#the same stop where he gets the acne treatment he gets the hair stuff | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

beelsnack · 4 years

Text

Obey Me! Boys and an Insecure MC

Alternate Title: Coping mechanisms? In my demonic dating sim? It’s more likely than you think.

I honestly didn’t mean for this to be so long, but hey.

CW: Depression, self hatred, unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Lucifer: It was subtle, but nothing escaped the notice of the Eldest. He saw them fidgeting with their tie before heading to class, watched the frown tug at their lips when all they managed to produce was a rumpled tangle of silk. Caught them poking ruefully at their acne scars in the reflection of their D.D.D. Heard the frustrated sigh as they tried to sit in a way that hid the meat on their abdomen. But, above all, he paid close attention to those comments.

“Wow, I can’t do anything right, can I?”

“You would have to be a professional makeup artist to fix this mess, haha!”

“It’s alright, you can say I’m ugly.”

That was it. Lucifer stood from his seat at his desk, an errant paper fluttering to the ground in his wake. The Firstborn made his way over to where they were sitting, working away diligently on their laptop. Their breath caught in their throat when they turned to face him, and Lucifer fought back a sadistic grin when he felt them shudder at the feeling of his gloved hand sliding beneath their chin. He would file that away for later.

“That’s quite enough.” his voice was low as he lifted their face. They averted their eyes, clearly uncomfortable, but he kept his hand where it was. “Self-deprecation is unbecoming on anyone, but I certainly will not have it marring that beautiful face of yours.”

Nothing escaped the notice of the Eldest. Especially not the shy smile they wore as they bade him goodnight.

Mammon: Call him an idiot all you like, but if there was one thing that a solid gambling career had taught Mammon, it was how to read a person’s tells. The way they stood with their arms folded and body turned inward said they were trying to hide. Their habit of avoiding mirrors told him they hated the way they looked. The twinge of resigned sadness on their face when they carefully deflected Asmo’s blatant flirting made it obvious that they thought they didn’t deserve it.

It must have been particularly bad one night. The two of them had made themselves comfortable on the bed in preparation for movie night, but instead of cuddling up next to him like they normally did, they sat far enough away that Mammon had to actually scoot forward to jab them in the shoulder.

“Hey, what gives, human? Why’re you all the way over there?”

“I’m just feeling a little warm.” they shrugged, pulling their knees to their chest. They were trying to pull some reverse psychology bullshit by purposefully staring him in the eye while they lied to him. Mammon snorted.

“You really think you’re going to fool me like that? You’ve got at least a millennia until you can even think of lying to The Great Mammon!” he opened his arms and his voice softened when he spoke. “Come here.”

They hesitated - eyes flicking back and forth between him and a knot in the branches that made up their bed frame, nervous - before they tucked themselves into his waiting arms.

He leaned his cheek against the top of their head, inhaling the sweet smell of their freshly-washed hair and internally purring (maybe externally, but you wouldn’t be able to get him to admit it) when he felt them snuggle in a little deeper and release a pent up sigh.

Mammon stayed silent, absently stroking the back of their neck. Words had probably done the damage, and they definitely weren’t going to fix it. He knew that from experience. But shielding his human from their own poisonous thoughts for a few moments was a good place to start.

Levi: Self-deprecating comments were one of Levi’s main forms of communication. It was a defense mechanism, a low-level shield someone would cast when the enemy was ridiculously OP but the game didn’t give you a retreat option. He knew this mechanic.

But when he heard them use it, it made him angry.

How could someone as amazing as them - smart, pretty, brave, loved gaming, made sure to feed Henry 2.0 when Levi was at a Sucre Frenzy concert - think they were anything less then perfect? No, more importantly, who hurt them so badly that they started thinking that way?

He felt like he did that one time Mammon had dropped one of his limited-edition Ruri-chan figures from a balcony. Someone damaged something precious to him, and he wanted blood.

Of course, that would involve talking about feelings and other mushy, normie stuff, and he just wasn’t ready for that. So, he did the only thing he could think of.

Leviachan: Hey, you down for a raid? There’s this new set of armor - it’s suuuuuuper rare, and you’re the only one good enough to get through the dungeon with me!! Pleeeeaaaassseee?

Satan: These little reading dates had started without him really noticing. One day, the human had came into the library seeking a quiet place to study and finish up their homework. Then, they came in with a human world book that Satan had never heard of tucked under their arm and were more than willing to talk about it. This lead to the two of them huddled on the sofa with their noses buried in the same book, and the human surprising Satan by being able to keep up with his reading speed. And here they were.

Satan had chosen a detective novel that he was positive they would like, and the both of them had taken advantage of a quiet Sunday morning to let themselves get absorbed into the story. Satan had his long arms wrapped around them holding the book, and they were leaning against his chest as they flipped the pages. An easy routine that the two of them had fallen into.

He felt them sigh heavily against him and he quirked an eyebrow. “Something wrong?”

“Huh? Oh, no, I just...” they trailed off, gazing out the window at the dusty purple sky before snapping back to the present. “The love interest in this book is amazing. I’m a little jealous of them.”

“Jealous?” Satan echoed, looking down at the small frame curled up in his arms. “Why would you be jealous?”

“They were able to do so much with their life. They’re so young, yet they’ve got their life sorted out, they’re smart, beautiful, charismatic, and they’re confident in themselves despite all the shit people put them through...” they sighed again, and this time Satan heard the note of self-hatred on the exhale. “I can’t do anything like that.”

“Now where did you get that idea?” Satan said incredulously. “In the few months you’ve been here, you have excelled in every class you’ve taken, stood up against all of us in our true forms at least twice each, solved a murder, and convinced me to stop plotting to rip Lucifer’s throat out. All while adjusting to life in a world where most of the citizens could kill you by poking you a bit too hard. I would say that goes above and beyond ‘having your life sorted out.’“

The blush that bloomed across their face was so hot that Satan was able to feel it through his shirt, right next to his heart. He chuckled softly as he bent down to kiss their hair.

“I could write for eons about how amazing you are and it still wouldn’t be enough.”

Asmo: Emotions fell right into his area of expertise, and even if they were immune to his charm, Asmo still could smell their emotions like a perfume. And their low self-confidence reeked like rotten fruit. A beautiful arrangement that had been abandoned and left to decay.

The Avatar of Lust was an inquisitive soul (Lucifer would call it being nosy, but whatever.) He was also a firm believer in the theory that you can tell everything you need to know about a person by their skincare routine. So that’s what led to him sneaking into their bathroom while Mammon had dragged them out on one of his stupid get-rich-quick schemes.

“Oh, I don’t think so!” Asmo cried in alarm as he picked up the bottle of human world acne treatment. “They might as well be washing their face with snake venom!”

With a scoff, Asmo kicked the waste basket out from beneath their counter and tossed the face wash in. Bottle after bottle followed it, and Asmo was just about to dump the last bottle of what he assumed was straight rubbing alcohol when he heard the door open.

“Asmo, what the fuck.”

“Darling, we need to have a very serious discussion about your choice in skincare products.” Asmo grimaced as he glanced at the label on the bottle before unceremoniously dropping it into the bottle graveyard. “Can you even pronounce some of these?”

Ah, there it was. The sickeningly sweet smell of self-hatred. Asmo fought the urge to recoil as they practically dove for the trash can.

“Asmo, come on, I have gross skin as it is, don’t take away the only things keeping me from looking like a slice of pizza.”

