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pablice · 1 year ago

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I Ate an Apple a Day and Lost 10 Pounds in 2 Weeks - My Results

What Inspired Me to Try the Apple Diet I recently read an online article about the health benefits of consuming apples. After some research, I decided that I wanted to try the Apple Diet to see if it could help me lose weight and get healthier. The Apple Diet promised to not only help with weight loss, but also in terms of overall nutrition, energy and stamina. I wanted to see if it could help me accomplish my goals. To prepare for my experiment, I read up on the diet and consulted with a nutritionist. They informed me that the Apple Diet is low in calories and could be an effective way to lose weight. They also pointed out that while many diets rely on processed food, the Apple Diet relies only on fresh, natural foods. This resonated with me and I felt inspired to give it a go. The Apple Diet Basics The Apple Diet is a modern diet that relies on apples as the main component. It is both simple and effective, making it popular among dieters. The idea behind this diet is that apples contain many important nutrients, vitamins, and fibres that can help promote a healthy lifestyle. The main focus of the Apple Diet is to focus on the nutrient-dense properties of apples while avoiding unhealthy processed foods. The diet encourages people to consume more fresh fruit and vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbs in place of unhealthy processed snacks and meals. The Apple Diet also focuses on cutting down on sugar and saturated fats, while increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids. My Diet Plan and Exercise Routine For my diet plan, I reduced my calorie intake and added an apple to every meal. I also cut back on sugar and processed foods. Additionally, I made sure to drink plenty of water. When it came to exercise, I incorporated light cardio and strength training into my routine. I worked out three times a week for an hour each time. I made sure to include a mixture of cardio and resistance activities. I took steps to ensure progress. I monitored my progress by taking measurements of my physical size and weighing myself every week. I challenged myself to do a few pushups or pullups each day. I was also careful to stick to my routine, regardless of how I felt. My Results After Two Weeks After two weeks on the apple diet, I felt pleasantly surprised with the results. While I had expected to lose a few pounds, the number on the scale seemed to shrink quickly and steadily. Not only had I lost weight, but I felt more energetic and happier than before. It was a great motivator to keep going with the diet. Aside from weight loss, I also noticed something more subtle. My skin was softer and looked brighter with better color than before the diet. My clothes fit more comfortably and my body seemed to be more toned. It was a subtle change that made me feel great inside and out. Pros and Cons of the Apple Diet The Apple Diet is known for being a safe and efficient weight-loss option. Eating apples is thought to increase metabolic rates and flush out old toxins in the body which can help with weight loss. Apples are also naturally low in calories and sugar, making them an excellent snack choice for those seeking to limit their caloric intake while still feeling satisfied. Additionally, apples are full of dietary fiber and vitamins, making them a great snack choice for those looking for healthier alternatives to processed sugary snacks. On the other hand, the Apple Diet does not provide the diverse range of nutrients that are typically included in balanced dietary plans, so it is not recommended as a long-term way of managing your weight. Eating only apples can also lead to a lack of energy due to low protein and caloric intake. Furthermore, those with digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome should be aware that nutrients in apples, such as fructose, may lead to digestive issues in some individuals. Nutritional Facts on Apples Apples are a nutrient enriched fruit, providing numerous essential vitamins and minerals which are essential for good health. They are an excellent source of dietary fiber, low in calories and free of fat, cholesterol and sodium. Apples are packed with essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, Flavanols, potassium and magnesium. Vitamin C helps to strengthen the body's immune system and reduce oxidative stress. Beta-carotene acts as an antioxidant and protects the body from free radical molecules. Flavanols are beneficial for healthy blood circulation, lower cholesterol levels and also help to lower blood pressure. Potassium and magnesium help to regulate the electrolyte balance in the body and are also beneficial for maintaining bone health. Apples are also an excellent source of dietary fiber which helps to lower cholesterol, improve digestion and aid in weight control. They provide a wide range of antioxidants that protect the body from serious illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. Apples are also known to help prevent chronic conditions such as diabetes, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. Apples are a great snack food to satisfy hunger cravings without blowing your calorie limit. The all-natural sweetness makes them a great substitute to unhealthy snacks loaded with sugar and fat. My Final Thoughts on the Apple Diet The Apple Diet was overall a positive experience for me. It allowed me to lose some weight over the course of two weeks, while also teaching me more about proper nutrition. I felt more energetic on the few days after finishing the Apple Diet, and I liked that I was able to adapt my own diet plan around it. Eating all of the apples over two weeks also gave me an appreciation for the flavor of fruit. While I did experience some benefits from the Apple Diet, I did not see significant enough results to consider doing the diet over a prolonged period of time. The strict guidelines of the diet may also not be feasible for some, as it requires you to reduce your caloric intake quite drastically. I would recommend giving the Apple Diet a try for two weeks to see how you feel, but it may be more beneficial to return to a regular diet with a balanced approach that contains more variety. Possible Alternatives to the Apple Diet The Mediterranean diet is a great alternative to the apple diet. It involves eating a variety of plant-based foods, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats from olive oil, and fish and poultry. The diet emphasizes keeping red meat and processed foods to a minimum. Studies have found that the Mediterranean diet can help reduce risk factors for heart disease and reduce body fat. Another great option is the flexitarian diet. This diet is focused on eating mostly plant-based foods, but allows for small amounts of animal protein such as fish, poultry, and eggs. The flexitarian diet emphasizes vegetables, legumes, and whole grains as the main sources of protein. The diet also reduces processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats. Studies have linked the flexitarian diet to improved heart health and weight loss. What is the Apple Diet? The Apple Diet is a form of intermittent fasting involving eating only apples for breakfast and dinner and having a light lunch. This diet is meant to provide a boost of energy and can help people lose weight if done properly. What inspired you to try the Apple Diet? I was inspired to try the Apple Diet after reading about the health benefits of apples and the potential for weight loss. After doing some research, I decided it was worth a try. What were the basics of the Apple Diet? The basics of the Apple Diet involve only eating apples for breakfast and dinner and having a light lunch. Additionally, you should drink plenty of water and stay active throughout the day. What was your diet plan and exercise routine? For my diet plan and exercise routine, I ate two apples for breakfast and dinner and had a light lunch. I also made sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day and exercised for at least 30 minutes every day. What were your results after two weeks? After two weeks of the Apple Diet, I had lost a few pounds and felt more energetic. My skin also looked healthier and I had more mental clarity throughout the day. What are the pros and cons of the Apple Diet? The pros of the Apple Diet include weight loss, increased energy, healthier skin, and improved mental clarity. The cons of the diet include potential hunger pangs, lack of variety in meals, and difficulty sustaining the diet plan in the long-term. What nutritional facts are there on apples? Apples are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. They provide a good amount of energy without containing too many calories. Apples are also known for their ability to help with digestion and help reduce the risk of certain diseases. What are your final thoughts on the Apple Diet? I found the Apple Diet to be a great way to give my body a boost of energy and to lose a few pounds in a relatively short amount of time. However, I do think that it can be difficult to sustain over the long-term, so it's best to combine it with other healthy eating habits. What are some possible alternatives to the Apple Diet? There are many alternatives to the Apple Diet such as the Cabbage Soup Diet, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Raw Food Diet. Ultimately it is important to find a diet that works for you and fits with your lifestyle. Read the full article

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nickgerlich · 1 year ago

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Nuke This

It is no secret that packaging has become the bane of our existence. Aside from fresh fruits and vegetables at the grocery, nearly everything we purchase has some level of packaging. And that packaging is there to protect the product, preserve freshness, and promote the brand. It is a necessary evil.

The problem, though, is all that trash left behind after we consume the product. Take a look at your local landfill, and you can see what I mean. It is quite literally—and sadly—a growing issue.

There is no lack of talk about sustainability, recycling, and all those noble pursuits. But putting those into practice has proven to be a non-starter at worst, or a lukewarm effort at best. In order to achieve the desired result, which is reducing waste and being environmentally responsible, it is going to take buy-in at all levels, and, I hate to say it, probably some governmental intervention.

Still, there are occasional efforts to effect change. Last summer whilst in Saskatchewan I had occasion to stop by a Starbucks for coffee and a bagel with avocado spread. The knife they included in the bag was made of bamboo, the result of federal legislation there banning certain single-use plastics. I rather liked it, because bamboo knives are not going to snap like plastic ones can.

And then there are straws, which some companies—once again, Starbucks—have vowed to replace with paper versions, not to mention an entire state, as in California. Still, such efforts are often met with snickers and ridicule from those who just aren’t having any of this. They couldn’t be bothered.

But here we are, and now one of the most popular food products of college students and the otherwise budget-challenged is making a major packaging change. Cup Noodles, the familiar serving of ramen in a variety of flavors, is replacing its styrofoam cup with one made of paper. The new cup will also be microwavable.

At this point you are probably thinking: “Whaaaaat? I’ve been microwaving these things for years.”

Yeah, it turns out that microwaving polystyrene, which is the technical name for Styrofoam, the trademarked brand of extruded polystyrene foam, or XPS, should never be microwaved. They can leach nasty chemicals that might cause cancer. You were living dangerously and didn’t even know it.

Reactions have been mixed. Hard-core packaging critics concede that, while this is a step in the right direction, we need to do so much more of this across the board. And then the usual court of cranky naysayers respond with their go-to emoji. You know. The laughing face. Because they really don’t have any words to add to the conversation.

The maker of Cup Noodles reports the change is the result of consumer demand, which may very well be true. Given that current college students are Gen-Zers and highly likely to have adopted an environmental mindset, this is believable.

It’s just that, industry-wide, sustainable food packaging has been very slow to gain traction, and equally slow to be adopted by consumers. Coca-Cola may boldly print “Recycle Me” on its cans, but in the end, it is up to us to do so.

And so it goes. Instead of waiting for companies to get on the sustainability train, we should be driving the locomotive. If we—meaning all of us—cared a little more, companies would respond. When it comes at us from the companies, some folks will feel like they are being forced to change. As we know all too well, change is a hard pill to swallow for many.

Good on Cup Noodles for making this change, and also saving future generations from possible cancer after nuking their dormitory dinner. But the impetus needs to come from us. I just can’t figure out how to convince the folks on the other side of the aisle. Apparently their short-term convenience is more important.

Dr “Feel Free To Microwave That Thought” Gerlich

Audio Blog

#marketing #styrofoam #Cup Noodles #packaging

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futurefounders · 2 years ago

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Food Insecurity

What are possible ways of alleviating food insecurity problems in the Cincinnati area (including UC campus)? Support your answers with visual examples.

Almost everyone in Cincinnati, especially near campus, has a gas station close enough for them to walk to. Since gas stations typically only sell imperishable foods such as dried, processed, and tinned products, they all lack nutrients and vitamins. The people who walk to a gas station to get their food aren't eating as healthy as people who have access to grocery stores because there are much less choices. By providing these gas stations with healthier options such as fresh fruits, vegetables, pre-prepared healthy meals, and even pamphlets on how to eat better, this would help these families tremendously. Giving these gas stations funds to bring in much better options will help the city as a whole to get out of food insecurity situations.

Written by Bella Nelson.

One of the biggest problems we noticed when coming to college is noticing the amount of waste we produced in the dining halls and in our dorms. An abundant amount of food is thrown away in the dining halls because people overfill their plates with the buffet-style option. Aside from encouraging students to be more cautious with their portions, the dining halls should implement a composting system to create a greener solution to food waste. Compost minimizes the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, strengthens soil quality, and reduces soil erosion. The soil created from composting can then be used to create a community garden to provide more healthy options to college students. Produce and perishable items may be hard to buy in small quantities, therefore, many students face food waste problems when they’re buying groceries and eating for 1. One way we can combat food waste in residence halls is by providing community fridges, for students to take what they need and leave what they can.

Written by Reagan Sears.

The lack of traditional grocery stores with large selections of fresh food in neighborhoods with high poverty rates is certainly a barrier to those residents accessing fresh food. But the bigger and more immediate problem is the cost of going to the grocery store, and the cost (in time and money), of buying and preparing healthy food. Since the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI, which provided funds and tax breaks for opening grocery stores in underserved areas) was enacted in 2010, research has shown that families in areas where a grocery was added didn’t change their buying habits that much, and that people sometimes even traveled further to get cheaper food, or kept buying at dollar stores that provided fresh food if there were any near them. Research has also shown that people in wealthier neighborhoods often travel similar distances by car to get groceries as people in poor neighborhoods.

So it seems that the problem is more the fact that people are in poverty, and a comprehensive solution is needed to reduce financial stress on people in poverty and/or with lower incomes. Some places to begin, which apply anywhere, but could be implemented in Cincinnati, would be increasing the minimum wage to a living wage, maybe creating a system through which people can get subsidies specifically for car payments and other things to help build their credit, and expand who can get rent subsidies, as well as make them available in any rental. It would also be useful to expand who qualifies to use SNAP, and in the longer term design public transportation to make it quick and cheap to reach grocery stores from low income neighborhoods and carry groceries back home.

HEALTHAFFAIRS.ORG

PJ Schomaeker

Hunger and other forms of food insecurity affect the majority of Cincinnati residents in simple ways. Having a mentality of thinking about how college students and locals can get enough food People who are passionate about this societal issue should want to help send things to the university or other nonprofit organizations such as food, clothes, and toiletries, which is why the Bearcat Pantry exists on campus so that college students who struggle with money or don’t have enough can have access to these necessities.

