#outlook constantly trying to make me look like a jerk

[palmtreepalmtree]

The new Outlook program deletes emails and subject lines while I'm in the middle of typing. Say I want to add someone's email address into the to: section. I start typing their name, Outlook drops down a menu and tries to guess who I'm typing from people I'verecently sent emails to.

But as I'm typing the first part of the name deletes itself and now the drop down menu is searching for 'mas' instead of 'thomas' and I honestly do not know why the program is designed this way but I would like to throttle a product designer over it.

[rosemary-is-in-pesterquest]

ooh! I have thoughts on Eridan!

okay so, to me, Eridan ties into this thing that homestuck has going on with a lot of its more morally grey characters... the question of how responsible young people are for their negative qualities and actions, and where the age threshold for personal responsibility is.

the characters in homestuck all straddle this line between being young enough to consider them victims of the forces that influence them, while also old enough to understand what they're doing and how it affects others... especially because a lot of these kids come off as really smart for their age, and very precocious. we've all been through phases in our lives that make us cringe, not because we're ashamed of something harmless, but because we recognize that we had absorbed something harmful, and took longer than we wish we had to unlearn it. it could be as simple as being kind of a jerk in a misguided attempt to seem cool, or as dramatic as actually hurting someone in an attempt to remedy one's own insecurities by putting down others to seem better by comparison... but how far can you push that before people aren't willing to forgive? before people abandon the notion that better guidance and more appropriate role models could reform someone? and it's especially interesting when you consider how old homestuck's core audience might've been when they first encountered this story, and how it affected their perception of the characters if they saw them as peers, rather than as children from an adult's perspective.

so to talk about Eridan, I wanna frame this in terms of his classpect, because it actually goes a long way towards contextualizing his behavior. Eridan is a prince of hope, meaning that he destroys hope or uses hope to destroy... and this can be seen in practically every conversation he has. if Eridan is contacting someone, it is because he expects something of them. advice, or consolation, or a solution to a problem he's having... it's always something. when he contacts Kanaya, he wants her to auspistize between him and Vriska. when he contacts Feferi, he wants her to give him encouragement, and maybe date him when he asks. and in every case, the way he demands these things by being rude, whiny, or self pitying, makes people reluctant or unwilling to give him what he expects. he destroys what he hopes to obtain.

it goes deeper than that though. Eridan has absorbed this ideology of sea dweller superiority from living on Alternia... and he actually takes it way farther than it even makes sense to. the aristocracy on Alternia use the lower class for all sorts of menial work that they feel entitled not to have to do themselves. they might have the ability to freely cull individual low bloods for any reason, but eradicating all land dwelling trolls would leave a lot of unpleasant yet necessary tasks with no one to do them. I don't think Eridan actually wants to live in a reality where sea dwellers have to pick up the slack of doing things like sanitation work, or construction or something... but another concept that is heavily tied to the hope aspect is delusion. Eridan is exaggerating. he's trying to agree with Alternia's ruthless class structure so hard that it's actually kind of absurd. but Feferi calls him on that... she says she thinks that he self sabotages on purpose. because he knows, at least in some capacity, that the consequences of getting what he "wants" would actually be really uncomfortable to live with.

so not only is Eridan's goal to destroy... it is also a false goal that he constantly undermines. and all of his waffling between grandstanding and self pity destroys his romantic prospects, which are what he actually seems to want the most.

if you look at the way Eridan pursues relationships, he actually makes a lot of logical sense, but not a lot of emotional sense. he's idealized the act of perfectly filling the relationship requirements of each quadrant. he wants Feferi to be his matesprit, which is purely based on the fact that she's high enough on the hemospectrum to be an appropriate match in terms of status. he wants Vriska to be his kismesis, and Kanaya to be their auspistice, and there are hints that Karkat might've been someone he was considering for moiraillegience, though it wasn't emphasized as much. and there you go! his goal is specific, but it's based more on ideals than on the actual needs and feelings of the people involved, and it's totally self centered... he always wants them to cater to his own needs. the reason why he gets as nihilistic as he does on the meteor, is because all of his endeavors to achieve these relationships are falling through. he feels like he has no hope of mending his existing connections, because he still only sees them in terms of people either giving him, or not giving him, what he wants. but the rest of their race is dead. as the last twelve trolls in existence, they only have each other as romantic options. and as Eridan gets more and more desperate, he gets more and more demanding, which is the exact quality that drives everyone away from him to begin with, and it culminates in him having a "if I can't have what I want then nobody can have any of their hopes either" meltdown.

to backtrack a bit, I wanna reconsider questions such as, when is a kid old enough to be held responsible for their own negative qualities? like... when are you comfortable with ceasing to blame environmental factors? when are they just a bad person? is it after they've refused a certain number of chances to make better choices? when do they reach an age, or level of bad behavior, that makes you think they can't be helped to reform from these negative qualities? where does an adult lose their patience for the idea that a kid is just a victim of their upbringing?

obviously Feferi is Eridan's peer, but these are basically the questions she grapples with when she talks to Eridan. it's like growing up next door to a kid whose parents have some aggressively wrong-headed political stances. as you grow, that kid might mirror their parents' way of thinking... and by the time the two of you are in your teens, it's hard to ignore how much of a jerk that kid is becoming. but you've seen them at every step of their development. you know where it comes from. maybe theirs is the dominant political belief in the community, even if your own parents aren't like that. maybe you wonder if you would've agreed with them if you grew up under their circumstances. you've felt the pressure, but you haven't lived in it like they have, and maybe if they just had the chance to grow up under different conditions, they wouldn't be this way. and you are aware that you could be an influence on them... maybe they need you to help them see another perspective. you always got along so well as kids. when did things even change? and that's kind of where I imagine Feferi is at when we're introduced to her and Eridan. it's a crossroads between believing that you might still matter enough to them to change their outlook, and the persistence of their ingrained beliefs. it's tiring to do that kind of work, over a long period of time, to minimal results. when is the appropriate time to give up? in this way, Feferi's own hopes for Eridan fade over time. she says at one point that she was mainly acting as his moirail so he wouldn't try to underfeed her lusus and kill the land dwellers that way. she's not sure how serious he is, and she can't take that risk. deep down, I'm pretty sure Eridan knew he was never actually going to commit a genocide... but his need to grandstand, and legitimate belief in his caste superiority, had convinced Feferi enough that she still felt obligated to manage him as though he was a real threat.

these characters are thirteen years old. they're right at the edge of childhood and adolescence... right at the age where children aren't quite so innocent. they want to assert themselves. they aren't mature, so there's a lot of responsibility that they still shouldn't be trusted with yet, but they've become aware enough to feel like that's demeaning, and to want to be taken seriously. in an effort to make people acknowledge them without looking down on them, they'll try just about anything. they don't have the experience to know what they're doing yet, so it doesn't always work in their favor, and that's frustrating. you can see bits and pieces of this in homestuck's characters. like with the way they try to paint themselves as an authority on something, or shit talk each other in order to emphasize their own strengths. it's a really interesting theme, because homestuck pushes some of these young characters really far in terms of how bad the things they've done can be, or how much their lived experiences have taught them that what they're doing is acceptable. they can be really self aware in some ways, and come off as really childish in others. it's hard to know what you'd do about them in real life... and your answer changes depending on your own age and perspective. it's a really cool gray area to poke around in, and homestuck is excellent at it.

wtf I like Eridan now

[mywonuderful]

Not So Cold-Hearted Pt.18

Summary: Y/N, a member of a popular newly debut girl group and Wonwoo has what some may call a relationship with emotional ambivalent. Will their relationship remain cold-blooded or will they finally come to an agreement and become something more?

Pairing: Jeon Wonwoo x Reader

masterlist

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽���☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Before you left, you went to the use the restroom. As you came out, you saw the backs of Wonwoo and the lady who were sitting down beside each other. Her head was resting on his shoulder and Wonwoo was looking down at her, brushing the hair out of her face. You stood there, unable to move. Your eyes were glued on them as you heart felt like they’ve been torn into a million pieces. Just then, the lady lifts her head and turns to look back as you quickly patted your hands, looking around as if you just came out. She stood up from the chair as Wonwoo turns his head to your direction. You gave her a small smile as you walked past her to pick up your belongings.

“Thank you once again for the meal. It was absolutely delicious.” You and Wonwoo were outside the store, bidding her goodbye. “It was a pleasure to have you. Remember to come back the store more often, Wonnie. You always visit me when I’m home so why don’t you come to the store more often?” You eyes widen at her sudden explanation. Your mind was trying to put together the pieces together but couldn’t come to a conclusion of what relationship the two of them holds. “No promises, but I’ll try. Remember to take care of yourself alright?” Wonwoo smiled at he waved goodbye. You slowly walked behind him, footsteps heavy as your mind was twirled up in confusion with what your feeling and what the lady is to Wonwoo. Looking staring down at the floor walking, you sudden felt someone tug your arm. Darting up head up to see, Wonwoo was holding on to your arm with worried eyes.

“If you keep staring down at the floor, you’ll bump into the light pole.” you shifted your head to see the light pole that you almost walked into. “Are you okay?” Wonwoo leaned down to study your face but you pushed past him. “I’m fine. Let’s hurry home. It’s late.” You said, not looking back as your quicken your steps, not caring if Wonwoo was following or if he was even behind. All you wanted to do was go back into your room and bury your head into your pillow, but you couldn’t come to an understanding on why. Your heart was heavy and that you wanted to cry but you just couldn’t express it. You just felt numb and broken towards someone you hated. You started jogging. And the jogging transitioned to you running towards an endless direction. It didn’t matter where you were going at the moment but you just kept running down the path. Your body was already exhausted from all the stress it’s been put to but you pushed through it and continued running. 

You finally came to a stop as you were completely heaving, trying to catch your breath as your bent over with your hands on your knees. Once you left your head up, you realized that you were on a curve of a hill on the a road that outlooks towards the city.

‘Just how far did I run?’ You thought to yourself as you slowly walked towards the wooden fence to admire the view. Your chest was still rising and falling rapidly but it felt nice. The night breeze blowing past your face made it relaxing, almost if it could put you to sleep. You slowly closed your eyes, trying to feel more of the breeze. “I’m waiting for a miracle 내 보통뿐인 나날에 Oh would you be my miracle 난 너에게 늘 감사해” you quietly sang as your eyes remained closed “저물어 가는 해는 약속을 하지 않아요 오늘이 지나가도 날 잊지 않길 바라요“ your eyes shot opened as you turned to see Wonwoo leaning on the fence, humming along. Your eyes widen from his appearance as you didn’t think he would’ve have followed you. “D-Did you follow me?” You asked, in shocked as he looked towards the city view. It was strange. He wasn’t heaving at all or sweaty from running. “Did you run?” You slowly asked. “Huh? You’re funny. I got in a taxi and told the driver to follow you.” He turned around and points at the taxi nearby. “So, why were you running?” “Why are you following me? Go home. Don’t keep the taxi driver waiting, you’ve bothered him enough.” “You shouldn’t be alone this late at night.” “Since when did my existence come to be your worries?” You raised your voice in frustration and looked him in the eye as he stepped back, taken back by your voice. He remained silent but you could tell that he was searching for something to say in his eyes. You let out a sigh, before turning back to the view, resting your elbows on the fence. “Just go and leave me be-” he grabbed your wrist, pulling you towards the taxi.

You sat on the passenger seat, staring out the window as the buildings and streets go by, making you more sleepier by the second. You tried to stay awake, when your head slowly lowered to your chest as you jerked it back up, glancing at Wonwoo who was looking at you. The both of you were silent during the car ride as the only sound was the soft music being playing in the front. “If you’re tired you can rest your head on my-” “You can drop us off here sir. Thank you for driving.” You cut Wonwoo off when you noticed that the taxi was already a street down from your home. You quickly gave the drive the money, along with the tip before getting off the car, with Wonwoo tumbling behind. “Let me pay you back.” He caught up, walking beside you. “No. It’s okay.” “But-” “Treat it as a ‘thank you’ for earlier.” You stopped as he turned to look at you, followed by a silent nod. “Who even has the ability to run that much after the work they’ve done?” He suddenly ask as you blankly blinked at him. “That was suppose to be a compliment.” He added before the two of you broke into soft chuckles. Hearing Wonwoo chuckle gave butterflies in your stomach but the image of the lady and Wonwoo still remained in your mind, bothering you.

“Thanks.” You quietly said as the two of you approached your house. You stood there awkwardly not knowing if you should leave now or wait to see if he had anything to say. “Bye.” He said, rubbing that back of his neck as he looked away. “Bye.” You started walking, feeling a little disappointed “Goodnight.” You heard him mumbled. You glanced back but he was already walking towards his house. Turning back, you felt yourself smile, feeling a weird satisfaction.

The following days were filled with your group practicing for the upcoming awards show along with Moonbin’s special collaboration, making your quite burnt out from how much work and stress your body has been put under. You’ve been using up any free time to practice as your member constantly gave you reminders to get rest and eat as they know you’ll forget, especially under stress. You wanted to perfect the dance as it was the chance for you to promote your group and yourself. But that also made you forget about taking care of yourself as your body started to weaken and your immune system broke down. You started notice that Wonwoo would pop in almost every time you had practice with Moonbin, along with a not-so-convincing excuse on why he’s here. It was quite annoying at first, but after several practice of him just sitting there in the corner, scrolling through his phone, there wasn’t much to complain about. He started talking to you more as the both of you started having actual and longer conversations. Though they may be teasing conversation, you found yourself feeling a lot more content and that you could feel yourself getting more comfortable around him. But every time you feel yourself growing closer to Wonwoo, you felt yourself drifting away from him as the thought of him and the lady flashes in your mind, slowly driving you insane.

---

“Good work today!” Remi cheered as everyone collapsed on the cool floor, trying to catch their breathes, you laid on the floor, back against the cool flooring as sweat fell down the side of you forehead. You’ve been recently experiencing occasional headaches and dizziness here and there which was probably from overworking yourself but you didn’t tell your members, knowing that they’ll nag and scold you about not taking care of yourself. But you couldn’t let anything get in the way with the awards show approaching in a couple of days. You needed to push through. Just a little longer. As you felt your vision start to fuzz, you closed your eyes, but even with your eyes close, you felt yourself getting dizzy.

“Are you practicing with Moonbin again today?” Yun Hee approached you, wiping the sweat off your forehead. “Yeah, today will be our last practice so I have to make the best out of it.” you said in between your heavy breathing. “I know you hate us for nagging you all the time but you have to know that it’s only for your good. Don’t overwork yourself. Please? We need you strong and healthy for the awards show performance.” You sat up, massaging your temples as you nodded and gave her a smile and a assuring nod. “Alright. I’ll make sure to rest well and eat.” “It’s a good thing that Wonwoo is around now. Not only are the two of them finally getting along, but he’s making sure she eats as well. Look at how far they’ve come.” Nari teased in the corner of the room as the rest of the members agreed. Every time after practice, Wonwoo would either drag you to a restaurant to eat or order food to the practice room and force made sure you ate before returning back home.

“Okay, okay, enough with that. Moonbin will be over soon so you guys will get going.” You stood up and laughed as the members bid you goodbye. Once the members were gone, you fell back to the floor, trying to sooth your headache before your practice session with Moonbin beginnings. With your headache getting in your way, you didn’t hear the door creak open as someone walked in.

“You don’t seem to have a fever.” you sudden felt a hand on your forehead as your eyes shot opened, meeting a pair of soft eyes that belonged to no other than Minghao. He was crunched down beside you, looking down at you with a worried look. “I’m fine-” “Here’s the medicine I bought. The pharmacist said to drink this before you take this. After a couple of hours, if your headache or dizziness appears again, take the this again but don’t take it for more than 3 times a day.” He took out a bag from behind and started taking out the medication. “Didn’t think you could fool me, huh?” he softly smiled from seeing your speechless expression “How’d you...” “I’d say I’m pretty amazing to notice that you aren’t feeling well from just looking at your back while you were practicing earlier.” He chuckled as he opened the bottle of medication before handing it to you. You took it without hesitation and chugged it before scrunching your face in disgust of the aftertaste. “More like you sound like my mom.” You chuckled, handing him the empty bottle as he exchanged it with the medication and a bottle of water. You pop the medication before chasing it down with water. “Thank, Hao. I wouldn’t know what I’ll do without you.”

“My Y/N, is overworking herself once again isn’t she?” He puts the trash into the bag before taking a seat beside you as you pulled your knees to your chest. “Maybe just a little stress? This is my first solo performance without my members and I really want to use this as a chance to display myself and promote my group. I think it’s only best for me to work harder.” You rested the side of your cheek on your knee. “But that still means you have to take care of yourself right? If you don’t, then how would you have the power and energy to perform and show them everyone what you got? Plus, it hurts me to see you weaken. Especially alone.” You could hear his broken voice as he spoke. You scooted closer to him before resting your face on top of your knee again. “Which is why I’m so thankful to have you. For someone to see through me without me saying anything. Someone who can see through all my emotions and feelings by just looking at my eyes. That’s what makes you so special as my best friend that no one compare.” You mumbled, feeling his hand patting your head. Your eyes slowly shut, his soft touch putting you to sleep.

Wonwoo walks down the hall, holding two bags of take-out as he glances from room to room, to see where you were. Knowing that you had your final practice today. He finally saw the last room with the lights on, knowing you where in there. As he slowly approached, he heard your voice.

“And that’s why I love you.” he heard you spoke as he footsteps comes to a halt. He froze, eyes widen as he replayed you voice of what you said again in his mind.

“What?” the words escaped his mouth as he slowly approached the door to see Minghao stroking the back of your head, smiling brightly down on you. “I know.” he whispered back before resting his head on top of yours. Wonwoo didn’t know how to feel. He was feeling anger, confusion and jealous, but he wouldn’t come to accept it. He placed the food outside the door before turning and leaving, feeling heavy in the heart. “Is Wonwoo stopping by today during your practice?” Minghao asked as you lifted your head, letting out a small yawn. “Hmm? Oh, I’m not sure. He doesn’t really tell me.” You shrugged your shoulders, glancing at the clock.  “Hmm, he mentioned about getting lunch and coming back after practice today.” Minghao thought out loud. “Sorry I’m lat- huh what’s this? Did you guys call for delivery?” Moonbin popped in holding two bags of takeout with confusion. You turned around look at the bags, not remembering calling for take-out. “Did Wonwoo leave it there by any chance?” Minghao stood up and took it from Moonbin as he brought it in. “He wouldn’t have left it at the door without telling anyone though.” He scanned the food with suspicion. You offered him to stay but he refused, saying that he wanted to keep it a surprise. You tried calling Wonwoo but it brought you straight to his voicemail. Giving up, you and Moonbin ending up eating the lunch boxes before having a serious and passionate last practice. Even though, the both of you were going through some last check ups and fixes, it took longer than excepted.

“Here.” Moonbin breathlessly said as he opened a bottle water for you. “Thanks.” You smiled, taking it before gulping down the bottle. “It feels a little empty without Wonwoo here, eh? Maybe it’s because I’m so used to having him around now. Even though he doesn’t say or do much” Moonbin chuckled as you wondered where he was and why he didn’t answer your call. “I guess so.” You mumbled into the bottle. “Well, since Wonwoo isn’t here today. I guess this is my chance.” Moonbin smiled as he stood up infront of you. You looked up at him with confusion. “How about I take you out on a nice dinner today?” He brings out his hand to you, waiting for you to take it. You saw his cheek blushing as you stared into his eyes. A part of you wanted to take it but another part refrained you from doing so. You hesitated a bit before reaching slowly to his hand.

