#how to prepare barley water

[diabetes-health-corner]

Barley Water: Benefits, Side effects & Its Recipe

Barley Water is a healthy, cooling drink loaded with nutrients. It is very nutritious and rich in minerals, vitamins, fiber, phosphorus, calcium, manganese, magnesium and copper, vitamin B12, iron, and protein, and is very low in fat, cholesterol, and sugar content.

Read more to know all benefits: https://www.freedomfromdiabetes.org/blog/post/barley-water-benefits-side-effects-&-its-recipe/1425

[diabetesreversalprograminindia]

Barley Water: Benefits, Side effects & Its Recipe

This article is originally published on Freedom from Diabetes website, available here. Barley water is a healthy, cooling drink loaded with nutrients. Its available over world. This water keep our body hydrate and cool in the summer. Do you know barley is used in beer and whiskey production. But very few people know that there is something like a simple recipe that is very effective in health and very good for diabetics, and can help in Diabetes Reversal.

Jau is very nutritious. It is rich in minerals, vitamins, fiber, phosphorus, calcium, manganese, magnesium and copper, vitamin B12, iron, and protein, and is very low in fat, cholesterol, and sugar content.

How to make Barley water?

Take 3/4 cup barley, 2 lemons (zest and juice), 6 cups water, Rock Salt optional.

Method:

Rinse barley under cold water until clear.

Place barley, grated lemon peel, and 5-6 cups of water in a pan.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

Strain into a bowl and discard the barley.

Stir in lemon juice and let cool to room temperature.

Pour into bottles and refrigerate. Store for up to 1 week

Now lets understand the benefits of Barley water:

Barley water help to lower BP and cholesterol.

It can help in effective weight loss, take 2 to 3 glasses per day.

Barley water has great healing properties.

Good for healthy bones and teeth and boosting immunity.

Helps combat diabetes and good cardiovascular health.

Improves digestion and constipation.

Cures impotence.

Reduces your risk of cancer, symptoms of arthritis,

Improves skin elasticity, brightens the skin tone, hair growth.

But you have to remember this, Barley water is safe for most people but for few, it can cause Side effects of bloating gas or a feeling of fullness. Barley can also cause an allergic reaction in some people. And People with high potassium and renal patients should avoid the use of lemon or lemon peel in barley water.

The best thing about barley water is we can prepare it in large quantity and store it in the refrigerator. It can be had any time and to get maximum barley water benefits one should drink it two times a day.

So what are you waiting for? Start having barley water.

To read more, click here. Also please connect with me on my website, Facebook page, and YouTube if you want to stay in touch or give me any feedback!

[spencerreidsreads]

What am I going to do with you?

Aaron Hotchner x gn!reader

Summary: You and Aaron share a cute moment in the kitchen

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 850 (just a short little one)

*based on THIS request*

AN: Just a short request today. I hope you enjoy! :)

“Ow ow ow”

Your moans of pain are the first thing Aaron hears when he walks through the door of your shared apartment after a long day at work.

As he shuffles further into your living space, he notices the smell of his favourite home cooked food and hears the sound of water running.

He approaches the kitchen where he heard you curse in pain and he sees you bent over the sink, holding your left index finger in your right hand and holding it under the stream of water of the tap.

You hadn’t noticed him yet, he takes a look around the kitchen and sees a variety of foods dotted around the counters. You had been preparing dinner for the pair of you.

“You ok sweetheart?” Aaron asks with sincerity in his voice. He knew based off of your facial expressions that you weren’t injured too badly. But Aaron doesn’t like seeing you in any pain whatsoever, no matter how big or small. So he can’t help but be concerned.

You turn around in surprise, having not heard him enter the apartment. A small smile makes its way onto your face, hiding the slight grimace you previously wore.

“I burned my finger on the pan” you exclaimed, inspecting the barley there burn on your finger.

Aaron walks over, gently prying your finger out of your other hand and placing it within his own. He lowered down to your height and squinted his eyes slightly to get a good look at your finger. It was red and he could tell it would be painful, but nothing too bad. And not much could really be done about it, running it under the tap and being gentle with it would work just fine.

He brought your hand up to his mouth, placing a slight kiss just below the burn, not wanting to hurt you more by touching it.

“Again?” he asked cheekily. This wasn’t the first time Aaron has caught you cursing to yourself over a kitchen based injury, you’ve burnt yourself several times. You’re simply just clumsy in the kitchen.

“It’s not my fault the stupid pans are too hot” you respond with a slight pout on your face, not liking being called out for your clumsiness.

Aaron laughs lightly at this, he thinks you’re adorable. Clumsy, but adorable.

He brings you into a tight embrace, both from having missed you whilst he worked today, and to show he meant no harm with his teasing.

Aaron slowly rocked you both side to side as he held one hand around your lower back, and the other gently stroking your hair on the back of your head.

After a short moment of indulging in you, he pulled back and looked lovingly into your eyes.

“What am I going to do with you?” he sighed teasingly, placing a kiss on your forehead.

“Maybe you can do the cooking for the rest of the week. I’m too injured to do anymore” you dramatically reply as you hold up your ‘injured’ finger, a smirk on your face.

“Oh of course, honey. I couldn’t possibly expect you to carry on with such an injury. Why don’t you go sit down while I finish plating up the food?” He questions, playing along with your dramatics.

You eagerly nod your head and rush to sit at the table. Aaron watches you go, his heart filled with so much love for you.

Once the food is all plated up he sets everything down on the table and sits to join you.

“Thank you for dinner sweetheart, everything looks great” Aaron tells you.

“You’re welcome” you respond. “I missed you”

“I missed you too. But I’m home now and should have the weekend off, so you have me all to yourself for a couple days.” Aaron is truly happy about this, he values every single minute he gets to spend with you. An entire weekend will be bliss. “What do you wanna do over the weekend?”

You thought about it for a second, there was plenty you had been wanting to do with Aaron for a while. Date nights out, museum visits and more. But honestly, you just wanted this weekend to be you and him with no disturbances. And nothing sounded better than staying in all weekend, with no one but each other. Cosy mornings and soft touches, movies and takeout, that sounded like bliss.

“Well… since I’m so terribly injured…”

You once again showed the burn on your finger (that had already practically disappeared)

…”I think we’ll have to stay in and watch movies and eat takeout all weekend”

Aaron truly couldn’t think of anything better. God he loved you so much.

“That sounds perfect, though I guess I’ll have to nurse you back to full health” he suggested with an eyebrow raise and a smirk.

You knew his suggestive intentions with that comment. He was going to take good care of you.

You smiled back, both of your eyes beginning to gloss over with lust.

This was going to be a fun weekend.

[atlaculture]

Favorite Foods: Katara

Since Katara was forced to take on a traditionally maternal role at an early age, I'd like to think her favorite Water Tribe dishes are the ones that are quick and easy to prepare. I also feel that Katara would be fond of the few fruits and edible greens available in the arctic, as it brings back fond memories of foraging with her mother and grandmother during the warmer seasons.

Sea Prunes (Entire 1st Row)- Katara doesn't express many food preferences in the show, but she seemed pretty enthusiastic about eating sea prunes, so I assume it's a meat she enjoys. Sea prune is another name for the black katy chiton, a type of mollusk. Their shells are dark and leathery, earning them nicknames like "sea prune" and "gumboot". Sea prunes are a traditional protein source for many indigenous peoples in Alaska and western coastal Canada. I think Katara would enjoy them sauteed with Chinese (Earth Kingdom) five-spice or tossed with seal oil in a kelp salad.

Suaasat - A Greenlandic Inuit soup. It traditionally consists of a thick broth made of seal meat, barley, onions, and potatoes. I'd like to think that she likes any dish where you can just throw all the ingredients in a pot and feed a lot of people fast.

Boiled Crab - She likes crabs because they're relatively easy to catch and even easier to cook. You just boil them and crack them open!

Pitsik - Dried Arctic Char. Like crab, she enjoys the simplicity of preparing it. You simply fillet the fish with its skin on, score and salt the flesh, hang the char to let the arctic winds airdry it, and you have a delicious jerky-like snack! They are also rather visually striking when you hang them up.

Akutaq - Meaning "mixed together" in Inupiat and Yupik, this dish is traditionally made with whipped fat, boiled fish, and berries. Commonly used berries include cranberries, lingonberries, cloudberries, bearberries, and crowberries. A sweet and savory meal that Katara and her mother probably used to make together.

Suvalik - If akutaq is “Arctic Ice Cream”, then suvalik is “Arctic Fruit Salad”. It’s traditionally comprised of emulsified fish eggs and seal oil mixed with berries. It’s described as creamy and sweet. This dish is known in Yupik culture as qerpertaq.

Bannock - Also called palauga in some Inuit dialects and alatiq in Yupik. Bannock is an unleavened flatbread found throughout North American indigenous culture. Since the flour has to be imported all the way from the Earth Kingdom, it was a rare treat for Katara growing up. She also likes how easy it is to make.

For more Water Tribe dishes, check out my Cultural Cuisine tag.

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture

[devoutekuna]

100%

Includes- Toji, Sukuna, Nanami, Gojo, Geto

A/N: sorry for the delay

Sukuna-

His daughter 100% inherits most of his traits compared to yours, despite being the king of curses, the man could sleep anywhere as long as he had nobody watching him. Fortunately for him his daughter inherited that which was a pleasure for him as she just needed to put her head on something soft to pass out. "Get up" poking at the little girl, she was fast asleep on his chest, her whole body curled up in the fetal position as she slept, maybe it was comforting for her? Kissing his teeth at the fact that he now couldn't move from this position since he would wake her with so much movement.

Nanami-

He couldn't understand why his daughter was so sucked into the art of shadow puppets, after camping she discarded her love for cartoons and moved on. Now he's got to do a silly play atleast once a day so that she could fall asleep, though it never lasted long since she was always asleep 3 minutes into it. Walking back home just to find your husband and daughter fast asleep Infront of the flashlight, his hands still in the same position to make a bird, fortunately that meant you didn't need to try and put her to bed.

Geto-

Despite how much he hates having to wash his hair and maintain in, he refuses to cut it as it was a signature look of his and he couldn't imagine himself having a different style. That's why he always opts for it in a bun or braids whenever he's at home working or cooking. He never wants to braid it though, so he always asks his girls for help.

"Do you want bows daddy?" Peeking into the corner of his eye as she held onto the few strands of hair. "Do what you want baby" allowing the twins to have full control. He just hoped that they didn't mess up his hair.

Gojo-

Preparing a bath wasn't the hard part, it was the fact that he got so carried away and got in himself and now too comfortable to leave the tub. Resulting in him fall asleep, fortunately for him, his son was on guard, resulting in the toddler jumping into the bathtub to scare him. "Cannon ball!" The backsplash of water hitting his face, instantly waking the man up.