Outside of campus, many locals who live in low-income, underserved neighborhoods struggle with food insecurity. It will be a complicated problem to think about how to give free food to those who are struggling to live without making them too dependent on free food. We believe that the best way to assist the city of Cincinnati is to raise funds to help them build their local infrastructure. However, this effort needs to be very well coordinated so that the two essentials do not hurt each other, and there is a central authority that can get involved. Written by Tori Walker-Gulley

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zenosanalytic · 2 years ago

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I don’t know the documents or thinkers y’all are referring to, and raginrayguns kinda gets at this in the 2nd response, but it seems to me that these “evolutionary” theories deeply depend on the INTENSELY wrong idea that the ppl being discussed cant observe, dont Talk to one another, and are incapable of THINKING. Like: if you asked Casava-eaters why they prepared the fruit that way they’d probably tell you directly it was because that way was safe; they might not have a detailed narrative for why they know that aside from a “these ppl my parents knew did it another way and died horribly”, but they’d know it, and they’d probably know the bad effects that hit those who don’t prepare it properly. They’d have known this from the simple fact that they’re people, with mouths, memories, brains and everything! And it’s not particularly bizarre to assume that simple, banal, everyday experimentation and observation(cuz you better BELIEVE humans notice what other animals are doing and how they are doing it and what results they get from it) was the source of this knowledge cuz Humans did the same thing with everything they cook and eat!

Also, as a snake of history, I just want to say that these guys using the lemon story as a proof of how reason can mislead you and the benefits of trusting traditions uncritically is DEEPLY misleading to the point it can only possibly be intentional, because the decision to stop using lemon wasn’t based on “reason”, but rather on appeals to tradition! I could describe this myself but here’s Wikipedia Doing It Better:

Although throughout this period sailors and naval surgeons were increasingly convinced that citrus fruits could cure scurvy, the classically trained physicians who determined medical policy dismissed this evidence as merely anecdotal, as it did not conform to their theories of disease. Literature championing the cause of citrus juice, therefore, had no practical impact. The medical theory was based on the assumption that scurvy was a disease of internal putrefaction brought on by faulty digestion caused by the hardships of life at sea and the naval diet. Although this basic idea was given different emphases by successive theorists, the remedies they advocated (and which the navy accepted) amounted to little more than the consumption of ‘fizzy drinks’ to activate the digestive system, the most extreme of which was the regular consumption of 'elixir of vitriol’ – sulphuric acid taken with spirits and barley water, and laced with spices.

and again

In 1764, a new and similarly inaccurate theory on scurvy appeared. Advocated by Dr David MacBride and Sir John Pringle, Surgeon General of the Army and later President of the Royal Society, this idea was that scurvy was the result of a lack of 'fixed air’ in the tissues which could be prevented by drinking infusions of malt and wort whose fermentation within the body would stimulate digestion and restore the missing gases.[55] These ideas received wide and influential backing, when James Cook set off to circumnavigate the world (1768–1771) in HM Bark Endeavour, malt and wort were top of the list of the remedies he was ordered to investigate. The others were beer, Sauerkraut (a good source of vitamin C) and Lind’s 'rob’. The list did not include lemons.[56]

Even when “new” arguments were provided to resist increasing agitation for citrus use, they were built upon “traditional” non-empirical theories of disease, in this case Miasma theory.

Like: the arguments against the use of Citrus, despite CENTURIES of practical experimentation proving its effectiveness and numerous historical sources advocating its use(alongside fresh vegetables and meat), were FROM “TRADITIONAL” THEORIES OF DISEASE! To say that the history of citrus as a scurvy cure PROVES tradition better than reason gets the situation entirely backwards; it was conservative appeals to tradition which resisted, then unmade, then resisted again, the citrus-cure. And make no mistake: this was occasionally political. The conservatives pushing these traditional theories of scurvy were often attacking the citrus-cure precisely BECAUSE it was empirical and experimental and built on REASON, which was associated with democratic and liberal revolts.

And just incase this has something to do with lesswrong or neorationalism I just want to add that allot of this opposition to citrus also shows how the appeal to “first principles” can act as an excuse to ignore the empirical record, and the dangers inherent to that. Cuz that is what these Humorists and Miasmists were doing: ignoring the experimental evidence on ideological grounds, in favor of solutions derived from the “first principles” they preferred. They ignored the evidence in favor of explanations which lined up with their priors, and it got people killed.

do you know if the cassava thing is real? I mean obviously the extensive processing is real but "these africans just do this stuff cause its traditional and dont know why and cant tell the difference if it's not done" seems like, implausible and too-convenient for trad arguments. Like it seems like a model for all the "look at my game theoretic explanation of why christianity is great even though the christians dont get it" stuff but it's based on ppl talking about a culture they arent actually familiar with

A small correction: cassava is native to South America, so the people(s) who were processing it extensively were there. It was later imported to Africa and people there didn't know how to process it and it ended up causing health issues.

To the main point: I don't know. I should probably hunt for the original source Henrich uses as some point, but yeah at the moment I'm not sure. It doesn't seem a priori impossible that the processing techniques were passed down without anybody being able to tell what they actually do, or with some other explanation other than the actual one, that part I'm not inherently skeptical of. But as an example of cultural evolution... well, people have been in the Amazon for

An evolutionary biologist would say "well, there were intermediary adaptations that were useful". But like, on a cultural level, most plausible intermediary adaptions I can think of off the top of my head are the kind of things that... someone would notice. And once someone notices a positive effect of something, it's no longer going to be subject to totally unguided cultural evolution anymore.

Idk, the timescales give me pause. But maybe I'm wrong. I definitely think cultural evolution happens; it probably pretty much can't not. But it seems unlikely to be totally unaugmented by human reasoning. I don't know about this particular case. I'm assuming Henrich's original source is some anthropologist or something, and anthropologists often miss stuff. Seems totally plausible that there was some intentional development of the cassava treatment process and the details just got lost on the way to us. People are awfully willing to attribute the things that these guys in the Amazon are doing to natural processes, when, if those things had been invented in Europe, they might do a little more work to actually rule out the possibility that this was at least partially a direct human invention.

But ultimately I don't know, Henrich could be right. I'd have to look into it further.

#raginrayguns #manyblinkinglights #Long Post #Cassava Melon #Cooking #Citrus #Scurvy #History #Politics #Empiricism #Reason #~First Principles~#reblog replies

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kingsroad · 2 years ago

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11-13 for vhaena and 45-47 for alyse please and thank you

11. do they have any special diet requirements? are they a vegetarian? vegan? have any allergies?

while vhaena has no special dietary requirements, she is something of a picky eater, but as the princess, this pickiness is met with enthusiasm by the cooks in the red keep. while she isn't a vegetarian or vegan, she prefers not to eat meat unless it's on the lighter side, like fowl or fish. no allergies, either!

12. what is their favourite food?

her favorite meals are the ones with fresh fruits and vegetables at the forefront: spinach and egg pies, breads with honeyed figs or big, briny olives mixed in, berries poached in wine served with cream. an easy way to please her is to serve her a platter of intricately carved vegetables and fruits and a glass of pear brandy.

13. what is their least favourite food?

anything lacking in texture — stew, porridge, some soups, that sort of thing. slop sets her teeth on edge and turns her stomach.

45. how do other people see them? is it similar to how they see themselves?

oh, the difference could not be bigger. when people look at alyse, they see the physically imposing, but not at all impressive daughter of a middling lord. (though no one would ever call bryor barren middling to his face.) they see a sweet enough girl who is trying very hard to succeed in their difficult world, unmarried despite her many charms, lost in a court that just is not meant for someone like her. when alyse looks at herself, she sees her rough hands from the reins of her horse. she sees the pale scars on her knuckles and forearm from hawking with her brother. she sees a cunning young woman that others do not realize is cunning, who is disarming enough to encourage people to set all shyness aside in order to seek her advice. they see someone pitiable, but she thinks they’re worth pitying.

46. do they make a good first impression? does their first impression reflect them accurately? how do they introduce themselves?

alyse makes an incredible first impression. it comes with being so painfully aware of herself and those around her — their biases, their emotions, their expectations. had she been born to another father, she would’ve made for an incredible mummer. no one ever gets a first impression of her that isn’t carefully crafted in her scarred hands.

she introduces herself by her name, usually with a smile, sometimes with a curtsy. it depends entirely on the person. not just the smile, but the proficiency of the curtsy, as well as whatever might come along with her name. if she thinks someone will be taken off guard by a clumsy curtsy, she’ll do it in an instant.

47. how do they act in a formal occasion? what do they think of black tie wear? do they enjoy fancy parties and love to chit chat or loathe the whole event?

alyse tolerates formal occasions. she prefers to keep herself company rather than lingering in the company of others for too long. that, and she finds small talk absolutely abysmal. she can manage it as gracefully as anyone can manage chit chatting with a septon or a widow, but she requires a lot of time to recover afterwards. alicent and aegon are the only people in king’s landing who know how much she hates parties, and they’re often the reason she gets swept off for one reason or another.

#type: replies #oc: vhaena targaryen #oc: alyse barren #gonna cry over alyse and how she thinks she knows herself #but she's spent so long pretending to be someone else #that she has absolutely no idea

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dragons-bones · 4 years ago

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FFXIV: A Moment of Ordinary

Wolmeric Week #3: Casual/Modern

A/N: Uh. I worldbuilt again. Oops. But hey, the shippy stuff is still there! Just, uh, took a bit to get to, this time. XD

Day 1 || Day 2 || Day 3 || Day 4 || Day 5 || Day 6 || Day 7 || Bonus!

RATING: T WORD COUNT: 2353 WARNINGS: None! Cross-posted to AO3

“One hundred forty gil.”

“Fifty gil.”

“Fifty? That’s obscene, these artichokes are the first of the harvest! One thirty!”

“Don’t you dare pull that shite with me, Arenlona, I know for a fact the Bismarck has first purchase rights on the first harvest of damn near everything the Stead grows. Sixty.”

The first market day of spring at Red Rooster Stead was always a boisterous affair: makeshift stalls lined most of the paths through the main compound and spilled out beyond the walls, manned by botanists and farmers selling a wide variety of produce and other goods. Spring asparagus and lettuce and broccoli and parsnips; oranges from the vast Cedarwood orchards; pineapples and kiwi from the Stead’s offshoot plantation in Raincatcher Gully; honey and beeswax; mutton and pork and buffalo in various cuts; even fish, fresh caught that morning. There were food stalls selling bread and fruit juices and roasted meats and vegetables to the hungry shoppers; even stalls where the Stead residents and other local farmers were selling yarn and knit garments, assorted leathers goods, embroidery, bead and shell jewelry, whittled decorations. A pop-up smithy was at the edge of the makeshift market repairing farming and gardening tools.

The press of people along the Stead’s paths was enormous; most were either other farmers or home owners from around Lower La Noscea, or the residents of Mist come to do their weekly shopping without having to trek to Limsa Lominsa. Some Lominsans, too, came here; Synnove had seen Melkoko haggling over buffalo tenderloin, two of her sister Sirens dutifully carrying the crates of vegetables she had purchased earlier, and a trio of baby arcanists sharing a bag of roasted walnuts who had excitedly waved to her.

Aymeric was…somewhere, in the scrum. They’d gone in different directions to get as much shopping done as possible before the crowds swelled to suffocatingly large at noon.

Synnove finally wound down her own haggling—one hundred gil for a small crate of artichokes, plus another hundred or so spent on fennel and rutabagas—and waved to Arenlona as she joined the throngs walking through the Stead. Ivar and Galette trotted over from the nearby snack stall, and she bent down to accept the gil-pouch from Ivar. Thankfully, carbuncles who understood exchanging gil for goods and services were a familiar sight to the Stead’s farmhands, so that was one less thing to worry about on market day.

“Do you know where your sibs and Aymeric went?” she said as she stuffed the pouch in her pocket and stood upright, carefully balancing the crates of vegetables in her arms. The carbuncles had all gone with Aymeric, at first, before her emerald and ruby came meandering along to find both her and a treat.

The girls wanted to see the sheep, Ivar chittered. He managed to get his matching harmonic to sound bland.

Galette giggled.

Synnove groaned. “Oh, no.”

Galette giggled again, and Ivar joined her.

Sighing, she strode briskly through the crowd, her carbuncles on her heels, until she’d left the main compound and the crush of people wasn’t quite so great. She headed first for the hitches where many of the visitors had left their chocobos, herself included. Trifle eyed her when she approached, but the draught chocobo knelt without prompting, and Synnove quickly stored the purchases away in her saddlebags and panniers, idly noting Aymeric must have been by at some point at seeing a few crates of fruits, two jars of honey, and a carefully wrapped package upon which an ice crystal sat that was likely either meat or fish.

Once she was finished, she gave Trifle a pat on the neck, and the chocobo loomed upright once more, shaking her feathers back into place. Synnove glanced down at the carbuncles, but before she could say anything, both Galette and Ivar did that pre-jump wiggle of their tails and then leaped into the air and onto the draught chocobo’s saddle. Trifle warked, unimpressed, and turned her head around to give the pair a gimlet stare. Galette reached up and gently patted her beak with a paw.

Synnove laughed. “Well, I suppose that answers my question if you wanted to see the sheep, too.”

The siblings chirruped at her and loafed onto the saddle, ears flicking, while Trifle huffed and resettled herself. With another laugh and a scritch for each of them, Synnove headed in the direction of the sheep pens.

Most of the flocks in La Noscea grazed the pastures north of Cedarwood and up to the southern shores of Bronze Lake; the Red Rooster shepherds only kept a small flock at the Stead, primarily to make crossbreeding for specific traits easier to track before introducing those traits more widely into the larger flocks. But the flock at the Stead was wildly popular with many of the local children (and no few adults), and the shepherds usually allowed visitors to pet or brush some of the calmer ewes…in exchange for educational lectures on animal husbandry or the La Noscean wool industry.

Synnove smiled ruefully as she trudged up the short hill to where the sheep were kept. There was already a small crowd of excited children pressed up against the fencing, some parents standing aside and talking amongst themselves while keep an eye on their charges. Now, where was—ahah!

She slowed down, hooking her thumbs into her belts as she strolled closer.

Aymeric wore a soft cotton shirt of deep blue with black wool breeches tucked into knee-high leather boots; with neither Naegling on his hip nor a bow slung on his shoulder, he looked like just another farmer or homesteader gazing out across the pen. Something about seeing him dressed down always left her fond and pleased. Perhaps it was the way the tension bled out of him, the way it only rarely did in Ishgard when he needed to be on alert for a sudden emergency requiring either the Lord Commander or the Lord Speaker. His shoulders loosened and his spine was no longer quite so rigid, an aura of content softness draping around him instead.

