#she's allergic to the tropical air

[realmofmagicproductions]

Lazerhia: Magic Island

Chapter 1: I Meet a Goddess (Jewell Point of View)

Magic Island, a name that sounds like it was coined by a very lazy magician, is my home. It's a tropical paradise where the sun is as relentless as a telemarketer and the humidity does wonders for my hair—think '80s rock band meets electric shock.

"Welcome back, fantasy nerds," I say, rolling my eyes at the voice recorder like it's the audience of my not-so-glamorous bedroom studio. "I'm Jewell Rivers, your guide to all things mythically tragic. Today's sob story? The dramatic demise of my mother." I pause for dramatic effect, waiting for the gasps that never come because, well, it's just me and my laundry.

Out of nowhere, a voice that's supposed to be six feet under chimes in. "Jewell, I did not die." There she is, my mother, the 'laundry goddess.'

I whip around, nearly tripping over a pile of clothes. "Why are you here!" I blurt out, my words laced with the kind of surprise that would have ADHD me bouncing off the walls—if I weren't so used to her antics.

She's folding my shirts with the precision of a surgeon, not even looking up. "Because someone has to, and you seem to be allergic to anything resembling chores."

If you're confused, buckle up. It's a wild ride from here, and I'm just the sarcastic tour guide with an attention span of—oh, look a butterfly.

15 years ago:

I found myself suddenly transported to a lush and green island. As I tried to take in my surroundings, I noticed that the air around me was buzzing with a strange energy. I felt powerless and out of place, I was surrounded by faces I didn't recognize.

One person stuck out in particular as if she was glowing. The woman looked to be in her late 40s, she had pale skin splotched with just the right amount of freckles, and the green hue in her eyes reminded me of sunshine and floral blooms. Her hair was long and loose, it was white like the beach sand. "Hello there, I am Suzanne, what is thy nameth?" Her voice was soft and sweet. "Do you speak English?" I asked. "Ah Gen Z Earth Ghost," She muttered, "Why yes I do, I am Suzanne what is thy- your name?"

A sharp whine tore through the atmosphere, My gaze immediately diverted to the direction of the sound. It was a white Pegasus soaring in the air. "Oh my gods, it's a My Little Pony," (Don't sue me whoever made the show,)

I couldn't help but laugh. "Jewell. Jewell Rivers," I replied, still chuckling at the Pegasus that seemed to have escaped from a child's vibrant imagination. "And you are?"

Suzanne smiled, a knowing twinkle in her eye. "I am the Goddess of Magic, Heroes, and Creation. And you, Jewell, are on Lazerhia, the island where myths breathe and legends come to play."

I raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a theme park slogan. Do you have gift shops too?"

Ignoring my sarcasm, Suzanne gestured to the Pegasus descending towards us. "This is Elysium, my trusted steed. He's no toy, I assure you."

Elysium landed gracefully, a creature of pure majesty and not at all like the plastic figurines. I reached out a hand, half-expecting it to pass through him like everything else does with me. But to my surprise, my fingers met a warm, solid coat.

"Wait, I can touch him?" I gasped, my voice a mix of wonder and disbelief.

"Yes," Suzanne said, her voice soft yet firm. "Here, your ghostly limitations are... different. You're more than just an echo of the living."

More than an echo? That was new. I'd spent my afterlife being the annoying background noise no one really listens to. But here, I was tangible. I was real.

"And why am I here?" I asked, my curiosity piqued despite my usual disinterest.

Suzanne's expression turned serious. "Because Lazerhia needs you, Jewell. There's a balance to be maintained, and your unique... perspective is crucial."

I snorted. "You need a sarcastic ghost for... balance? What are we balancing, a cosmic budget?"

"Not exactly," she replied with a patient smile. "But all will be revealed in time. For now, let's get you acquainted with your new reality."

As I followed Suzanne through the island, with Elysium trotting beside us, I couldn't shake the feeling that my afterlife was about to get a lot more interesting.

Chapter 2: The Tour and the Truth

The sun was setting, casting a golden hue over the island as Suzanne and I walked through the bustling streets of Lazerhia's main town. The air was filled with the scents of exotic spices and the sound of laughter. It was a stark contrast to the quiet of my usual haunts.

"Would you like a tour of the island?" Suzanne asked, her voice cutting through my thoughts.

"Sure." I munched on my PB&J, the flavors a reminder of a life once lived. After we finished our lunch, she led me into town. We stopped at a booth near the docks, and there was a sign with the words 'ɬơųཞცơơɬɧ.' Dyslexia is the worst, but even I could tell that something was off. Apparently, it said 'tour booth,' but I had my doubts.

The tour wasn't that bad, I have to admit. They have some pretty cool places; like the karaoke bar where spirits sang off-key, and the outdoor mall that boasted an aquarium where mermaids waved at passersby.

"Would thou- you like some ice cream?" Suzanne gestured to a nearby store as we passed by a group of nymphs playing in a fountain.

"Hell yeah," I said, my enthusiasm for frozen treats never waning.

"What is hell?" Suzanne asked, her head tilting in confusion.

"Um... Ice cream!" I responded, a bit too quickly, before running towards the Ice Cream vendor. Seconds later, Suzanne caught up with me, and she was in heels. Wow, plus five points for skill.

"So hell must be pretty nice if it's ice cream," she mused, a small smile playing on her lips.

I could feel the blush of embarrassment creeping up my face. "Umm... No, hell is a pit of fire and bad people go there when they die," I explained, hoping to end the topic there.

Suzanne's smile faded slightly. "Ah, I see. A place of punishment then. We have similar concepts here, but let's focus on the brighter side of things for now."

As we continued our tour, I couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of Lazerhia. It was a place where the impossible seemed mundane, and a sarcastic ghost like me could touch, feel, and even taste. Maybe this 'balance' Suzanne spoke of was more than just a cosmic budget after all.

As the laughter from Suzanne's chuckle faded, I threw her a quizzical look. "Quick question, what's the legal age to own a house here?"

"You can stay with me—" she began, but her words were cut off by the ocean's roar as a wave crashed down on us, soaking us to the bone. "Let's just go to my house," she said, shaking off the water like it was a minor inconvenience.

She led me down a winding path through a dense thicket of trees. The air was thick with the scent of blooming flowers, and the sound of birds chirping filled the air. As we walked, Suzanne pointed out various landmarks, each with a story that tied back to magic. After a few minutes, we arrived at a clearing, and I gaped in amazement at Suzanne's home. It was a tall, sprawling mansion with a thatched roof and white walls adorned with intricate carvings. The garden was a riot of color, with vibrant plants and flowers, and a small stream bubbled nearby. And yes, she had a freaking waterfall in her front yard.

Stepping through the front door, I was struck by the sheer beauty and grandeur of the interior. Ornate tapestries and paintings adorned the walls, and soft, lush carpets covered the floors. A grand staircase led up to the second floor, and a chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a warm, golden glow over the room.

"You're rich!" I blurted out, breaking the silence.

"I guess you could say that," Suzanne replied with a smile. "After all, I am 10,892 years old. I have been collecting for centuries."

We continued the tour of the house. She showed me her library, filled with books on various magical subjects, her art gallery, featuring works from artists across the island, and her personal bedroom, decorated with plush pillows and silk sheets. I was beginning to think she wasn't kidding about collecting for centuries.

"Thank you for showing me your home, it's amazing," I said, genuinely impressed.

"It's your home now," she replied with a soft smile. "Would you like to see your room?"

I nodded, and Suzanne led me down a long hallway to a wooden door. "This is going to be your room. I hope you like it."

I stepped closer and peered inside. The room was cozy, with a large bed in the center and a window overlooking the garden. A small desk sat against the opposite wall, with a stack of books neatly arranged on top.

"It's perfect," I said, plopping myself on the bed. But then I started to sink into it. "It's trying to eat me!"

Suzanne snapped her fingers, and the bed became as hard as a rock. "Is that okay for you?" she asked.

"Maybe a little softer," I suggested.

She snapped her fingers again. "How about now?"

"Perfect," I said, relieved.

"Washrooms on the left, Nighty Night," she said as she left the room. I could swear I heard her mutter something about Luna.

I tried to sleep, but that stupid waterfall wouldn't shut up. I sat on the edge of the bed, looking out the window into the moonlit garden. I felt a pair of eyes on me and turned to see Suzanne looking at me like she just saw a ghost. Fitting.

"You good?" I asked, sensing something was off.

"How are you adjusting?" Suzanne inquired.

"That waterfall is the loudest thing known to man," I complained.

She snapped her fingers, and the waterfall stopped flowing. "I hate it too, no worries."

But why was she watching me? Was it concern, curiosity, or something else?

As I lay there, trying to make sense of everything, I realized that Lazerhia wasn't just a place of magic and wonder. It was a place where I could be more than I ever was as a ghost. Here, I could interact with the world in ways I never thought possible. And maybe, just maybe, I could find a new purpose in this strange, magical land.

[itsbatman-butpoor-andmurderous]

when vacationing in florida:

tips from a born and raised floridian

wear (reef safe) sunscreen

this is a given y���all. if you’re out in the sun for longer than 10-15 minutes you need to have sunscreen on and re-apply every hour. let it soak in for about 30 minutes before you go into water. if you don’t you will get a nasty sunburn, and skin cancer isn’t fun either but it takes a lot of sunburns to get to that point. however, you can get sun poisoning from one really bad sunburn. sun poisoning, or photodermatitis, is a form of allergic contact dermatitis which is your skin having an allergic reaction to sun exposure. it can lead to swelling, difficulty breathing, burning sensations, an itchy red rash that looks like small blisters, skin peeling, nausea, and itchy brown/orange tinted blotches that mostly appear on your face/neck area and can stay there for days after the initial poising.

see the point on reef safe sunscreen to learn more about why you need to use reef safe sunscreen.

take your jewelry off before going in the ocean. sharks are attracted to jewelry, blood, and things like surfboard or boogie boards that make you look like a seal

sharks don’t eat people on purpose, they can’t see very well so they rely on their sense of smell, to smell blood, and their limited vision which mistakes shiny jewelry for shiny fish scales and boards for seals due to the similar shape. sharks do something called sensory biting, meaning they will bite you to see if you are food. don’t do things that make you look like food.

avoid swimming at night

during the day sharks tend to stay out past the sand bar, an area off the shore where sand has built up to a platform. however, at night they move closer to the shore, so try to avoid night swimming. and because the moon is out, the waves are always bigger and rougher.

stingray shuffle

the stingray shuffle is getting your feet buried slightly under the sand in the ocean and shuffling your feet aa you walk, hence the name. depending on what time of year you come it may be stingray season and it’s recommended to do this during that time to avoid getting stung.

be cautious of currents

currents can move you every which way and suddenly your 30 feet away from your set up on the sand. currents can also move you out to sea which can be extremely dangerous. so if you notice a tugging feeling or notice that your further away from your stuff, watch yourself to make sure you don’t stray to far away.

try not to shave the day of going into the water and try not to enter the water with open wounds

while oceans aren’t as bad as lakes when it comes to bacteria, they are still very bacteria filled and you can get an infection real quick. so shave a day or two before and make sure your wounds are closed because some infections can lead to rashes, bubbles, or even amputation.

check for red tide and research it

red tide isn’t talked about very often but it is disgusting. red tide is discolored sea water caused by toxic red dinoflagellates (microorganisms). it kills tons of sea life which causes said dead sea life to wash up on beaches and float in the water which attracts predators like sharks and big fish. it also releases toxins into the air which makes it hard to breathe, and for people with asthma or any other respiratory problems this can cause serious illness. the west coast of florida is dealing with some red tide right now if you want to research it.

try not to honk at people while driving

this is something taught in other southern states as well, and my parents taught it to me when i was learning to drive. if you honk at someone you are running the risk of being followed and shot. a lot of people have guns down here and they aren’t afraid to use them. now this will not happen every time you honk, i have been in cars where the driver has honked and nothing happened. but it’s better to be safe than sorry because some people don’t know how to handle their road rage.

prepare for the humidity

i know your weather app says that it’s 85 degrees but it feels like 93 when you go outside because of the humidity. that’s why florida people wear layers.

rain does not last as long here as it does in northern states

if it starts raining your day is not ruined. in florida , unless there is a hurricane or tropical storm, rain storms normally only last for like 20-30 minutes at a time. if there is a little group of them you will get spurts of rain and no rain for like an hour or two at most. when there are big storms they normally last for a couple hours, but we don’t get storms like that super often.

gator safety

something that it taught in all florida elementary schools, if an alligator is chasing you run in one direction for 10-15 feet, then make a hard turn in another direction and repeat (this is what we mean when we say running in zigzags, not like hopping side to side as you run), if an alligator has a grip on one of your limbs or someone else’s, plug your fingers or something else up it’s nose so it’s forced to open its mouth the breathe, and don’t touch gator babies, the mom can and will come for you.

shark safety

also something that is taught in all florida elementary schools, but shark safety is more common knowledge than gator safety. it a shark has a grip on you, punch them in the nose. it’s a sensitive point and they normally release you and swim away. as previously mentioned, sharks don’t like to eat people, they don’t think we taste good. so unless it’s starving sharks won’t try to eat a human that they can tell is a human. however if you don’t follow the previously stated shark safety tips, they may mistake you for a fish or seal.

unless you’re on a private beach, spots on the sand are first come first serve

just because you had a spot yesterday does not mean you have that spot for the rest of your vacation, that’s not how the beach works. you have to get there early if you want a specific spot.

don’t touch the manatees

manatees are an endangered species, meaning that you can not touch them. it’s illegal. that being said, if the manatee floats it’s happy round little self over to you and touches you then that’s fine, you can’t control what the manatee does. but if you actively swim towards and reach for the manatee and someone with a legal standing or a life guard sees you, you can get in trouble.

most sea life is not violent until provoked

manatees are not violent at all, they just float there, that’s why they’re endangered. but creatures like sharks and stingrays are not dangerous unless they think your there to fight or they mistake you for food. that’s why you stingray shuffle, because if you step on a stingray it will see you as a threat and sting you. and that’s why you take the shark prevention seriously so they don’t mistake you for food.

dolphin safety; admire from a distance

oh but dolphins are nice! wrong! dolphins are very dangerous creatures, just not in all the same ways that sharks are. they are one of the only creatures on the planet aside from humans who do malicious things knowing that they are malicious. dolphins at swim with experiences have given humans lacerations and broken bones. they are still predators and while it only happens rarely, dolphins do bite and attack people. dolphins are incredibly smart, strong, and fast. if they feel threatened they will swim at you full force and hit you with their head/body as hard as they possibly can. one woman named valerie ryan was hit by a dolphin which resulted in six spinal fractures, a damaged lung, and ptsd. dolphins are civil for the most part, but they are astonishingly smart and strong, and will attack if provoked or threatened, so it’s better to avoid close contact with them and admire from a distance or from a boat.

get reef safe sunscreen

all spray sunscreens and quite a few lotions contain toxic chemicals that are contributing to killing reefs. australian gold makes botanical reef safe sunscreen with spfs from 30 to 70, and they make a spray with the smallest amount of the toxic chemical that they can if you desperately need a spray. get reef safe sunscreen. it doesn’t matter if you’re not swimming in the ocean all run off from showers, sinks, toilets, and other water systems ends up in the ocean. so even if you spend the day in the city or at a theme park, if you come home a wash off that sunscreen it will end up in the ocean.

theme park tips

bring a mini battery powered or chargeable fan or you will wish that you did. watch the weather, if it looks like it’s going to rain head to a restaurant and eat lunch or dinner, by the time you’re done the rain will most likely be over. do what you want to do the most or what normally has the longest line right when the park opens, the line will be the shortest then. download the park apps to monitor the wait times for rides and to see if any are closed, delayed, or virtual line only. if you plan on buying souvenirs do so an 2-3 hours before the park closes, this way you won’t have to carry the bags around all day and you can beat the closing crowd. try to plan your route ahead of time so that you won’t be walking to and fro because someone wanted to do this ride that’s on the other side of the park and after that someone else wants to do a ride that’s right by the place you were before, if you don’t your feet will hurt like a mf at the end of the day and you’ll waste time walking all over the place. bring a travel sized deodorant, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, period products, and anything else you may need that they might not sell.

theme parks with kids (courtesy of my mother)

bring your own snacks and water (you’re allowed). once again, mini fan. frog togs are another way to keep kids cool without having to do much cause you just like put it on their neck. find a rest spot, my mom said that when she and my dad would take us to theme parks when we were little they had designated rest spots where they would sit and let us nap, eat snacks, and cool off in the shade. put a bead bracelet on your child with your name, their name, and your number on it if your worried that they may get lost. make reservations, hungry kids are no fun, and if they have to sit and wait for a restaurant for a long time they will get hangry, making a reservation around the time that they normally get hungry is a way to avoid this. bring a change of clothes.

think that’s all, and enjoy your vacation lol

[natural-namjoon]

𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧

Seonghwa fluff, very mild smut.

Very mild, just making out and heavy groping that's pretty much it.

“Blaze it up and we'll be cruisin'

With the top down

Rev up the engine we'll be cruisin'

Watch it go down

Get in my truck and I'll be ridin'

With my top down

With my top down

My top down”   

The sun shone brightly as you drove your old truck down the Hot Arizona highway, leaving Phoenix. Your new destination was Los Angeles. Having lived the nomad lifestyle ever since you got out of high school, you were always on the road jumping from city to city, working odd jobs to keep some money in your pocket and once you felt you spent enough time in one place you’d pack up your few belongings and head out to a new place. You had called phoenix your home for 6 months, staying longer than usual because the hotel job you had paid pretty well and you were able to save up a bit of money for yourself, but the dry heat finally got to you and you decided to leave, randomly picking LA for your next destination. 

In 3 hours you found yourself crossing state lines, passing a sign welcoming you to the golden state. It only took another 3 hours to find your way in between the sprawling buildings of the city of angels. You had found a random gas station and decided to refill your tank and grab a snack for yourself. After getting gas and doing a little search on your phone you found a decently clean 3-star hotel to stay in, after booking and confirming your stay you decided to check-in and freshen up. The vibes of the big city were buzzing in your veins and you felt like going out and seeing the sights. After a quick shower, you threw on a cute black slip dress that flattered your curves along with some strappy sandals. Looking out your hotel window you could see the shoreline in the distance, the sun would be setting pretty soon and you’d never seen the west coast before so off you went.

 It felt so freeing to you and it was one of the reasons for living the way you did. Going from place to place, the vibe of each place was different and unique and it energized your soul every time you were able to breathe in the air of a new place filled with new people and experiences. It took a bit of time to make your way to the beach because of the ungodly traffic but you made it just as the sun was setting. There were lots of people on the beach, children and families laughing and playing. Feeling self-conscious,you decided to wait and people-watch from one of the many restaurants that lined the beach and boardwalk. You ducked into this goofy themed crab restaurant and you found a seat at the window so you could watch the sunset over the water. 

You sat and just got lost in your thoughts, thinking of home and how long it's been since you spent any quality time with your friends and family let alone someone of the opposite gender. Your lifestyle was lonely and you knew that before you even had left, spending 2- 4 months in each city didn’t really allow for serious relationships, and yeah, you had a couple of hook-ups but those were few and far in between. Overall you were about as unserviced as your truck which was bad in both aspects but you loved the adventure your lifestyle brought and it was easier that way. 

