#still a great hugger though and does offer comfort quite often

[shads-shipposts]

Little snippet from Ch 4: Run and Gun of Anachronism that I'm particularly fond of.

Far too often I find myself making Tom a little too harmless/passive (I blame Mackenzie Crook, he portrayed that man like a puppy so so much [this is not a complaint]). As a result, I went back into many scenes and tweaked it to give... a little reminder that Tom isn't harmless. He isn't passive.

He's Allan Thompson's right-hand man who has done and seen things that would give a normal man nightmares, and he can be a very dangerous or even deadly opponent if you end up on the wrong side of Allan.

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

Tom stepped into my field of view, slowly. “Hey, kid. Just drop the gun, yeah?” he tried, a hand reaching out. “Ya can’t hurt us. Not wit’ that.”

“Don’t mistake my inaction for inability,” I growled, not taking my eyes off Allan. “I know my way around a gun.”

“Ain’t that. Ya don’t wanna pull that trigger, trust me.”

Neil and Hobbs were cautiously approaching now too, staying back at a gesture from Allan. The first mate didn’t take his eyes from me, however. 

They were way too calm considering I had a loaded gun. Or…

My eyes widened. 

Did I?

Grabbing the slide, I aimed away from Allan, who just watched calmly, and I looked inside to find an empty chamber. Ejecting the clip, I found it to also be empty. 

They weren’t scared of the gun because there was no reason to be scared of it. It was useless, unless I threw it at one of them. That wouldn’t do any good. 

“You gotta be shittin’ me!” I whined, dropping the gun after reinserting the clip. 

Allan reached out with his foot and slid the gun behind him, where Ollie picked it up. “Tough luck, kid.” 

“Shut up,” I grumbled. 

“Be best if ya just came with us,” Tom said, stepping forward only to stop when I shifted into a fighting stance and brought my guard up. 

“Er, ain’t a good idea,” Neil said, shaking his head. “Can’t win a boxin’ match wit’ Tom, Shortie. He’s the second best on the ship, and he fights dirty.” 

I caught that from the attack from behind earlier. 

“A, I’m taller than him,” I grumbled, gesturing at Hobbs and earning a venomous glare. “So I don’t know what this whole Shortie deal is about. B, I know I can’t beat him.” I looked between the men, heart pounding against my ribs. “But I sure as hell can make you wish you left me alone.” 

Dismay crossed Tom’s face, but there was an element of challenge there too. And element of warning. “It don’t ‘ave to be like this. Won’t hurt ya if ya just cooperate.”

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I prepared to go down fighting. “We both know it does have to be like this. Unless you let me walk outta here.” I smiled humorlessly. “And that clearly ain’t happenin’.”

Something told me he would take it relatively easy on me, but even a light yet solid hit to the diaphragm from Tom would take me down. If I was bad at grappling, boxing was even worse. 

And we already established I wouldn’t be able to hurt him. 

“Seriously, kid,” Tom said again, his tone growing dark. “Ya don’t wanna do this. This ain't playtime.”

“Got that right, but I gotta, Tom.” 

He sighed, bringing his own fists up. “Sorry ‘bout this,” he muttered, taking a step forward. “But ya asked for it. I’ll make it quick.”

I readied myself. “Right back at ya, mate.”

His eyes narrowed, but I did catch a hint of a smile. 

At least I have his respect before he punches my lights out. 

“We won’t ask again, kid,” Allan warned as the men all took a step toward me. “This has gone on long enough.” There was no smile on his face and no amused tolerance in his voice with his next command as the other sailors stepped into the alleyway with us. “Stand down.”

I shook my head. “No. Y’all square up.”

[floorbe]

Kazuichi, Byakuya, Shuichi, Nagito, Hajime, Taka, Sonia & Mondo headcanons with a partner who is the Ultimate Dreamer? As in they have a HUGE imagination and creativity. They always ramble about ideas, are easily distracted/zone out a lot and get very emotional when an idea for a story or art piece doesn't go according to plan? I know that's a lot of people so you don't have to do them all, i'm sorry

ofc!! its not too many ppl at all, dw!!!

~

Kazuichi Souda

-He’s right on your wavelength!

-He’s got a crazy amount of creativity, too, so he’s right there with you and egging on your ideas!!

-He even adds on to them if you want! He’s got a lot of suggestions for everything

-He also asks for suggestions from you when he’s blocked for ideas on what to build/examine next

-At first he’s kind of offended when you keep getting distracted while he’s talking, but once he realizes it doesn’t mean you’re not interested, he’s cool!

-Has no problem repeating what he said, even if he has to do it twenty times in one conversation

-Kazuichi can completely empathize with getting emotional when something doesn’t turn out right

-He gets the same way when it’s his own creations, so he knows exactly how you feel and how to help

-“Hey, Y/N, don’t worry about it, okay?! We can always try again! Plus, I think this turned out pretty damn cool, anyway...” 

-He’s always encouraging you and complimenting all of your works, even the ones you don’t think are up to par. And he genuinely means everything he says

-You can count on him to always be there to motivate you to try again or move onto the next project

Byakuya Togami

-He’s honestly really impressed with how creative you are

-You’ll probably never know genuinely how much, because the most he’ll say is a “That’s quite an idea, Y/N” 

-He’s going to get frustrated at first if you zone out often, so bear with him as he gets over himself a bit

-Once he does get more used to it, he’ll just sigh and repeat what he said. It isn’t much better than before, but at least he’s not rolling his eyes with a snarky reply anymore

-He kind of... nitpicks your ideas? He doesn’t mean it in a harmful way, he just wants to add on in his own way. He’ll add on his own suggestions for a more practical and successful approach

-He’s actually a pretty good listener, though you’ll mostly get hums and grunts as responses as he doesn’t have much to add onto your thoughts

-If you’re a writer, he’s fully willing to proof read your stuff! He won’t say that, of course, but you can tell by how quickly he gives in when you ask him

-When you get emotional that something didn’t go right, he’ll walk past you and take a look at it himself

-“...This turned out well, Y/N. Our minds expectations are always higher than what we can accomplish; or, you’re your own worst critic, as they say.” 

Shuichi Saihara

-He’s amazed with how many ideas you have?? It seems like you never run out, and he’s so interested in hearing every one

-He doesn’t really have much to add on (and he kinda feels like he’s imposing by suggesting stuff) but if you ask he’s more than happy to give his own thoughts!

-Doesn’t mind you zoning out at all! He actually starts picking up on the signs that you are and either 1. catches your attention again or 2. gives you a minute before going on

-When you start getting emotional over something that didn’t turn out quite right, he’s right there beside you to ride it out with you

-“I-I think it’s amazing, Y/N, really!” and he does! But he knows what it’s like to not meet your own expectations, so he tries his best to be there for you

-And when you eventually pick up the motivation to start a new piece/work on your project again, he’s right there supporting you

Nagito Komaeda

-He’s astounded by how many ideas you have, and he wants to know about every single one

-This man is one of the best listeners you’ll ever meet

-He’s dead silent while you talk unless you want him to add stuff in or ask questions, in which he’s got you, too!

-He loves watching you work, and will gladly sit by you for hours just chilling

-Doesn’t mind at all if you zone out, but he may take it way too personally in a self hatred way, so make sure to reassure him it’s not because of him

-He’s so, so supportive of everything you make!

-He really does not understand how you could think that something didn’t turn out well, because “everything you do is amazing, my love!” 

-He’s got so many compliments for every project you work on. It’s almost too much, but later on in the relationship he knows when to pull back

-If you’re a painter, he’d love to paint with you!! He has no qualms about getting messy, and he loves spending time with you!

Hajime Hinata

-He loves listening to all of your thoughts and ideas!!

-Secretly kinda jealous of how big your imagination is, but he won’t tell you that

-He doesn’t have much to weigh in tbh, he just likes listening, but he’ll give suggestions if you want!

-Tbh he zones out a lot, too, so he totally understands you! He’ll just gently snap your attention back if you ask him to!

-He’s also right by your side when he sees you start to get emotional over a project

-He tries his best to comfort you, mostly by complimenting the piece in question and reassuring you it looks great (and it does!)

-He’ll stick to just comforting you if you don’t want any compliments, tho. He’s a great hugger!

-If you draw, sometimes you’ll catch him sketching in his own little book after watching you draw. He only lets you catch a glimpse of it before he shuts it, but it looked... suspiciously like you? 

Kiyotaka Ishimaru

-This man admires you so, so much. He has so much respect for you

-He’s not really an art person, so if your projects are art based he is so enamored by it! If you’ll let him, he’d love to sit in and watch you while you work! 

-Your creativity is so fascinating to him. He loves hearing all of your ideas, and loves discussing them with you! 

-He’ll try to add in suggestions, but if you want him to just listen he’s fine with that, too

-At first he thinks you’re zoning out because you’re being rude/disrespectful (and he’s a little hurt on the inside at the thought), but once you clarify that that’s not the case at all he’s 100% okay again

-Offers to proof read your stuff if you’re a writer! He may not be that good at creative writing, but he’s damn good at proof reading and editing writings

-He’ll absolutely ask for tips on some of the stuff that he’s interested in if that’s what you also do! (“Y/N, please teach me how to draw the other eye!”)

-He starts picking up on early signs that you’re starting to get emotional over a project, and he’ll rush to your side early to try and help out

-Whether it be by complimenting the piece (which he thinks is just... amazing, really, he doesn’t get how you don’t see that??) or just rubbing your back as you lament over it, he’s right there

Sonia Nevermind

-She’s so excited!!! She loves listening to other people talk about what they’re passionate about!

-She could spend hours just sitting with you and listening to you talk about your new ideas!

-She’ll get so excited if you ask her to weigh in with her opinion, so excited that she may fill up the suggestion with curse words on accident

-She doesn’t mind you zoning out at all! She knows it’s not intentional and she has no problem just catching your attention again and asking where in her sentence you zoned out so she can continue

-Sonia is very observant about the people she cares about, so she can see that you’re starting to get emotional over a piece before you even notice it 

-At an instant she’s bringing you water and snacks, suggesting to take a break with her and relax for a bit

-If that doesn’t work, she’ll wrap you up in her arms to comfort you and remind you that even if this didn’t turn out exactly how you wanted, it still turned out amazing in the end, and that is something to be proud of!

Mondo Oowada

-Damn, he’s impressed. How do you have so many ideas up in your head?? He’s astounded with every one tbh!