He turned as she came up next to him, and he grinned, bright and happy, eyes crinkling at the corners, and Synnove smiled back, helpless to do anything except push herself to her toes to kiss his cheek and bask in his presence.

“Hello, dearheart,” she said as she dropped back to her feet, leaning into his side when his raised his arm to make room for her. She slid her own arm around his waist as his settled on her shoulders. “Did you manage to keep from raising Chartain’s blood pressure today?”

Aymeric kissed the top of her head and nuzzled against her hair before he responded. “It’s too easy to rile that man up,” he said, mischief coloring his voice. “He takes the barely-existing rivalry between La Noscea and Coerthas shepherds far too seriously.”

“Oh, don’t be mean!” Synnove swatted at his chest, but Aymeric merely caught her hand and raised it to his lips to kiss her knuckles. She firmed her expression, refusing to let his affection distract her, tempting as it was.

“Mean would be managing to get Estinien to stay in place long enough to drop him on Chartain’s doorstep and watch the two get into a row about wool quality,” he said primly, then pressed another kiss to her knuckles at her reluctant laugh. “And for the record, no, I did not. I believe one of the other shepherds saw me on the way with the girls and wrangled him away elsewhere.”

She laughed louder, shaking her head, and finally glanced out at the pen properly.

Tyr was in a staring contest with one of the rams, ears canted at the ninety-degree angle that for him generally conveyed his lack of impressment. The ram trotted in place, snorting and acting like he would charge at any moment, but sitting upright as he was, Tyr had to look down at him. The ram was intelligent enough to realize that Tyr likely belonged in the “thing that herds me” category rather than the “thing that will steal my ladies from me” or “thing that will eat me” categories, but not quite enough to know he should back down before Tyr bowled him over.

And the twins were being themselves, and bouncing atop the thick wooly backs of the ewes, leaping from sheep to sheep and giggling while the onlooking children cheered them on. Roksana especially was making a game of it, deliberately aiming for targets a distance away to make a challenge for herself, while Amandina was more sedately hopping along with no discernible pattern but rather the fun of it. The shepherd on watch was keeping an eye on them, but was leaning up against the fence without worry; the girls being silly was a common enough sight to most resident of Lower La Noscea.

Synnove watched them fondly for a moment, before she finally called out, “Girls! Tyr! Time to head home!”

The girls and the watching children all went awwww, but Amandina and Roksana obediently changed course and hopped from the other side of the paddock to where their mama and papa stood. Tyr, meanwhile, reached out with a paw and bopped the ram right between the ears; the ram’s eyes crossed and he bleated unhappily, but the distraction was enough for her big topaz carbuncle to leave without incident, trotting towards the fence and leaping over it easily to sit at her feet and headbutt her stomach.

Hi, Mama, Tyr chittered happily.

“Hello, boyo,” she said, freeing her hand from Aymeric—he made sad eyes at her, which she ignored for now—to reach down and scritch behind his ears.

The twins, meanwhile, finally made it to the fence, and leaped from there onto her shoulder (Amandina) and head (Roksana).

Hi Mommy hi Mommy hi Mommy hi Mommy hi Mommy, the girls chorused excitedly, as if they hadn’t seen her in days rather than a bell or two.

“Hello, kiddos,” Synnove said, patting first one twin and then the other. “Have you been good?”

YEAH!

We helped Papa get oranges!

And pears!

And FISH! Yummy yummy fish!

Honey, too, Tyr added helpfully, ears twitching in delight. Can we bake honey spice bread with it?

“That sounds like a fine idea,” Synnove said, to triple cheers.

Aymeric chuckled, though she felt it more than heard it with how closely they were still pressed together. “They helped me pick out a little gift for you, too,” he said brightly.

The only reason she didn’t whip her head up to stare at him was because of Roksana hopping up and down on her hair. Instead, she carefully picked up both twins and set them on Tyr’s back as the topaz carbuncle stood upright on all fours; then she whipped her head around to stare at her beloved. “Aymeric, you didn’t have to—”

“But I wanted to,” he said softly, smiling at her. He leaned down to kiss her nose. “And I like to.”

With a flourish, he presented her with a small leather pouch he pulled from his belt. She sighed, only a little exasperated, but held out her hand obediently, and into her palm he poured a pair of earrings: a gold ring suspended from simple hooks, and from the rings hung gold chain links of varying lengths with pink and cowries dangling at the ends.

Synnove couldn’t help the awed ooooooh that escaped her. “Oh, they’re lovely! Thank you!” She hadn’t put in any earrings this morning before they’d left for the market, so she reached up to hook them into her left, then her right.

Aymeric absolutely did not play fair in any aspect of his life: love, war, and gift-giving. Earrings were her favorite type of jewelry, and she had bought herself more than one pair from the jewelry stall here in the market before. She shook her head, both in defeat and to hear the pretty clinking of the shells against each other, and beamed up at her knight. “Thank you,” she said again.

“You are, as always, most welcome,” he said warmly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “My beautiful Synnove.”

Warmth suffused her and a blush bloomed on her cheeks and she beamed even more; she loved his endearments for her, but she loved best how her name rolled of his tongue, how much affection with which he infused it. She took a long moment to revel in all the joy he brought her before she quietly sighed. “Let’s go home, hm?”

“Mmm,” Aymeric hummed with one last nuzzle, before they began walking arm in arm down the hill and towards the chocobo hitch. Tyr followed, his baby sisters looking around excitedly from his back. “We have some honey spice spread to make.”

“And artichoke dip,” Synnove added.

Tyr boofed excitedly. You bought artichokes?! He pushed his head against her knees, shoving, and pulling a surprised yelp from her as she stumbled momentarily, kept upright only by an also laughing Aymeric. He ran in front of them, boofing happily, Come on come on let’s go home already! before he raced on ahead.

An absolutely wicked thought came to mind, sending a bolt of heat through her that settled low in her belly, and Synnove decided to indulge it. She glanced around, noting no one was nearby, and so, as she walked, she leaned up to murmur in Aymeric’s ear while a sly grin pulled at her lips, “And then after lunch, we can send the carbuncles down to the beach, and I can wear absolutely nothing but these earrings.”

Aymeric’s eyes went wide, pupils dilating to swallow up the beautiful icy blue as he nearly stumbled himself now. He stared at her askance—and then hot, feral greed briefly overtook his expression and he swept her up into his arms, to her shrieking laugh of surprise.

“No time to waste, then,” he playfully growled as he picked up his pace to a light jog, and Synnove ending up laughing nearly the whole way home.

#wolmeric week #wolmeric #final fantasy xiv #ffxiv #aymeric de borel #aymeric x wol #aymeric x synnove #oc: synnove greywolfe #synnove's carbuncles #dt's writing

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jadekitty777 · 3 years ago

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On Your Six, Chapter 5

Day 5: Mission Go- Cooking for @taiqrowweek

Wait what do you mean I switched the prompt days around? Dunno what you’re talking about ;)

(Don’t worry it’ll make more sense in the long run)

Rating: T for this chapter, M for overall

Words: 2.5k

Summary: Qrow was what most of society would call a small-town criminal. But to those oppressed, he hoped only to be a healer. In an effort to make a change in the world, he moves from kingdom to kingdom, searching for branded omegas in need. His goal? To turn the derogatory words the reformatories forced them to bear on their skin into works of art.

Then one day, his past catches up to him in the form of Taiyang, his former best friend, with a brand of his own stained onto his skin and a plea for help in his eyes. Qrow has no choice but to answer, even if it means he’d have to face his mistakes once and for all.

[An ABO-style universe in a modern-day style Remnant. No Grimm, because people are the real monsters in this one]

Ao3 Link: On Your Sleeve

Tai had started feeding him.

At first, it had begun with little things, shortly following that fateful day he gave him the picture. Prepackaged snacks or fresh fruits or vegetables as a healthy addition to the cheap, instant lunch meals he could easily afford. Then it quickly dissolved into tubberware covered leftovers of various pastas or stews, things that kept well and were well adept at making in large servings.

By late May, with the advent of Qrow’s twenty-sixth birthday, Tai arrived at his place loaded with grocery bags, a proper skillet and a determined purpose to make his favorite dish of chicken curry. It was, hands down, one of the best meals he’d had in years.

Yet, even after the occasion passed, the trend continued until it seemed Sunday became the day his stomach most looked forward too. Normally, Qrow would put up a fight about being doted after – Tai wouldn’t be the first omega to develop the habit. The most prominent of whom had been Maria, whose sessions had to be shorter than most both due to her age and the difficulty working with thinner, more wrinkled skin.

But she had also been a grandmother. A feisty one, who smacked him on the head a lot with her cane, but was also kind and worried and constantly remarking on his too-thin frame until he just gave up and let her do whatever she wanted.

But with Tai, he couldn’t even manage to feign annoyance. In part because Tai’s cooking was damn good and he’d be a fool not to gobble it up at every opportunity. But also, because it gave an excuse for their sessions to run long.

He didn’t even think it was a one-sided endeavor. Beyond the innate omega instinct to care for and Tai’s naturally generous personality, there was a loneliness in those blue eyes that told the truth behind all the fumbled attempts to waste time or make breaks run longer. By July, Tai wasn’t leaving his place until at least ten at night.

Neither of them complained about the arrangement.

Then August rolled around, and Qrow had an absolutely foolish idea.

The first Sunday of the month was on the 5th and it passed with little incident or notice. They were back at the first of the designs, arguably the most complex with the amount of color layers needed, so their dinner was nothing fancy. Just simple sandwiches and side salads, so most of their time could be spent under the needle instead.

He’d banked on that happening so that what would happen next wouldn’t have a chance of paling in comparison.

You busy tonight? He messaged early Wednesday.

Tai responded a few hours later, probably when his first break popped up. No. Why?

Come over after work. I have something to give you. He replied after he’d finished with his client for the day, sometime early afternoon.

The final response was cheeky and towards the end of the school day. You’re about as subtle as a brick.

Almost at 6 P.M. on the dot, there was a knock on his door.

“Coming!” Qrow called, dancing between the kitchen and the table to make sure everything was perfectly in place. He gave it all a satisfactory nod, then hurried over, sliding the door open only enough so he could wedge between it and the threshold, blocking Tai’s view.

The omega looked different, fresh out of work. His blond hair had been lightly gelled, just enough to give it a bit of bounce. The casual wear he was normally in was swapped out for a more professional look; pants and a collared shirt ironed of any wrinkles and shoes shined enough they gleamed.

So of course his eyes fell onto the one thing that completely ruined the look with a teasing snort. “Nice tie, Tai.”

“You like it?” He grinned, pulling at the absolutely hideous yellow abomination that was covered in yapping cartoon corgis. “The kids love ‘em. They call me the Funny Tie Guy.”

Oh Gods. “Bet you get a kick out of it every time.”

“I literally can knot get enough of it.” Tai had the nerve to wink as he said it too.

Qrow groaned. “You are so lucky it’s your day. Speaking of-” He swung the door open, revealing the room with a flourish.

Admittedly, it wasn’t much. Still, it was satisfying to see the way Tai’s face lit up with joy as he spotted the modest little table set for two, dinner already set in their bowls and the most expensive white wine he could reasonably afford already poured. The omega looked from it to him, grin growing, “You did all this?”

“Yeaaah.” Qrow flushed, trying to hide his anxiety. He’d never been great with giving gifts. “Happy birthday ya big lug.”

Tai laughed, throwing an arm over his shoulders and pulling him into a hug. “Thank you. This is just what I wanted.”

He could have stayed there forever – but he didn’t work himself to death to let dinner go cold. He pat his back, mindful of the healing wounds, and said, “Let’s eat.”

Qrow’s relationship with cooking was disjointed and the spread seemed to reflect that. The fried rice was perfect; it was one of the first things his mother taught him how to make on the stove. The garlic broccoli, more of a staple in the Xiao Long family, had a bit of crunch where some of the pieces hadn’t fully cooked through because he hadn’t had Tai beside him to remind him to stir. Just like the many other easy things he helped him learn how to make when he found out he and Raven had been living off nothing but white rice and peanut butter sandwiches for months.

The moo shu pork was the trickiest and most complicated dish by far and nothing he’d ever even attempted before. His amateur hand left it looking a bit of a mess as they poured it onto the tortillas. Unpretty as it was in presentation and lacking a few of the pricier ingredients like oyster sauce and sesame oil, the marinade had the pork still bursting with flavor.

The wine was there to act as a garnish to make the food seem better than it was. Which was probably why Qrow kept pouring it until he and Tai had split two and a half glasses between each other. Either that, or because Tai was adorably chatty when he was tipsy.

“So, there we are, watching about thirty of these Fayblades spinning around, knocking into each other and some of the cheaper ones are falling apart. Everything is going too fast for any of us to do the math problems on them. And Missy and I just look at each other like we both just realized what a horrible mistake we made. It was only the first week back and I was pretty sure we were about to lose an eye or something.” As he told the story, Tai animatedly gestured around with his glass, liquid sloshing almost past the rim. “We get the kids to back up until they all stop. Then Missy starts gathering a few up, saying how this time we would try less so we can actually keep count – when Velvet speaks up from the back and says ‘Blue wins 124 to 90’.”

Qrow polished off his own glass, setting it on the table. “That’s the quiet one with the rabbit in her bag, right?”

“Mmhmm. She kind of tries to hide when everyone starts looking at her, so I don’t say anything right then. Just take it as fact and move on. But when recess comes around, I pull her aside and ask her how she knew the answer. And she tells me, completely serious mind you, that she’s a camera. So it was easy to do all the math when she basically had the pictures saved in her head. And I’m like, holy shit!” He taps his temple for emphasis. “She has a photographic memory.”

“Ain’t that just a myth?” He asked, starting to gather the empty dishes.