During your inner monologue, you didn’t hear someone come up and start talking nor did you hear the second or third time he tried to get your attention so it was after the light touch to your shoulder that had you jumping out of your skin. That you realized a waiter had come to your lone table. 

“Sorry didn’t mean to scare you, were you wanting to order something?” you looked up to the waiter. The first thing you noticed was the goofy looking bright red cartoon crab that was plastered on his snapback hat. Your eyes traveled down and then you really saw him, 

‘Holy shit he’s hot.’ you thought to yourself, he had a jawline that could cut diamond and plump lips and gorgeous soft brown eyes, you could also see dark brown hair peeking out under his cap. To cover up your awkward silence and blatant staring you coughed and nodded like a dummy,

“I- um yeah i'll take water for now and-” you quickly glanced at the front of the menu and pointed at a picture of something that looked like fried chicken pieces with fries. “ and that…” you prayed he was just some random worker who didn’t care or notice your awkwardness. 

The most gorgeous smile slowly formed on his face followed by a deep chuckle, you couldn’t help the deep embarrassment you felt as he laughed at you. He cleared his throat,

“Alright sounds good, so that will be one order of the fried shrimp and chips and water, got it.” He started to scribble in his little notepad and he reached down to grab your menu but you kept your hand on it 

“No- um…..actually not that-” again your embarrassment had your face inflamed. “I’m allergic to seafood,” you said in a quiet voice, there was a moment of complete silence between the two of you until he busted out laughing, it was a hearty, real laugh, a part of your brain noticed how beautiful his laugh was but the bigger part of your brain was in error mode. All you could do was put your head down as he laughed at your obvious incompetence. Suddenly he reached down and gently touched your hand with his as his laughter died down. He shook his head,

“I’m sorry I’m not laughing AT you, it's just funny, you're allergic to seafood yet the first restaurant you picked has a giant crab on the front.” another round of giggles left him as he leaned on the table. You couldn’t help but laugh too at the stupid situation you put yourself in.

“ I know, I wasn’t really thinking, I just wanted to find a place to watch the sunset.” you gestured to the large window that framed your table, he looked from the shoreline to you, he felt something fluttering in his chest, he obviously noticed how pretty you were and the dress you had on hugged you in all the right places. He smirked then cleared his throat, getting your attention from the seaside view.

“I’m Seonghwa by the way.” he reached his hand out and you took it shyly, his hand was big but soft and his fingers were long and elegant looking adorned with silver rings.

“I’m (Y/N)” you said with a smile. He smiled back.

“Let me make you a deal, You hang here, and I'll go find you something you can actually eat without dying. Deal?” He winked and you could feel your arms losing circulation. All you could do was nod and he flashed a brilliant smile.

“Ok, hang tight (Y/N)” he turned and made his way to the back of the restaurant. You took a deep breath to steady your heart, you decided then and there that night you might act up and see where the night leads you and Seonghwa. Hopefully, it was your hotel room. After about 4 minutes an older waitress came over and put a fancy looking orange and pink cocktail in front of you, 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I ordered water” in the same moment the sentence left your mouth she also put a crisp glass of water down in front of you, then she leaned down closer to you

“It’s from pretty boy back there” You both turned to the restaurant bar where Seonghwa stood behind it, waving in your direction. The waitress waggled her eyebrows at you then sauntered off with a cheeky grin.

You looked down to the bright drink and after a small sniff, you noticed it smelled really sweet and fruity, so it must not be that bad. You took a small sip and the tropical citrus flavor danced on your tongue, it didn’t even taste like alcohol. It was dangerous. Alone again you let your mind wander as you watched each family pack up and start leaving the beach, as it got darker the beach became more and more sparse. 30 minutes had passed and after people-watching you hadn’t realized you’d finished your cocktail and it was the smell of food that brought you out of your trance. You turned to find Seonghwa setting a large plate of Chicken strips and fries down in front of you. You were warm from the alcohol and starving.

“Whoa” was all you said as you looked up at him. You noticed he was dressed differently, his goofy hat and apron were gone and now covering his black work polo was a jean jacket and his hair had been slicked back. Hot damn he looked delicious. He smiled down at you then took a seat opposite of you.

“ Yeah ‘whoa’ is right, for a seafood restaurant their chicken strips are amazing, but I did have to fight the chef to make enough for two adults because these usually come in kids meals.” he rambled as he took a chicken strip off the plate and started eating. You just stared blankly at him, confused as to what was happening, He just looked back at you expecting an answer.

“Um… what’s happening here?” you asked and he chuckled again

“ My shift just ended and you told me you’d stay here while I find food for you, this was the deal” he explained taking another bite.

“But I only had to wait UNTIL you got me food, by law I can leave and take these to go” you pulled the plate closer to you, teasing him. He scoffed then quickly reached over and grabbed another tender before you could pull the plate farther away from him.

“Hey!” you laughed shielding your food. He laughed with you. 

“ Actually I wanted you to stay so I could hear your story” he explained sincerely.

“What makes you think I have a story?” you asked, taking a bite of chicken, holy shit the chicken was heavenly. He shrugged,

“Tourists always come to the beach first and usually they wander in here cause we’re right by the entrance to the beach.”

“What makes you think that’s what I did?” he piqued your curiosity

“Because, that’s what I did when I first got here, and that’s how I got this job.” He grabbed a couple of fries, popping them in his mouth. “although I walked in here because I actually like seafood” he teased you laughing as he got another tender from your shared plate. You laughed with him shaking your head.

“Shut up, it was an honest mistake, what restaurant has ONLY seafood except for on the kid’s menu, I’m going to complain to the manager” You joked and he snorted.

“Wouldn't be the first time. Anyways so, where are you from and what brings you to this godforsaken city” he said the last part a little bitterly. You were taken aback by his words, 

“What do you mean so far this city has been beautiful. Lots of people, but beautiful.” He chewed silently pondering your words. After he swallowed his bite he sighed

“I thought the same thing before I got jumped one night on my way home from work. Took my wallet and cell but not before I got a blade in my ribs.” He explained darkly, not meeting your eyes. You sat speechlessly, what do you say to that?

“No I-I get it...before I came here I was in Phoenix Arizona, some co-workers and I went out one night, I got separated from them and a man snuck up on me, held a gun to my head and made me hand over my bag. Thank god my car keys had been in my pocket, but I remember feeling so helpless and scared.” You told him, taking a sip of water, feeling the buzz of the alcohol leaving you. Both of you were silent, Seonghwa was mentally kicking himself for bringing the mood down, he hadn’t meant too but he had hoped his story could be one of caution to you but all he did was make you relive a bad memory. He sighed and signaled for one of the waitresses to come over. He ordered another cocktail and she was back with it in a couple minutes. He took the glass and slid it over to you,

“Sorry, I killed the mood I wasn’t trying to get you down.” you smiled at him, grateful for the offer but you had to decline, you still had to drive yourself back to your hotel room.

“I’ll drive you,” he offered immediately. You raised an eyebrow and he laughed

“I won’t try anything. I have to work an early shift anyways so I can’t have too much fun, I'll just catch a bus from your place once you're safe inside.”

You felt your heart warm, he was really sweet. You somehow had the luck to run into him on your first day there, you decided if he couldn’t have too much fun, then a little bit of fun would go a long way. You leaned down and took a big sip of the cocktail, but made a face as the burning taste of vodka overpowered the sugar and fruity taste,

“Oooh this one is strong” you voice came out hoarse as you choked and he laughed

“Yeah I’m the only one who can make this drink the right way, it’s kind of my specialty” he examined the glass absently

“What’s the drink called? I’ve never had it before,” you asked taking another small sip,

He looked up and met your eyes, there was something dark in his soft brown eyes, a kind of mischief that made your stomach flip

“Sex on the beach,” he said softly in his deep voice, keeping direct eye contact with you. You breathed out slowly and without breaking the eye contact you responded 

“your specialty is sex on the beach?” you asked, your voice small. He smirked, finally breaking eye contact as he reached down his fingers tracing the lines on the top of your hands. 

“Something like that.” 

Suddenly you didn't care about seeing the beach, You took another big drink of your liquid courage, managing to not make a gross face this time and you looked at him,

“How about instead of escorting me home, maybe you can take me into the city? Cruise around, show me the city lights and nightlife, you don’t have to go home right this instant?” you asked leaning forward giving him puppy dog eyes hoping he’d accept. 

He laughed at your eagerness, after a quick check of his phone he accepted and you smiled feeling victorious.

Quickly getting up and packaging your food to go you went to pay for the food but he just grabbed your arm and led you out the door. 

“Wait, this is stealing,” you said bluntly feeling buzzed.

“I’m an assistant manager, it’s on me.” He responded cooly 

“Oh excuse me I didn’t know I was hanging with a High Roller” you teased. He laughed as you guys came to the parking lot of the beach, there weren’t many cars and your old red Dodge Dakota truck stood out lonely in a far corner. You beckoned for him to follow as you stumbled over to your trusty vehicle. Once you got to the truck you tossed him the keys,

“This is not the car I expected you to have” he laughed unlocking the door.

“Yup i've had this old girl for years, i  saw her in a used car lot and had to have her.” you climbed in the passenger seat and tossed the bag of food in the back seat. 

One you both were in and buckled up he laughed

“So you're just a young pretty girl that drives an old beat up truck that's probably older than you?” he  laughed again turning to you

“I know it's weird right…” you turned to him trying to look intimidating

“You know this could all be a ruse, I could be luring you to the back alleys of the city to kill you and keep your head in my fridge.

After a beat you realized how weird that really sounded and you silently cursed the alcohol for making you so loose lipped. 

Luckily Seonghwa wasn't fazed as he burst out laughing then turned to you and cocked his eyebrow

“Is that a threat or a promise??” he giggled and started the truck, you thanked the heavens he was so easygoing. 

“Wanna know the main reason I wanted this truck?” you asked him, reaching across him to a switch near the drivers door, noting how good he smelled while you did it, and flipped a small switch. There was a groaning and whining noise then the whole top of your truck moved and folded back on itself and after a moment you were both sitting with the salty sea air around you. 

“ WHAT? This is so COOL!” he exclaimed looking like a kid with a new toy “I didn't know that convertible trucks existed!!” he was laughing in excitement and you laughed with him. 

“Lets fuckin go then!” he yelled and revved the engine and soon you guys were on the road headed for downtown L.A.

In no time you both were cruising with the top down, enjoying the nightlife, the city was so big and there were so many people out shopping, and eating and there were a lot of people performing and busking on the sides of the roads. It was all so magical and you felt so exhilarated, In all honesty there wasn't anything about L.A that you had not seen in other big cities, but this city had one thing the others didn't, and that was Seonghwa. Having someone with you to experience things with, made a world of a difference. Every so often when you'd get excited and would point and laugh and sit with amazement he would always look at you with the softest eyes and he looked upon you with this kind of adoration that you had never seen someone look at you with. He would tell you stories of his first experiences with the various locations you guys passed by and he had you laughing and every so often he would rest his hand on your thigh absentmindedly, not in a creepy way, but in a way that felt familiar, like he'd done it a thousand times. His hand was a comfortable warmth on your cool skin and it felt right being there with him, everything about him was perfect.

After a bit of driving he started to head to where he lived, you had offered to drop him off as the night had grown long and he had gotten a few phone calls from his roommates asking when he'd be home so unfortunately he had to head home and you were sobered up enough to drive finally. He pulled into the driveway and parked, not before putting the top back up. There was a silence in the car, neither of you wanted to end the night, but Seonghwa had responsibilities and he had to sleep because he had to open up at work the next day. 

After a bit of silence he reached over again and gently put his hand on your knee, you placed your smaller hand on his,

“Well, (Y/N) i'm glad you stumbled into my restaurant today, this is the most fun i've had with another person in a long time.” he smiled at you, eyes running over your body as his thumb drew circles on your knee. You had heard what he said, and you wanted to respond with something sweet and wholesome but all you could focus on was his lips and his hand on your skin. With the hand that was placed on his you grabbed his wrist and slowly pulled his hand up higher on your thigh pushing back the fabric of your dress until he was a inch away from your center. You felt him tense up and your breathing got heavy as you watched him and waited for him to do something,

“(Y/N)...” he breathed out, voice deep and filled with lust as he stared at the spot his hand was in and were it was going, he gave your thigh a test squeeze, 

“Seonghwa..” you didn't mean for your voice to come out as a small moan but the anticipation and sexual tension was becoming too much for you. Suddenly Seonghwa leaned down and pressed his lips against yours, you immediately opened your mouth to deepen the kiss further, frantically unbuckling your seat belt so you could climb over onto his lap. Without breaking the kiss you settled onto his lap and his hands were all over you. Your brain was a deep fog, there was nothing you could think other than the feeling of his soft lips on yours and the feeling of his big hands as he squeezed your ass. You slipped your hands under his shirt wanting to feel more of him, he broke the kiss only to swiftly remove his jacket and polo shirt. You took a moment to marvel at his body, he was leaned and chiseled, not too much muscle but there were abs and broad shoulders, this man was like a drug, everything he did and everything about him was so intoxicating. You ran your hands up and down his chest and down his back as he pulled you closer, you  noticed a hardnessed pressed against your lower parts and you smiled in the kiss, feeling how hard he got and all you guys were doing was kissing. Ever so slowly you pressed your hips down harder onto his crotch and started grinding, he broke the kiss as his head fell back and a groan escaped his lips,

“Oh my god (Y/N) fuck..” you took that as a sigh to grind your hips harder onto his erection, causing more intense friction on your clit, both of you held each other, a moaning and whining mess. You absently thought about how hot and bothered you were getting with your clothes on, you couldn't wait to get them off. You went to kiss him again, tongue exploring as he grasped your hips harshly, trying to slow your movements because your makeout session was getting really intense really fast.

You were about to pull back and ask if they should go back to your hotel room for more privacy when there was a loud rapping at the driver side window, you let out a surprised squeak as you moved to cover any exposed parts. Both you and Seonghwa turned and standing on the other side of the window was a tall man, he looked young like you guys and he had peach colored messy hair and various stains on his oversized sweater. 

“Yuhno What the Fuck???” Seonghwa said incredulously, The man named Yuhno gestured for him to roll the window down, after the glass was no longer between them Seonghwa snapped at the taller man

“ Yuhno I said I'd be home soon, I was kind of in the middle of something.” he lectured, angrily pulling his shirt back on.

“Yeah I can see that, and as much as hate to cockblock you and this lovely lady-” he looked over at you and waved cutely, all you could do was laugh and wave back embarrassed. “But Wooyoung and Mingi duct taped Hongjoong to the wall and they won't let me get him down, San wont stop crying because he was trying to do a trick off the counter and dropped half our plates. I tried to get Jongho and Yeosang to help but they went into their rooms and refused to come out.” Yuhno explained in the most calm way possible. Seonghwa just silently sat for a moment and sighed,

“The one day you all have a day off while I have to work late and of course there is pure chaos, just- go get Hongjoong down and I'll be inside in a second.” Yuhno just nodded and after waving at you again he hurried back to the shared house. Seonghwa just sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly,

“ Are these your roommates or do you have kids I don't know about?” Seonghwa let out a genuine laugh then he looked tiredly at you,

“Im sorry, my roommates are a bit…. Eccentric.” he said the last word slowly. You giggled, then leaned over and gave him a small peck on his lips. He pressed his forehead to yours and sat for a moment, basking in your scent. Then with another defeated sigh he climbed out and you slid into the driver seat behind him. He closed your door and leaned in the open window pressing another quick kiss to your lips, the longing in his eyes almost made you want to cry as it mirrored your own longing. He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to you and you realized it was your phone, 

“Don't be mad but I put my number in your phone” he chuckled

“When did you get my phone?!” you asked genuinely surprised he just chuckled and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. 

“I have my ways, I just want to make sure I’ll get to see you again.” he said the last part as a question

“Of course” you said softly cupping his cheek to emphasize your adoration. He didn't make any move to leave your side until there was a loud crashing and incoherent yelling from the inside of the house. 

“I gotta go,” he shot you an apologetic smile and turned and jogged up to the front door. As he pulled open the door you could hear high pitched laughter and other sounds of ruckus happening in the house.

“Wooyoung!” he barked as he slammed the door behind him followed by a high pitched scream you could hear from inside your truck.

 You looked down at the new contact in your phone under the name Seonghwa and smiled. The whole drive home you had butterflies as you thought about your day and the amazing man you spent part of it with. You'd never experienced anything like this before all the other times you were with a guy it was a hookup and you never really saw the men again, but you knew without a doubt you wanted to see Seonghwa over and over again. 

“Coming to L.A. was a good choice after all” you said to yourself as you made your way back to your hotel “ I think that I might stay”

[incendiaris]

i dare you to answer all of them for rocket :)

unusual character questions. [ always accepting. ]

what percentage does your muse start charging their phone at?

the moment it drops below around 35%, she's treating it as though it's gonna die any second.

do they drive? what kind of car do they have?

for the most part, she drives a 2019 audi sq8 (dark grey). it has a 4-litre v8 hybrid-diesel engine, adaptive air suspension, a top speed of 155mph, and can accelerate from 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds. rocket likes cars.

what difficulty mode does your muse play video games on?

she likes to start out on whatever difficulty comes just above the default. and then, if there are any higher and she likes the game, she'll try and work her way to the highest difficulty.

what's their go-to drunk / high snack?

lucky charms.

how many pillows and blankets do they sleep with?

four pillows; two for general head support, one to cushion, and one to cuddle. only one blanket, though, which usually gets discarded halfway through the night unless it's particularly cold. she runs kinda hot, especially when she sleeps.

what's the majority of their camera roll (pets, selfies, screenshots, memes, food)?

it's fairly sparse, but the vast majority is probably screenshots of important things that she needs to have easily to hand.

what's their texting style like?

pretty formal. full sentences, proper grammar, nary an emoji in sight. she has, at the very least, fallen into the all-lower-case trap. she likes the neatness of it.

if your muse is pretty chill, what's something they're weirdly high-strung about?

HA.

if your muse is pretty high-strung, what's something they're weirdly chill about?

rocket tends to be fairly chilled out about the media she consumes; movies, books, tv shows, music... she likes a lot of different things, isn't remotely picky about them, and actually sort of enjoys having things recommended to her. which isn't the case at all in terms of virtually anything else in her life.

do they prefer to write with pen or pencil, or something else?

ballpoint pen. preferably black, though she will settle for blue if it's the only thing available.

what's their sims play style?

one sim. needs kept ridiculously high at all times. house always immaculately tidy. that sim only has friends for the sake of climbing their career path. she refuses to use cheat codes.

what's that one story their parents always tell about their childhood?

n/a. no parents, very little childhood.

if there's a tornado warning, do they get to safety or do they go stand on the porch?

oh, she's watching for sure. what's the worst that's gonna happen, right?

how often do they do their laundry?

once a week, religiously. on saturday mornings, unless she has something else on.

if they had to have a side hustle, what would it be?

she's always loved gadgets, electronics, etc., so with a little research and a lot of practice, she'd enjoy running a repair-gig for phones, computers, small electronics, things like that.

do they still have a baby blanket or childhood stuffed animal?

n/a. and also I am sad.

how does your muse think they'll die?

answered here.

does your muse dream at night? what about and do they remember?

the vast majority of her dreams are just vague little fleeting images that she doesn't recall when she wakes up. other times, her dreams will be more like memories. these have a lot more detail; so much so that when she wakes up, it'll be with old surface thoughts that she had otherwise lost years ago. she'll remember little details about the other kids she grew up with that she didn't even know she still retained, for example, or old feelings she abandoned will start to surface.

how often do they actually think about texting their ex?

answered here.

have they ever gotten in trouble at work? what was the reason?

answered here.

do they have a favourite vine or tiktok sound?

absolutely not. vine is dead and tiktok is for children.