The sound of glass breaking echoed somewhere in the back of Asmo’s head. That rotten smell was rolling off of them in waves, but he fought off his aversion and knelt down next to them.

They nearly hit the ceiling when Asmo clasped their hands between his own. “Now, now, none of that.”

“None of what?”

Asmo giggled. “You know I wouldn’t bother associating myself with someone unsightly.” one of his hands moved to gently cup their jaw. “You poor thing, you’ve been ruining that lovely face of yours.”

“I didn’t think I could make it any worse.” they muttered, looking away as Asmo stroked a thumb over their cheekbone.

Asmo’s heart clenched, and he leaned forward to kiss them gently on the forehead. “Oh, I can’t stand hearing that kind of talk, especially coming from you. That settles it, then.” he stood with an air of finality.

“Settles what?” they tilt their head in a manner that reminded Asmo of a very adorable puppy.

“We’re going to get you some proper skincare products, and I’m going to spend the rest of the night making you feel like the divine beauty you actually are.”

It was only for a second, but Asmo swore that overpowering smell of rotten fruit was replaced with something just a little fresher.

Beelzebub: Normally, the Avatar of Gluttony wouldn’t complain about someone not eating. More for him. But he didn’t like the way the human was pushing food around their plate without actually eating any of it. They usually loved fried bat wing, too.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, keeping his voice low so his brothers wouldn’t butt in. “Aren’t you hungry?”

They laughed sheepishly, pushing their plate towards him. “Nah, not really. I was snacking all day. Here, you can have it.”

“But I just heard your stomach growl.”

Shame flashed across their face before they looked up at him with a grin that didn’t quite make it to their eyes. “I guess, haha. Just trying to watch my figure, you know?”

Before Beel could swallow down the mouthful of bat wing - when did he even pick it up? They had stood from the table and excused themselves, saying something about having a lot of homework.

It was a few hours before they got back to their room. What had started as them doing their homework in the living room had turned into Mammon begging them to help him study, which then somehow turned to Mammon challenging Satan to a pillow fight. Finally, they had decided to give up and do their homework in their room.

Something delicious wafted out of their room when they opened the door. The source was an overly full plate of food - with extra bat wing, they noticed - sitting on their desk. Blinking in confusion, they shut the door behind them and approached the plate. When they got closer, the note tucked underneath the plate came into view.

Please eat properly. I don’t want you to starve.

-Beel

Belphegor: He never would have called himself needy or touch-starved before. But after spending so long stuck in that attic room with his only interaction being with Lucifer, Belphegor couldn’t seem to get enough physical contact. Especially with the human.

He knew he didn’t deserve their affection, not with how he took advantage of them, manipulated them, murdered them. But the human had enough room in their heart to forgive him, and he would take any ounce of affection they were willing to give.

But it still stung when they flinched.

It was only for an instant, but Belphegor could feel the instinctual tightening of muscles when he draped himself over their shoulder. Feel them jump when he bumped shoulders with them in the hall. Feel their heartbeat speed up when he decided to use them as a body pillow.

“You know you can tell me no, right?” he murmured sleepily as the moment passed and the human settled down.

“Would you stop if I did?”

“Hm...” he hummed, cracking open one amethyst eye to peer at them. “If you don’t like me touching you, why do you let me do it?”

The human sighed, scooting down from their position against their headboard so they were face to face with Belphegor, who still had his hands around their waist like they were a giant teddy bear.

“It’s more like...I can’t believe you want to touch me.”

Now that woke Belphie up - well, as up as he could be while still doing his best impersonation of a koala. “What?”

They laughed, but it sounded strained. “Come on, Belphie, look at me. I’m all...jiggly.”

“So?”

Silence. They looked at him like they were trying to solve a puzzle, and he met their gaze like he was trying to figure out why they couldn’t figure it out.

“It’s not like it matters,” he shrugged, snuggling down into the soft blankets and holding the human a little bit tighter. “I like touching you because you’re you. You being soft and warm is a side benefit.”

“Belphie - “

He yawned, and they genuinely couldn’t tell if it was fake or not. “Shh, I’m going to sleep. You’re my pillow, so don’t talk. Especially if it’s negative stuff like that.”

Honestly, that was the best nap they’d had in a while.

#obey me #shall we date obey me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #headcanon #honestly this was supposed to be short #I just wanted to write something quick and then this happened

609 notes · View notes

oscars-wifeyyy · 5 years

Text

The Innocent (Oscar Diaz Fanfic)

I just want to see if this is a good start lol I kinda just wrote this cuz it just came up in my mind

In middle school and freshman year of high school, Elizabeth Hernandez was a girl that had braces and acne all over her face. Before summer came she was accepted into the same writing camp that Monse got accepted in and didn’t have to pay a thing except for the transportation. The school year ended and the class of 2018 was having a party to celebrate the end of high school so the crew went to look at the party. The crew went to hide behind the wall to watch the party as it progressed into the night until everyone decided that they wanted to get a beer so Cesar snuck into the party to get everybody beer.

Ruby, Monse, Elizabeth, and Jamal stood watching the scene unfold. The girls were looking for Cesar, Ruby was looking at the girls, while Jamal was freaking out over the football players that stood by the house.

“Do you see him?” Monse asked, crossing her arms.

“I don’t see him,” Elizabeth went on the tips of her toes to see if she could get a better look.

“Something bad is gonna happen. I can feel it,” Jamal freaked out.

“Take a xanny, J,” Ruby glanced at Jamal, “We just can’t see him, ‘cause he’s being stealth,”

“Yeah,” Monse agreed, “besides, when has Cesar ever let us down?”

“Fourth grade. Kickball tourney,” Jamal looks at the group, “we lost,”

“That’s because I picked the kid with no skills,” the group turned, “and I would do it again. Loyalty trumps victory, compa,”

Elizabeth took the beer being offered to her, “got that right, salad,”

Cesar stood up behind the wall, “take it in, guys. This is about to be us. This is high school,”

The five took a sip of their beer and made a face of disgust, but continued drinking out of the can with the bitter-tasting liquid.

“Ruby,” Monse said, “you think Mario is gonna marry Angelica?”

Ruby shrugged, “No idea. Mario tells me jack,”

“What about that time he said Angelica had a dangler?” Jamal chuckled as Ruby tried to shut Jamal up, “what? He said that,”

“In private!” Ruby exclaimed, “time and place, dude. Oh, guys, check out Huerita at 9 o’clock. Monse, Eli, if you were a girl-”

“We are,” Monse interrupted.

“But if you were a girl like that, would you wear any underwear?” Ruby stared dreamily as Elizabeth turned to look at Ruby in disgust.

“Oh, my God. I’m gonna die. I’m gonna die. I’m gonna die,” Jamal said.

“Why are you gonna die, J?” Elizabeth asked Jamal.

“See those guys over there?” Jamal pointed towards the guys in football jerseys, “they play for the ‘ridge. Did you know that last year alone a quorum of kids-”

“Died playing football?” Monse butt in, “you’re stuck on repeat,”

“So don’t play, sweets,” Elizabeth chuckled.

“No choice,” Jamal said, “Pops was a legend. It’s a family tradition. I’m dead,” Jamal jumped off the platform with Monse and Elizabeth.

“You’re not dead,” Monse said.

“Football spiral?” Cesar asked as he got down to help Jamal calm down, “Jamal, CTE is not in your future,”

“Guys, check out my game,” Ruby turned, “Heurita gave me the nod,”

A bald guy popped up and grabbed Ruby’s shoulder, “Eyeing my girl, cabron?”