Toji-

Toji 100% volunteers to go grocery shopping just so he can buy his favourite treats for him and his girls, mainly himself though as he barley got to eat his junk food since he married you. Taking his baby girl into the store with him as he held her, keeping her from running away. Unfortunately for him she was very persistent when it came to getting things she wanted, this time she wanted to go see the toys, forcing herself out of her father's arms as she ran towards the aisle. Soon after finalizing his checkout, he was already leaving with the food. Arriving back home with the goods only to be bombarded with questions from you. Succumbing to his thoughts as he remembered his poor baby girl left at the store, fortunately for him his daughter was too immersed into the toys to even realise half an hour passed.

[a-certain-romance]

She can hardly wait

Characters/Ships: Yae Miko x fem!reader & Dehya x fem!reader

Synopsis:

Warnings: Smut written by a minor, a/b/o dynamics (both) possessive tendencies (Miko), biting (Miko), fangs (Miko), mentions of blood (Miko), Praise (Dehya), Riding (Deyha)

In actuality, you had nothing against not wanting Miko to help you through your heat. But you couldn’t help but be somewhat wary of the person she would become when the cycle gets to her.

So when your heat came around the corner and you avoided her as best as you could, this sly fox decides to make no interference whatsoever. If you really think you can handle it alone, so be it. She won’t stop you. Miko knows you’ll need her eventually. It’s only a matter of time until you come crawling to her with tears in your eyes.

In fact, she’ll do things to purposely tease the shit out of you. Showing off her legs more, whispering in your ear with a breathy voice, lingering touches too close for comfort. “I’m sure you must have a good reason to keep this from me. But dear, wouldn’t your rather let me take it from here, hmm?”

She wants you to beg for it. Her favorite part about this whole process is how weak and willing you would undoubtedly become. Miko can smell your desire from a mile away so it’s only a matter of time. She finds this whole idea laughable. What am I going to do, break you? She’s debating it.

It’s all fun and games to her. That is until, your scent starts to attract the attention of others. Left and right, men & women approach you more often, offering their their “assistance” to help satisfy their your needs.

And it ticked Miko off. Tch, like they can do any better. Perhaps she spent too much watching you tremble and not enough time doing anything about it. It’s about time she gives you what you’ve been aching for.

“My, you are desperate little thing” her index finger slides slowly down your stomach. “Tell me. Would you have said yes to them? Those faceless scoundrels who don’t know you like I do.”

“Never, Miko—“

“That’s right, because you’re mine. I’m the only one who can make you feel this good” She taps her finger firmly at your entrance in a familiar pattern. Three, two, one…one, two, three.

“Alright, I believe I’ve teased you long enough. It’s about time to let the world know who you belong to, don’t you think?”

Her pointed teeth pierce the skin right above your collarbone. At the same time, Miko slides the end of her cock past your folds. With that, every sensation becomes heightened. Even though it’s only the tip, you arch yourself close to her.

“Well aren’t you needy” She swipes a bit of blood off her pointed fangs as she smirks down at you. “It’s only just the tip. I’ve barley touched you yet.” Miko leans down to lick your wound clean.

“There. If anyone should dare to defy this mark, they shall answer to me. Now let’s finish this, shall we?”

Dehya on the otherhand is the polar opposite of Miko. She would drop everything to be with you if you called for her. She’s on you in seconds the minute she smells you flare up. Deyha’s managed to keep track of the time of your cycles so she can prepare accordingly. She’s been with you long enough to know the signs: flushed cheeks paired with a stronger scent and a little bit of extra clinginess. It makes her wonder why you’re hiding this time around.

Deyha brings a bag of overnight clothes to your place where you’ve been isolating yourself. She finds you huddled in a pile of blankets, sweating profusely. Only this time it wasn’t because of Sumeru’s intense weather.

“Missed me?”

You mumble out a response to which she shakes her head at. Before tending to your sexual needs, she forces you to drink a cup of water and removes a few blankets from your bed so they won’t get in the way later. You explain afterwards how Dehya’s involvement with Sumeru’s chaos lead to you decide to go through this one on your own since she seemed preoccupied with other matters. She lightly scolds you for not mentioning this sooner. Dehya doesn’t stay mad for too long though. Now that she’s here, she’s going to make you spend your day and night working through your heat.

“That’s it..that’s my girl. Think you can take it all the way?” Dehya opens your legs wider around her waist and pulls you close to her chest. It never fails to shock you how she can go from pampering you to pounding you at a moment’s notice.

She groans into your neck when she bottoms out. “You’re taking my cock so well baby”. Her hand caresses your cheek, “I’ll make you feel so good. I’m gonna start thrusting now, okay?”

Her stokes are languid as you get used to the position. But your intoxicating scent triggers a rut of her own. Her breath hitches. A new feeling suddenly being awoken. She brazenly pulls you you closer by the hips to meet her thrusts. The closer you are, the further she fucks her shaft into you.

“Nnh, please just hold still for me, like a good girl would” Dehya changes the angle to hit deeper than before. The way her cock drags against your walls feels heavenly. Despite this being your heat, she’s a whimpering mess trying to please the both of you.

“Baby, you feel so good,” she whispers close to your ear, “Such a good girl. I need to—“

Her the throbbing head repeatedly knocks against your cervix. She swells, pulls out, and shoots her load on your stomach. Your slick still continues to drip from between your legs; your satisfaction not entirely met. You still need Dehya’s help. And that means you’re going to let her take you however she wants, right?

[mindless-existence1]

Rottmnt Brothers Sick Fics

This is the second part in the Rottmnt Sick Fic serise. Leo was done first, find it on my masterlist, enjoy.

REQUESTS OPEN PLS SEND! REQUESTS OPEN FOR FLUFF AND KINKTOBER AS WELL!

Authors note: I understand that there's 7 stages of the flu in cannon rottmnt but for fic purposes that doesn't exist. This is slightly aged up so then it works out reader has their own apartment. Also this is for my boo boo bear hope you enjoy😚😚😚😚

When your boyfriend came over for your movie date you didn't think something would be wrong. But the second you opened the door and were meet with a sneezing and coughing terrapin you knew he wasn't ok. "Hey hun."

He greets you with a sweet voice that is groggy and slurred. "What's wrong babe?" Worry is evident in your voice while you help him into your apartment. "Oh nothing don't worry about it, Raph's fine."

He stumbles a bit going through the door and you just barely are able to hold him up. "Are you sick?" The question is slightly rhetorical since you already know the answer. Raph goes into a coughing fit, he nods his head while his face is in his elbow.

"Think I got it from pops." Your mind goes back to a few days ago when Splinter had gotten the flu. You knew how hard it had hit your boyfriends father-having first hand experience since you helped the brothers out- so you just hoped it was better for Raph.

"You didn't have to come today, you should be resting and taking medicine." Your worry is evident in every word. Raph just shakes his head, "Raph is fine, it's just a little flu nothing serious. Didn't want to miss our movie date."

You sigh, leading him towards your living room to lay him on the couch. "I would understand if we had to cancel." Your tone is soft as you lay him onto your couch that barley fits him. He sneezes into his elbow and sniffles.

"I dont like canceling plans plus I wanted to see you." He seems to be on the verge of sleep, just barely keeping himself from drifting now that he's laying down. You walk towards your kitchen that connects to the living room, "Do you want tea or anything to eat?"

He seems to think for a minute before shaking his head, "You don't have to take care of me, Raph's fine. Let's just pick a movie." He reaches for some napkins and loudly blows his nose while you go to your cupboard.

"I want to take care of you because you're sick. Now do you want tea? I also have a can or chicken noodle that you should have. It'll make you feel better." You start to grab the ingredients you need. Raphs coughs make you turn.

"Honey I swear I'm fine, can we please just start a movie?" Raphs actions defy his words. He slumps back into the couch and clears his scratchy throat.

"We can watch something when I get over there, after I make soup and tea." You cut him off before he can object. "And before you complain I'm hungry too so this isn't just for you."

Your voice is stern while you start the stove and find a pot and kettle. "Y/n?" Raphs voice is horse and quiet. "Yeah?" You don't turn to answer as you drop in two cans of chicken noodle soup.

"Thank you for helping me, Raph loves you." Your heart melts at the loving words. You can hear how exhausted he sounds, always having to take care of his brothers means always being tired. He never let himself be the one getting taken care of.

"I love you to." You hear him shuffle on the couch. After a few minutes of heating up the soup and tea water you prepare to give it to Raph. Two bowls get filled with steaming soup along with two mugs of tea.

It takes two trips to get everything to your coffee table. You notice how Raph seems to be sleeping peacefully on his side covered in a large blanket. After finding his favorite Jupiter Jim movie you decide to wake him up before his meal gets cold.

With a kiss on his forehead and a slight shake of his shoulders you wake up the large terrapin. He slowly pushes himself into a sitting position so he can eat easily.

You reach for the remote across the table and turn on the movie. As the opening credits role you say, "I'm guessing you haven't had any medicine."

You speak in-between bites of hot soup (pun intended). He shakes his head. "No, took some before coming over." He takes a sip of tea. "Didn't want to get you sick." He mumbles before shoving the spoon into his mouth.

You smile but don't say anything since the first scene of your movie starts to play. Half way through you finish your soup and rest your head onto Raphs large spiky shoulder.

You are careful not to hurt yourself on his sharp scales. You feel Raph flinch when he feels your head touch him, he slowly starts to relax. He has always been hesitant when it comes to physical touch. Always conscious of his larger size.

After a few minutes you start to fall asleep, once your breathing evens out Raph looks down towards you. He can feel himself slowly drifting so he carefully- very carefully- moves around the couch so you are laying ontop of him.

Soon you both are cuddling eachother to sleep, Raph can feel himself feeling better already. With one last look down towards you, Raph lulls into a deep slumber with you tightly in his arms.

[sgiandubh]

Whisky, gin and beer

It was always going to be about beer, too - not only whisky and gin. And it was probably designed to be a simultaneous project, that might have been postponed for various reasons: funny how all those intelligent people across the street forget everything about COVID, when it does not fit their agendas. And by COVID, I do not mean only the prolonged lockdowns, but first and foremost the worldwide logistics crisis, with compromised supply chains and overall a huge blow on the transports' sector.

In fact, looking at those trademark websites, it becomes evident that first (now abandoned) trademark application for beer was filed in at the same time as the one for whisky, on December 28, 2018:

Separate categories, as per US regulations, need separate filings, of course. And beer is a brilliant, simple idea, with high quality local ingredients (it's really barley, water, hops and yeast) relatively easy to source. Well, spare perhaps for the hops, but that is not really a problem, anymore:

(Source: the James Hutton Institute's booklet Hops in Scotland, 2018 - well, then. The institute is based in Dundee, by the way, so I think they know exactly what they are talking about, especially after a four year long feasibility study with encouraging results: https://www.hutton.ac.uk/news/scottish-hops-viable-commercial-crop-hutton-research-finds)

As I always make a point of reminding anyone, this page does not deal in fantasy and empty, meaningless scouring of social media accounts. And cackle to your heart's content, Mordor, but S seems to have a genuine, informed interest in the industry, as shown above.