“Sorry I’m late. But I guess, it doesn’t really matter since the both of you are still here. Thank you for taking my spot Moonbin but I’ll take it from here.” A low voice appeared behind him as you looked behind and saw Wonwoo walking towards the two of you in a hoodie and sweats. Somehow, your heart started beating faster even his lazy outfit. “H-Hyung...” Moonbin almost whined. “Maybe you can invite the both of us for dinner next time?” Wonwoo smirked before he took your bag and flung it over his shoulder and left. “U-Uh... I’m so sorry Moonbin. I’d love to have dinner with you in the future though! I’ll see you during rehearsal! Remember to get lots of rest and stay well!” You hastily waved goodbye, leaving the speechless male standing in the middle of the room.

“Wait up!” You finally caught up to Wonwoo where the two of you were talking in the middle of a path in a park. You tugged onto your bag, making him turn around. “What’s up with you? Can’t you see I was in the middle of something?” You folded your arms across your chest “Oh, were you? I’m sorry.” You could the insincerity in his word, making you roll your eyes. “Where are we going anyways?” You dropped the topic, knowing that it’s useless to continue arguing with him. “To eat.” He said as-matter-of-fact “I can go out to eat by myself. What makes you think I have to follow you?” You shot at him. “But we can get free food if we go to my-” “What? Your girlfriend’s restaurant so the two of you can secretly be all lovey-dovey and flirty in front of my face? Yeah, no thanks, I’ll pass on that.” You spatted out as your hand flies to cover your mouth but it was too late. Wonwoo was staring at you with his eyes shot opened. “My girlfriend?” He repeated again. Just him saying that word made you pissed off as you scoffed. “It must be nice for you to say it out loud now, huh? Now what I know, you can freely talk” “Wait hold up-” “-about her. Don’t worry you’re little girlfriend and secret will be safe with me but don’t blame me if-”

“She’s not my girlfriend.” Wonwoo raised his voice, closing his eyes, trying to contain his anger in. You looked at him with narrowed eyes, thinking it’s a joke. “Wonwoo, it’s too late to cover this up now. There’s no way she’s not your girlfriend-” “She’s my aunt.” He opened his eyes, meeting your angered yet confused pupils. “W-What?”

<<prev // next >>

[citizen-zero]

also relatedly I feel like something that doesn’t get talked about enough in a neutral light is the fact that like. yes, preteen and young teen girls have sexual thoughts and feelings.

I feel like the rightful push against the sexualization of young girls has to some degree hindered the ability to talk about that in a way that isn’t super puritanical. Like I feel like as soon as you bring up the basic reality that girls experience sexual feelings when puberty hits, you get looked at like a weirdo (even if you yourself are a girl and had the experience of being a preteen girl).

and I get WHY, don’t get me wrong, I know why that’s the reaction. I know that rape culture and patriarchy objectify young girls and I know that creeps will talk about the sexuality of young girls to try justifying their grooming and predation. Like I get it.

(And by “sexuality” I’m mean the general experience of one’s relationship to sexual attraction. I’m going to refer to the sexuality of young people a lot in this and I’m NOT saying “the sexiness of young people,” I’m saying it to refer to the way newly pubescent people understand and relate to their own sense of attraction and identity. Human sexuality, etc)

But sometimes it feels like we’ve done a 180 and we’ve ended up back at denying that young girls ever have any feelings like that at all, which is not only sexist, but it also has the potential to be detrimental in the sense that girls will still end up feeling like what they’re feeling is shameful and bad, because it’s taboo to talk about it, but now it’s taboo because acknowledging it in any way means you’re being a creep (or inviting the attention of creeps), rather than just being taboo because of antiquated ideas about sexual purity or whatever.

And it’s wild because it feels like there isn’t the same tension around talking about the sexuality of preteen and young teen boys—like, how many times have we laughed at that one Amazon review that some mom left on an economy pack of Kleenex? the one where the whole joke is that she needs that many tissues because she has three teenage sons who just jerk off constantly?

I guarantee you that if some parent wrote a long product review where the joke was “my teenage daughters are super horny” they’d have been crucified. But somehow it’s funny and expected and okay when it’s boys. I know society’s view on young boys’ sexuality is also VERY flawed, but in the context of what I’m saying, it just strikes me as weird that acknowledging boys’ sexuality doesn’t elicit the same pearl-clutching reaction that acknowledging girls’ sexuality does.

And I’m not even saying that we should start making jokes or that we should fully relax in the fight against sexualization. I’m just saying that we can’t let that fight lead us back to the 19th century where people pushed the idea that women had no sexual feeling at all and were pure beings. That’s not a healthy outlook, anymore than pressuring girls to act more mature than they are is a healthy outlook.

Because I remember being 13 or 14 and talking to my girl friends about what celebrities we’d bang, or what we’d put in our vaginas (and in my case, what I had already put in there), or about the sex scenes in the books we were reading. There was one whole evening that we wandered around the neighborhood after dark finding signs and mailboxes to grind up against and joke that we were fucking it. I remember one Halloween all us neighborhood kids sitting in my best friend’s living room watching a movie and me and some of the guys talking about tits.

And like, it was all talks amongst ourselves that we initiated without some adult leading us into it. I look back on those experiences fondly and as just a part of growing up. There wasn’t anything wrong with them. And unfortunately I have something to compare it to; at age 15 I was in a long distance “relationship” with someone who was 25, and in retrospect, I feel really fucking grimy about the sexual conversations I had with her, even though the majority were RPs and usually not anything about the two of us. I don’t have any of those feelings when thinking about the expressions of sexuality I made amongst my peers.

I guess in conclusion like, I think we need to be able to talk about the sexuality of young girls in a neutral way. I think we need to normalize the idea and fact that girls do have sexual thoughts, feelings, and conversations. I think we can and should acknowledge that without worrying that such acknowledgment might be or become the same thing as sexualization, because it’s not. It’s just a normal part of growing up.

[nadjaofstatenisland]

@moretvforyou​ forgive me for answering this way but I don’t want this showing up in the flice tag (contrary to what they all seem to think i’m actually not an asshole lmao) I feel like I answered this question a million times during s2 but I am too lazy to look for something and it’s been long enough I can dive into this with a fresh outlook.

I fell in love with Alice Cooper in s1. Like head over heels from the second I heard her shit talking her daughter’s dead boyfriend. I already loved Madchen and it was such a nice surprise to see her in this show and I just... LOVE. And I loved Hal soon enough too. And their relationship was one of the few marriages we had on the show at the time and they intrigued me to no end. Their dynamic was fascinating and the way they played off each other was amazing. Even their fights in s1 had me on the edge of me seat. And low and behold one of my favorite scenes in that whole season was the homecoming dinner!

I’ve probably written so much about that homecoming dinner at this point I could get a masters degree in it. What a scene!! Alice and Hal are polite fighting in front of FP. Alice wants to weasel something incriminating out of FP while Hal is trying to embarrass her and FP is having the ever loving time of his life watching... and then he drops that whole bomb about the fight at homecoming (which we soon find out was about the baby) and I was like PLEASE tell me more about these guys back in high school. All of them! They all felt like old friends awkwardly talking again after many years and I loved it. Hal felt like he was doing that classic “embarrass my partner in front of their friend to annoy them!” thing. Plus this scene and the one of them outside in 1x10 seemed to spark interest in the parents and I was pleased! I wanted more parent scenes!! Any of them!

Then I’d wander on tumblr after s1 and people were shipping them and thinking he was the real father of Alice’s baby and be like hahaha okay... suuure. And I was forming friendships with so many Alice stans who mostly seemed to hate Hal and want her with FP and I was like ???? what is happening.

Now let me make it clear. s1? flice was never a couple in high school. They were two kids both from the southside (we didnt even know alice was a serpent back then). Could I have gotten down with some “they dated in high school for a bit” plot like with fremione? Sure. But that wasn’t the case. Fremione was our old high school couple we were supposed to root for! But then...they just dropped that. And gave it to flice! And then gave halice’s baby to flice. And then made both Hal and Gladys villains to make flice okay! But I am jumping ahead of myself.

In s1 halice were high school sweethearts. Alice came from the wrong side of the tracks! Do you know what Alice would have never in any universe have done? Married a man who she didn’t really love just to get ahead in life. If that was the case why not marry someone like Fred? Why stick with Hal if she never loved him? Because she did. Christ both times Hal moved out (both when she kicks him out and when he he leaves himself) she falls into this slump. It’s sad. Like we’re allowed to have a strong woman who loved her husband but didn’t just marry him for his social status? Like why do people enjoy this idea that both Alice and FP married people they didn’t love for convenience? 

Look... that baby was Hal’s until mid way through s2 when they decided it all of a sudden was FP’s. FP was actively sleeping with Alice in high school, knew she got pregnant, and never thought it was his?? Like he’s dumb but not that dumb. Even when she tells him in s2 he’s like “huh?” like it totally forgot the whole homecoming dinner scene. Then the flashback episode makes no scene because halice were high school sweethearts but they don’t start dating until she’s several months pregnant. Once again, Hal is not so stupid he doesn’t know how long it takes to make a baby. Please. 

THEN the show had to make Hal the Black Hood so it’d be okay for them or to just get him out of the picture because the guy who played Tall Boy got injured filming so it couldn’t be him. Instead of just like... having halice divorce? Like what was the point of the Penelope affair then if not to pave a way to get rid of Hal? What was the point of them reconciling in 2x18 just for him to kill a teenager by the end of the episode?? What???  Like as sad as them getting divorced would have made me it would have made the whole flice stuff a little more tolerable. And I’m not just saying this for ship reasons like its just literally a more realistic thing that should have happened. Not Hal being a fucking serial killer out of no where.

Then they introduce Gladys and MAKE HER A VILLAIN FOR DEALING DRUGS WHEN FP HAS DONE SO MUCH BULLSHIT??? FP is literally a corrupt sheriff at the time getting mad at his wife for dealing drugs I have to laugh. Watching this whole fandom bash Gladys for moving to Toledo while they jerk off to FP despite him burying bodies and shooting people... okay. Despite the shit i talk i don’t hate FP i just hate the double standard in this fandom. Even Alice doesn’t get a pass like FP does. 

Look... I just don’t like them together. At least not as more than just friends. Hell I even toyed around with them having had a little thing in high school in fics and all it ever got greeted with is backhanded comments. And I particularly don’t like the idea of them and bughead living under one roof that is fucking weird and there is no way around it. I ignore scenes with them at this point and am glad they’ll soon be over for good. I was also sent hate constantly in s2 and 3 for just not like them (yet purposely never interacting with their shippers) so I’m also just bitter by the ship all together at this point and I hope this rant ends up screenshot on twitter like all my other rants are. 😘😘😘 

tldr: it would have been tolerable if it was planned from the beginning but it clearly wasn’t and I hate it lmao

[roach-the-horse]

Batgirl has so many great stories, but the story I am more interested in, is in her own...

So, with the news of Joss Whedon stepping down from direction and writing the ‘Batgirl’ movie, I was thinking that it is good that this movie wasn’t going to be all rushed out or end up with a mediocre story. She doesn’t deserve to be a casualty of the current state of the DC films. And I believe that this was the right decision for everyone involved. Let me explain…

Now, the Justice League looked like the knee-jerk response to Marvel’s The Avengers, but looking at the bigger picture, that was Marvel’s end game from the very beginning: interconnected films that reached a conclusion. 

With DC, is more about a world that has somehow forgotten its heroes and villains, and little by little they have reemerged due to the natural evolution of the world. Which begs the question: are they a product of the world they live in? Or is this world a product of the actions of women and men like them?

With Batgirl, we have the golden opportunity to see different sides of this universe and to do that, Barbara Gordon is the answer.

Barbara Gordon is a great character because of her evolution through the years. She has been a daughter, a sidekick, an ally and a fundamental piece of the so called Bat Family. 

Recently, more and more stories have been focusing on her life as an independent woman and crime fighter, dealing with maturity and the search for her own identity making her a modern cultural icon and role model, establishing the blueprint for how a female superhero should be treated. 

Barbara wearing the Bat symbol on her chest means more about her desire for justice and crime fighting rather than her wanting to be Batman. After all, Batman is a symbol and Barbara embraces everything that it represents. This self-awareness makes her stand out over the rest of the Bat Family who, in one way or another, the symbol still weighs heavily on all of them, but not Barbara.

She is an important character and that would be the main reason Warner Bros. went for Joss Whedon. His work in Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a game changer at the time, since he gave us a heroine for a new generation, and perhaps this is why Joss decided to pass on this, since this new generation needs a different voice and one that understands it.

How would a Batgirl film look like today then?

If you ask me, the answer is a simple one but a little bit elaborated. The movie should be an auto biography of sorts: starting at a young age dealing with being Barbara Gordon, then teens and adulthood as Batgirl and ending with today’s DCEU version of Oracle. Almost like a day in the life of Barbara Gordon.

Barbara Gordon should be played by not one but three actresses.

This way it could cover most, if not all, aspects of what makes Batgirl such an important character in comic book lore. We need to see her struggles, her triumphs, her human side as well as her super hero persona.

Without further ado, here are my three choices to make one hell of a Barbara Gordon and the ultimate representation of the character.

Enjoy!

Barbara Gordon - Sophia Lillis

Wouldn’t be great to see Barbara Gordon forging her strong character and will from early age?

As a tomboy, daughter of a police officer in a city full of danger and weirdos but still feeling like an outcast. Knowing the Barbara Gordon as a blank slate and full of potential but not knowing where to go. Having a young Barbara Gordon as a vehicle for younger audiences to relate to.

In a time when bullying and low self-esteem spread like wild fire, having characters like Barbara Gordon are always welcome. Young audiences could have someone to look up to and say: “She is like me”

Sophia Lillis is an up-and-coming talent that has a curious presence similar to Jody Foster or Dakota Fanning. Known for portraying strong willed but naive characters, Sophia could provide that fresh and tough demeanor for a modern Barbara Gordon.

She was outstanding in the part of Beverly Marsh in the film It and, she was fearless in her portrayal of the character, sticking very close to the source material, dealing with issues of physical, mental and sexual abuse.

Batgirl - Jane Levy

This is the stage that defines Barbara Gordon.

The crime fighter, the independent woman trying to improve all aspects of her life, basically the modern woman. The struggles of fighting not only crime and injustice on the streets, but also the battle against the modern world that doesn’t care about her ideals.

Showing her as someone constantly fighting in and out of the cape and cowl would be a real treat. Showing her bad-ass alter ego but still dealing with insecurity and vulnerabilities

How many times we tell ourselves we are stronger than we appear, but deep inside we doubt ourselves?

Jane Levy is a certified bad-ass. With films like Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe, where she emerges as the last woman standing but had to go through literally hell to get to the other side.

The interesting part is that her characters experience lots of traumatic events throughout the events of the movie and it’s always implied at the end of the film that she will have to deal with the consequences sooner or later.

This could prove priceless in portraying Barbara Gordon since, after having her infamous run-in with the Joker, she ends up physically and mentally scarred leaving her dealing with massive PTSD.

This side of Barbara Gordon would be the key in this adaptation of the character. Someone as tough as Barbara, feeling more vulnerable than ever, is the worst feeling for a character such as her.

Oracle - Cassidy Freeman

Oracle is one of the most important characters not only in Batman lore, but in all DC.

And if it the pattern remains consistent within the DCEU movies, Oracle should be the version we should see after the events that will unfold during the Justice League. (I know there’s rumors of a reboot of the films, but let’s stick with Barbara, shall we?)

I won’t deny the controversy that Oracle has been part of throughout the years with arguments for and against her disability.

Some argue that Oracle gives a voice to people that feel different and seeing coping with the disadvantage could prove very empowering. Others argue that this diminish her true potential and victimizes her not only as a woman but as a person as a whole. Regardless of the argument, Barbara proves with this type of discussion that she is indeed a vital and relevant character that needs to be handle with respect.

The DCEU is already toying with the idea of introducing a Nightwing film as well, so it would be really interesting having all these characters already mature enough doing their own thing, explaining why Batman became the bitter and brutal vigilante we have seen so far with Ben Affleck’s portrayal of the Caped Crusader.

She could be our window on the why they all grew apart in the first place. Batman’s outlook seems to have been shifted to a new direction after meeting Superman and it would be really interesting to see the reaction of the rest of the Bat Family to these events, starting with Barbara Gordon.

Cassidy Freeman is an actress better known for her television roles, but most of these show how good she is as a tougher-than-nails type of woman.

As the aggressive and cold Sage in The Vampire Diaries, Cassidy shows how a very dark character can still feel and love. Or as the brutal but relentless Tess Mercer aka Lutessa Luthor in Smallville, who is not afraid of going toe-to-toe against someone like Clark or Lex. And finally, the closest we have a Barbara Gordon type of character in her portrayal of attorney Cady Longmire in the show Longmire. She plays as the only child of Sheriff Walt Longmire.

Oracle could provide us with a unique perspective into her growth as both woman and super hero, and she could guide us through all these stages of her life.

Batgirl has so many great stories, but the story I am more interested in, is her own, and I hope she can become a role model for a young generation that now more than ever, needs people to look up to. Real or fictional.

* I don’t own any of the pictures used in this post. They are all owned by DC Comics and movie studios*

[animezinglife]

Facebook find, and it’s extremely important, not just for romantic relationships. 

These can all also go on in “friendships,” too. In my situation, projection was the worst, attempting to agitate second (but most frequent), lying, manipulation, lack of empathy, and belittlement: all of these were factors of a so-called “friendship” I’d been a part of for years. What was the most terrifying was how long it took me to start standing up for myself again and really start fighting. It wasn’t until the mob mentality that only amplified each got out of control that I finally began to realize what was happening.

I won’t lie, it’s shaken my trust in people. It’s not normal to fear getting close to people again, even less so to become emotional (even if you’re able to mask it) when someone shows you kindness. 

I used to be quite the thick-skinned lass. I still am. Yet in some scenarios that’s the most dangerous, because we let people in so rarely as it is and we get hurt badly without ever showing it. 

I was too gentle, too forgiving for too long, because I knew they were too fragile to see my other side. Their ideas, their entire outlooks on the world and others hung only by a fraying thread and what they thought they could intimidate others into thinking. Everything to them became about identity politics. No longer was I or anyone else a friend or just a person: I was a sexuality, a race, a gender, and nothing more. It was--to briefly play their game for illustrative purposes--an SJW/leftist circle-jerk of the most typical degree, and try as they might, they couldn’t pin me down: I don’t fit into any one category, and they could never make up one that fit and they knew it.

I doubt they’d even remember that at the time when I began to fight back, I was in the process of losing a loved one to cancer--they certainly never seemed concerned. I lost one of my rocks, my family, one of the people I most dearly looked up to. I was battling my worst bout of depression, my parents seemed to be losing their minds because of the loss and constantly took it out on me. It was the darkest time of my life to date, and I couldn’t even escape into sleep. When at last exhaustion overtook me, I couldn’t wake up.

I’d gone from the delusion that I’d had people who loved me to the harsh reality that in truth, I had no one. It didn’t even feel like I had my family at that time just because of the stress they too were under. It was as though my entire world had been ripped out from under me, and it took me a while to realize that despite it all, I still had myself.

So I took charge of what I could.

When I began to show myself and stopped playing their games, they couldn’t handle it. They lashed out, did all they could to embarrass me (then claimed I cared too much what others thought, which is entirely false), lied, and threw tantrums like children. The cherry on top. Same old same old, and on the cycle goes.  