“No, God, no. I’m not into blondes,” Ruby tried to get out.

“Easy,” Cesar said, “he does your mother’s taxes. Mrs. Guzamn, right?”

“Three thousand dollar refund. Schedule C, line 30. Home office deduction,” Ruby said.

“Seriously,” Monse looked at him in disbelief.

Another cholo came over the wall to see Cesar so he nudged the bald guy, “Yo, homes. What are you doing, ese? That’s Spooky’s lil bro, dawg,”

The guy let go of Ruby, “I didn’t realize it was you, homie. Hey, listen, man, tell Spooky Sad Eyes sends his respects,” Cesar nodded as the two cholos left the crew.

“Thank God for your brother,” Ruby rubbed his shoulder.

“Nah, thank God for better things,” Cesar shook his head as gunshots rang out and everybody crouched down.

“.357!” the crew yelled out after the 5th shot.

Soon they were in Ruby’s place, Jamal and Ruby were spying on Mario and Angelica arguing outside while Cesar, Monse, and Elizabeth were sitting on the couch. Elizabeth took out her phone to tell her mother she was fine and in Ruby’s house until Ruby and Jamal ran to the couch, “Mario’s coming!”

Elizabeth didn’t bother listening to Mario so she just put on her earbuds and looked at him as if she was listening, but when she thought he was done she took it out. Mario came back and said, “don’t bone Elizabeth and Monse,”

Everybody started laughing as Monse said, “Who would even wanna do that?”

The next day Monse and Elizabeth went to the coach station to catch their bus to the camp. Summer was spent writing in the middle of nowhere with activities and amenities provided for the students so Elizabeth was able to start working out, losing the acne, and lost the braces. A few months later, they were back and on their way to Ruby’s house.

Monse wore simple jeans and a shirt that showed a little cleavage while Elizabeth wore a blue destroyed with a burgundy bralette and ripped jeans that covered her legs. Smiles were on both faces, happy that they lost the metal prison that held their teeth captive. Both had grown breasts which attracted a lot of unwanted attention from the ice cream man as he was selling. They walked a little faster until a voice was heard that they recognized.

“Angelica, once I’m gone, I’m gone! There’s not gonna be a Christmas break hook-up! You know why? ‘Cause I’m gonna be hooking up with other chicks!” Mario took a pause, “white chicks!” another pause, “I don’t know why I’m saying that. It’s you! Talk to me, boo!”

“Maybe she’s not home!” Monse called out as Mario turned.

“Oh. Hey, guys,” the three met on the street, “how was camp?”

“Terrible. Mildly life-changing,” Monse shrugged.

“I can see that,” Mario looked down at their chests.

“Shut up, Mario,” Elizabeth rolled her eyes as a blush came on and tried to hide her newly found breasts.

“You can? How?” Monse asked confused.

“You just...look, I probably have to go before traffic hits,” Mario changed subjects.

“No prob. Good luck at Cal,” Elizabeth waved.

“Thanks,” Mario sighed, “and you two, keep an eye on Ruby? Don’t know what that kid’s gonna do without me,”

Monse and Elizabeth arrived at Ruby’s house and to his now own room, “we’re back!”

“Can you guys move that side table?” Ruby pointed at the table.

“No, seriously, don’t make such a fuss. We’ve only been gone all summer but really, it’s no big deal,” Monse glared at the boys.

“How was camp?” Ruby reluctantly asked.

“Camp was fine. Notice anything different?” Elizabeth and Monse smiled wide.

“Both of you got boobs,” The boys said.

“You can wait for Cesar to help,” Elizabeth glared.

Jamal stood up, “then we’ll be waiting a long time,”

“Why?” Monse asked.

“Where is Cesar?” Elizabeth asked.

“We’re not talking to him,” Ruby shrugged.

“Y’all in a fight?” Monse asked, crossing her arms.

“Well, it wasn’t really a fight. More like…” Jamal started but Ruby cut him off, “we’re not getting into it. Trust us, Cesar’s not cool,”

“Well, I’m not cool being not cool,” Monse crossed her arms, “and why aren’t you at football?” Monse asked Jamal.

“We should really get to orientation,” Jamal changed subjects as he stood up, “before those lines get too big,”

“Yeah, I don’t want to get too sweaty for my ID. Like Mario said ‘it’s all about the right first impression,’” Ruby said, straightening his clothes.

“And sticking together! You’re definitely deflecting this whole Cesar sitch,” Elizabeth rolled her eyes, “so stop being bitches and tell us,”

“Right!” Monse agreed.

Now they were on their way to school and Monse was continuing to pester the boys while Elizabeth gave up and let Monse deal with that. However, it was kind of a backfire for Monse because the boys’ gave her the silent treatment.

“What happened with Cesar?” Monse threw her hands up, “this silent treatment will only last so long. I will break you,” a pause went by, “come on! There is no way Cesar did anything on purpose to destroy our crew,”

“He’s the glue of our crew!” Elizabeth added.

“That was then, this is now,” Jamal shrugged.

“Yeah. Cesar ain’t shit,” Ruby agreed.

They turned the corner to see the Prophets so Elizabeth alerted the crew, “shit, Prophets!”

Everyone was searching their clothes to see if there were any colors that would set off the gang members. Ruby took off his hoodie but messed his hair up a little.

“Damn it. Did I just jack my do?” Ruby pulled out his phone to see how it looked until he saw Jasmine, “code dread, code dread, code dread. Approaching on your six,”

“Yo! You guys going to orientation?” Jasmine’s voice popped up, “hey, you know my cousin, Berto, the fine one? Hey. His daughter, Letty, said it ain’t nothing unless you can’t spell your name and then you hold up the line and people get mad,” Jasmine ranted, “hey, why you guys walking so fast? You know I got asthma,”

“Sorry, Jasmine! We’re having a private convo,” Monse called out, “real sensitive stuff,”

“That’s what you always say!” Jasmine yelled but took a deep breath from her inhaler and began running after the crew.

They finally lost her after a few minutes and they breathed out a breath of relief not seeing Jasmine behind them anymore.

“Man, she is relentless,” Ruby shook his head.

“Nice save,” Jamal appraised Ruby,

“Oh, you’re not safe,” Monse interrupted.

“You’re threats aren’t penetrating, ok?!” Jamal said, “I’m not telling you what Cesar said,”

“Aha!” Monse turned to them, “so he did say something!”

“Jamal!” Ruby yelled, “do you need a muzzle? Monse, no offense, but you’re a loose cannon. We’re not telling you for your own protection,”

“My protection?” Monse leaned closer to Ruby, “eat a dick,”

“Case in point,” Ruby said, “you don’t even know and you’re at Defcon Solange,”

They continued walking and as they were walking past an alley they saw a guy getting jumped into a gang. Monse and Elizabeth began staring at the actions happening, but Ruby and Jamal took each of their arms.

“Don’t look,” Ruby grunted, “keep walking,”

“Why would anyone wanna get jumped on 19th street?” Jamal asked, “I’d join First Street. Only one second of pain,”

“Agreed,” Ruby said, “besides, who would want a lifetime commitment at our age?”

“Apparently neither of you,” Elizabeth chuckled.

“Lack of commitment seems to be a noticeable trend in this friendship,” Monse shook her head, “as does lack of space,” Monse pushed the boys away.

“We can’t tell you what Cesar said,” Jamal said.

Rap music was being played from down the street from a red Impala, “fine then. I’ll ask myself. Eli, let’s go,”

Monse walked in front of the car as a head stuck out of the window, “Hey, you crazy?!”