Tai waved him off. “Pfft. Qrow, you gotta stop thinking like the world’s just a big science textbook. It’s more like a-a fairytale! Where magic can happen at any moment.”

“Tai, you’re drunk.”

“I am not!” This time, when he gestured, some of the wine hit the table. He blinked down at it. “Ah, shit!”

He laughed. “Man, you still can’t hold your liquor.”

“You dishonor me.” The omega accused, pointing to his right hand as if it were an exhibit. “I’m holding it just fine.”

That only made him laugh harder, until he had to wipe tears from the corners of his eyes.

Somehow, they found themselves laying side by side on the bed, shoulders pressed together. Tai’s scroll was balanced between the head of the bed and the wall, the display playing the finale of their favorite show growing up, Silver Eyes. It was the height of the final battle. Rosette was locked in battle with Bastinda while the rest of her friends lay, unconscious or ensnared in traps, around them.

“Do you not yet see how pointless this all is? How my power eclipses you all?” Bastinda snarled as she swung her wand down. “You’re all just insignificant riffraff!”

Rosette seemed to find some strength, blocking the attack with her broadsword. “You’re wrong! No one is insignificant! Even the smallest of us has something good to contribute.”

“Foolish child!” A powerful gravity spell threw Rosette to the ground, knocking her sword out of her hand.

“Gods,” Qrow griped. “This is cheesier than I remember.”

Tai shushed him. “Hush, the best part’s coming up!”

He rolled his eyes, but his traitorous mouth smiled all the same. Alright, so maybe this part was pretty hype. Watching it play out again on the screen, he felt ten again, practically glued to screen as his excitement built.

A large shadow stretched across the valley, delaying the witch from striking the final blow as she turned to the source. Up on the hill, sun behind him, was Zwei. Rosette’s little corgi that had been with her from the start of the show. He came racing down the hill, stubby little legs barely able to pick up speed.

Bastinda sneered, pointed her wand at the dog. “Pathetic.”

“Zwei, no!!” Rosette cried, tears filling her eyes just as the blast fired.

It seemed like the end for the lovable pup as smoke filled the air.

And then, with a blast of light, something came flying out of the dust and landing before the witch. The world rumbled under powerful paws as the giant white wolf stood before her, letting out a powerful growl that brought her to her knees.

“I don’t believe it!” Blanca cried from her mirror prison. “Zwei’s a Guardian!”

The rest of the finale played out just as he remembered, Zwei turning the tide of the fight and giving Rosette a chance to free her friends, all of them coming together for one final attack that rid the world of the cruel witch once and for all. After that, the wolf turned back into the lovable and more marketable corgi pup, and everyone headed home to enjoy true peace for the first time in a millennium.

Tai sat up as the credits began to roll, stretching his arms above his head. “I still think it holds up pretty well.”

“Sure, if you ignore the fact they completely sidelined Silver Eyes. It’s only the title of the show.” He snarked.

“Come on now. It’s not about the power ups. It’s about the journey and the-”

“Friends they made alone the way.” He mimed gagging. It was only the motto shoved down his throat at the end of almost every episode.

Tai merely laughed at his antics, picking up his scroll and slipping off the bed. “It’s late. I better head home.”

Maybe it was the vestiges of the alcohol or maybe it was the other’s scent, sweeter and more inviting than usual, that loosened his tongue enough to offer, “You could crash here, if you want.”

“In your bed? We hardly fit.”

Acquiescently, he rolled onto his side, practically shoving himself against the wall as he pat the wide, empty space. “It’ll be fine. And your drunk.”

“Hardly. And I’ll have to get up early to get back home and get ready.”

“It’s fine.” The noise left him involuntarily. It wasn’t a growl, really; it was barely more than a rumble. Regardless, the regret hit him instantly as he bit down on his tongue and turned his face up apologetically.

The omega just arched a brow, entirely unaffected and unimpressed by his pitiful display. Then he chuckled, any meteor-sized tension there could have been burning up long before impact could be made. “Gods, you’re such a punk, you know that?”

“I…uh…”

“Alright, you win.” Tai set the alarm on his scroll with his right hand, while he crossed the room and got the lights with his left. He used the glow coming off of the device to find his way back, dropping it onto the nightstand. In the bits of moonlight coming from the window, Tai became an erotic beauty as he undid his tie and buttons, shrugging out of his shirt. His belt hit the ground next – though mercifully he kept his pants on.

Qrow watched him, utterly transfixed, as he lowed himself to the bed, mattress dipping anew with the readded weight as the omega stretched out onto his stomach. Beyond all comprehension, he had to fight every muscle in his body from reaching for him. The need to bring him close and curl around him was overwhelming. So, he shoved his hands underneath the crook of his neck and locked his elbows.

Why had he thought this was a good idea again?

Tai heaved out a long sigh, mumbling, “Goodnight Qrow.”

He swallowed, voice barely above a whisper as he responded, “G’night.”

Without a clock in the room, there was no telling how long he lay there, coiled up tight like a spring waiting for the pressure to come loose, listening to the sounds of Tai’s breathing slowly evening out. It wasn’t until Qrow was absolutely certain the other wouldn’t wake that he risked it.

Though it felt a bit reprehensible, it was with that same uncontrolled desire in which he found himself scooting his upper half forward, inch by agonizing inch, until the bridge of his nose was pressed up against the curve of Tai’s shoulder.

His eyes slipped shut, breathing in deeply. The omega’s scent swirled around him, sunflowers and soil and bright summer days; a smell that was unmistakably, irrevocably Tai.

Here. With him.

Slowly, the rigidity to his muscles relaxed and he finally drifted off, the scent embracing him as securely as its owner could.

#qrow branwen #taiyang xiao long #Taiqrow #taiqrowweek #rwby #fanfiction #Chase Firekitten's Tale

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idontdowellunderpressure · 4 years ago

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Hisoillu Week - Day 4: Love Languages

Title: Thinking of You

Illumi was feeling guilt for the first time in his life.

At least he was fairly certain it was guilt. All the books he’d read regarding the emotion seemed to match up with his symptoms. The stomach pains that felt lighter but more tangled than sorrow. The intrusive thoughts that seemed to loop back and feed themselves until it was all he could think about. The entire process seemed to be related to anxiety, he feeling he was more familiar with due to the rare failure to meet family expectations in his youth.

And the cause of it, it seemed to be, was Hisoka.

That bastard.

And it seemed to happen every time the man made him happy, which contrasted the guilt so sharply that it compounded the negative emotion exponentially. Illumi found himself unable to smile when Hisoka complimented his outfit of the day. He no longer relaxed when Hisoka braided his hair. And sex was just a little less pleasurable when his mind was clouded by anything other than ecstasy when Hisoka whispered praises into his ear.

The same books that helped him to identify his problem offered some solutions. Apologizing for the mistake that caused the guilt seemed to be the most common, though Illumi was at an utter loss as to what that could mean. He didn’t make mistakes.

Another common suggestion was to talk to someone about the guilt, usually a third party. Illumi might have been tempted if he had any other associates in his life. But other than his family, whom he had no intention of involving in this, there was no one but Hisoka.

Illumi was considering whether a random person off the streets would be able to help when Hisoka breezed into the living room. He pecked a quick kiss on Illumi’s forehead before settling down on the other side of the couch. He threw his feet across Illumi’s lap before picking up the remote to begin the ruse of channel surfing for something interesting before settling on Judge Jackie, his guilty pleasure every weekday at noon.

Meanwhile a soft ‘ah’ fell from Illumi’s lips as he reached a conclusion. He saw Hisoka tilt his eyes over to him, one eyebrow raising in concern. Illumi shook his head, indicating that his sound was nothing important, and watched Hisoka turn back to the tv.

It was lack of reciprocity.

It was impossible to keep track of all the compliments Hisoka had thrown at him, considering he’d been doing so long before they entered into a partnership. And the amount of small physical gestures was near in number as well. But Illumi could clearly remember each instance in which he had done the same to Hisoka. There was little point in telling Hisoka how beautiful or intelligent or charming or funny he was. He had to have already known, as confident as he was. The physical touches though. Perhaps Illumi could start doing that more?

He lifted Hisoka’s feet of his lap and shuffled up the couch so Hisoka’s calves were resting on him. Hisoka didn’t look away from the tv though until Illumi intertwined his left hand with his right. His eyebrows were raised a bit, but no smile, which was strange. Hisoka liked holding hands, he did it often enough when walking down the street and while having sex for Illumi to be certain of this. Maybe that was the problem. Illumi had yet to ever initiate it.

Illumi smiled, reassuring Hisoka there was no trick or impending attack despite what the strange behavior might have suggested. He looked over to the tv as Judge Jackie called both the defendant and prosecutor idiots for bringing their squabble to her courtroom. Illumi forced his shoulders to relax and tried to paint the outward picture of contentment, hoping Hisoka would catch on and settle as well.

The small smile he caught out of the corner of his eye signaled success and made his guilt disappear.

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

But Illumi simply couldn’t keep up. There weren’t enough opportunities to display physical affection for him to remain equal to Hisoka. Every time he would identify an opening, the damned magician would exploit it before him! A kiss on cheek at breakfast. An arm over his shoulder on the couch. A caress against the small of his back in the shower. A nuzzle into his neck in bed.

A blatant repetition of the affection wouldn’t be enough, it was far too passive to indicate anything beyond politeness. And so Illumi found himself downtown, strolling down the streets in search of a gift to offer Hisoka.

The idea had come to him after sending Milluki his birthday present a week ago. Milluki wasn’t the only sibling he sent gifts to, though he was by far the simplest to remain in contact with now, and most often the knowledge that he’d made his siblings happy with an object made Illumi happy in turn. He expected the same with Hisoka and was determined to find something to suit the man’s tastes.

However, Illumi didn’t realize how complicated such a task would be until he’d reached the shops. Hisoka was surprisingly difficult to shop for as the man wasn’t particularly interested in things. Hisoka’s allotted shelves in their apartment had a constantly rotating selection of books, movies, and knick-knacks. A book he claimed to love would be tossed aside because “I already know how it ends”. A Rubik’s cubic he’d fiddled with all winter would be given away to the first child he met on the street who showed interest in the puzzle.

The only thing he seemed remotely attached to were clothes, but Illumi didn’t feel confident enough to try and assume to know Hisoka’s eclectic tastes. Two pairs of heels that looked the exact same sat in Hisoka’s closest because they were –apparently— so obviously suited to different occasions. Illumi proceeded to ignore every clothing store he passed.

Five hours later and all Illumi had to show for his efforts when he returned to the apartment were some grocery bags. And he would have had less than that if he hadn’t remembered how empty their fridge had been last night. He was in the middle of organizing the pantry when Hisoka sauntered into the kitchen and began rummaging directly through the bags.

“Oh~” he heard Hisoka croon behind him. Illumi glanced over his shoulder to see Hisoka holding a small box of strawberries that he’d picked up in the farmer’s market on his way back. It was the only thing he hadn’t gotten at the grocery store because he knew the strawberries from the market were better. At least that’s what Hisoka claimed.

“Thank you for getting me these.” Hisoka chirped, smiling around his savage bite of the bloody red fruit.

“You’re welcome,” Illumi replied automatically, smiling himself when he saw the way Hisoka’s grin curled in contentment. He hummed absently as he sat on the kitchen counter, munching on strawberries as he watched Illumi bustle about the kitchen.

A few days later, having gone shopping for more meat and vegetables, Illumi perused the framer’s market until he saw a strange fruit that he didn’t recognize the name of. Virscia were the size of his fist and purple on the outside but pale green on the inside. The vendor said the closest thing he could compare the fruit to was a cross between wine and pineapples. Illumi bought four, as well as some durian and one watermelon. He arrived home with his purchases and sat the kitchen table, watching Hisoka enjoy his gifts over the course of the week.

Three weeks later he bought some of Hisoka’s favorite hair gel after noticing he was running low. While at the store, he found some face masks that were said to be good for moisturizing. Hisoka had mentioned before that his makeup could dry out his skin if he kept it on too long, so he added the masks to the cart. Hisoka was delighted by the masks and insisted they both wear them that night while watching a movie. The gel tingled nicely against his skin, but Illumi was more pleased about the comforting warmth radiating throughout his body.

A month later he risked the purchase of a pack of cards. Two packs, technically. One was a hand painted set of intricate vines and sweeping waves for the pip cards with delicately featured people for the court cards. The red was a deep, rich color reminiscent of fresh blood. The black was a dark, consuming tone that made the white shine in contrast.

The other was a cheap, gag deck that depicted the current Zodiacs in various poses and states of dress. Illumi was disappointed, but not surprised, when Hisoka seemed to like that one more. But the next time Illumi had brought Hisoka along on an assignment, he noticed how Hisoka placed a careful kiss to his expensive cards before dragging them through an opponent’s jugular.

But was it enough?

Three months later, lying in bed without a hint of sleep to come, Illumi was counting and tallying his gifts. Fruit and makeup and cards and hair dye and earrings and candy. Was it all enough? Was he doing enough? It was all so small, so paltry that Illumi couldn’t be certain if Hisoka understood just how much-

“I love you,” the words slipped out of his mouth and he heard Hisoka move beside him. The mattress didn’t make a sound, but the bed dipped as Hisoka straddled Illumi and kissed him, deep and slow and yearning.

“I know.” He said, his breath ghosting across his lips before he closed the distance again.

“No, Hisoka,” Illumi placed his hands on Hisoka’s face, pulling Hisoka far back enough for them to look each other in the eye, to try and communicate what went beyond words. “I love you.”

“I know,” Hisoka grinned, his eyes becoming mere slits to make room on his face for his smile. “You show me with every gift you give.” Hisoka pushed against his hands, leaning down to place a kiss on his nose.

“All those things you give me. You know me so well. You pay attention to me. You think of me. You love me. I know. I know because you show me.” He placed another kiss, this time of Illumi’s lips, and Illumi slid his hands up and into Hisoka’s hair.