...

'road work ahead? uh, yeah, I sure hope it does.'

if they could pick a superpower, which one would they pick?

not the one she has, that's for sure. if she really, honestly thought about it, she'd settle on a variation, though; one where she could use her healing on other people instead of exclusively on herself. it would make her feel so completely fulfilled if she could take away the injuries and the suffering that people go through on a daily basis.

what's scarier to them: the ocean or space?

the ocean, for sure. unexplored, full of horrifying creatures, and close to home. besides, she loves space.

what does your muse call pill bugs (roly-polies, potato bugs, doodle bugs, etc)?

woodlice.

are they allergic to anything? if so, do they still eat it / keep it around?

none. possibly invoked deliberately.

what do they call their grandparents?

she doesn't.

do they like ice in their drinks? crushed or cubed?

ice adds sensation to her drinks by making them significantly colder, and she's not all that bothered about taste, so she prefers ice. cubed, though, not crushed. she's not a child.

how often do they wash their hair?

every other day. more frequently if there's blood in it, obviously.

what is their preferred streaming service?

dis/ney plus. good chance to catch up on everything she missed out on as a child.

could they eat a person if they would starve to death otherwise?

no. she'd be full of bravado about it, but no, she'd rather just starve. or, at least, see if she can starve.

they get three wishes - what are they? all typical rules apply.

1) she'd like the names and locations of the people behind the facility that she grew up in. 2) she'd like the current names and locations of the other people that she grew up alongside in that same facility. 3) she'd like to get rid of her healing factor. this wish would be made after she'd handled the results of the first two.

what's a weird food combo your muse swears by?

sushi and hot sauce.

what is something that they wish they could do appearance-wise but don't have the confidence or ability to (piercings, haircut, clothing style, etc.)?

piercings! tattoos! she would love to just go absolutely crazy with them.

if they have pets, which one is their favourite?

rocket keeps a variety of tropical fish in a purpose-built aquarium. she tries not to have favourites, but she secretly loves her golden barbs the most.

what's their favourite form of media to consume?

books. specifically the kind of trashy, garbage books that people normally only buy in airports. she can't help it; she loves them and she will never, ever figure out why.

do they crack their knuckles?

absolutely. and those babies crack themselves right back.

have they been diagnosed with any diseases / illnesses?

nope, and she's pretty convinced she's never going to have to worry about that. a therapist might say otherwise, but first you'd have to actually get her to a therapist.

how old is your muse and how much younger and older are they willing to date?

rocket is twenty-two. she wouldn't date any younger than twenty, but she'd be a lot more willing to date someone older. perhaps she's into milfs, who knows?

how do they eat oreos?

peel them apart, eat the cream first, and then nibble on the biscuits.

what's a show that everyone's seen but they haven't yet?

bridgerton. most of the hype, as far as she's concerned, tends to be centred around this guy playing the lead. and how sexy and intimate and erotic it is. honestly, it's putting her off more than actually encouraging her to give it a look.

[brooklynislandgirl]

SENSORY DETAILS Tagged by: No One, I do what I want. Tagging: Be Fae, Steal Memes

Scent: Beth doesn’t do cologne or perfume the way most women do. One reason is because of her work. A good almost 40% of emergency room visits are due to or co-morbid with respiratory distress. There are also allergies and sensitivities to keep in mind. Instead, she makes her own essential oil blends and uses them very sparingly. 

She also uses all natural, organic, cruelty free, no animal testing, sustainable beauty products, and often as she can ones that use ingredients from Hawai’i, as a way to support local farmers, and extended kin.

Which tends to mean that she smells like a combination of pineapple, coconut, star fruit, blue ginger, and macadamia or kukui nut, as those scents are prevalent in shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Her personal favourite essential oils is a mellow but long lasting blood orange and sandalwood combination, or plumeria. She uses Tom’s Natural toothpaste with cinnamon, and her breath is often softly sweet and spicy because of it. She is very careful to brush morning and night, between meals. She uses Schmidt’s Water + Wood deodorant.

She has been told on numerous occasions that she smells like a tropical smoothie, or cookies.

She doesn’t use scented laundry soap or fabric softener, but she keeps her unmentionables in drawers with sachets of sandalwood and plumeria and cinnamon.

After a long day at work her scrubs take on the stale recycled air from work, she often also smells like neoprene {which she uses because she’s allergic to latex}, and often times of blood and betadine. Which is why she usually grabs a shower after getting in, because she doesn’t particularly enjoy the way she smells.

On her days off, you can often find the smell of sea-salt and sunscreen on her skin and in her hair. Those particularly sensitive and knowledgeable can detect traces of Sex Wax on her hands and feet because of her surfboard.

Her two favourite lotions are both from Bath and Bodyworks, the Plumeria and the Green Tea varieties.

Lastly, she often has trace amounts of coffee scent to her which is basically her survival mechanism due to working long hours and being a chronic insomniac.

~*~

Sounds: At first glance most people expect for Beth to sound like a little girl straight out of some weird anime. Like Bernadette Wolowitz. Those people would be very wrong.

Beth is incredibly soft spoken, rarely raising her voice above a whisper. Partially because she was raised with the opinion that children {and in her case, particularly, daughters} should be rarely seen and never heard. Partially because she has been fairly shy most of her life, retiring from conversation that often makes little or no sense to her.  She grew up in a multicultural city, on a military base where people of very different tones and accents came and went in her life. From her first word {Panda, which was how she pronounced Andy} to adulthood, she spoke Hawai’ian, Pidgin and English, though the first two languages were reserved for times when the Admiral was not at home as he did not approve of them and still doesn’t.

Despite her learning disability, she had a knack for languages and speaks or partially speaks over a dozen of them.

As an adult, her voice is still soft, but it’s smokey, deeper than what is expected, a quality she shares with her brothers and the Admiral. When she’s tired or stresses a phrase here and there, she tends to have a thickness to it, what is known as vocal fry. This is a quality she retains when she sings. She isn’t as talented at that as her brother is, but what she lacks in skill, Beth more than makes up for in enthusiasm, and often that’s when she expresses herself loudest and emotive.

Beth tends to naturally speak pidgin, a sort of Hawai’ian creole, because it’s easier for her to differentiate words, doesn’t have to worry about tenses in speech, and it comes very naturally to her. When she wants to make herself unmistakably understood she switches to what she calls “haole” which is full English, though doing so causes her speech to come slower as she has to put thought into each word, each syllable. She sometimes forgets the English word for things and uses the Hawai’ian instead. When she does speak she has the bad habit of covering her pauses with filler sounds such as “ah”, “uhm” and the like.

When Beth is excited she might increase noticeably in volume, in pace and rhythm of speech, though still that isn’t by any means loud by other people’s standards. She has perfected the art of talking from behind carefully clenched teeth, almost at a sub-vocal level, a trait handed down from the first angry wife-mother. In sensual situations she’s less likely to form words than she is to vocalise gentle noises; soft and sweet though short moans, breathy exhalations, whimpers, whines, and needy or appreciative growls. 

Her laughter is a warm and husky sound though she often hides it behind her hand or bites down on it in a literal fashion for fear of ‘being too loud’. She doesn’t laugh as often as she used to but she does sometimes have a hard time suppressing her giggles. It’s far easier for her to smile, a thing she does sometimes when she is uncertain in conversations with others. ~*~

Taste: As previously stated, Beth often tastes like sweetened cinnamon, as she is very conscientious about her teeth and breath because she does so closely work in other people’s personal spaces.

A random stolen kiss on her mouth might yield coffee/cream, wine, or whatever she might be eating at the time, though she will try to turn away and keep her lips closed if that’s the case. A random stolen kiss or nibble of any other body part will also yield random results. Her hands often taste of soap or hand sanitiser and lotion because as a working nurse-practitioner Beth washes her hands between 120-200 times a day. This is not an exaggeration. Her shoulder or brow might taste like sunscreen or skin moisturiser. Her waist might taste like skin... a blend of salt, essential oils, hints of soap. It isn’t a flavour or texture per se, but it does carry a natural kind of sharpness to the tongue and thus taste-buds according to her personal Ph factor which varies throughout the month.

More intimately, due to her diet, personal hygiene, and body chemistry she doesn’t have a very strong taste or scent. What she does have tends to lean toward a sweetness and clean sharpness, due to a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. 

Beth has an extraordinary connection to the cosmic ideal of Life. The downside of it is that this gift makes her blood particularly potent, twice over a normal mortal, and it regenerates quickly. There is very literally magick within it. And as such, vampires have names for people like her: “Cornucopia”, “Big Gulp”, or simply... “Mine.”

~*~

Feel: Due to genetic blessing, one of Beth’s blessings is her skin. Her skin is an ideal blend of smooth, soft and supple. She has a few very pale freckles that linger at the corner of her mouth and across her chin. A few more scatter across the bridge of her nose but they are faint, almost invisible the rare times she wears foundation. She has the start of tiny laugh lines visible when she talks or is otherwise emotionally animated.

The real secret of Beth’s softness is that pesky Spark of Life blessing for a second time. That vitality flows through her with preternatural strength. So much so that most of her injuries heal at an ridiculous pace, and never really leave scars behind. She heals what in three days what would take someone else weeks, cuts heal in a day even if they are deep. Bruises disappear within an hour, leaving no trace. Some of her kind view this as the mark of a born healer, others consider it a recessive albeit desirable mutation. She has the ability to share this gift with others through the power of touch. Anyone she assists in this way recovers at her accelerated rate. The only parts of her that are not youthfully soft are the two tattoos she has, which have given her a texture in those places, and the three dermal piercings she keeps on the ridge of her hip. And, of course, her leg. The shark bite occurred before her Awakening, and has left a permanent mark. The demarcation of the teeth have left thick jagged scar lines along her leg, and within it the muscle that got torn away never healed properly, is permanently emaciated, and shortened the tendons and ligaments, which has given her the slightest of limps, most especially noticeable when she’s tired or overly stressed. She particularly dislikes the way it looks but more so the way it feels, an unnatural reminder that she has at least once cheated death.  Beth will go out of her way to keep it out of sight through wearing of floor length skirts, covering it with throw blankets, sheets, and such, or with knee high boots. Touching it, letting your gaze linger on it, and the like is the quickest way to upset her. To make her physically recoil. If she can’t hide it through practical means, such as swimming or surfing, she will apply illusion magick to keep from being stared at, but it can only be hidden visually, touch would reveal it’s existence.

She has a small callous on the first joint of her left and right middle fingers from how she holds a pen.

~*~

Sight: Beth has a left eye astigmatism in that the eye itself is not round but rather egg-shaped. This causes her to need glasses for reading and small/fine detail work. She has hetero-chromia meaning her eyes have two distinct colours, they are mostly green with whorls of a light amber colour surrounding the pupils. Therefore depending on lighting and emotional pupil reaction they can appear very bright green to light brown, with shades in-between. It is a recessive trait, on one hand, but definitely one that is strong in the family as both the Admiral and her Aunt Aishlinn exhibit this trait, as does her brother Andrew. Her brother William inherited blue eyes from his mother and does not possess the hetero-chromia.

If you take this to mean her appearance, there literally isn’t much to her. Beth barely stands a full five feet, most of that being her impeccable posture. There was no slouching or slumping in the Riley household, and as an adult, she compensates for her leg by trying to offset even the mere suggestion of a lean. She also has never weighed over a hundred pounds in her entire life. Combined with a very delicate-looking bone structure and lithe musculature, it’s easy to mistake her at first glance as someone far younger than she actually is.  A second or more look begins to give her certain features. For as short as she is, she has very long limbs. Her hands are elegant in their movements, precise, honed from years of hula dancing movements. She tends to talk with them more out of habit than with a purpose, telling stories and subconsciously communicating where words fail. There is a pervasive curve to her shape that all resides in her backside and her legs, also owing to her petite but athletic frame. She is a swimmer. A surfer. A dancer. A jogger. She practices yoga. Therefore her bottom half carries most of her muscle, her centre of gravity, and a generous portion of her femininity though she would punch someone dead in the throat for saying something so sexist and genderist.

~*~

Other abilities: Beth is a master of Life. As such, she ages how she likes. Which means she can be any race or gender she likes. Which means she can be any living thing she wants to be, whether human, animal or plant. Even if only for a little while. She could make herself taller. She could give herself a more traditionally ‘pretty’ figure. She could do a hundred different things with barely a thought. She doesn’t. She isn’t so vain, so desperately hungry for the wrong kind of attention, that she feels it necessary to alter herself in such a way as to really be anyone or anything else other than what she is. She is proud to be a Polynesian young woman, even if she is only hapa.

She relieves stress by running as a deer or swimming as a shark {she IS Rokea (wereshark) kinfolk, after all, and understands Sea better than humanity}. Conversely, if a partner would ask ~for the sake of trying something new~ that she alter herself she would consider it. Whether that meant becoming male, or changing certain aspects of herself. But never permanently. Or if she needed to infiltrate a different organisation, or carry out a plan to it’s fruition. Aside from her shark bite, the only two things she cannot change about herself is the fact that she’s incapable of having children naturally, and she cannot change her teeth or her eyes. {The latter is a primal marking flaw, the former is permanent paradox flaw}.

[cilldaracailin]

We Are The Champions

Hello my Tumblr Lovelys,

Happy Wednesday! It is new story add day but also it was my getting my hair done day too! And oh my goodness! It has been nearly a year and I am blonde again and proper blonde, so much so my own mother didn’t recognise me outside Tesco this afternoon. Brilliant! Not too mention the three inches that were taken off it too. So that was a good morning for me.

And it is a good evening for you all, as there is more Robyn and Taron on the way.

Thanks so much for all the love and reads and comments. All are very much appreciated.

Suze xx

P.s As always, here is the disclaimer. I don’t know Taron or his family and this is all fiction and a story and please bear that in mind with Robyn’s treat for Mari and also that Robyn comes from a musical theatre and performing background, so it’s not too strange for her to do this. :)

6

“I feel like I’ve been split open and stuffed with sunshine.”

Taron left the kitchen with a red face and racing heart, picking up the discarded Olaf costume on his way to his car. With the body and head of the snowman in his car, he went back to get the two feet and threw them in the back seat. He started the car, did a quick U-turn and was back home in minutes and leaving the Olaf costume in the car, ran inside, stripping himself of the disgustingly wet brown top on the way, dropping it on the floor beside the couch. The white bottoms were soon to follow once he kicked his runners off and he didn’t even bother to put them in the laundry hamper.

The coldest setting of his shower wasn’t cold enough for him and he soaped his body up three times before he was satisfied all the heat had been washed away. Sitting on his bed in a towel, the window pushed wide open to try and let some air in, he held the jar of after sun in his hands. He knew he could do it himself and could definitely reach but dropped the jar onto his duvet and headed for his wardrobe. He searched through his drawers for a pair of shorts, pulling out a dark navy pair and at his shirts, found a white one with some green and blue tropical flowers. It was light and perfect for the weather. He also took a white tank top out. He wasn’t going to put it on but rather have it to use if the shirt was too much. Taking a quick visit to the kitchen he routed out some paracetamol and swallowed them down with a glass of water, drinking another two, filling a forth before his thirst was properly quenched.

Twenty minutes after he arrived home, he was back in the car, the Olaf costume left in his living room, the jar of after sun and tube of cooling gel on the passenger seat. He had also did a little route through Robyn’s belongings and took out a pair of blue shorts and a black tank top for her. Once Mari’s party was over, he knew it wouldn’t be as easy as leaving his mams to spend some time alone with her and figured she wouldn’t want to stay in the Elsa costume for the whole day. He knew she had brought a handbag with her but didn’t see any clothes in it and wanted her to be comfortable for the remainder of the evening with his family.

Parking outside his mam’s outside, he grabbed the stuff from the seat and as he closed the car door, smiled at how once again himself and Robyn had switched places, this weekend seemingly her turn to take care of him and she had done it so lovingly, helping him to make up with his sister. Entering the house, he could hear the music playing from the garden and was definitely relieved at the lack of Disney songs coming to his ears. Strolling through the house, he left the after sun and clothes on the table, going straight outside.

When Taron left, Tina helped Robyn to set up the table under the gazebo with all the face painting items, Robyn bringing out her phone to help with pictures for the girls of what they would like.

“Here Robyn use this instead. It has a bigger screen.” Tina handed over an iPad to her.

“Thank you Tina.”

“Need any help?”

“Nah I am good thanks. Why don’t you and Guy sit for a while. You both have been rushed off your feet.”

“Robyn you really don’t have to do this. The party is my responsibly and I know this is your day-to-day job and it is quite clear you are so very good at it, but still.”

“Thank you Tina but I still want to do this.” Robyn looked to her, Tina’s face in a half frown, half grin. “Ok well why don’t you sit with us then. You can help me.”

As Taron strolled back into the garden, Robyn was drawing flowers on one of the party guests. His mother was beside her washing the face paint brushes and chatting to Robyn. He pulled up a chair beside him mam, placing a kiss on her cheek.

“Seems you have everything under control.” He joked.

“Well, when I don’t have a mad snowman running around it is easy to keep things calm.” Tina chuckled. “You feel better?”

“Much.” He looked past his mother to Robyn who was concentrating very hard on making sure the flower she was painting was perfect, shading the sides of the petals in light purple. “That is quite a flower.”

Robyn smiled as she took a clean brush and dabbed it in some white face paint, adding some white strokes to the flower, giving it some more depth. “Thank you. All done.” Robyn held up the mirror Tina had got her to show the last of Mari’s party guests her face paint.

“It’s perfect. Thank you Robyn.”

“You are more than welcome.”

Taron was too busy looking through the pictures Robyn had up on the iPad to notice Mari walk over to him but he definitely felt the two arms slip around him, and he smiled at his sister.

“You’re back.” She said to him, grinning as he pulled her up onto his lap. “And you smell much better.”

Laughing Taron kissed her cheek. “Thank you Mari. How was your dancing?”

“It was good. I was waiting for you to come back before we played your song.” She moved a little closer to her brother. “Do you think Robyn would do one Elsa song for me?”

Taron gave her sister a hug. “No promises, but I will ask her for you. Let’s give it a couple of minutes though ok. She has only finished the face paint.”

“Sure. Thanks Taron.”

Hopping from his lap, Mari ran back into the garden and Taron moved to take the seat his mam had vacated as she went back into the house to help Guy set some more drinks for the party guests.