-Sometimes he asks you for ideas for what he should build next! (He’ll also let you paint his stuff if you want)

-If you paint or draw, please ask him to join you one day. It will be hilarious and endearing (imagine him drawing a hideous stick figure and labelling it as you)

-He likes sitting you in his lap as you talk about your ideas, and he’ll hum as he listens to you; he’s more of a listener

-Doesn’t mind at all if you zone out! He’ll just hum and repeat himself; no harm done! If you’re apologetic, he’ll scoff and reassure you that he does not “fuckin’ care, babe, it’s not a big deal to say something again”

-He can tell if you’re starting to get frustrated by a piece not going according to plan, and he tries to coax you into taking a break before you get too frustrated

-If you still get emotional over it, he’s beside you rubbing your back soothingly and reassuring you that you can try again another time

-Brings you away from the piece to get your mind off of it, whether that be by motorcycle ride, movie, etc., he’s pulling out all the stops 

[nctsjiho]

NCT’s Love Language with JiHo

~~inspired by these two [1] [2] videos~~~

This is how the NCT members show their love and appreciation towards JiHo. Click here for: part 1, part 2

Mark:

JiHo creates such a comforting space for Mark, because she’s just so down to earth and fits in with the boys so well

So much so that Mark just has to tell her sometimes

“I’m really glad you are in NCT with us JiHo”

Even during the most random moments, like when he was doing a live stream with some of the dreamies and JiHo wasn’t even there

After a few seconds of silence, “wow, don’t you think JiHo did such a great job in our last MV? I think she was the best.”

Of course the Chenle had to tease him for that

High fives is the most physical they get, they aren’t really ’huggers’ when it comes to each other, but you can find them holding on to each other after their legs give out from laughing too hard

Besides that, he’s also very reassuring and will compliment her whenever he thinks she’s being to harsh on herself

Xiaojun:

Xiaojun openly expresses his appreciation for JiHo to her

Whenever they are having one of their many long conversations, he always manages to slip in a compliment or two (and vice-versa)

The way he shows his love is very natural, so for the untrained eye you might never catch one of those moments, but JiHo knows and that’s all what matters

High fives and a quick shoulder pat in passing, nothing special to see here, just a friendly gesture of saying “I’m glad I know you”

Hendery:

Small gestures like a thumbs up (their signature thing) or a smile in JiHo’s direction

Like Mark will definitely compliment her randomly, but almost exclusively when she’s not there

Usually around the WayV members, but they can’t keep nothing to themselves so JiHo knows he’s been complimenting her ^^

Will offer her his snacks or for her to try his beverage whenever he’s having something and JiHo isn’t

He honestly just wants to get closer to her, because they still have their awkward moments together

Renjun:

Renjun is very supportive and reassuring, but always in a cool way

Like he will just casually tell her she’s doing well or how she should go for something without making a big deal out of it

Whenever he really wants to praise her and get’s all sentimental and soft, he makes sure she isn’t anywhere near him or that she won’t find out about it

If she does, he’ll just straight up deny it and act disgusted

JiHo used to hate it when Renjun would randomly pat her head or shoulder, but then she realised he does it whenever he can’t verbally express himself (more specifically his appreciation for her or when he’s proud of her)

Jeno:

They already have a very openly affectionate relationship

Jeno can get really protective of JiHo so it’s nothing new to see him with his arm around the girl’s shoulder

Even though they have a sibling kind of bond, it’s not the kind where they want to pull each other’s hair out every so often

So it’s really not that hard for Jeno to just give her hugs and compliment her whenever he feels like it

Haechan:

“Painfully” aggressive side hugs

The sentiment is for sure there, but every time Haechan tackles her in one of those hugs, she thinks she might find a bruise somewhere on her body the next day

He’ll just pull her in and ruffle her head with his knuckles while cooing at the girl

He isn’t really clingy or touchy towards JiHo outside that really (only when he wants to tease her)

Because Haechan knows she gets a bit annoyed it when he hugs her so aggressively, that’s exactly why he does it

He’ll do anything to tease her and he knows that JiHo never holds a grudge because of his teasing

Besides the hugs, he’ll mostly just show his love through his expression (soft but proud smiles) or just him cheering her on in the back

Jaemin:

You may or may not already know that JiHo likes giving Jaemin back hugs

Well, Jaemin picked up on this and every once in a while you’ll catch him giving the smaller girl a back hug

We all know how much Jaemin loves aegyo, whenever any one does aegyo he spontaneously joins and the same counts for when JiHo does (at least whenever she’s forced to do it)

You’ll always find him watching JiHo with a big smile on his face (he’s so soft for her)

Yangyang:

This is all speculation okay? BUT

Fans believe they have made their own secret language

They have been spotted just looking at each other, making weird facial expressions and moving their bodies in weird ways and all of a sudden they just laugh or continue on like they had a conversation and understood each other

Yangyang will just hug JiHo

He will also hype her up, during practise or whenever she’s talking during a live stream or another kind of schedule

Shotaro:

Subtle touches like:

He’ll stand really close to JiHo so their shoulders/arms are pressed together or

While laughing will subtly put his hand on the girl’s shoulder

Shotaro really likes JiHo because she took care of him a lot when he first joined NCT so he has so much respect for her

That becomes quite apparent whenever she’s talking, because he’ll always try to pay all of his attention to her (as long as none of the members distract him)

Sungchan:

A lot of things JiHo do makes him smile

Sungchan really wants to be in a unit with JiHo because he thinks she’s really cool, so he mostly just compliments her on her work ethic and performance

Is very straightforward about it like Renjun, but isn’t afraid to be very expressive about it

If he sounds sappy so be it

It’s become more of a habit as they grew closer, but he’ll subtly either rest his arms on her head or shoulders while standing behind or beside her

He wasn’t sure if she’d be okay with it, because she isn’t touchy with most members, but he was pleasantly surprised when JiHo let him do as he pleased

Now he’ll sometimes just put his hands on both of her shoulders and squeeze them a few times before moving on as a sign of gratefulness or in a way to comfort her

Chenle:

Also one of those subtle, sneaky boys

He’ll mostly just keeps an eye out for JiHo to makes sure she’s alright when he knows she isn’t feeling 100%

Smiley when she is being particularly cute (in his eyes) that day

Let’s her choose the music they’ll listen to or game they are going to play during their chill sessions

Chenle tries to involve JiHo in a lot of things when he’s hanging out with some of the other members (mainly with Dream)

Jisung:

He’s a bit more shy when it comes to physically and verbally expressing his love and appreciation towards JiHo so he’ll find other ways to do so

Whenever they go somewhere or are doing a live stream and there aren’t enough chairs, he’ll gladly give his chair up for JiHo

Or when he sees JiHo looking for a bottle of water he will get her one without her having asked for it

He’ll sometimes gets teased for it by his hyungs by getting told he’s acting like a “cold gentleman” because he likes to keep things low-key

He gets too embarrassed to just do those things straight forward

But if there’s ever a very emotional moment and Jisung just feels the need to express his love for the girl, he will pull her into a hug no problem

---

Side Note: This is the second time I post this, since yesterday it wouldn’t show up in tags. I’ve removed the links in this post for now, just to test if it will show up this time, so links will be added later. If you want to find the link to part 1, it’s in the pinned post on my page and on that post you can also find the links to the 2 videos.

[catchmewiddershins]

Haikyuu Hugs pt 3:

NEKOMA:

Kuroo Tetsuro: 

So this boy is tall, as most of them are, and therefore he is the giver of many standing up hugs

He’ll stand there and wrap you up in his arms

He’ll drum little tunes on your back (or the back of your head) with his fingers while he hugs you

He’s quite lean but his arms are pretty well defined to his hugs are stronger and tighter than you’d think

He likes to tease you a little while you hug, small jabs maybe about your hair or height

But he loves you and you’d know that, he’d never aim for anything your particularly insecure about unless it was to offer a compliment afterwards

He loves it when you run your fingers through his hair

He’s actually found that, at the end of the day, having you play with his hair for an hour can actually make it lie flat!

MOVIE WATCHING CUDDLES - I JUST KNOW IT

His limbs are pretty long and lanky so he’ll loosely let them lie around your waist or shoulders as you sit in front of him on a bed to watch television

His arms are long enough to snatch snacks out of your hands (much to your dismay)

Cheeky grins - you know it!

Gives you little squeezes at your waist or lower back (maybe even your butt if he’s feeling mischievous) 

His shoulders are pretty broad too, he likes it if you lean on them

I’m getting a ‘temperature for all seasons’ vibe from him, he runs pretty warm but won’t be unbearable in the summer

Sometimes, he’ll be very calm and quiet, content hugs abound at these moments, just trying to hug you enough for it to sink into your bones how much he loves you

This normally happens when it rains, my friends, I give you... rainy day blanket cuddles!

Kai Nobuyuki:

Not supremely tall (by Haikyuu standards... he’s 5′9.5″, that’s pretty tall to me) But, if you’re short enough, head on chest; taller? Head on shoulder! Taller than him? This boy will rest his head on YOUR chest or shoulders!

He’s a very calm and quiet boy, but his hugs are very secure and safe

Like hugging a teddy bear, neither of you need to speak to convey your love for one another

He strokes your hair or the side of your face

Warm hugs

His hugs aren’t soft per se... they’re just really comfy? And cozy? Like a warm fireplace and hot chocolate

Which is also a scenario that the two of you would cuddle

Honestly, I feel like ‘hug’ and ‘cuddle’ convey different vibes... and this guy is 110% a cuddler

Will happily give you tight, strong hugs if you need them, the perfect arms to break down in and the perfect shoulder to cry on

He’s just a great person to hug, if you are feeling more chatty, he’ll let you ramble about your day and just listen while smiling down at you with just... adoration 

Ngl I absolutely love him now lol

But yes, fabulous, warm, safe hugs, 10/10 would embrace again

Yaku Morisuke:

This is another boy who I feel has very warm hugs

Tight hugs too, very tight, he basically clasps you to him like a warm barnacle with arms, you’re not getting out of it easily

In essence, he’s a lot stronger than he looks

He’s adorably honest with you, so he’ll hug you and just say, calmly, ‘love ya’ or something like that

Sometimes he’ll lay his head on your thighs and complain about Lev while you lightly massage his temples or ruffle his hair (he thinks it’s unfair how Lev is still growing)

He’s just an aggressive hugger, not in a frantic grabbing sort of way but he’ll just - ‘heya!’ *snatch* *long hug*

Likes to be touching you at all times, just an arm around your shoulders or waist again, you two are attached at the hip

The kind of guy to give you this massive grin while you hug 

However, alongside his bluntness and slightly more aggressive traits, he is very caring and will ask you about your day while hugging you, maybe while stroking your hair or face

He just loves you to pieces basically, I think he’s very affectionate or, at least, physical, like he’s the sort of person to playfully whack people in retaliation (yk the type right?) and I feel like he’s just into physical affection and expressing his feelings physically

Also he’s a face kisser, he just peppers your face with kisses and both of you are giggling and laughing your heads off

If he’s tired, he’ll use you as a head rest... be careful you’re not sitting down because then he’ll fall asleep, he just likes breathing you in while embracing you, he finds it calming

Lets you borrow his clothes and might borrow yours

Film watching snuggles and pyjama snuggles abound

However, I think he’s almost always barefoot and therefore, if he’s feeling a little cheeky, will poke your sides with his cold feet knowing that you’ll squirm lol

Yamamoto Taketora:

He’s an enthusiastic hugger, I can’t ignore that

Will hug you while crying and raving about how attractive he finds you

He sways a lot while you hug him and pats you on the head or back

Will be talking to you and, if he sees that you need a hug, will just grab you by the shoulders and pull you into a hug

Running tackle hugs

Basically, he’ll compliment you a ton while hugging you

You two tend to have chaotic hugs, like watching a movie and clinging to each other so tight until it devolves into a pillow or food fight

If you’re watching a movie with him and he figures something out, he’ll grab you and shake you frantically while screaming about it before giving you a massive hug

Lets you ruffle his hair

He really likes to give you piggybacks so you have to hold on really tight

Kisses your head a lot when he can

He tickles you while you’re hugging

Big squeezy hugs 

I’m thinking warm hugs but he tends to move the both of you around a lot

He loves to tell you all about the cool things he’s done on the team and what his teammates have done

He will just randomly grab you and pull you into hugs, like you do well in a test and he’s like ‘Great! Hug me! YAY!’