“Thank you,” Hisoka murmured, this time keeping his mouth close enough for Illumi to feel his lips brush against his own. “Thank you, for thinking of me.”

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

Link to story on ao3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26078929

Credit to the creator/curator of hisoillu week

@illumiszoldycks

(apologies for the spamming, but I found this prompt list today and was just really excited to contribute what I could to the fandom)

#hisoillu #hisoillu week #hisoka #hisoka morrow #illumi #illumi zoldyck #love languages #acts of service #physical touch #words of affirmation #quality time #gift giving #illumi does feel things #he just has trouble expressing it #I am a fan of Illumi clinically analyzing his feelings

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thefoodadvice · 3 years ago

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Healthy Lifestyle: You Are What You Eat

Spring vs. Winter

What is it that makes us go out of our way each spring to slim down, tone up, and put on fresh coat of sunshine? We all want to feel good, and be more attractive, so that we look better in those revealing summer clothes. I originally wrote this article for a spring publication, but decided that this time of the year may be even more appropriate because let's face it, this time of year is when nearly all of us put on the most weight. If we start now, during the cold months to slim down, tone up and get ready, we'll be ready for the summer long before it arrives!

Make the Time

In today's busy world, especially during the holidays, who has the time to put in a few hours of aerobics every day? Most of us don't, or are not willing to take the time, even if it is available to us. But there are many things that we can do to help get a flatter tummy, lose some of those thunder thighs, help clear up skin problems, breathe better, have more energy, and get a little sunshine, safely, and in a small amount of time, if we can just get motivated and put aside the time to do it. Proper nutrition and exercise are extremely important. We are learning more and more about foods and combining them. Herbs, minerals and vitamins can be an excellent tool for weight loss, maintenance and revitalization of energy. Must-read The Different Types of Meat and What Makes Them Unique

Love Thyself

Loving yourself is one of the most important parts of living life. Without self-love there is no way you can truly love another, right? And the body is your temple, a great place to start. Changing is just that. Losing weight and getting in shape have to come from making lifestyle changes that need to last throughout your life.

My Story

My personal diet and exercise regimen helped me to lose over one-hundred pounds through trial and error in 2007-2008. I was at my wits end. I had tried just about every diet product and exercise plan that was known to man. Nothing worked. The end weight is the hardest to take off, but I knew that I would eventually do it. About 15 months into my plan I got my mindset straight again and I began getting more into diet and exercise. With the help of herbal and nutritional supplements, I was able to take off the ten pounds that I had gained back, plus an additional fifteen pounds in ten weeks. In just five more weeks, I was back to my goal weight (where I was ten years earlier), and in better shape than I had ever been in my entire life. Over the years I have occasionally gained weight again, especially over the winter months but I was able to lose it again fairly quickly by using the same methods as in the past. I've kept most of it off for over 8 years! These are excellent results that come from empowerment, discipline and a little hard work. Different people may achieve different results, but your own realistic goals are truly achievable, if you can simply commit yourself to attaining them. This may sound difficult, but it's really not that hard. Empowering yourself to do what you need to do to maintain your health is the greatest gift you can give yourself, and those that love you.

Why We Gain Weight

Why do we gain weight, and why is our society fat in general? One of the main reasons is that the body is filling up with toxins that are not being properly eliminated. Poor nutrition, including excessive amounts of sugar and sodium from processed foods, lack of education, a fast lifestyle, cigarette smoking, drugs(including some prescription drugs) & alcohol, chemical compounds, and just plain laziness contribute to this problem, as well as the fact that our food itself is not what it once was. We fill our vegetables and fruits with pesticides, we combine foods improperly, and we eat "on the go". Our meat is fed on the vegetables that are filled with these toxins and our air and water are polluted with all kinds of horrible substances. What do you think are the main causes of cancer, heart disease and stroke, the number one killers? In a word... Toxins. When we gain weight, we become sluggish, slow, have skin problems, lose range of motion, lose energy, and breathe less freely. Giving the body less cleansing oxygen and water, we literally starve ourselves from the inside out.

What the Body Needs

Read 12 Tips For A Healthy Weight Loss The human body is made up of mostly water, so what do you think we need to cleanse the body? No, we don't want to drink a lot of water, this will only bloat the system. Drink for thirst only. Water-rich foods are the best medicine for cleansing the body. Wouldn't it be wonderful to breathe more freely, move about more easily, and see incredible results in the mirror, without having to give up much of anything but a bunch of old fat, and poisons that you don't want or need anyway? The body needs water-rich foods, vitamins, minerals and oxygen to become, and remain healthy. Without these life-giving nutrients the body must store something else, so it stores the fat, starch(carbohydrates) which later turn into sugars, and salt which retains water instead of using it properly, that we provide it in our fast-food junky lifestyles. This process causes these unwanted wastes to be trapped within the body. Opposing that, if there are enough nutrients properly absorbed in the body, the body will instead eliminate most of the "garbage" and keep the "good stuff". Remember the phrase, " You ARE what you EAT?"

What Can We Do?

What can we do about it? Well, for one thing we can take a step back and look at what we are putting into our bodies and our world. Decreasing the amount of toxins that we put into our world and our bodies is the first step. Eat water rich foods, especially fruits which are great for energyand mental clarity. Get plenty of exercise, even a small amount if you are pressed for time is healthwise. Recyclethose cans and bottles. Stop smoking cigarettes. Lose the aerosol cans. Look for reasonable and safe ways to eliminate our waste. Empower ourselves to eliminate the garbage in our world and our bodies and decide on proper nutrition and exercise. Major manufacturers can look to exceed the EPA's standard expectations for keeping pollution out of our world. We MUST remember that we only receive from our bodies and our world that which we put into them. Let's make a difference, one body, one person at a time. Discover how many low fat foods there are and improve your health right away Read the full article

#Food #Health #Healthy

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foodday2021 · 4 years ago

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Be cool, let's go to BICOL by Marven De Oro

Mayon Volcano - Source: ZEN Rooms

When we hear Bicol, what comes to our mind is the perfect cone-shaped Mayon Volcano, the beautiful beaches, the waterfalls, the historical attractions for the tourist, and also their cuisine. Bicol Region consists of 6 provinces. That is Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon. Bicol region is located at the southern tip of Luzon. The travel time from Manila to Bicol is 5 - 8 hours.

Coconut Milk - Source : Mashed

Their dishes are known for spicy and creamy coconut milk. The Bicol cuisine's main ingredients in every dish are coconut oil and chili because of their food culture. Because in their culture, if you are lack ingredients, your neighbor will offer you a variety of ingredients.

Bicol Express - Source : Yummy Kitchen

Let's start with the Bicol’s most popular dish, the spicy and creamy Bicol Express. An appealing and flavorsome dish. This delicacy made spicy because of chilies or the siling mahaba, coconut milk, pork meat, and prawn sauce or alamang (which makes this dish pinkish) others put some vegetables like string beans. The saltiness and spicy of this dish make it perfect with rice and make you.

Laing or Pinangat - Source: MAGGI

If you are vegetarian, Laing or Pinangat is suitable for you. These dish ingredients are creamy coconut milk, leaves and taro meat, lemongrass, and garlic. Some people put some meat like chicken or Pork, but others put some dried fishes for more flavor to the dish. This dish is very tricky because taro leaves can scratch your tongue if you don't perfect it. But when you perfect it, the satisfying taste of creamy coconut milk, chilies, and taro leaves will make you will get another cup of rice.

Ginataang Santol or Sinantulan - Source: Cooking Pinay

Aside from coconuts, Santol known as Cotton fruit is one of the biggest crops in Bicol Region. Bicol is also known for this dish called Sinantol or Ginataang Sinantol. This dish made from santol strips, chilies, and coconut oil. Others put some pork meat or dried fish for extra flavoring to the dish. This dish blend the salty taste of the pork or fish meat, santol’s sourness, coconut’s thick and creamy milk, and spicy taste from chilies that make your appetite satisfy and grab more rice.

Kandingga - Source: Ang Sarap

Not every Bicol dish has coconut milk or chilies in the ingredient. Kandingga, a Bicol's answer to Bopis. Made from the Chopped pork or beef lungs and heart, white onions, garlic, vinegar, and pepper.

Pancit Bato - Source: Ang Sarap

In addition to that, Philippines loves also noodle soup dish. It can eat whenever breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. In Camarines Sur, Bicol, the Pancit Bato Guisado’s origin. A pancit dish that is so popular in Bicol. The dish and noodles’ name originated from Bato, Camarines Sur.The noodles are thick and pancit canton like texture. It's like the typical pancit, you can put some pork liver, beans, carrots, stripped cabbages, soy sauce for coloring, meat broth for taste. depends on your budget and resources. This dish suite in a pandesal or bun and fried rice.

Pili Roll - Source: Lutong Bahay Recipes

If you are looking for a dessert, Bicol has a Pili roll. Bicol is rich in Pili nuts and common crops in the Bicol. This dessert is popular in Camarines Norte. A woolly, mouthwatering, cake roll with caramelized and creamy filling and pili slices. This dessert can be your Pasalubong to take home for your family.

Tiwi Halo-Halo - Source: ClicktheCity

Sooner or later, summer is coming. This dessert may satisfy your thirst for the hot season, The Tiwi Halo-Halo. This halo-halo is known for being the cheesiest and creamiest halo-halo. It also serves with ube halaya, Leche flan, and lots and lots of cheese. Also, they use coconut milk for cooking the ingredients for resulting in a milkier taste. That made your hot day refreshed, happy, and satisfied.

Chili Ice Cream - Source: Youtube

If you are looking for a sweet and spicy flavor, this Ice cream will satisfy your cravings. Chili Ice Cream, made from coconut milk and chilies. You can adjust the spicy level from 1 to 10 depends on how spicy you want your ice cream to be. This dessert is so delicious! It's a must-try for everyone.

Aside from the relaxing view of the tourist attractions, the fresh air from the province, the travel experience, the occasions during the festivals, the pictures you've been captured during that enjoy activities. The foods we eat on our every vacation are one of the most unforgettable memories that we have. The main reason why we do a vacation is to leave the stress and have time to enjoy, know more other places in your country, rest and enjoy life. This is the reason why we enjoy having a vacation.

Sources:

https://nolisoli.ph/86664/5-iconic-bicolano-dishes-bicol-food-festival-ymagcamit-20200917/

https://www.yummy.ph/news-trends/these-are-the-dishes-you-should-try-when-in-bicol

https://chibundle.com/blogs/stories/bicol-food-culture

https://www.tripmoba.com/blogs/BlogsPage.aspx?BlogsID=28&(Not.Licensed.For.Production)=

#PhilippineCuisine #Let'sEat #FoodDay #ProudtobePinoy

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the-sympathetic-villain · 4 years ago

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You Belong With Me - Chapter 2

AO3 | First | Next | Masterpost

Description: Much to his surprise, after being released from prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Logan has been appointed as a the prince’s new advisor.

Word Count: 1505

Warnings: Mentions of nightmares, Anxiety, Brief Unsympathetic!Remus

Logan jerked awake, gasping for air. His eyes darted desperately around the room as they adjusted to the dark. Recognizing the room around him, he relaxed slightly. He took a breath, sitting up. Moonlight filtered in through the windows, gently illuminating his new bedroom. He leaned forward, resting his face in his hands.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and felt the wetness of tears on his face. He took another deep breath, wiping them away.

Why am I like this?

This isn't the way he wanted to start his new life. He'd been gifted an unbelievable opportunity. To have been granted his freedom was a miracle, but to have been appointed to the prince’s new advisor was frankly beyond anything he could have imagined. He shouldn’t be terrified. He should be excited. Sighing, Logan slid his legs out from under the blankets and down onto the floor. He paused, breathing deeply. The feeling of the cold, stone floor grounded him, helping to settle his mind.

He leaned against the bed, glancing up through the narrow window above his bed. He could just make out the moon through the narrow slit in the wall. He pondered for a few minutes, counting the days in his head. By his estimate, the full moon must be only a few days away. Pushing himself off the bed, he moved his way to the door. Realistically, he knew he should go back to sleep, but the thought of another nightmare unnerved him too much to consider it. Instead, he decided to make the most of his night and investigate his new study.

He turned the doorknob to the main room, feeling his way through the darkness of the main room into study. A faint ray of moonlight lit the study as he entered the study. He slowly walked the perimeter of the room. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling with bookshelves. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the relaxing scent of the old books. He reached out and let his fingers drift over the spines as he passed by the shelves.

After a moment, he turned to face the small, ornate desk on the far wall. Logan reached across the desk and ignited a small gas lamp sitting on the corner of the desk. The soft, amber light of the lamp illuminated the room around him. He yawned as he turned and walked idly around the room, reading the titles on the spines of the books. After several minutes of internal debate, he pulled a small philosophy book with a bright red cover off the shelf. Logan settled into the desk, flipping open the cover of his book to the first pages. Any ideas of sleep left his mind and he was able lose himself in the ideas of another person. His anxiety seemed to abate. He finally felt like he could breathe, if only for a moment.

Hours later, he found himself at his desk, still in the same position. A small pile of books had begun to form on his desk and his body was beginning to ache. He forced himself to pull himself away, rubbing at the sore muscles at the base of his neck. He stood, somewhat unsteady, and wandered slowly back to his bedroom, stretching his arms above his head. Idly moving about, he washed his face at the water basin and changed his clothes. His stomach was already rumbling when a knock finally sounded at his door.

Stalling, Logan meandered his way the door. Pulling it open, he glanced down, surprised to see a small boy standing in the doorway with a cart full of covered plates. Logan doubted the boy was even of age. Smiling encouragingly, Logan stepped aside, holding the door for him.

He hesitated but finally entered the room cautiously. He kept his head down as he pushed the cart into Logan's room.

“It smells delicious,” he said, smiling at the kid, who was still avoiding eye contact.

“Thank you, sir.” The child replied, quickly.

Logan stepped over to the cart, lifting one of the plate covers. Steam drifted up from the plate as he revealed a small roast chicken, resting on a pile of roasted vegetables underneath.