Monse and Elizabeth walked over to the driver’s side and leaned down, “we just wanted to let Cesar know that we were back in town,”

“And looking like some fine ass hynas,” the mystery cholo smirked.

“Underaged hynas,” Monse snapped.

“Not for some,” the cholo stared at Elizabeth, “it’s all good. You just look a lil different. What is it?”

“My boobs,” Monse deadpanned.

“Nah, you got your braces off,” he laughed, “and who are you, hermosa?”

“Elizabeth,” she blushed.

“Cool. Spooky,” he drove away as the girls went back to the boys on the sidewalk.

“When did Oscar get out?” Monse looked confused.

“Six weeks ago,” Ruby answered as they covered the girls cleavages with their sweaters.

“Now it makes sense! Whatever Cesar said, he said to impress Oscar. Cesar’s terrified of his brother,” Monse smiled.

“Along with everyone else,” Ruby said.

“Then who cares what he says,” Elizabeth shrugged.

“Oh, just drop it!” Jamal raised his voice.

“Do we look like we can just drop it?” Monse asked.

“Actually you do. You just won’t,” Jamal shrugged then a body jumped out from behind them.

“Tax time, bitches!” Latrelle said, “hands up, money out,”

“How can we take out money out with our hands up?” Elizabeth asked.

“I know you bookheads got that back to school gwop,” Latrelle scowled.

Monse started talking, “actually, it’s orientation day. Technically, we’re neither in school nor out of school. We’re…”

Ruby covered Monse’s mouth, “we don’t have any money,”

Latrelle gave a look to Jamal, “what about that 20?” Ruby groaned and handed Latrelle his 20.

Elizabeth, Monse, and Jamal were walking from orientation and were now in front of Cesar’s place that was filled with Santos. Monse and Jamal were going back and forth on the situation, but Elizabeth was stuck on the sight of “Spooky” working out as his muscles constricted when he lifted the weights. Slowly, she came back to reality and the bickering between Jamal and Monse.

“...but he would never join the gang. He’s an outlier so whatever is going on it isn’t that,” Monse snapped at Jamal.

“He isn’t the same,” Jamal said, “he dumped us,”

“But we weren’t here so it’s not official,” Monse looked across the street.

“If someone breaks up with you over text, is it official?” Jamal asked,

“Yes,”

“Consider me the text,” Jamal clicked his tongue, “Ding! You’ve been dumped,” Elizabeth and Montse rolled their eyes and started going over there, “wait! Please don’t go. Please, you’re not… you’re not safe,”

“Why?” Elizabeth asked.

“Because…” Jamal looked at their newly developed chests, “both of you blossomed,”

“Blossomed?” Monse asked.

“Popped. Busted out. Puffed your party pillows. Whatever you wanna call your new cha-cha-bingos,” Jamla pointed towards the cholos, “these new homies he’s hanging with are thirsty,” Jamal threw his hoodie onto Monse, who tossed it back as Elizabeth and herself walked to the other side of the street, “Ok. don’t worry, girls! I got your back…”

The two approached the exiled friend as the other Santos turned to stare at the two walking up to the younger Diaz. Monse stopped in front of Cesar as Elizabeth, coincidentally, stood in front of Oscar, who was staring at her. The leader’s eyes felt like it was burning holes through Elizabeth’s face, but she didn’t make it look obvious even though there was a blush on her cheeks.

“I need to talk to you,” Monse said firmly.

“I’m listening,” Cesar stayed seated.

“Privately,” Elizabeth whispered as the Santos turned to stare at them longer.

“Yeah. We can go inside,” Cesar’s older brother cleared his throat, “but, uh, if you both wanna sit on my face, y’all gotta put those mouths on pause so I can concentrate,” Laughs were heard from the cholos so Monse quickly bailed and went back to Jamal; however, Elizabeth felt a wave of burning anger in her so she pulled her fist back and punched Cesar on the mouth. He groaned as Elizabeth leaned closer to whisper into his ear.

“Do not try to come back and get along with me until you make things right with Monse. I know what y’all did so I’m only doing this for her now,” Elizabeth said, “come near me and I will punch the shit out of you again,” Elizabeth left as Cesar looked at her with slight fear in his eyes and the cholos stared at her in lust after the action was taken by her. Her cheeks burned red at the attention especially from the certain leader that sat next to Cesar. Oohs were heard from the porch, but Elizabeth paid no mind to it as she went back to walking with Jamal and Monse.

“Cesar is dead to us!” Monse yelled.

“Told ya,” Jamal said as he ran to the back of the bushes.

“He doesn’t get to break up with us,” Elizabeth rolled her eyes, “we’re breaking up with him,”

“Sit on my face? Who says that?” Monse stuck her hands out.

“Chairs who can talk! And buttholes!” Jamal called out from the bushes.

“I wouldn’t put dumb crap like that past Oscar, but Cesar?” Monse asked in disbelief, “what happened to him?” Jamal was rolling around when Monse came into an idea, “Cesar’s gotta be hitting the pipe. Right? right!”

“Could be?” Elizabeth shrugged as Jamal jumped onto the next patch of grass. “That was totally out of character,” Monse shook her head, but realized what Jamal was doing, “what are you doing?”

“I’m getting into character,” Jamal sprayed water onto her armpits and clothes, “hey, pops. Say nothing and go with my flow,”

“Monse! Eli! Welcome back, babies. Ready for the new year?” Dwayne hugged both girls.

“Bound to be a lot of surprises,” Monse shrugged as she reciprocated the gift already.

“How was practice?” Dwayne asked his son.

“Yeah, how was practice?” Elizabeth smiled as Jamal threw his gym bag at her.

“I don’t know. Ask those D1 scouts who were all up on me,” Jamal pulled on his jersey.

Dwayne chuckled, “that’s my boy!” He pulled Jamal into a man hug then walked away with an extra pep to his step and back to his gardening.

“Did you quit the team and not tell your dad?” Monse asked.

“No,” Jamal looked at Monse, “yes. Look I suited up first day, and I just wasn’t feeling it,”

“Wasn’t feeling it?” Elizabeth threw the bag back at Jamal.

“Yeah. Wasn’t feeling like breaking my neck,” Jamal threw the bag down on the ground, “listen, everybody that knows me knows that I suck, except my pops. And he keeps thinking that I’m just gonna wake up one day and be him, and...I’m not him,” Jamal sighed, “I just need the right time to tell him,”

“How ironic that a guy that can’t keep a secret is keeping the biggest secret of his life,” Monse smirked, “I’m gonna rat you out to your dad,” her smirk fell, “unless you drop the 411 about Cesar. What did he say?”

“No!” Jamal denied.

“Yes!” Monse said, “Mr. Turn-”

Jamal covered Monse’s mouth, “Cesar said you let him hit it before you left for camp,” Jamal said in one breath.

The two girls were fuming and decided to do a group call later with Ruby to find out the context and how he said it, but Elizabeth had work that night so she couldn’t participate, settling on telling Monse to keep her updated. A long six hours of working, she got off at 10pm and checked her phone to see a text from Monse telling her to meet at Dwayne’s joint at five to chop it up.

The next day came around and Monse and Elizabeth were at the joint with Jamal as he and Elizabeth worked. Elizabeth sometimes worked for Dwayne to earn a little extra money to prevent herself from asking for money from her mother because her mother was already deep in debt and Elizabeth was doing anything in her power to help her out.