Kozume Kenma:

So... basically the opposite of Yamamoto

I feel like he’s a nuzzler ngl, like he’ll nuzzle your hair while you cuddle

Also, Kenma is definitely a cuddler not a hugger

He’s soft

Not really big on enthusiastic squeezing - definitely an arm draper

However, I do believe that Kenma can be quite clingy once he’s used to you

This boy will be curled up next to you, or will have his head in your lap as you play with his hair and he plays with his games

He also definitely is the type who will just hug you from behind out of nowhere, when he needs it, squeeze you to him and press his face into the the space between your shoulders

Hugging Kenma is pretty comforting

He is one for bed cuddles, the two of you will sit on his bed with pillows and blankets, playing games with the lights dim and eating snacks

Sometimes, if he’s tired, he’ll hug you while wrapped in a fluffy blanket

Kenma, I feel, is also the type to not let go once you start hugging him. You know the dilemma of ‘I have a place to be but there’s a cat on my lap?’ Kenma right there

If you try to leave a snuggle, he’ll grab your clothes or arm and whine

Kenma’s hugs tend to be pretty weak though, most of the time, he’s not using all of his muscle strength and his hugs are just the feeling of his arms around you

Nose boops and kisses

Loves to chat with you while you cuddle, just about his new game or your studies

Yet, he also enjoys quiet hugs when you both are just comfortable in the silence and the warmth of each other’s presence

Kenma hugs in one word? Cozy

Please play with his hair though, he loves it

Fukunaga Shouhei:

I love this boy, I would die for him, he is my child *Mandalorian theme plays*

*cough* anYWAY

Fukunaga hugs are very cute

He likes to tell you jokes and make puns while you hug, and the two of you like to trade outrageous jokes throughout the hug

If you’re sitting down, you both like to scroll through your phones while cuddling together, showing each other memes that get gradually more surreal

I think Fukunaga is a very affectionate person, he and you like to cuddle or be touching frequently

I think he’s big on holding hands

I also headcanon him as a fiddler (not the instrument... although-) he likes to tap tunes on your back, arms or legs, draw patterns, fiddle with your hair or fingers, just be touching you at all times

I think he also likes to ask for permission for hugs, even if it’s a given - it’s become a little thing between you

However, he has freezing hands - the rest of him is pretty warm - but not his hands

Often, if you hug him out of nowhere, he’ll make a little ~oh?~ noise and it’s really cute - he’ll just look at you in surprise

He loves you a lot and looks at you with his cute lil face all lit up in adoration

He squishes your cheeks a lot, either with both of his hands or he’ll squish his cheek to yours, mid hug

He hugs you round your middle

He hugs you like one would hug a plushie

Also, he love love LOVES it if you give him a massive hug and a big kiss on the cheek

He also kinda likes being picked up, I think he’s pretty light and, if you’re strong, he likes to be lifted slightly off of the ground from the force of your hug

Does the thing where he runs towards you with his arms open

He just squeezes you ok, like a massive squeeze because he loves you 

Gets this adorable, happy little blush on his face whenever you hug him

Inuoka Sou:

This kid's like a puppy, all bounce and smiles and that definitely bleeds into his hugs

He’ll bound towards you and sweep you hug into a hug, probably lifting you off of the floor with the momentum of it

He has this tendency to swing your arm while you hold hands or rock you while you hug

Spends the entire hug complimenting you

The two of you are definitely the type to have fluffy pyjama cuddles, you’ll sit on the sofa and watch disney movies while cuddling in your fluffy, animal onesies

He always wears something really cozy and will always wrap you up in or lend it to you

Rubs his cheek on your head while you hug

Will talk very happily and quickly about his day and how it’s gone

He will encourage you to do the same

His has his hair down after school and he’ll let you play with it

Always asks for help with his homework while cuddlings - the two of you will be leaning on each other while one of you explains the other’s work

Often, he’ll hug you on sight and then hand you your favourite snack

Will text you saying that he wants hugs

Likes to ‘wiggle’ you when you hug - idk how to describe it but it’s like he’ll put his hands on your sides and move them, each doing the opposite of the other, up and down

He hums catchy tunes he’s heard on the radio while you cuddle

He closes his eyes during a good hug, he’s that happy

Haiba Lev:

*lightly clears throat* TALL BOY

This boy is a GIANT - especially to the shorter ones of us (5′2″ / 5′3″ peeps anywhere?)

His arms are so long and you can wear them like the cord of a dressing gown, wrapped entirely around your waist

He sometimes has one hand in your hair, long fingers making a mess of the strands, or he’ll gently rub your head or cheeks

He has 2 hug modes, calm and reserved hugs and-

Energy hugs!

He either sits there calmly and quietly, head resting on yours, on your shoulders or between your shoulders 

Or he’ll bound up to you and pull you in so fast and tight you could get whiplash

He sways you rapidly and picks you up, kissing you all over and listening to you giggle with love in his eyes

He’ll always have one hand on your waist or head

If the two of you are sitting down to watch a film, he’ll completely encircle you

He’ll place you in his lap and wrap his arms and legs tight around your body, using you as a head rest, and let you lean into him while he steals popcorn from whatever you’re eating it from

Sometimes you’ll both wrap up with a blanket and snuggle inside a joint cocoon

Pulls you to his chest from behind and reaches over you to grab stuff

Complains about training while you give him small massages

He’s freezing (he’s like a stick ok, there’s no f a t (like there is on me, he can have some of mine) boy’s got no insulation) but that just means that your hugs are his personal radiator

Pouts for hugs

Shibayama Yuuki:

He’s pretty shy about hugging you at first, but the two of you soon get used to the affection

He is very sweet with his hugs, they’re all very gentle and soft

He doesn’t squeeze you but his arms aren’t loose either, he just holds you to him perfectly

Hums softly to you while you hug

Once he’s become fully comfortable hugging you, he’ll start to hug you from behind a lot, he thinks it’s the comfiest position

Sometimes, he’ll be feeling a lot stronger, and will grab you into a firmer hug as a result

He likes to talk to you about your day while you hug too

Warm hugs lol, he’s just a comfy hugger

Likes to rest his head on your stomach while you talk, he might even fall asleep

Teshiro Tamahiko:

He can instantly pick up upon when you need a hug and will be there at your side in an instant!

He's got lovely hugs, very sweet about it but just knows what you need

He'll always ask 'Can I hug you?' and will listen unless you're saying know at a time when he knows that you really need a hug

Then it's no holds barred, big squeeze

He nuzzles his head onto your cheek and shoulder

His hands are pretty warm, and they'll rest on your back

He likes to hug you from behind too, when you're sitting down, and will let you lie on him and fall asleep while he strokes your arm

[justimagaine]

“Melancholy” Series Part 6 - I Can’t / Chris Evans

Part 1 - “Oh, fuck them” ; Part 2 - “I’m here” ; Part 3 - “Just Try” ; Part 4 - “I Support You” ; Part 5 - “I Need Help”

  After your first visit with the doctor you were in a mix of emotions. At first you had a really hard time to open up and be honest about what you were feeling. From time to time, you’d pull on your sleeps to hide your hands and even look back at the door. The feeling of wanting Chris to hug you never left you. When you needed to express your thoughts and feelings, you didn’t know where to start. There was so much going on in you. The therapist saw you were having trouble with talking,  how you kept apologizing for not saying much, but she reassured you that it was perfectly fine to not be able to fully express every feeling you were feeling, especially to someone you just met. As always Chris was right.

  She never made you go to far, she let you take it at your own pace. Talked about work and friends, family. You felt comfortable with her, but still you wanted to be in a big hug. A hug only the man behind that closed wooden door could give you. She also noticed how you were looking back at the door, and asked you about it

  “Do you have a feeling as if you want to run away?” you quickly shook your head, feeling bad that you made her think you wanted to run away “is it about the man behind the door?” you slowly nodded as a small smile spread  across your lips, “does he make you feel safe?” she really was a great doctor asking question and saying statements that hit the nail on the head. 

  “Yes,” you looked up at her “he doesn’t judge me for being like this” she nodded smiling herself.

  “Good, because there’s nothing to judge. Everyone has mental health, just like everyone has health. In the course of a lifetime, not all people will experience a mental illness, but everyone will struggle or have a challenge with their mental well-being just like we all have challenges with our physical well-being from time to time. There’s nothing to be ashamed about or judged for” in your hour long appointment you felt like you didn’t talk much, but she told you it was okay. For your first time you had done a very good job. One thing she did say was that you felt more comfortable when you talked about Chris. She said that he clearly was your safe space and that it was good to have someone like that in your life, especially when you’re starting to see a therapist. Going to sessions could be really hard on some people. You were one of those people, you were scared but also proud of yourself for going. Setting up the next appointment wasn’t as scary as having the first.

  You went back to see her the next week and it was much easier then the first time and just like Chris promised he took you there and supported you. He would give you the same hug the same smile, but the next time it would be bigger as if he was even prouder of you that you went back again and knowing you’d be going back the next week made him even happier. He saw how the first appointment helped you, how you felt better. There really was improvement, even though you did hope that maybe after that one time you’d be immediately back to the old you but that was a long shot. Nothing happened in life like you liked it, how you wished it. Things like mental health took a lot longer time, a lot more work and support from people around you. Chris was your best and only support system.

  After your second appointment  Chris’s family was having a barbecue to which you were more then welcomed to. Actually his mom call Chris and specifically asked for you to be invited, she told him that she hadn’t seen you in a such a long time, and she missed you. He smiled hearing his mother say all that, Chris knew how she felt. The sad feeling of not seeing you, hearing your voice or laugh, but to him it was a hundred times harder to be away from you, to not see you all the time. Even thought the reason you two saw each other so often right now was quite sad, but very important, he was glad to be bale to talk to you and see you. Especially since now he saw you smile more, laugh more. You seemed to gain back your confidence and he couldn’t be more happier about that. 