“In the future, will you let the chef know that I prefer not to eat meat.” He made an effort to keep his tone soft but the boy startled all the same.

“O-oh… I c-can take it back if you like, sir. I-if it's not good enough.” His voice was loud and unsteady and Logan could tell the kid was struggling.

Logan smiled at him sympathetically. “Please, be at ease. This is more than adequate for now. Send my compliments to the chef. I'm being genuine when I say it smells superb. I only want the chef to know my preferences for the future. Thank you for your services. Please, take this and get back to your work.” He reached into his coin purse and pulled out a few copper coins. He offered them to the kid and gestured to indicate that he was free to leave.

“Thank you, sir.” The boy hesitated before taking the coins. He nodded quickly at Logan and turned to go.

“You’re welcome.” Logan watched as the boy left the room before inspecting the plates on the cart. He lifted the other plate covers. There was more food on this cart than he could possibly consume on his own. The first platter he'd opened had a whole roasted chicken surrounded by roasted vegetables and potatoes. Another bowl was piled high with fresh fruit and berries. Various other dishes held sides and sauces. The abundance of food was overwhelming. He could only assume the chef had sent him a variety to get a feel for his preferences but all the same, he couldn’t help but marvel at the surrealness of his new position. He swallowed. His stomach was now growling loudly as he pulled the cart over to the table and started to dig into the various dishes

A half hour later, Logan sat at the table feeling uncomfortably full. He'd made an impressive dent into the intimidating amount of food he had been served. After the last week, he felt justified in catching up on a few meals but that didn’t stop his stomach from attempting to rebel against the sheer amount of food he’s consumed. Logan stood up and poked at the remaining food with a fork.

Logan sighed and dropped the fork down on the plate. He knew he was stalling. He needed to venture out into the tower eventually, but anxiety flared in his chest at the idea of leaving his chambers. Despite the warm light filtering through the window, Logan shivered. He was unnerved at the idea of traveling the halls by himself but he couldn’t just sit in his quarters all day. He sighed, pacing the room. Several minutes passed before Logan stopped at the door. He took a breath, bracing himself, and left the room.

The halls of the tower were massive and brimming with life. He weaved his way through the halls, keeping his head down and trying to blend into the crowd. For the most part it worked, despite the bruises covering his face, many people passed him by without a second glance, too absorbed in their personal tasks to take an interest in him. Logan was perfectly satisfied with the lack of attention. He didn't know where he was headed and wasn’t interested in answering anyone’s questions.

He wandered the corridors, letting his gaze drift into the various rooms throughout the tower. In his mind, he absent-mindedly began making a mental map of the tower, noting places he cared to return to. Lost in thought, he aimlessly turned the corridors, taking whatever path took his fancy in the moment.

Without thinking, he turned down a smaller corridor. This hall was dimly lit due to fact that a number of the curtains were closed. As he left the more crowded halls, the noise dissipated. Logan felt himself relax. He wasn't used to the bustle of the castle and he welcomed a retreat from the constant barrage of overstimulation.

His reprieve was cut suddenly short as a hand shot out from behind him and painfully gripped his shoulder. Logan was spun around and slammed forcefully into the wall beside him. He grunted as the air was knocked from his lungs. He wheezed, trying to catch his breath. Hands grabbed the collar of his shirt, shoving him backwards and pinning him against the wall.

“What are you doing here, pretty boy? I thought you knew you aren't welcome here.”

Logan froze. He glanced up, clenching his jaw to force his eyes to focus through his pain. Three men stood before him, dressed in dark, fancy clothing fit for nobility. The man in the center gripped Logan's collar. His strength easily overpowered Logan's resistance, effectively preventing him from escaping. Bile filled his throat as Logan recognized him.

“Remus.” Logan muttered.

You Belong With Me Taglist: @cas-is-a-hunter @insert-cool-blogname

#sanders sides #thomas sanders #ts #ts logan #unsympathetic remus #You Belong With Me #villain writes

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zerowasteinitiative · 4 years ago

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20 Sustainable Living Ideas That Actually Help the Planet

1. Ditch paper towels for clean-up rags In 2017, Americans spent nearly $6 billion on paper towels for their homes. That’s a lot of money to spend on something you use for 10 seconds and then throw in the trash! Even if you compost your paper towels, they still come packaged in single use plastic. Luckily, there’s a dead simple solution to the paper towel conundrum: cloth rags. You don’t need fancy “unpaper towels”, though they certainly look fun and tidy on a roll. Any absorbent cloth will do. Just keep clean rags in a readily accessible place (ours are folded in a pile under the sink), and use a small bin to collect them when they’re soiled. 2. Make your own cleaning products DIY cleaning products are a popular crossover between frugal and sustainable living ideas. It’s amazing what you can do–and how much plastic you can avoid–by mixing a few basic ingredients in a spray bottle! 3. Buy durable, multi-functional home goods There’s a reason that Reduce comes first in Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. By buying fewer things, we create less waste. And one of the best ways to own less stuff is to invest in durable, multi-purpose products. 4. Live in a “right-size” house Owning a large home is a common aspiration. A spacious house is often seen as a status symbol, a sign of financial security. But if you don’t have a large family or a bunch of roommates, what is all that space really for? Big houses have a larger carbon footprint, and not just because of the building materials. It takes more energy to heat and cool a large living space. 5. Upgrade to energy efficient appliances Energy efficient appliances are becoming the new normal. But if you purchased an older home, there’s a good chance your dishwasher, fridge, and washer are sucking up a ton of energy. While Energy Star-rated appliances are nice to have, most newly manufactured models will use substantially less resources thanks to improvements in design and materials. 6. Start composting At first glance, composting seems like a huge pain. There are special bins and matter ratios and wriggly worms… And what are you supposed to do if you live in an apartment? It’s easy to come up with reasons not to compost. But all you need to get started with composting is a lidded container and a freezer. This guide will walk you through the steps of composting at home, including what to do if you don’t have a yard. 7. Eat more plant-based meals It’s no secret that our current meat-eating habits aren’t sustainable. Putting ethics aside, industrial livestock farming has a massive carbon footprint. While some small-scale ranchers have made fantastic strides in sustainable agriculture, we’re a long way off from wide scale reform. Every meatless meal makes a positive impact! 8. Cook with the seasons Fresh berry salads in summer, roasted root vegetables in winter… cooking with the seasons is a delicious way to live more sustainably. Shipping food around the world takes a heavy toll on the environment. By shopping local and purchasing produce that’s in season, you can contribute to your community and avoid the heavy carbon footprint of imported fruits and vegetables. 9. Create a system for leftovers Across the globe, over 1 billion tons of food is thrown away each year. To ensure your leftovers don’t go to waste, come up with a system to use them. It can be as simple as a whiteboard “leftover list” on the front of the fridge, or something more advanced like a color-coded container system indicating what to eat now vs. later. 10. Snack on unpackaged foods Every chip bag, candy wrapper, and cracker sleeve we throw away will sit in a landfill for decades. Most of the snack packaging you toss in the trash will outlast your days on Earth. It’s a chilling yet sobering reality. 11. Swap plastic and foil wrap for reusable materials Some habits are so ingrained in us that even obvious alternatives seem revolutionary. For dishes you can’t cover with dinner plates, try beeswax wraps. They’re thin cloths coated in beeswax, and they’re a great, washable alternative to plastic wrap. 12. Grow your favorite herbs at home Having a pot of fresh herbs readily available is incredibly convenient. You can keep a small pot in a window, or grow a larger variety on your patio or in a garden corner. Simply snip the amount you need off the plant, and it will keep on growing. 13. Switch to products with biodegradable or highly recyclable packaging Since China significantly cut back their recycling processing program in 2018, much of the world’s plastic has been diverted into landfills. There’s a high chance that your plastic soda bottles and shampoo containers are going from the curbside recycling bin to a trash heap in Vietnam. The best way to avoid this scenario is to change the way we shop. Look for products that come in biodegradable packaging like cardboard, or highly recyclable packaging like glass and aluminum. And for products where you can’t find a suitable alternative, buy the largest container you can. 14. Bring your own cups/containers (BYOC) From butcher shops to bakeries, there are a surprising number of places that allow people to bring their own containers. Coffee shops often give a small discount if you BYOC. Some cities even have entire stores dedicated to zero waste shopping, where you can fill your own jars and boxes with bulk goods. 15. Go digital with your hobbies Taking physical hobbies digital is a contentious sustainable lifestyle tip. There’s an undeniably emotional, satisfying element of turning the pages of a book or sliding game pieces across the board. 16. Shop local rather than online Online retailers like Amazon have made shopping so convenient, we order products that we could easily pick up at our local supermarket. But that convenience comes at an environmental price. Choosing to shop local not only helps the planet, but also supports your community. Next time you’re ready to place an online order, do a quick internet search for a local business alternative. 17. Become a single car household This suggestion won’t make sense for everyone, but it has the potential to save a ton of money and energy. Sit down with your partner and map out your daily commutes. If there’s a sensible way to carpool to and from work, test it out for a week and see if it’s manageable. 18. Purchase new items only when necessary Conscious consumers only buy what they truly need. Before you slap down that credit card, ask yourself if what you’re about to buy is necessary, multi-use, and long-lasting. While the “waiting period” rule is usually recommended for expensive items, you can apply it to any non-essential purchase. 19. Repair your stuff instead of replacing it In this era of convenience and cheap goods, we’ve shifted from repairing broken items to trashing them and buying new ones. YouTube is a gold mine of DIY repair videos. And if you can’t tackle the repair yourself, don’t be afraid to call in a professional. If your handiness skills are lacking, look for brands that offer to repair damaged items. 20. Get creative with repurposing and reusing old items Crafty people, this is your time to shine! There are entire websites and social media accounts devoted to breathing new life into old items. With a bit of imagination, you can upcycle everything from chairs to pasta sauce jars. If you’re teaching your kids about sustainability, this is the perfect opportunity to make it fun and interactive. -------- Visit our website: https://zerowasteinitiative.com/ Source: Internet 🌳 Zero Waste Initiative - Less Trash More Life ! 🌏 Let's Save The World While There's Still Time !

#ZeroWasteLifestyle #zerowasteliving #zerowaste #sustainability

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danetobelieve · 5 years ago

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Friday Night Frights || Ariana and Winston

Ariana found herself eager to be getting out of the house this Friday evening. It’d be nice to have a friend who wasn’t immediately moving away in a few months like most of her teammate’s were after graduation. She left her house around 6:30 PM and the everlasting night thing still seemed to be going on. Her curiosity was piqued with this whole incident, but she doubted there was much she could do to help. She was a werewolf, not a witch or whatever other species could have caused this. It was chilly with the long term lack of sunshine so she opted to wear her favorite leather jacket that Celeste had gotten her for her birthday. It was just before seven as she found herself outside the entrance to Nightshade Farmer’s Market. She scanned the crowd, but didn’t see Winston quite yet, so she grabbed a spot on a bench right beside the entrance.

Everything was kind of wild right now, Winston hadn’t been expecting for the sun to disappear for such a long time and in that time they found themselves wishing more and more that it would return. Yet here they were despite that and life went on. Somehow, a farmers market that only took place during the night seemed like the perfect place for them, so they had decided to make the time for it that they needed. Besides this Ariana girl seemed cool. Spotting what they thought was her on a bench, Winston strode over. For the time of year it was pretty cold, colder then they had expected. Pulling their denim jacket tighter around them, Winston pulled their hoodie over their head. “Hey, Ariana right?” Winston asked with a smile, “I’m Winston, the math dude from the internet.”

As they approached, Ariana stood up and offered a warm smile and said, “Good to meet you in person, Winston, although we may need to work on a better title than math dude from the internet.” She gestured toward the entrance and said, “Shall we?” The pair walked through the entrance and Ariana found herself immediately hit with a wave of different and interesting smells. With the full moon only a few days away, all of her senses and strength were at near peak performance. There were definitely other supernatural beings here, but she shoved that curiosity aside for the time being. She was eager to make a new friend and Winston seemed like they were good people. A quick scan of the market floor left her a little surprised with the variety. Was that a blood stand she spotted off in the distance? She saved that thought for later and led them towards a produce stand that was at the front entrance. She turned and asked them, “Was there anything you were hoping to find while we’re here? I’m not too sure on what all the stands are. The website was a little vague.”

“I’m not sure that I need a title, to be honest I kinda panicked and said the very first thing that came into my head, Math isn’t even the original love of my life so … awkward y’know.” Winston smiled in return and shrugged gently. “It’s nice to meet you too though.” They followed after her, heading through the entrance and immediately was taken aback by the variety here. They were sure that sign actually did say blood stand and not something else and Winston was starting to wonder why this market was held at night, every week, all the time. It seemed weird. But then there was also stalls selling hummus, stalls selling fresh crepes, there was a stall that only sold pickled goods and then of course stalls and stalls full of fresh fruit and vegetables. “Uh, I mean not really, I’ve always heard about this place, one of my high school friend’s little sister is now a chef at this fancy restaurant in town and she swears by the produce that they have here, but this is my first time and I guess I was just curious.” That sign definitely read blood stall and those vials of dark viscous liquid had to be … Winston was sure that they couldn’t have really got a permit for that.

Ariana found herself glancing back towards the stand with blood and noticed Winston had been eyeing it too. The sign on the stand definitely advertised as much. She wondered if it was human or not, but knew she couldn’t muse about it outloud. She laughed over their musing over the title of math dude. “No worries,” she assured, “I didn’t mind it.” She could understand and found it refreshing anyway. Genuine people were always good to have around. She scanned over the produce at the stand in front of her and didn’t see any black garlic, but there were some watermelons a few stands down that caught her eye. It’d been awhile since she made watermelon limeade and it was one of Celeste’s favorites. She turned to Winston and said, “That’s fair enough. Farmers markets tend to have the best varieties. I’ve always liked visiting them wherever we’ve lived. Plus, you get to support local vendors.” She scanned the area and saw a variety of different vendors. Her stomach rumbled a little bit at the smell of parsley and garlic floating through the air. “Aside from the fancy garlic, I wanted to shop around a bit for produce. Don’t really have a list either, but those watermelons look great. We could also grab a bite if any of the prepared food stands call to you,” she said.