This is a different business plan and a different marketing model, based on affordable production costs and yield/volume (as compared to successive, 'limited batches' of tequila or whisky, where the accent is placed on the excellence of the product and know-how, as reflected in the final price tag). You can bottle that beer or you can sell it on tap, partnering with local bars and pubs first, then progressively extending that network. And I bet the farm it is going to be a premium, artisanal beer first, with options open for a more democratic product, once brand awareness is properly built: beer is versatile, like that.

Whisky and gin were expensive, carefully curated pet projects. Beer is a fun, easy and lucrative one, with a wider clientele and fast growing potential. And this is how that unknown, struggling Scottish actor who once was the face of Tennent's has a fair opportunity to strike it big. To be followed, which I might do. And this is also how his products could cover the entire price range, from luxury to affordable.

It is also always disheartening to see how all those bitter women congregating on certain Tumblr pages feel the need to dismiss anything he does. As I always said and I always will, many of them have no idea about the very basics of business and trade, no exposure to that world and, to be honest, no particular intellectual acuity. Plus I bet the farm many of them lie about their own circumstances: it's easy to pretend, on the Internet and always sexier (and lame, of course) to introduce yourself as a corporate whatever than a secretary. But I wonder how would they feel, in the unlikely situation they would be running their own lemonade stand, if passers by started cackling and bitching about their trade, out of the blue.

So, all in all, we seem to be dealing with some careful preparation, portfolio diversification and yes, taking much needed strides away from McGrandma. To be continued, of course...

PS: FMN Gin, still crickets? Ahhh...

[lilibethdrawsreylo]

For my fellow Cullen-enjoyers, here's his POV from the first chapter of the fic I'm working on.

Water in the shaving bowl had frozen solid overnight. Over his years away from Ferelden, Cullen had forgotten how treacherous the weather in the mountains could be, even in spring. He’d have to see that his soldiers had extra heating runes to go between them, be it that Cullen himself was waking up drenched in sweat most mornings. He hadn’t touched lyrium since he came to command the late Divine’s forces and had a few months still before its song would become all-consuming. He only heard it in his dreams for now, boiling slowly like a frog. Foregoing the armor for a leather doublet for the time being, Cullen yanked aside the waxed flap of his tent. The camp under Haven’s logged walls remained quiet save for distant calls of watchmen, but the village’s lakeside gates were already ajar, with tavern folk going to-and-fro in preparation for the day’s first meal. Unnoticed without the steel and his red cloak, the Commander walked past bubbling cauldrons of barley tended to by yawning kitchen boys. He was soon stepping through snow that hadn’t yet been trampled on nor melted by bonfires. Cullen lowered himself to one knee near the lake shore, cupped the pristine snow in his ungloved hands, and put his face into it. For a blissful moment, the memory of lyrium’s blue humm was banished from his mind. He rubbed his palms down his cheeks as droplets of water trickled along his wrists. Before him, the black expanse of ice was starting to turn gray; as the dawn finally broke, he saw her. Cullen had watched her in the war room and when demons were falling from the sky, but it was like he’d never seen her before, the fine halo of hair aglow with the sun, blooming like a snowdrop between a fir’s raised roots. The Herald of Andraste. He understood it now. How he ended up near her, Maker knew, although those were Cullen’s boots that left tracks in the icy crust. He came to his senses upon approaching the lone tree she was sitting by, at the shore’s very edge. She’d been crying, Cullen could clearly tell, and now sat perched on a protruding root with her knees to her chest, letting the cold bite her reddened face. She gasped as she noticed his intrusion, and Cullen sighed to himself. Trust him to act like an oaf. “Forgive me, Lady Trevelyan,” he said, “I didn’t mean to disturb you.” “That’s alright,” she replied after a moment’s pause. “I was about to go back.” The lady looked up at him expectantly, and Cullen guessed to offer her his hand. He shivered when they touched. Were her fingers that chilled, or did his skin run too hot? As their hands parted again, Cullen reached for the clasp of his cloak—the cloak that was still in his tent. He… couldn’t very well present her with his doublet, could he? He wouldn’t dare. As they set out toward Haven, the lady kept her jaw tight lest her teeth begin to chatter.  “I thought I’d keep it to myself,” she eventually spoke, “but being called ‘Lady Trevelyan’ is about as odd as ‘Herald.’ My mother’s Lady Trevelyan.” “Oh. Lady Evelyn, then?” Cullen suggested, but she shook her head, small as a snowdrop beneath the green-tinged heavens. “I’d much rather just be Evelyn.”

As always, I plan to write the whole thing before posting to AO3. This one is most likely going to be long, so I can't tell when that will be - but I'm excited to share small excerpts here. :D

[iwanty0uu]

Hey guys change of plans. my mom just pissed me off and i wanna run away in my backyard and hide in my dad’s car trunk so imma take it out on yall rn.

Growing Pains

I loudly slammed the door, gasping as I came to my senses.. “shit..” I should know better than to slam a door in my Jamaican mother’s household.

Before she could even start cursing, you opened it wide and yelled, “MOMMY I APOLOGIZE I NEVER DID MEAN TO MAKE THE DOOR SLAM LIKE THAT”,

I mentally sanded my eardrums, preparing for the hurricane of curses and insults that would flood from her mouth, “OH SO YOU MOVE TO FOREIGN AND THINK YOU’RE ONE OF THEM AMERICANS HUH? I WILL SEND YOU BACK TO YOUR GRANNY, GIRL.”

Being the daughter of two immigrants was hard enough, and considering you were one yourself made it even more irritating. Your mom decided it would be a great idea to ship you off to the land of the free, alone at fifteen, and send you to live with your aunt in a literal plantation in the city..New York.

The amount of paper colored faces that crossed your path at the airport was enough to send you into a frenzy, so after begging for 3 years (mostly because you would go to the Columbia University this school year and she wanted to brag about you on whatsapp) mommy dearest decided to pack up, take your dad and little brother to New York until you finished college, and explore.

Your brother was only a year younger than you, and always complained about how you got to do more than him, even though the fact that his girlfriend could sleep over anytime he wanted (with the door closed) was enough to prove how subconsciously sexist your parents could be, but whatever, you’re eighteen, homesick, and doing your baby bro who you dearly missed a favor.

But times like these, when your words wouldn’t even go through one of your mom’s ears much less the both of them always made you regret begging. Your words probably deflated and fell to the floor like some cartoon animation the second they came out of your mouth.

But that was how useless they were, and you always felt angry about it.. but you were a big girl and you should be trusted more. You didn’t smoke in the house or barley at all, you hated alcohol, and was still a virgin..mostly! But she still argued, and as usual, it made the tears well in your eyes, and your father attempting to mediate the dispute, and your brother trying his hardest to comfort you, even though he knows that he will never fully understand.

But little did she know..those tears watered the seed of rebellion that grew roots in your stomach and around your torso, sucking and squeezing until there was nothing left but long, smooth dips. The roots twisted and wrapped around your pelvis, making them grow full and round like the mounds on your chest and the one behind you.

Your hair full and thick, sunlight hardly passing through the thick leaf-like coils, and the beauty on your face, as beautiful as a forbidden fruit, the forbidden fruit. The fruit that led to the destruction of mankind.

Her words played in my mind like a record on repeat, I could never hate her, but if she didn’t want to understand me, then why bother be everything she couldn’t be?….

᪥᪥᪥

I loved writing this maybe ill make a pt 2! tell me if ya want it fr this was not planned negl I was on the bus making this but I’ll see yall again tmr!! (yes this is gonna be an aot fic🙄)

~𝓁ℯ𝓁ℯ！

[gumnut-logic]

Okay

Have a little FishTank with a background of pissed off Scotty.

Many thanks to the amazing @onereyofstarlight for all her help on this and for putting up with my crazy as usual :D

It was supposed to be something and this is what happened. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

-o-o-o-

Virgil rolled his shoulders as he stepped out of the elevator and into the comms room. He wasn’t surprised to find Scott’s commander persona firmly and concisely flaying someone via hologram at the main desk. Virgil had no doubt that several heads would roll after this incident.

But he would field Scott later. Besides it was fair to let the person responsible reap their rewards.

A pissed off Commander Scott Tracy was a weapon of precise destruction.

For the moment, Virgil had two aims. He rolled his shoulders again. Maybe three. Some paracetamol wouldn’t hurt alongside the coffee.

Both would be needed to tackle his main priority.

His little brother Gordon.

Those four words made it hurt even more.

Because Gordon was his little brother and when some asshole threatened the Fish - no matter how adult his brother would ever be, he would always be their Little Fish - and then had the nerve to physically assault Gordon…

Virgil beat down his anger. Anger wasn’t what he needed right now. Scott had enough to cover the entire family and then some. What Virgil needed was to be calm and centred so he could be there for Gords.

Because despite having the military background, the tough exterior, and a strength of will that continued to stun Virgil with its ferocity, Gordon was…

Hell, he was Virgil’s little brother and while Scott eviscerated those responsible, Virgil had to make sure he was okay.

Beyond the obvious physical injuries.

The anger had to be stomped on again.

He jogged down the kitchen stairs and grabbed the paracetamol out of the medical kit stashed under the sink. He chugged it down with some coffee, probably hotter than it should be for the meds, but he needed both so that’s what he worked with.

Gords was lying on one of the loungers by the pool. It was odd to see him out there but not actually in the water. The sling holding a broken arm, the concussion, and black eye, hidden by convenient sunglasses, were reason enough.

As with all of Gordon’s injuries in the field, Virgil was fully prepared to find a way to enable his brother to get back into the pool as soon as possible.

It was a survival instinct, after all. A Fish out of water tended to be flammable and explosive - Virgil liked their villa in one piece and minus the pranks born of boredom or frustration.

But it would be a couple of days at least before Gordon could be let into the pool this time. The broken arm was fine, it was the head injuries that weren’t conducive to swimming.

Virgil stared out at his little brother a moment while downing the remains of his coffee. Food was likely out of the question, but Gords might be able to manage a light drink, get some simple sugars and energy into him.

Turning back to the kitchen, he rustled up some tropical fruit juices, coconut cream and ice, dropping a splash of cranberry into the mostly yellow and orange concoction. A small smile and Virgil dug out one of his brother’s little cocktail umbrellas to give it the Gordon-pizazz it required.

He even made one for himself, put both of them on a tray, along with a small bowl of brightly coloured barley sugars.

Holding the tray steady, Virgil stepped softly out onto the patio and bee-lined casually in his brother’s direction.

The dark sunglasses glanced up. “Virg, I’m fine.”

Virgil ignored him, sliding the tray onto the small table next to Gordon. Not saying anything at all, Virgil grabbed the nearest empty lounger and dragged it over, dumping himself into it with a sigh.

He claimed his drink and fiddled with the umbrella. They reminded him of his fish brother, they really did.

And the drink was cool on his coffee-blasted throat.

Nothing was said for a long moment.

“Scott toasting the GDF?” Gordon didn’t even look at Virgil.

“More like roasting, after skinning and gutting.”

“Perhaps we should put warning labels on our uniforms. Warning: Commander will go medieval on your ass if you ever lay a finger on any member of International Rescue.”

“Family.”

Gordon groaned. “Way to serious a perfectly good pun, bro.”