I’m not like them. I take responsibility for the time I willingly spent with them and my actions (being aware of them helps), and I also take responsibility for breaking things off, even if it was a bit later than was probably healthy. Perhaps to them I was the Jekyll and Hyde: the sweet, nonconfrontational Jekyll they thought they knew, when Hyde was clawing at my mind each and every time they treated me like dirt. 

I share my story not for pity, but to help open eyes to those who may be in a similar situation. We need to take charge of what we can control so we can better get through the obstacles we can’t. Sometimes, it’s as easy as cutting the toxic, abusive people from your life. 

You may wind up being alone for a bit, but you’ll find people again one day. At the very least, you will have done right by yourself, and when you do find people who love and respect you for who you are, you’ll have a deeper appreciation for them than you ever could have before.

[felinehypocritical]

Please write Stan and Bill and Richie hanging out in a diner talking about things (anything you want)

The air around them was filled with clinks and quiet talking, their voice mingling with three dozen others and their laughs intertwining. Stan Uris, Richie Tozier, and Bill Denbrough sat in their favorite, hole-in-the-well diner, discussing everything and nothing.

 Richie tore his gaze away from his coffee parfait for long enough to catch Bill looking at him strangely, and grinned widely.

 “What’re you looking at, Billy, my boy? See something you like?”

 Bill shook his head, simply looking at him pensively while he sipped his tea. “You’re ridiculous, Ruh-Richie.”

 “Oh, but am I, Bill? I see where you’re lookin’, and it’s not polite, not one bit!” Richie smiled wider as he saw Stan choke on his coffee, satisfied with his influence. “You doing okay there, Stan?”

 Stan waved a hand, before putting his hands back on the table, his slender fingers clasped together tightly. “I’m fine. Go on, Bill.” He turned his gaze toward the redhead and rolled his eyes at Richie’s huffiness towards being ignored.

 “Ruh-Right. So, I was just thinking, m-maybe we should get Eddie a b-birthday present while we’re ou-out. I was th-thinking, l-like, an ah-actual ring instead of th-that cereal buh-box one.” He smiled smugly as Richie cackled, his slightly uneven teeth showing as his freckles scrunched up. Bill really was beautiful, in a sleepy, bedraggled way, his freckles densely spotted all over his cheeks, his smile lopsided and his hair constantly mussed from running his hands through it as he wrote. Especially now, at nine in the morning, he looked as if he’d just rolled out of bed, and both Richie and Stan were jealous of his ease.

 Richie slapped his knee comically, saying as his giggles subsided, “oh, that’s a knee-slapper. Ain’t that right, Stan?” Stan only pursed his lips slightly, sitting up straighter in his chair as he sipped his black coffee (the only coffee he insisted on having nowadays), before shrugging a little and cracking a grin.

 “Sure, Rich,” he said, sounding dry and irritated despite his good humor- though that was just Stan, for you. Always sounding on edge. “But where are we three stooges gonna find any nice rings?” He chewed on his lip, already worried about how the mechanics would work, but Bill rushed in to make amends.

 “Hey, huh-h-hey, let’s n-n-n-ot worry about that r-right now, k-k-kay? Let’s j-just talk. Smuh-smell the coffee. Suh-see the sights.”

 The two other boys looked comically and slightly forlornly around the small, dingy diner, before Richie got up slightly, proclaiming: “well, I’ve seen the sights, Billy. Can we go now?”

 Bill put a hand on Richie’s, sliding it up his arm until he was able to pull Richie down into his seat.

 “Nuh-no, Richie. Sit d-d-down.” He looked at Stan, who recoiled slightly, still scared of the criticism Bill had given him just days ago. “Stuh-Stan, Richie told me ab-bout some stuh-stuff I said th-that upset you.” Stan shot Richie daggers when he heard that, but Richie only shrugged sheepishly. Bill took Stan’s hands in his own, wincing slightly. They were so, so cold on the outside. Only the palms that had touched the outside of his scalding cup were warm, but everything else was ice. Still, Bill held onto them without stopping as Stan tried to jerk them away. “St-Stan… look. I’m suh-sorry, okay? I dih-hidn’t know you were there. I wou-houldn’t have s-s-said it if I knew y-you were.” He saw Stan’s hurt face, and pressed on. “I kn-know it still huh-hurts. I’m s-sorry. But y-you can’t take my word for it. I was with Eddie. And Eddie’s…” His eyes seemed a bit dreamier, but he soon lost the look and most of his stutter. “Eddie’s dih-hifferent. He’s way different from you. And… I’m so sorry, Stan. I say this out of love. But you’re not healthy.” Stan’s eyes snapped down, and he suddenly looked as if he’d lost two sizes with how small he was. “You’re n-not. You didn’t get breakfast here, and I’m sure that when you a-ate at home, y-y-you did the ah-absolute minimum.” His stomach dropped slightly as Stan looked away, confirming his suspicion. “And… if yuh-y-you’re not healthy, I… I cuh-can’t let Eddie feel bad because of you. I l-luh-l-love you, Stanny, but s-seriously, you gotta get yourself t-t-together.”

 “Hey,” Richie said sharply. “Stan’s together. Get off his back, dude.” His hand flitted at Stan’s and Richie’s own freezing hands covered his as well as they could, despite being smaller. Even he, who had unconditionally cold hands, felt how cold Stan’s were. Not that he minded- he’d love Stan if his hands were two thousand degrees.

 “B-but he’s nuh-not, Richie.” Bill frowned across the table. “Look at h-him! He’s duh-dead in his seat!” Stan did, indeed, look slightly sick. His dark circles were more defined, his hair taking on a strange sheen. His arms were small and thin, with his maroon sweater pushed up his elbows. His clothes absolutely hung on him, something they almost never did, what with Stan’s taste for tailored clothes. Sure, they were clearly pajamas, but still, it gave the illusion of a little boy wearing clothing he still had a long way to fill out.

 Richie glared at the taller boy fiercely. “No he doesn’t! Stan looks fine! He looks great, actually, much better than you do with this attitude, Bill. And anyways, who-”

 “It’s okay, Rich.” Stan’s quiet, stable voice broke through the din of Richie’s quickly rising one. “I know.” His voice wavered, before dropping as he looked down at his lap. “I don’t…” He looked around desperately, as if searching for a way out, before not finding one and pulling his eyes up to meet Bill’s. “I don’t mean to make anyone worry. Or make Eds feel bad. I don’t want any of that.” He suddenly looked so much weaker, so much thinner and more defenseless than he had that night a few days ago. He said the next in a near whisper: “I just want to be small.” Stan curled his knees up to his chest in the book and tore his hands away, wrapping his arms around his legs. He looked, in a word, dejected. “I just want to be small,” he repeated, rubbing his encircled pointer finger and thumb up and down the circumference of his wrist absently.

 It was then that Bill saw, really SAW, how in need Stan Uris was at that time in his life.

 Richie was already on it, however, and he awkwardly gave Stan a hug; although it was more draping himself over the boy and shushing when Stan tried to protest than a hug. “Stanny. Hey, dude…” Richie trailed off, but he kept trying after a moment. “Hey! Get it together, man! You’re Stan the Man Uris! You don’t take no shit from NOBODY, ‘specially not some stuttering no-good freak like Denbrough!”

 “H-hey,” Bill warned, although he, too reached over to pat Stab’s hand. “Stan, I’m s-s-sorry. You’re doing gruh-great, okay? Just… Yuh-you’ve got some stuff to wuh-hork on. We’ll h-h-help you…” But then he saw Stan’s lips pressed into a prim line and grinned crookedly. “Or n-nuh-not. We duh-don’t have to.”

 The dark-haired boy nodded, and slowly let himself be pried into an open stance by an insistent Richie. “Thanks.”

 There were a few moments of silence as they wondered what each of the others were thinking of them right now. Stan looked at Bill with a newfound outlook, and upon Richie with a sort of cheesy and reluctant adulation. Richie and Bill, despite that they’d never admit it, were actually more worried about Stan than ever before. Something about the way he looked all folded up in on himself made them antsy. And Richie barely had ANY room for the redhead in his brain when Stan was sitting right next to him smelling slightly like aftershave Richie and Stan both knew he didn’t really need (Stan barely grew facial hair, much to his chagrin, especially since his father had such a nice beard- not that he’d ever want one, but he’d like to know he could), wearing a shirt that was, at some point, Richie’s, but looked much better on Stan with his darker complexion.

 They wondered how this was going to work, what with Stan refusing help for a problem he so CLEARLY had and Richie not knowing how to really make anyone do ANYTHING, and Bill feeling as if he couldn’t condone Stan’s habits of not eating for hours and hours until half of a day had gone by with no meal all for the effort of becoming as small as he wanted- but that was for another time. For now, they would drink and make merry.

 Richie cleared his throat. “So,” he said, with a wicked grin. “Where do you think we’ll find a ring of high enough quality for our dear little Eddie Spaghetti?”

[dailydoppidoppio-blog]

Would you be willing to share your gem head-canons? 0:

dklsalkffkld putting under a readmore cause its embarrassin////also got dailyabbs permission to post cause they’re in the chat too lmao

mostly about charoite, purple pearl/obsidian, and my pink diamond diavolo

Sailorbeefcake-05/10/2017Hm What sort of personality do you think they’d have?Futes-05/10/2017i feel like they’d be a smug bitch tbh “since we’re so dedicated to our diamond, obvs we’re the best and most loyal ”Sailorbeefcake-05/12/2017Man tho, other than being a jerk makes me wonder what their personality is like!I bet that they’re, hmTERRIFYINGLY goal-focused Probably also rather smug, tooFutes-05/12/2017yessssssssssswould deff be super super focused on their goalwould also aim to getting perfect marks on their missions too if they ever got any like a higher up asking them to get then a drink and they come back ten secs later with onehigher ups probs wouldnt really care about how fast they got it for them but theyd be smug about iti can also see them super beating themselves over any mistake they do no matter how smallSailorbeefcake-05/12/2017Eeee, nice! And yeah goddamnPoor thing would probably unfuse whenever they messed upFutes-05/12/2017>accidentally places the fork on the wrong side WELP TIME TO DIE defusesSailorbeefcake-05/12/2017FUCKFutes-05/12/2017lmao thohow tf would dopp and abba even meet if theyre under different diamonda????Sailorbeefcake-05/12/2017Diamonds interact a lot!They seem more like a family than likeRulers of different kingomsKingdomsFutes-05/12/2017OHHH DO THEY???Sailorbeefcake-05/12/2017But yeah, the diamonds seem to be very closeFutes - 05/12/2017AAWWWW QWQokay then yeah it would be be possible that those two have met before lmaoi can see diavolo being a lazy diamond and making pearl dopp go to everything for himSailorbeefcake - 05/12/2017Ye!Or less lazy and more paranoidMaybe he escaped an attack on his life or something?Futes - 05/12/2017and with that power thing you gave abba, wouldnt that make him more valuable/higher up?ppffttt poor dia, even in a gem au where hes a diamond and loved hes still paranoid

Futes-Last Saturday at 7:17 PMkicks down ur door with more gem au stuffso I W A S THINGKIHNwell idk how the pink diamond/diavolo is in this au but assuming he still has the same personality, bitch is still paranoid af rightand with how abba/obsidian specializes in looking back into the past and shit would be something diavolo would be very intrested in, probs would want/request abba to look into whatever thing hes currently paranoid like he thinks someone went into his, do diamonds have rooms/places they mainly stay at?????, well w/e but would probs think someone tampered with his stuff or thinks other gems are trying to conspire against him and would want abba to see if its true or notidk how abba is to other diamonds, or how other diamonds feel about having their gems used by other people but

Futes - Last Saturday at 8:00 PMjust diavolo sending doppio to go bother abba for this shit constantly and sometimes forcefully dragging abba away since dopp would only care about making his diamond happy, fuck everyone elseand them getting fused a lot becuase charoites a fucking slut that wants to please every higher up as long as its a diamond praising them and making them feel like their better than other gems because they got direct praise for the diamondsk thats all ive been thinking about these past two days tyim trying to work on that pic but i cant get that ass spanking shit out of me head and i want to hit youSailorbeefcake - Last Saturday at 10:17 PMFuckOmg that all sounds awesome! Except for hitting me about the spanking shit lmaoBut yeah, I could see it!Diamonds often make use of gems belonging to other diamonds.Futes - Last Saturday at 10:19 PM///////////////////////////////// its ahrd to come up with shit cause idk how the diamond/hoomeworld i think it was called? idk how they work n shitSailorbeefcake - Last Saturday at 10:21 PMYeah, it’s pretty mysterious in general! Most of the gems we see much of are criminals who defected.But yeh, I could see Obsidians being passed around a lotFuccFutes - Last Saturday at 10:21 PMhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhSailorbeefcake - Last Saturday at 10:21 PMJust thinking of Diavolo like, grabbing AbbaSailorbeefcake - Last Saturday at 10:21 PM‘You. Fuse now’Futes - Last Saturday at 10:22 PMBUT YESAND LIKE if i rememebrwhen lapis and jasper fused, did whatever gem that was keep the water powers?Sailorbeefcake - Last Saturday at 10:25 PMYep!Malachite was incredibly powerfulAnd another gem who has the power of seeing the future appears to keep the future-vision in her fused stateFutes - Last Saturday at 10:26 PMokay so charoite would also def still have the ability to look into the past so diavolo would def be making dopp and abba fuse cause charoite would be easly to order around than abba>diavolo throwing doppio like a football at abba YEETFUSE DAMN ITSailorbeefcake - Last Saturday at 10:30 PMFUCKPoor fucking babies, my godFutes - Last Saturday at 10:32 PMdoppio has probs stopped caring lmaowould deff be used to being diavolos little bitch anywaysSailorbeefcake - Last Saturday at 10:32 PMFugI could see Abba being kinda upset about it'I am Buccellati’s gem’Futes - Last Saturday at 10:33 PMi feel like diavolo would deff be worse personality wise as a diamond tbh since everyone would know who he is and isnt really going into hiding/cantreally snappyprobs sensory overloaded all the timeSailorbeefcake - Last Saturday at 10:35 PMYeah fuckSpecially scary since Diamonds are fucking hugeFutes - Last Saturday at 10:35 PMFUCK LMAO I FORGOT ABOUTNOW PICTURING HUGE DIAVOLO THROWING TINY DOPP AT ABBA OR DROPING HIM ON HIM(edited)LMAO RIPSailorbeefcake - Last Saturday at 10:36 PMFuck, hahahaFutes-Last Saturday at 10:37 PMhhmm now i wonderhow do diamonds feel about destroying their gems? cause i can deff see diavolo getting rid of some if he really felt like they’re traitors but idk how thats handled in show or if its even brought upSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 10:43 PMYeah, Blue Diamond threatens to shatter a Ruby for fucking upAnd I think Yellow holds the same viewsShe talks about shattering an entire caste of gems because of the actions of oneFutes-Last Saturday at 10:43 PMOOHHHHHHHHi see nice nicethen yeah diavolo would deff be using abba/charoite to weed out 'traitors’if they’re really traitors or not is probs a mystery since this is diavolo we’re talking aboutSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 10:45 PMFugPoor bastards :Wonder if Abba would end up taking a stand against it and getting shattered himselfOr at least threatened with itFutes-Last Saturday at 10:46 PMpearl dopp keeps a blank face/outlook on it all probs cause hes seen some/ALL shitoooooohhhhhhhhhnooooooooo abba ;w;rip babyif abbas ability isnt all that rare then diavolo would probs break him rip. tbh at this rate i might end up desinging a pink diamond dia since i forgot that there’s already a canon pink dia that someone else owns oppsSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 10:48 PMI’d say it’d be relatively rare!But not like, unique just to himHmItFutes-Last Saturday at 10:50 PMhmhmmhmhmh then abba would probs either just get hurt or something since his ability would deff be too important for diavolo to get rid of just like that if its hard to findSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 10:50 PMIt’d probably be in his best interests to keep Abba tho, since he’s already somewhat familiar with himFutes-Last Saturday at 10:50 PMyaSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 10:50 PMAnother Obsidian could be even more troubleFutes-Last Saturday at 10:51 PMya and a new dopp fusion with another obsidian would probs not be as obedient as charoite>tfw you want to kill this obsidian because it keeps talking back about how you run things>but the fusion game? ridiculousSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 10:53 PMFugMan thoI worry about Abba and DopThey could start to lose their sense of self if they were made to be fused too often and for too longFutes-Last Saturday at 10:55 PMi can deff see that start to happen tbh, like the gem au has the whole homeworld/gems that went to earth war shit going on ya?Sailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 10:55 PMYeMan :Dop could feel betrayed if Abba ended up siding with Buccellati’s gang, who’d def be the traitorsFutes-Last Saturday at 11:02 PMhhhhhhhhhhhi honest to god have no idea how hed even react other than a silent shut down?like idk if gems start to get attached to other gems they fuse with a lot but i can see doppio not understanding how someone could just betray their diamonds just like that, esps someone he’s worked with a lot and probs one of the few other gems hes really fused with and wouldnt know what to do other than to do nothingSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 11:08 PMPoor Doppio, goddamn :It’d probably be pretty lonely, his jobFutes-Last Saturday at 11:08 PMyeahhhhhhhhhhhh lmao probs would be?cause on one hand you have diavolo probs getting rid of gems left and right, and on the other traitorsand heres dopp stuck in the middlehe’d probs only end up staying with diavolo cause its all he has leftSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 11:10 PMYeahPoor baby, goddamnFutes-Last Saturday at 11:15 PMfug thowhite diamonds kinda hotSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 11:22 PMYeHa ha Abba’s diamond is better than Dops!!!Futes-Last Saturday at 11:22 PMfuqNO BULLYPINK DIAMOND MAY BE A SHIT BUT DOPPIO STILL LOVES HIM maybe????????????whatisloveSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 11:24 PMFuckPoor DopFutes-Last Saturday at 11:25 PMthe only relationship i can see diavolo having with dopp is probs a lowkey abusive one?like if dopp wasnt uncaring and if charoite was a top fusion, probs would have shattered him by nowi can see diavolo going through pearls like they’re nothingSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 11:32 PMSighI’m imagining it nowHe could just smash them to blow off steamFutes-Last Saturday at 11:35 PMprobs deff during an sensory overload episode and he’s v stressed out and double paranoid, like one slight thing someone does wrong or gives diavolo the wrong idea S M A S Hhow loud diavolos area is that day are probs days you avoid himSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 11:36 PMYeah, fuckFutes-Last Saturday at 11:38 PM>makes all these ideas for an au i know shit about 8’)how did we get to this bifihow did we go from me doodling to all thisSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 11:39 PMFuckYou tell me lmaoIt’s cool tho!Poor Doppio though, god damnFutes-Last Saturday at 11:40 PMdopp went from a blank face gem cause i thought it looked good on him to a blank face WITH REASONSabba some how got looped in all this au talk too ripSailorbeefcake-Last Saturday at 11:42 PMFuck, poor guy :At least his and Dop’s fusion is still damn cool!Ooh manCould be interesting if they wound up fusing AFTER Abba defectedFutes-Last Saturday at 11:42 PMFf u u uuuu uuckckckckgodddddddddddthat would fuck abba up more if anythingsince charoite is more for diamonds only??? like idk how hed be if he got ordered around by say bruno, probs an intresting reaction would probs feel funny about it but not really in a bad way but still would be pissed that someone as low as him is trying to order him around. but i can deff see charoite not really sure what to do, since hes fused with someone thats now a traitor but wants to go back to serving diavolo tho he know he would most likely get killed on site.

fusion song chat got cut cause it wasnt really important but we both agreed on a song for themhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk5M_q9eID0

[charlieism]

Holding Hands

Hey friends! Here is a Prinxiety oneshot I wrote on Valentines day. If you read it I hope you think it’s good and that you enjoy it :) You can also find it on Wattpad and AO3.