“That’s the eleventh text,” Monse sighed, “Ruby’s almost 2 hours late,”

“He said he’ll be here, so he’ll be here. Trust me,” Jamal gave the customer his order.

“Yeah, Mon. Chill,” Elizabeth smirked.

“Said the guy pretending to play football?” Monse stared at Jamal.

“Maybe my pops won’t notice,” Jamal hoped.

“I don’t think that’s possible, J,” Elizabeth motioned towards the countless photos of Jamal playing football.

“Where the hell is Ruby?” Jamal put his hand on his head.

After a few minutes, Monse and Elizabeth decided to go to Ruby’s house to see what was going on. The two rushed in through the door to see Ruby standing on top of a table, wearing a pink dress, and Abuelita was hemming it.

“What the hell is going on ?” Monse asked.

“I think it’s pretty obvious,” Ruby rolled his eyes.

“Great,” Monse rolled her eyes, “so, walk me through the moment Cesar said what he said,”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ruby looked at Monse.

“There you go again,” Monse crossed her arms.

“There you go again what?” Ruby looked confused.

“Keeping things from us,” Elizabeth stood by Monse’s side, “stop withholding things from us,”

Monse pulled Ruby outside onto the porch, “Monse, wait! Monse! We need to go back inside,”

Monse faced Ruby, “what did Cesar exactly say? And how did he say it? We need context, tone. We need to know, Ruby.”

“Y’all know what I know,” Ruby insisted, “what I don’t know is why he said it. But he said it. We tried to get him to take it back, but he wouldn’t. So what can we do? Drop it,”

“I can’t,” Monse looked down.

“Why not?” Ruby asked.

“‘Cause I’m still figuring out if I still hate him. You heard what your brother said. How are we gonna survive high school without Cesar?” Monse said.

“Mario’s not some sage. Don’t take his words to heart, it’s just words,” Ruby tried to persuade Monse, but she wouldn’t give up.

“If that’s true then why should we take Cesar’s words to heart?” Monse turned the tables, “they’re just words,”

“Sometimes, it’s not what you say, but how you say it. And Cesar said it like he meant it. But things could be worse,”

“What’s worse than losing a friend?” Elizabeth asked.

“Entering high school with a rep,” Ruby said, “you’re smart enough to know that a rumor could ruin your life,” Monse and Elizabeth nodded, “but it’s contained.”

“You’re right. No one knows,” Monse sighed.

Jasmine rode by Ruby’s house with her scooter, but she stopped to talk to the three, “hi! Damn, Ruby. I see you! I see you! And I’m down with it,” Jasmine winked at Ruby, “I like the freaky, just like Monse,”

“What are you talking about?” Elizabeth asked.

“Y’all ain’t gotta be shy with me,” Jasmine smiled, “I know Cesar and Monse be getting it in,” Jasmine humped the air.

“No one knows?! Really?” Monse scoffed, “I officially hate the traitor, and now I’m gonna kick his ass,”

“Girl, I’m coming with,” Elizabeth growled.

“Monse! Eli!” Ruby ran back inside to take the dress off as the two girls got closer to the Diaz residence.

The two girls arrived at the Diaz house to see Cesar riding his skateboard and Oscar chilling on the wall. When they saw the suspect, Monse marched her way to Cesar and pushed him off of his skateboard.

“You little bitch!” Monse yelled as she began hitting Cesar.

“Damn, that hyna’s wild. Must be a freak on all fours,” a cholo said.

“Shut the fuck up, cabron. Before you’re gonna be like little homie over there,” Elizabeth snapped at the nearest cholo.

“I fought for you. I had your back. For what? For you to impress your puto friends and humiliate me?” Monse continued hitting Cesar as he tried to shield his face from the enraged girl on top of him.

“Hermanito, you better back up before you get smacked up,” Oscar smirked.

Elizabeth turned to the leader, “Callate, puto. You aboutta be smacked up like tú hermanito,”

“Watch it now, nena,” Oscar winked at the spitfire sophomore.

“Monse! Eli!” Jamal yelled as Ruby and Jamal pulled Monse to the sidewalk.

Elizabeth glared at the leader of the Santos as she walked back to her group of friends to listen to what they had to say.

“This is why we didn’t want to tell you guys!” Ruby yelled.

“Y’all goin’ crazy!” Jamal added.

“Crazy? We’re crazy?!” Monse yelled.

“Calm down. Breath,” Ruby tried to calm Monse down.

“Don’t you patronize me!” Monse pushed Jamal, “I don’t need you! Any of you! I was just trying to keep our crew together, but since Eli and I are the only ones who cares, y’all are dead to me! I’ll survive on my own,” Monse walked off.

The three stood completely dumbfounded by the afrolatina’s rant, but began walking home until a certain voice stopped them.

“Elizabeth,” The three turned to see Oscar standing on the steps of the porch, “come here,”

Jamal and Ruby looked at Elizabeth, asking if they should stay with her, but she knew that they were scared to even stay another minute, “it’s alright. I’ll text y’all when I get home,”

The two boys nodded and rushed to get home and avoid the feared leader so Elizabeth turned to walk towards the now empty porch. Oscar stood on the porch with a strong pose that oozed power and a smirk showed proudly upon his lips.

“Y-y-yeah,” Elizabeth stuttered.

“Let’s go inside so we can talk,” Oscar turned to the door to open it for her.

“No, gracias. Podemos hablar aquí,” Elizabeth blushed.

“Por qué eres tímido ahora? You were just talking real big, bebita,” Oscar smirked at the sudden shy girl in front of him.

“I w-was just heated i-in that moment,” Elizabeth put her arms behind her back and looked down when she felt the leader’s stare on her face.

“Alright. Let me see tu teléfono,” Oscar held out his hand.

“Por qué,” Elizabeth looked at him confused.

“Let me just see it. I’m gonna give you my number,” Elizabeth handed him her phone, “you can text me whenever and call me. If you need anything then hit me up, hermosa,”

“Oh, o-ok. Gracias, Spooky. Call me Eli. I kind of don’t like my name,”

“Oscar. Call me Oscar and no problema, princesa,” Oscar winked, “let me walk you home. Where do you stay at?”

“A few houses that way,” she pointed to her right.

“Alright. Vamos, hermosa,” Oscar walked down the steps, holding his hand out to help Elizabeth down the stairs, “so why haven’t I met you yet?”

“estaba en la prisión when I started hanging out with the crew,” Elizabeth shrugged.

Oscar nodded, “well, I find you muy hermosa. Let me get to know you,”

They were in front of her house as she leaned on the gate with Oscar leaning his hand next to her body and the other hand in his pocket, “we’ll see, Oscar Diaz. Buenas noches,”

“Buenas noches, hermosa,” Oscar smirked at the girl that walked under his arm to go inside the gate.

She had to work the next day so she immediately did her nightly routine then fell asleep in her bed with dreams of the big bad leader that live a few houses down. Her dreams carried her away and into dreamland until 7 am and her alarm blaring and telling her to get up. Elizabeth groaned as she slammed her hand down on the alarm and got up to get ready for the day. Once she was dressed and ready to go, she started cooking breakfast for herself and her mother since her dad was at the hospital still so she settled for eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns so she wouldn’t be late to the bus.

Elizabeth closed the front door and made her way to the bus stop with her earphones pushed into her ears with music blasting to keep her distracted from her surroundings. After a short five minute walk to the bus stop, a red Impala pulled up in front of it, but Elizabeth didn’t pay any mind to it until the driver had honked his horn. She looked up fast and saw the familiar bald head and bicep tattoo.