“How you feeling?” Robyn asked, turning to him, smiling at his clothes. He looked so much happier and fresher in his shirt and shorts and his face carried much less stress.

“Much better and cooler.”

“I am glad.”

“How are you still in that costume”? He asked her.

She smiled at him. “It’s getting a bit warm.”

“I brought you some clothes.”

“You what?”

“I wasn’t too sure if you brought any and we are probably going to be here for some time after the party and didn’t think you would want to be Elsa all day, so I grabbed you some shorts and a top.” He laughed as Robyn hugged him sideways. “I take that as a thank you.”

“A definite thank you. The dress is getting itchy.”

“And I brought the after sun with me too.”

Robyn had been closing the face paint pots and stopped, turning her whole body to look at him. “You couldn’t do it yourself?” She asked raising an eyebrow.

Shrugging Taron sat back in the wooden chair. “I like it when you do it.”

“Of course you do.” Robyn went back to tiding away the face paint when his hand took hers.

“Can I have some?”

“After sun? Sure. Let me clean this up first.”

“Oh no. Not that after sun. I know you are going to do that for me.” He ignored her look and kept speaking. “I mean face paint. Can I have some?”

“Face paint?”

“Sure. Everybody has some except me and you have some make up on.”

“I can’t wear face paint and if you want something sure. I can paint your face. Wanna be an avenger? Or spider man?”

“You can’t wear face paint?” Taron asked. “And no thanks I don’t want to be an avenger.”

“Well here, have a look at what you would like.” Robyn handed him the iPad. “I am allergic to some types. My skin just reacts so I don’t really use it.”

Taron nodded and handed the iPad back to her. “This.”

One the photo was a small bunch of decorative blue flowers.

“Really?”

“Sure. Matches my shirt.”

“You sure?” Taron gave her a firm nod. “Ok, well come and sit here then.” She patted the chair and Taron took a seat and pulled his chair closer to her so her knees were in-between his legs. “Ok so just sit still.”

With a nod Taron watched as she opened the blue and green face paint again and picked up one of the small brushes turning back to him and placed her left hand on his right cheek.

“What is what smile for?” He asked seeing Robyn’s lips twitch.

“It just reminds me of the 7/11.” She lightly stroked his cheek and then lifted the brush to start the outline of the blue flower for him.

“And it makes you smile?”

“Sure.” Robyn dripped the brush into the pot for some more paint. “Positive thoughts, right?”

“Right.” He agreed.

It took her less than five minutes to draw and fill in with some detail, three small petal flowers on his cheek, adding some decorative vines and leaves and even a dash of glitter. “And done.” She picked up the mirror to show him and he grinned.

“Thanks. You are good at this.”

“I have a lot of practice.”

“Taron really?” Guy came out carrying two jugs of juice in his hands, laying them on the table.

“What?” He watched as his step father motioned to his own cheek.

“And? It was face painting time.”

“Don’t you look cute.” Tina came out with two more jugs. “Suits you.”

Taron grinned a little. “Just taking part in the birthday activities. You need help with anything mam?”

“Could you get the girls for me please? I want to keep them hydrated.”

“Of course.”

He got up from his seat and Robyn watched him walk into the sun, seeing a much lighter skip to his step. She quickly cleaned up the face paint and had it all back in the box Tina gave her as Taron came back with the girls on his heels. She stood up, moving back to let the girls in, Guy quickly getting everyone a cold drink. He filled one for Robyn and she took it, taking a long drink from it.

“So, when you are finished that, would you mind helping me out with the after sun?” Taron stood beside her, whispering.

Robyn finished her drink and placed the empty glass back on the table. “Let’s go now when your family is distracted.”

Back in the kitchen, Robyn dropped the face paint on the kitchen counter, smiling at her clothes which Taron had brought for her and she was excited to have some spare clothes to change into once the party was done. The dress was getting uncomfortable and although she loved the warm weather, she was more than ready to change once the party was finished.  She picked up the after-sun jar and tube of gel and came to stand beside him as he leaned by the sink.

“Thanks for bringing my clothes. I will definitely use them when the party is done.”

“No worries. You sure you don’t mind doing this for me?” He tapped the lid of the jar in her hands.

“Not at all. Step forward for me.” Doing as she asked, Taron took three steps forward and Robyn hopped up onto the counter so she was sitting with her legs dangling. “Ok and come back to me.” She smiled as he walked backwards, bumping into her knees before she set him straight and between her legs. “Wanna open the buttons of your shirt? We just need to pull it down a little bit to get to your shoulders.”

Doing as Robyn asked, Taron quickly opened the buttons of his shirt and slipped it down over his shoulders, leaving his hang at his elbows.

“Still so sore.” Robyn said to him, no difference in the sun burn since she last saw it, his shoulders still bright red.

“It’s so uncomfortable.” He answered her. “I think the problems with the costume made me forget about the sun burn but it definitely stings. A lot.”

“Least you don’t have to wear a bra.” Robyn said opening the lid of the green jar. Hearing silence from Taron, Robyn continued to speak. “Imagine how sore your skin is now when your shirt tightens over your shoulders when you move. Now imagine that with a tight bra strap constantly sitting on your shoulders. Just horrible.”

Taron chuckled. “I can’t say I have ever experienced that but I am glad I never have too. Just so sore.” He rolled his arms a little. “I don’t know if I can wait another two days for this to ease off.”

“I will make sure to add an extra layer or two of cream and gel, just to give you some extra relief.”

“Thanks Robyn.”

Mixing the cream and gel together, Robyn placed her hands on the outside of his shoulders and very slowly worked her way in, moving her thumbs in little circles, rubbing the cream in carefully, finishing at his neck with another large scoop of cream and gel.

“You ok Taron?” She asked. She felt him flinch when she touched a particularly sensitive spot.

“Yeah, even though I know you told me it would take a few days, inside there was a little bit of hope where my skin still wouldn’t still hurt a day later.”

Robyn eased the light pressure with which she was already using. “It will take three or four days before this will stop aching. We will keep the cream rubbed in. We can do it when we get back to yours later and before you lay down to sleep, we can do it again.”

“Yeah, I think that will help.”

“It will.” Robyn agreed, going over his shoulders once more. “And maybe some more paracetamol too.” She saw him nod his head.

“I did take some before I came back here.”

“That will help a lot.” With another nod Taron let his head dip to his chest. Even though it was hurting him a little, he was more than enjoying the feel of Robyn’s hands on his heated skin and the cooling relief as she so very carefully rubbed in the after sun. “What are you going to say if your mam walks in?”

“God made it so we can’t reach our backs.” He chuckled.

“Sure Taron.”

Robyn had finished delicately massaging the after sun in to his skin before anybody walked into the kitchen and she was washing her hands at the sink when Tina strolled in with two of the empty jugs, Guy behind her with the other two and some cups.

“Mari was looking for you Taron. Something about your song?” Tina was sure she saw Taron closing the buttons on his shirt but didn’t pry as to why.

“Ahh yes. She has a song request.” Taron looked to Robyn. “Wanna come out? It’s a favourite of yours.”

“Sure.”

The two left the kitchen together, Tina picking up the jar of after sun to show Guy with a wink once they were alone, her husband chuckling at her. “I knew I saw him buttoning his shirt.”

“Leave them be Tina.” Guy took the jar from her. “Maybe you could help me out.” He grinned opening the jar. “I got some sun burn yesterday too!”

Joining his sisters outside, while Robyn stood in a circle of little girls, Taron got Mari’s chosen song playing, dancing his way back to the group, Mari running to reach him. With his sister in his arms, Taron twirled her around the garden, Robyn dancing with all the other girls, Rosie right beside her. The specially written song for Taron by Elton was a firm favourite with his siblings and they sang loudly along with his verse and chorus, the group ending in a cheer. Taron hugged Mari close and grinned as she whispered in his ear.

“Let me ask her.” He whispered back, putting her down carefully. As he walked past Rosie, he stopped to place a kiss on her head too and moved into the circle of excited party guests, taking Robyn by her elbow and leading her away from the little crowd.

“Want to help me be the best brother in the world?”

Robyn turned to face him, a hand on her hip, smiling. “What do you need me to do?”

“One Elsa song.” He explained. “Mari’s birthday dreams will be complete.”

“I would love to.”

Taron smiled at her obvious enthusiasm. “It’s been your dream to be a Disney princess, isn’t it?” Even though her cheeks were red from the warmth outside, a little blush still flooded her face. “You sing them loudly in your sitting room, don’t you?”

“So, what song does she want?” Robyn asked him, taking his elbow and giving him a pull. “We should do it quickly. I am starting to melt in here.”

“Elsa doesn’t melt. She is an ice princess.” He giggled when she pinched him lightly. “Ohhh frosty!” Still laughing, he took to a light run, heading for the Alexa Guy had managed to get set up properly. He chuckled more as Robyn chased after him, trying to get her hands to him to tickle him but without the confines of his snowman costume he was light on his feet and dodged around her as she ran after him, both laughing loudly as they circled the garden twice.

Robyn loved it when Taron was giddy and playful and after his morning, it was so wonderful to hear his laughter and see that beautiful smile on his face and she was enjoying their sudden dash around the grass garden until she stood on her dress, tripped and fell over, rolling twice before she lay on her back.

“Shit Robyn!”

“Taron language!”

Tina and Guy had heard the sudden laughter and went to the kitchen window to see what Mari, Rosie and her friends were up to only to see it was Robyn and Taron who were the ones up to no good, chasing each other around the garden, dirty giggles coming from both of them but they took to a run when Robyn fell over, straight out to the garden, Tina chastising her son for cursing.

“Robyn?”

“Robyn!”

The grass was hot under her and she knew she hadn’t hurt anything except maybe her pride but still took to laughing as she lay on her back. She felt someone on either side of her and knew immediately it was Taron on her right as he took her hand.

“Every time.” She said opening her eyes, so glad Taron was leaning over her as his shadow shaded her from the bright sun. “Why do I fall over every time.” She was still laughing as Taron helped her to her feet and she appreciated how he made sure her snowflake cape was nowhere near her feet.

“You ok Robyn?” Tina asked concerned.

“More than fine. It’s my thing. I am clumsy. Slightly embarrassed though but I know Taron is used to it.”

“You hurt yourself?” Taron asked still holding her hand.

“Nah. I am fine.” She looked over her shoulder to the girls who were looking at her. “There goes my Disney princess rep.”

Taron shook his head. “Not at all.”

“Disney princess rep?” Guy asked.

“All shall be revealed now.” Taron gave her hand a tug. “Which song do you want?” He asked leading her back towards the Alexa.

“Which song does Mari want?” Robyn asked him back but as Taron got the chosen song going, she grinned. “Of course.” She took a look to the girls who immediately turned in her direction as they heard the music but she looked to Taron. “You got any crushed ice? Or if not, can you crush some really quickly for me? As much as you can manage.” She saw the confusion in his eyes. “I am doing this once and Elsa needs some snow.”

With a nod, Taron started the song again and ran towards the kitchen while Robyn turned towards the girls, singing along with the track, giving Guy and Tina a smile as she walked past them a little. Acting out the song, it was hard to keep a straight serious face as Mari was right at the front of the party girls, her face in the biggest grin. It was a song she had sung thousands of times before just as Taron had said, in her living room and it was easy to sing and float around the grass, swishing her cape behind her, the Elsa costume really helping with her characterisation. As it got closer to chorus, she prayed Taron had managed to get her some ice. She did a quick twirl catching his eye through the kitchen window and tried to hold her laugh in as he came bolting out to the grass to stand behind her just as the chorus came on, a bowl in each hand, holding them out either side of her and it was the most perfect timing as she placed a hand in each bowl and picked up a handful of wet and cold half crushed ice, her sudden props absolutely perfect for the song, and the gasps from the girls were brilliant as she threw the melting ice in the air, making elaborate hand movements just like Elsa pretending she was making snow. Taron followed her for the whole chorus so she could get some more melting ice, throwing it over her head, still singing along with the track in background and it was so clear his sisters were in complete awe as Robyn was the most perfect Disney princess.

Coming into the second verse, Taron legged it back to the kitchen, Robyn turning around to walk away from the girls, making a show of kicking her dress out and the snowflake cape too, facing the girls once more as she started to sing again, enjoying herself so much. She loved to sing and her Disney playlist on her Spotify was over used and she wasn’t embarrassed to admit that the Elsa songs were some of her favourites to act out when she was alone, even bringing cwtch into her performance.

Taron was watching from the kitchen window, crushing ice as quick as he could before Robyn got to the second chorus, thrilled with the reaction of his sisters, with how unbelievable Robyn was in character as Elsa and his heart was racing again as he watched her stroll towards the girls, walking slowly but effectively, hitting the last note of the second verse perfectly. Realising he was late with the snow effect, he grabbed four bowls and chucked the ice from the sink into them, picking them up and rushing out to the garden. He gave two to Guy to hold and jogged to stand behind Robyn, smiling at how in tune they were with each other, that she reached for the bowls as he came to stand behind her, grinning as the ice fell over him, knowing well she had thrown it up and behind her head on purpose.

On the bridge, Robyn used her hands to hold onto her cape, walking past Taron with a grin, noticing the melting ice on his hair and did one long walk around the garden, throwing her snowflake cape out once she was in front of the girls again just as the words came in, saw a new bowl of ice in Taron’s hands. She took out a handful and threw it over the girls, going for another to throw it the opposite side. With both hands in air at the end of bridge, she twirled and then stood still, her cape swirling perfectly as the last chorus came on.

Taron was prepared with last two bowls and once again stood behind her, knowing well he wasn’t hidden but with the glee on the party guest’s face, knew they didn’t even notice him, all too engrossed in Robyn’s impromptu performance and as much as the girls were taken aback, he was too. He had already seen Robyn on stage but it was amazing how easily she just became the character in an instant, how she sang with the song with such effortlessness and he could see she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

As the song ended Robyn took the two bowls of the watery ice from Taron and flung them high in the air while still holding onto the bowls, handing them back to Taron, the water coming down on everyone as she stood with her back to the girls, her head over her shoulder giving them wink. The song ended to a round of applause and squeals followed by a tackle of hugs, the next song in the frozen playlist starting as Robyn was caught up in the middle of a group of excited girls.

“Best birthday ever!” Mari was the one squeezing Robyn hard around her waist. “Thank you Robyn!”

“You are more than welcome!” Robyn chuckled as each girl chattered to her, all so excited by their live Disney princess.

Tina wandered over to the group. “Well Robyn, I think you might have set the bar for birthday parties extremely high. That was brilliant.”

“Almost like you had done it before.” Taron said with a wink.

“Says the man who happily sings George Michael without being asked twice.” Robyn joked back. “Thanks for the ice by the way.”

“You are welcome.”

“Mari is going to be talking about this for days.”

Robyn turned to Taron’s mam. “I hope I haven’t spoilt any plans you had Tina. It was something Mari has been asking Taron for since I walked in the door.”

“Absolutely not!” Tina insisted. “I just want Mari to have a nice birthday with her family and that is exactly what she has gotten and to be honest, without the face paint or Elsa impersonation, I was really at a loss of where to go next. You have been a wonderful help.”

Robyn smiled. “Thanks Tina.” Still caught in the group of girls, she chuckled as they were all singing along to ‘Into the Unknown’ which was currently playing in the background. “Come on girls!” She managed to grab Mari’s hand. “Your turn.”

Taron stood with his parents, laughing as Robyn skipped around the garden with the girls, all of them singing along, cringing a little as the girls did their very best to hit the terribly high notes of the chorus of the song but of course Robyn had no trouble with them, giving him a wink as she walked past him, acting out the second verse, the girls copying her movements. He wasn’t expecting to be dragged along with the group and found himself being pulled along by Rosie who was following along and joined in with the female company as they all spun in circles around the grass, all trying to sing Elsa as best they could, the younger girls falling onto the grass in exaggerated drama at the end of the song, Taron and Robyn following them, laying on the ground breathing hard beside each other.

“Need to get you a blonde wig.” Robyn joked as she got to her knees, Taron still on the ground laughing.

“Need to get you a job at Disneyland!” He said sitting up. “Perfect.”

“Maybe when we all go to Disneyland. I do believe your sisters are still owed a trip because your mam and I got to go to your premier and they didn’t.”

Taron smiled brightly. “Adults can’t dress up at Disneyland.”

“No but they can Disney bound.”

“What?”

“I will explain it to you when we go.”

“Robyn!” Mari came running over to her, giving her a hug, which nearly knocked her over. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Robyn smiled at Taron who was making faces at her as she hugged Mari. “Jealous.” She mouthed to him at which he frowned.

“Robyn?”

“Yes Mari?”

“One more?” She asked as the music for ‘Show yourself’ came on. “Please?”

Mari moved and sat beside her. Robyn looked at her with a grin and started to sing along as the words came on, all of the girls coming to stand around her, Taron moving to sit with his legs crossed, Rosie on his lap. As the song moved to the second verse Robyn got to her feet knowing well, she couldn’t sing the song properly or do it justice by sitting down. She walked in a circle around the group, smiling at Tina and Guy who were still standing to the side watching, nearly sure Tina was videoing the whole sing-a-long as she held her phone in her hands. Robyn continued to sing with the music giving it all she had, suddenly feeling a strong connection to the song with some of the words to the second verse, placing a hand on gently on Mari, Rosie and Taron’s shoulder’s, moving away from the group to do a small run around the garden letting her cape fly behind her before coming back into the centre of the group, crouching down and gently placed her hand on Mari and Rosie’s cheeks. She then took their hands as the bridge of the song kicked in, getting them to their feet and walking with them to the bottom of the garden the others following behind her, Taron still sitting but turning around to watch as they all stood in a straight line, smiling as the girls sang a different line to Robyn, the Irish woman throwing in some harmony, the effect not perfect but perfect for the ten little girls who looked like all of their dreams had come true, not including Robyn’s. The song ended and all the girls had their hands in the air and once done, almost jumped on Robyn again with excitement.

Robyn was chuckling with the reaction from the girls and took a look to Taron who was still sitting, the smile she had been waiting to see all day on his face.

“BEST BIRTHDAY EVERY!” Mari shouted making everyone in the garden laugh.

“Ok ok let’s give Robyn some breathing space.” Tina came over and gently broke up the crowd around her but her youngest daughter was still hugging Robyn tight around her waist. “Mari, darling.”

“Mam can Robyn come to every birthday?”

Robyn laughed and crouched down to give Mari another hug. “Maybe not as Elsa next time.”

“Belle? Or Ariel?” The young girl asked. “Taron told me Ariel is your favourite princess.”

“Oh, he did, did he?” Robyn asked looked over her head to Taron who was on his feet, his hands in his pockets as he strolled over.

“What else does Taron tell you?”

Mari zipped her lips. “Can’t say. Brother sister secrets.”

“Oh, I see.” Robyn chuckled. “Well, they are secret’s that can’t be broken.”

“Yep, although Rosie already broke one by telling you that Taron told her that he loved you.”

Robyn saw the little look of fear that crossed Taron’s beautiful face at Mari’s words and his hands dug deeper into his pockets if it was possible. “Well Taron knows I love him so I think that secret is ok to share.” She looked over Mari’s head to softly smile at Taron. “Now go and play with your friends.”