Anxiety was screaming.

So was Prince.

WHAT HAD MORALITY DONE? IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE VALERIE THAT HE WAS USING TO SHOW THE OTHERS HOW TO GET A VALENTINE'S DATE!

NOT PRINCEY!

NOW THEY WERE HOLDING HANDS!

Anxiety hadn't even realised at first! He'd just assumed Dad had teleported Valerie over to him, it hadn't even clicked that it was Prince's hand he was holding until he realised that he was holding a hand that was slightly too big and slightly too rough to be Valerie's. And when he looked up at Prince, Prince just looked stunned. And then looked back at Anxiety, and they realised what was happening. And Prince started screaming. So Anxiety did too, once he got over the initial shock.

Anxiety was vaguely aware of Logic congratulating Morality, who seemed blissfully unaware of the chaos he had caused.

Evil.

Anxiety was still screaming. He looked from Dad to Prince to Dad to Prince, then realised they were still holding hands. He wrenched his hand out of Prince's hand, who recoiled like he'd been hit. They both flung a look of horror and barely concealed disgust at each other, before simultaneously rounding on Morality.

"Dad! How could you?" Prince wailed. Dad continued playing pat-a-cake with Valerie.

"How could I what, kiddo?" He asked cheerfully.

"For one thing, teleport me! I didn't even know you could do that! How does that even work? How do you teleport another person?" Prince exclaimed. "And secondly, make me hold hands with- with- with Anxiety!" He moaned. Anxiety shook his head vigorously in agreement. For all his mocking and teasing and flirting, Anxiety did not want to be near Prince. Enemies, remember? He just did that stuff to see Prince stammer or falter.

Hey, it worked sometimes!

Morality finally broke away from the clapping game, looking amused. Anxiety was outraged, this wasn't funny!

"But why not? You two are obviously perfect for each other." Anxiety choked on air and Prince stumbled over his own feet.

"E- excuse me?" He cried.

"What? No we aren't! What- why would you even think that?" Anxiety was bewildered; how the heck had Morality come up with that idea? However Logic cleared his throat.

"It's quite obvious, actually, although perhaps you two are incognizant of it." Dad blinked. Anxiety faltered and frowned.

"Uh, what?" Prince asked. Logic sighed.

"Nevermind. But the evidence is all there! It's a reasonable conclusion to come to, actually."

"What evidence? Anxiety and I are the least compatible personalities, I don't understand your reasoning."

"I second that." Anxiety spoke up.

"Would you like some examples? Because I can provide them." Logic snipped. "Take in the fact that yes, you two do often argue about everything, but you also come to an agreement and no argument is left to continue. Of course one could say that that's what all friend do, but you two are supposed to be enemies, correct?" Logic explained. Anxiety sneered.

"That doesn't prove anything." He said scornfully.

"I agree. With that sentence. And the statement it was trying to make." Prince said warily.

"There's also the flirting that we have to deal with. From both sides." Logic said dryly, and continued before Anxiety could protest. "And honestly, you two can't seem to get past the fact that you believe you are opposites and therefore should not interact to actually see that you are constantly interacting." Logic sounded 100% done, and it made Anxiety wonder how long he'd wanted to say that. Dad clucked his tongue.

"Also you two just look so cute together. Aw!" Morality was getting all heart eyed thinking about it.

Disgusting.

Anxiety glanced at Prince, who in turn gazed at him. They both looked each other up and down and wrinkled their noses. The silence in the room grew thick and heavy, settling on shoulders and dragging them down, until it felt like you could cut the air with a knife. Finally Prince jerked a thumb at the corpse of the weird dragon-witch-hybrid thing that was just lying on the floor.

"I, uh, should probably dispose of that now." The others nodded and Prince bit his lip before turning around and gingerly placing his foot on the monster's leg. A moment later they both faded from sight.

"You know, it is Valentine's day. You two would just be so perfect together." Dad sighed. Anxiety rolled his eyes.

"Anxi, seriously. It is painstakingly obvious to Morality and I that you two are basically in love already. Just ask him out!" Logic snapped. Anxiety frowned at him.

"You think Prince likes me?" Anxiety snorted, then backtracked. "Wait, no, you think I like Prince?" Logic raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

"No. I know you like Prince. And he likes you back so can you please get it over with and become boyfriends. Thank you." Logic turned to walk away, and Anxiety could hear him muttering under his breath.

"Goodness, it's like we're 12 year old girls, I am above this." He told himself indignantly, and Anxiety snorted. Logic scowled at him and grabbed Dad's arm.

"Come on, Morality, let's go." Dad smiled at Logic and nodded.

"Okay!" Then he turned to Anxiety. "Best of luck with Prince, although you won't need it. You'll be fine! Oh, gosh, I just love this all so much. They're so cute! Oh my goodness." Morality sighed happily, making Logic groan, and then they were gone, leaving Anxiety standing alone with his thoughts.

It was utterly ridiculous. Completely absurd. Bizarre, ludicrous, preposterous, laughable, all of that. Dad and Logic didn't know what they were talking about.

...

Did they?

Logic was rarely ever wrong, and Dad never got so passionate over something he wasn't sure about. Of course Logic was so unbelievably wrong when it came to Valentine's earlier. In fact they both had been hilariously mistaken. They were probably wrong this time, too. But it made Anxiety think.

Did he really hate Prince? No, of course not. He'd always known that; it was more like extreme dislike. The royal boy had his moments, Anxiety couldn't deny it. He wasn't all bad, although he could be much better. But maybe, like Logic had said, maybe that was just what he trained himself to think? To automatically reject the idea of Prince Sanders because they were polar opposites, and therefore couldn't be together? At all? It was possible. Like, Thomas was literally conditioned to shut the closet door before he went to sleep in fear of the demigorgon, of which probably didn't exist. Probably. So maybe, if he got past the immediate block of don't like Prince, too bright and cheerful and optimistic, maybe he would find something else? Found he... felt something else? Ugh, he sounded so whiny. It couldn't be true, and even if he did, there was no way Prince would ever feel the same way.

Right?

After all, hundreds of Fanders shipped them together, which was still weird, how did they even come up with that? And then there was Thomas, completely unafraid to approach the topic of, what were they all calling it, Prinxiety? Apparently even Thomas was kind of on board with it (although Anxiety thought that was kind of strange because they were both just sides of Thomas' personality, so he was basically shipping himself. Or whatever.) And now Dad and Logic. Could this many people really be wrong? Could they all see something that Prince and Anxiety were too ignorant, t̶o̶o̶ ̶a̶f̶r̶a̶i̶d̶, to see? Anxiety sank back into Thomas' mind to have a long think about everything.

Anxiety didn't know how long it had been, with just him and his tornado of swirling thoughts, but he'd come to a conclusion. Maybe he did like Prince. A little. Although Prince's never ending optimism, his abundance of joy and cheer, his fanciful imagination, wild ideas and often arrogant attitude could be annoying, they could also be endearing or refreshing. (Except for maybe the arrogance. Anxiety still thought Prince could tone that down a bit.) And yes, although the personalities technically all look the same... they don't. Anxiety didn't find Logic or Morality cute. They just seemed different. Prince was, well, hot. Anxiety wasn't gonna lie, the royal boy was charming. And maybe Anxiety, although it was immensely difficult to admit, maybe Anxiety had the tiniest of crushes on him. Anxiety couldn't explain it. Maybe it was just because Prince was so different to himself, it was like every time he had a conversation with Prince he got a new outlook on the world. And it was Valentine's day. Although if Prince said no, Anxiety would probably die of embarrassment, he made up his mind to go find him and possibly ask him out on a date.

It took a while, but eventually he found where Prince was. It was a place deep in the mind, a place where Anxiety had never been before, but he could feel that Prince was this way. All the personalities were connected, because they were essentially the same person. So if Anxiety concentrated hard enough, he could something faint leading him in the direction of Prince. The area Anxiety had wandered into was dark, shadows everywhere but where Anxiety stepped foot, the darkness cold and unforgiving. Anxiety had burrowed down as far as possible in his big black hoodie, the hood pulled right over his head. He was extremely anxious right now, all possible and impossible scenarios running through his head as he tried to see through the dark. Why was Prince here? What was this place? Gosh, Anxiety couldn't even see where he was going. He'd been wandering for ages through the shadows. He could be right about to step off a cliff and he wouldn't even k-

"ANXIETY! STOP!" Prince's voice boomed all around him, and Anxiety flinched violently, stumbling backwards and falling in fright. The shadows separated around him. After the heavy, impenetrable silence he had grown accustomed, to the sudden noise was a shock. Anxiety just sat on the hard ground in a daze for a few minutes, hand over his heart as he tried to steady his breathing. Soon, when he regained all his senses, Anxiety looked around and became aware of something that was glowing faintly making his way towards him.

It looked like it had a humanoid shape as it rushed in his direction. Anxiety suddenly realised it was Prince that shone in the darkness, running towards Anxiety. Anxiety tried to stand up on unsteady legs as Prince got closer. He was standing with his arms wrapped around his waist, as if he was holding himself together, when Prince reached him.

"Anxiety!" Prince immediately gasped, reached out to snag Anxiety's soft hoodie. "What are you doing here? Are you alright? You scared me!" Prince rushed. Anxiety was wide eyed with surprise.

"Um, I came here to find you. I'm fine? And what do you mean I scared you? You scared me!" Anxiety said defensively. Instead of Prince snapping back, as Anxiety had expected, he only looked apologetic, with a hint of fear laced in his expression.

"My apologies, Anxiety, but it was all I could do to stop you. You were about to walk off The Edge." Prince told Anxiety in a hushed time.

"What do you mean, walk off the edge?" He frowned at Prince, who bit his lip. "And why are you glowing?" Sure enough, Prince was still surrounded by a soft golden light that reached out in dim, sparkling beams, and disintegrated the shadows.

"I glow whenever I come here, so I can see where I'm going. I don't know how, it just happens. But Anxiety, you must be careful when you come here!"

"Why?"

"Because Anxiety we're on the edge of Forgetting." Prince seemed deadly serious, and suddenly Anxiety was afraid.

"What?"

"Forgetting. It's a big, endless chasm in Thomas' mind were all things that are forgotten fall into. If you fall in, Anxiety, you'll be forgotten, and there's no coming back. Why are you even here? It's extremely dangerous!" Anxiety gulped.

"Uh.. how far away from the edge was I?" He whispered. Prince shuffled away by only two steps and extended his arm. The faint golden glow was enough to illuminate a sudden drop, where the darkness seemed solid and absolute, impossible to see through or break, and endless, timeless sea of pitch black. Cold seemed to emanate from the chasm, making goosebumps rise on Anxiety's skin. He had been only a few steps away from his doom. It made Anxiety dizzy.

"Oh my goodness... wait, Princey, why were you here?" Anxiety questioned, stepping away from the fall. Prince moved with him.

"I was disposing of the corpse of the Dragon Witch, as I do with all monsters I fight. I push them in here, and they are gone." Anxiety stared at him.

"You come to this place every time you fight a monster? I don't- I don't even like it once! I want to leave! But you keep coming back? That's... actually pretty brave. And stupid. But, yeah, brave." Anxiety stuttered nervously, remembering that he didn't want to offend Prince. And it was the truth; the neverending darkness and danger of this place made Anxiety want to leave as quick as possible and never come back. But suddenly Prince smiled.

His smile was huge, full of delight, and it seemed to light up the shadows. Prince's eyes twinkled happily.

"You think I'm brave? Thank you! I always knew I was courageous, but to hear it from someone else is... a great feeling. Thank you, Anxiety. I do concede, though, it was brave of you to venture here in search of me. May I ask why you did?" Prince's joy and honesty kind of floored Anxiety for a second.

"Oh, uh, yeah, well... you were gone for a while, and... I just, uh, wanted to see if you were okay?"

"You... came to check on me? That's sweet. But we should get out of here." Then Prince grabbed Anxiety's hand, who flinched violently, and teleported them out of there.

When they appeared they were in the lounge, and Anxiety immediately tried to disentangle he and Prince's hands. Was it his imagination, or did Prince look disappointed when they let go? Anxiety kind of regretted it, holding Prince's hand was almost nice, considering he'd only done it briefly twice. But Anxiety suddenly realised that me might never get to again if he didn't tell Prince how he felt. What could go wrong?

Oh, so, so many things could go wrong, and every single one of them was flitting through Anxiety's mind as he tried to prepare himself to tell Prince. He could feel that he was already blushing, and he just knew he would stutter and probably chicken out, end up insulting Prince, who would then in turn hate him. Or just flat out laugh at him and deny him. Ugh, why was this so hard? It was Valentine's day, he had to do it today! If he did it tomorrow it would be stupid. This wasn't going to work!

Anxiety could feel Prince watching him worriedly as he debated in his mind just flat out telling Prince that he had a crush on him, but Anxiety knew he was crumbling to himself. He couldn't do it. He was too scared, too nervous, too anxious. Eventually he just looked at the floor. He almost wanted to cry. Why did everything have to be so hard, why couldn't he just ask? Why did he have to ruin everything? Anxiety always ruined everything.

But if Anxiety always ruined everything, then it was as if Prince always fixed it.

"Anxiety? What's the matter? Anxiety? Anxi? Are you okay?" Prince was asking concernedly. Anxiety shook his head, but said,

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it, Princey." Then there was a warm hand on his shoulder and a hand tilting his chin up so Prince could look him in the eyes- and suddenly Anxiety was blushing again.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine, you don't always have to try to save the day, Prince Charming." Anxiety snapped scathingly, trying to divert the embarrassment he was feeling. Then he realised he'd been mean again. "Sorry." He muttered. When Anxiety looked back at Prince, though, he seemed pleased.

"It's alright, I know I don't have to try to save the day but I want to! It's rewarding and fun. And as for the nickname, well, I am quite charming." Prince threw a wink at Anxiety, who scowled halfheartedly.

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Prince just smiled.

"Anyway, since you seem fine again, I'm going to ask you something." Anxiety frowned at him.

"Yes...?" He asked tentatively, and Prince's face grew serious.

"What is troubling you? What is making your life difficult?" He asked. That sounded familiar for some reason.

"Uh... why do you want to know?" Anxiety asked slowly, cautiously. Prince's face hardened into a mask of determination.

"So I can kill it!"

"Um, what?!" Anxiety was stunned, and Prince looked genuinely confused.

"What do you mean, what?" He asked.

"What as in why would you kill whatever's bothering me?" Anxiety asked incredulously. "Last time you said that, which was just a few hours ago, you killed a dragon witch thing for Valerie and then married her. Therefore I'm assuming you don't mean the same thing. So what do you mean?" Prince looked thoughtful for a second.

"I mean to kill the thing that is bothering you.. because how else am I to win your heart?" Anxiety choked on air.

* * *

"What?!" Anxiety screeched. Had he heard that right? Was he dreaming? What was going on? Prince just looked mildly offended.

"I figure that you still hold some animosity towards me, and I intend to slay whatever is troubling you so that you may overlook our previous arguments and allow me to win your heart!" He proclaimed proudly. Anxiety could only stare at him, dumbfounded. Prince noticed and sighed.

"I've been thinking, Anxiety. So many people, oh what's the term, ship us? Including everyone we know. And I have found, deep inside myself, that I do not hate you. Rather I am in... like with you." Prince worded carefully. Anxiety had to be dreaming; how was this actually happening?!

"I- I don't- you are?" Anxiety stuttered, still disbelieving. Prince nodded gravely.

"I am. And I realise that you may not currently feel the same way, which is why I implore you to tell me what it is I must destroy to win you over." Anxiety couldn't believe it.

"You- You're not going to try to marry me straight away, are you?" Anxiety asked nervously. Prince shook his head.

"No, it seems to sudden in this case. Unless you want me to. In which case of course!" He smiled, and Anxiety hurriedly shook his head.

"Nope, no, no marriage, no thanks." He rushed to say. Prince was graceful enough to not even look disappointed.

"Very well then. But seriously, Anxi, what do I have to kill?" Anxiety sighed.

"Why do you think you have to kill anything?" He asked, kind of frustrated. Anxiety didn't like grand gestures, they made him, well, anxious. But he couldn't bring himself to be angry; not when his crush was admitting to liking him back on my goodness. However Prince seemed confused.

"But... I have to slay whatever is troubling you? How else am I to win your heart and take you on a date?" He sounded genuinely puzzled and Anxiety sighed.

"Oh, Princey." He murmured, facepalming. "You could just, oh I don't know, actually ask me out?" Prince looked shocked, like the idea had never occurs to him. I'm hindsight, Anxiety reckoned it probably never had.

"That... would work?" He asked tentatively. Anxiety nodded at him.

"Yeah, Pretty Boy, it would." Prince was evidently delighted, a bright smile creeping over his face.

"Then of course! Anxiety, it seems fitting that on this blessed day, the day of love, Valentine's Day, that I should finally profess my, uh, like for you, and politely ask to take you out for dinner some time. Do you accept?" Prince just had to go make it all dramatic and stuff. But somehow Anxiety didn't really mind, in fact it was kind of sweet. Hen Anxiety realised it was the first time he'd ever seen Prince look nervous, and his heart melted a little bit.

"Yes, of course I will you dork. I, um, feel the same. I'm case you didn't get that." Prince was elated, smiling so wide and so hard it was almost blinding, and Anxiety found himself smiling back at him.

The moment was interrupted a moment later when Misleading Compliment tire through the room, screeching something that sounded vaguely like 'adorable Valentine's love!' And then something at Anxiety. Within a second he had run back out, so quick he was a blur. Prince and Anxiety both had to freeze for a second and process that before Anxiety inspected what Compliment had thrown at him. Prince peeled over, trying to see what was making Anxiety smirk, and was rewarded when Anxiety thrust it towards him.

"Be my Valentine?" Anxiety asked, grinning but blushing under all that white foundation. Prince gently took the red card and opened it up; it was decorated with pale pink hearts and swirly, looping white words spelling out be my valentine?

It was basic. It was cheesy. It was adorable and Prince loved it! He clutched it tightly to his chest and positively beamed.

"Of course I'll be your Valentine!" He exclaimed, stepping forward and quickly drawing Anxiety into a brief hug, which he didn't really resist. Then Dad and Logic burst into the room.

"I knew it!" Logic shouted victoriously. Dad was just staring wide eyes at them, eyes flickering from their smiling faces to their now linked hands. Suddenly he swooned and started tilting. Prince and Anxiety recoiled in shock, and Logic darted back to catch him.

"Morality? Dad, are you okay?" He asked worriedly. Dad blinked heavily for a second, before springing up and running over to hug Anxiety and Prince.

"You're just! Both! So! Cute!" He yelled in joy. "Oh my goodness, I'm so happy you two are a couple now. You're so perfect together! And on Valentine's Day too, oh how romantic!" He cooed, and were those tears in his eyes?

Anxiety chuckled a little in disbelief, and Prince smiled at him. When Anxiety looked up and met his sparkling eyes he smiled back, and yeah, maybe Dad was right. Maybe everyone was right.

Maybe they were perfect together.

Finish

I hope you liked this oneshot!!!