Virgil shrugged and his shoulders ached. “It was a serious incident.”

“Yeah.” The word was mostly breath and ever so resigned. His brother looked away, out towards the sea.

“How are you feeling?”

A sigh. “As I said, I’m fine.”

Virgil sipped at his drink. “You don’t look fine.”

Gordon shifted where he sat. “What do you expect?”

“No expectations.”

His brother scoffed and turned back to looking at the ocean. There was nothing but breeze, birds and the waves for a very long moment.

“No, I didn’t expect it all.”

“Expect what?”

“The good guy to be such an asshole.”

Virgil didn’t comment, sipping his drink and waiting…

“They are supposed to help us. Supposed to be us. I didn’t expect him to do that. I would never put my life above so many. I’m in this because I believe in what we do!” Gordon’s uninjured arm was pointing and gesticulating not unlike their biggest brother inside. Virgil was often struck by how Scott and Gordon were so similar, yet so different. “We are the ones with the skills, the equipment and the vow to do everything we can to help people out of dangerous situations. There were families, Virg! Little kids! And he was willing to sacrifice them all.”

“You did good, Gords, you know that.”

“I should have done better.” Gordon’s good hand balled into a fist. “I should have seen it coming. Should have seen beyond the uniform. Should have hit him harder!”

Virgil turned on the lounger and let his feet touch the concrete so he could reach over and place a hand on Gordon’s leg. “You did everything you possibly could. None of us expected betrayal, much less from the GDF.” He drew in a breath. “It will be fixed.”

Gordon scoffed. “Of course, it will be fixed. With both Scott and John on their asses, they’ll be lucky there is any GDF left by the time they’re finished.” Gordon wilted just a little. “I hate it when you guys have to do that. Scott doesn’t need any more grey hairs, and Johnny shouldn’t have to skirt the law. I should have handled it better.”

Virgil stared at his little brother. “What John does with the law is not your responsibility.” Though Virgil would need to check on his space brother. John was as pissed as Scott. Maybe they should have a movie night tonight with all the junk food to go with it. Drag John down, corner Scott, and get the lot of them to sit down and take a breather. A few hugs would definitely not go astray either. Some reassurance that Gords was still here. “And Scott is going to kick ass regardless. That GDF officer had no right to intervene on our rescue and then to put his life above all the others he was meant to save…” Virgil let the sentence hang and he fought down his rage and outrage again. He swallowed. “You did what you always do, Gordon.” His eyes latched onto those dark sunglasses. “You did us proud.”

The sunglasses stared at him a moment. “You okay?”

“I will be.” Once his brothers were okay.

“Virg?”

Virgil slid off the lounger and onto his knees, holding his arms out a little. “C’mere.”

Gordon rolled his eyes, but smiled as Virgil enveloped him in a hug.

It was for Virgil as much as Gordon.

To find a GDF officer on the train carriage had been a blessing at first. The man had taken charge, liaised with IR, and set people at ease. But once IR made it onto the scene and Gordon, and the rescue rig, arrived to start getting people out, the man has changed.

Sure, it was a perilous situation and yes, the train could have dropped any moment despite Two securing it with grapples. But nothing excused the man’s conduct.

He had thrown fellow passengers aside and demanded to be rescued first. Gordon, of course, said no. IR had its priorities and not only was the man a trained GDF officer, but fit and healthy, and, if the emergency became more dire, he would be more likely to survive a more physical rescue attempt. Unlike the elderly and the children on that train.

And hell, the man had taken a pledge to serve and protect.

None of them had expected anger from the man, much less physical violence. He grappled with Gordon, determined to board the rescue rig first.

Gordon was well trained and an expert in self defence. However, the dynamics changed when you were hanging over an empty chasm that ended in certain death.

Gordon was thrown from the train and it was one of the worst moments in Virgil’s life. Yes, his brother was tethered, thank god, but the carriage was precarious, moving with the sudden change in weight distribution, and tangling with the safety line. Both Gordon and the rig had been dragged down with the train, forcing Two to compensate. Alerts screamed as the grapples securing the carriage strained with the sudden shift.

Virgil’s voice still ached from his yelling his brother’s name.

And the lack of an answer.

It had been Virgil who shimmied down the rescue rig cable, desperate to locate Gordon with John worrying in his ears.

He had found his brother upside down with a massive dent in the side of his helmet, faceplate cracked, unconscious.

Virgil retrieved and secured him in the rescue rig.

Then it was Virgil who had to face the rogue GDF officer. Virgil, who was considered the gentle giant who wouldn’t hurt a soul.

Virgil, who physically picked up the yelling man and, despite his struggles, strapped him into the rescue rig in a very specific unable-to-move way. Hence the aching shoulders and the bruises.

Twenty people were rescued from that train, the very last barely making it out as gravity and wind finally took their toll and John was forced to release Two, or lose them all.

Most of them were injured in some way, but none as much as his little brother.

The GDF officer spent the rest of the ride strapped in the rescue rig in Module Two.

Virgil managed to not say a single word to the man the entire time.

Gordon woke up swearing, halfway to the hospital, and didn’t let up until the doctors let him go under Virgil’s supervision several hours later.

Debrief had been explosive. Scott livid, John tight lipped and furious, Virgil…

He pulled his little brother in just that little bit tighter.

“Oof, Virg, I’m okay.” But Gordon didn’t let go.

Virgil released him a little, but rested his head on his brother’s non-injured shoulder and closed his eyes.

And tried to convince himself of Gordon’s words.

-o-o-o-

[akehoshimystar]

Urara SSR

DELIGHT

Part 1

Roka: The event was a huge success ☆

Takeru: I'm relieved to see our customers leave the store satisfied. 

Urara: Tch….

I couldn't care less about their satisfaction or whatsoever, but one thing for sure, I don’t enjoy being dragged to this tedious event one bit. All I wanted to say now was, “Just let me finish cleaning and leave already.”

Akehoshi: I'll put new garbage bags here~

Then... Should I clean the counter?

Roka: Oh, Urara already did that! Hasn’t it become so sparkly?

Akehoshi: Oh, you're right. Urara-kun's cleaning technique is still as fast and thorough as ever.

Urara: You guys are just too damn slow.

Roka: True, if we worked a little faster, everyone could go home early and be happy.

Let me help you!

Urara: Hold it. Roka, don't move even an inch. You’ll just give me extra work.

Roka: Fufufu. Even I can wipe a table.

Now, check out my elegant art of table-wiping!

Roka getting all worked up gave me a bad feeling.

Takeru: Ah, be carefu-

Roka: Wahhhhh!!!

Sure enough, he knocked over the glass on the table and splashed water in every single direction.

Urara: Tch…………………..

Roka: I'm really sorry, Urara……

Takeru: I’m saying this for your own good, but Roka, you should listen to Urara and behave yourself.

Roka: Now I’m sad...

Urara: (What kind of reaction is that?)

Once Roka had quieted down, the work went smoothly without a hitch.

Akehoshi: It's finally over.

Roka: Good job, guys. It looks even prettier than before the event!

So, how about we all go grab something to eat after this?

Akehoshi: So it’s your treat?

Roka: That goes without saying!

Urara: …….

Takeru: Oh. Urara, are you heading back now?

If you're not in a hurry, come join us. It's getting late. Aren’t you hungry?

Urara: ...Who the hell's gonna go with you?

(Leave me out of it if you’re just gonna play around.)

Roka: It’ll be even more fun if you come with us.

Akehoshi: Well, you can come again whenever you want.

Ignoring the murmuring I could hear behind my back, I left the store.

Part 2

Urara: (Now, what to eat...)

As soon as I got back, I took out the leftovers from the bento shop from the refrigerator. I had initially planned to eat this yesterday in place of the meal provided, but….. It was left like this until now because Roka just had to bring an extra-large gift while we were preparing for the cafe event.

Urara: (Is it nearing the expiry date?)

…………

But even so, if I think it is edible, then it is edible. So I popped it in the microwave. I put the warmed side dish in my mouth along with white rice from the packet. However, the flavor of the fermented side dishes only added to the unsatisfying taste. 

The next day—. After a longer run than usual, I decided to buy a drink from the first vending machine I saw to hydrate myself.

Urara: (...I prefer barley tea over water….. Or maybe I should go for a sports drink.)

(Should I try the one that said it contained BCAA...)

Child: Ughh... I'm thirsty...

Urara: ……

I turned around to the sound of weeping and saw a mother holding her child, coming this way in a panic.

Mother: Alrighty, just wait a moment, okay?

Urara: ……

I put away the coins I had taken out and left. Not long after, they arrived at the vending machine and bought a drink without any hesitation.

Mother: Here, apple juice. Let's go sit on the bench and drink it.

Child: Okay.

Urara: (.....The coast is clear.)

After watching them leave, I went back to buy a drink.

Urara: (BCAA.)

……….

(Jackpot, I get a freebie.)

Since I got lucky today, I chose a PET plastic bottle of tea, and shoved it into my pocket.

Urara: Hmm…..

(it's kind of troublesome to run with this in my pocket.) 

Part 3

On the way home after a run.

Urara: (Still got nothing to eat. I should go grab something.)

The bento shop I know is just a stone's throw away. Just when I thought of going there….

A sprinkle of rain started to fall.

Urara: (Huh? It’s not in the forecast, is it?)

Bento shop employee: Welcome.

Urara: …….

As I entered the porch, the familiar voice of a familiar employee called out. I looked up at the sky, and the rain had already let up, almost as if it had never happened.

Urara: (So it came and went, just like that?)

I compared the bento sample with the daily menu written behind the cash register.

Urara: (The manager's recommendation is “Pork shabu with plum shiso sauce.”)

(For the daily special, it’s "Mackerel Nanban Bento")

……..

Mackerel Nanban Bento with tartar sauce.

Bento shop employee: Right away!

Bento shop employee: Sorry to keep you waiting. Here, your Mackerel Nanban Bento.

I put the money and point card on the counter.

Bento shop employee: If you come when it rains, you get double points. Here. 

Urara: ...The rain’s already stopping.

Bento shop employee: Fufu. Even if it’s just for a brief moment, a rainy day is a rainy day at the end of the day.

…...Oh, you've saved up some points already. Want to exchange them for some freebie croquettes?

Urara: If that’s all right….

Bento shop employee: All right, I'll put some freshly fried ones in your bag.

I took my meal and turned away.

Bento shop employee: Please come again~

Urara: ……

I placed the bento I bought, along with, and the croquettes and tea I had unexpectedly gotten on the table.

Urara: (Should I eat the croquettes before they get cold?)

It’s good.

The balance between the batter and the potatoes made me unconsciously let out a voice.

Ring Ring

Urara: ……Kamiya?

Kamiya: "Oh, hello, Urara. We're having some drinks at the dorm after this, do you want to join?"

Urara: Not a chance.

Kamiya: "Huh? Did something good happen?"

Urara: Where did that come from?

Kamiya: "Hmm. Just a hunch?"

Urara: "Shut your trap.”

Urara: …….

I put my phone down and took another bite. Though it had started to cool, it was still delicious.