“You’re not going, are you?”

“Of course not darling.” Robyn kissed her forehead. “Elsa needs a bit of water break.”

“You will come and dance with us?”

“Of course. In a few.”

Robyn stayed crouched accepting Taron’s hand as he helped her up. “Remember I told you the first time you met my family that my sisters wanted a big sister instead of a big brother?” He saw her nod. “Well now they are officially adopting you as their big sister. Robyn that was amazing. Just wow. You were Elsa.”

“You know I have had the practice.” She said her cheeks tinting a little.

“But the singing was fantastic and then getting all the girls involved. I don’t think Mari will ever stop talking about this birthday. Never been one like it.”

“Definitely.” Tina agreed coming to stand with them.

“I mean Olaf melted and everything!” Guy chuckled, earning him an angry stare from Taron. “Thanks for doing that for her. You really didn’t have too.”

Robyn grinned. “Not going to lie. I think I might have enjoyed it more than Mari and Rosie did.”

Tina gave Robyn a hug, giving her a long squeeze. “I can’t even thank you anymore.” She whispered to her.

“There is no need for thanks. I have needed this weekend.” Robyn ended the hug and looked to Tina. “What do you need help with next?” She asked. “I am sure the girls could do with a drink?”

“Nothing. Robyn, you have done your part. More than your part. Why don’t you go and grab a drink. I am going to get the cake ready for Mari and then there is only about an hour left before they all go home.”

Robyn laughed at the relief she could already hear in Tina’s voice at the prospect of a child free house, except for her own.

“You know, I think I will do just that.” Robyn fluffed her costume out from her skin. “I might even change. No idea how those girls are still in their dress up.” She turned to Taron who was still beside her. “You think Mari will be disappointed if Elsa becomes Robyn?”

“Not at all. You go change. I will hold the fort with some dancing, while mam sorts the cake.”

“You cannot play George Michael.” She said pointing to him, smiling at his grin. “Stick to pop classics.”

“Let me go with you, show you where you can change.” Taron said to her.

“I think I can find the bathroom myself. I have been there before.”

“Just, come on.” He took her hand without questioning it and guided her back into the kitchen. He picked up her clothes and led her up the stairs and into a room she had never been in yet and taking a glance around at the blues and greys, figured it was Taron’s old room but had been re-decorated since he moved out. It was overly tidy and clearly just used as a spare room but he continued to walk past the double bed and in through another door, behind which was a small en-suite. “Use to be my old room.” He explained. “Now I know I was a horrible stuffy mess in my Olaf costume and Elsa is an ice princess but if you wanted to freshen up, you can use the shower here. There are clean towels here too.”

Robyn took two steps to him and hugged him. “Oh my God yes. I am roasting after all that singing and dancing!”

Taron laughed giving returning her hug with a kiss to her cheek. “Thought as much.”

“Thanks Taron.”

“I will leave you to it.” He walked out of the room but turned when he felt Robyn following him. “You ok?”

“Yeah. My handbag is in Mari’s room.”

“Oh yeah. From when you gave her lipstick.” He winked.

“Our adoptive sister secrets.” Robyn winked back to him.

“See you downstairs.”

“Thanks Taron.”

[former-shootingstvr]

𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝟏/𝟑

a tamaranean is a person native to the distant extraterrestrial planet tamaran in the vegan system. tamarean are those who are born on tamarus.

tamaran is 26 light years from earth, 8th planet from vega, sector 2828

known cities

tamarus (capital)

kathas

myrynnian

zorris

dors palamar

kysarr

komandus - destroyed

synomonn

varyia

ssithis

landria

environment

tropical and lush - jungles surround the cities of tamaran and are incorporated into the cities as well.

thinner air than earth; think of earth’s mountain regions.

the skies are golden and turn a reddish color at sunset.

there are various animals that inhabit the jungles of tamaran, the most prominently featured being telepathic animals called dragetts that can fly and communicate with those on tamaran.

they don’t eat them, they seem to only hunt them for sport but they don’t kill them.

characteristics, powers and abilities

tamaraneans are humanoid in appearance, but are recognizable due to their characteristic skin in various shades of a golden tone, for the most part, tamaraneans seem to possess curly - and v big - hair but it does come in a variety of colors. many tamaraneans also wear headdresses and have green (in all its variants) white and blue eyes, which are common among their race. as with humans, their height varies but on average they are a very tall race. most tamaraneans (with the exceptions of kings and queens it seems) wear as little clothing as possible. gauntlets and headdresses are very common.

tamaraneans are extremely powerful beings capable of amazing things. they mainly use their abilities for combat purposes but can use them for other tasks as well. many of their powers are fueled by specific emotions. most tamaraneansare born with the ability to absorb uv energy and convert it into the power of flight - there are some that are unable to fly due to birth defects of a childhood illness (like Komand’r). all tamaraneans are born with enhanced strength and the ability to linguistically assimilate. their known abilities are:

accelerated healing factor

self-sustained flight in vacuum and atmosphere

superhuman strength

superhuman reflexes

enhanced stamina

superhuman condition

superhuman endurance

superhuman agility

linguistic assimilation (via touch)

invulnerability

self-sustenance

experienced hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist

experienced use of various weaponry; such as swords, harpoons, or longbow and arrows

extended longevity; capable of living for hundreds of years and have a slowed aging process.

some may be allergic to metallic chromium.

culture

out of necessity, tamaraneans are principally a warrior culture. marriages among the citizens are apparently arranged, though this may simply be the case only for tamaranean royalty and the noble classes.

even though when kori first meets the rest of the titans she is fierce and aggressive, she quickly warms up and becomes quite perky. despite the contradiction of the warlike themes of their culture, friendship is considered very important.

this example was pulled from koriand’r’s marriage to karras, which was revealed to be a political alliance.

traditional tamaranean marriages also include taking vows of love and respect, that karras and koriand’r did not take.

society

the tamaraneans are ruled by the grand ruler of tamaran on some kind of monarchy system in which koriand’r’s family is the ruler. the government of tamaran is similar to a feudal system and each landmass is ruled by a family. tamarus - the capital of tamaran - is ruled by house tykayl, which is kory’s family. the southern states of tamaran are ruled by king tharras and queen salja. ithin each landmass, there are influential families who run city states.

known ruling families

house tykayl

king tharras and queen salja (no known house name)

koriand’r’s family (house tykayl):

king myand’r - father, deceased

queen luand’r - mother, deceased

prince ryand’r - brother

queen komand’r - sister

queen talathus - paternal grandmother, deceased

king korithus - paternal grandfather, deceased

korthus - paternal uncle, deceased

scrithus - paternal uncle, deceased

king tharras and queen salja are mother and father to prince karras and princess xyannis.

tamaranean names

tamaranean names vary and do no all have and’r at the end, nor are they all named something similar to starfire. starfire is not kory’s real name. it is not a translation of her name.

Vydal

Tyrus

Mari’yan

Wynn’ys

T’errus

Jedd’ka

Paras

Varra

Dor’ion

Konn’r

                                                                                                                  sources:

🌟 🌟

[jodellejournals]

little mermaid days

an hour away from my hometown city, a municipality called san joaquin peacefully exists and humbly thrives. it is located at the southern tip of iloilo and it was way back 2005 when we spontaneously walked on its shores until we found an empty lot. it was love at first sight at the scenery that struck us so my tita bought that piece of land. a year later, it became our family beach house. long weekends, summer breaks, birthdays, and anniversaries started to be spent and celebrated there and so it became a home away from the city where i lived my little mermaid dreams. as some of you know, i have always been fascinated by mermaids and their happy-go-lucky life — just swimming, brushing their hair with forks, being friends with crabs and almost all sea creatures, and away from the harsh and cruel human world. i’m such an escapist, i know, but that’s who i am. i have mentioned in one of my previous entries that my favorite disney princess is ariel from the little mermaid so living in a beach house during weekends made me feel like one. thankfully, no ursula was there but only eels. and sometimes, they come for free. a family friend of ours who does business in the area gives us free seafood and we all know it tastes better when it’s free! but i don’t eat eels! they’re not my thing. i only enjoy fresh fishes and prawns. they’re good although i am allergic to the latter one. i am scared of how oysters look like, on the other hand, so i just pass them around. that’s too much food already so let me share to you instead how life was like in the sea side.

usually, we’d leave our ancestral house in the city by 8am although we have originally planned to depart at 7am. filipino time, you know. if there will be plenty of us (cousins from first to third degrees, extended aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews who were tagged along, and some househelp), we’d go in three batches. if we’re a small bunch, one or two batches would be enough. i always pick the car where cousins my age were at and i’d be lounging in the backseat with my pillow, a bag of cheetos or chippy, bottled water, and earphones. life is good. and i’m all set for a cozy hour of car ride. bye-bye, city! whilst on the road, i’d always (and i mean always), look in the window as if i’m in a summer adventure movie like aquamarine. the usual sights were centuries-old churches, spanish colonnial houses, pastry shops, local malls and resorts. all of which were very familiar to me since i grew up passing by them but they still seemed anew each time i laid my eyes. i marveled at my city. it is such beauty. there is really no place like home. then thirty to forty minutes later, my eyes were greeted by palm trees, zigzag roads, little nipa restaurants, and just a bit further, the glittering sea under the piercing rays of sun came into our perfect view. san joaquin, being a southern municipality, is abundant in natural resources. so the closer you get there, the closer you are to mother nature. it’s like a secret hiding place for me — almost like narnia — where i can unwind with birds, fishes, cows, and dogs to name a few. some cows were literally on the road so we make sure that we don’t go way too fast even if there’s no traffic. cows have their agendas, too, so let’s not get in their way. then if we’d get a bit hungry because breakfast was usually prepared upon arriving at the beach house, we’d stop over at a famous bakery shop called nang palang’s pies. a trip to san joaquin is usually never completed without buying boxes of their signature buko pie. delicious, warm, and well-suited for the tropical weather. i’d take half-bites so as to not be full when real breakfast arrives. then after attempts of dozing into a nap and avoiding cows and their agendas, we’d finally arrive at our vacation home.

upon opening the car door, the crashing sound of the waves welcomed us warmly and the buzzing of the crickets, too! i can already feel my tan slowly coming out of my skin. i don’t know why but beaches make everything seem glisten and glitter. the air smelled of fresh leaves and trees mixed with saltiness from the sea. i love that earth smell! by that time, i’d instinctively hear the sea calling my name. it’s shining there few steps away from me, after all. no worries mr. sea, me and my cousins were already in our swimsuits. we were that excited and ready. we have learned from previous visits to be always prepared with the right attire because the sea calling exempts nobody. and the bangka at the shore (that is usually a property of our caretaker) only tempted us more to go for a sunny boat ride. the adults could no longer do anything if we jumped in and rowed that boat! forget the sunscreen, the little children in us back then used to not care much about our skin. playtime was more important and twice the fun at the beach. so one time, my mother called us for breakfast but we were already dipped in the not-so-deep blue sea and basked under the yellow san joaquin sun. too late, chocolate!

but if she triumphed in stopping us, me and my cousins would have an afternoon swim instead. by 3:30pm, usually refreshed from our nap, we were in the perfect mood to be little mermaids. folding chairs in happy colors perched at the shore and tall beach umbrellas stood firmly. now we have sandy toes that made us forget our childish woes. we’d create sand castles or write our names in the sand using sticks. it would stay there for the sky to look upon until a giant wave would wash them all away. gone was any trace of our masterpiece but that’s okay, we always love the sea. then some children at our age would pass by us. they hold with them crystal bottles that looked like one of those that ursula had with potion, weirdly-shaped but pretty-colored stones, kites, and biscuits or chips. i guess it’s their playtime, too. no, they’re not lost wandering anywhere the wind takes them but local residents just roaming around their village. yes, our beach house was at the sea side where many houses of the locals stood firm. when we talked to those children about the place, they knew every twist and turn, how long it would take to get to the next island or village, or how much the goods there cost. these children, small they may be, but mighty is their knowledge. i could not even commute properly until now without asking for some guides and directions! but them, they are like dora’s map that memorized each corner by heart. how wonderful are the lives of these people? living by the sea, breathing fresh air, and swimming in the waters anytime they want. they do fishing for a living and it’s not even a nine-to-six job. clearly, there is work-life balance. the best things in life are indeed, free. so why do we even picture a life in the city? a simple life calls for a simple way of living. but jodelle, you know deep down inside, that each parent wants their children to live a life with the best things that this world has to offer. how? by getting a good education, earning money, investing on insurance, building your own place, exploring countries, and meeting new faces to name a few. that’s how it’s always been painted to us. but what if, once in a while, we just retreat to nature and immerse in a homemade and handmade kind of life? i’d gladly consider that option.

anyway, going back to my story, me and my cousins would start swimming by 4pm right after our encounter with the locals. for me, it’s the ideal swimming time because there was no more blazing heat but only breezing winds. and it would not also be long enough until it’s sunset o’clock! so one afternoon, i laid down by the shore wearing my navy blue swimsuit with yellow flowers on it and my back felt the soft sand and each time the waves kissed the shore. relaxing, soothing, calming. i can just stay here forever, i remember thinking. and while laying there, my only view was the clear sky. it was not blue that time but clear white with some fading yellows on the sides from the noon that has passed. how vast is this celestial body? does it ever end? the world is so big and i felt so small — but free as well. then a flock of chirping birds came into my view and i didn’t mind. i enjoyed them, in fact. they seemed so happy and at peace. isn’t it beautiful how bodies of water, vast skies, and living creatures just harmoniously coexist together? god really created everything perfectly. i stayed laying there a bit longer and saw the sky changed to a different shade in its own pace. just like us humans. another thought came across my mind but it was a bit silly. wild guess? i pretended the sand was snow and created a sand angel! it was not that bad upon checking the outcome. shortly, i called my cousin, dianne, and told her my blissful and happy experience. i can’t be selfish and enjoy the wonders of the shores all to myself, right? so she also laid beside me, created her own sand angel, and we looked up to the sky above, enjoying our moment of peace and quiet. we closed our eyes for a bit and meditated. just two pisces girls being spiritual. but not too long though, because strong waves took us back to our reality.

by that time, the sun was already setting and hues of oranges, pinks, and purples painted the sky. i’m not a swimmer so i just sat at a huge rock in the waters, pretended i had a tail, and parted my wet hair into half just like how mermaids do it. i’d look at the horizon, check ships from afar, observe small boats nearby, and when i look down on my toes, little nemos were there happily swimming. being in nature really makes me feel alive. then as we came out of the waters, the fishermen were also docking their bangkas and pulling their fishing nets. they had a bountiful catch which was enough to feed their family. that signaled me and my cousins that it was time to wash up in the bathroom for dinner will soon be served. expectedly, our viand would be grilled fish to be dipped in soy sauce, calamansi, and chilli peppers and we’d pair it with warm sticky rice. when we were full, we’d leave the ground floor for the adults to play mahjong and climb our way to the second floor to share stories. sometimes, we’d play cards or read books through our iphones. The television did not appeal much to us when we were there. and when midnight came, we’d munch on a bag of doritos for snacks and drink leftover red wine that was usually from our previous visit. all while the airconditioner was on full blast. i miss that kind of comfortable. a little bit later, we’d turn off some of the lights but it wasn’t completely dark. the moon that shone above was enough to give us light and it seeped through our room that was guarded by a sliding glass door. it overlooked the sea 24/7 and we never got tired of that view. when daylight came, there was no need for an alarm clock because the sound of the ocean waves that sweetly lulled us to sleep last night would gently wake us up in the morning sun, too. coming with the terms of nature and its cycles enabled me to be aware of what part of the day it already was. so that’s when i knew it’s time for brunch because the sun was way too high up in the sky. we’d then go on with the day just like how we spent yesterday until we were due to be back in the city.

oh, happy times. it was simpler back then. it used to even feel like days would always be like that forever but look at me now. i’m miles away from where i consider home and “living” a so-called adult life “the way it should be” — working at the office, paying insurance, constructing emails. all those stuff. when did life become like this? did i forget how to have a heart and eyes of a child? i hope not. but being in your twenties can easily get you in a trap especially if there is no time to take a pause and reflect. sometimes, it’s easier to be just a child — forgiving, carefree, light-hearted, full of wonder, and pure in every way. all would be well again after a good cry. but then i have always known that i can forever remain a kid at heart no matter how old i age. i just have to make sure that she’s within me safely guarded at all costs so the world would never harden her. i am glad she still remains soft when i look at her closely. she still has those eyes full of wonder with a carefree heart that carries happy childhood memories from her little mermaid days.

[milkierose]

Nicotine Lips

☆❀Sequel to this little fic right here❀☆

Villain!All Might / Male Reader

Word Count: 2,387

Summary: Reader is a Male Bartender who wants a bit of spice in his life, All Might is ready to deliver

Saturday 11:00 a.m.

You opened your eyes, taking a few seconds to remember you inhabited a human vessel and then less than a second to feel pain surge from various areas on your body. Slowly rising from your bed, you looked down to your wrists and see them bruised. The back of your head and shoulders began to throb, fucking hell. You headed to the bathroom to see if there were any other marks, where the hell did you get all these from? You don’t remember having to break up a bar fight so why are you… Looking into the mirror you noticed a nasty bite mark on the crook of your neck and shoulder. Realization settled in as you recall who it was that gave you all these contusions. 

That smile, that damned smile, it was burned on the inside of your eyelids. Yet you liked what happened last night… er, this morning. At the cost of your head, wrists, sleep, your suit--wait. Your suit, your nice black cashmere suit with the red accents! You slapped a palm against your head, ow bad idea, fuck you let the cum dry up in the vest and pants for at least seven hours and there’s no way you could take that to the cleaners without getting weird looks. That was your favorite outfit too, damn it, god fucking damn it.

A hot shower and sad goodbye to your clothes later, you were sitting in your living room eating some brunch with the TV playing the news in the background. “Another sad day for our hero society, a young aspiring hero ended up passing away in the hospital earlier this morning after an encounter with a powerful villain…” The anchorwoman explains that the hero was attacked just up the street from where you worked between the hours of 12 and two in the morning. Hm... you do recall hearing a ruckus when you stepped out on your break… “A bystander managed to get a recording on their phone, the following may be disturbing so viewer discretion is advised.” A blurry video began to play, it was obvious that the owner of the phone was terrified as the image was shaky. At first it did not seem like much and the bystander was just recording the night sky. Then out of nowhere two figures came crashing down directly onto a passing car, stopping it in its tracks and making the cameraman jump. The scene was too foggy to tell but the larger silhouette was seen picking up a limp body by the head. A boisterous laughter boomed from the scary figure, then stopped suddenly as the shadow slowly turned to the cameraman. Orange-circles glinted to the person recording, the video paused in the middle of a quick motion, leaving the viewers to assume the worst became of the poor soul recording. You were always one to be apathetic towards the victims shown on the news, however this time you felt your stomach twist into knots. Here you were, thinking on the whole situation as if it was just any regular thug wanting a quickie with a stranger on the street. It had never occurred to you that he probably only pulled you in because he was on a murder high. Sexual fantasy, more like a next-morning-nightmare! You gagged, a hand swiftly covering your mouth to try and keep the bit of food you’ve consumed down in your stomach. Hopefully, no one saw him with you in the alleyway, so no one could track anything back to you and bring up any unwanted attention from the police. Originally you were going to dump the stained suit out into a dumpster but it had remains of both of your DNA, you should probably burn it at this point to leave no evidence. The nicely prepared brunch was now being dumped into the kitchen garbage, unfortunately, you had lost your appetite.