“H-hey,” Elizabeth smiled.

“Where you headed?” Oscar raised an eyebrow.

“Some of us have to work and can’t lead a gang,” Elizabeth chuckled.

“Where is it at? I can drive you,” Oscar leaned over to open the door.

Elizabeth thought for a second before getting in, “it’s in San Bernardino. Amazon warehouse,”

“Why are you working there?” Oscar began driving the car, “don’t you gotta have your diploma for that?”

“Yup, but I have some connections and they let me work there. They pay well and I got enough saved for the future,” Elizabeth sighed.

“Whatchu savin’ up for in the future?” Oscar glanced at the young girl.

“That’s gotta be at a later time,” Elizabeth shrugged, “if y-you even s-stick around,”

Half an hour passed with small talk between the two until they finally arrived in front of the warehouse building. Elizabeth gathered her stuff and opened the door to get out until a hand touched her forearm,

“Mamita, what time you getting off?”

Elizabeth turned with her cheeks ablazed, “3. Bye, Oscar. Thanks for the ride,”

TIME SKIP

It was the end of Elizabeth’s shift and she made her way out after clocking out and as she opened the door, she saw the familiar Impala with a familiar body leaning against the front. She walked up to the body with red cheeks that seemed to always come when he was around.

“W-what are you doing here?” Elizabeth cleared her throat.

“What does it look like?” Oscar smirked, “picking you up, bebe,” Oscar opened the passenger door for her so she got inside and fiddled with her fingers as Oscar went around to get into the driver’s side. When he got inside, Elizabeth quietly thanked him for taking her to work and picking her up,

“Gracias, Oscar, for picking me up and dropping me off,”

“No problema,” Oscar looked straight ahead at the traffic and a comfortable silence followed. “You’re very shy pero you have a fire in your eyes that you won’t let out. Por que?” Oscar questioned her as they got closer to Freeridge.

They were getting closer as Elizabeth thought about her answer until they reached her place, “some things...are meant to be kept inside,” she opened the door and got out, “bye, Oscar,”

The two went separate ways as the days went by and it was the first day of school. Elizabeth’s alarm went off as she groaned and slammed the snooze button to rub her eyes. At that moment, her mother came in and sat on her bed with a small smile at the sight of her daughter waking up, reminding the mother of the past times her daughter woke up.

“Mi amor, time to get up. It’s time for school and I made breakfast before I have to leave for work,” Leticia Hernandez smoothed down Elizabeth’s hair.

“Gracias, ma,” Elizabeth smiled before it dropped, “how is papa?”

“Tu papa es bueno pero still the same,” Leticia teared up, “things will be ok, mija,”

“I know, mama,” Elizabeth kissed her mother’s cheek, “I paid the phone bill and the internet bill so don’t worry about that,”

“Mija, don’t do that,” Leticia slightly frowned, “you should keep that money for you. I got the bills,”

“I know, ma, pero it’s fine. I have enough for myself. I just wanna help relieve some stress from you,” Elizabeth pouted.

Leticia’s eyes began overwhelmed with tears as it began running down her cheeks, “I don’t deserve a daughter like you,”

“Yes you do, ma,” Elizabeth hugged her mom, “you deserve the world with how hard you’re working. Now get to work so you’re not late and so I can get ready for school,”

“Wait, before we do that. I got something for you in the mail,” Leticia pulled out a letter, “read it,”

Elizabeth took the envelope and saw “UCLA” on the corner, when she saw it, her heart pounded in her chest and she began to get nervous, “open it, mija,” her mother softly said, Elizabeth’s hand shook as she opened the envelope and took the paper out. Her eyes skimmed over the letter and stopped at the first few lines of the letter seeing the “congratulations.”

“I-i-i goT IN! MA, I GOT IN! FULL RIDE SCHOLARSHIP! I’M GOING TO UCLA WHEN I’M DONE WITH HIGH SCHOOL!”

The two cheered and jumped around with tears going down their eyes, but soon embraced each other in a long hug. After a few minutes, they went their separate ways to continue with their day as Leticia left the house to go to the hospital for her shift as a registered nurse. Elizabeth went down to eat her breakfast, but was able to finish half of it so she packed it to put it in the fridge then did her morning routine. Once everything was done, she put on her denim shorts and a black v-neck t-shirt with checkered Vans slip-ons that adorned her feet. When she grabbed her backpack from next to her bed, she left her humble abode and to the Diaz house to meet with the gang.

“‘Sup, guys,” Elizabeth yawned, “we waiting for Diaz?”

The group nodded as the sound of a door opening caught their attention even more when Cesar walked out and to the group. Everyone looked at each other then began walking to school to start off the new year.

“I can’t do this,” Jamal said, “I can’t keep secrets! It’s gonna make me implode! I don’t know why anybody keeps secrets,”

“There is something I need to tell you guys,” Monse said before gunshots rang out.

“.44!” Everyone yelled with a smile for the feel of things going back.

However, that was when a car pulled up next to them, “Cesar,” Oscar called out as he got out and pulled the seat to allow enough space for Cesar to get through.

Cesar looked at the group then went into the car with his older brother and gang before Oscar pushed the seat back and got in himself, sparing a glance towards the crew. He drove away as the group followed to stand in the middle of the road looking at the back of the Impala.

“What were you going to say?” Ruby asked as he turned to Monse.

“Cesar,” Monse turned to the remaining group, “we need to save him,”

#Oscar Diaz #oscar spooky diaz #oscar diaz imagine #oscar diaz x reader #oscar diaz fanfic #oscar diaz imagines #spooky diaz #spooky diaz x reader #spooky diaz imagines #spooky diaz imagine

690 notes · View notes

kittae · 6 years

Text

Park’s Paradise of Muggle Merchandise

Genre: Hogwarts!AU, drabble, Ravenclaw!Jungkook

words: 2270

warnings: strong language and very dialogue-heavy, significant roles for Wonwoo (svt) and Jimin, non-reader-insert

A/N: Ravenclaw!Jungkook ideas with @kpopfanfictrash that got slightly out of hand lol. Might turn into a drabble series! Will replace the gif with something else later!

summary: Slytherin muggleborns starting an underground business selling ballpoint pens to purebloods at a galleon a piece (this prompt)

To call the state of the castle antique would be an understatement, if the creaking of the floors, the wood groaning under every calculated step they take, is anything to go by. The hallways look vastly different in the darkness of the night while the ancient building and its residents are sound asleep. One of the two boys sneaking down the stairs stumbles over his own feet when he misses a step, earning an aggravated and subdued hiss from the other.

“I can’t see shit! Why aren’t we using our wands?!” He heatedly whispers in his defense.

“I told you we’re going to attract unwanted attention if we use our wands as flashlights! But keep being this noisy and Filch won’t even need his cat to snitch on us before he’s dragging our asses back to bed and we miss the whole thing.”

“What are flashlights?”

“Shh!”

“I just…I really don’t like this, Jungkook...What if we get caught?” Wonwoo grabs his roommate by his sleeve, hesitantly shuffling behind him until he comes to a stop when Jungkook turns around, looking at him with furrowed brows. “You know we have N.E.W.T. exams coming up...We should head back to the dorms while we still can.”

Clicking his tongue in disapproval, Jungkook releases himself from Wonwoo’s grip. “You’re a bigger wimp than i thought, but fine, go back then.” He shrugs. “You won’t get any if you bail on me now, though.”

