other signs of imbalance.

After reviewing several products aimed at helping women deal with menopause, we’ve found Femmetrinol to be the most effective. An all-natural formula containing ingredients like black cohosh, wild yam, chasteberry and damiana, this product works to combat hot flashes and sweating, as well as low libido and mood swings.

Femmetrinol is made in a certified lab facility and has been subject to numerous rounds of clinical trials. Click the link to learn how Femmetrinol can help you.

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Progessence Plus Serum Review (Updated 2017): Don’t Buy Before You Read This!

What is it?

Progessence Plus Serum is a topical solution that aims to balance the progesterone to estrogen ratio in women with an imbalance. Progessence Plus Serum is an alternative to synthetic progesterone designed to reduce symptoms like low libido, hot flashes, mood swings, low energy and a number of others.

Progessence Plus Serum from a blend of ingredients including wild yam and vitamin E. This product also contains essential oils like peppermint and bergamot, thought to increase absorption.

After looking at several types of creams and herbal supplements that aim to treat the symptoms of menopause, we know Femmetrinol offers the best results for treating the physical and emotional effects of menopause. Click here to read more about how Femmetrinol works to help you fight the effects of menopause with one daily pill.

Do you know the Best Menopause Supplements of 2017?

Progessence Plus Serum Ingredients and Side Effects

Made by a company that specializes in essential oils, Progessence Plus Serum contains a number of essential oils, plus wild yam extract—which work together to make a natural progesterone serum designed to help users regulate hormone levels. Here are the active ingredients in the formulation:

Wild Yam Extract Clove Bud Oil Peppermint Oil Frankincense Oil Copaiba Balm Bergamot Oil

Wild Yam Extract: Used in many creams and supplements, wild yam is often used as an alternative to hormone replacement treatments, wild yam contains a substance known as diosgenin, which may be made into hormones like DHEA or estrogen.

Wild yam is often used in progesterone creams or menopause supplements as it may even out the body’s hormone levels, relieving mood swings, tiredness, hot flashes and night sweats common during menopause.

Peppermint Oil: Known primarily for its refreshingly cooling taste and smell and its antimicrobial properties, peppermint oil may help with digestive issues, soothe tight muscles and clear the respiratory tract. It may also keep bugs at bay when used topically.

Clove Bud Oil: Clove bud oil has antiseptic and antifungal properties and may be used to speed recovery in small cuts, wounds or burns when applied directly to the skin.

Bergamot Oil: An essential oil, bergamot oil may also be added to foods for both flavor and for health benefits. This ingredient is believed to help with mood or mild depression and may help relieve joint pain with use.

Copaiba Balm: An ingredient that may have the ability to kill germs, copaiba balm is used in a number of soaps, lotions and scents.

This ingredient may be unsafe when used as a supplement according to Web MD, though it’s unclear whether it’s safe when applied topically.

Side effects may include tremors, irritated skin or rash, vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia and groin pain.

Frankincense Oil: Frankincense is thought to promote feelings of calmness and wellbeing when inhaled or applied to the skin. When taken orally, frankincense may also help improve cellular function.

Exclusive info about the menopause pills that actually work – click here for more.

EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this supplement with a proven menopause pill such as Femmetrinol for better results.

Progessence Plus Serum Quality of Ingredients

Progessence Plus Serum is made from wild yam, essential oils and more. Based on their blog post describing the use of this product for menopause, the makers of this product claim it is meant to be used as an alternative to other wild yam creams. Yet, the product page mentions the skin care benefits it has to offer with little reference to its hormone-balancing potential.

The website also claims that this product uses essential oils to increase the absorption of the wild yam extract. We’ve seen some evidence that peppermint may increase the uptake of antioxidants when ingested, but there’s no scientific data listed on the site demonstrating this as fact.

Likely, the makers of this product are using this product as a means to increase the price on a blend of essential oils.