[talesfantastic]

tell me about liana raine for the multimuse meme

send in the name of a muse you don’t know at all and i’ll tell you… - accepting

their general personality

Liana is a very gentle, compassionate young woman - she would have made a good healer, actually, and she’s very much a people person. Very warm, very friendly, which is a definite asset when she’s doing her real job, working as a diplomat for the Order. She does, at least in the eyes of her fellow Jedi, have a “problem” with attachment and it only gets worse as she gets older. She’s fiercely loyal, and has to fight her natural tendency to want to put the ones she cares for first. (Her answer to that so far is “I’m going to care about everybody, then no one gets put ahead of the mission because I’m taking everyone into account.” which... is not what the Council meant, I don’t think.) But she’s also got that Corellian stubbornness so. Good luck changing her mind.

their hobbies

Learning. At any given time, Liana’s datapad is stuffed full of holobooks (and holovids) - nonfiction more often than not. She especially loves learning about other cultures, something that’s a great asset to her when she’s on the job. She’s also surprisingly fond of cooking, though the ship really isn’t equipped for much of that. She also likes to explore what she can do with the Force, primarily along the lines of improving/refining her healing skills and her talent with telekinesis.

things they like

Animals! Especially baby animals; she’s not a big fan of insects, but she’d have had a pet Gizka if she wasn’t so busy and she always stops to pet the nerfs on Alderaan. She’s also a bit of a foodie, though more on the “I’ll try anything once” side than the “I’ll only eat X” side.

things they dislike

Obviously, as most of her life has been spent living in a galaxy at war - and as a diplomat sent to the front regularly - she’s used to fighting. But while she enjoys sparring, she hates life-or-death combat. She’s not a fan of violence in general, and is honestly pretty conflict-avoidant overall. She also starts out with a huge, ingrained bias against Sith and Imperials, admittedly in part because of Jedi/Republic propaganda.

Once she’s older, and more experienced, that black-and-white morality begins to fade away, but the knee-jerk reaction of distrust and dislike is hard to let go.

some things people do that annoy them

She cannot stand people talking before someone finishes speaking / talking over someone; it happens a lot at debates, and it always makes her think a little less of the person doing it. Willful ignorance also grates on her; ignorance is a default state, you can’t know something you haven’t learned, but someone refusing to learn is baffling and sometimes outright infuriating.

how easily they form friendships

Far, far too easily, if you were to ask many of her peers. Not because it’s not good to be friendly, but because once Liana makes friends, she has a powerful tendency to get attached. And well, that’s a Jedi no-no.

how easily they get crushes

Not very. Liana was raised as a Jedi, so she was of course raised in a culture that doesn’t really promote awareness of romantic or sexual feelings, and actively discourages acting on them should they crop up. So while it is possible she could grow to have feelings for someone, it would take her longer than most to recognize it was more than an intimate friendship.

the kind of person they get along with the best

Other friendly people are at the top of the list, to be sure, along with people who engage or challenge her intellectually, and can make her smile or laugh.

the kind of person they get along with the worst

Hostile, violent people. People who endanger others needlessly (she understands sometimes there isn’t a choice, but so often there is) are also high on the list of people she doesn’t get along with. Also, again, see “willful ignorance” for a powerful pet-peeve.

whether or not they could get along with your muse(s)

I’m just going to do your Star Wars muses since same fandom if not same era, but I do want to say that there’s definitely others she’d get along with in your roster.

KIHANDA: I think she and Kihanda would be fast, close friends, I really do. Their personalities and outlooks on life are compatible, and they’d have the common ground of being trained Jedi. Liana would be utterly fascinated at her deeper cultural roots and want to learn anything and everything Kihanda would be willing to teach her.

REY: Pretty sure that Liana would also get along well with Rey. It would take time for Rey to learn to trust her, of course, but I think Liana’s genuine, constantly proven compassion and warmth would be extremely welcome (if again, hard to trust) after Rey’s seen so little of it. They’re both practical, competent women who would at least come to some mutual respect if not eventual friendship.

DOC: It was hard deciding who was next, Doc or Han, but I think Doc wins out because he is a healer who does genuinely care about others despite the airs he puts on. She wouldn’t like how easily lying comes to him and wouldn’t know what to do with his flirting, but overall I think they’d get along.

HAN: I think eventually Liana and Han would come to an understanding, much as Luke and Han did. It helps that she can be more of a realist, even if tries to present as an optimist. (War will do that to you.) I think his ego and original tendency to look out for himself before others would be something she struggled with, much as her tendency to go the other way - and push for the same from others - would aggravate him. Plus, there’s the whole “space wizard” deal he’d have to come to terms with. That said, I think given enough time they would respect each other’s competency, bravery, and skill if nothing else.

[benxgenevieve]

prompt 08

prompt - persist and resist the temptation to ask you, if one thing had been different, would everything be different today?

the bold font are genevieve’s visions.

It was easy to fall in love with the Stone family. 

Cal was the smartest, most genuine child. Collectively, he and Olive made the perfect twins, despite the height and obvious age difference. 

It had taken time for Mic to warm up in the recent timeline, but when Flight 828 had all their memories restored--Genny and Mic had picked up where they had left off. They were constantly gossiping and teasing anyone around them. 

The most surprising had been Grace. Genevieve had been slow and hesitant, at first. It was for selfish reasons, but it had seemed impossible to not fall in love with her gentle spirit. Her slow, but strong love for her husband and family only amplified their friendship. 

As a whole, the three women had constant girls nights. They swapped recipes between each other. They spent hours scouring the city for the newest fashion. Somehow Mic, Grace, and Genevieve had become inseparable. 

Her relationship with Ben had always been the most complicated. Even in her timeline, they had immediately bonded. It had been them against the world--and even when he forgot their history--their love, they had been each other’s rocks in the current timeline. They had always been emotionally codependent. For better or for worse, she would protect Ben and his family. It had been easy when he didn’t remember their history. She could put herself on the line...she could protect the Stones, but his memory effectively ruined that. His possessive attitude wasn’t helpful when it came to trying to toe the line of innocence. 

Genevieve’s love for the entire Stone family had led her to this exact moment. As much as 1945 Genevieve Carson longed for Ben Stone--2020 Genny wouldn’t allow it. When Grace offered a blind date set up, she jumped at the opportunity. She ignored the haughty gaze and the subtle silent treatment from Mr. Stone. In fact, she provided the girls all the details after her date during their weekly Thursday night dinner. Ben had glared, but he had still chosen to be her partner during the game that night. 

Neither of them liked their situation, but they had both agreed that their friendship would always be more important. 

After months of dates, her adoration for Mark never interfered with her emotions towards Ben. They had their moments of tension--he had his moments of jealousy--and she had her own when they found out about the baby. Yet, their friendship never faltered. It was hard work, but it only took a silent admission of jealousy for both of them to pick up. 

It was a comfort to realize the other still cared, but that their friendship could grow in different ways. They’d never be over each other. He’d never love her less, but the consistency of each other would have to be enough. 

Besides, Mark had his own charm. 

Genny loved that he called her Evie. She loved that he was dedicated to his job. It was nice to find someone who challenged her, but supported her in her own profession. He was consistently open to her--he was actually available. 

When he proposed in front of all her friends and family, she was proud that she only hesitated to look at Ben for a quick moment. His eyes showed her plenty of things. Sadness for what he couldn’t say, happiness for her sake, and most importantly, the acceptance to push her to say yes. 

The Stone and Andrews families would always be close. 

For her wedding, it was an easy decision to have Grace and Mic be a huge piece of it. As her closest friends, they only wanted the greatest things for her. They had immediately chosen to spoil her rotten without any questions asked.

She had the perfect friends, the perfect fiance, and her life was finally settling down.

Despite all that, it would always be easy for one man to hold the ability to stop and start all logical thought of Genevieve Carson. 

He had ushered Grace and Mic up to the master bedroom with little to no questions. The girls had been adamant on showing Genny exactly what a great bachelorette party entailed. There were plenty of drinks--several bars--and too many fantastic moments. So, she tried to appreciate every moment while dragging both women back home. 

“There are still some things that I’ll never understand,” she teased. 

Ben walked back into the kitchen as he poured both of them a glass of wine. There had been plenty of nights before his disappearance that he had taken the liberty to help his wife and sister into his bedroom. Now, he was left with someone to enjoy the rest of the morning with him. Perhaps it wasn’t smart to mix alcohols, but he could tell that Ginny could handle it. She even encouraged him when she reached out to take the glass from him. 

She had spent all evening with his wife and sister, yet she was his best friend. 

“They wanted you to have a great party,” Ben pointed out. He let her pick her seat, before sitting down in his favorite seat opposite of her. 

“Well, I did. They definitely succeeded.” Genevieve smiled, but hated the heat that rushed to her cheeks. This conversation didn’t need flushed cheeks, but the smile that he gave her made her overly aware. She was blissfully tipsy and her emotions were hard to reign in. They both needed a safe topic. “You should have joined Mark’s party! He messaged me earlier asking why you weren’t there.” 

It was obvious for them, but Ben couldn’t admit that right now. It was hard celebrating something that he was still confused over. He loved his wife, but there were nearly five years where he had loved the woman in front of him. They never made plans for a lifetime. Yet, it was different now that both of them were together, but separated. 

“I had to make sure you got home safe,” he pointed out. It was a freudian slip, but he’d be forgiven. “I knew a few drinks would have those ladies coming home.” 

Genevieve smirked and brought the red wine to her lips. These moments were few and far in between. They were often at libraries or homes trying to wrap their minds and her gift around what caused such a jump in time. They still had mysteries to solve--and callings to answer.

 “They deserve the break. I didn’t realize planning a wedding was so time consuming. Especially with Grace making the cake. They really are making me feel like all I have to do is show up.” Genevieve couldn’t forget how wonderful they had made the whole experience. It was something that had stressed her out, but now they were less than a week away. 

He had noticed Genevieve keeping herself busy. They had buried themselves into their research, but it had meant more days together. It was selfish to be happy about that, but it was also exactly what he loved. 

Their friendship contained a lot of silence between them, but when they were both drinking--when they both had unresolved feelings, she knew that it would escalate between them quickly. 

“Are you still able to see us?” 

The words were blurted and scrambled and Genevieve wasn’t sure that she heard him correctly. There had been a time when their future had been so clearly intertwined. Genevieve had seen them together in New York. It had been set in 1950’s which caused her to work that much harder. They would have been happy together, but she had refused to give up on Olive. 

“Don’t do this to us,” she exclaimed. “Don’t bring this up now.” 

She had stopped trying to touch him in recent months. Even a glimpse of their future was detrimental to her thoughts. It was too easy to imagine them together stuck in the 1950’s. Their happiness had never been questioned, but the guilt of enjoying him would eat her alive.

“One decision--our entire lives would be different. If you hadn’t solved the solar flare timelines, we’d still be in the other timeline. We’d still be…” Ben winced at how much he missed those times. “Haven’t you thought about it?

He loved his wife. 

He loved Genevieve too.

“Ben,” she whispered slowly. “I haven’t tried. Touching you--” 

It hurt. It contained everything she couldn’t have--everything one her best friends did have. 

“If I look into our lives like that...it feels like cheating.” It wasn’t just cheating on Mark. It was cheating on Grace. It caused their entire future to shift and their outlooks to change. 

Ben knew that--yet he still got up to sit on the couch next to her. She should remove herself, but he only offered her his hand. It was an innocent gesture compared to the moments where he had taken her to his bed in the past. 

“Ben,” she pleaded. 

“Babe,” he opened his palm wider. 

She shouldn’t, but the temptation of his hand was more than she wanted to push away. “I...okay,” Genevieve reached down. The familiar spark caused her to push their hands together. 

Once, she let herself relax into his hands, Genny gripped his palm tightly. The air went warm around them. He’s behind her in her family’s large kitchen. She can’t deny how good it feels to be in his arms again. 

“Babe, you need to relax, this case isn’t worth this stress…” Ben’s voice seems so far away, but his hand is possessive on her stomach. “It’s not good for the baby.”

In a quick moment, they’re no longer in her home--they’re walking down Central Park, hand in hand. There’s birds singing around them and it’s a simple glance around to know that they aren’t in 1950’s anymore. 

“What are we doing, Genny?” Ben whispered to her. 

“We’re at the park--Central. It’s not 1950’s,” she clarified. 

“I’m just happy,” Ben grinned. “I finally have you locked down. We’re mostly alone.”  “Is that all I am? A way for you to lock me down?” Genevieve raised her eyebrows, before she felt Ben’s lips crash down onto hers.  “You’re my everything,” he whispered. “Now, I get to show that to everyone.” 

 Genevieve felt Ben’s other hand land on top of hers, but it was too much. The emotions caused too much build up in her mind. “No! I can’t--we can’t. Please, Ben, don’t push it.” Her hand jerked back, but it didn’t stop the tears from swelling in her eyes. 

“Okay, we’ll stop.” He didn’t want to upset her, but the rush of emotions that he felt from her seeing their potential future was more than a high to him. It reminded him that they were desperately feeling each other’s emotions. “I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered. His hand wrapped around the dropped curl around her face. “I shouldn’t have pushed.” 

Of course, they had been happy. The thought that they didn’t love each other wasn’t even possible between them. Her wall had immediately gone back up and only then did she feel comfortable reaching to take his hand. “I’m okay. They’re stronger when I’ve had some red wine,” she joked. 

They needed space, but physical cheating wouldn’t happen between them. It had always been brief hand holding, gentle reassurances, and soft touches since they came back from her timeline. “We’re happy,” she promised him. 

“What did you see?” Ben’s face was happy--waiting for the confirmation that their future wasn’t being written into stone. Almost as if, this marriage didn’t end their time traveling love story.

She could simply give him the information that he desperately wanted.

Or, she could give them exactly what they needed. 

Closure.

“We were together--at the park. Grace and Mark were waiting for us. The kids were playing and it was a really gorgeous day,” she murmured. “We were so happy, Ben.” 

It wasn’t the answer that he was craving. The disappointment hung in his gaze, but his hand slacked down. She didn’t want to hurt him, but they shouldn’t have gone this far. They had taken a step that they needed to jump back from doing again. If lying caused this to stop, then it would have to be worth it. 

“So, you’re meant to marry him?” Ben murmured. “We’re doing the right thing?”

Of course, they were doing the right thing. Her heart was angry at her--her body craved his touch--but they would always do the right thing. 

“This is just the beginning, Ben,” she promised. “It’s such a great beginning.”

[helloworlddemo1122-yahoopar-blog]

'Superstore' Creator Breaks Down Amy & Jonah's Shocking Finale Moment (Exclusive)

Warning: Spoiler alert! Do not proceed if you have not watched Thursday's Superstore finale. Believe us, you will be sorry.

Amy and Jonah did what?!

On Thursday's Superstore finale, titled "Town Hall," after weeks (really, seasons) of will they-won't they tension -- with a few kisses sprinkled in -- that culminated in an all-too-real confrontation about their romantic stalemate, Amy (America Ferrera) and Jonah (Ben Feldman) went all the way, having sex in the photo room of the Cloud 9 store in a "wild and unexpected" moment. Jonah pulling Amy in for a kiss after they decided to have "a fresh start" was quite the romantic play, but everything else after that was just flat out racy.

That's not even the embarrassing part: Amy and Jonah's sexual escapade was broadcast worldwide for all Cloud 9 shoppers to see, unbeknownst to them. Yup, their fellow Cloud 9 colleagues will have seen all their business. Oops. Complicating all of that? Amy's pregnancy with ex Adam's child. Jonah's abrupt breakup with Kelly. Things are going to get very messy over at Superstore when season four rolls around.

Following Thursday's season three closer, ET spoke with creator Justin Spitzer about the decision to have Amy and Jonah go there with their relationship, the consequences for their NSFW actions and why writing in Ferrera's real-life pregnancy into her character's storyline was "controversial" in the writers' room.

ET: A few weeks ago, Ben Feldman told me the finale would have a “wild and unexpected” moment between Amy and Jonah. He wasn’t kidding. This is quite a risky finale for Superstore, with Amy and Jonah having sex for the first time in very public fashion. Where did the idea come from to end the season this way?

Justin Spitzer: That’s an idea I’ve had for years that I always thought would be a funny incident to have happened to Jonah and Amy, or any of our two characters who had a romance at any point. We hadn’t planned to do it now. It felt like something that would happen a little later, maybe after a couple got together. We wanted to do something big, something that felt like more than just a kiss because we’ve seen them kiss a few times now -- and something that would take people by surprise.

Were you nervous about going too far?

As far as my fears, I was a little nervous -- and still, I guess, am about the pace of the relationship. It’s a very, very big move on this will they-won’t they that we’ve struggled to control the pace of and let the moves trickle out little by little. We had a big chunk of the season -- in the last third, there were two episodes in a row that really hit the Jonah and Amy hard, and this is a big move forward that could lead to any number of things. But it’s something that’s going to change their relationship. In terms of showing what we showed, that less [nervous about]. I love pushing the envelope as much as NBC will let me and they’ve always been very encouraging. We understand what we can show and what we can’t. I was excited about doing something I haven’t seen and I haven’t seen that move done.

You mentioned not exactly planning for Amy and Jonah having sex to be something that would happen at the end of this season. How has that relationship accelerated a lot faster than you anticipated or planned for?

Always with this relationship, I’ve been always [hitting] the brakes. We constantly try to not do too much too fast, to keep this will they-won’t they going. Each time we’ve done something, it’s because it felt inevitable. This is the time. I can’t make a good argument why we shouldn’t do this. The kiss in the tornado [in the season two finale], we did it both ways -- with and without the kiss -- and this run where they admit their feelings to each other and everyone sees the tap, those were all moves that we talked about and we tried to restrain ourselves until it felt right. Until we had no choice. The thing about the sex in this finale is it’s the only time where we made the conscious decision to jump forward and do something that, yeah, maybe we didn’t quite have to go that far yet, but that’s the fun of it. In that respect, if you want to do something surprising, you kind of have to do it before you’re ready for it.

This changes the game for Amy and Jonah. Is this a firable offense? What can you say about the consequences that may be coming their way?

They’re definitely going to have to deal with the ramifications of everyone knowing that they had sex, which will be creepy and weird. We as a show will have to address it in some way. I don’t know that next season is going to be that they’ve been fired for this infraction. I think there are ways we can get around that aspect of things. We’ve seen far worse things happen this season and you could make the argument that this is after hours. (Laughs.) The bigger thing will be that these two people have been intimate and everyone in the world knows about it and what that’ll do for their relationship.

Does this mean the outlook for them to become something more official has gotten brighter?

I don’t know where we’re going to come in next season, if they’re going to be together or if they’re not going to be together. I know things are going to be changed now and we’ll have to figure out what that means for them. But at the very least, it shows that this is not Amy going back to her old life. She’s not getting back together with Adam and back to the status quo. She has changed. Just because she had a baby with Adam as a teenager and a baby with Adam now, she is a different person. It’s like that proverb, you can’t dip your toe in the same stream twice. Things are different enough for her now that this is not a step backward, it’s just something else in life she has to contend with.

Jonah has been guilty of making pretty bold decisions when it comes to his relationships over the course of the show, his breakup with Kelly being no different. But this one feels a bit more serious because of what happened next. Where do Jonah and Kelly stand?

All the characters are essentially moral characters in their own way. Sometimes, that can come out in ways that are harmful. When Jonah broke up with Kelly, it felt like he was being a jerk, but he’s the kind of guy who speaks truthfully without taking the time to think about whether this is the correct thing to say or the best time to say it. For him, when it comes to Kelly, it just sort of hits him that, “Wow, I don’t want to be in this relationship,” and he just said it. It wasn’t in a way that was trying to hurt her even though it comes across as being hurtful. We always try to keep things real and not give a character an easy out just to make the storytelling easy. It would’ve been easiest to say, well, Kelly decided she wasn’t interested in Jonah or Kelly’s ex-boyfriend came back into the picture. That’s usually not the way it happens for us; in the breakup, someone has to be the bad guy in that situation.