TL Note: BBCA = Branched Chain Amino Acid, PET = Polyethylene terephthalate

[nothankyou543]

Leo Valdez x child of Poseidon pt 2

As Leo was walking back to his cabin still grinning from ear to ear he realized that he was going on a quest that week that he had completely forgotten about

it made him sad that he was leaving tomorrow because he wouldn’t get to see you

he then had an amazing idea

he ran back to your door and knocked on it

you were still in pajamas with your hair being a mess but he didn’t care

” get ready I have something I need to show you”

you were a little surprised but got ready and went with him

he led you to the forest talking about anything and everything on the way

thats how he learned you like f/c (favorite candy), loves f/m (favorite movie), and that you love f/b (favorite band) this would help him for future reference

you walked up to a door. A BIG door

Leo LIT HIS HAND ON FIRE and it opened

“welcome to bunker 9” he said as your mouth hung open

as the doors opened a DRAGON was inside

but it was bronze not a regular dragon

”this is Festus he’s our ride on the quest, I haven’t shown him to anyone yet”

“ so why are you showing him to me?”

“ because we might find Percy on this quest and I wanted to show you that we have a reliable ride”

”thanks it makes me feel a lot better that you you all will be safe even if I barley know you

just then Festus walked up to you and nuzzled your chest

you laughed as Leo said “ he likes you…hey do you want to go for a ride with me?”

you say yes and you both hop on Festus

the feeling of soaring through the sky is amazing

he gets close enough to the water that you can touch it and you do

your sitting in front of Leo and you can feel him behind you

it makes you feel safe

You start to feel a little lightheaded from exhaustion since you haven’t eaten anything and you’ve been a little overwhelmed

suddenly you blackout and the last thing you think is I just fell backwards onto Leo’s chest

leo is freaking out because you just passed out

you land back at bunker 9 and he get you down

hes carrying you bridal style and he walks back to camp like that with you in his arms

hes still freaking out as he takes you to the infermery passing annabeth and piper on the way

they look at each other in surprise as they see what’s going on and from then on they know you guys like eachother

leo walks into the infermery and finds Kayla

“ she passed out I don’t know what to do” he is still freaking out

Kalyan tells him to lay you on a cot while she does an assessment

Leo sits with you the entire time

piper and Annebeth walk in to see what is going on as they’re walking over Kayla say to Leo “ she passed out from exhaustion but it she doesn’t look healthy. I think she’s been starving herself”

Annebeth says “ y/n I knew you were skipping breakfast but I didn’t know it was this bad”

piper turns to Leo and says with a smile “ why were you guys together?”

leos face goes red “ no reason, just hanging out.”

Piper leaves to prepare for the quest

You Wake up about 10 minutes later and immediately Annebeth is looking at you saying “y/n why have you not been eating?”

you look shocked that she found out and hoped that she hadn’t found out other things to

Leo is there to

” I’m just not really hungry anymore”

Leo pipes up “ it’s not healthy to skip meals please promise me you’ll eat more”

”ok”

you walk out of the infermery and Annebeth pulls you to the side

convo goes as follows

“what’s up with you and Leo ”

Blushing “nothing he was just showing me something he found in the woods”

”it sure seems like you like him”

” ok maybe a little but what’s wrong with that”

” there’s nothing wrong with it but I don’t want you getting hurt”

you go back to your cabin and see something else on you door step

you pick it up and realize that it’s a few f/f tied together with a note attached

dear y/n, I hope these make you a little happier because you deserve that. - secret admirer

you smile and walk back into your cabin

Ok I’m gonna have to do a part 3 I’ll post it later

[faegoddessog]

Woman in Red Ch 9/17

Chapter 9: Dreams and Bacon and Falling 

Series Summary: She's a very successful woman who can't seem to find a partner that can keep up with her. He is just wanting to find someone who likes him for HIM, not his fame. Neither of them are prepared for what hits them when she walks into that coffee shop.

Chapter Warnings: Explicitly mature content, 18+ only, Unprotected PiV (play safe ya'll!), sleepy maybe non-con dream sex, vaginal fingering, he licks his own cum from her, nipple licking, hickies.

A/N: In this story, I make no mention of birth control or condoms or STI's. Please, darlings, please love yourself enough to protect yourself appropriately when you have sex. <3

Message me or leave in in a comment if you'd like to be added or removed from my tagged list!

@purejasmine, @slowsweetlove, @richardslady121, @austinbutlerslovers, @tadpoleteef

Here is the Woman in Red Masterlist

Here is the link to all my posted work: My Dirty Little, and not so little Stories.

Chapter 9: Dreams and Bacon and Falling 

Aya rolls over, sleepy lids lifting. The light in the room is gray, hinting at the coming dawn. She comes back from peeing and sees the shape of Austin. He is on his back, one hand is outstretched to the rumpled sheets where she had lain. The other is draped over his head on the pillow. He is like a god made even more beautiful in slumber. Her eyes drift down his body. He must sleep hot because the bedspread is pushed away, his chest is bare to the air and only the sheet covers the rest of him, barley. One muscular thigh bent to the side and sticking out.  Compared to her usual cocoon of blankets, he is like a grecian painting. Her eyes are inevitably drawn to the soft curve, the swell of sheets at his crotch. Even though she is barely awake, the total sight of him sparks her. 

Standing close to the bed, she curiously reaches one tentative finger out to caress the rise in the sheets. She finds hard flesh there and glides her palm over him. A soft moan emanates from him though he neither moves nor awakens. Clearly he is deep in REM sleep. She wonders what he is dreaming about to make his cock hard. With one hand, Aya slowly pulls the sheet aside, being careful not to wake him. His cock is so pretty. Not all dicks were, but his was a masterpiece. Of course it was, Austin was a masterpiece, body, mind and spirit. Long and thick, but not alarmingly so. The blonde curly pubic hairs that nestle at his base clearly groomed. She likes that. Her mouth waters at the sight of him. She realizes as wetness seeps over her other hand that has been rubbing her vulva this whole time. It strikes her hard how she just fucking needs him right now. Not just an orgasm, but him. Carefully, she slides over him, expecting him to wake at any second. 

He is in a meadow. It is filled with dandelions and soft grass. A stream rushes somewhere nearby. Aya in a pretty little dress is running ahead of him. The hem is rising and falling with her strides, showing little glimpses of her bare ass underneath. He catches up to her, grabbing her waist. The hem of the dress rubs his naked cock. He hadn’t known he was naked until now. The dress becomes a checked blanket under him and she is above him. He guides her down on his erect cock, hands on her waist. He moans, her pussy like magic around him warm and wet like velvet. 

Aya glides up and down on him, clenching her pussy, working herself into orgasm.  Her hands are on his gorgeous chest. She figures he has to be awake by now as his hands are on her hips, pulling her to him. He starts to thrust up into her. Fuck. How is it that he feels so fucking good at every angle? Her orgasm rises in her as he starts to fuck her a little harder.  She freezes and clenches, jerks, freezes again. Hushed little uh’s pop from her throat. It washes over her, soft and quiet, like the dawn.

He is fucking Aya, holding her tight, not letting her go. His cock is washed in her rain as she moans. She is a goddess above him, awaiting his offering, demanding his seed.  He feels her clamp down on him, insistent that he give himself over to her. He obeys and thrusts harder into her. He can hear her tiny moans like they are far away. Then he is pouring himself like a fountain up and into her waiting cleft. “Take me, I’m yours,” he tries to say to her.

After she cums, his hands clamp down and he drives into her. His stomach tightens not 30 seconds later. His hips tilt forward and his ass clenches in little rhythmic jolts. His eyelids quiver. A breathy openmouthed moan slips from him with his exhale. His chest expands under her fingers. 

“Mmm’ yers,” he mumbles. Then his whole body relaxes.

She lays her body on top of his, listening to the thump thump of his rapid heartbeat. His arms automatically wrap around her as he slips back into sleep. 

She realizes now that he was not entirely awake. Good lord, even mostly asleep he can make her cum. 

She rolls off him and burrows under her covers, taking him with her. Wrapped in his arms, she has no time for her inner questions about what the hell she is doing before she is fast asleep. 

Aya is woken, hours later by the smell of bacon.  She rolls over to Austin in bed, lying on his side completely naked, and  holding a plate on a dishtowel. 

“Hey you, good morning,” he says. He takes a strip of perfectly cooked bacon between his forefinger and thumb, taking a bite with feigned casualness. His lips come away shiny from the perfectly crisp-tender texture.  She smiles, licking her lips. and reaches out to the plate. 

“Oh no no,” he  pulls it away, “I got up early and made this for you. You have to earn it, honey.” He puts the rest of the piece in his mouth and plate down, out of her reach.  

Her bottom lip pouches out in a pout accompanied by a little whine. He rubs his greasy thumb over her lip and pushes it into her mouth. She sucks it off his thumb. Damn, she had never thought of bacon as sexy until this second. 

“That’s a good start,” his eyes are fixed on hers, “now open your legs.”

Her eyebrow cocks dubiously at him. 

“You aren’t gonna…” she asks looking at his still greasy forefinger. 

He looks at his finger then smiles a lopsided smile. He hadn’t planned on taunting her with the bacon. He was trying to be all sweet and thoughtful, since she mentioned bacon last night. He had rummaged around and found some in her freezer when he woke up and prayed that the smell of cooking it in the oven wouldn’t wake her up. He loved cooking for people. He was just going to wake her up, feed her a bite and invite her to the kitchen for more when she was ready. But seeing her lying there, the covers still pulled down from when he had gotten out of bed and exposing her exquisite ass made him think of the previous night. Aroused, he had stripped and climbed into bed to wait until she woke up. It didn’t take long.

He sticks out his tongue, cleaning off his greasy digit. Aya immediately thinks of that tongue on her clit, cleaning off a different mess. She is instantly wet.

He nods at her still covered legs, pulling his finger from his mouth with a light smack.

“Do it, or no bacon for you,” he sets the plate down and  picks up a short strip, dangling it teasingly. 

She flips the covers back and all at once she feels the need to stretch her whole body. She reaches up, arching her back luxuriously and pointing her toes. As her body relaxes, she runs her hands over her inner thighs, spreading her legs. Looking at him seductively, noting that his cock is now standing fully at attention.

“MMM, yes, like that,” he rolls on top of her in a one armed plank, holding the bacon still in his other hand.  He lets his cock probe and push of its own accord. Her hips roll to meet him. 

“Yeah,” she breathes out as he finds his way into her. 

He moans, closing his eyes. Suddenly the bacon is no longer between his fingers. He opens his eyes to see her chewing and grinning ear to ear.  

‘You little…” he begins to admonish. Her hot cunt clamps down around his shaft.. “Ugh.. fuck ok, you win.” 

“Yes I do,” she grabs his ass in both hands, pulling him inside of her deeper.  How is it that she always feels so fucking good? So wet all the time. 

He lowers to his elbows, she pulls her knees up high. They move together unhurriedly, him pulling up, her hips rocking him deeper as he comes down.  His lips nibble on her neck. 