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Days pass on by and soon enough the one-night fling with All Might had faded away to the back of your mind. Your coworkers and some regulars did ask if you were mugged since you looked battered up, so you just went along with the excuse that you were. Telling them you were too tough for the mugger to actually take anything and you managed to only get a few bumps and scratches from the fight. “Heh, even a quirkless son of a bitch like you can put up a fight, huh?”

That’s right, you were quirkless, you were always surrounded with people who had special abilities and could kill you instantly. However, it had the opposite effect on you than normal quirkless individuals. Your parents had enrolled you in fighting classes ever since you were very young so that you had some sort of self-defense in this quirky world and you made it a goal for yourself to never be discouraged by the fact you had no special ability. Still, to be considered the inferior phase of human evolution took its toll on your young developing brain. You recall your younger self researching the common quirks from where you were born to try and figure out if there were any late-bloomer quirks that could come along. Nothing ever emerged…

The bar was full on this rainy night, people coming in and being taken out, tonight was karaoke night which was very popular among the crowd. A gaggle of ladies in their mid-20’s were on stage singing a song from a popular popstar about a man who was so intoxicating he should have came with a warning. They were off-key, but that’s what you expect from a drunken bachelorette party, it wasn’t bad enough to cringe at but not amazing enough to cheer on. “Excuse me?” You turned to whomever it was trying to get your attention. “Yes ma’am, what’ll it be?” “A piña colada please” “Coming right up” Something fruity for a change, a perfect drink to get into a more tropical and carefree mood. A few moments and blending later you handed her the drink she ordered with a cute colorful loopy straw and tiny umbrella. The only thing really killing the fun atmosphere was the television on the other side of the bar replaying the news from this morning. The audio was kept on silent and displayed the subtitles of what the anchor couple were discussing.  More news about the fallen hero’s funeral being rained out, so it had to be delayed. The storm was getting bad and beginning to flood the streets closer to the beach. The weather woman advised citizens avoid driving to the shores and to be cautious when walking their children to school. The chitter chatter and singing were abruptly interrupted when the doors of the bar swung with a gust of wind rushing in. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed as a tall spooky figure appeared out of the night in the doorway. The people of in the bar were silent, even you were startled, but the scare began to mellow out when it turned out to just be a simple skeleton like man standing at the door. Conversations resumed and everyone’s attention was back to what they were originally doing. The man walked his way into the building, taking off his coat and handing it over to one of the attendees to let it hang dry. Other than for his midbody; his head, shoulders, and the pants up to his knees were soaking wet. He seemed, familiar, but you see dozens of new faces a night, you couldn’t possibly place where you’ve seen that face before. The blond stranger took a seat at the bar, shivering slightly from the warm air now reaching his cold body. You sauntered on over with a more generous smile this time, karaoke nights always put you in a good mood and it’s a good thing too since you couldn’t go out back for a smoke break. “What can I get for you, sir?” “Just… water for now.” His mind must’ve preoccupied with buzzing thoughts, probably not ready for an actual drink yet. You pour him a glass of water, no ice, he seemed cold enough. Water was free so there was no thought on putting on any tab of his. A few moments passed as you attended to other patrons, keeping an eye on the shivering individual. “You allergic to dairy?” You had asked the man who turned his attention to his phone. “What?” “Dairy or chocolate bad for you?” “...No?” He raised a brow at you, suspicious on the question you asked him. Why were you concerned on that, he thought. His curiosity was answered as you slid over a mug of hot chocolate his way, the smell filling your surroundings. He looked down at the beverage and then up to you. “It’s on the house, besides, you look like you could use something to warm you up on the inside.” You reached down and tossed up a can of whipped cream, catching it in the other hand without breaking eye contact with him. “Whipped cream?” The man blinked, then raised a brown with a slight smirk forming on his face. “Was I supposed to be impressed?” “Yes!” At least you’re honest. He huffed, “Sure, just a bit on top.” Your smile beamed a bit more, now you took the can and twirled it around in your hands, tossing it above your head like some sort of juggling act. You could never do this with the heavy containers of whipped cream, so if you want to be flashy you always keep the store bought cans around as well. With a final flip, you squeezed out a perfect little swirl of whipped cream onto the hot chocolate. Reaching over to the spices on your counter and sprinkling some cocoa powder on top. “One hot chocolate, on the house.” You didn’t add any rum to it since this guy doesn’t seem like the alcohol-drinking kind. “Really laying it on thick.” “Hey man, gotta try and enjoy the job somehow,” you shrugged. “Bartending not what you expected?” He asked, picking up the mug and keeping it in his hands to warm them up. “It’s not that, just been doing it for a long while now, gotta keep it spicy and interesting.” You pulled off your drying rag from your shoulder to clean some spots off of the freshly washed cups your coworker brought over. “Always get interesting characters coming in every night I’m here. To be honest, it’s never dull here, just every now and then ya need something exciting to happen.” The memory of All Might from last week returned to your mind for a split second. “Who likes a boring barman anyways?” The other made a sound of acknowledgement since his mouth was busy sipping up the hot beverage. He set it back down and licked the whipped cream off from the top of his lip. Out of habit, you handed him another napkin, you’re used to drunk people spilling drinks all over themselves so napkins go all around. His attention seemed fixated on your neck, a long finger pointed out towards you. “Something happen?” Your hand moved up to touch your neck where a dull pain arose when you did. “Ah, this was just from a fight from a mugger, nothing serious.” “Looks like a love bite to me.” His remark made your body tense up. “Love bite? Like from a partner or something? No, the guy just had a… dog quirk and bit me to try and get me to submit my wallet to him.” The lie, the liiie, it was all obviously a liiiieee. The man seemed amused by your reaction. You felt your cheeks get hot and scratched at the stubble on your jaw to try and play it off. “I should go check on other orders, call me over if you need anything else.” “Will do” With that, you returned to your bartending duties and left the scrawny person to himself.

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The work shift had come to an end but the rain continued to storm through the night. This time, you decided to take a taxi back to your place so not to catch a cold. What a shame, you were hoping to at least get one smoke break but the rain just wasn’t letting you, there was no smoking room in the building either. You didn’t like smoking in your place because the stench would sink into your walls and furniture. You paid the taxi driver and walked out of the cab, jogging up to your door and unlocking it. “Shit, shit, shit” You made it in just fine but the rain was so cold. You kicked off your shoes and them off to the side, removing your coat and hanging it up. Slipping on the soft cotton slippers, you jogged over to your room to change into some clean dry clothes. You love autumn and the nice cool weather it brings but sometimes the rain can be too much to bear. Thunder roared across the land as you picked up your wet, dirty clothes and took them into the laundry room. Returning to the front where you left your shoes to properly clean them before they fully dried. As you paced to the living room to have a seat on the couch, a gust of cold wind hit you and you noticed one of your windows were open. “Oh fuck!” You ran over and quickly closed it, did you leave it open all night? You looked around to see how much water damaged was caused but… there was hardly any. Surely that wouldn’t be the case if the window was left open all night during a storm, and you didn’t open it when you arrived home, so then, wh- Footsteps of heavy wet boots behind you caused your heart to drop...Someone broke into your house when you weren’t looking and now, now you’re going to have to fight them to get them out. The night was going amazingly and now you have to deal with some burglar trying to steal from your home. Slowly you turned around, your eyes widened in horror and the color drained from your face as you saw who it was that entered your abode.

“Hey there Barkeeper, remember me?”

[lovemesomesurveys]

Is there a bus stop near your house?: Yeah.

Do you prefer red wine or white wine?: No whine. I don’t drink.

What’s the last airport you were at? Why were you there?: The one close to me to drop someone off.

Who do you live with?: My parents, younger bro, and doggo.

Do you read reddit? If so, how often and what subreddits do you like?: No.

Have you recently broken up with a significant other or even just a friend?: No.

What’s the weather like today? Is it nice enough to go outside?: It’s 86 F right now. 

Do you know anyone who’s had a baby recently?: No.

Have you used a pen or pencil today? What did you write down?: Nope.

What does your last text message say and who is it from?: I asked my bro if I could use his Amazon Prime and he replied, “sure.”

Can you count how many times you’ve seen your favourite film?: I have a lot of favorites, many of which I’ve seen countless times. Some of them are shown on TV often and I watch whenever I catch them on.

When was the last time you ate marshmallows?: With hot chocolate sometime earlier this year.

Do you listen to any podcasts? How do you listen to them?: No. There’s a lot that sound interesting, but I’m so lazy. Like for some reason it takes a lot for me to get started on something, even something as simple as a podcast. It’s the same way with TV shows. A few of my favorite TV shows I’ve discovered because someone put it on for me and got me to watch.

How old will you be in the year 2030?: 41. D: 

How often does the kettle in your house get used?: We don’t have one.

Does your skin bruise easily? Do you have any bruises right now? What from?: Not really.

What was the last thing you spent $150 or more on?: Bills.

Do you prefer yes or no questions or more open-ended questions?: Open-ended. I tend to avoid surveys that seem to be mostly questions that encourage one-word answers. What’s even the point? <<< Same. They get boring.

What brand of toilet paper do you usually buy?: Charmin.

If I knocked on your door right now, would you be acceptable dressed?: Yeah.

Why did you leave your last job?: I’ve never had one.

What colour were the last socks you wore?: Black.

Are you studying currently? What level of education and what do you study?: Nope. I graduated in 2015 with my BA in psych. I’m not pursuing anything higher. 

Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and left without paying?: No.

What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?: The vlog I was watching earlier.

What’s your favourite scent of air freshener?: Minty, cinnamon, tropical/beachy ones.

How many weddings have you ever been to?: 3.

Do you know anyone named Nora?: No.

Are your hands and feet in good condition or could you do with a mani-pedi? My fingernails are a mess. When was the last time you played a board game? What did you play?: It was some time last year, I think. I think it was The Golden Girls Clue game my cousin brought over.

Have you ever been to a festival for beer or other type of alcohol?: No.

Do you own a record player and/or vinyls?: I have 1 record, no record player.

When was the last time you went out for drinks?: Like 6/7 years ago. Have you ever been to a strip club?: No.

What’s your favourite kind of smoothie?: Strawberry and banana or just banana. 

Do you know anyone with a ‘virtue name’? (Google it): Yes.

Would you ever wear real authentic leather?: Nah.

Have you taken out the trash today?: Not me, personally. My dad did, though. How often do you wear make-up?: Very rarely. Not at all this year so far I don’t think. If I did, it was at the beginning sometime. 

What’s your opinion on The Simpsons?: Not my thing.

Do you prefer horizontal or vertical stripes?: I don’t care.

What’s your favourite brand of deodorant/antiperspirant?: Secret.

Do you know anyone who has been through a divorce?: Yeah.

If you had the money, would you take taxis everywhere instead of driving?: No.

Have you ever done a juice cleanse?: Nope.

Do you have any friends who you can’t decide if they’re attractive or not?: That’s really shitty. Is the inside of your fridge clean right now or does it need a clean out?: My mom cleaned it out recently. 

When was the last time you washed the dishes?: I rinse off whatever I use, but I’m not the one who does the dishes. My mom or dad does.

Are there any magazines that you read on a regular basis?: Nope. I haven’t read a magazine in years.

Do you have to pay for parking in most places in the town/city you live in?: I don’t.

What’s the first thing you tend to do when you have a headache?: Putting a cold wash cloth over my eyes helps a bit and then I just try and sleep it off. That’s all I can do.

Tell me about your responsibilities at work.: No job.

Can you hear lots of traffic from your house? Does it bother you?: I don’t hear any. I actually live near a freeway, but they built a soundproof wall several years ago. Have you ever had proper Canadian poutine with the squeaky cheese?: Nope. I’m intrigued by it, though. I think I’d like it.

Do your parents know how to operate smartphones and/or computers?: My mom uses her phone quite a bit for things like Facebook, Snapchat, and texting, so yeah she’s pretty good. She can use a computer, too. My dad uses his phone for stuff like Facebook, YouTube, and texting, but he’s not as savvy. He’s always asking my brother and I for help doing something. Especially not with a computer.

How old are your parents, anyway?: My mom is in her early 50s and my dad is in his late 50.

Are you allergic to anything? What do you have to do to prevent them?: Tangerines. I just avoid them.

What song is stuck in your head at the moment?: The theme song to Big Little Lies.

Do you hate it when people try really hard, or do you kinda like it?: It depends…? This is vague. <<< Like try really hard to be cool or funny or something like that? Then yes. Just stop. If they’re trying really hard to achieve something or do well on something, then no. Why would I hate that?

What’s your boss’ first name? Do you call him/her by that name?:

When was the last time you wore a uniform of any kind? What colour was it? I only had to wear a uniform for the preschool I went to. It was plaid.

Do you complete a survey before taking this one? Will you take one after?: Yeah I did. I’ll be taking more. Have you ever lost enough weight to drop a dress size?: I probably have.

What’s your favourite kind of bread?: White, wheat, or sourdough. 

When was the last time you got pizza? What toppings did you get?: A couple weeks ago. It was a creamy garlic sauce pizza with cheese (including feta), spinach, and meatballs. 

Do you own Monopoly? Is it the original or a special version?: We have a special version. It’s a fancy collector’s version.

What was the last thing you said out loud?: My mom just got home from work and we were talking.

You have to choose one: cats or dogs?: Dogs.

Would someone being either a cat or dog person effect you dating them?: No. It would affect me dating them if they didn’t like animals, though.

How do you travel to and from work?:

Do you primarily use cash or card for your purchases? Why?: Card. 

Have you ever been to a stadium concert?: Yep, those are the only kind I’ve been to.

[hethak-blog]

Article on Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee’s Legacy.

5 myths about Bruce Lee, debunked by the author of his new biography

Friday marks the 45th anniversary of legendary actor Bruce Lee’s death. As his fans reflect on his life and career, the author of his recent biography is sharing a few insights from his extensive research and interview process. Below Matthew Polly reflects in his own words.

Bruce Lee died a month before the release of Enter the Dragon (1973), the movie which turned him into an international icon. His fame was almost entirely posthumous. Unlike James Dean or Marilyn Monroe, he lacked a well-defined celebrity persona. “I knew so little about him and wanted to know so much,” wrote a young woman from New Jersey to Black Belt magazine in 1973. “Suddenly, he is dead, and I just can’t accept it. It’s as if I knew him, and now I never will.” To satisfy fans ravenous for details about his life, dozens of special edition magazines and quickie biographies were cranked out, filled with fictionalized accounts of his heroic deeds. Many of these tall tales were cemented in the public’s consciousness by the Hollywood biopic, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993).

Six years ago, I set out to uncover the man buried beneath the legend. Shockingly, no one had ever written a comprehensive biography of the most famous Asian-American in the world. Most of the information about Bruce was spread out across martial arts magazines, self-published memoirs, and low budget documentaries — few providing sourcing for their claims. The legend had become fact, so they printed the legend. In the course of my research, I encountered five enduring myths about Bruce Lee that are taken as gospel by even his most well-informed fans.

1. He was a teetotaler

When Johnny Walker Whiskey released an advertisement in 2013 that starred a CGI “Bruce Lee” philosophizing in Mandarin for the Chinese market, I was in Hong Kong interviewing Bruce’s friends and family members. Fans erupted in outrage that their hero, who supposedly did not drink, was being used to endorse alcohol. 

The origin of this myth comes from a quote Bruce Lee gave to the martial arts magazine Fighting Stars explaining why he avoided most Hollywood parties: “I’m not that type of cat. I don’t drink or smoke and those events are many times senseless.” In truth, what he meant was he didn’t drink very much or very often, because alcohol did not sit well with him. His friends report that after a few sips he would turn red in the face, start sweating, and feel nauseous. It seems Lee suffered from alcohol flush reaction —because over 35 percent of East Asians have the condition. Affected persons lack an enzyme needed to metabolize alcohol. The only type of booze Bruce Lee could drink without a severe reaction was sake.

2. He was the author of the TV series Kung Fu

I am often asked by fans and interviewers about the first Chinese martial arts show to ever air on American TV: “Bruce wrote Kung fu, right?” I always pause for a second before responding, “No, that’s not true. It was written by two Jewish comedy writers from Brooklyn, Ed Spielman and Howard Friendlander.” My reply is typically greeted with intense disappointment, as if I had told them that George Washington didn’t cut down that cherry tree.

This myth owes its strength to Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, which portrayed Bruce as coming up with the idea on the backlot of a Hollywood studio only to have it stolen from him and given to the white actor, David Carradine. Furious at this racist betrayal, Jason Scott Lee, who plays Bruce in the movie, abandons Hollywood for Hong Kong. In truth, Spielman and Friendlander wrote the Kung Fu screenplay for Warner Bros. in 1969. When the project failed to get made as a theatrical movie, the script was turned over to Warner’s TV division in 1971. Casting for the series began after Bruce had already completed his first Hong Kong kung fu movie, The Big Boss (1971). Bruce auditioned for the lead role of Kwai Chang Caine but lost it to David Carradine, because executives were concerned his Chinese accent was too thick for an American TV audience.

3. He fought Wong Jack Man over the right to teach kung fu to non-Chinese

No event in Bruce Lee’s life has been mythologized more than his challenge match with Wong Jack Man. Both sides continue to bicker over it to this day. In Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, which is based on Linda Lee’s biography of her late husband, Wong Jack Man is sent as an enforcer to Bruce’s newly opened Oakland school with an ultimatum from San Francisco’s Chinatown elders: Stop teaching kung fu to Caucasians. To keep his school open to students of all races, Lee has to defeat Wong.

Bruce Lee was the first kung fu instructor in America to accept students regardless of race or ethnicity, but that’s not why the fight happened. He had recently given a kung fu demonstration in Chinatown’s Sun Sing Theatre where he had insulted its traditional kung fu masters, calling them “old tigers with no teeth who teach nonsense.” When the crowd, filled with students of these traditional masters, became upset, Bruce said, “I would like to let everybody know that any time my Chinatown brothers want to research my kung fu, they are welcome to find me at my school in Oakland.” The audience gasped at what they perceived as an open challenge to all of Chinatown. After Lee’s performance, David Chin, a young Chinatown kung fu student, recruited Wong Jack Man, a waiter at a local restaurant and aspiring kung fu teacher, to take up Bruce’s challenge by convincing him he could make a name for himself by defeating Lee.

4. His fight with Wong Jack Man ended in a tie

While watching the Hollywood film Birth of the Dragon (2016) in a nearly empty theater, I began howling with laughter. A man two rows back asked me, “Excuse me, sir, but do you know this story?” I replied, “Actually, I do.” Since our conversation was more interesting than the movie, he asked, “What really happened?” I said, “Bruce Lee won.”