  The Evans barbecue arrived and you were excited to see everyone especially Lisa. You had a lot to talk about to her, exchange recipes and just have a good laugh.

  “Are you sure this is going to be enough?” you asked Chris over the phone, refusing to the cookies and salads you made for everyone. 

  “I told you, you didn’t have to bring anything at all, so it’s more then enough” you listened to him, and gave him a look that you knew he couldn’t see but couldn’t help yourself.

  “You should know me better by now Chris. I’m not going to show up with empty hands, especially since I haven’t seen your family in a long time” while talking you kept looking at everything you were bringing, hoping it would be enough and that they would like it. 

  “I know you better then you think” you smiled at his response “are you sure you don’t me to pick you up? I already helped Scott set up everything, and can go” Chris, as always was being the biggest gentlemen, but you weren’t having any of it at the moment. He had to spend time with his family, since Chris was always around you and talking to you, he hadn’t seen them that much, making you feel guilty, but you kept reminding yourself that you never made Chris do what he did, your therapist told you to try and not be upset about things that weren’t really your fault. When ever I’d feel guilty she tell me to think back in the situation, did I ask for it, did I make someone do something. Or did the person offer it themselves or just do it without your asking. No matter how much you’d like for things to always be okay and work out, nothing works like that. There’s always going to be a little bit bad with good. In this case you had told Chris he didn’t have to always be with you, or answer your calls, but there was no point in telling him that, Chris wouldn’t listen.

  “I’ll be fine Chris. Be with your family.” you were already putting things in your car “I’ll be there very soon. I’m pretty much on the rode already” everything was placed on the back seat and only then you saw that just maybe you had gone overboard with the foods,

  “Okay, drive carefully. I can’t wait to see you” his words made your stomach flip. Even know when you were doing a lot better. So much better since Chris found you in that dark room, ready to give up, hearing him say that he wanted to see you made you happy, excited and very wanted. After telling him you couldn’t wait to see him to, you were on your way. There was much excitement in you, It had been a while since you felt like this. It could be the fun barbecue you were about to walk in with a family that were so loving and also could professionally work as comedians or the man that you knew would be standing outside is family home patiently waiting for your arrival. Ether way you enjoyed this feeling you were having

  Just as you predicted driving up to the house Chris was sitting on the front porch, seeing your car coming closer Chris jumped up and waved, with a big smile on his lips, you couldn’t help but smile back at him. Your car hadn’t fully stopped yet when Chris was already opening your door and happily greeting you, he basically lifted you out of the car into his hug,

  “How you doing?” he whispered in your ear, still holding you close, so close you could feel his fast heartbeat beating against yours.

  “I’m good” you leaned back a bit to look in his eyes, so he could see you weren’t lying “I’m really good” Chris and you were just inches apart, not even a small animal could come between the two of you. For a split second you saw Chris look from your eyes to your lips, the quickly looked away when hearing his moms cheerful voice 

  “Let other people got that beautiful girl” she said running up and pulling you away from her son and into her loving embrace. She was just as good of a hugger as Chris, you could tell where he got his hugging skills. “i’m so happy to see you” she told you giving you cheek a kiss

 “I’m happy to see you too Lisa. You look very beautiful” with a slight blush on her cheeks and a oh gosh. She was pulling you in the house, “oh wait I made something for everyone” you tried to walk back to the car, but Lisa wasn’t letting go off you

  “it’s okay, Chris will get it. Right, son?” she gave him a sweet smile as she kept pulling you in 

  “Yes ma`am” Chris answered opening your car, mouthing him a quick I’m sorry and thank you, Lisa had you already pulled in the house loudly announcing your arrival. The quick attention from everyone in the house and in the back made you a bit uneasy. It had been a while since you saw everyone and having everyone look at you and talk to you almost everyone at the same time, scared you a bit. With a shaky voice you greeted everyone, some people wanted hugs, some just waved at you. Luckily Lisa soon pulled you in the kitchen right as Chris came in with al your food placing it on the table, he looked at you and saw the look in your eyes had changed

  “Hey” you felt him put his palm on your shoulder “you okay?” looking up at him you nodded, but gave an honest answer

  “just got a bit overwhelmed with the amount of people, all at once” Chris was mentally slapping himself for not warning you about how many people would be at the house.

  “Sorry, I should have told you” Lisa was watching your interaction, feeling a bit worried. She didn’t what was going on but she knew there was something. Lisa was a mother with exhalent motherly senses when it came to someone not being well. She also noticed how his son was looking at you with the most concern and guilt in his eyes. She wasn’t a fool, Lisa saw how Chris was worried about you, especially in the last few weeks, how he’d always answer your call even when he was in a conversation of a topic he would never back down of. Lisa knew you had anxiety, and some things Chris had said made her thing something was wrong with, something had happened, but she wasn’t going to ask. If you wanted to talk about it, you’d tell her. The only time she’d ask you herself would be if you had no one to talk to, but you had Chris and as she was witnessing with her own eyes he was very good and caring to you.

  First two hours you spent with Lisa in the kitchen placing foods on plats and talking about life. She had a lot to tell you and ask you. With every question Lisa asked, you felt her trying to get closer to a something she’s been avoiding. So you decided to get there for her. You trusted Lisa and knew she was just like Chris, nonjudgmental. Your therapist told you , to start trusting more people, people who you always felt like you could trust but your own fear kept you from being honest and open with them

  “So I started to do something new” you started speaking, but didn’t look at her, “something I should have done a long time ago” Lisa stopped what she was doing, from your tone of voice she knew it wasn’t a new hobby you picked up, like painting and knitting. it was something a lot more serous, your lack of eye contact also gave that away. You found yourself in the same place, the same scared, unsure if you should bother her with such information.

  “Honey, what is it? You can trust me” she said placing her hand on yours. She was right and you had to be honest about your life and what you were doing. There was nothing wrong in seeking help. So you told her, you told her about how horrible you had been feeling and how dark things had gotten. You did keep some details away from her, not wanting to upset her, make her sad. You also made sure to tell her that the only reason you are going to therapy is because of her sons amazing support and care. In the end Lisa teared up and embraced you, rubbing your back she said quietly “I’m proud of you honey” you cold feel that she was proud of you and it was an amazing feeling. To have someone say that, to be able to open up to another person, overcome your fears and it to pay off “this is good, this is really good” she said after pulling away from each other.

  Wanting to keep up a good mood for the party you two changed the subject and Chris and Scott coming in laughing and joking around helped even more. As always those two goofballs were cracking up each other and everyone around them. Being around these kinds of people was good for you. To forget rest or the world and all the bad that was going on, being able to relax, enjoy yourself, have a good laugh. When around them you would laugh till your stomach would hurt. It had been a while since you laughed this much. 

  Some time later everyone went kind of scattered around the house and backyard. You were playing some games with Lisa’s grand babies, while some were still cooking some left over meat, some were inside watching tv. Chris was still sitting at the table enjoying the feeling of being at his childhood home, having his family around, peace. He smiled at his mom that had sat down in front of him, but his attention was quickly pulled away, when he heard your laugh. With a smile he looked at you, how you were playing with the kids and having the time of your life. You looked so care free, so happy. He loved seeing you like that.

  “I’m very proud of you Chris” Lisa spoke getting his attention back. He smiled at her 

  “Thank you ma” he said sipping on his beer

  “I’m not talking about your job” now he was a bit confused as to what could his mom be talking about. He didn’t think there was anything else in his life that could make her so proud “I’m proud that you are such a good man, such a good friend” Lisa looked at you, smiling “you were there for her when she thought she had no one. When she was ready to give up you pulled her out of the darkness showing her that there’s so much out there to live for” she looked at Chris who was now looking only at you. She could tell he was thinking back at everything that had happened leading up to this “you did good son. Look how happy she is. You saved her life” Lisa stood up, went around the table, hugged him and kissed the top of his head. Still holding they two watched you play with kids, then look up and wave at them

  “You gonna come join us?” you asked looking at Chris, without hesitation he left his beer behind and joined you all. Rest of the day you all played games, talked and just had a great time but as always the day had to come to an end. Lisa packed you some leftovers and helped put them in your car as you talked about few more things you two hadn’t discussed. Chris was already by your car, patiently waiting. He wasn’t going with you, he was waiting for his turn to get your attention.

 “Well thank you honey for coming over” Lisa said hugging you goodbye, you thanked her and turned to Chris,

  “Is it my turn to hug you now? or did my family take all the hugs you had?” he joked walking closer to you

  “You know I always have a hug for you” closing the distance you wrapped your arms around him, Chris pulled you closer, he held you tight, resting his head on yours. It felt as if nether one of you wanted to let go and it was true you didn’t want to let go of him. You loved hugging him, if someone asked you to chose eating your all time favorite meal or hugging Chris, without hesitation you’d hug Chris. Eventually you had to let go of him. Both, him and Lisa, watched you get in your car and drive off. The whole time that all was happening Lisa watched her son. She watched him hug you and breath in your sent, she watched him get sad when letting go of you, but Chris kept the smile on his lips, she watched how that smile he had on fell the moment you drove off and couldn’t be seen anymore. He sighed lowering his head. She waited for Chris to say something or to turn around and walk in the house, but he just stood there

  “What’s wrong? She told you she’ll text you when she gets home” Lisa said even though she knew that wasn’t the reason her son got so sad. He had just spent a whole day with you, laughing, hugging, playing games with the kids,  in everyone's eyes looking like a couple, now he had to watch you leave and come back to reality 

  “I love her ma” Chris confessed looking at her by his side. There were so many emotions in that man, Lisa could see it all in his eyes

  “Then tell her,” he shook his head. If only it was that easy. If only he could do that. 

  “I can’t. I can’t pile more emotions and new twists on her. Not now” Chris sighed turning to his mom “I can’t be selfish. I can’t tell her that I’ve loved her since the first time I saw her “Chris was ranting now, close to yelling “I can't tell her that, no matter how much I want, because it's not fair on her.” Chris sighed, looked at the rode you had just gone down. “I can’t lose  her. I want her to be happy and I don’t care how it happens, by me being her good friend or boyfriend. She needs to be happy, she deserves to be happy” he finished talking, started to walk to the house when Lisa spoke up

  “And you don’t? “ he looked back at her “you don’t deserve to be happy? And telling her that you love her could help her more. Being there for her in a new way could do so much good, to her and you” Lisa walked and stop in front of Chris “Don’t deprive yourself from happiness and love. And I’ve seen how the girl looks at you and hugs you. She feels the same way” Lisa knew her son was about to protest and say she was seeing things, so she walked away leaving him there alone in his thoughts. Thoughts about you. Maybe his mom was right, maybe you loved him too and you cold make each other happy, but he knew it wasn’t the right time to find out.