Wonwoo visibly battles the dilemma inside his head before letting curiosity win and reluctantly goes back to sauntering behind Jungkook when the latter turns around and goes ahead without him.

“Ravenclaws aren’t exactly known for their guts, Jungkook,” He continues matter-of-factly. “We’re known for making wise decisions and being rational in times of— ow!”

Jungkook ignores the scowl of his companion, who’s rubbing the painful spot on his arm where he punched him. “I swear to Merlin’s left nutsack that if you don’t shut your mouth right now, i’m gonna spell it shut. Got it?”

With one last glare, Wonwoo’s lips are sealed as they continue to make their way deeper and deeper down into the castle, getting occasional disapproving looks of the paintings when their sleep gets disturbed and looking over their shoulders to make sure there wasn’t a certain cat lurking around the corner. While getting points taken from Ravenclaw didn’t affect their N.E.W.T’s, it’s rather embarrassing to bring shame onto their house for being out of bed like a clueless first year.

One more stairway down in the dark and they reach the long, low room underneath the lake. Jungkook knows the way to the dungeons by heart. Wonwoo, not so much.

“Are we almost there?” He asks, uncertain and slightly shivering from the underground chilliness.

Jungkook nods, deeming it safe enough to whisper ‘Lumos!’ now the Slytherin common room is only a few more feet away. The rough stone walls and ceiling light up at once, not a speck of colour to detect in the grim palette of the unconventional dormitories. When he reaches the solid wooden door, he raises his fist to knock in a strange rhythm. The door opens slightly, a dash of bright orange locks peeking from behind the corner and forming a stark contrast with the rest of the setting.

“Password?” A gentle voice asks from behind the wooden obstacle.

“Jimin, it’s me.” Jungkook sighs, rolling his eyes at the unnecessary precautions.

“That’s not the password, Jeon. Try again.”

“Fine.” He groans. “Babbling bumbling band of baboons.”

“Come in!” Jimin beams while pulling the door to the common room open wide. “Honestly that’ll never not be fun— Oh? You brought a friend?”

“A classmate.” Jungkook elaborates while stepping into the noticeably warmer and more comfortable room, the fireplace blazing and making the gloomy dungeons look a lot cozier.

“I’m Wonwoo.” The dark-haired boy timidly introduces himself as he pushes his round rimmed glasses up his nose. “We’re here for the balls joint pens.”

Jimin’s grin widens and his eyes squeeze into crescents in amusement. Jungkook simply pats Wonwoo’s back.

“They’re called ballpoint pens, Wonwoo, and Jimin wouldn’t let us in here if we’d come for anything else than— No wait, scratch that, actually...” He muses, taunting Jimin while the latter’s cheeks get slightly flushed upon the insinuation.

“Yeah, anyway, follow me if you wanna check out the goods— not like that, you damn pervert!” Jimin irritably smacks Jungkook’s shoulder when he snickers.

“He’s a bit of a slut.” He explains to Wonwoo in a whisper, causing Jimin to spin around and toss a well-aimed pillow off the black chesterfield and towards his head.

They follow him further into the room, same rough stones as on the outside but round lamps hanging from the ceiling throwing a greenish light onto them. It’s hard to miss the massive oak table, decked in a green velvet cloth that says “Park’s Paradise of Muggle Merchandise” in silver embroidery. All sorts of different stationery lies neatly splayed out across the surface, from expensive looking calligraphy pens to ordinary pencils. Stars already start to twinkle in Jungkook’s eyes, while Wonwoo just rubs the back of his neck with a puzzled look on his face.

“These are the best quality on the market, boys. Real Bics, one galleon each.”

“One galleon each?!” Wonwoo exclaims in utter disbelief. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Hey, i’m actually offering you a pretty solid deal here. They’re at least twice as expensive in muggle money.” Jimin pouts, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “And they’re French.”

“Don’t worry Jimin,” Jungkook swoops in, a smug smirk plastered on his face, “Wonwoo’s new to this stuff, so i got this.”

Jimin’s pout instantly vanishes to make place for a questioning expression. “Right.”

“So, the Bics! Tell me more!”

“Well, why tell you when i can show you?” Jimin smirks mysteriously as he picks one of the ballpoint pens up from the table to present it to Jungkook. “Wanna take this baby for a spin?”

Jungkook nods enthusiastically, taking the pen from Jimin’s hand and cradling it between his fingers like it was a precious jewel.

“I don’t get it,” Wonwoo shrugs, unimpressed, “They’re just pens? Non-magical at that? Why are you drooling over them?”

Jungkook looks at him as if he’d just grown two heads.

“Uh, i don’t know about you but i’m tired of my hand not being able to keep up with my brain when i have to dunk a quill into an ink pot every two sentences.”

“There’s literally a dozen different Infinite Ink quills on the market, Jungkook.” Wonwoo deadpans, silently cursing himself for falling for Jeon Jungkook’s big talk once again, risking getting caught for worthless muggle pens while he could’ve stayed in his soft, safe and warm bed instead.

“Are you stupid?” Jungkook scoffs, all the while twirling the bic between his fingers, “Have you forgotten we’re not allowed to bring enchanted stationery to our exams? They’d get confiscated in a second.”

“Muggle items aren’t even allowed on school property.” Wonwoo counters, although less confident than he started out in this argument.

“Exactly!” Jimin chimes in cheerfully before giving a curt nod, “Show him, Jungkook.”

The smug seventh year Ravenclaw entwines his fingers, knuckles cracking with the stretch while his lips curl into a lopsided smirk. “With pleasure.”

Wonwoo wasn’t sure what to expect, sceptical about anything Jungkook gets excited about, but also a tad bit curious. Instead of returning to the Ravenclaw dormitories, like he knows he should, he watches his roommate fiddle with an ordinary quill of the sort they use every day, after dismantling one of those so called ballpoint pens. Maybe the exciting part has yet to come.

He holds up his finished product with pride and Wonwoo was convinced that, in strong contrast to his own, it probably sparkled from Jungkook’s point of view.

“I present to you: the untraceable Infinite Ink quill!” He announces. “well, infinite-ish.”

“I offer refills at fifty percent on first purchase!” Jimin excitedly cuts in from behind him.

A few quiet moments pass by when Wonwoo just pinches his nose bridge, screwing his eyes shut as he silently tries to collect his patience while the duo awaits his verdict expectantly. “This is the project you’ve been working on for the past month? An illegal muggle quill?”

Jungkook indignantly furrows his eyebrows. “Can’t a man have a hobby? You have your, uh, weird frog choir, I have my muggle stuff.“ He shrugs. “Same thing but mine’s cooler.”

“I have to admit it’s refreshingly harmless compared to your former experiments.”

“Listen, I never forced my guinea pigs to drink that Blemish Blitzer, alright? They did it all by themselves.”

“For fucks sake, Jungkook, stop referring to people as your guinea pigs!” Wonwoo throws his hands up in exasperation. “They wanted to get rid of their acne, not get zits the size of a snitch!”

“That was months ago, get over it.” Jungkook rolls his eyes as he stubbornly crosses his arms. “They all got treatment from madam Pomfrey and now their skin looks better than ever before, so no one’s even talking about that little accident—”

“Literally everyone is still talking about it.”

“Only the first years and I don’t give a shit about what they—”

“Hey, are you buying or not?” Jimin loudly interrupts the roommate’s quarrel, visibly tired and annoyed. “Cause if you aren’t, get the fuck out of this common room before we get caught and i can kiss my profit goodbye.”