Wong Jack Man and his many kung fu students have long hated the villainous portrayal of him in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. They finally got their revenge 23 years later with Birth of the Dragon, which is told from Wong’s perspective and makes him out to a wise Buddhist monk who tutors the Westernized Bruce Lee in traditional Chinese values. During their fight, Wong is clearly winning but decides to back off and let it be considered a draw to demonstrate how evolved he is as a spiritual being. In truth, no one there that night, except Wong, believes it was a tie. According to David Chin, who arranged the match on Wong’s behalf, Bruce overwhelmed Wong with his opening series of attacks, causing Wong to turn his back and run. Bruce chased him around the room until Wong tripped and fell. Bruce jumped on top of Wong and rained down punches, forcing Chin to intervene and rescue Wong.

5. He was murdered

In a recent phone interview with a young reporter at the South China Morning Post, she said to me, “The consensus in Hong Kong is that he was killed.” I replied, “If only there was a consensus, it would have made my job easier.”

Bruce died at the age of 32 in the apartment of Betty Ting Pei, a sultry Taiwanese actress. To avoid a scandal, Raymond Chow, who was Bruce’s business partner, told the press that Bruce died at home with his wife, Linda. When a newspaper reporter uncovered the deception three days later, it unleashed a thousand conspiracy theories. Bruce was killed by Betty. No, it was Raymond. The more inventive blamed the Chinese Triads or Japanese ninjas. Maybe it was an ancient curse. The Hong Kong tabloids were particular fond of the sex and drug-filled orgy explanation. The public grew so upset there were protests and bomb threats, forcing the British colonial government to call for a full investigation. At the Coroner’s Inquest into his death, a British forensic expert posited that Bruce had died from an allergic reaction to an aspirin he had taken just prior to his death.

In truth, Bruce died from a cerebral edema (swelling of the brain). No one knows for certain what caused it, although I’m fairly sure it wasn’t ninjas. The aspirin allergy theory is the one cited in most respectable newspaper accounts, despite its obvious flaw: Bruce was a hardcore martial artist who took aspirin for pain most of his adult life without any side effects. In my book, I post an alternate explanation — heat stroke. A few months prior to his death, Bruce Lee had the sweat glands in his armpits surgically removed, because he didn’t like how his dank pits looked on screen. The day he died, July 20, 1973, was the hottest of the month in tropical Hong Kong. According to Raymond Chow, Bruce was vigorously performing scene after kung fu scene from his next movie in Betty’s small apartment when he began to feel dizzy. He complained of a headache, went to lie down, and never got back up again.

Written By:  Seija Rankin

Sources:

https://ew.com/books/2018/07/20/bruce-lee-death-biography/

[morebuyplantsonline-blog]

Benefits Of Buy Plants Online That May Change Your Perspective

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  TAGS: Buy Trees Online,Tropical Plants For Sale,Indoor House Plants,Buy Plants Online   

[scootsaboot]

For a Rhysothy prompt how about Rhys being in the hospital delirious with fever and Tim is his cute nurse that he keeps awkwardly flirting, like "marry me" and "let's run away to Europe" levels of awkward.

hope you don’t mind I changed the scenario just a little

see fic a week earlier on my Patreon!

Timothy hated hospitals. Always had, ever since he and Jack were kids. They had to go somewhat regularly when their grandmother had been on her last legs. It was creepy. Too white and sterile in the halls, and Tim passed every door with the knowledge that someone behind it was either dying or dead already. One time, Jack had tried to sneak into the morgue in the basement, and even seeing the black body bags through the little window had been enough to send Tim running back to their grandmother’s room.

But Tim wasn’t here to face his childhood trauma. Tim was here for Rhys, who had somehow managed to get an infection right after they’d come home from a weeklong vacation in the tropics. It had been bad enough to affect the electronics welded to his bones and they’d had to remove his cybernetics entirely to clean it all. He’d gone in for that surgery–Tim glanced at the clock–nearly three hours ago, and Tim had been sitting in the waiting room since they wheeled Rhys away. His leg was bouncing of its own accord as he scrolled through facebook, trying to distract himself. He’d been assured ten times over that the infection wasn’t life-threatening at its current stage, that this was something they saw with cybernetics fairly often, that Rhys was going to be just fine.

It didn’t stop him from worrying. All he could think about was: what if Rhys was allergic to something the surgeons were using? Tim had heard horror stories of people going to the hospital for something minor and ending up dead because they had a reaction. Rhys wasn’t allergic to anything as far as he knew, but it wasn’t like Rhys had ever gotten an allergy test at his doctor’s. He was pretty sure he hadn’t, at least.

Oh my god, did he? Did he get a test done and they just forgot what he was allergic to? Tim couldn’t remember. He nearly bolted out of his seat, ready to run through every operating room to find Rhys’ to make sure he wasn’t dead.

“Mr. Lawrence?”

The nurse’s voice pulled Tim from his racing thoughts. He looked up, and the anxiety must have shown on his face, because she smiled warmly and stepped closer. “He’s just fine. Everything went great. We just brought him into post-op, and you can see him if you like.”

Tim got to his feet, and she led him down the halls to a quiet room.

“The medicine we gave him is pretty strong,” the nurse warned him as she let him into the room. “So he may not be all there, but he is awake.”

“Thanks,” Tim said, stepping past her and making a beeline for the only occupied bed in the room. Rhys was propped at a slight angle, resting against an impressive amount of pillows that Tim knew he’d demanded before he’d gone in for the surgery. He was paler than usual, and the paper-thin hospital gown and stark white sheets made him look frail. Rhys’ right side was empty, his cybernetic arm resting on the long table beside his bed.

“Hey,” Tim said, stopping at Rhys’ bedside. Rhys looked…okay. Not great, but okay for someone who’d just come out of surgery.

Rhys tilted his head toward Tim, eyes fluttering like he was trying to remember how to keep them open. His mouth curled into a soft, easy smile that made Tim’s heart do funny things in his chest.

“Hi,” Rhys slurred like he’d been drinking. His eyes were glassy and unfocused, dilated even under the harsh overhead light.

“How are you feeling?” Tim asked, grabbing the little plastic chair from its place against the wall and dragging it to Rhys’ bedside to sit.

“I feel…” Rhys closed his eyes and smiled dumbly. “Good!” He said it louder than necessary, letting his mouth hang open afterwards. “Good.” Rhys repeated himself, cracking one eye open to look at Tim again.

Oh man. If Rhys was of sound mind and knew what he looked like right now, he’d throw a fit. Tim tapped his fingers against his knee, the temptation to pull out his phone and start recording almost too strong to ignore.

Some of Rhys’ hair flopped over his forehead. Rhys sucked in a lungful of air and tried to blow the strands away, his cheeks puffing out. Tim snorted and pushed the hair away from Rhys’ face, tucking it behind his ear. Rhys titled his head, chasing Tim’s hand and sighing when Tim brushed his thumb across his cheek.

“You’re cute.” Rhys mumbled, pressing his lips against Tim’s palm. “Soooo cute. Why?”

Tim couldn’t help but flush under Rhys’ words–he wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to handle compliments from Rhys.

“Why am I cute?” Tim asked.

“Yeah.” Rhys reached out with his left arm, wrapping soft fingers around Tim’s hand. “Cute. Really cute.”

Tim squeezed Rhys’ hand and sneakily pulled his phone from his pocket to start recording. Rhys would never believe him otherwise, and Tim would love to be able to watch this again.

“Guess I just got lucky.” Tim answered. “You’re pretty cute too, you know.”

“Pfff,” Rhys giggled, ducking his head. “Yeah.” He slurred. Well at least the medicine hadn’t affected his self-esteem. He pressed his lips to Tim’s hand again, almost like a kiss, but uncoordinated and more drool-y. “Who–” Rhys furrowed his brows, looking like he was trying to work through a complicated problem, “Are you my nurse? You’re so cute…”

Tim blinked in surprise. Rhys didn’t even recognize him through the haze of drugs. He glanced at his phone to make sure it was still recording.

“No sweetheart, I’m not your nurse.”

Rhys lit up, his grin growing wider. “Then we can get married! You’re not allowed to marry your nurse.”

Tim bit down on his bottom lip to try and stifle his laughter. “Is that so?” Rhys was going to kill him for recording this later, but God. No way he wasn’t going to share this with their friends.

“Tim!” Rhys squeezed Tim’s hand. “We can get married, right?” Rhys’ mouth seemed to be having issues keeping up with his words, too slow and numb to work properly. He smacked his lips. “We’re gonna get married.”

“Babe,” Tim stroked his thumb over Rhys’ hand. “Sweetheart. Light of my life. We’re already married.”

Rhys’ mouth dropped open, his eyes going wide. “We are?”

“Mhmm,” Tim nodded.

“We’re married?”

“Yep. You and me. Married. Husband and Husband.”

“I married you?” Rhys lolled his head back against his pillows, his eyes still wide like a kid on Christmas morning. His face crumpled, his bottom lip quivering as tears welled up in his real eye and slipped down his right cheek. Rhys was crying. Ugly crying.

“Woah, woah, hey,” Tim set his phone aside and leaned forward into Rhys’ space. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Rhys pulled his hand out of Tim’s grasp and tried to wipe at his eye; he only managed to press the heel of his palm against his cheek and he closed both eyes with a sniffle. “I don’t–remember getting married. If we’re married why don’t I remember?”

“Hey, Rhys,” Tim slipped out of his chair and sat on the edge of Rhys’ tiny bed. He pressed a kiss to Rhys’ forehead and wiped away the tears on his cheek. “You probably don’t remember because you’re high as a kite. Whatever the doctors gave you is pretty damn strong.”

“Doctors?” Rhys asked with a sniff.

“Yeah, doctors. We’re in the hospital–”

Rhys eyes flew open. “Why am I in the hospital?” He pushed away from his pillows and tried to sit up, looking panicked.

“You had an infection,” Tim said, pressing a gentle hand against Rhys’ shoulder. “It’s okay. You’re fine. They just had to clean out your cybernetics.”

Rhys’ shoulders slumped and he laid back, the panic leaving his eyes just as quickly as it came. He mumbled something that sounded almost like “okay” and closed his eyes. Tim made a mental note to ask Rhys’ doctor for an extensive list of the side-effects of Rhys’ medicine.

“You wanna hear about our wedding?” Tim asked, taking Rhys’ hand again.

Rhys’ frown slowly turned into a soft smile and he opened his eyes again, one red-rimmed and the other the same bright blue as always. “Yes. I looked great, right? You liked it?”

“You looked amazing,” Tim said truthfully. It wasn’t so long ago, and Tim could remember the exact shade of blue Rhys’ tie had been, could easily picture it in his mind. Tim cleared his throat. “Let’s see…we got married at Beaulieu Garden in Napa. It was over our projected budget but there was no changing your mind after you saw the place.”

“Oh!” Rhys gasped. “They had wine!”

“They did.” Tim agreed. “They had a vineyard, and we paid for an open bar. You got very, very drunk.”

“Nooo,” Rhys shook his head. “I didn’t.”

“You did,” Tim smiled. “I’m sure we’ve got a bunch of videos I could show you.”

Rhys scrunched up his face, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment before opening again. He looked like he was just barely hanging onto consciousness. Tim brushed the hair away from Rhys’ forehead again and let his palm rest against Rhys’ warm skin.

“I don’t wanna,” Rhys complained with a pout.

“Don’t wanna what?”

“Be in the hospital. I wanna go home and eat ice cream and get married.”

“We’re already married,” Tim said.

“I wanna get married again,” Rhys whined. “I feel like I’m dying. The clock squigglies are dancing.”

Tim glanced behind them at the analog clock on the wall, then turned back to Rhys. “You’re not dying, I promise. Stop looking at the clock.”

Rhys closed his eyes. “Okay, Timothy.”

“They’re letting you go home later today, alright? We’ll get some ice cream on the way.”

Rhys didn’t respond, but he was smiling. Tim slipped his hand away from Rhys’ face and grabbed his phone, turning it over in his hand. It was still recording, the little red circle pulsing and the numbers at the bottom reading ‘4.05’ and climbing. He turned it off and squeezed Rhys’ hand in his own, fingers pressed to the steady pulse in Rhys’ wrist.

[dynoguard]

NaNoWriMo: Return of the DinoKnights (Day 12)

Day 1 & 2 text is here.

Day 3 is here.

Day 4 is here.

Day 5 is here.

Day 6 is here.

Day 7 is here.

Day 8 is here.

Day 9 is here.

Day 10 is here.

Day 11 is here.

Today’s update is extra long, so I have included a read more break to not completely destroy everyone’s timelines. 

“Are you sure this is the right way?” Jason asked. The dark hallways of Science Tower One reminded him of his father’s video games; a maze of doors, winding hallways, vaulted ceilings made of the same bits, rearranged over and over again. 

“It’s not.” Linn replied. “Not if we’re trying to get back to control. But we’re not.”

“Are you going to eat me?”

Linn stopped. She spun around with a hop. To Jason, she moved like a small bird, deliberate and graceful with bursts of erratic speed. “Eat you? Did that translate right?”

“You say we’re going to find your friend but we’re just wandering in the dark.” Jason said. “And the teeth and claws and stuff.”

“You don’t like my claws?”

“It’s not-” Jason shook his head. “Just, if you’re going to eat me, give me a head start.”

Linn lowered her head but kept her snout forward, her neck curving gracefully, the feathers on her forearms fanning out as she clicked the large, curved, sickle-like claws on each foot against the floor.  “Why would I give you a head start when I could just GOBBLE YOU UP!”

She lunged forward, jaws snapping open, her sharp teeth bared. Jason leapt backward. The back of his left leg caught the edge of the cylindrical decorative planter behind him, sending him tumbling, gracelessly, over a squat fern of what was (until today) an extinct species.  

Jason started to struggle to his feet in a panic when he heard Linn laughing. Her laughter came in bursts, starting as musical giggles then rising to full guffaws before halting with an inhalation of breath that sounded a bit like a goose honking. 

“Are you-” Linn managed to say through her laughter. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Jason said. Linn extended a clawed hand and, after a moment’s hesitation, he took it. It was smooth and scaled and softer than he expected. He could feel her claws against his skin, but as she helped him to his feet he did not feel even a scratch. Even when his weight shifted unexpectedly as he untangled himself from the plant. 

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist. And your face, the look on your face!” Linn laughed. 

Jason flushed with embarrassment, his brown skin turning a darker shade for a moment. He leaned against a smooth section of the hallway wall. “Okay, yeah, if I’d been watching it would have been funny. But if you didn’t lure me down here to eat me-”

“You can talk and you’re not cooked, why would I eat you?” Linn paused. “You do cook your not-talking food, right?” 

“Yeah, we cook our food, most of the time.” Jason replied. “And we don’t eat anything that talks... that we know of.”

“Score two for humanity.” Linn laughed. “If we go to control, the adults are just going to put us in a corner until they figure everything out. So I’m being helpful, we’re going to meet Kyle where he’s going.”

“Where is-” The lights flickered on suddenly. Jason snapped his eyes closed against the sudden burst of light. 

“HEY THERE!-”

Jason turned to see the face of another dinosaur with its jaws wide open. He once against screamed and leapt back. This time Linn was there to catch him.

“-CU-CU-CUSTOMER!” The dinosaur was behind the wall Jason had been leaning on, which he could now see was a panel of black glass. The Dinosovian in the mirror resembled a green Tyrannosaurus Rex, though proportioned more like a human being and wearing a shiny, tailored purple jacket over a bodysuit similar to the one Linn wore.. He seemed vaguely plastic, a bit too angular, and his head plumage was coiffed into a ridiculous crest. “You look like you could use a snack with b-b-b-b-bite!” 

“Hey Mister Bite!” Linn chirped as if the creature were a life-long friend.

“Cu-cu-customer Linn-in-in.” The pitchman seemed to twitch and relocate within the glass as he spoke, An assortment of packages materialized around him, “Good to see you again. What can I g-g-get you?”

“It’s a vending machine?”

“You haven’t heard of Mister B-b-b-bite?” The pitchman turned its attention to Jason. “You must have been living under a r-r-r-ock.”

“Is it broken?” Jason asked. “Why does it talk like that?”

“It’s called sh-sh-showmanship!” Mister Bite replied. 

“Yeah, that’s kinda Mister Bite’s deal.” Linn said, turning her own attention to the screen. “Two Chomp-Chomps, a Drom-sized Splort, and- Jason what do you eat?”

“What?”

“Mostly meat, mostly veg?”

“Mix of both?”

“Make that two Drom-sized Splorts, and a Cerowrap.” 

“Coming right up, Cu-cu-customer Linn!” A series of clanking noises and thumps came from behind the wall as a short, catchy tune filled the air. “C-c--communications are down, your account will be debited once connections are re--re-restored!”

A small door, previously indistinguishable from the rest of the wall, opened, and a tray extended from it. On the tray were a pair of red plastic pitchers with silver writing that the translator told Jason’s mind was Dinosovian for “Splort!” Next two it were what looked like a pair of candy bars in silver wrappers and what appeared to be a burrito made with an unfamiliar leaf in place of a tortilla.  

“Thank you, Mister Bite.” Linn shoved one of the pitchers and the leaf-wrap into Jason’s hands. 

“No Pr-pr-problem! Come back when you need more B-b-bite in your d-d-day!” The plastic pitchman then vanished, the screen going blank, once again becoming a pane of black glass. 

“All this talk of eating you made me hungry.” Linn tore the wrapper off the first ‘Chomp-Chomp’. Jason had expected a candy bar of some stripe, but the package contained a tube of cured meat covered in a breading that was mostly small seeds. She took a bite.

Jason sniffed his wrap. It smelled like lettuce with a hint of mint. Under that lay the smell of unfamiliar spices and a hint of something meaty. “So is Mr. Bite like, artificially intelligent or just prerecorded?”

“Low-end AI, programmed to sell food, make small talk and tell some jokes.” Linn replied. “How do your vending machines work?”

“We push buttons.”

“Just like the ones in Historic Tuskaroon!” Linn chirped. “We went there one year on vacation. I got to shoot a brigand with a crossbow, I was all-”

Linn mimed firing the crossbow, then hopped to where she had aimed it. 

“And he was all-” and acted as though the bolt had struck her in the chest, grabbing the impact with a claw and dramatically flopping to the ground. “Ugh!”

Jason took a wary bite of his wrap. The leaf crunched, and tasted much like it smelled, like minty lettuce. The fillings were warm, something that tasted like almonds but was soft like baked beans, a ground, lightly spiced meat that was vaguely pork-like in texture and flavor, and a savory sauce. “This isn’t bad. What kind of meat is this?”

“Dragonfly.” Linn replied. She took a drink from her pitcher, holding it up and gently pouring into her mouth. “But its totally super-processed.”

"Gross.” Jason said. He took another bite anyway. He took an awkward sip from his pitcher. It was carbonated, like a soda and it tasted like coffee and almond milk with a hint of tropical fruit. 

“Huh...” Linn paused. “I just realized we don’t know if you can eat this stuff.”

“It doesn’t taste poisonous.” Jason said. 

“But you could be allergic or something. Maybe you should just let me-”

Jason noticed that both of Linn’s ‘Chomp Chomp’ wrappers were empty. “We can go back if you’re still hungry.”

“Eh, maybe in a bit.” Linn stopped in her tracks.

“What is it?” 