  You had just started therapy, you had just started to get pack on track and him reveling his feeling could push you off the track, make you confused. Chris wanted you to concentrate on your mental health, not a new relationship. So he’ll just keep it in, be there for you as a friend and help you be happy, he was even ready to accept the fact that one day if another man showed up one day and he was making you happy, he’d  support it and step back. Even if it would break his heart, seeing you happy was all he wanted even if he wasn’t the one making you happy anymore.

—

Tag: @chris-butt​ ; @denisemarieangelina ; @jennmurawski13​ ; @chriscaprogers ; @raabrakha ; @captainchrisstan ;

[hearteyesmotherclucker]

Common Enemy (Part 4)

*no spoilers

Word count: 1.6k

Summary: (Theseus x reader) Theseus and Reader finally begin to realize their feelings for each other (bless my soul it’s really fluffy).

Find parts 1, 2, and 3 in my profile!

———————//———————

“Protective custody? Theseus, if you don’t explain right now, in great detail—“

Theseus grabbed your hands, which were waving wildly in the air. “Y/n.”

“What?”

He gestured to the chair next to him. “You might want to sit down for this, it’s not exactly easy...”

You sat down impatiently and stared expectantly up at him. Theseus chose his next words carefully. “Y/n, your brother, Charlie... He’s still alive.”

You let go of his hands. Charlie... alive?

“No,” you said. “No, I saw it— I saw him die, Theseus! Whatever Krafft told you was a lie, just to get in your head.” Theseus’s face almost held as much emotion on it as yours.

“I saw him,” he said abruptly. “He was one of the men who kidnapped me. I promise I wouldn’t be telling you if I wasn’t absolutely positive.”

You started to believe him now, and the more you thought about the night you thought he died, the more you began to wonder if that flash you saw that night wasn’t green...

Then a thought hit you. “You said he kidnapped you?” Theseus nodded. You bit your cheek. “Does he work for Grindelwald, then?”

Theseus sighed. “Looks like it. They– Krafft and his guys– were asking about you. I didn’t tell them anything, don’t worry. Y/n, I’m sorry—“

You stood up, muttering about “needing air.” You didn’t, but you did need to be alone.

————————

You had been sitting on the roof of your flat, knees to your chest, for hours before there was a loud ‘crack’ and Theseus appeared in front you you, his hair flopping over his face in the wind.

“Thought you’d be up here,” he said, and you gave him a tiny smile, your usual sassy greeting going unsaid. It just seemed too care-free for the state you were in.

“Hang on, aren’t you supposed to be in the hospital?” You remembered suddenly.

He shook his head. “They released me an hour ago. I’ve been looking for you ever since then,” he explained, plopping down next to you.

You hummed, looking out at the sunset. The two of you sat in a comfortable quiet, listening to the sounds of London below you.

“You know,” Theseus started, breaking the silence and glancing at you. “You can stay with me until this whole thing blows over. Just a thought, but we have the same work hours, and I could protect you better than any of the other aurors.”

Your eyebrows raised, your normal self showing through just a little bit. “Could you?” you teased, a grin playing at your lips.

He laughed into his hand, slightly embarrassed. “Come on, I’m serious. What do you think?”

You paused, thinking. “I think that’s a great idea. We’ll have to clear it with McLaird, but... Thank you, Theseus,” you said genuinely, but neither of you couldn’t keep a straight face for long.

You grinned and hugged him, something you didn’t often do. He didn’t seem too surprised and hugged you back immediately, a sheepish grin on his face. Your bodies fit together perfectly, and it was honestly the best hug you’ve ever had. You stayed there for a moment, completely comfortable, until it would have been too long for “just friends.”

(A/n: He’s a really good hugger, and if you disagree, you can fight me)

————————————

It was only at first that you and Theseus were a little uneasy living together. You both grew used to the others’s eccentricities, like when he got up wayyyy earlier than he needed to, or when you danced around while singing your favorite song into your hairbrush. You didn’t even stop singing the first time you realized he was there. In fact, you sang louder, making him laugh even harder.

Two weeks passed already, and you began to realize that you’ve been having the most fun you’ve had in years. You would stay up late together most nights, pouring over case files on the couch or discussing whatever was going on at work.

On more than one occasion, you would wake up leaning against him, his arm draped over you.

You now had your own desk at the ministry, shoved in the corner with all the rest of the aurors. You didn’t mind it, though. You got to bond with them, though teasing was your primary form of conversation.

The most common question you were asked was, “Are you and Theseus dating yet?”

You did your best to ward them off with a witty insult, but they persevered, especially Longbottom.

“Oh come on! He obviously likes you. Have you seen the way he looks at you? It’s like your the bloody love of his life,” he teased. Was it true? Did he...?

You called him something inappropriate and tried to leave in a hurry, doing your best to hide your red face.

“Oh, hey Theseus,” Longbottom said, not hiding his suggestive tone very well.

Theseus nodded at him, noticing whatever Longbottom just pulled.

Theseus turned to you. “Can I talk to you for a second?” He asked, but the eyebrows on Longbottom shot so far up he had to add, “for the case?”

He lead you to his office. “This isn’t actually about the case, I just didn’t want Longbottom getting any ideas,” he clarified with a nervous chuckle.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you said sarcastically, earning a small laugh. “What’s going on?”

“You know that party Peter’s having?” He asked.

You nodded. “The one he does every year at this time when it’s, like, negative eighty degrees out?” Peter Andrews hosted a winter party every year, which included ice skating, the occasional snowball fight, and even mistletoe, you heard.

Your Auror friends told you everyone in your department goes, something about “the party of the year” or something.

He laughed. “I wouldn’t say it’s that cold, but yes, that’s the one. I know it’s sort of last minute, but I was wondering if you wanted to go with me? As friends, if you want.”

You grinned and accepted, and it wasn’t until you left his office that you realized what he said. “As friends, if you want.”

Needless to say, your mind was reeling.

—————————

Peter’s party was just minutes away, so you pulled on your coat and grabbed your ice skates as you left your room.

“Don’t you want a hat?” Came Theseus’s voice from the living room. He was wearing a long, dark coat and what looked like at least three pairs of gloves.

“That’s what I forgot...” you muttered. When you re-emerged with a hat, you said, “Love the gloves, Theseus. Not a fan of the cold, are we?”

He crossed his arms defensively. “At least I won’t get frozen fingers!”

You grinned and he offered his arm to you, before apparating to a large tent on the edge of a small lake.

You excitedly jumped and pointed to the figures moving quite ungracefully on the lake. “Look! You’ve made us late, Salamander. Come on!” You dragged Theseus to the edge of the lake and put your skates on.

You skated around for a little bit, waiting for Theseus and talking to a few friends when you saw him fall just about as soon as he stood up.

You laughed and skated to him. “You know, the whole point is to skate, not fall, right?” He made a face and you helped him up.

He mumbled something about not going since he was a kid, so you guided him around a bit, skating backwards as you held his arms steady, doing your best not to notice how close you were your coworkers staring.

Theseus looked up from his skates with a goofy grin on his face, before losing balance once again, sending the both of you to the ground, his body on top of yours, his elbows barely holding his upper half above you.

For a few intimate seconds, you stared at each other, panting. You felt your cheeks getting redder by the second.

“...Hello,” you said breathlessly after a few more slow seconds.

He snapped out of it and pulled himself off of you. “Right. Sorry about that... Well, I suppose now is as good of a time to tell you as any,” he said apprehensively, and you were about to ask what he meant when you heard a tremendous boom and flashes and spells began to break out in the darkness.

You whipped out your wand and scanned the crowd of people for an unfamiliar or unwelcome face.

What you found was a little bit of both. You made eye contact with your brother—your should-be-dead brother, to be exact.

So it was true. He was alive. You barely had time to think, and for a brief moment you did nothing before he yelled something to a man you didn’t recognize and pointed in your direction.

You assumed it wasn’t, “Oh hey, that’s my sister!”

————————

You were dueling a man you vaguely recognized from a deal you made a while back, a few yards away from Theseus and Mustache, who were dueling Vinda Rosier and another someone you didn’t recognize. It didn’t help that you were all wearing ice skates.

You weren’t sure if it was just you, but it seemed like all of the opposing side kept glancing at you.

Theseus must have noticed this too, because he kept looking back at you as well.

After a few minutes, some of Grindelwald’s followers broke free of their duels and made their way to you. Now you were sure you weren’t imagining things.

You needed to get out of there. You were on your way to grab Theseus and Mustache to apparate when you felt a rough hand on your shoulder.

“Hello, y/n. Remember me?”

“Charlie,” you greeted roughly, anger flowing freely through you.

————————————

Tags: @indiebloue @newtslatte @1950schick @madamnouiselle @marauderette130 @dreacantsleep @muchamuchedad @bowtrucklescamander @hereiamhereigo @mrkrychek @my-super-musical-life @anolddayslover @spiderhemlock13 @petulantcacti @brittanymcsharry

(Message or comment for a tag)

A/N: if I forgot to tag you, let me know. I think I got everyone, but just in case...

[my-creative-hell]

Nightmares (Avengers au)

Grave looks around her, as she stands, frozen still, helpless only to watch the unfolding events. Jake had been grabbed long ago by some horrific amalgamation of creature that Grave wasn’t sure had ever even been a human. He was screaming as jagged nails sliced through his skin as if it were butter, blood flowing seamlessly onto the floor where he stood as he was eaten by the monster.

Leena was dead, partially eaten already, her eyes devoid of their normal life and colour as she lay limp on the ground, limbs long separated from her body and head only hanging on by a small thread of muscle that refused to let it go. The natural flush of her face was tainted and cold now, the normal life she had always contained and breathed into the rest of the group was gone and all that was left was like a hollow husk, leaking the pain that Grave felt from its now pallor and torn skin.

Iden was dead too, his head had been smashed in by the monsters and he was on the floor, his face an amalgamation that no longer resembled him at all. It was too distorted, the skin broken and stretched, bones peaking through and blood pouring out of every orifice that was left of his face.

And Hannah, the member of the team she had come to see a type of familial bond with. Her blindness had been taken advantage of, and Grave could see the large bite mark on her leg as she tried to fight. But her shadows were getting weaker, being broken again and again more easily as she continued to fire them off at the attackers.

Grave wants nothing more than to scream, to run and help, or to die trying. She wants to close her eyes, curl into a ball and will it all away. But all she can find herself doing is standing, her eyes glued to the carnage in front of her she so desperately doesn’t want to be real. She wants to join them and die, but they aren’t attacking her, making her suffer in the worst way, unable to help the very people she had come to call her family.

Only able to watch them die without saying a word against it.

 Grave shoots up out of bed, her sweat a horrible mingle of hot and cold as it dances across her skin, her ragged breathing the only sound filling her head in her silent room, bouncing off of the walls, reminding her of the horrors that had filled her mind only seconds before.

Painful screams fill her head as she sits, the hot tears in her eyes threatening to brim over and roll down her face as she bites her tongue, not wanting to make any sudden noises, not wanting to alert any of the team.