Get the latest on which menopause products are the most effective for your most disruptive symptoms – click the link for more.

The Price and Quality of Progessence Plus Serum

Progessence Plus Serum is out of stock on the official website, thought the list price $49.34. It looks like they also sell this product wholesale, but we’re not sure where else this is sold, aside from Amazon.

The Amazon listing shows the product at $43.45, though apparently there is only one unit of Progessence Plus Serum left in stock.

The retail price on this item seems rather high. It’s nearly $50 for a small bottle of essential oils, containing only one active ingredient, wild yam. The other ingredients are peppermint and bergamot essential oils, as well as vitamin E — none of which retail for more than $10 per unit.

Click to learn whether a cream-based treatment or a supplement works best for your menopause symptoms.

Business of Progessence Plus Serum

Progessence Plus Serum is made by an essential oils company known as Young Living. As per their website, their contact information can be found below:

Phone: 800-371-3515

Address: Thanksgiving Point Business Park 3125 Executive Parkway Lehi, UT 84043

The Young Living website looks nice, and is easy to navigate. The homepage features a number of upcoming events and various products, most of which are traditional essential oils you might put in a diffuser at home.

Young Living also has a blog that discusses health, wellness and lifestyle and they sell a number of supplements and topical treatments that use essential oils in the blend.

Unfortunately, Progessence Plus Serum is currently out of stock and doesn’t appear to be sold elsewhere. There is an Amazon listing, but they’ve only got one unit left. The site does not mention if this will be back in stock any time soon, or if it has been discontinued.

In looking at the Progessence Plus Serum product page, it seems that the suggested use for this product is geared more toward women who are looking to prevent the visible signs of aging, though their related blog post mentions the benefits this product has for menopausal women.

The conflicting information, as well as the fact that this company primarily specializes in essential oils makes it a bit confusing from a consumer perspective. We don’t know if users can expect an alternative to other progesterone creams or if this is primarily used for its pleasant scent and potential skin care benefits.

Customer Opinions of Progessence Plus Serum

There aren’t too many reviews for Progessence Plus Serum. The website features some comments, as does the product’s Amazon listing. Here’s a look at what we found posted on the web:

“Sadly, this product did not work for me. I gave this a try for several weeks and didn’t find any relief.”

“Felt like this product did help me sleep better, but failed to do anything for my hot flashes. I’d keep using this, but the price keeps rising. Not worth it.”

“Luckily I used this under the guidance of a naturopath. My cycle was delayed and those using this on their own may find that they have similar issues.”

“I don’t know if this did the trick, but after trying to conceive for over a year, I finally got pregnant. Not sure there’s a definite correlation, but it must have done something.”

Progessence Plus Serum doesn’t have enough of a track record for us to know whether or not it’s a good product, or if it stacks up against competing progesterone creams.

Reclaim your energy, sex drive and more—the best menopause products after the jump.

Conclusion – Does Progessence Plus Serum Work?

After looking at Progessence Plus Serum a bit more closely, we believe that there are better ways to address menopause symptoms.

We liked the natural approach to providing progesterone to users in a serum that likely smells quite nice—something users often claim is missing in other topical products. But, we’re not sure this product is clear on what its intended use is.

We also don’t really know if it works. We found some comments about this product, and most users mentioned it hadn’t started working and were asking further questions. Additionally, we don’t have much information regarding of whether this product has successfully helped users deal with their menopausal symptoms, or even it if worked to visibly improve aging skin.

Another concern is, we don’t know if this product is coming back in stock. It could be temporarily unavailable, but there’s no message to shoppers letting them know if it will be back or if it has been discontinued.

There are a lot of small issues with Progessence Plus Serum that lead us to believe that those who truly need a treatment for hot flashes and night sweats may be better off trying something that has undergone clinical testing and has several positive reviews posted online.