As they slowly made their way through the farmer’s market, Winston spotted more and more weird things. There was a stall with birds in cages that Winston didn’t recognise, the birds not the cage. “So you’re kind of new to town then?” Winston asked curiously as they mentioned wherever they had lived, “when did you get to town?” They had to admit that they were curious as to whether all of things that they had previously taken for granted about White Crest were really things that were normal or whether they are things that were unique to White Crest. “I’m always down to try food from a food stall if there is one that is worth trying, but I get you. It’s nice to try niche little things like this and try support local business too.” They raised an eyebrow gently and nodded. “I’m sure my roommate would love it if I brought us all back some fruit from the market to share.” They eyed the watermelons and turned to Ariana. “Wanna give them a go and see if there is any good ones there?” They wished that there was someone here who actually knew anything about produce and what good produce was.

The more they explored the market, the more Ariana became sure this wasn’t your run of the mill farmer’s market. There was definitely something off with the little birds they were passing by. Then again, she wasn’t much of a bird watcher. She saw a stand across the way that surely had to be supplies for spells. It’s shelves were lined with jars that appeared to be filled with different animal parts and rows of crystals. Everyone seemed unfazed though. Maybe that was part of White Crest’s charm. She returned her attention back to their conversation and said, “Yep, we got here just in time for me to start my senior year off.” She scanned the area, but none of the prepared food was quite calling to her yet. “If we pass anything that looks good, we’ll try it out. It’s for sure nice to help out the community. Plus, these places usually have the best prices on organic produce and some pretty cool specialty items.” She turned to them before stepping toward the watermelon stand. “These do look nice and I think your roommates and my sister will both approve. Bit of a bitch to carry around, but I came prepared,” she said while pulling out a variety of large canvas tote bags she’d gotten from previous markets. She began picking out the watermelons, looking for slightly paler spots on them that indicated they were good. They all felt heavy for their weight which was always a good sign. She turned to them and asked, “How many did you want for you and your roommates?”

Winston followed Ariana’s gaze and spotted the stall selling what appeared to be various spell components. Winston sighed gently, it was a shame but they weren’t going to risk any odd questions by going over and looking at it. They could probably try and play it off as basic curiosity or some interest in the occult, but Winston knew that they were a terrible liar and this farmers market was around every weekend, they could come on their own another time. “Where were you before? Do you move around a lot or is this just like an occasional thing?” They looked at the rows of watermelons and then watched Ariana. They weren’t exactly sure how she was judging the watermelons, but there seemed to be some kind of method to it. Winston just wasn’t sure what it was. They weren’t about to admit that, and armed with a canvas tote bag they stepped alongside their newfound companion and attempted to mimic what she was doing. Spotting a watermelon that looked … well like a watermelon, they scooped it up and slipped it into the canvas bag. As they did so, they couldn’t help but notice the red spots alongside the green . Weird. “Uh, I don’t think we’ll even eat a whole one of these before it goes bad.” The roommate story was of course a lie, this watermelon was basically just for Winston as Ricky didn’t eat anything other then meat due to their selkie physiology. Winston wasn’t sure how they hadn’t picked up on it sooner, in hindsight after living with Ricky for several years, they’d never seen them eat anything other than meat or fish. Never. They’d just assumed they were fussy or on a keto diet. Or both. “I can’t believe I’ve never been here before.”

As Ariana picked the perfect melon and stuffed it away into her tote bag, she wondered what the best way to answer Winston’s question would be. Her childhood had been far from normal. Most people moved maybe once or twice, if that. She was sure to keep an air of nonchalance as she responded, “My sister and I moved around as a lot. Usually every few months. Most recently before White Crest we were living just outside of Dallas, Texas in a town called Flower Mound.” There were parts of her that wished it hadn’t been as much, but she found herself in White Crest now and she had to believe it was for a reason. She slung the tote bag with her watermelon over her shoulder and handed some cash to the woman selling the fruit before returning her attention to Winston. She let out a chuckle. “That’s fair, they are huge. Bigger than most I’ve seen.” The market definitely had a pretty decent crowd for taking place at night. Most others she’d been to had almost always been early weekend mornings. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool. There are definitely some stands that are very unique to White Crest though.” When they walked by a stand that had lobster rolls, she had to stop. She looked over at Winston, “How do lobster rolls sound?”

Hefting the tote bag that Ariana had armed Winston knew that they were going to spend the whole time moving the bag from one shoulder to another. But that was just the way that it was meant to be. Swallowing, they shrugged. “How come you moved around so much?” they asked curious as to whether there was a reason that they had been required to move so much, “Is it just the two of you now?” They weren’t trying to be nosey, they were just curious. “You must be really good at making friends now if you move around so much.” Winston raised an eyebrow and laughed. “Yeah, I’m going to have to find some watermelon related recipes for this bad boy, or I’ll have to freeze a bunch of it or something.” As Ariana suggested lobster rolls, Winston’s stomach rumbled and they made their way over to the stand. “Lobster rolls sound amazing right now,” they reached into their jacket and pulled out their wallet, “can I get two large ones please?” they asked the person running the stall. Their bag shuddered in anticipation of their meal. Wait, why was their bag shuddering? Looking down, their watermelon sat calmly, red spots and all.

Shifting the tote bag on her shoulder, Ariana found herself glad the full moon was only a few days out. Two weeks ago and this bag would have been way too heavy for her to carry around the market. She looked over to Winston who was shifting their bag as well. Maybe they should have stopped back for the watermelons at the end of their shopping trip. Ariana held her bag close and said, “The moving a lot was more out of necessity, it’s a long story. My parents died when I was really young so it’s always been me and Celeste.” She doubted Winston would understand being on the run from hunters even though she’d never hurt anyone. Being born a wolf, she had pretty good control over her wolf form and Celeste had always supervised her during full moons though that was more to protect her than it was to protect others. She smiled a little bit at their comment on her being good at making friends. She definitely wasn’t shy. She responded, “You could say that. I’m good with meeting new people and chatting. It’s a little harder to maintain friendships with the moves.” Truthfully, not keeping in touch with friends she made was something Celeste insisted on. If they had been caught in one place, they couldn’t risk giving their new location away. She shook the thought of friends left behind away and turned to the older gentleman serving lobster rolls. “I’ll take two large rolls as well.” She swore she felt her bag jerk on her shoulder, but she figured she lost her grip. Once they had their sandwiches paid for and in hand, she pointed over to an area of mostly empty area filled with what was likely a different array of brightly colored plastic tables. She could pick up on the yellows, but all the other tones were muted. It looked like a nice quiet spot to chat and enjoy their lobster rolls. As they settled into their table she asked, “Did you grow up in White Crest?”

Winston was starting to wish that they’d brought Ricky with them, if for nothing more then the fact that there friend was muscular as fuck and would’ve managed this just fine. Probably for both of them. Although Ariana didn’t seem like she was struggling as much as they felt like they were, they guessed that was because she played sports and Winston could barely climb stairs without breaking a sweat. “Oh, that’s … that’s shit I’m sorry that you and Celeste had to deal with that.” Winston couldn’t imagine what a life without parents was like and yet so many people that they knew had experienced it. “I guess it’s more difficult to maintain everything if you’re dealing with the move and can’t see people, but then again it’s not like you’re stuck writing letters like you would’ve been a hundred years ago. Technology is amazing for keeping in contact. None of my siblings live in state anymore and my parents make us all get on a call together every week or so, it’s a nice way of keeping in touch.” Honestly, Winston had been buying a lobster roll for Ariana, but as she ordered for herself, Winston just raised their eyebrows, flashed a quick smile and bit into their roll. The savoury flavour of it was truly delicious and Winston decided that they would definitely be coming back here, for both magical supplies and to pig out on lobster rolls. Following her over to the table, they settled down opposite her and began to struggle through the first lobster roll, already aware that they would have to save the second for another time. “Uh, yeah, been here my whole life, went to school here, then middle school, then high school, then undergrad and now I’m doing my postgrad, not really sure why but this place has always made me want to stick around.”

The moment that people realized she had a past that was sadder than most was something Ariana had grown used to. Always being on the move, she had to have this very conversation at least a hundred times. “Thanks,” she said, “A part of me will always miss my parents, but I count myself lucky to have Celeste.” Biting into her lobster roll, she thought about what they had said. Of course, keeping in touch now was easier than it used to be, but disappearing was safer. A huge part of her hoped she and Celeste never had to disappear again. As nice as it was sitting here getting to know a new friend, she longed for a day where she could call her new friends old friends. She shook the thought and said, “Yeah, you’re right. There’s a lot of ways to keep in touch with friends these days.” Listening to them talk about growing up and continuing to live in this town brought a relaxed grin to Ariana’s face in between bites. “It’s because it’s home,” she said simply. It was a feeling she got upon first arriving here although her reasoning may have had more to do with being able to sense other werewolves like her. They had settled into comfortable conversation while they ate and all was going well. Ariana decided to try her chances with asking them what they thought about the supernatural stories in town. Worst case scenario, they thought it was all stories. They definitely didn’t seem like a hunter. “What do you make of all the folklore in town?” As she finished her question, she felt some at her foot. She glanced down and was immediately bewildered to see the watermelons had chewed through the tote bags and one was gnawing on her favorite pair of boots. “What the fuck?” she jumped and yelled. She quickly lifted her foot and stomped down on the one using her shoe as a chew toy which sent it scurrying a few inches away from her with a slightly cracked exterior.

“Of course, no one can replace your parents, no matter how often they spend looking after you.” Winston chewed on their lobster roll as they listened to Ariana. For someone so young she seemed to have really lived a life, one that was different from Winston. They hoped that they hadn’t been forced to move about due to the Supernatural. The more that they met people in the world of the weird and wonderful, the more that they became aware of just how many people’s lives were affected by this world that they lived in. People moved around, people ran away, people had their life heavily impacted by the supernatural and so often it was completely out of their control. “I guess, it has always worked staying here and even though a lot of my friends and a lot of my siblings have all left the town, I don’t really feel the need yet.” Not to mention now that they knew about the supernatural there was just so much learning that they had left that was so easy to do here. There were so many spellcasters and the Scribes library and, “yeah it’s definitely home, I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere any time soon.” They considered Ariana’s question and frowned. “Uh, the folklore is really interesting, some people take it a bit too far you know, sometimes they’re like way too into it and cosplaying it and I guess ultimately who am I to judge others people's hobbies right,” Great avoid Winston, great avoid. They were about to elaborate on their opinion when they too felt the tote bag squirm and something tore a chunk out of their jeans. Winston just about managed to stop themself from squealing as they wriggled away from the bag and kicked it rolling away from them. No one seemed to notice, but their water melon had developed teeth and was currently trying to eat them. “What the fuck?” they said concerned, “What the actual fuck? THE FRUIT NOW TOO? Really?”

Of all the weird things out there in the world, Ariana never expected to see fanged watermelon trying to chomp at her. If Winston’s avoidance of the topic hadn’t given away their knowledge of the supernatural, their response to the watermelon definitely did. Fruit being practically a vampire was pretty wild and that was coming from a werewolf. A low growl came from the melon and she knew they had to smash these things quickly. Clearly, they weren’t friendly, given they were planning on eating the fruit before they knew it was going to get toothy with them. “Well, these have to be the best cosplayers I’ve ever seen,” she said with a laugh while trying to keep a careful eye on both watermelons. The one she was focused on was rolling about and she found her balance being thrown off by the other one knocking her other foot. She caught herself and raised her left foot down to give the melon a stomp with all her strength put into smashing the top half of the fruit into pieces.

With the watermelon’s teeth still wrapped up in their jeans, Winston struggled away from it and collapsed away from the table. The watermelon rolled towards them, the entire thing basically unhinging in half with a row of teeth ringing the top and bottom of the ‘mouth’. They were in that moment perhaps the sharpest teeth that Winston had ever seen and they weren’t about to see how it felt to have them envelope their limbs or face. But the thing was snapping at them and Winston was struggling to keep it away from their face. “I don’t think this is a cosplay, and if it is then I really need to get tips on their makeup because I don’t know anyone who can so convincingly pull off a vampiric fruit.”

Ariana looked down at the fruit in front of her and made sure to smash the other half for good measure. She wasn’t sure of the specifics on vampire fruit, but she didn’t want this thing respawning and trying to turn them into a snack again. If it weren’t for the chompy melon rolling around Winston’s feet, she would have laughed at their response. They seemed to be keeping a good distance. “Glad we’re on the same page with that then. I’ve yet to see any YouTube tutorials for how to turn yourself into a vampire melon.” With one last look, she concluded her own melon was thoroughly dead.

As Winston felt the thing get a little bit too close for their own comfort, they felt their survival reflex take over. There was that familiar surge of energy, then the calmness and stillness that always accompanied magic. The serenity. The feeling of peace, as if everything was right with the world. “Oh definitely,” they managed to say as they felt energy surge up their arm and explode into the watermelon, causing Winston to be drenched in watermelon goop as the thing they had been trying to keep from eating them exploded. They even felt a tooth embed itself in their forearm, which they pulled out with a wince. “Fuck, that was weird as hell right? It just … exploded on its own.”

Just as Ariana was going over to give them a hand with the remaining watermelon, it blew up without Winston even touching it. There definitely had to be some sort of spell or other energy used to make it just burst like that. Winston tried to play it off as if the watermelon just exploded on its accord. She was dumbfounded that they thought that would go over her head and looked to them with a brow raised high. “Right, I don’t know that much about vampire watermelons, but I’m pretty sure they don’t just explode on their own.” Ariana softened her features a bit to try and level with them. Head tilted with a slight smirk on her now watermelon coated face she said, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell anyone. I think it’s cool you can clearly do some sort of magic.”