Though she knew they wouldn’t mind, the time on the clock wouldn’t make a difference, but the numbers burned into her brain, a sense of guilt creeping into her heart for an action she hadn’t even committed yet. It was two in the morning, she couldn’t wake them up, surely they had things to do in the morning.

But, unbeknownst to Grave, she had already woken one of them up. Hannah had stirred during the end of the dream, the shadows within Grave’s mind reaching out to her and stirring her out of her sleep, her mind flooding with worry.

Silently, she had gotten out of bed without disturbing the still sleeping Leena. Though she couldn’t see the clock, she knew it was early morning from Leena’s breathing noises. Quietly as she could, she navigates the hallways, fingers trailing over the walls as she blindly heads to Graves room.

At the door, she stands quietly, slowly rapping her knuckles against the door, as quiet as possible so she wouldn’t scare the poor girl, who she was sure would be in a bad state when she opened the door.

Grave hesitates at the noise; looking at the door quietly, wondering whether she should open it, fear still lingering in her mind. But she does get up, getting out of bed and heading over to the door in an uncharacteristically quiet manner.

Hannah looks up as she hears the door being opened, Grave stepping on the other side of it, opposite her. Hannah cant see, but she can hear the fabric of Grave’s pyjamas rustling as she shakes where she stands. The poor girl was clearly terrified, and it broke Hannah’s heart to hear it, the concern she feels no doubt written on her face.

“Hey hun.” Hannah speaks softly as she listens for any more signs from Grave, as she no doubt tries to suppress her fear to answer her, never wanting to worry anyone.

“Hi…” Grave almost mumbles, and Hannah was right. She could hear Grave trying to suppress the shaking of her body and voice by talking quietly, but it was still there, making Hannah feel sympathy for the youngest of the team.

“Grave, you know I can hear you aren’t okay…” Hannah reasons gently, keeping her voice soft and calm as she speaks, trying to reassure the younger girl. “Do you need someone?” She asks gently, making it clear with her voice that it was okay if she did. The girl was clearly upset, and Hannah wanted her to know she could ask any of them for help in a time like this.

“Yeah. That would… that’d be nice.” Hannah can hear Grave slowly nod as she answers, and it makes her smile softly at her, her eyes squinting as it reaches her gentle eyes.

“Well, I’m here, you want to let me in?” Hannah offers. She knew Grave would likely feel bad about waking any more of the team, and she felt the two were close enough that Grave would trust her to talk about whatever had happened.

“You can come in.” Hannah hears Grave pull her door open a bit more and smiles again at the taller girl, using a soft and kind voice when she answers her, wanting to be as comforting as she possibly can.

“Thanks hun.” Hannah uses her hands to touch the doorframe as she enters the room slowly. Unlike the rest of the living space, Hannah didn’t quite have Grave’s room entirely mapped yet, so she uses her hands to make sure she doesn’t bump into anything, making her movements slow to mitigate the risk of her falling over something.

Grave sits on her bed as Hannah enters, the smile on her face widening as she does so.

“You’re welcome.” She says sounding a little bit brighter than before, the mood lightened a bit by the presence of Hannah with her in her room. Hannah fumbles in the room a bit as she navigates using her steps and hands, though she does manage to find the bed and climb onto it alongside Grave, where she turns to face her.

“So, you wanna talk about what happened hun?” Hannah asks gently, face crinkling slightly as she poses the question, not wanting to make the teen uncomfortable around her.

“Not yet, sorry… but a hug would be nice.” Grave suggests, and Hannah can tell she is looking down a bit in potential guilt, making her heart squeeze.

“That’s fine hun. I think I can manage that…” Hannah says gently, wrapping Grave into a calm and protective hug, holding her gently in her arms but applying enough weight to be a comforting and non-constricting sensation for the young girl.

“Thank you.” Grave happily hugs her back, squeezing Hannah slightly as she does so, comfortable with the hug being given to her, making Hannah happy by default.

“That’s okay hun. You know we’re all here for you.” Hannah reminds her gently about the rest of the team. What Hannah was doing tonight wasn’t an oddity, and would happily be done by any other member of the team, though they would surely all have slightly different methods to Hannah.

“I’m glad you are…” Grave says happily, her feet tapping on the floor slightly, a very audible sign of her happiness that makes Hannah smile and laugh quietly.

“I’m glad you are here too hun.” Hannah says happily as she hugs her, squeezing Grave gently as she speaks to display her own happiness with the situation.

Grave squeals quietly as Hannah squeezes her, making her sound like a squeaky toy, and almost making Hannah laugh at the situation and at her cuteness. The sound was so small and delicate and it was so entertaining that it came from Grave of all people.

Hannah transitions the hug to be a bit tighter and more comforting, a bear hug she often liked to give people. She was always told she was a great hugger because of it. Grave gives off another small squeak and this time Hannah finds she has to say something.

“You sound like a squeaky toy.” She jokes lightly, voice never going much above a whisper as she speaks.

“I do not.” Hannah can feel Grave pouting and has to hold back another laugh at the expression she knew she was wearing, sight or no. Grave was trying to sound angry, but she only managed to sound like a vaguely annoyed toddler.

“Hun, you do. It’s adorable, don’t worry about it.” Hannah states simply as she hugs her, never removing her arms from around the younger counterpart, she could tell they were both too comfortable for that.

“Fine.” Grave growls, but Hannah can tell its fake and has no fire behind it, like a puppy first learning how to growl and bark, making Hannah laugh quietly at Grave’s fake anger.

“Sorry hun, but it had to be said.” Hannah jokes as she laughs, her eyes closed as she does so, not that it made any difference to her.

“Mhm, s u r e it did.” The sarcasm drips off of Grave’s voice, making Hannah laugh again, the sound very entertaining to her. but her voice turns a bit more serious as she opens her eyes again, listening to Grave’s calmer breathing and soft heart beats.

“I’m just glad you’re feeling a bit better.” Hannah says simply, her smile warm and genuine, pressed into Grave’s shoulder where they sit. The worry bubbling inside of Hannah had calmed slightly as she felt Grave calmer, but it still remained slightly.

“I’m glad you were here to make me feel better.” Grave smiles as she speaks, voice happier, quelling some more of the worry inside Hannah as she listens to her.

“I’ll always be here to chase away the nightmares hun.” Hannah reminds Grave. Over the time Grave had been a part of the team, they had all developed their own relationships with her. most of the team seemed to have adopted an older sibling relationship with the younger teen, while Hannah and Grave had seemed to have adopted an almost mother daughter relationship, getting very close to each other in that sense, hence the worry Hannah felt for Grave now.

“Thank you mum- I mean Hannah…” Grave trails off, and Hannah can feel the embarrassment coming off of the teen, choosing to not comment on the use of the word mum, though it makes her smile gently at the teen as she speaks.

“You know its no problem hun. Now, do you feel like telling me what happened?” Hannah asks gently, pulling back from the hug a little as she does, as though she could somehow see Grave’s reaction to the question. Grave nods, taking a deep breath as she begins to talk.

“I-I was in the upside down again. I heard you a-and you were screaming and when I got to you you had this big bite mark on your leg and it was bleeding and everybody was there with you. Iden…” Grave sighs deeply as she continues, the sadness evident in her tone. “Iden got his head smashed and Leena and Jake were both eaten  by the demodogs a-and…” Grave tightens her grip on the smaller counterpart and shakes her head gently. “Sorry.”

Hannah slowly brings Grave’s head down to her own and gently touches their forehead together as she speaks, her voice warm and gentle as her face dissolves into sympathy and concern.

“Don’t apologise hun. That sounds like hell… you okay?” Hannah asks gently, wanting to hear it out of Grave’s mouth, though her heart and breath indicated she felt somewhat better.

“Well I’m fine now, thanks to you.” Graves smiles as Hannah does as well, her smile small and warm as she gently touches Grave’s face with her hand, cupping it.

“I’m always here.” Hannah reminds her gently as she cups her face, feeling Grave smile again as she moves her mouth to reply.

“And I’m happy about that.” Grave responds happily, making Hannah laugh quietly again, voice gentle as ever when talking to Grave.

“I’m glad to hear it.” Hannah smiles as she speaks. “You think you wanna try sleeping again?” Hannah asks, keeping her voice slow as she studies Grave’s sounds to determine her feelings when she replies.

“Yeah, its really early.” Grave comments, and Hannah can hear the sleepiness draining into her voice, and can feel her energy depleting now.

“It is very early indeed, do you think you’ll be okay alone, or do you want company?” Hannah asks. Leena would be confused when she woke up alone in the morning, but she would totally understand if Grave needed Hannah here with her now.

“I’ll be fine by myself, but thank you.” Grave says as Hannah smiles at her, knowing she was telling the truth from her voice.

“Good to hear. You know where I am if you need me.” Hannah reminds her, hoping that if this happened again, Grave would be comfortable enough to come and get someone to help her when she needed it.

“I shall clip through the ceiling if I need you. Night night.” Grave lies down in her bed, practically vanishing under her blanket, making Hannah laugh quietly at the image.

“I will laugh if you do that. Night hun.” Hannah stands up quietly as she navigates silently through Graves’s room, finding the door and closing it as quietly as possible behind her.

Slowly, she makes her way to her own bed, crawling in besides Leena, who doesn’t even stir, only turning around in request of a cuddle as Hannah smiles, able to sense that Grave was now falling asleep, no more bad dreams in store for the night.

[yogasuppliesreviews-blog]

The Best Yoga Mat for 2019 | Reviews

The Best Yoga Mats

Whether you're a seasoned yogi or a beginner, your yoga mat should be comfortable and easy to maintain. We spent one month talking to over a dozen yoga instructors and sweating, stretching, and savasana-ing it out in our offices, homes, and yoga studios to find the very best.

Affirmat Yoga Mat

B Yoga B Mat Everyday

Gaiam Premium Print Yoga Mat

Gaiam Studio Select Premium-Grip Yoga Mat

Hugger Mugger Para Rubber Yoga Mat

Hugger Mugger Ultimate Comfort Yoga Mat

Jade Harmony Mat

Jade Fusion Mat

Liforme Yoga Mat

Liforme Travel Mat

Lululemon The Reversible Mat

Manduka PRO Yoga Mat

Manduka PROlite Yoga Mat

Yoga Design Lab Combo Mat

Yoloha Native Cork Yoga Mat

Yoloha Nomad Cork Yoga Mat

How We Chose the Best Yoga Mat

Support

A good yoga mat should walk the line between being squishy enough to take some of the pressure off your joints, while being dense enough to offer a stable foundation. Too-soft mats may be comfortable, but they’re difficult to hold a pose on — and while you can stand on a too-firm mat forever, you may end up hurting your joints. Beginners, pregnant yogis, and people with sensitive joints should consider thicker mats, which offer more support. Yogis who commute or travel a lot may prefer thinner mats that are easier to roll up and carry.