Is Kelly still in the picture?

We’ll have future opportunities to explore the ugliness between Jonah and Kelly. We definitely touched on it in this episode, but we didn’t want this to be about Jonah and Kelly that much.

How much discussion did you have with America about whether or not to incorporate her real-life pregnancy into the show?

We had a lot of conversations about it. She told me very early on that she [and her husband] were going to start trying, but we obviously couldn’t write it in at that point. Early on, she and I had had some discussions about whether Amy should be the one who is the surrogate for Glenn’s baby and we decided that there were too many unknowns to make that call. And also, it would seem like a lot of fun for Dina to be that person. When she did get pregnant and she was announcing it, we had the discussion again about whether we should play that or not. We didn’t know if she would be showing onscreen or not, and it turns out she wasn’t while we were still filming. We could have hidden it. After she and I talked, we talked to the writers and we decided it would be very messy and possibly seem like a step back to have her pregnant and that’s what we liked -- that that’s one more difficulty she’ll have to get through being single and pregnant. We liked what it did for her struggle next season.

Many fans were vocal on social media about their dislike that Amy was pregnant. How much stock do you put on fan reactions when it comes to certain story points, especially this one?

I was a little surprised about how much some people were unhappy about it, but I knew it was controversial. Truthfully, it was even controversial in our writers’ room. We had a lot of discussions about what this meant because we really didn’t have to do it; we did do it at the end of the season. It was an extra struggle. It felt like, were we making Amy’s life too difficult? In the end, that was the reason we decided to do it. It felt like, let’s give her one more difficulty to get over next season and she will. We have some ideas in mind next season where we’ll use the fact that her life is more difficult as a story point. I wonder if some of the reaction is they’re perceiving that Amy now can’t be with Jonah because she’s pregnant with someone else’s baby. I’ll be curious to look on Twitter after the finale to see if people are just as upset about it now that we made this move.

You have two characters who are pregnant, Amy and Dina. Is that going to be something we’ll see play out close to real time in season four?

The writers haven’t started on season four yet and we have some general inklings. But yeah, we’re going to come in and Amy and Dina are both going to be pregnant -- I don’t know how much of a time jump there’ll be. I can’t say that we’re going to see them give birth on the show, but it’s possible. And I think it’ll be a lot of fun for the first part of the season of them both be pregnant at the same time.

Do you have a blueprint for what you want to tackle next season?

We’re looking to do a more serialized season to really arc out the season from beginning to end. I think it’s going to deal with workers’ rights and organizing and unionization. I think it’s going to be a more exciting, more energetic season. We’re jumping into the exciting part of the movie where things start to change and I know that whatever Amy is at the beginning of season five, she’ll be a fundamentally different character than at the end of season three.

Lauren Ash wrote an episode this season, and America Ferrera and Ben Feldman both directed episodes. Are there plans for other castmembers to have a behind-the-scenes role in season four?

Next year, Mark McKinney is going to be directing an episode. America may direct an episode -- she’ll have a newborn, so if she’s up for it. I would definitely love Ben to direct again too if that could work out, but the cast has to act at some point too, so we’re trying to get everyone a chance. We’ve talked with Colton [Dunn] about writing an episode, so that could happen, and we would love Lauren to do another one because she did such an amazing job.

RELATED CONTENT:

‘Superstore’ Actress Lauren Ash Talks Pregnancy Bellies and Writing Jokes for Sandra (Exclusive)

'Superstore': Ben Feldman Teases 'Wild and Unexpected' Amy & Jonah Finale Moment (Exclusive)

'Superstore' Star Ben Feldman on Why He Was Afraid of Being a 'Disaster' in Directorial Debut (Exclusive)

[ongames]

9 Women On Why They Switched From Cardio To Weight Training

Anna Danes was a lifelong runner, jogger and walker, but after giving birth to her daughter 12 years ago, she got busy and wasn’t able to keep up her regular exercise routine. She quickly noticed changes in her body, especially her weight beginning to creep up, and eventually went back to a cardio-heavy routine.

She wasn’t seeing results, though, and after successfully battling breast cancer, getting divorced and shaking off her old life as a lawyer to become a jazz singer (her sophomore album, “Find Your Wings,” topped iTunes’ jazz chart in 2016), she knew it was time for a change.

“I’m not ready to look midlife, even though I am midlife,” says the 47-year-old musician. “I’ve got a new life post-divorce: dating and a new career that’s taking off.”

So just three weeks ago she began lifting weights four times a week, and has already noticed major changes.

Aside from losing 8 pounds — no small feat! — Danes says, “My energy is way up too — old running speeds are now a breeze.”

While every body requires a different workout routine, and the exercise regimen that works best for you may involve all cardio or very little, fitness experts say that a mix of cardio and weight training can be important not only for aesthetic reasons but also to help prevent injuries and decrease the risk of osteoporosis, particularly in women.

“I think the most important thing about any athletic pursuit for women ... is the general sense of competence you get from knowing that your body can do whatever you need it to,” says Karen Ko, a Toronto-based strength coach and personal trainer. “This is huge for women. We’re socialized to defer to men in areas of physical activity — they are the experts, they are inherently stronger than us. Strength training challenges this narrative and is extremely empowering.”

While some women, especially those facing illnesses or injuries that impede their ability to perform load-bearing exercise, do best with cardio only, most would benefit from adding some kind of weight training to their workout routine. Ko says it’s never too late to start, and adds that the “bro culture” of the weight room is changing and becoming more welcoming to people of all genders.

Need a little inspiration? Let the journeys of Danes and the other women below motivate you to try something new.

“I feel in control more, that I can do this, I can get fit on my own just by doing the work — and feel strong!”

Name: Anna Danes

Age: 47

Location: Solana Beach, California

Cardio history: I’ve been a runner/jogger/walker the majority of my life. In my early 30s, I did a lot of running races but stopped after I became a mom at 35. Then, my cardio routine depended on what I could get done while tending to a little kid. As my daughter got older, I returned to the gym sporadically and sometimes had trainers help me (but that could never last because of the expense factor). My very recent routine, before I began lifting, was jogging on the treadmill at the recommended “fat burn” rate about two times a week, and walking briskly outdoors about five times a week for about 4 miles each time.

Why she switched: Three weeks ago, after Mother’s Day, I stepped on the scale and was mortified by what I saw. Suddenly, over the past year, I had put on 15 pounds of pudge and was starting to look midlife and out of shape, despite my best efforts to do cardio almost every day.

What she does now: I lift weights about four times a week for roughly an hour, with the help of an app on my smart phone called FitBod. The app keeps track of all your goals and stats, keeps track of your workouts and varies them daily according to muscle groups that need to be worked. I try to hit upper and lower body at least twice a week.

In addition to lifting, I’ve decided to take my cardio to the next level with the help of another free app, Running. Instead of jogging with no results, the app helps you use interval training, get motivational build-up from the app’s “coach” and streams upbeat music.

How her body has reacted: Besides losing 8 pounds (which I couldn’t do before for the life of me with just jogging) in just three weeks, I’ve noticed I am starting to look cut again. There is definition in my abs and arms, which I’ve not seen in a long time. I feel tight, and my skin feels better all over, has better texture. I’ve also increased my normal running speed on the treadmill from 4.2 to 5.5 miles per hour in just three weeks. I feel stronger all over, and can run up and down the stairs in my house just doing chores!

I feel 100 percent better about my outlook on life, too. I feel in control more, that I can do this, I can get fit on my own just by doing the work — and feel strong! The new positive outlook is probably the most important thing for me.

“People always ask me if I’m a runner and I respond, ‘No I’m a squatter.’”

Name: Christie Maruka

Age: 47

Location: Wall, New Jersey

Cardio history: I was always in the gym with a 30- to 40-minute cardo session, four or five days a week, either the elliptical or stairs. My workout included weight training all my body parts, except I didn’t do squats and dead lifts. I did abs every other day, longer cardio sessions and higher reps with weights.

Why she switched: I switched because I started seeing and reading a lot more about women doing squats and dead-lifting, and they weren’t huge or extremely bulky, and I became very interested in trying this. Then I found Instagrammer Jen Selter (queen of squats) and admired her figure, so I followed her and began doing squats and absolutely loved the results I was seeing. As I get older, or any woman in their 40s, we will start losing muscle and I want to prevent this as much as possible. Squatting and dead-lifting have given my legs and butt a lot of shape and muscle definition.

What she does now: My routine now consists of higher-intensity weight training, no more than 12 reps. I split it up into upper body and lower body, and use the maximum amount of weight I can lift. I do exercises that have big, compound movements and involve the biggest muscles — like your quads, hamstrings and glutes. My cardio I do at a higher intensity and not longer than 25 minutes, and only on the days I do my upper body. After squats and dead lifts, I can barely walk out of the gym, so no cardio.

How her body has reacted: I’ve noticed that I’m so much stronger, I have more energy and I’m less tired. My body fat is lower and I’m much leaner, and you can really see the muscles. Wearing dresses and skirts in the summer and feeling confident is when it all pays off. I love my routine and I love the results. I am constantly preaching to friends and clients about squatting and dead-lifting and how great it is. People always ask me if I’m a runner and I respond, “No I’m a squatter.” It takes dedication and, for me, working out is a way of life, not a temporary fix.

“It’s so utterly empowering, no feeling can match that.”

Name: Diana Mitrea

Age: 29

Location: New York City

Cardio history: I have been active the majority of my life, but unfortunately, the majority of my life was spent doing only cardio. As a kid and in high school, I played soccer and swam. In college, I would run on the treadmill or outside every so often.

Why she switched: After graduating, I started teaching group fitness programs but all of them were around cardio ― my favorite class to teach was kickboxing. I would jump around the room for 60 minutes with my participants, drenched in sweat. It was amazing and tons of fun, but I felt that after a few years, my fitness had plateaued. I wasn’t getting leaner or more toned. I also felt like I wasn’t “powerful” enough in front of the class. Some of my other instructor colleagues really were a presence in front of the room. You looked at them and you thought, “Wow, that person is STRONG.” I wanted to be like that.

What she does now: I signed up with a personal trainer to help me learn more about weightlifting and strength training. Sometimes I think people don’t realize the value of having someone holding you accountable and helping you with form, education and motivation. I was determined enough to make the change that I went and purchased several months’ worth of sessions and committed to it. Little did I know that I would fall in love with how lifting made me feel.

Fast forward to now and I’m incredibly proud of where I’ve gotten in the past few years. I’m a personal trainer and group fitness instructor in NYC. I went from zero strength to being able to dead-lift over 200 pounds, doing several pullups in a row, and can clean and jerk almost my body weight. [Editor’s note: “Clean and jerk” refers to a weightlifting movement in which the barbell is pulled up to chest and shoulder height and then hoisted above the head.] I tell every woman I meet to stop being shy and get in that weight room! If you don’t know where to begin, hire someone. You will never realize what your body is truly capable of until you start picking up real weights.

How her body has reacted: The main difference I notice is that people compliment me not only on my physique (lifting weights really helps out your booty!), but people are also impressed with what I can do. It’s more than just my appearance that gives them a positive impression. It’s so utterly empowering, no feeling can match that. The other bonus is that I don’t have to work out as often to maintain my fitness. I used to put in two or more cardio hours a day! Now if I miss a day or two, it doesn’t even matter. I can eat more. My body can burn the food as fuel just by standing there. It’s amazing to me how it all works.

The only thing I wish in all this is that I had started lifting sooner. I would be so much stronger now if I had started five years earlier! However, starting now is better than never so I’m glad I discovered this world when I did.

“I never think about needing to be smaller or looking like a fashion model because I need my muscles to perform.”

Name: Meghan Kennihan

Age: 35

Location: La Grange, Illinois

Cardio history: I started long-distance running in 2008, half and full marathons, which led to half and full Ironmans from 2011 to 2013. That moved to ultramarathons — 50 km, 50-miler, 100 km, etc. — for the past three years. During these periods, I was basically doing cardio in the form of biking, running or swimming for 15 to 20-plus hours a week, with maybe five of those hours as light circuit-style, high-rep weight training — so more cardio than lifting.

Why she switched: I made the switch to more heavy lifting and dedicated powerlifting because I was always injured. I would get at least two injuries a year that would knock me out for two months, many of them stress fractures. So I knew I needed to build stronger bones, hips and glutes to support my endurance activities, and the light weightlifting wasn’t cutting it. A CrossFit gym near my house was starting an eight-week powerlifting class that was going to provide a program and culminate in a competition. It was great to have the support and coaching for the proper form. I ended up adapting quickly and falling in love with the heavy lifts and the powerlifting program. I broke six Illinois state records at the competition and was hooked. I also did not get injured that year.

What she does now: I still compete in ultra runs and endurance activities, but I do only three to four days a week of running and low mileage. I do the powerlifting twice a week and mix in other cross-training activities, like kettlebells, TRX and yoga, to keep my body guessing and make sure I am a well-rounded athlete.

How her body has reacted: I feel strong and confident. I am a personal trainer and run coach and it is great when I can challenge my male clients to lifts and put them in their place! I never think about needing to be smaller or looking like a fashion model because I need my muscles to perform.

“If there was a zombie apocalypse, I think I’d be able to survive!”

Name: Nicole Quiroz

Age: 33

Location: San Diego

Cardio history: I wouldn’t consider myself an avid runner, but it was my top-choice workout before I discovered lifting. I would run on treadmills or trails around a lake or hillsides, do some kind of kettlebell workout, followed by whatever diet fad I was on at the moment. One thing was clear to me: I wasn’t getting any results. Sure, running made me sweat like a maniac and gasp for air every second. But I was also injured quite often. I would consistently hurt my hips, knees and ankles.

Why she switched: Tearing my hip muscle was the worst out of all of my injuries and the final straw. It took me almost four months to recover from my injury. I knew I had to start working out again, but I didn’t want to return to running. That’s when a friend introduced me to powerlifting and it changed my life.

What she does now: Now, about 90 percent of my workout is powerlifting. I would start with stretches or yoga, followed by 10 sets of dead lifts and 10 sets of back squats. That’s it! I feel like lifting is the best cardio workout anyone can get. I can burn up to 650 calories in an hour just by lifting weights.

How her body has reacted: The strength and confidence I’ve gained through powerlifting has changed my life and my perspective on fitness. There’s a stigma about women and powerlifting — the fear of gaining bulk. No, you will not bulk unless you have a strict meal plan that purposefully makes you bulk. You will gain definition and curves, which is what I believe many women who work out strive for. In addition, I’ve revisited running. I’ve noticed that I’m not tired as quickly. I also run faster and can run a longer distance without stopping. The fat I’ve lost and the muscle and strength I’ve gained through powerlifting have helped support my running milestones. If there was a zombie apocalypse, I think I’d be able to survive!

“I just wanted more of a body. I’m a petite woman with no curves, which can be daunting in today’s booty-obsessed world.”

Name: Jenay Rose

Age: 27

Location: Los Angeles

Cardio history: I could never really get into working out. I was never athletic growing up, but about three years ago I fell in love with yoga. Vinyasa flow is a fast-paced, constantly moving practice.

Why she switched: As I’ve become a more advanced practitioner of yoga (I am now a yoga teacher and wellness influencer), I have been craving more. I used to leave a level 3, two-hour yoga class exhausted, but now I am ready for more. I also wanted a more drastic improvement in muscle mass. I have always been fairly thin and petite, but as I get older, I desire to have more of a physique. So, I decided to add in weightlifting about three or four weeks ago.

What she does now: I attend three or four yoga classes a week, and train in the gym at least twice a week, but I am going to up that to four times a week. Once you start seeing small results, it can be incredibly gratifying and inspiring to work harder, commit more and really accomplish your goals.

How her body has reacted: Since adding in weights, I feel leaner and stronger — physically and mentally. Yoga is incredibly soothing and replenishing for me, but I wasn’t 100 percent happy with my physical appearance. I just wanted more of a body. I’m a petite woman with no curves, which can be daunting in today’s booty-obsessed world. Overall, sweating and detoxifying through working out has made me a happier, kinder and all-around better person. I now have the ability to channel my angst into something positive, benefiting myself and everyone around me. Lifting weights makes me feel like a strong, independent woman, while yoga gives me peace of mind and confidence.

“My attitude doing it is not very good. But afterward, I feel really good.”

Name: Jacquie Jordan

Age: 46

Location: Los Angeles

Cardio history: My workout routine before lifting was pretty consistent: swimming Monday, Wednesday and Friday; spinning Tuesday and Thursday; yoga Saturday; yoga sculpt Sunday. I would also substitute yoga sculpt with jogging or hiking.

Why she switched: I switched because some parts of my body — no matter what — were not changing or improving. I eat clean. I don’t eat sugar, flour or drink alcohol. I’m practically no-carb. So I know food is not an issue.

What she does now: I’m really new to the weightlifting, and I love/hate it. I hate it because it is so foreign to me, and I have all sorts of preconceived ideas about who should really be doing weightlifting. Since it’s new to me, and I’m already experiencing a significant shift in the body in terms of inches, I have cut back on my other workouts. I’m doing hot yoga to stretch out and continuing with the swimming.

How her body has reacted: I generally carry weight around my hips and thighs; I seem to be predisposed this way, and the weightlifting is literally cutting through the fat. I am being trained by Kenneth Rippetoe of One with the Water. This is all foreign to me and I have tremendous resistance. My attitude doing it is not very good. But afterward, I feel really good.

“I’m positive that my physical fitness helped me have a faster and (somewhat) easier delivery of my son in 2016.” 

Name: Alayna Curry

Age: 29

Location: Orlando, Florida

Cardio history: In college, I gained more than the typical “freshman 15.” Once I graduated, I was fed up with being insecure about my body. I decided to try Zumba since I liked dancing and wasn’t a big fan of other fitness activities. I fell in love! I went two to three times a week at first. Once I started to feel better about working out, I started doing cycle classes, too. I’d say at that time, I was doing about four to five cardio classes a week. Eventually, I decided to get licensed in both Zumba and cycle and started teaching a few classes a week. I was still intimidated by weightlifting, so I kept to cardio because I was seeing weight loss.

Why she switched: One day, I overheard another instructor say, “If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to incorporate weights into your workout routine, not just cardio.” That was the first time I’d really heard that. After a while of just cardio, I hit a plateau and didn’t really see any changes in my body, so I decided to start lifting. The biggest motivator for me was having a lifting buddy who was also just starting out, so we could keep each other accountable.

What she does now: Now I spend more time on weights than cardio. Your body actually works harder and longer during and after weightlifting than cardio, so you get a bigger bang for your buck. As a working mom, it’s hard to find time to get to the gym, but I make an effort to lift three to four times a week. I focus on different areas each day — legs, back and biceps, triceps and chest, and shoulders. I try to incorporate a short abs workout into every session, too. I never do the same workout routine twice. I want my body to be surprised, and challenge my muscles in a different way each week. I do a mix of machines, free weights and body weight exercises. In addition to lifting, I still do cardio about two to three times a week. I’ve been teaching Zumba for six years and I love it. I’m able to burn upward of 750 calories a class. I also walk a lot with my family.