Winston’s mouth opened and closed as they reached up and wiped a huge chunk of water melon off of their face and glasses, before pulling their glasses off altogether and polishing them vigorously with the end of their also watermelon soaked t-shirt. Their mind was going into overdrive trying to think of how they could justify this one. They had nothing. “Until today I didn’t know that vampire watermelons even existed,” Winston pointed out as they did their best to lie through this situation, “so- I mean- it isn’t that unreasonable to think that they could just- they explode on their own clearly,” they signed and shrugged. “Okay, you got me, I can do ‘magic’ but I’m basically brand new so don’t expect any world ending magic from me anytime soon,” they slipped their glasses back onto their face before continuing, “and from the lack of surprise about the fact magic exists I guess you know about the weird and wonderful world that really is White Crest?”

Ariana left out a breathy laugh as Winston tried to continue on with their story of the watermelon simply exploding. Maybe this world was fairly new to them. She’d been a wolf her whole life and vampire watermelon was still way out of league for things she thought were actually possible. A small smirk stayed on her face even as they admitted to recently taking up magic. “Man, and here I thought we were ready to take on the world,” she said with a small chuckle. “It looks like there’s much more to the weird and wonderful world of White Crest than I thought there was. But yeah, I know about the supernatural presence here.” She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should mention her own supernatural abilities to them. They had just shared their secret with her so it wasn’t like they would think she was totally insane. She scanned the area and took a breath before saying, “I can sense the presence of certain things because of what I am, too. If I tell you, promise not to like, totally freak? I’m not dangerous and scary or anything like that.”

Raising an eyebrow, Winston sighed. “We’re definitely not ready to take on the world,” some days Winston wondered if they should even be leaving the house at all, they knew that they couldn’t be ruled by fear but this world sucked and there was so much chance that things would really go wrong. Something that Winston wasn’t sure that they were ready to take on something that they definitely didn’t want to discover. Yet they had no choice but to get every morning and face the world. Something that they still begrudged existence of. “White Crest is like the hell mouth out of Buffy, if it is weird and if it is dangerous and might want to tear your face off indiscriminately then there is a very good chance that it’ll be here. Whether you like it or not.” They swallowed, they loved the new world that they had discovered in some ways, but they hated it in others.” They looked at her and raised an eyebrow. This was very you show me yours and I’ll show you mine but they weren’t about to complain about someone being honest for once. “Okay, so you’re not just human either, that’s cool, I can hang, as long as you’re not like a serial killer.” Their roommate was a seal after all, what could be weirder than that?

The reference to Buffy went a little over Ariana’s head. She’d heard of the show and it popped up on her suggested on Netflix every once and awhile, but she hadn’t given it a watch yet. “I haven’t actually seen Buffy, but I think the word hell mouth speaks for itself. Let’s hope no more fruit betrays us though, especially not strawberries. If I get attacked by one of my favorite foods, I may be scarred.” Winston seemed like they could handle the truth of what she was. She definitely wasn’t a serial killer, she wasn’t even a regular killer so she was sure she felt confident Winston would be open to her truth. Running a hand still somewhat nervously through her hair, she finally said, “No serial killers here. I’m a werewolf, which sounds a lot scarier than it is. It’s something I was born with so I’m pretty in tune with wolf form.” It kind of felt nice to admit what she was. Her shoulders relaxed a bit and she let go of the tension she hadn’t even realized she had been carrying. She watched Winston closely to see how they took the news.

“Oh, sorry for your loss but you’ve still got time to watch it, but fair warning, it’s very … 90’s.” Winston smiled and nodded. “The more that I learn about this shit, the more that I realise that there is a tonne of shit that isn’t normal and actually ruins … well experiences lets say.” Winston paused for a moment longer before continuing. “Which reminds me, stay away from the back alleys of that mime cafe, I found a weird mime monster thing there and it was no good for me and I would hate for it to be no good for you either.” Winston’s jaw fell slack when this girl said that she was a werewolf. They’d known werewolves were real. After all that’s why there were hunters, to hunt that sort of thing. But they’d never actually met a werewolf. Their eyes went wide and they opened and closed their mouth several times before finally managing something. “That’s really fucking cool…” they trailed off before standing and dusting the remaining vampire watermelon fragments off of themself. “Tell me more whilst I browse this magic stand that I was too nervous to try and lie about why I was looking at earlier.” Winston might as well make the most of the opportunity whilst they still could.

A wave of relief and joy hit Ariana as Winston openly accepted what she was. They may have been a bit shocked, but overall, they were okay with what she was. There was no doubt in her mind that they’d be great friends. She was a bit thrown off at the mention of mimes. What the hell was with this town and mimes anyway? “Trust me, I plan on staying far away from anything to do with mimes. Their makeup is creepy and a mime monster sounds way worse than a vampire watermelon.” She found herself curious about what else White Crest had to offer in terms of supernatural species as they made way toward the magic stand. “You know, normally I’d say you could have played it off by just thinking occult stuff was cool, but from our conversations so far, I can tell lying isn’t your strong point. Which is a good thing.” She gazed over the jars lining the shelves of the magic shop without really understanding what their capabilities were. Magic was something she had not looked too much into although she was sure Celeste had. Absentmindedly running her hands along a row of jars, she explained, “The whole full moon transformation thing is true. Celeste has always supervised and I have a good grip on my wolf form. It’s liberating to run free under the full moon. I do heal pretty quickly and have a good immune system. I’m colorblind which is common for wolves and the closer it is to a full moon, the stronger I am physically… which helped with smashing watermelons. How’d you figure out you could do magic?”

When you lived with someone who had seal skin and could slip into it at will, your best friend was a spellcaster, your other best friend could see ghosts and sometimes move kitchen equipment with their mind and you’d met fairies, well Winston was being forced to be more open minded about this world then they would’ve expected that they would’ve been otherwise. “Yeah, I would recommend that you give the mimes a miss, not worth the time or the terrifying amount of energy it takes to get away from them. They’re awful. The worst.” Winston hated mimes. “That was exactly the thought process that I had!” Winston replied, “I was looking at it and I was like definitely could try and lie my way through this one but it doesn’t ever really work out for me, I’m so bad at coming up with believable stories. Yeah. So, I was going to come back, but, not this time apparently, which is nice.” They weren’t sure that they were so much of a fan of the farmers market after they had been allowed to buy vampire watermelons. “Celeste is your sister? Is she a werewolf too? I’ve done a bit of reading into werewolves, more out of interest or anything, is it cool to ask if you were bitten or born a werewolf? Or is that like more of an offensive term?” They weren’t really sure what was supernaturally politically correct. “I was at a party that the Computer Science faculty holds at the beginning of every year, they call it poker chips not microchips or something equally dumb, anyway, some giant dog thing, I’m sure it has a real name but I don’t know what it is, it like jumped out at me and tried to brutally injure me and I guess my body freaked out and used magic. Then I kept getting put in compromising situations and I’d accidentally use magic, I eventually got together with some more experienced spellcasters and they’ve been helping me get better but it’s only been a few months and it’s all really … hit and miss.”

Ariana found there was something incredibly freeing about being able to openly talk with a friend about all things supernatural. All over town, it seemed like a whisper no one really wanted to delve into. No one knew who knew what or who was potentially dangerous. But this, this was nice. Even explaining who Celeste was to her and what happened didn’t seem all that daunting. Picking up a couple of jade colored crystals that looked more decorative than practical she responded, “So, biologically, Celeste isn’t actually my sister. Her parents were hunters. I’d say it’s a long story, but it really isn’t. On her first hunt with her parents, they went after my family. Celeste abandoned hunting and rescued me. We’ve kind of been on the run from her parents ever since which is why we’ve moved so much.” She set the crystals down and ran a hand through her hair. Talking about what happened to her parents always gave her a little bit of anxious energy, but she wanted to share this story. “Celeste is totally family, though. I’m not even sure if that’s an offensive thing to ask, I’ve only just begun to meet others like me. I was born a werewolf though and I have no problems with what I am even if we’ve always been on the run from hunters. I know I’m a good person.” Ariana listened intently as Winston described their discovery of their magic. That had to be pretty scary. At least for her, being a wolf was all she had ever known so transformations and senses were never a surprise. She offered them a soft smile and said, “That had to be overwhelming at first. I’m glad you’re working with other spellcasters though. With time and practice, I’m sure you’ll get very comfortable with it. Plus, it’s good you have a solid way of protecting yourself. Are you enjoying learning how to use magic?”

Raising an eyebrow at the story that Ariana had to tell, Winston couldn’t help but admit that they found it not only a little far-fetched (though they believed it, it seemed too ridiculous to make up), but they were terrified to imagine that was something that she had been through. It wasn’t really something that they had really considered but it was something that they would probably have to start getting used to. Everything in this world seemed hell bent on killing one another, whether Winston liked it or not. “Sure, I mean, honestly I’m so new to all of this that I really don’t know what is cool to say and what isn’t…” they shrugged and trailed off, “I never got how being something other than human made you not a good person, it seemed to me that it was always your actions which should decide whether you’re good or not. But if you just know, then you just know, just because you’re not the same as me doesn’t mean you’re not good you know.” They weren’t sure if maybe they were innocent and naive that had of course been a consideration throughout all of this, maybe they were just ignorant. “It was terrifying, had two weeks of denial and then couldn’t deny these clear things anymore and had to accept the truth, learning magic is really tricky but it’s a lot of fun. It’s more scary when I fuck it up though, always worried I’ll get it really wrong one day and hurt someone…”

It dawned on Ariana that coming across supernatural species and discovering a power later in life had to be tricky. Still, Winston showed an incredible amount of understanding which she was grateful for. In the world they lived in, that was a rare thing to find. “Well, you won’t offend me at least.” She shrugged and added, “Thanks, by the way, it’s nice to not be judged for the species I was born. I try to keep an open mind myself, though I’m a bit wary of hunters that aren’t Celeste. More of a self preservation thing though. I don’t actively go out trying to pick a fight with anyone. It’s kind of awesome that you’re so new to this and you’re still open-minded.” She nodded along as they spoke, doing her best to keep her features soft. It must have been hard for them being presented with the truth in such a scary way and having to come to terms with it. By the sounds of it though, they were using this to better themselves and learning to protect others too. “That’s hard,” she said, “Being introduced to this whole other world in such a crazy way. It looks like you’re really using it as a chance to learn and grow though. If you ask me, I think that’s really cool. If you keep practicing, you’ll be able to do some really great things with it one day. And if you need some wolfy backup, I got you, fam.” She said the last part with a big smile spreading across her face.

“I certainly hope not,” Winston replied immediately perhaps a little too quickly, they’d always been a little bit too concerned of what other people thought about them. “I mean, you don’t get to choose who you’re born as, all you actually do get to choose is what you do and how you choose to live your life. It’s your actions that count I guess is what I’m trying to say.” Winston wasn’t sure whether they entirely agreed with Ariana. Perhaps they could say they were bettering themselves in someway, but the truth was that they were learning how best to survive in what was becoming an increasingly dangerous world, at least the more that they learned about it. “It’s not been easy, but I’m trying to learn what my place in this world is, its been hard, I used to think that we had a justice system that worked but then this whole world is so vibrant and in some ways so aggressive about the fact it is so unnatural and abnormal, which isn’t a problem until people start doing things that are wrong. That’s where I’m really struggling, coming to terms with the fact everything seems to hunt each other, it’s a huge blood bath in someways.” They shrugged. “But thanks, I appreciate that a lot more then you can imagine.”

Ariana nodded along with Winston as they spoke and tried to really understand where they were coming from. She had the benefit of knowing about this kind of stuff her whole life so this was normal to her. Well, as normal as vampire watermelons could be anyway. “It’s good you’re learning to protect yourself. I know it’s gotta be crazy discovering just how crazy everything is. I for one, am not a big fan of everything trying to kill each other either. But hey, all we can do is try to be an example and defend ourselves and each other when needed.” She hoped it helped. She truly hoped to one day see a world where supernatural species could learn to get along, but she didn’t see that happening anytime soon. No need to make it seem impossible though. The world around them had clearly shown that nothing is impossible. She shook the thought off and asked, “Did you find anything useful?”

Winston frowned gently at the thought of the fact that what they were discussing was not a metaphorical or an abstract concept. It was something that was really happening, it might even be happening somewhere now. This wasn’t something that Winston had particularly signed up for but this was no longer a choice that they got to make. “I get you 100%, this is all really surreal if I’m totally honest, I’m still trying to get to grips with this being a reality…” they gazed at the wares, having not particularl\y been looking for anything, and realised that they had been stood there for a while now. “Uh, nothing that I need now, but I guess it’s good to know that I can come back if I need anything.” There was no shortage of places that sold this sort of stuff apparently. Winston just wasn’t sure why they had never noticed this before.

Ariana noticed the frown on their face and gave them a pat on the shoulder. “If it helps, everything gets easier with time. I know it sounds cheesy and cliche, but it’s true. And if there’s anything I can do to help, I got you.” She offered them a friendly smile as they made their way out of the little magic shop stand. Even if they had gotten attacked by vampire fruit, she counted the evening a success. They had gotten to share their experiences and she was sure she came out of this outing with a new friend. Looking at her watch she said, “We should probably head out before the vegetables start acting shifty, too. Plus, Celeste is home tonight so if I don’t make curfew I’ll definitely be hearing about it. I’m glad we got to do this though, vampire watermelons and all.”

“Thanks, I appreciate all of the help that I can get.” Winston wasn’t exactly an expert here and anything that someone could do to make it all a bit better was not something that they were going to refuse. Especially not when it was someone who really seemed to know their stuff. Shrugging gently, they headed towards the exit of the farmer’s market. They’d parked their car a few blocks away so they’d have to split up here. “I really enjoyed this, despite the near death experience, although it was only a semi near death experience so I’m not sure that really counts. It’d be cool to do something like this again, but maybe without the monstrous fruit.

#this happened on friday night #p: ariana #para #wickedswriting #chatzy para #friday night frights

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