Femmetrinol is the daily supplement our experts recommend for treating the hot flashes, changing moods, night sweats and other symptoms that emerge during menopause. Users can expect to get relief fast with a blend of herbs like wild yam, black cohosh and more with no negative effects.

Femmetrinol is safely made according to strict quality testing and undergoes regular third-party testing, so customers can rest assured they are getting the best possible product. Learn more about the botanicals used to make Femmetrinol by clicking this link.

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Progesta Care Review (UPDATED 2017): Don’t Buy Before You Read This!

What is it?

Progesta Care is a body cream used to increase levels of progesterone with regular use. Progesta Care is made from bioidentical progesterone and is offered as an over-the-counter solution to synthetic hormone replacement products.

Progesta Care is made from a blend of ingredients including evening primrose, which help users ease symptoms caused by hormonal imbalances. This product is intended for use by menopausal women, though it may help anyone with low progesterone.

After reviewing countless supplements used for menopausal symptoms, we’ve found Femmetrinol can best offer the benefits most users are looking for when they start taking a hormone-balancing supplement. Click here to read more about how Femmetrinol can help you get through menopause with one daily pill.

Do you know the Best Menopause Supplements of 2017?

Progesta Care Ingredients and Side Effects

Progesta Care is made from exclusively herbal ingredients and it’s marketed as an alternative to HRT, which is thought to pose some risks many users simply don’t want to take on like hair loss, increased risk of cancer and more. Here’s a look at the bioidentical formula used to create Progesta Care:

Evening Primrose Oil Burdock Root Grape Seed Extract  

Evening Primrose Oil: Made from the seeds of the evening primrose, this ingredient may be used to treat a range of conditions from multiple sclerosis and cancer, to heart disease, psoriasis, nerve damage and diabetes.

Evening primrose contains omega-6 fatty acids, which may play a role in treating breast pain. People also use evening primrose to reduce instances of menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.

Grape Seed Extract: Grape seeds contain a high level of antioxidants and are thought to help reduce inflammation and lower high cholesterol. Antioxidants help protect cells against damage, offering some protections against diseases and invading bacterial and viral infections.

In terms of hormonal benefits, there isn’t too much information available in regards to its efficacy, but there may some use for grape seed oil in treating PMS.

Side effects may include headache, itching, nausea and dizziness.

Burdock Root: Burdock is often used to protect the body against inflammation and incoming bacteria, and is thought to potentially increase sex drive and relieve gastroinstinal issues and joint pain.

Side effects may include allergic reaction or rash with use, and in some people, may slow blood clotting.

Learn more about the herbal supplements known to help beat night sweats, hot flashes and more by clicking the link provided.

EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this supplement with a proven menopause pill such as Femmetrinol for better results.

Progesta Care Quality of Ingredients

It’s evident that the only active ingredient in Progesta Care is evening primrose oil, and we aren’t entirely certain as to whether or not it is potent enough to have a meaningful effect on the hormone levels inside the body.

Progesta Care could potentially be useful for people experiencing progesterone-specific imbalances, but unless users consult with their doctor prior to purchasing this item—otherwise, the problem may lie with estrogen or pregnenolone instead.

Also, many of the reviewers we came across were not using this product to address menopause symptoms, rather things like fertility issues or things like PMS. Many of the users were in their 20s-40s and had yet to go through menopause.

Read what experts say about which pills work best for your symptoms – click to learn more.

The Price and Quality of Progesta Care

Progesta Care may be purchased directly from the manufacturer for $17.29 for a one-ounce bottle, and $26.09 $31.49, or $36.79 for 2, 3, and 4-ounce bottles.

This product can be found in all sizes from a range of platforms from Amazon, Jet, CVS and Walmart to Lucky Vitamin and iHerb. Walmart currently offers the 4-ounce container for $24.52 and many of the third party retailers are also offering better prices than the manufacturer, Life-Flo.

While the price point for this item seems relatively low, there’s not a whole lot to the formula, and we’re still not entirely sure how effective this is in treating menopause.