Grip

The “grippiness” of a mat has two parts. One is how grippy the mat is against your hands and feet — are you slowly sliding out of place during warrior pose, or are you solidly planted? The other is the traction of the mat against the floor: Does your mat slip around on smooth floors, or is it firmly stuck in place throughout your session? Sweat can be a factor too, especially if you practice an intensive form like hot yoga, so you want to make sure your mat will stay grippy through it all.

Maintenance

We wanted to make sure our top picks would be easy to clean and durable (no mid-session mat shrapnel here!) We found that more porous, open-cell mat surfaces tended to be grippier, but were also harder to clean — they tend to absorb everything, like a giant sponge. Smooth, closed-cell surfaces tend to be easier to clean, but may be more slippery. The sweet spot is a mat that’s just grippy enough but doesn’t hold onto dirt and debris.

Hype

We wanted to see how the most popular options compare, so we sought out mats that people were most excited about — from old favorites like the Manduka PRO to newer releases like the Alo Yoga Warrior Mat. We sifted through numerous “best-of,” “bestselling,” and “top-rated” lists, reached out to over 30 yoga instructors for their opinions, and dug into requests and queries from our yoga-loving readers.

Our Picks For The Best Yoga Mat

Liforme Yoga Mat -

Alo Yoga Warrior Mat -

Hugger Mugger Para Rubber Yoga Mat -

Jade Fusion Mat -

Liforme Travel Mat -

Best Overall

Best for Hot Yoga

Best Eco-Friendly Mat

Best Thick Mat

Best Travel Mat

Best Overall

               Liforme

Superior grip in any situation

Pros Non-slip surface Easy clean-up Special alignment markings Length

Cons Thinner than the competition Price

Why we chose it Non-slip surface

The Liforme Yoga Mat rolled out with a quietly satisfying plop and seemed firmly set in the ground, ready for action. We never had to worry about the mat sliding around on the floor or about sliding around on top of it ourselves. The Liforme mat has a natural, grippy rubber base and smooth, matte polyurethane top. It’s not so sticky it catches you while you’re trying to switch positions (like the Hugger Mugger Para Rubber did), but was grippy enough to keep us stable even during hot yoga sessions. One tester noted, “The sweater I got, the stickier the mat was.”

Easy clean-up

The smooth, matte, closed-cell top layer of the Liforme means that cleanup is fairly easy: Wipe down your mat after practice to get rid of any sweat or debris. We did note that sweat and water left noticeable marks on the mat’s surface, but these fade by themselves when wiped down and left to dry.

Special alignment markings

We were initially pretty skeptical about the special alignment markings, thinking they might just be a gimmick — but our testers were taken with how helpful the markings were in practice. A centerline helps you maintain symmetry, while 45-degree lines and other parallel markings help you nail perfect alignment. (Lines are spaced at varied distances for taller and shorter people). Liforme explains how the markings should be used more thoroughly on its website, but we found this to be pretty intuitive for experienced testers, even if they didn’t read the instructions.

Length

We loved the Liforme’s size. It’s 73 by 27 inches — a good 5 inches longer than a standard yoga mat. Shorter yogis had plenty of room to stretch out, and taller ones (including one 6-foot-tall tester) didn’t have to worry about their hands or feet resting on the floor.

Points to consider Thinner than the competition

At 5.5 pounds and 4.2 millimeters, the Liforme is relatively light and thin for a partly-rubber mat. Our more experienced testers thought it was “the perfect thickness,” though one added, “I think if other people had more sensitive joints, it would be slightly painful.” If you need more cushion, we’d recommend the Hugger Mugger Para Rubber Mat or the Jade Fusion Mat.

Price

At $140, the Liforme Yoga Mat is certainly a splurge as far as yoga mats go. Especially compared to economical picks like the Hugger Mugger Para Rubber Yoga Mat ($85) and the Alo Yoga Warrior Mat ($100).

Best for Hot Yoga

               Alo Yoga

Sleek, simple, and sticky

Pros Non-slip surface Easy to clean Lays flat

Cons Limited color selection No alignment marks

Why we chose it Non-slip surface

The Alo Yoga Warrior Mat is made with the same materials as the Liforme, so it’s grippy, comfortable, and just as easy to clean. Its grip holds firm, staying in place even during the sweatiest, most intense practices.

Easy to clean

The Alo mat walks the fine line of being easy to clean while still maintaining a sticky grip in the sweatiest conditions, making it perfect for people who primarily practice hot yoga. Our testers found its smooth polyurethane leather surface easy to wipe down after those intense classes with no residual smell or stickiness.

Smoother materials like the polyurethane leather top of the Alo Yoga Warrior Mat (left) are easy to wipe down for quick cleanup, while more porous materials like that of the Hugger Mugger Para Rubber Mat (center) and Yoloha Native Mat (right) are harder to clean as thoroughly.

Lays flat

You don’t have to worry about the Alo rolling up as you change positions. It’s constructed with a natural rubber bottom and an easy-to-wipe-down polyurethane top layer, which help it to roll up and lay flat beautifully.

Points to consider Limited color selection

The Alo is only available in solid black. And unfortunately, the matte black color shows everything if you don’t wipe it down often. User reviews indicate that footprints, dust, and smudges have a tendency to stand out against the matte black.

No alignment marks

It doesn’t include the same alignment markings that set the Liforme mat apart and made it feel so premium. If you’re new to yoga or enjoy some extra guidance when adjusting poses, the lack of alignment markings may be a drawback.

Best Eco-Friendly Mat

               Hugger Mugger

Sustainable and renewable

Pros Eco-friendly materials Comfort Non-slip surface

Cons Smaller size Weight Smells like rubber

Why we chose it Eco-friendly materials

We love that the Hugger Mugger is made from renewable materials. User reviews show that many customers love this, too, commending the mat for being sustainable and high-quality. If you’re in the market for a yoga mat that’s eco-friendly, then this is a good pick.

Comfort

The Hugger Mugger Para Rubber Mat is thicker than both the Alo and the Liforme. Testers praised the cushiony, dense material. If you have sensitive joints and need more cushion, we’d we’d recommend it over the other picks.

Non-slip surface

We liked how extremely grippy this mat was — so grippy, in fact, it’s on par with more expensive mats like the Liforme or Alo Yoga Warrior Mat. Even though it’s budge-proof, the Hugger Mugger Para Rubber Mat didn’t leave any weird sticky residue on our hands.

Points to consider Smaller size

It’s shorter and narrower than the Liforme and Alo Yoga Warrior Mat, at 70 by 24 inches. If you’re five-foot-nine or taller, this mat might be a tight fit during planking positions. However, it’s also available in an XL size which is 78 x 28 inches.

Weight

Because the Hugger Mugger Para Rubber Mat is constructed entirely out of natural rubber, it’s heavier (6.6 pounds, to be exact) and bulkier than other yoga mats. If you don’t have a strap or carrying case, traveling with this mat might be a bit difficult.

Smells like rubber

Many user reviews agree that this mat smells a little like tires. And mat maintenance may be a headache for hot yoga regulars: Its porous, open-celled surface requires a longer, more thorough clean than smooth-topped polyurethane. (This is the case for any solid natural rubber mat.)

Best Thick Mat

               Jade

Ultra-cushiony rubber mat that keeps joints protected

Pros Extra support Multiple sizes available Non-slip surface

Cons Bulky to carry Tougher to clean

Why we chose it Extra support

If support is your main concern, the Jade Fusion Mat should serve you well both at home and in the studio. The Jade struck a great balance between cushiony support and secure grippiness: One tester reported, “With dry hands and feet, there is absolutely zero slippage. With sweaty palms, it didn’t feel quite as 'sticky' but still secure enough that I never had to think about keeping myself from sliding.”

The thick, dense Jade Fusion Mat (right) is perfect for people who need more cushioning support, while the minimal Liforme Travel Mat (left) is better for very experienced yogis or frequent travelers.

Multiple sizes available

The Jade Fusion Mat comes in two sizes, so you’re guaranteed it’ll fit your height. At 68 by 24 inches, the standard size mat is perfect for yogis under five-foot-nine. The mat is also available at an extended size (74 by 24 inches) for an extra $10.

Non-slip surface

We were impressed at how the Jade managed to be both super comfortable and squishy, yet stable. While other thick mat contenders left testers feeling wobbly during pretty basic balance poses, the Jade remained secure and supportive.

Points to consider Bulky to carry

Because it’s so thick and dense, it rolls up into a somewhat bulky package. Luckily, it’s not too heavy to carry around: At 5.4 pounds, it’s only 0.2 pounds heavier than the Liforme original mat and is even lighter than the slim Alo Yoga Warrior Mat (though its bulkiness may be something you want to consider if you plan on traveling with it).

Tougher to clean

The Jade is stickier than the average mat, making it more prone to attracting hair, dust, and dirt. Since it has a textured, grippy surface, wiping down the mat may take a little longer and residue can’t be as easily cleaned.

Best Travel Mat

               Liforme

Light, grippy, and easy to carry

Pros Portability Non-slip surface

Cons Thin

Why we chose it Portability

A thinner, lighter version of our top pick, the Liforme Travel Mat is easy to commute with and even includes a carrying case to make practicing anywhere a breeze. If you’re a yogi that wants to do sun salutations while traveling the world, then this could be the mat for you.

We preferred the Liforme’s padded carry strap over the Yoloha and Yoga Design Lab’s, which dug into our shoulders as we walked to work.

Non-slip surface

The Liforme Travel Mat is just as grippy and smooth as the standard Liforme Mat. Even when on the go, this mat lays flat and stays put. As an added bonus, this mat still has the alignment markings the standard version is best known for, which can help you stick poses with confidence.

Points to consider Thin

Keep in mind that if you want a supportive mat, our other picks would be better options: The Liforme Travel Mat’s thinness means it might not be comfortable enough for those with sensitive joints.

The Liforme Travel Mat (left) is half as thick as the original (right) but it performs just as well.

How to Find the Right Yoga Mat for You

Research materials

A yoga mat's material affects its stickiness, durability, comfort, texture, and whether or not it’s environmentally friendly. PVC is cheaper and more durable but may be exposed to toxins during manufacturing and be less beneficial for the environment. Eco-friendly materials tend to be more expensive and degrade more quickly but are both free of toxins and more sustainable.

Consider size

Instructor Amira Freidson told us that a standard-size yoga mat is 68 inches long — just long enough for someone who’s five-foot-eight. To make sure you’re not too cramped during practice, check to see if your whole body fits on the mat while lying down with your face towards the ceiling. While there are no benefits to using a too-small mat, extra-large mats may be good for working on your flexibility: Instructor Giovanna Abraham says, “For more experienced yogis who have been practicing for 2-5 years, a longer mat would definitely be helpful — for instance, in giving them greater space to extend deeper into their poses.”