“I dreamt about you last night,” he whispers into her ear, “you had a little dress on with no panties. I laid down in the grass and you were riding me. You wanted me to worship you. It was so real and so hot.” His thrusts get a little more intense as he recalls his dream. 

“It was real,” she giggles.

“What?” his hips stop moving and he looks at her. 

“Oh Austin, that wasn’t just a dream,” she tells him, a little sheepishly. 

“Oh yeah,” he pulls back, inquisitive and intrigued. “Tell me what happened.” 

“Do you seriously not remember?” Aya asks. 

 He blinks, looking to the side like he is trying to recall. 

“I saw you asleep like some kind of greek god,” she explains cautiously, “You were all hard under the sheets. It was so damned hot. I climbed up on you. You grabbed my hips and fucked me until we both came. I’m sorry, I thought you were awake by the end, but apparently not,” she bites her bottom lip, looking up at him, eyebrows lifted. 

“Well that explains why my cock was sticky this morning, I thought I’d had a damn wet dream,” he laughs. “Don’t look like that, it’s fine. Fully awake or not, it was fuckign hot for me.” 

His head dips to hers, capturing her mouth. The mutual taste of bacon mingling on their tongues. He never knew bacon could be so sexy. Breath blows out his nostrils. His hips thrust, grinding into hers. Her hands are kneading his ass, it feels so good. He is so turned on by the idea of her fucking him in the middle of the night, by his dream Aya-Goddess being real.  

She is relieved that he wasn’t mad, she makes a mental note to make sure he is fully awake  next time. His thrusts into her feel so good. His kiss is fucking delicious. She grabs at his ass, wanting him deeper. His breath swirls along her cheeks and she moans. She pulls away from his lips. 

“Oh yeah, just like that,” she moans, clenching down on him, “fuck me ‘till you cum.” 

He growls into her neck, giving in to primitive drive, fucking her harder. She is close, but not quite there, she just rides the wave of pleasure even if it’s not peaked yet. For the first time in a long time, she is just enjoying his pleasure, enjoying being fucked, her orgasm not on her mind, just feeling good. 

“You are so hot when you fuck me,” she moans, “no one’s ever been like this.” her words are streaming from her. “I want it Austin, fucking give it to me, I want every last drop.” 

Completely spurred on by her dirty mouth. He lets himself loose like he’s not in a long time, letting his arousal flow up and around him and he pounds into her, not holding back an iota. She is tight around him, wet around him, hot around him. 

“FUUUUUUCKKK’ he yells into her neck. His primal body takes over. His rhythmic thrusts becoming deep pelvic tilts, his abs curling inward and pausing, again and again until his tight ass shudders deep against her. 

“Oh! My! Fu-king gaw-ah ahd,” he moans as his cum spurts inside her. 

Watching, like, fully watching him cum in her, skyrockets her arousal. It's as if the ‘feral’ button were pushed in her brain. She needs more, she needs it now and she will fucking get it somehow. 

“Oh my god Austin, that was fucking hot.” she moans, writhing under him, trying to get friction from his still hard cock. 

He pulls out, squirming in overstimulation. He is smiling, thinking she is just teasing him. But when he sees her shaking lips, her flared nostrils and the intensity in her eyes; he knows what he has to do.

“Oh,” his fingers dive toward her gyrating hips, finding her sloppy, wet entrance. 

“You want it hard?” He says sliding into her.

“Oh god yes,” she moans, not sure if she is referring to his fingers or his question. 

He slams into her over and over, finger-fucking her. His palm is slapping against her vulva. His cum splattering on her inner thighs, her low belly, and his forearm.  

“My clit” is all she says.

Without thinking, he dives his mouth to her clit. He loves sucking a woman to orgasm.  As he closes his mouth on her, it dawns on him that what he is tasting is a mix of them, his own cum with her slippery fluids. He’s never done that before, it pings something carnal in him. Ever curious in nature, he dips his tongue into her lush entrance next to his fingers.  Creamy fluid covers his tongue, salty and a little bitter. He hadn’t expected it to turn him on like this. Moaning, he licks his cum up from her lips, drawing figure-eights around her clit. 

He is voracious for it, for her to cum all over his face. 

His obvious arousal at tasting himself on her is driving Aya into a frenzy. She grabs his head and gasps, sealing him to her. She grinds her pussy onto his face, his gorgeous face. His fingers and tongue lash at her. Her clit is superbly tormented in the vortex of his mouth. It’s more that she can bear.  She strains, mashing bundles of his hair into her fists, locking her thighs around his head, arching her back. Her whole body stiffens. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she worries that she might break his neck. She can’t stop it though, can't stop the freight train that is her orgasm. The roaring, arching, shaking, moaning mess that might as well have turned her into mist, sublimating her very bones with how hard it smashes into her. 

Shaking, she releases his head from her hands, from her legs. She tugs him up, kissing him, tasting them both on his wet lips. 

“Good morning to you too,” she finally says. 

…..

Austin does, finally, get around to finishing up breakfast for her, Bacon and eggs, with fresh fruit. They spend the day on the beach. It’s just a few steps down the embankment of rocks, through the gate and boom they were there. It’s mostly private, at least today.  They play in  the surf, sit in the sand, put sunscreen on one another, drink and talk about loads of nothing and everything.

It’s a relaxing day. 

On the way back to the house in the afternoon, they see Bee on the deck of her house holding Kato. She waves to them. 

Aya leads Austin to an outdoor shower on the side of the house. The path in is smooth river rocks turned on edge, providing a reflexology-like massage to the bottoms of their feet.  A curving stone wall makes it feel private, though it’s still outdoors.  Plants are strewn throughout in little niches and there is a matching stone bench. The open side is cleverly exposed to catch the afternoon sun. 

“Of all my showers, this is my favorite” she says, stripping out of her swimsuit. The sun is slanted just perfectly that it hits her naked body. She turns on the water. She squeals, but stays in the cold spray until it warms up. Austin watches as her nipples stand at attention in the cold water. His cock starts tenting in his swim trunks. He had been able to keep his dick under control all day; despite picking her up and tossing her into the waves, despite watching her rise wet, dripping  and laughing from the water, despite rubbing sunscreen into her back and wrapping her in a towel. But now that she is naked in front of him, even with cold water splashing on him, he can no longer keep it together. Her tits are so gorgeous. The drips of water from her hard nipples catch the sunlight. They look delicious and he just wants them in his mouth. 

“I believe we have a rain check to cash in? No? And since this is your favorite shower.” He unties and drops his shorts, not waiting for her to answer.

She was hoping that he’d take matters into his own hands soon. She’d been good all day! Lightly flirting, but in a way that is completely comfortable. She knew the possibility of paps with telephoto lenses or drones. Even though she doubted it, she tried to be vanilla and wait until they were back here, maybe even wait until after dinner. He had promised to cook ‘something’ for her. But when he is naked in front of her, she breaks the silly resolve to wait. She also knows her outdoor shower is safe from prying eyes.

He presses himself to her with a big breath. His mouth is insistent against hers at first. Then it travels over her  jaw and down her neck, stopping to administer little nips. He backs himself to the bench, pulling her towards him. 

Standing, the warm water runs down her back. He gatherers her tits in his hands, his thumbs grazing the tight, hard nipples. She shudders under his touch. His full lips curl up as he lifts his eyes to hers. She rakes her fingers through his now wet hair. He gently licks the droplets of water off one taut point, then the other, pulling each into his mouth. He sucks lighty, flicking with his tongue. 

She moans above him, the zings to her belly make her gasp. 

“I know this is weird, but can I give your breasts a hickey… or two? I’m feeling really oral right now, and I just want to suck on you,” he asks, always a sweetheart, is Austin.

“Yeah, sure,” she nods. She hasn’t had a hickey in years and never on her breast. She also totally understands ‘feeling oral’. 

His smile is full of boyish delight. He starts exploring the globe of her left breast with his tongue. He kisses and licks to find just the right spot. He lands just south of her nipple. He pulls her tender flesh into his mouth, sucking hard. His finger rolls the nipple on her other breast in equal, but different, measure. She moans, hips bucking just a little. She grabs his head, pulling him to her, gasping.  He pulls away with a pop, looking at the swollen red spot where his mouth had been, a smile plastered on his face. 

He has a thing for hickeys, for marking his lover. He only does it in discreet places like inner thighs and breasts and only with permission. Once he even left a pretty chain of them under his girl's bum, on the backs of her thighs.  He has never really admitted it outright. It’s easy to guess if you witness it, just how much he loves to see the little purple bruises he leaves.  It makes his cock so very hard. Very few know this about him and Aya is now at the top of this very short list. 

She is sucking breath through her teeth, looking at him with pure lust. 

“You like that?” he asks with a smile.

“Oh yeah, do the other one,” she presses her chest toward him. 

With a sly smile, he turns to her other breast. He licks and sucks at her nipple first. She feels a tell tale tingling inside her, wetness swelling her inside. Then he is pulling the skin under her nipple into his mouth, He moans as he sucks, sinking his teeth in just enough. 

“Hmmm,” he leans back, admiring his handiwork, “ needs more.” He dives back, sucking and biting. 

Aya is outright groaning now, dry humping the air and grasping at his head. By the time he is finished, there is a string of bruises adorning the lower half of each breast.  

She looks down, tongue on her lip. He looks up through his eye lashes. For the space of two heartbeats they pant at one another. There is no mistaking just how much each of them had been holding back out on the beach. 

All at once, he is standing, forcing her back through the stream of water. With a grunt, she hits the wall opposite them. In one smooth motion, he lifts her leg, draping it over his forearm. She reaches for his hardness, steering it toward her waiting opening. He drives in deep. They freeze, eyes locked. His back arches, sliding nearly out. Then plunges in again, glues flexing and knees slightly bent. 

She is caught in his blue eyed gaze, pinned to the wall in more ways than one. He goes at her again and again, pausing a beat or two between each luscious thrust. Only breath passes back and forth between their lips. She tightens around him. He abandons the pause, going harder into her. Her eyes start to flutter closed and her head begins to tilt back, pleasure mounting in her

“Uh uh,” His thumb and fingers close over her jaw, pulling her head back down, “right here.”  She  obeys, staring into his lustful deep pools as he dips in and out of hers. His own jaw tightens as he starts to fuck her in earnest. 

She struggles to keep her eyes open and on his as she begins to climax, cinching down as hard as she can on his cock. Her mouth drops in a silent scream as her back arches. Sounds seem to be antithetical to the lust filled moment. 

His breath is shuddering in and out of him as he rides out her orgasm, his control tight. Once her spine jerks forward, he lets loose. His cock pulsing inside her, his hips shaking, driving his cum deep with soft grunts. His hand never left her jaw, fingertips digging in as he peaks. His eyes never left hers. 

She pulls him into a deep kiss as they come down. 

“Well that was worth the wait.” she says as he slides from her. 

“I think you’ll always be worth the wait, Aya,” Austin can’t stop falling into her eyes.  Falling, falling, falling. 