Click here to take a look at our guide to the most effective menopause pills on the market.

Business of Progesta Care

Progesta Care is made by a company that also goes by the name Life-Flo. Unfortunately, they also don’t provide any contact information for shoppers, aside from a form posted on their “contact us page.”

Life-Flo has a decent website set up. It clearly showcases each of the products and the range of sizes available and makes it easy for customers to add items to their carts without any deceptive language asking for enrollment in a subscription service or failing to disclose pricing.

Unfortunately, the makers of Progesta Care offer very little in the way of details about this product, or even why it is effective. When people look toward herbal solutions, they often want some educational information, so they know what to expect. There’s no ingredient profile, nor any dosing information for the active ingredients included in the formulation.

Some mentions of this product say that it is intended to be used by women during menopause, but it’s also not especially clear, if that truly is the target audience—the website fails to tell us.

Based on the wide reach this product has across several reputable sales channels, there’s likely no major issues with this product. We just with there was a bit more as far as transparency is concerned.

Customer Opinions of Progesta Care

Progesta Care is used by a wide range of women with a variety of issues caused by hormonal imbalances. Many of the users were experiencing fertility issues or other problems, all related to hormones, but may not menopausal in nature. With that being said, here’s a brief look at some of the comments we came across during our research:

“This product doesn’t seem to be working for me. I’m only 40 and have long been suffering from estrogen issues, and have been trying to balance this issue by taking progesterone.”

“I’m not entirely sold on the benefits of Progesta Care. I like that it doesn’t have a fragrance, but I wish it were easier to control dosing. I just don’t think it provides an adequate amount of hormones.”

“After using a synthetic estrogen/progesterone prescription, I’ve found this product to be a good replacement without any of the negative side effects. I’ve also found that my bone density has improved, which is a great added benefit”

“I think this product might be for menopausal women, but after using for only a month, I was able to conceive after trying for about a year. I’m really impressed with how quickly it took effect.”

After looking at the previous users’ comments about Progesta Care and its efficacy, we couldn’t get a great sense as to how well it worked for women suffering from menopause. It seems like some people found this to be effective for them, but we’re not totally convinced that it can perform consistently.

It’s also worth mentioning that we didn’t come across any mentions as to how Progesta Care handled issues like hot flashes or night sweats or changing moods — as well as some of the less common menopausal symptoms.

Restore hormonal balance once and for all. Learn more here.

Conclusion – Does Progesta Care Work?

After looking more closely at Progesta Care—the ingredients, the reviews and the website, we’re not completely sure that it is the best option available for women looking for an alternative to traditional hormone replacement therapy.

We’ve come across multiple people who used this for addressing non-menopausal uses, and it’s hard to get a sense of whether it really works for menopause symptoms, as we didn’t see many reports of people who had used it for this indication.

The reviews were fairly mixed. Users experienced some success in regulating hormone levels, though again, it wasn’t especially clear whether people were able to use this to deal with hot flashes, night sweats or mood swings.

The ingredient profile of this product leaves something to be desired. Progesta Care relies almost entirely on evening primrose extract to provide the levels of progesterone needed to have an effect on users’ progesterone levels. The other active ingredients likely don’t do much to help with menopause symptoms, despite having some health benefits associated with use.

In the end, we ultimately suggest looking elsewhere for a product with more documented benefits and a clearer intended use. Those who think they may have unbalanced hormones should talk to their doctor about getting a test done to see where they need some help rather than trying this product right off the bat.

After looking at several different methods for treating menopause symptoms, we’ve found that Femmetrinol works best to help users regain the energy and sex drive they once had, as well as help reduce the severity of uncomfortable and disruptive hot flashes and night sweats.

Femmetrinol is made following good manufacturing practices, and is routinely subject to a number of quality control inspections. Learn more about what makes Femmetrinol treat menopause so effectively – click here for a look inside.