How her body has reacted: Once I started lifting, I got a lot of feedback from friends saying I’d lost weight. Funny thing is, I didn’t really lose any pounds, I was just looking leaner and fitter. Now that I’ve been lifting regularly for several years, my energy is better and I feel stronger. I’m positive that my physical fitness helped me have a faster and (somewhat) easier delivery of my son in 2016. I continued to lift responsibly through my pregnancy, which helped me quickly get back into pre-pregnancy shape later. Overall, I feel better and look better thanks to this lifestyle change.

“I was always self-conscious of having big thighs, now I embrace them because they are strong thighs. These thighs let me squat a lot of weight!”

Name: Meghan Scanlon

Age: 29

Location: Boston

Cardio history: Before I started lifting, I did many endurance events. Once I stopped playing soccer in college, I began to run and completed 10 marathons, including qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon. Running eventually led to triathlons, including three full Ironmans. During this time, I was running five days a week, anywhere from 5 to 20 miles, biking three to five days between 60 minutes and three hours, and swimming three days for about an hour.

Why she switched: I decided to truly switch my focus after the summer of 2016 due to a hip injury while training for a marathon. I could perform most lifts without pain, yet couldn’t run a mile. This is when I saw a shift in my body, energy and success lifting. I entered my first powerlifting competition the winter of 2016. After the second time I competed, I ran a personal-record half-marathon the next weekend.

What she does now: I lift five days a week. Four specifically for powerlifting, and one day I leave for fun. The length of my workouts varies depending on where I am in my training cycle, but ranges between an hour and two most days. I also do high-intensity interval training once a week and run twice, but only 2 to 4 miles each time.

How her body has reacted: Since making the switch, my body composition has changed drastically. It is something I didn’t notice right away and I truly still don’t understand how drastically it has changed until I look at pictures and see how much leaner my body is and how much stronger I am. I have more energy outside of training, which leaves me in a good mental space to focus on eating healthfully to fuel my body properly.

While I was training for endurance events ... at times I felt run down, and it would be hard to eat properly and I would end up bingeing. I also was in the constant mindset of needing to be thinner to excel in endurance events, which would lead me to eat too few calories and again I would end up bingeing. So although my calorie burn was much higher while training for marathons and Ironmans, my nutrition was not nearly as good. The other thing that has changed is my confidence. I was always self-conscious of having big thighs, now I embrace them because they are strong thighs. These thighs let me squat a lot of weight! It is funny, I am even more confident in my running (short distances, of course!) and have run a lifetime mile personal record this year. I am so much more confident in my own skin, which transfers to all aspects of my life.

Looking for resources to help on your weightlifting journey? Personal trainer Ko recommends Girls Gone Strong, Starting Strength and Stronger by Science to help you get started and train smart.

The responses in this post have been edited for clarity and length.

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9 Women On Why They Switched From Cardio To Weight Training published first on http://ift.tt/2lnpciY

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9 Women On Why They Switched From Cardio To Weight Training

Anna Danes was a lifelong runner, jogger and walker, but after giving birth to her daughter 12 years ago, she got busy and wasn’t able to keep up her regular exercise routine. She quickly noticed changes in her body, especially her weight beginning to creep up, and eventually went back to a cardio-heavy routine.

She wasn’t seeing results, though, and after successfully battling breast cancer, getting divorced and shaking off her old life as a lawyer to become a jazz singer (her sophomore album, “Find Your Wings,” topped iTunes’ jazz chart in 2016), she knew it was time for a change.

“I’m not ready to look midlife, even though I am midlife,” says the 47-year-old musician. “I’ve got a new life post-divorce: dating and a new career that’s taking off.”

So just three weeks ago she began lifting weights four times a week, and has already noticed major changes.

Aside from losing 8 pounds — no small feat! — Danes says, “My energy is way up too — old running speeds are now a breeze.”

While every body requires a different workout routine, and the exercise regimen that works best for you may involve all cardio or very little, fitness experts say that a mix of cardio and weight training can be important not only for aesthetic reasons but also to help prevent injuries and decrease the risk of osteoporosis, particularly in women.

“I think the most important thing about any athletic pursuit for women ... is the general sense of competence you get from knowing that your body can do whatever you need it to,” says Karen Ko, a Toronto-based strength coach and personal trainer. “This is huge for women. We’re socialized to defer to men in areas of physical activity — they are the experts, they are inherently stronger than us. Strength training challenges this narrative and is extremely empowering.”

While some women, especially those facing illnesses or injuries that impede their ability to perform load-bearing exercise, do best with cardio only, most would benefit from adding some kind of weight training to their workout routine. Ko says it’s never too late to start, and adds that the “bro culture” of the weight room is changing and becoming more welcoming to people of all genders.

Need a little inspiration? Let the journeys of Danes and the other women below motivate you to try something new.

“I feel in control more, that I can do this, I can get fit on my own just by doing the work — and feel strong!”

Name: Anna Danes

Age: 47

Location: Solana Beach, California

Cardio history: I’ve been a runner/jogger/walker the majority of my life. In my early 30s, I did a lot of running races but stopped after I became a mom at 35. Then, my cardio routine depended on what I could get done while tending to a little kid. As my daughter got older, I returned to the gym sporadically and sometimes had trainers help me (but that could never last because of the expense factor). My very recent routine, before I began lifting, was jogging on the treadmill at the recommended “fat burn” rate about two times a week, and walking briskly outdoors about five times a week for about 4 miles each time.

Why she switched: Three weeks ago, after Mother’s Day, I stepped on the scale and was mortified by what I saw. Suddenly, over the past year, I had put on 15 pounds of pudge and was starting to look midlife and out of shape, despite my best efforts to do cardio almost every day.

What she does now: I lift weights about four times a week for roughly an hour, with the help of an app on my smart phone called FitBod. The app keeps track of all your goals and stats, keeps track of your workouts and varies them daily according to muscle groups that need to be worked. I try to hit upper and lower body at least twice a week.

In addition to lifting, I’ve decided to take my cardio to the next level with the help of another free app, Running. Instead of jogging with no results, the app helps you use interval training, get motivational build-up from the app’s “coach” and streams upbeat music.

How her body has reacted: Besides losing 8 pounds (which I couldn’t do before for the life of me with just jogging) in just three weeks, I’ve noticed I am starting to look cut again. There is definition in my abs and arms, which I’ve not seen in a long time. I feel tight, and my skin feels better all over, has better texture. I’ve also increased my normal running speed on the treadmill from 4.2 to 5.5 miles per hour in just three weeks. I feel stronger all over, and can run up and down the stairs in my house just doing chores!

I feel 100 percent better about my outlook on life, too. I feel in control more, that I can do this, I can get fit on my own just by doing the work — and feel strong! The new positive outlook is probably the most important thing for me.

“People always ask me if I’m a runner and I respond, ‘No I’m a squatter.’”

Name: Christie Maruka

Age: 47

Location: Wall, New Jersey

Cardio history: I was always in the gym with a 30- to 40-minute cardo session, four or five days a week, either the elliptical or stairs. My workout included weight training all my body parts, except I didn’t do squats and dead lifts. I did abs every other day, longer cardio sessions and higher reps with weights.

Why she switched: I switched because I started seeing and reading a lot more about women doing squats and dead-lifting, and they weren’t huge or extremely bulky, and I became very interested in trying this. Then I found Instagrammer Jen Selter (queen of squats) and admired her figure, so I followed her and began doing squats and absolutely loved the results I was seeing. As I get older, or any woman in their 40s, we will start losing muscle and I want to prevent this as much as possible. Squatting and dead-lifting have given my legs and butt a lot of shape and muscle definition.

What she does now: My routine now consists of higher-intensity weight training, no more than 12 reps. I split it up into upper body and lower body, and use the maximum amount of weight I can lift. I do exercises that have big, compound movements and involve the biggest muscles — like your quads, hamstrings and glutes. My cardio I do at a higher intensity and not longer than 25 minutes, and only on the days I do my upper body. After squats and dead lifts, I can barely walk out of the gym, so no cardio.

How her body has reacted: I’ve noticed that I’m so much stronger, I have more energy and I’m less tired. My body fat is lower and I’m much leaner, and you can really see the muscles. Wearing dresses and skirts in the summer and feeling confident is when it all pays off. I love my routine and I love the results. I am constantly preaching to friends and clients about squatting and dead-lifting and how great it is. People always ask me if I’m a runner and I respond, “No I’m a squatter.” It takes dedication and, for me, working out is a way of life, not a temporary fix.

“It’s so utterly empowering, no feeling can match that.”

Name: Diana Mitrea

Age: 29

Location: New York City

Cardio history: I have been active the majority of my life, but unfortunately, the majority of my life was spent doing only cardio. As a kid and in high school, I played soccer and swam. In college, I would run on the treadmill or outside every so often.

Why she switched: After graduating, I started teaching group fitness programs but all of them were around cardio ― my favorite class to teach was kickboxing. I would jump around the room for 60 minutes with my participants, drenched in sweat. It was amazing and tons of fun, but I felt that after a few years, my fitness had plateaued. I wasn’t getting leaner or more toned. I also felt like I wasn’t “powerful” enough in front of the class. Some of my other instructor colleagues really were a presence in front of the room. You looked at them and you thought, “Wow, that person is STRONG.” I wanted to be like that.

What she does now: I signed up with a personal trainer to help me learn more about weightlifting and strength training. Sometimes I think people don’t realize the value of having someone holding you accountable and helping you with form, education and motivation. I was determined enough to make the change that I went and purchased several months’ worth of sessions and committed to it. Little did I know that I would fall in love with how lifting made me feel.

Fast forward to now and I’m incredibly proud of where I’ve gotten in the past few years. I’m a personal trainer and group fitness instructor in NYC. I went from zero strength to being able to dead-lift over 200 pounds, doing several pullups in a row, and can clean and jerk almost my body weight. [Editor’s note: “Clean and jerk” refers to a weightlifting movement in which the barbell is pulled up to chest and shoulder height and then hoisted above the head.] I tell every woman I meet to stop being shy and get in that weight room! If you don’t know where to begin, hire someone. You will never realize what your body is truly capable of until you start picking up real weights.

How her body has reacted: The main difference I notice is that people compliment me not only on my physique (lifting weights really helps out your booty!), but people are also impressed with what I can do. It’s more than just my appearance that gives them a positive impression. It’s so utterly empowering, no feeling can match that. The other bonus is that I don’t have to work out as often to maintain my fitness. I used to put in two or more cardio hours a day! Now if I miss a day or two, it doesn’t even matter. I can eat more. My body can burn the food as fuel just by standing there. It’s amazing to me how it all works.

The only thing I wish in all this is that I had started lifting sooner. I would be so much stronger now if I had started five years earlier! However, starting now is better than never so I’m glad I discovered this world when I did.

“I never think about needing to be smaller or looking like a fashion model because I need my muscles to perform.”

Name: Meghan Kennihan

Age: 35

Location: La Grange, Illinois

Cardio history: I started long-distance running in 2008, half and full marathons, which led to half and full Ironmans from 2011 to 2013. That moved to ultramarathons — 50 km, 50-miler, 100 km, etc. — for the past three years. During these periods, I was basically doing cardio in the form of biking, running or swimming for 15 to 20-plus hours a week, with maybe five of those hours as light circuit-style, high-rep weight training — so more cardio than lifting.

Why she switched: I made the switch to more heavy lifting and dedicated powerlifting because I was always injured. I would get at least two injuries a year that would knock me out for two months, many of them stress fractures. So I knew I needed to build stronger bones, hips and glutes to support my endurance activities, and the light weightlifting wasn’t cutting it. A CrossFit gym near my house was starting an eight-week powerlifting class that was going to provide a program and culminate in a competition. It was great to have the support and coaching for the proper form. I ended up adapting quickly and falling in love with the heavy lifts and the powerlifting program. I broke six Illinois state records at the competition and was hooked. I also did not get injured that year.

What she does now: I still compete in ultra runs and endurance activities, but I do only three to four days a week of running and low mileage. I do the powerlifting twice a week and mix in other cross-training activities, like kettlebells, TRX and yoga, to keep my body guessing and make sure I am a well-rounded athlete.

How her body has reacted: I feel strong and confident. I am a personal trainer and run coach and it is great when I can challenge my male clients to lifts and put them in their place! I never think about needing to be smaller or looking like a fashion model because I need my muscles to perform.

“If there was a zombie apocalypse, I think I’d be able to survive!”

Name: Nicole Quiroz

Age: 33

Location: San Diego

Cardio history: I wouldn’t consider myself an avid runner, but it was my top-choice workout before I discovered lifting. I would run on treadmills or trails around a lake or hillsides, do some kind of kettlebell workout, followed by whatever diet fad I was on at the moment. One thing was clear to me: I wasn’t getting any results. Sure, running made me sweat like a maniac and gasp for air every second. But I was also injured quite often. I would consistently hurt my hips, knees and ankles.

Why she switched: Tearing my hip muscle was the worst out of all of my injuries and the final straw. It took me almost four months to recover from my injury. I knew I had to start working out again, but I didn’t want to return to running. That’s when a friend introduced me to powerlifting and it changed my life.

What she does now: Now, about 90 percent of my workout is powerlifting. I would start with stretches or yoga, followed by 10 sets of dead lifts and 10 sets of back squats. That’s it! I feel like lifting is the best cardio workout anyone can get. I can burn up to 650 calories in an hour just by lifting weights.

How her body has reacted: The strength and confidence I’ve gained through powerlifting has changed my life and my perspective on fitness. There’s a stigma about women and powerlifting — the fear of gaining bulk. No, you will not bulk unless you have a strict meal plan that purposefully makes you bulk. You will gain definition and curves, which is what I believe many women who work out strive for. In addition, I’ve revisited running. I’ve noticed that I’m not tired as quickly. I also run faster and can run a longer distance without stopping. The fat I’ve lost and the muscle and strength I’ve gained through powerlifting have helped support my running milestones. If there was a zombie apocalypse, I think I’d be able to survive!

“I just wanted more of a body. I’m a petite woman with no curves, which can be daunting in today’s booty-obsessed world.”

Name: Jenay Rose

Age: 27

Location: Los Angeles

Cardio history: I could never really get into working out. I was never athletic growing up, but about three years ago I fell in love with yoga. Vinyasa flow is a fast-paced, constantly moving practice.

Why she switched: As I’ve become a more advanced practitioner of yoga (I am now a yoga teacher and wellness influencer), I have been craving more. I used to leave a level 3, two-hour yoga class exhausted, but now I am ready for more. I also wanted a more drastic improvement in muscle mass. I have always been fairly thin and petite, but as I get older, I desire to have more of a physique. So, I decided to add in weightlifting about three or four weeks ago.

What she does now: I attend three or four yoga classes a week, and train in the gym at least twice a week, but I am going to up that to four times a week. Once you start seeing small results, it can be incredibly gratifying and inspiring to work harder, commit more and really accomplish your goals.

How her body has reacted: Since adding in weights, I feel leaner and stronger — physically and mentally. Yoga is incredibly soothing and replenishing for me, but I wasn’t 100 percent happy with my physical appearance. I just wanted more of a body. I’m a petite woman with no curves, which can be daunting in today’s booty-obsessed world. Overall, sweating and detoxifying through working out has made me a happier, kinder and all-around better person. I now have the ability to channel my angst into something positive, benefiting myself and everyone around me. Lifting weights makes me feel like a strong, independent woman, while yoga gives me peace of mind and confidence.

“My attitude doing it is not very good. But afterward, I feel really good.”

Name: Jacquie Jordan

Age: 46

Location: Los Angeles

Cardio history: My workout routine before lifting was pretty consistent: swimming Monday, Wednesday and Friday; spinning Tuesday and Thursday; yoga Saturday; yoga sculpt Sunday. I would also substitute yoga sculpt with jogging or hiking.

Why she switched: I switched because some parts of my body — no matter what — were not changing or improving. I eat clean. I don’t eat sugar, flour or drink alcohol. I’m practically no-carb. So I know food is not an issue.

What she does now: I’m really new to the weightlifting, and I love/hate it. I hate it because it is so foreign to me, and I have all sorts of preconceived ideas about who should really be doing weightlifting. Since it’s new to me, and I’m already experiencing a significant shift in the body in terms of inches, I have cut back on my other workouts. I’m doing hot yoga to stretch out and continuing with the swimming.

How her body has reacted: I generally carry weight around my hips and thighs; I seem to be predisposed this way, and the weightlifting is literally cutting through the fat. I am being trained by Kenneth Rippetoe of One with the Water. This is all foreign to me and I have tremendous resistance. My attitude doing it is not very good. But afterward, I feel really good.

“I’m positive that my physical fitness helped me have a faster and (somewhat) easier delivery of my son in 2016.” 

Name: Alayna Curry

Age: 29

Location: Orlando, Florida

Cardio history: In college, I gained more than the typical “freshman 15.” Once I graduated, I was fed up with being insecure about my body. I decided to try Zumba since I liked dancing and wasn’t a big fan of other fitness activities. I fell in love! I went two to three times a week at first. Once I started to feel better about working out, I started doing cycle classes, too. I’d say at that time, I was doing about four to five cardio classes a week. Eventually, I decided to get licensed in both Zumba and cycle and started teaching a few classes a week. I was still intimidated by weightlifting, so I kept to cardio because I was seeing weight loss.

Why she switched: One day, I overheard another instructor say, “If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to incorporate weights into your workout routine, not just cardio.” That was the first time I’d really heard that. After a while of just cardio, I hit a plateau and didn’t really see any changes in my body, so I decided to start lifting. The biggest motivator for me was having a lifting buddy who was also just starting out, so we could keep each other accountable.

What she does now: Now I spend more time on weights than cardio. Your body actually works harder and longer during and after weightlifting than cardio, so you get a bigger bang for your buck. As a working mom, it’s hard to find time to get to the gym, but I make an effort to lift three to four times a week. I focus on different areas each day — legs, back and biceps, triceps and chest, and shoulders. I try to incorporate a short abs workout into every session, too. I never do the same workout routine twice. I want my body to be surprised, and challenge my muscles in a different way each week. I do a mix of machines, free weights and body weight exercises. In addition to lifting, I still do cardio about two to three times a week. I’ve been teaching Zumba for six years and I love it. I’m able to burn upward of 750 calories a class. I also walk a lot with my family.

How her body has reacted: Once I started lifting, I got a lot of feedback from friends saying I’d lost weight. Funny thing is, I didn’t really lose any pounds, I was just looking leaner and fitter. Now that I’ve been lifting regularly for several years, my energy is better and I feel stronger. I’m positive that my physical fitness helped me have a faster and (somewhat) easier delivery of my son in 2016. I continued to lift responsibly through my pregnancy, which helped me quickly get back into pre-pregnancy shape later. Overall, I feel better and look better thanks to this lifestyle change.

“I was always self-conscious of having big thighs, now I embrace them because they are strong thighs. These thighs let me squat a lot of weight!”

Name: Meghan Scanlon

Age: 29

Location: Boston

Cardio history: Before I started lifting, I did many endurance events. Once I stopped playing soccer in college, I began to run and completed 10 marathons, including qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon. Running eventually led to triathlons, including three full Ironmans. During this time, I was running five days a week, anywhere from 5 to 20 miles, biking three to five days between 60 minutes and three hours, and swimming three days for about an hour.

Why she switched: I decided to truly switch my focus after the summer of 2016 due to a hip injury while training for a marathon. I could perform most lifts without pain, yet couldn’t run a mile. This is when I saw a shift in my body, energy and success lifting. I entered my first powerlifting competition the winter of 2016. After the second time I competed, I ran a personal-record half-marathon the next weekend.