Linn turned to the wall on their left. A heavy door large enough to drive a car through was stuck, half-open. Or, more accurately, half of the door and a section of the wall was missing, Beyond the empty gap was a large, dark room. 

“This is Project Zero.” 

“I don’t come from your time, please explain.” Jason replied. 

“All the Science Towers have cutting edge science projects, some are classified. One in five dinos here work on Project Zero but no one talks about it.” She stepped through the gap, her tail swishing behind her.

“Wait, you said it was top secret.”

She stuck her head out of the door. “Which means if we’re going to find out what it is, we need to do it now, when no one is around to catch us.”

--

“Monsters! You have monsters just wandering around and you didn’t think to tell us?” Sheriff Horne glared at the human Gloria Anning. She and Sagan were the only ones in the control room when she finally made it up stairs. 

“Describe the monster... was it furry with big claws, yay big?” Gloria indicated about five feet with her hand, then mimed a pair of antlers with her hands “Or was it four legged with big horns?” 

“No, not an animal, a monster.” Horne seemed even larger and more powerful in her shiny blue armor and her frustration was palpable. “A monster, capital M, emphasis on the ‘onster’, it was like a living shadow full of purple lightning,”

“We don’t... have anything like that.” Sagan said.

“No. We don’t.” Gloria said. “Tell me more, Sheriff.”

Sheriff Horne recounted her journey to the vehicle bay in detail, omitting exactly how much the chittervoles had startled her.  

“Is it possible this ‘specter’ could be something you picked up on your way to the present?” Gloria asked.

“I don’t know. I’m not-” Sheriff Horne sighed. “I’m not good with the science. I know how to operate stuff-”

She slapped her armored hand against her chest plate for emphasis. “-but Linn’s the smart egg in the family.”

“And she’s wandering around with my son right now.” 

“That’s not good.” Horne said. “I mean, no offense, but I don’t know you, or your species. For all I know he could eat her.”

“He is a teenager.” Gloria interjected. 

Both Horne and Sagan looked at her.

“I’m kidding,” Gloria said. “I’m pretty sure we have more in common than we don’t. Which is is why instead of returning here now that power is on, everyone has wandered off and left us to worry.”

“She’s right.” Sagan said. “So do we wait here for them to come back or go looking for them.”

“Kyle and Zara are scientists at the top of their fields.” Sheriff Horne replied. “And Brach’s just as smart and curious.”

“So we-” Gloria began.

-better find them before they accidentally teleport us into the sun or unleash killer robots on the world or turn air into fire or something.” Horne said as she stomped toward the door to Section 2. 

[gordonwilliamsweb]

Feeling Stressed? Try These Essential Oils for Anxiety

"Stop and smell the roses" is one of the most famous sayings of all time, yet did you know that there’s medicine in those words? Delightful floral aromas bring joy, peace, happy memories — and even good health. Whether rose, lavender, or ylang-ylang, essential oils can bring you relief for daily stress and anxiety.

Jennifer B., a writer from Wisconsin, discovered how beneficial essential oils could be firsthand. In 2007, as a newlywed, she learned her husband was in the path of a tornado — and she wasn’t home to help. She had a panic attack, bursting into tears. Knowing that this strong reaction wasn’t unusual for her, she became determined to find a natural way to help her relieve anxiety. It took several years to find something that helped.

"After surgery years later, the nurses gave me an essential oil scented packet to smell when I felt nauseous or anxious," Jen says. It was a blend of peppermint, lavender, ginger, and spearmint oils. When she inhaled, it instantly made her feel calm, clear, and centered. "It helped, so I adopted the idea into my own natural medicine toolkit."

Today, she has a collection of oils to use whenever she wants some relief from daily stress and anxiety.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils concentrate the scent and flavor of a plant.[1] Oils can concentrate the floral essences, or aromatic compounds in the leaves or roots, depending on the plant. The plant material gets either mechanically pressed or distilled, concentrating the aromatic chemicals into a powerful liquid package.

Essential oils have various health benefits. These range from strengthening the immune system to reducing inflammation to helping you relax.[2]

People commonly use essential oils in cosmetics, food, and natural medicine.[2] They’re best known for aromatherapy — using scent to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit.[3]

You can disperse the oils through a diffuser, inhale right out of the tiny bottles, or apply the oil to your skin, usually with an unscented carrier oil. If they’re food-grade, you can take them internally.

Top Essential Oils for Anxiety

Essential oils have an amazing ability to promote your mental health and wellness — specifically, calming down an anxious mind. We’ve compiled the best serenity-boosting oils out there. Grab a deep breath and enjoy anxiety relief!

Bergamot

A citrus fruit about the size of an orange, bergamot is the key ingredient in Earl Grey tea. Bergamot helps you calm down when there’s just too much going on. Bergamot not only protects the brain and helps your brain cell "synapses" or connections work better, but it also has remarkable anxiolytic or anxiety-calming properties.[4]

Lavender

Lavender essential oil comes from tiny purple flowers you can find across the Old World, like the English countryside. The oil has a wealth of benefits, including antibacterial to antifungal properties. But lavender oil shines as a way to calm you down — it even eases the blues and relaxes muscles.[5]

Rose

Many people associate the floral scent of a rose with love and joy — and it’s no different with rose essential oil. Rose oil contains terpenes, flavonoids, and anthocyanins — plant compounds that have numerous health benefits.[6] Rose oil can not only lift mood, but also relax your mind, reduce anxiety, and even improve sexual function![6]

German (Blue) Chamomile

The oil from German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) contains a higher concentration of chamazulene, an aromatic compound with a distinctive blue color and strong calming effect.[7, 8] For people who generally feel a little scattered or on-edge, German chamomile can provide peace of mind.

Neroli or Bitter Orange

As another citrus-derived oil, neroli is extracted from bitter orange tree blossoms. "Neroli" is named after a 16th-century princess, Anna-Marie de Nerola.[9] Neroli oil contains limonene and linalool, which act as sedatives.[9]

When you inhale neroli oil, it can ease a grumpy mood, and even help you fall asleep with less trouble. It’s especially helpful for postmenopausal women dealing with stress and anxiety.[10]

Frankincense

You may know frankincense as one of the gifts from the three wise men. This pine-scented oil comes from the sap of the Boswellia tree. Frankincense oil promotes normal levels of stress hormones. It may also help you rest better, especially if you haven’t gotten enough sleep lately.[11]

Clary Sage

Clary sage is not the herb you’re used to cooking with. It’s a greenish-purple large-leafed plant that, when distilled into oil, works wonders for tension — especially in women. It eases cramps — a source of stress for any woman — and regulates cortisol (or "stress hormone") levels.[12]

Sweet Orange

Aromatherapists love sweet orange essential oil. They use it before and during a massage to help calm patients down. And science backs it up. When inhaled, sweet orange oil increases feelings of tranquility. It makes you feel more relaxed when dealing with a situation that brings about stress.[13]

Holy Basil

Also known as tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), holy basil has been used from ancient times as an Ayurvedic herb. Tulsi may protect cells from stress caused by chemical pollutants and heavy metals. It also physiologically relaxes your body and mind.[14] Whether as an essential oil or a liquid extract, tulsi lifts mood, promoting relaxation and happier thoughts. It may even give you an extra memory boost.[14]

Ylang-Ylang

This oil originates from the flowers of the Indonesian Cananga odorata, a tropical tree with curling yellow flowers. When taken topically, ylang-ylang oil promotes normal blood pressure, which relaxes you and makes you feel calmer.[15]

Anxiety Relief Oil-Blend Recipes

Whether used topically or diffused into the room, essential oils provide a steady, relaxing aroma that can bring calm and peacefulness. For the best results, use a diffuser. Diffusers mix the oils with water, slowly filling a room with mist. This results in the oils permeating the air, and the effects can last for several hours.

Topical Recipes

For these topical recipes, mix one or two drops of each essential oil with almond, jojoba, or coconut oil for a carrier oil. Massage the mixture directly on your wrist, neck, or temple with a cotton ball so that they absorb readily into the bloodstream. Carrier oils are unscented oils that, when blended with more volatile essential oils, make it safe to put the essential oils right on the skin.

Stay Focused Blend: Bergamot & Lavender

This blend is a one-stop-solution for anyone who feels like they have too much going on. Bergamot and lavender both help you relax enough to get in the mindset of getting things done.

Muscle Tension Blend: Clary Sage, Lavender & Bergamot

This blend will have you feeling relaxed longer thanks to both the calming properties of bergamot, lavender, and clary sage’s abilities to ease muscle tension in your body.

Diffuser Recipes

Put three drops of each oil into your diffuser. Adjust the amount used based on your diffuser’s capacity. Typically, diffusers hold 100 to 150 milliliters of water.

Relaxation Blend: Lavender, Blue Chamomile & Ylang Ylang

The chamomile in this blend will help you feel more put together and less scattered. The lavender will ease you into a relaxed state. And the ylang-ylang will calm a hectic heart rate and promote normal blood pressure.

Tranquility Blend: Orange & Cedarwood

Both orange and cedarwood soothe your mood, leaving you feeling more tranquil, relaxed, and at peace with the world no matter what is going on around you.

Precautions & Side Effects

Always use essential oils from a reputable company. Make sure you do your research for company reviews and check the ingredients list. When you do get a good, high-quality oil, be careful how you use it. Some, like bergamot, can be toxic to pets, so keep them out of the room when you have it in a diffuser.

Many essential oils should be diluted with a carrier like almond or jojoba oil before putting it on your skin. Do a test patch on your skin to make sure you won’t have an allergic reaction to the oil. Only ingest an oil if it is food-grade.

Points to Remember

Essential oils are concentrated versions of plants and all the powerful healing benefits that come with them. You can diffuse them, use them topically, or if food-grade, ingest them.

The best oils to calm your stress and anxiety are lavender, rose, neroli, bergamot, blue chamomile, ylang-ylang, frankincense, sweet orange, holy basil, and clary sage.

Lavender relaxes your muscles and calms you down. Rose lifts your mood. Neroli banishes grumpiness. Bergamot and blue chamomile help focus a scattered mind. Ylang-ylang promotes normal blood pressure, which is relaxing enough all its own.

Frankincense and clary sage both support normal levels of the stress hormone cortisol. As for sweet orange and holy basil, they’re great at bringing a sense of tranquility.

Though these are the top essential oils, others experience peaceful emotions from lime, patchouli, geranium, rosemary, peppermint, and vetiver oil.

In addition to using these oils as aromatherapy by inhaling them or using them in a diffuser, you can apply to the skin for anxiety relief. Many essential oils are found in natural cosmetics. Parfait Visage® luxury skin cream promotes fresh, radiant skin with the use of neroli, rose, and lavender essential oils, among other natural ingredients.

Have you tried essential oils for anxiety? Let us know in the comments.

The post Feeling Stressed? Try These Essential Oils for Anxiety appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

Feeling Stressed? Try These Essential Oils for Anxiety published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[michellelinkous]

Feeling Stressed? Try These Essential Oils for Anxiety

"Stop and smell the roses" is one of the most famous sayings of all time, yet did you know that there’s medicine in those words? Delightful floral aromas bring joy, peace, happy memories — and even good health. Whether rose, lavender, or ylang-ylang, essential oils can bring you relief for daily stress and anxiety.

Jennifer B., a writer from Wisconsin, discovered how beneficial essential oils could be firsthand. In 2007, as a newlywed, she learned her husband was in the path of a tornado — and she wasn’t home to help. She had a panic attack, bursting into tears. Knowing that this strong reaction wasn’t unusual for her, she became determined to find a natural way to help her relieve anxiety. It took several years to find something that helped.

"After surgery years later, the nurses gave me an essential oil scented packet to smell when I felt nauseous or anxious," Jen says. It was a blend of peppermint, lavender, ginger, and spearmint oils. When she inhaled, it instantly made her feel calm, clear, and centered. "It helped, so I adopted the idea into my own natural medicine toolkit."

Today, she has a collection of oils to use whenever she wants some relief from daily stress and anxiety.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils concentrate the scent and flavor of a plant.[1] Oils can concentrate the floral essences, or aromatic compounds in the leaves or roots, depending on the plant. The plant material gets either mechanically pressed or distilled, concentrating the aromatic chemicals into a powerful liquid package.

Essential oils have various health benefits. These range from strengthening the immune system to reducing inflammation to helping you relax.[2]

People commonly use essential oils in cosmetics, food, and natural medicine.[2] They’re best known for aromatherapy — using scent to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit.[3]

You can disperse the oils through a diffuser, inhale right out of the tiny bottles, or apply the oil to your skin, usually with an unscented carrier oil. If they’re food-grade, you can take them internally.

Top Essential Oils for Anxiety

Essential oils have an amazing ability to promote your mental health and wellness — specifically, calming down an anxious mind. We’ve compiled the best serenity-boosting oils out there. Grab a deep breath and enjoy anxiety relief!

Bergamot

A citrus fruit about the size of an orange, bergamot is the key ingredient in Earl Grey tea. Bergamot helps you calm down when there’s just too much going on. Bergamot not only protects the brain and helps your brain cell "synapses" or connections work better, but it also has remarkable anxiolytic or anxiety-calming properties.[4]

Lavender

Lavender essential oil comes from tiny purple flowers you can find across the Old World, like the English countryside. The oil has a wealth of benefits, including antibacterial to antifungal properties. But lavender oil shines as a way to calm you down — it even eases the blues and relaxes muscles.[5]

Rose

Many people associate the floral scent of a rose with love and joy — and it’s no different with rose essential oil. Rose oil contains terpenes, flavonoids, and anthocyanins — plant compounds that have numerous health benefits.[6] Rose oil can not only lift mood, but also relax your mind, reduce anxiety, and even improve sexual function![6]

German (Blue) Chamomile

The oil from German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) contains a higher concentration of chamazulene, an aromatic compound with a distinctive blue color and strong calming effect.[7, 8] For people who generally feel a little scattered or on-edge, German chamomile can provide peace of mind.

Neroli or Bitter Orange

As another citrus-derived oil, neroli is extracted from bitter orange tree blossoms. "Neroli" is named after a 16th-century princess, Anna-Marie de Nerola.[9] Neroli oil contains limonene and linalool, which act as sedatives.[9]

When you inhale neroli oil, it can ease a grumpy mood, and even help you fall asleep with less trouble. It’s especially helpful for postmenopausal women dealing with stress and anxiety.[10]

Frankincense

You may know frankincense as one of the gifts from the three wise men. This pine-scented oil comes from the sap of the Boswellia tree. Frankincense oil promotes normal levels of stress hormones. It may also help you rest better, especially if you haven’t gotten enough sleep lately.[11]

Clary Sage

Clary sage is not the herb you’re used to cooking with. It’s a greenish-purple large-leafed plant that, when distilled into oil, works wonders for tension — especially in women. It eases cramps — a source of stress for any woman — and regulates cortisol (or "stress hormone") levels.[12]

Sweet Orange

Aromatherapists love sweet orange essential oil. They use it before and during a massage to help calm patients down. And science backs it up. When inhaled, sweet orange oil increases feelings of tranquility. It makes you feel more relaxed when dealing with a situation that brings about stress.[13]

Holy Basil

Also known as tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), holy basil has been used from ancient times as an Ayurvedic herb. Tulsi may protect cells from stress caused by chemical pollutants and heavy metals. It also physiologically relaxes your body and mind.[14] Whether as an essential oil or a liquid extract, tulsi lifts mood, promoting relaxation and happier thoughts. It may even give you an extra memory boost.[14]

Ylang-Ylang

This oil originates from the flowers of the Indonesian Cananga odorata, a tropical tree with curling yellow flowers. When taken topically, ylang-ylang oil promotes normal blood pressure, which relaxes you and makes you feel calmer.[15]

Anxiety Relief Oil-Blend Recipes

Whether used topically or diffused into the room, essential oils provide a steady, relaxing aroma that can bring calm and peacefulness. For the best results, use a diffuser. Diffusers mix the oils with water, slowly filling a room with mist. This results in the oils permeating the air, and the effects can last for several hours.

Topical Recipes

For these topical recipes, mix one or two drops of each essential oil with almond, jojoba, or coconut oil for a carrier oil. Massage the mixture directly on your wrist, neck, or temple with a cotton ball so that they absorb readily into the bloodstream. Carrier oils are unscented oils that, when blended with more volatile essential oils, make it safe to put the essential oils right on the skin.

Stay Focused Blend: Bergamot & Lavender

This blend is a one-stop-solution for anyone who feels like they have too much going on. Bergamot and lavender both help you relax enough to get in the mindset of getting things done.

Muscle Tension Blend: Clary Sage, Lavender & Bergamot

This blend will have you feeling relaxed longer thanks to both the calming properties of bergamot, lavender, and clary sage’s abilities to ease muscle tension in your body.

Diffuser Recipes

Put three drops of each oil into your diffuser. Adjust the amount used based on your diffuser’s capacity. Typically, diffusers hold 100 to 150 milliliters of water.

Relaxation Blend: Lavender, Blue Chamomile & Ylang Ylang

The chamomile in this blend will help you feel more put together and less scattered. The lavender will ease you into a relaxed state. And the ylang-ylang will calm a hectic heart rate and promote normal blood pressure.

Tranquility Blend: Orange & Cedarwood

Both orange and cedarwood soothe your mood, leaving you feeling more tranquil, relaxed, and at peace with the world no matter what is going on around you.

Precautions & Side Effects

Always use essential oils from a reputable company. Make sure you do your research for company reviews and check the ingredients list. When you do get a good, high-quality oil, be careful how you use it. Some, like bergamot, can be toxic to pets, so keep them out of the room when you have it in a diffuser.

Many essential oils should be diluted with a carrier like almond or jojoba oil before putting it on your skin. Do a test patch on your skin to make sure you won’t have an allergic reaction to the oil. Only ingest an oil if it is food-grade.

Points to Remember

Essential oils are concentrated versions of plants and all the powerful healing benefits that come with them. You can diffuse them, use them topically, or if food-grade, ingest them.

The best oils to calm your stress and anxiety are lavender, rose, neroli, bergamot, blue chamomile, ylang-ylang, frankincense, sweet orange, holy basil, and clary sage.

Lavender relaxes your muscles and calms you down. Rose lifts your mood. Neroli banishes grumpiness. Bergamot and blue chamomile help focus a scattered mind. Ylang-ylang promotes normal blood pressure, which is relaxing enough all its own.

Frankincense and clary sage both support normal levels of the stress hormone cortisol. As for sweet orange and holy basil, they’re great at bringing a sense of tranquility.

Though these are the top essential oils, others experience peaceful emotions from lime, patchouli, geranium, rosemary, peppermint, and vetiver oil.

In addition to using these oils as aromatherapy by inhaling them or using them in a diffuser, you can apply to the skin for anxiety relief. Many essential oils are found in natural cosmetics. Parfait Visage® luxury skin cream promotes fresh, radiant skin with the use of neroli, rose, and lavender essential oils, among other natural ingredients.

Have you tried essential oils for anxiety? Let us know in the comments.

The post Feeling Stressed? Try These Essential Oils for Anxiety appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

Feeling Stressed? Try These Essential Oils for Anxiety published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.tumblr.com/