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Avlimil Review: Don’t Buy Before You Read This!

What is it?

Avlimil is a supplement designed to help women deal with typical menopause symptoms. This product is made for reducing hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and irritability with regular use.

Avlimil is made from an all-natural formulation which includes soy isoflavones, black cohosh and more—which work to restore hormonal balance in the body. Avlimil is made for women of all ages—whether in menopause or suffering from another issue caused by hormonal imbalances.

After reviewing the full spectrum of menopause pills, we recommend users try Femmetrinol. This product helps treat the wide ranging symptoms menopausal women experience, with an all-natural, herbal formula. Click here to learn more about the ingredients used to make Femmetrinol.

Do you know the Best Menopause Supplements of 2017?

Avlimil Ingredients and Side Effects

Avlimil is made from exclusively herbal ingredients, no synthetic hormones. Based on the official product label found on the Avlimil website, here’s what users can expect to find inside this supplement:

Soy Isoflavones Valerian Sage Leaf Damiana Black Cohosh Red Raspberry Leaf

Soy Isoflavones: Soy isoflavones are a phytoestrogen found in soy beans, which are chemically quite similar to the natural estrogens found in the body. Isoflavones are thought to have an effect on estrogen levels when ingested and may help reduce hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings or other symptoms associated with menopause.

Side effects may include bloating, constipation or gas, or in some cases, may trigger an allergic reaction.

Sage Leaf: An herb with a number of medicinal uses, sage leaf is thought to help with depression and memory loss, as well as reduce the severity of hot flashes caused by menopause.

Damiana: Damiana is an herbal aphrodisiac that hails from Central and South America. This ingredient is thought to stimulate sex drive in both men and women and may help users increase energy and physical endurance.

Valerian: An herb often used to treat insomnia or hyperactivity, valerian is thought to help with stress and anxiety and may help sooth menopausal night sweats and hot flashes.

Red Raspberry Leaf: Raspberry leaves have been used for centuries for various medicinal uses, like blood purification and respiratory disorders. This ingredient may help with painful or heavy periods and may relax blood vessels.

Black Cohosh: Native Americans have long used black cohosh to deal with a range of uncomfortable symptoms associated with hormone imbalances like PMS and painful, heavy periods to hot flashes and night sweats during menopause.

Relieve menopause symptoms and balance out those hormones, naturally. Click here for our top picks.

EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this supplement with a proven menopause pill such as Femmetrinol for better results.

Avlimil Quality of Ingredients

Avlimil is made from several ingredients that are known to be safe, as well as come with a range of benefits associated with use.

In looking at the ingredients, we’re at first inclined to believe that Avlimil has some useful benefits. Black cohosh is one ingredient we often recommend for its use as a way to treat hot flashes, night sweats and the emotional symptoms of menopause.

However, we’re not sure how effective ingredients like sage or raspberry leaf are—there’s no harm (that we know of), in taking these herbal ingredients, but it’s unlikely that they do much to help alleviate menopause issues.

Based on some of the reviews we came across, it seems like this product was pretty hit of miss with a number of people who tried it—many claimed it was very slow to build up in the system or failed to live up to users’ expectations.

There’s a possibility it isn’t potent enough, or frankly, that it didn’t work with everyone’s body chemistry.

Learn more about how to balance hormones without the use of synthetic HRTs. Click the link for more.

The Price and Quality of Avlimil

Avlimil is sold through an official website for this supplement, with a 30-day supply retailing for $29.95, plus $9.95 for shipping and handling charges. Users can save if they choose to buy in bulk, a 90-day supply will run shoppers $89, while a 180-day supply costs $149.

Avlimil can also be found on the Walgreens website and Amazon. Amazon sells this product for $32, but the product is Prime eligible, so users can save a few bucks on shipping. Walgreens on the other hand, offers this item for even less, at $19.99 for the same thirty-day supply.

Click here to learn how you can treat menopause with plant-based ingredients.