Consider portability

The grippiest, most comfortable yoga mat in the world is still a pain if you’re constantly struggling to lug it to and from class. If you intend on commuting with your mat, you may want to consider one that is lighter or comes with a carrying case. Just remember that if it doesn’t, a carrying case will cost extra. Weight and thickness also come into play. Heavier and thicker mats will be a bit bulkier to travel with than sleeker, thinner ones.

Choose a price range

Price is an important factor when considering a yoga mat. If you’re a new yogi, it might make sense to choose a more affordable mat with fewer frills. But it’s also good to consider longevity vs. initial cost. All of our top picks are durable and can withstand heavy use for many classes to come, so putting down more money upfront might help you avoid having to replace a cheaper mat later.

Yoga Mat FAQs

How thick should a yoga mat be?

The standard thickness of a regular yoga mat is 4–5 millimeters. Travel mats are generally 3 millimeters or less, and thick mats are 6–9 millimeters. The type of yoga you practice can help you figure out which thickness is right for you. Instructor Jane Witzenburg advises, “If you are doing a lot of lunges, use a thicker mat. If you are doing more balancing postures, use a thinner mat.”

What does "PVC-free" mean?

Polyvinyl chloride is a synthetic material commonly used in yoga mats because it keeps slippage to a minimum, is durable, provides the most “give,” and tends to be the cheapest material. A concern with PVC, without going into too much detail, is that it contains phthalates — substances that have been linked to health issues and negative impacts on the environment.

What are yoga mats made of?

Aside from PVC, yoga mats are typically made from cotton, recycled rubber, cork, and jute. Which material you choose depends on preference.

Cotton helps to absorb sweat and can increase grip when wet, but doesn’t provide a lot of give.

Recycled, natural rubber may not be as sticky as a PVC mat but will still provide great grip. People with latex allergies, however, should avoid it.

Cork is a natural (though expensive) material that becomes grippier with moisture but tends to absorb sweat and be more difficult to clean.

Jute is a plant-based fiber that keeps you in place due to Polymer Environmental Resin (PER), a nontoxic material. As an added bonus, jute has antimicrobial properties for those extra-sweaty practices.

How do you clean a yoga mat?

It’s best to clean your yoga mat at least once a week to prevent staining and buildup. Use water and gentle cleansers like lemon juice or dish soap, but avoid abrasive sponges. Wipe down excess moisture and let your mat dry away from direct sunlight or high temperatures, which can accelerate the breakdown of natural materials like rubber. When in doubt, check your mat manufacturer’s care guidelines.

Are yoga mat towels necessary?

Yoga mat towels can be useful for people who find themselves slipping on their mats, typically in Bikram or “hot yoga” classes. If you invest in a quality, non-stick yoga mat, you shouldn’t find yourself slipping — even in the sweatiest conditions. That said, towels can also be a nice addition for wiping sweat off your face and body during class, too.

[awed-frog]

The Memory Remains/Carthago Delenda

On the whole, I think I really liked this episode? It certainly felt very old school, in the best possible sense. There were a couple of moments I was actually worried, and considering that I know perfectly well both Sam and Dean will always be fine, that’s quite something. 

I sort of liked the mythology, and I liked the class thing, and as for Dean hooking up with a waitress - look, first - this is the writer who practically wrote Dean as bi in Beyond the Mat, his only other Supernatural episode. I know they didn’t quite go there, but by paralleling a young Sam jerking off to some picture of Rio (sorry to be coarse, but that’s exactly what it was and it was confirmed both by dialogue and by Sam’s embarrassed stammering) with Dean’s obsession for Gunnar, well, kudos for the effort. And Jensen, of course, went with it, like he always does, and made the whole thing very obvious. So there’s that, and second - this is what Dean does. He’s a kisser and a hugger and all about touching and be touched, and sex with strangers was the only thing that, growing up, gave him that physical intimacy he craved and nobody else was capable to share with him. We know Mary was dead, of course, and John was not the hugging type, and Sam - my headcanon (which I use liberally in my fics, and sue me) is that he was an expansive child and Dean secretly loved it, but at some point John told both of them to just cut it out already, ‘cause you’re too old for this shit now. So that was that, and from then on, touch that actually matters has been in short supply for Dean - and, unlike Sam, whom I read as more reserved, Dean craves to be touched and held. It’s just who he is. So, whatever - he’s worried sick about Cas, and that’s not going anywhere anytime soon, and there’s a million other things going through his head and now that stupid sheriff’s brought half of them up again by talking about a kid who grew up with an abusive father as though that’s nothing and what can you do (I actually went back and looked three times at that scene, at how the sheriff says, “Guess who gets to take care of him?” because something was bugging me and yeah, there it was - Sam visibly makes an effort to react to the conversation because it’s what’s expected from him, but Dean just looks up - up and to the left, that is, which is what happens when you remember past experiences; and I don’t want this person who reads a lot into every detail, but these are basic biology things an actor would do without even realizing, and also it’s beyond canon, by this point, that Dean took care of John more than once, because that’s what happens when you’ve got an alcoholic parent) - and, sorry, here’s the end of the sentence - it looks perfectly reasonable to me that Dean would want some comfort, and I do believe he slept with that woman and that it was great and that it cheered him up a bit in some bittersweet way and what can you do?

Honestly, all that I’m upset about is that the straight stuff is always out in the open and for the queer one you need to stop your video and squint at the scene and the paintings and the colours and yeah, that BS smack on Dean and the waitress could be nothing -

(Also, that girl is not his type at all. She was just there, and she liked him, and, as he’s told us himself, he likes waitresses because they smell like food and it’s not easy to get them - if that doesn’t sound like comfort and a need for validation to you, I don’t know what does.)

Moving away from Destiel-related content, I really liked how seamlessly the different parts of the episode moved into one another. From that woman reading the text of the Fourth Amendment on the radio at the very beginning (the one which makes it illegal to search a house without a warrant or probable cause, that is), to Ketch and his men walking around in Sam and Dean’s lives as they themselves are in the outside world, living them - that was very well done.

Also well done: the whole social commentary on class and money. 

Industrial benefactors are sometimes seen as a good thing, because they normally provide houses for their workers and schools for their workers’ kids and therefore create and enrich a whole community, but personally I’ve always hated the concept (which is not as outdated as one would expect, and ew) and I was happy to see our writer didn’t give them an inch. Yes, sure, the town did prosper, but that factory was creepy and unpleasant in itself (even if you eat meat, you gotta admit that the meat industry and meat factories are about as bleak and morally ambiguous as you can get) and, more importantly, it was only held together by human sacrifice. The idea that it could, in fact, be considered acceptable to lose a kid every year so that the rest of the village can get by was never even suggested, and thank God. Instead, the whole episode read like some old-fashioned Quaker or Socialist leaflet: money corrupts (look at our first victim, lured to his death by a backpack full of dollar bills), creates division and resentment (the tale of the two brothers may have read like a bad Dynasty episode, but these things happen every day), generally comes from blood (the entire god story and the sacrifices) and it’s always better to be honest and poor than rich and tainted (I really liked the sheriff, poor guy).

As for the lore itself - I’m slightly less happy with it, mostly because I would expect both Sam and Dean to know perfectly well what a satyr is (and no, they don’t eat human flesh - those were the women who danced with Dionysos, totally different stuff) and because Moloch has been maligned plenty enough, but I did appreciate the casual horror of it all - a starved and tortured god locked in your cellar, people dressing as animals to capture an unwilling sacrifice - very gothic and compelling.

Since we’re now talking about pagan stuff, maybe Sam and Dean’s discussion about their legacy and mortality made sense, but it was still hard to watch. What happened to the wary hope of S11? To the idea it’s not too late to find a partner, perhaps even to have kids? With that mournful discussion and by carving their initials in the Bunker’s table, Sam and Dean have somehow closed the circle. Their story, this is what they seem to think, is not going anywhere, is not leaving any memory behind. The thing was so sweet and sad, I’m actually comforted by the fact this is not the last season, because there it was - the perfect foundation to end this story in a burst of flames. The reminder to their childhood, the belated acknowledgement that it wasn’t, in the end, as bad as it could have been (“Next time you hear me say that our family is messed up, remind me that we could be psycho goat people,” Dean says, and man, now I can’t wait for that confrontation with Mary we know is coming), the quiet acceptance about their importance in history (non-existent), in people’s lives (often significant) and in their own consciences (“We left the world better than we found it, you know.”) - the knowledge that one day they’ll both die, and they’ll be forgotten, and someone else will live in the Bunker, fight on - it was heartbreaking, but also - also, after all these years of anger and torment and hurt, it looks like Sam and Dean are very close to being okay with everything - their family, their jobs, their place in the world, and even each other - and that’s -

- yeah.

We'll eventually fade away, too.

Just in case someone is wondering: Moloch was the god of Carthage, a city which used to be roughly where Tunis is now. At one point, it was Rome’s main rival - mostly because Carthaginians were better educated and smarter and had a longer and richer civilisation behind them - so Rome started a brutal campaign against them which included a few wars and also liberal amounts of bullshit propaganda. What Moloch is generally associated with is child sacrifice, which ties in nicely with our two victims in The Memory Remains, and I’m not saying that never happened at all, but still - it’s very likely it didn’t happen with the alarming frequency described by some of the more vitriolic Roman politicians. Plus, you know - human sacrifice is a thing in every culture, and it makes perfect sense. A human life, and especially a child’s life, is the most precious thing a community has to offer, right up there with other very precious things, like a good stallion or a fertile bull, so when things start to go really bad, you have up up the ante a bit. Gods are not stupid, and no god is going to show up and save your stupid city in exchange for a loaf of bread and two rabbits. That’s just the way it goes, and everyone knows it. Even the Romans used to perform human sacrifices in times of trouble, so they can just shut it (as you can see, since I’m an archaeologist I’m approaching history in a calm, academic fashion, without taking sides, because that would be both unprofessional and pointless).

Oh, and this is a statue of Moloch which was created for some movie and ended up in someone’s garden in New Jersey, because why not.

Random thoughts: 

I so wish this was on HBO, because Jesus, stoned!Dean must be quite something and that’s clearly something he does, or used to do, a lot and uuugh, where’s my spinoff on those four years he spent without Sam?

Ketch is definitely coded as bisexual - what kind of man notices another man’s hair or clothes? - but at the moment I’m more interested in him stealing Mary’s picture and what he thinks about it.

Which Stark was Sam supposed to be? Who would appeal to him the most? Since Dean was Oberyn, I’m guessing we’re not looking for Tony, but for a random member of the Stark family - Ned, perhaps? Or Bran?

As for Dean picking Oberyn, lol. Bisexual guy who gets into fights to protect his family and is in love with an unpredictable ‘I’m as strong as you and can look after myself, thank you very much’ partner - it’s okay, sweetie, we’ve got you.

If this isn’t going anywhere, Wanek needs to take a chill pill - look at the ships and the puppies and the trench coats and oh my God, that BS sign - what the hell, man?