She sees it, his descent. She knows deep down it’s happening right in front of her eyes. She pointedly ignores it. She should break eye contact, but he’s just too damn pretty.  What she doesn’t realize is that seeing him plummet means she too is on the precipice. 

…..

“What do you have going on this week?” Aya asks, leaning on the counter as he cooks in her kitchen. 

“Um, not much, I have some scripts to read, why?” he says, 

“Do you want to read them on the airplane and come with me to Montenegro?” she offers, like it’s ‘shall we do dinner?’

“Hmmm, is it work or pleasure for you?” he asks. 

“Pleasure, I have a place there,” her answer is off hand. She honestly hadn’t been planning on asking him, wasn’t sure why she was asking him now, only that spending time with him felt good. 

“Um yeah, ok. Let me call my people, traveling for me is a whole thing with airports and getting recognized…” he wants to go, but is not sure he is up for the whole rigamarole of travel. 

“No need, I have it all arranged. Just pack a bag and bring your passport. I’ll pick you up at 8 pm on Wednesday. Do you think you’ll need a bodyguard?” 

“What? No, no it’s not like that, just the airports usually have a service that will have security keep people at bay,” he explains. 

“Yeah, I wouldn't worry too much about that,” she pulls him into a kiss, ‘trust me, it’ll be fine.” 

It isn't until he is back in his car driving towards home the next day that he wonders what she meant by having ‘it all arranged’. Did she just assume he would say yes? 

He calls his people anyway, trying to cover his bases. They inform him that there is no commercial flight scheduled to Montenegro that evening. He is intrigued but decides to trust Aya.

[haggishlyhagging]

The original "medicine men" in history were actually women. Briffault writes on this subject, "The connection of women with the cultivation of the soil and the search for edible vegetables and roots made them specialists in botanical knowledge, which, among primitive peoples, is extraordinarily extensive. They became acquainted with the properties of herbs, and were thus the first doctors." He adds:

The word "medicine" is derived from a root meaning "knowledge" or "wisdom" - the wisdom of the 'wise woman." The name of Medea, the medical herbalist witch, comes from the same root.... "The secret of the witch," said an Ogowe native, "is knowing the plants that produce certain effects, and knowing how to compound and use the plants in order to bring about the desired result; and this is the sum and essence of witchcraft." In the Congo it is noted that woman doctors specialise in the use of drugs and herbal pharmacy. In Ashanti the medicine women are "generally preferred for medical aid, as they possess a thorough knowledge of barks and herbs." In East Africa "there are as many women physicians as men." (The Mothers, vol. I, p. 486)

Dan McKenzie, in The Infancy of Medicine (1927), lists hundreds of ancient remedies, some of which are still in use without alteration, while others have been only slightly improved upon. Among these are substances used for their narcotic properties. A fleeting review indicates the astounding scope of these medicinal products. Useful properties were developed from acacia, alcohol, almond, asafetida, balsam, betel, caffeine, camphor, caraway, chaulmoogra oil (a leprosy remedy), digitalis, gum barley water, lavender, linseed, parsley, pepper, pine tar, pomegranate, poppy, rhubarb, senega, sugar, turpentine, wormwood, and hundreds more. These came from regions all over the globe-South America, North America, Africa, China, Europe, Egypt, etc. Not only vegetable but animal substances were made into remedies; snake venom, for example, was converted into a serum to be used for snake bites, the equivalent of today's antivenin.

According to Marston Bates, very little had been added to this remarkable ancient collection of medicine, until the discoveries of sulfa and antibiotics. "How primitive man discovered the ways of extracting, preparing and using all of these drugs, poisons and foods, remains one of the great mysteries of human prehistory," he writes (The Forest and the Sea, p. 126). But it is not so mysterious when we look in the direction of the female sex and become acquainted with the hard work, vast experience, and nimble wits of primitive womankind, preoccupied with every aspect of group survival.

Not only medicine but the rudiments of various other sciences grew up side by side with the craft and know-how of women. Childe points out that to convert flour into bread requires a knowledge of biochemistry and the use of the yeast microorganism. This substance also led to the production of fermented liquors and beer. Childe also gives credit to women for "the chemistry of potmaking, the physics of spinning, the mechanies of the loom, and the botany of flax and cotton" (What Happened in History, p. 59).

-Evelyn Reed, Woman’s Evolution: From Matriarchal Clan to Patriarchal Family

[bluegoblinzz]

Fur, Tail, Teeth and Beaver Grow

On one October morning, Douglas and Dylan trudged through brown fallen leaves in the forest. Douglas was wearing some boots, a flannel shirt, and some overalls. Dylan wore sneakers, jeans a hoodie, and a pointy hat. Douglas had a beard, and was much more heavy set than Dylan. Dylan, on the other hand, had no facial hair, had glasses, and his hair was long, passing his jaw. They looked and acted so different that it was hard to tell they were twins. 

“Did ya have to wear that freak-hat?” Douglas grunted, “You do realize you’re not at that freak-job anymore.”

“Doug you don’t understand,” Dylan mumbled, looking off to the side, “a witch his who I truly am. I don’t care that my shop closed down. It doesn’t change who I am.”

“You’re not a witch,” Doug grunted, “We’re lumberjacks. Pa has been real mad at you for leavin’ our business and disrespectin’ him.”

Dylan scoffed and rolled his eyes. 

“Besides,” Doug said, “Witches are girls. Why are you callin’ yourself a witch? What are ya, a sissy?” 

“Boys can be witches,” Dylan insisted. 

Doug scoffed, “Yeah right.” He looked up at a tree, and then stomped his foot into the ground, stopping where they were. 

“This is a good one,” Doug said, “Now you stand back. Watch me chop this one down, and maybe you’ll remember how to be a man.” Doug took out his axe, widened his stance, and prepared to hack at the tree. Dylan glared at his brother, and put his hands on his hips. 

“I’ll show you,” He grumbled, “Things may be bad for me right now, but I will make it! My craft is not a waste of time!” 

“Shyeah,” Doug scoffed, “You keep believin’ that, Dill.”  He struck the tree with his axe a few times. And once he was able to get the right angle and the right amount of force, he began striking the tree in a rhythmic manner. And as he struck the tree he began to sing a song to the sound of each strike of his axe. 

“First the farmer sows his seed, 

He stands up straight and takes his ease,

Stamps his feet and claps his hands, 

And turns around to view his land.

Oats, peas, beans and barley grow, 

Oats, peas, beans and barley grow. 

Can you or I or anyone know; 

How oats, peas, beans and barley grow?” 

Dylan glared at Doug as he worked. It was his first day back on the job, and he was already being harassed, and for what? Wearing a silly hat? He remembered exactly why he wanted to leave so bad in that moment. He remembered how angry he felt all the time at his brother, and his father, and how suffocated he felt not being able to be himself. 

In a fit of anger he snapped a twig off of a branch of a nearby tree, and pointed it at his brother, who was still chopping away at the tree. 

If you love wood so much, then why don’t you eat it? 

A heavy breeze blew as Dylan waved the twig. He pictured Douglas with a tail, how embarrassed he would be about the tail, and how satisfying it would be to see Doug yelling out in horror as a tail grew in. And as Dylan envisioned that scene in his head, the back of Doug’s overalls twitched. Something on the inside pushed outward, and pushed out farther and farther, until the denim tore, and a wide flat brown tail flopped out. It was long enough to reach his knees, but then continued growing longer and wider until the end of his tail rested on the ground. 

But Doug didn’t notice; He kept singing and hacking at the tree, and now each time his axe made contact with the tree, he flopped his tail up and it thumped on the ground. 

“Next the farmer waters the seed, 

He stands up straight and takes his ease. 

Stamps his feet and claps his hands, 

And turns around to view his land.”

Then Dylan had an idea… maybe he wouldn’t need to go back to being a lumberjack and working for his family. Maybe he could continue being a witch without much of a problem. He kept his makeshift wand pointed at Doug, intending for the changes to keep taking hold of his brother. He knew that if he wanted the plan to work, he couldn’t bring much attention to the changes. If he alarmed his brother he would try to get away. Changes needed to be slow, and suggestion needed to be subtle.

Eventually the tree fell with a loud thud, and the snapping of many branches. 

“Wow!” Dylan gasped. 

“What?” Douglas said, turning around to face Dylan, “Ya never heard a tree fall before?” His big floppy tail lifted as he put on a snarky grin. 

“Well, yes I have,” Dylan said, “But isn’t it beautiful? The sound of all that… crackling and crunching wood?” 

Douglas frowned and furrowed his brow, his tail dropping to the ground with a thud. He didn’t glare at Dylan or look at him with any annoyed expression, seeming to be troubled with the question itself. 

“Just… C’mere and help me,” Doug grunted, thrusting his thumb behind him at the tree. Dylan nodded and wandered over to the other end of the tree. He started snapping off the branches, so that way the two of them could carry the log, but after about a minute, he began ripping off the branches slowly, looking over at his brother as he did. 

“What are you doin’? Work faster!” Doug shouted, glaring at his brother. 

“Oh but… listen to that…” he slowly peeled one branch away from the trunk before giving it a tug and snapping it suddenly, “isn’t that satisfying?”

Doug furrowed his brow again. After a moment his lips curved into a smile, and his teeth poked over his upper lip, his two top incisors expanding and stretching downward until they naturally rested over his lower lip. The dizzying effects of his magic were doing a lot of the heavy lifting, but Douglas’s obliviousness was a key part in having the changes continue without a problem 

Soon the work on that tree was done, and they were surrounded by twigs and branches. And as they were, the wind was picking up and the sky turned grey. Dylan knew it would be time to go inside, but their family never cared, they would work in the rain regardless. The next step was to hoist the log back up and take it to the truck. So as the two bent down to pick up the log, Dylan looked back at his brother. 

“Hey Doug,” He began, “you ever notice how wood looks so… crunchy?” 

“Hmmm, crunchy?” Doug asked, his tail flapping uneasily, “What do you mean?” 

“I don’t know,” Dylan replied, “Like… You just wanna bite down on it like a cracker, and gnaw on it… feeling the rough texture and nice, earthy flavor.”

“Wha-what kind of question is that?” Doug grumbled, “Why would I-“

Right on cue, and saving Dylan from suspicion, Doug’s nose turned black, and his ears perked up and became fuzzy. His eyes glazed over for a split second, and then he glanced over at the sticks surrounding them, he grinned and nodded. 

“Yeah… it does look crunchy,” Doug muttered, “Good call.”  Before the two hoisted the log up, he picked up a thick stick with his free hand, and as the two of them carried the log on their shoulders, Doug began gnawing on the wood with his big buck teeth. As he did, his eyes rolled backward slightly with satisfaction at the flavor. It made him feel more grounded and calm. The texture of the wood was rough and gritty, and it was stimulating to chew on. It was to texture as crinkling paper was to sound. 

Dylan grinned as he looked back to his brother, seeing him totally dazed as he chewed on the branch. The sky continued to darken and the clouds turned black. 

“Are you getting tired yet?” Dylan asked, “I see you put on a few pounds, and you aren’t as strong. It must be hard for you.”