Business of Avlimil

Avlimil is made by a company known as Vianda, who appear to be based both in the US and Malta. Per the official website, here are their contact details:

Phone: 800-503-7058

Address: 11260 Cornell Park Drive, Suite 706 Cincinnati, Ohio 45242

The Avlimil website doesn’t look especially eye-catching, but it gets the job done. Consumers can easily find the product and the checkout page is fairly straightforward.

There’s information available for people to learn more about menopause and the use of isoflavones to treat the symptoms, which may be helpful resources for a number of users. However, many users may find it difficult to learn more about the science behind this product. We don’t get to see any documented clinical trials or anything else that lends some credibility to the formula.

Vianda, the company that makes this product sells a number of supplements across several verticals like male enhancement, probiotics and stress relief. Their company website serves as a showcase for their myriad products and allows consumers to place an order through their e-commerce portal, as well.

Vianda offers a free trial for all of the products listed on the website, which does include Avlimil. Unfortunately, users must pay $10 for shipping and are automatically enrolled in a monthly autopay cycle unless they decide to cancel before the 14-day trial period ends.

Vianda doesn’t force people to sign up for their autopay program, but these marketing techniques are notoriously hard to get out of once you’ve enrolled, and marketers know this. Plus, this particular pill may take some time to start working (as many herbal menopause products do), so a sample pack is likely not going to do much for consumers and they are likely better off springing for the full bottle.

Customer Opinions of Avlimil

Reviews for Avlimil were all over the place, many people felt that this product was not effective. Here is some of the feedback we came across for this product:

“I didn’t think this product was going to help with my symptoms, but so far I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I like that this is made with natural ingredients, too.”

“No noticeable changes after trying this product. Tried for about two months and am finally going to throw in the towel.”

“Didn’t really feel better or worse after using. I used two whole bottles, which seems like sufficient time for something to happen.”

“Having been on Avlimil for three months now, I’m starting to notice an improvement in my hot flashes, but nothing else. Might try for another month.”

Avlimil seems to be designed for menopausal women, but much of the marketing literature suggests it’s for women of all ages who are trying to achieve hormonal balance. It’s unclear based on the reviews if this is meant to be this catch-all product or something more targeted.

We did see some good reviews for this product, though there were many disappointed customers as well. Enough to demonstrate that this product may not be potent enough for women with more severe symptoms.

We also never got to see a clinical study for this product, so we don’t know much about how long this product is supposed to take to kick in.

After reading through the comments Avlimil users posted, this product clearly offers some key benefits, but its use as a menopause-specific product seems like it could be ineffective.

Click here for a guide to the most effective herbs for hot flashes, night sweats and more.

Conclusion – Does Avlimil Work?

After our full review of the contents of the Avlimil formulation, as well as the feedback posted online by past users, we likely wouldn’t recommend this product as a supplement to combat the effects of menopause on its own.

We really like a lot of the ingredients, maca and damiana have some great benefits, and pomegranate has long been touted as a nutritional powerhouse.

That being said, it seems like most of the glowing reviews by women who had used this product expressed that they were more pleased with the sexual benefits than anything related to reducing hot flashes or night sweats.

There were several mentions from users who felt that this product was not particularly effective in taking on the more common menopause-related complaints and many of the were women who had not yet entered this phase in life—many were in their 20s, 30s and early 40s.

After looking over the above information, we believe that there are better products out there for dealing with menopause holistically. Avlimil does clearly have the potential to be a way to increase energy and sexual desire in women who are in menopause, but they may need to shell out for an additional supplement if they want all menopause symptoms addressed.

After reviewing all kinds of creams and pills aimed at treating menopause, we’ve found that Femmetrinol is the most effective in helping women get some relief from the hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings they experience during this time.

Femmetrinol is made under strict guidelines put into place to ensure that consumers receive a safe and effective product they can count on. Get more info about how Femmetrinol works – click here.

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