What she does now: I lift five days a week. Four specifically for powerlifting, and one day I leave for fun. The length of my workouts varies depending on where I am in my training cycle, but ranges between an hour and two most days. I also do high-intensity interval training once a week and run twice, but only 2 to 4 miles each time.

How her body has reacted: Since making the switch, my body composition has changed drastically. It is something I didn’t notice right away and I truly still don’t understand how drastically it has changed until I look at pictures and see how much leaner my body is and how much stronger I am. I have more energy outside of training, which leaves me in a good mental space to focus on eating healthfully to fuel my body properly.

While I was training for endurance events ... at times I felt run down, and it would be hard to eat properly and I would end up bingeing. I also was in the constant mindset of needing to be thinner to excel in endurance events, which would lead me to eat too few calories and again I would end up bingeing. So although my calorie burn was much higher while training for marathons and Ironmans, my nutrition was not nearly as good. The other thing that has changed is my confidence. I was always self-conscious of having big thighs, now I embrace them because they are strong thighs. These thighs let me squat a lot of weight! It is funny, I am even more confident in my running (short distances, of course!) and have run a lifetime mile personal record this year. I am so much more confident in my own skin, which transfers to all aspects of my life.

Looking for resources to help on your weightlifting journey? Personal trainer Ko recommends Girls Gone Strong, Starting Strength and Stronger by Science to help you get started and train smart.

The responses in this post have been edited for clarity and length.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

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9 Women On Why They Switched From Cardio To Weight Training

Anna Danes was a lifelong runner, jogger and walker, but after giving birth to her daughter 12 years ago, she got busy and wasn’t able to keep up her regular exercise routine. She quickly noticed changes in her body, especially her weight beginning to creep up, and eventually went back to a cardio-heavy routine.

She wasn’t seeing results, though, and after successfully battling breast cancer, getting divorced and shaking off her old life as a lawyer to become a jazz singer (her sophomore album, “Find Your Wings,” topped iTunes’ jazz chart in 2016), she knew it was time for a change.

“I’m not ready to look midlife, even though I am midlife,” says the 47-year-old musician. “I’ve got a new life post-divorce: dating and a new career that’s taking off.”

So just three weeks ago she began lifting weights four times a week, and has already noticed major changes.

Aside from losing 8 pounds — no small feat! — Danes says, “My energy is way up too — old running speeds are now a breeze.”

While every body requires a different workout routine, and the exercise regimen that works best for you may involve all cardio or very little, fitness experts say that a mix of cardio and weight training can be important not only for aesthetic reasons but also to help prevent injuries and decrease the risk of osteoporosis, particularly in women.

“I think the most important thing about any athletic pursuit for women ... is the general sense of competence you get from knowing that your body can do whatever you need it to,” says Karen Ko, a Toronto-based strength coach and personal trainer. “This is huge for women. We’re socialized to defer to men in areas of physical activity — they are the experts, they are inherently stronger than us. Strength training challenges this narrative and is extremely empowering.”

While some women, especially those facing illnesses or injuries that impede their ability to perform load-bearing exercise, do best with cardio only, most would benefit from adding some kind of weight training to their workout routine. Ko says it’s never too late to start, and adds that the “bro culture” of the weight room is changing and becoming more welcoming to people of all genders.

Need a little inspiration? Let the journeys of Danes and the other women below motivate you to try something new.

“I feel in control more, that I can do this, I can get fit on my own just by doing the work — and feel strong!”

Name: Anna Danes

Age: 47

Location: Solana Beach, California

Cardio history: I’ve been a runner/jogger/walker the majority of my life. In my early 30s, I did a lot of running races but stopped after I became a mom at 35. Then, my cardio routine depended on what I could get done while tending to a little kid. As my daughter got older, I returned to the gym sporadically and sometimes had trainers help me (but that could never last because of the expense factor). My very recent routine, before I began lifting, was jogging on the treadmill at the recommended “fat burn” rate about two times a week, and walking briskly outdoors about five times a week for about 4 miles each time.

Why she switched: Three weeks ago, after Mother’s Day, I stepped on the scale and was mortified by what I saw. Suddenly, over the past year, I had put on 15 pounds of pudge and was starting to look midlife and out of shape, despite my best efforts to do cardio almost every day.

What she does now: I lift weights about four times a week for roughly an hour, with the help of an app on my smart phone called FitBod. The app keeps track of all your goals and stats, keeps track of your workouts and varies them daily according to muscle groups that need to be worked. I try to hit upper and lower body at least twice a week.

In addition to lifting, I’ve decided to take my cardio to the next level with the help of another free app, Running. Instead of jogging with no results, the app helps you use interval training, get motivational build-up from the app’s “coach” and streams upbeat music.

How her body has reacted: Besides losing 8 pounds (which I couldn’t do before for the life of me with just jogging) in just three weeks, I’ve noticed I am starting to look cut again. There is definition in my abs and arms, which I’ve not seen in a long time. I feel tight, and my skin feels better all over, has better texture. I’ve also increased my normal running speed on the treadmill from 4.2 to 5.5 miles per hour in just three weeks. I feel stronger all over, and can run up and down the stairs in my house just doing chores!

I feel 100 percent better about my outlook on life, too. I feel in control more, that I can do this, I can get fit on my own just by doing the work — and feel strong! The new positive outlook is probably the most important thing for me.

“People always ask me if I’m a runner and I respond, ‘No I’m a squatter.’”

Name: Christie Maruka

Age: 47

Location: Wall, New Jersey

Cardio history: I was always in the gym with a 30- to 40-minute cardo session, four or five days a week, either the elliptical or stairs. My workout included weight training all my body parts, except I didn’t do squats and dead lifts. I did abs every other day, longer cardio sessions and higher reps with weights.

Why she switched: I switched because I started seeing and reading a lot more about women doing squats and dead-lifting, and they weren’t huge or extremely bulky, and I became very interested in trying this. Then I found Instagrammer Jen Selter (queen of squats) and admired her figure, so I followed her and began doing squats and absolutely loved the results I was seeing. As I get older, or any woman in their 40s, we will start losing muscle and I want to prevent this as much as possible. Squatting and dead-lifting have given my legs and butt a lot of shape and muscle definition.

What she does now: My routine now consists of higher-intensity weight training, no more than 12 reps. I split it up into upper body and lower body, and use the maximum amount of weight I can lift. I do exercises that have big, compound movements and involve the biggest muscles — like your quads, hamstrings and glutes. My cardio I do at a higher intensity and not longer than 25 minutes, and only on the days I do my upper body. After squats and dead lifts, I can barely walk out of the gym, so no cardio.

How her body has reacted: I’ve noticed that I’m so much stronger, I have more energy and I’m less tired. My body fat is lower and I’m much leaner, and you can really see the muscles. Wearing dresses and skirts in the summer and feeling confident is when it all pays off. I love my routine and I love the results. I am constantly preaching to friends and clients about squatting and dead-lifting and how great it is. People always ask me if I’m a runner and I respond, “No I’m a squatter.” It takes dedication and, for me, working out is a way of life, not a temporary fix.

“It’s so utterly empowering, no feeling can match that.”

Name: Diana Mitrea

Age: 29

Location: New York City

Cardio history: I have been active the majority of my life, but unfortunately, the majority of my life was spent doing only cardio. As a kid and in high school, I played soccer and swam. In college, I would run on the treadmill or outside every so often.

Why she switched: After graduating, I started teaching group fitness programs but all of them were around cardio ― my favorite class to teach was kickboxing. I would jump around the room for 60 minutes with my participants, drenched in sweat. It was amazing and tons of fun, but I felt that after a few years, my fitness had plateaued. I wasn’t getting leaner or more toned. I also felt like I wasn’t “powerful” enough in front of the class. Some of my other instructor colleagues really were a presence in front of the room. You looked at them and you thought, “Wow, that person is STRONG.” I wanted to be like that.

What she does now: I signed up with a personal trainer to help me learn more about weightlifting and strength training. Sometimes I think people don’t realize the value of having someone holding you accountable and helping you with form, education and motivation. I was determined enough to make the change that I went and purchased several months’ worth of sessions and committed to it. Little did I know that I would fall in love with how lifting made me feel.

Fast forward to now and I’m incredibly proud of where I’ve gotten in the past few years. I’m a personal trainer and group fitness instructor in NYC. I went from zero strength to being able to dead-lift over 200 pounds, doing several pullups in a row, and can clean and jerk almost my body weight. [Editor’s note: “Clean and jerk” refers to a weightlifting movement in which the barbell is pulled up to chest and shoulder height and then hoisted above the head.] I tell every woman I meet to stop being shy and get in that weight room! If you don’t know where to begin, hire someone. You will never realize what your body is truly capable of until you start picking up real weights.

How her body has reacted: The main difference I notice is that people compliment me not only on my physique (lifting weights really helps out your booty!), but people are also impressed with what I can do. It’s more than just my appearance that gives them a positive impression. It’s so utterly empowering, no feeling can match that. The other bonus is that I don’t have to work out as often to maintain my fitness. I used to put in two or more cardio hours a day! Now if I miss a day or two, it doesn’t even matter. I can eat more. My body can burn the food as fuel just by standing there. It’s amazing to me how it all works.

The only thing I wish in all this is that I had started lifting sooner. I would be so much stronger now if I had started five years earlier! However, starting now is better than never so I’m glad I discovered this world when I did.

“I never think about needing to be smaller or looking like a fashion model because I need my muscles to perform.”

Name: Meghan Kennihan

Age: 35

Location: La Grange, Illinois

Cardio history: I started long-distance running in 2008, half and full marathons, which led to half and full Ironmans from 2011 to 2013. That moved to ultramarathons — 50 km, 50-miler, 100 km, etc. — for the past three years. During these periods, I was basically doing cardio in the form of biking, running or swimming for 15 to 20-plus hours a week, with maybe five of those hours as light circuit-style, high-rep weight training — so more cardio than lifting.

Why she switched: I made the switch to more heavy lifting and dedicated powerlifting because I was always injured. I would get at least two injuries a year that would knock me out for two months, many of them stress fractures. So I knew I needed to build stronger bones, hips and glutes to support my endurance activities, and the light weightlifting wasn’t cutting it. A CrossFit gym near my house was starting an eight-week powerlifting class that was going to provide a program and culminate in a competition. It was great to have the support and coaching for the proper form. I ended up adapting quickly and falling in love with the heavy lifts and the powerlifting program. I broke six Illinois state records at the competition and was hooked. I also did not get injured that year.

What she does now: I still compete in ultra runs and endurance activities, but I do only three to four days a week of running and low mileage. I do the powerlifting twice a week and mix in other cross-training activities, like kettlebells, TRX and yoga, to keep my body guessing and make sure I am a well-rounded athlete.

How her body has reacted: I feel strong and confident. I am a personal trainer and run coach and it is great when I can challenge my male clients to lifts and put them in their place! I never think about needing to be smaller or looking like a fashion model because I need my muscles to perform.

“If there was a zombie apocalypse, I think I’d be able to survive!”

Name: Nicole Quiroz

Age: 33

Location: San Diego

Cardio history: I wouldn’t consider myself an avid runner, but it was my top-choice workout before I discovered lifting. I would run on treadmills or trails around a lake or hillsides, do some kind of kettlebell workout, followed by whatever diet fad I was on at the moment. One thing was clear to me: I wasn’t getting any results. Sure, running made me sweat like a maniac and gasp for air every second. But I was also injured quite often. I would consistently hurt my hips, knees and ankles.

Why she switched: Tearing my hip muscle was the worst out of all of my injuries and the final straw. It took me almost four months to recover from my injury. I knew I had to start working out again, but I didn’t want to return to running. That’s when a friend introduced me to powerlifting and it changed my life.

What she does now: Now, about 90 percent of my workout is powerlifting. I would start with stretches or yoga, followed by 10 sets of dead lifts and 10 sets of back squats. That’s it! I feel like lifting is the best cardio workout anyone can get. I can burn up to 650 calories in an hour just by lifting weights.

How her body has reacted: The strength and confidence I’ve gained through powerlifting has changed my life and my perspective on fitness. There’s a stigma about women and powerlifting — the fear of gaining bulk. No, you will not bulk unless you have a strict meal plan that purposefully makes you bulk. You will gain definition and curves, which is what I believe many women who work out strive for. In addition, I’ve revisited running. I’ve noticed that I’m not tired as quickly. I also run faster and can run a longer distance without stopping. The fat I’ve lost and the muscle and strength I’ve gained through powerlifting have helped support my running milestones. If there was a zombie apocalypse, I think I’d be able to survive!

“I just wanted more of a body. I’m a petite woman with no curves, which can be daunting in today’s booty-obsessed world.”

Name: Jenay Rose

Age: 27

Location: Los Angeles

Cardio history: I could never really get into working out. I was never athletic growing up, but about three years ago I fell in love with yoga. Vinyasa flow is a fast-paced, constantly moving practice.

Why she switched: As I’ve become a more advanced practitioner of yoga (I am now a yoga teacher and wellness influencer), I have been craving more. I used to leave a level 3, two-hour yoga class exhausted, but now I am ready for more. I also wanted a more drastic improvement in muscle mass. I have always been fairly thin and petite, but as I get older, I desire to have more of a physique. So, I decided to add in weightlifting about three or four weeks ago.

What she does now: I attend three or four yoga classes a week, and train in the gym at least twice a week, but I am going to up that to four times a week. Once you start seeing small results, it can be incredibly gratifying and inspiring to work harder, commit more and really accomplish your goals.

How her body has reacted: Since adding in weights, I feel leaner and stronger — physically and mentally. Yoga is incredibly soothing and replenishing for me, but I wasn’t 100 percent happy with my physical appearance. I just wanted more of a body. I’m a petite woman with no curves, which can be daunting in today’s booty-obsessed world. Overall, sweating and detoxifying through working out has made me a happier, kinder and all-around better person. I now have the ability to channel my angst into something positive, benefiting myself and everyone around me. Lifting weights makes me feel like a strong, independent woman, while yoga gives me peace of mind and confidence.

“My attitude doing it is not very good. But afterward, I feel really good.”

Name: Jacquie Jordan

Age: 46

Location: Los Angeles

Cardio history: My workout routine before lifting was pretty consistent: swimming Monday, Wednesday and Friday; spinning Tuesday and Thursday; yoga Saturday; yoga sculpt Sunday. I would also substitute yoga sculpt with jogging or hiking.

Why she switched: I switched because some parts of my body — no matter what — were not changing or improving. I eat clean. I don’t eat sugar, flour or drink alcohol. I’m practically no-carb. So I know food is not an issue.

What she does now: I’m really new to the weightlifting, and I love/hate it. I hate it because it is so foreign to me, and I have all sorts of preconceived ideas about who should really be doing weightlifting. Since it’s new to me, and I’m already experiencing a significant shift in the body in terms of inches, I have cut back on my other workouts. I’m doing hot yoga to stretch out and continuing with the swimming.

How her body has reacted: I generally carry weight around my hips and thighs; I seem to be predisposed this way, and the weightlifting is literally cutting through the fat. I am being trained by Kenneth Rippetoe of One with the Water. This is all foreign to me and I have tremendous resistance. My attitude doing it is not very good. But afterward, I feel really good.

“I’m positive that my physical fitness helped me have a faster and (somewhat) easier delivery of my son in 2016.” 

Name: Alayna Curry

Age: 29

Location: Orlando, Florida

Cardio history: In college, I gained more than the typical “freshman 15.” Once I graduated, I was fed up with being insecure about my body. I decided to try Zumba since I liked dancing and wasn’t a big fan of other fitness activities. I fell in love! I went two to three times a week at first. Once I started to feel better about working out, I started doing cycle classes, too. I’d say at that time, I was doing about four to five cardio classes a week. Eventually, I decided to get licensed in both Zumba and cycle and started teaching a few classes a week. I was still intimidated by weightlifting, so I kept to cardio because I was seeing weight loss.

Why she switched: One day, I overheard another instructor say, “If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to incorporate weights into your workout routine, not just cardio.” That was the first time I’d really heard that. After a while of just cardio, I hit a plateau and didn’t really see any changes in my body, so I decided to start lifting. The biggest motivator for me was having a lifting buddy who was also just starting out, so we could keep each other accountable.

What she does now: Now I spend more time on weights than cardio. Your body actually works harder and longer during and after weightlifting than cardio, so you get a bigger bang for your buck. As a working mom, it’s hard to find time to get to the gym, but I make an effort to lift three to four times a week. I focus on different areas each day — legs, back and biceps, triceps and chest, and shoulders. I try to incorporate a short abs workout into every session, too. I never do the same workout routine twice. I want my body to be surprised, and challenge my muscles in a different way each week. I do a mix of machines, free weights and body weight exercises. In addition to lifting, I still do cardio about two to three times a week. I’ve been teaching Zumba for six years and I love it. I’m able to burn upward of 750 calories a class. I also walk a lot with my family.

How her body has reacted: Once I started lifting, I got a lot of feedback from friends saying I’d lost weight. Funny thing is, I didn’t really lose any pounds, I was just looking leaner and fitter. Now that I’ve been lifting regularly for several years, my energy is better and I feel stronger. I’m positive that my physical fitness helped me have a faster and (somewhat) easier delivery of my son in 2016. I continued to lift responsibly through my pregnancy, which helped me quickly get back into pre-pregnancy shape later. Overall, I feel better and look better thanks to this lifestyle change.

“I was always self-conscious of having big thighs, now I embrace them because they are strong thighs. These thighs let me squat a lot of weight!”

Name: Meghan Scanlon

Age: 29

Location: Boston

Cardio history: Before I started lifting, I did many endurance events. Once I stopped playing soccer in college, I began to run and completed 10 marathons, including qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon. Running eventually led to triathlons, including three full Ironmans. During this time, I was running five days a week, anywhere from 5 to 20 miles, biking three to five days between 60 minutes and three hours, and swimming three days for about an hour.

Why she switched: I decided to truly switch my focus after the summer of 2016 due to a hip injury while training for a marathon. I could perform most lifts without pain, yet couldn’t run a mile. This is when I saw a shift in my body, energy and success lifting. I entered my first powerlifting competition the winter of 2016. After the second time I competed, I ran a personal-record half-marathon the next weekend.

What she does now: I lift five days a week. Four specifically for powerlifting, and one day I leave for fun. The length of my workouts varies depending on where I am in my training cycle, but ranges between an hour and two most days. I also do high-intensity interval training once a week and run twice, but only 2 to 4 miles each time.

How her body has reacted: Since making the switch, my body composition has changed drastically. It is something I didn’t notice right away and I truly still don’t understand how drastically it has changed until I look at pictures and see how much leaner my body is and how much stronger I am. I have more energy outside of training, which leaves me in a good mental space to focus on eating healthfully to fuel my body properly.

While I was training for endurance events ... at times I felt run down, and it would be hard to eat properly and I would end up bingeing. I also was in the constant mindset of needing to be thinner to excel in endurance events, which would lead me to eat too few calories and again I would end up bingeing. So although my calorie burn was much higher while training for marathons and Ironmans, my nutrition was not nearly as good. The other thing that has changed is my confidence. I was always self-conscious of having big thighs, now I embrace them because they are strong thighs. These thighs let me squat a lot of weight! It is funny, I am even more confident in my running (short distances, of course!) and have run a lifetime mile personal record this year. I am so much more confident in my own skin, which transfers to all aspects of my life.

Looking for resources to help on your weightlifting journey? Personal trainer Ko recommends Girls Gone Strong, Starting Strength and Stronger by Science to help you get started and train smart.

The responses in this post have been edited for clarity and length.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

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