Doug raised an eyebrow. As soon as Dylan said those words, Doug’s face got chubbier and rounder, his cheeks pushing outward to the sides. His fingers swelled, and his hands became meatier, before the swelling continued up his arms, putting pressure on the sleeves of his flannel shirt. And then his hair grew thicker on his hands and arms as well, at first just growing into long brown hair, but then layering up into brown fur. His stomach bloated and puffed, making his loose flannel shirt tight. His shirt then got so tight that one could see his stomach between the two sides of the shirt, the buttons barely holding it together, except his stomach was also covered in shaggy brown fur, just like his arms and hands and then, one by one, each button popped and sprang away from his shirt, leaving his shirt open, but even that didn’t stay for long, because then both sleeves tore, reducing the flannel shirt to a bunch of torn rags. 

Doug panted the further they walked and the fatter they became, and eventually he nodded, and stopped walking. 

“Yeah… we should take a break here,” He muttered. Doug moved his right foot out of the way and then dropped his end of the log. Dylan did the same. Doug settled down on the ground, and panting, shutting his eyes for a moment, his big floppy tail settling over the log. Dylan took a few steps toward  Doug, and to settled down in the leaves next to him. 

“This is some hard work,” Dylan said, “You deserve some rest.” He pat the fur on his brother’s arm. 

“Mmhm,” Doug muttered, his eyes still closed, a smile washing over his face while. Doug’s hands continued to change, an extra flap of skin emerging between each of his fingers, and fusing together to make webbing. The legs of his pants were puffing up, suggesting that fur was growing along his legs as well. 

“It’s such a warm day,” Dylan said, as the winds got faster, “making you feel all warm and fuzzy…” as he spoke, he leaned over and began untying his brothers boots. 

“Mmm.”

“Makes you wanna kick off your shoes, and just make yourself at home.” 

Doug shook each of his feet, making his boots jump off his feet. Underneath his white socks his feet twitched, as he wiggled his toes. While his feet weren’t visible, they seemed to morph and change shape under the socks, multiple digits moving together at first, but then they seemed to swell and fuse. Soon his feet as a whole swelled, growing twice their size, and tearing through the socks. They had become covered in black fur, and were webbed like his hands. 

“And the sun is so bright… its beams hitting your face, and making you feel so warm…”

“Ahhh.”

There was, in fact, no sun, and the warmth spreading across was brown fur at last growing in, covering the last of his human skin. His ears shrank and began moving to the top of his head, his brown beard thickened, existing hair growing longer, and more hair sprouting and layering, turning into thick fur. His blackened nose twitched and grew larger, and around his nose, some whiskers began  sprouting, and then his nose and mouth pulled forward slightly into a beaver’s snout, his face morphing and ceding any remaining features that resembled a human’s. Doug smiled, and placed both his webbed hands on his belly, settling into slumber. 

Dylan grinned, realizing the changes were complete and he had won. Doug’s body had completely changed and his mind was at the whims of Dylan’s suggestion. But he realized he wasn’t satisfied. Before he did anything else, he needed to show his brother that he had won. So he stood up in front of Doug and snapped his fingers. Doug woke with a start, blinking and looking around very confused. 

“Huh?” He asked. He looked down at his webbed hands, then patted the fur on his stomach, and then prodded his nose with a finger, his eyes getting wider and his expression getting more fearful

“What the-“

Before Doug could do anything else, Dylan pressed his heel against Doug’s stomach. A powerful gust of wind ran by as he did.

“Rise and shine, Douglas.” 

“Get off me!!” Doug shouted, “What are ya, crazy?!”

“Look at what my ‘useless’ power did to you,” Dylan said. 

“Change me back! Ya better fuggin’ change me back, or else I’ll-“

Dylan snapped his fingers. Doug stopped talking, stared straight ahead, his jaw dropped and his eyes glazed over. Dylan snapped his fingers again, and Doug stirred, returning to reality but appearing more uneasy than angry. 

“I wouldn’t talk that way to your master if I were you?”

“M-master? Don’t be ridiculous,” Doug scoffed. Although: his macho vibrato had dissolved. 

“Your mind is already mine to play with,” Dylan shrugged, “So deny all you want, but you know deep down that you really want to chew on wood.” 

“Huh?” Doug asked. His hands moved by themselves and picked up the branch next to him. And began lifting it toward his face. 

“Wait no! I don’t want it! It’s…” Doug’s eyes glazed over, “So…” The sides of his mouth curled into a smile, “crunchy.” The big beaver gnawed on the wood, breaking off many pieces of the bark with his incisors. Then he held it in his mouth, his eyes rolling back. 

“Oh it’s so tasty… no… but the flavor is… mmm ARGH! Dylan, make it stop! It’s so confusing!” 

“Don’t worry,” Dylan cooed, “soon you’ll just be a beaver and you won’t need to be confused. 

“You motherfucker! Pa is gonna kill you when he-“ 

“Shut up!!” Dylan roared. The strong wind blew his hat off, and messed up his hair, making it wave wildly. 

“You and dad always want me to be something I’m not!” He continued, “I’ve worked so hard and gotten so good at magic and you just bully me! I can’t stand working with you! I can’t stand being around dad! I am not going back to him!” 

Douglas’s jaw was dropped, looking at his brother in awe. Dylan had always been such a wimp, easy to push around… when did he get this scary?

Dylan pulled a bright green pendulum from his pocket. It was made for divination, but here he would use it for another purpose. He leaned forward, getting a little closer to Doug, and flashing an evil grin, his hair ruffled like a madman. 

“And neither are you,” He whispered. Dylan released the pendulum from his hand, letting it dangle, and then let it sway back and forth in front of Doug’s eyes. Doug watched in fear and confusion, his eyes fixated on the green gem but looking with a wide eyed gaze, clearly afraid of what might happen. He opened his mouth as if to say something, and but then his eyes fell closed. When he opened them again, they were glowing, two ethereal disks embedded inside each eye, each one made of green spiraling energy. His jaw was dropped and his eyes were wide, an expression of pure shock. 

Dylan stepped off of his brother’s stomach and off of his tail, still standing in front of him but still swinging the pendulum in front of Doug’s eyes. And as Doug watched, Dylan began singing a mocking song at Doug, and Doug’s tail flopped to the beat of the song. 

“The witch goes against the grain,

Tricks his brother, scrambles his brain.

A flop of a tail, and a crunch of the wood

The reprobate’s mind is gone for good. 

Fur, tail, teeth and beaver grow

Fur, tail, teeth and beaver grow.

Can you or I or anyone know

How fur, tail, teeth and beaver grow?”

The more Doug watched the pendulum, the happier he became and the fewer thoughts crossed his mind. A heavy sleepiness washed over him and he his head kept falling downward, nodding it up as he struggled to stay awake. His eyelids drooped in a similar manner. As Dylan sang, he didn’t register the meaning of the song, but it made him feel happy, and lifted his spirits up. He decided it was his favorite song.

“Eat more wood,” Dylan commanded. 

“I’ll eat s’more wood,” Doug said in a daze.  It crossed his mind as if it was his own idea. Why wouldn’t  he want to gnaw on wood? He was a beaver after all. He picked up his stick and gnawed at the edges again, slowly crunching on the bark. 

“Just let that taste ground you, relax you… And listen to my words. You’re not a lumberjack, you’re my familiar.”

“I’m not a lumberjack,” Doug droned, “I’m your familiar.” Whatever a ‘familiar’ was was unfamiliar to him, but he was eager to find out, eager to become one. It sounded much easier than being a lumberjack. 

“A dumb, helpless animal that needs to be cared for.” 

“Dumb… Helpless…” Doug felt good saying this. It felt good to cede responsibility, and to be taken care of again. 

“You will aid me in my spells and obey my command.”

As those words sank in, Doug noticed the strong desire to follow them. The calmness and security in the idea that he didn’t need to think for himself was alluring to him. 

“Obey your command…. Master?” 

Dylan grinned at that. 

“Yes, I am your master and you will give me the respect I deserve.” 

Doug realized he was wrong before. Being a witch wasn’t bad or wrong, and his brother worked very hard to learn this magic. He shouldn’t make fun of him and he should support him. He suddenly felt a strong affinity for his brother, a brotherly love that was buried under rivalries and remarks. 

I must obey him… I must protect him. I must… love him. 

Doug continued to watch the pendulum, and continued chewing on the bark on the stick, his eyes drooping a bit more, but suddenly, his eyes opened really wide devoid of their green spirals. The wind stopped, and sunlight peeked through the clouds. Dylan grinned at first, thinking that Doug was completely gone, but then he noticed his eyes had changed back to normal, and his expression was agog. The big beaver looked up at the witch and tilted his head. 

“Dill?” He asked, a playful smile forming on his face. Dylan looked back and forth, snapping his fingers trying to get the spell to work again, but Douglas wasn’t falling back to sleep.

“No, no,” He muttered, “Why did it stop working?”

Doug stood up, flopping his tail on the ground when he did, and looked down at Dylan with an affectionate smile. Dylan looked up at his brother, in horror at the beast he had become, and in fear that his magical creation would turn against him. Instead, the big beaver wrapped his arms around the witch, and tightly embraced him in a fluffy hug. His tail thumping happily behind him.

“I love you,” The beaver said, “you’re the best brother.” Dylan stood dumbfounded for a moment. This wasn’t supposed to happen. The spell wasn’t supposed to work this way. Doug was supposed to be gone, and a mindless beaver was supposed to be in his place… But then he processed what Doug said. He hadn’t heard that from anyone in years. He hadn’t been hugged like this…  ever. A few tears rolled down his face, then a lump formed in his throat, and then he sobbed, pressing his face against the beaver’s fluffy stomach as he cried. Before he knew he deserved better, but this new Douglas he knew he didn’t deserve. This new Douglas was too kind, too loving, too fluffy for an evil witch like him.

“Oh no!” Doug said, “Don’t cry! I want you to be happy.” He pat the back of Dylan’s head with one of his webbed paws. Still crying, Dylan opened his arms and hugged the beaver tightly. 

“Here,” Doug said. He lifted his brother up, off the ground, and readjusted him so he was cradled in his fluffy arms, “We’re gonna go home now, and I’ll do whatever you want. Okay? … It’ll be okay, I’m here now.”

Dylan shut his eyes, tears still streaming from them, flowing down his cheeks, and he rested his head on his brother’s arm. He didn’t understand this kind of love, as he had never received it from his brother, but he embraced it in that moment, hoping it would last, and hoping he would build a more genuine relationship with Doug. 

The clouds were parting and the sun was coming out once again. It was a nice day, how could Dylan be sad? It wasn’t right that he was sad. He knew he needed to do whatever it would take to make him feel better. For now, he decided it would be good to sing to him. So as they walked back to the truck, Doug sang his favorite song. 

“My brother is a witch named Dill

I act and think upon his will

Because I love him and he’s good

And he gives me some tasty wood.

Fur, tail, teeth and beaver grow

Fur, tail, teeth and beaver grow.

Can you or I or anyone know

How fur, tail, teeth and beaver grow?”