Jungkook dramatically clutches his chest. “Is money all you care about? What about my feelings, Jimin?!”

“Can’t buy my date a drink with your feelings, Jeon.” He quips cheerfully.

“Seriously, is there even anyone you haven’t dated left on this campus?” Jungkook murmurs before getting another pillow thrown in his face. “Where do you keep getting those fucking pillows?!”

“Same place you keep your inside voice.” Jimin hisses, but immediately flips his switch as he turns back to Wonwoo, plastering a captivating smile onto his cute face. “So, do you want me to wrap yours or can i just give it to you like this?”

Jimin’s small hand finds the back of Jungkook’s head in another slap when he hears him snicker again.

“Uh...No, thanks. I think i’m good here.” Wonwoo’s lips press together in an awkward smile, hands held up apologetically. “Not interested.”

“Fine, suit yourself.” Jimin sighs and drops his retail face, gesturing vaguely at the door. “Off you go, then.”

“This is a hole in the market, Wonwoo!” Jungkook adds. “You’ll regret not getting one while they were still cheap during our N.E.W.T’s.”

Wonwoo’s already making his way towards the door as he holds up an insincere thumb for his roommate. “Yeah, sure. whatever. I’m going back to the dorm.”

This is it! The last page of the fifth and final exam he needs to execute seamlessly until the end to have a perfect score on all of them! Wonwoo’s heart beats wildly in his chest, pumped with adrenaline and excitement from the prospect of having a perfect all-kill on his exams! He’s been killing it so far, taking his sweet time to read the questions and think over his answers. He’s known for using every given second on a test, not scrabbling down the first thing that pops into his mind and handing it all in before half of the time was over, like Jungkook does. No, he’s extremely meticulous, priding himself in his perfectionism even when there’s only ten minutes left on the clock.

He smiles to himself, reading the questions. He already knows exactly what he’s going to write! His quill just needs a little more ink—

His face goes pale when his ears register the soft thud of the point of his quill hitting the bottom of the ink pot. Empty.

His hand shoots up, beckoning the supervisor to ask for a new pot. She spots him immediately and heads over to his desk to find out what the problem is but why is she going so damn slow?

“What is it, dear?” She asks sweetly, her brown curls bouncing a little as she tilts her head in curiosity.

“I ran out of ink. Can i get a new ink pot, please?” He asks politely, ignoring the sweat beads forming on his temples as he watches the seconds tick by on the clock, the sound pounding in his ears.

“Oh, of course! Just a second, dear.” She smiles, turning to get one from her own desk at the front of the classroom. He really wants to tell her to hurry the fuck up but he knows he can’t, only adding to the frustration.

Only two minutes have passed before she’s fetched the fresh ink pot and placed it on his desk. Two crucial minutes, making his entire planning and time management utterly useless. There’s no way he’s going to be able to even write fast enough to complete this whole page in the remaining five minutes that are left. Dread fills his entire body as he scrambles to write what he can, knowing he can kiss his perfect all-kill of Outstanding scores on every test goodbye.

From the corner of his eye, he watches his roommate twirl a familiar quill between his fingers as he comfortably leans back in his chair, his ink pot as full as it has been at the start of the test. Jungkook catches his gaze and he smiles a smug half-smirk Wonwoo recognizes as the non-verbal translation of ‘told you so’ as he sends a cheeky wink his way, demonstratively holding up his convenient creation.

Son of a bitch!

#bts #bts scenarios #bts hogwarts #jungkook scenarios #btswriters #ravenclaw jungkook #bts harry potter #bts hp #bts x hp #jeon jungkook #jungkook #bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts imagines #bts drabble #jungkook drabble #drabble

258 notes · View notes

organicdietguide · 4 years

Text

Best Foods for Healthy Skin & prevent cancer!

sliced avocados, Not all fats are evil. Omega-3 fatty acids are just one example of healthy fats and they’re especially important for those who want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles.

“Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation that can lead to wrinkles, and they prevent collagen breakdown,” says Keri Glassman, RD, a nutritionist based in New York City.

Lifestyle Changes to Improve Your Cholesterol

Good sources of these fats recommended by the National Institutes of Health include things like walnuts and flaxseed.

You can also enlist the help of avocados, which are packed with nutrients that benefit the skin. “Avocados are high in sterolins, which help soften and moisturize the skin,” says Glassman. “

They also have vitamin E, which enhances the skin’s collagen production while sealing in vital

moisture.”And prevent cancer.

Belly Fat in Women

Collagen is a fibrous protein naturally produced in the body that helps repair connective tissue, and keeps our hair, nails, and skin strong, says Zeichner. Eating food rich in vitamins A and C, like blueberries and kale, has also been shown to increase collagen production, past research has shown.

Pick Proteins That Are Lean and Fat-Free, oysters, Larry Zhou/iStock, Aside from fish, eggs, chicken, and turkey breast.

one of the best sources of protein is lean red meat, says Jessica Wu, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and the author of Feed Your Face.

What Is The Paleo Diet

Red meat contains the amino acids glycine and proline, previous research has shown, and per a study published in January 2018 in Amino Acids, these are components involved in the synthesis of collagen.

But red meat is also high in saturated fat, and produces a chemical called TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide) that may be linked to heart disease, according to a study published in December 2018 in the European Heart Journal. In the study, people whose diets were high in red meat had triple the levels of TMAO in their systems.

To keep your heart healthy, the American Heart Association recommends sticking to proteins with unsaturated fats, like fish, or choosing red meats that are lean, fat-free, and unprocessed.

Because of their zinc content, oysters are also effective in the fight against dry, aging skin, says Howard Murad, MD, an associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles and the author of The Water Secret.

“Zinc is not only an essential component for collagen production and healing,” he says, “it’s a powerful anti-inflammatory.”

The simple lifestyle shifts in the Eat Sleep Burn ugly belly fat…

Inflammation is how the body communicates to our immune systems to jump into action if we’re injured, but it can also cause flare-ups in our skin that come in the form of swelling, rashes, and redness.

per an article published by InformedHealth.org. Zeichner says foods rich in vitamin A or zinc, like fortified cereal, beans, spinach, and oysters, can help reduce inflammation in the skin And prevent cancer .

Fruits and vegetables contain the building blocks for soft, smooth, healthy skin. Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, as well as pomegranates, are rich in skin-friendly antioxidants, which, says Dr.

Melt 7 Pounds Every 7 Days

Murad, “assist in cellular renewal and help cells stay plump with water.”

Antioxidants are molecules that help prevent damage to cells by neutralizing what are known as free radicals, which are byproducts harmful to tissue cells, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health And prevent cancer.

Experts also single out tomatoes as being effective in keeping fine lines and wrinkles in check. “Tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which has been shown to fight sunburn and sun damage that can lead to wrinkles and skin cancer,” Dr. Wu says.

Lycopene is thought to protect skin and potentially treat skin cancer by preventing tumorous cells from spreading.

A recent study published in January 2019 in the Journal of Cancer found that while the role of lycopene in treating skin cancer is still unclear, the antioxidant did appear to stall or reverse cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.

The Real Mom’s Guide

Drink (Water, That Is) to Your Skin’s Health, is good for your skin, but you don’t have to go overboard. The goal is to avoid dehydration.

Water intake varies based on your age, gender, and other factors such as pregnancy, but in general, water recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine suggest 15 cups of water per day for males age 19 and up, and 11 cups per.

What foods and drinks are bad for your skin:

Refined carbohydrates – white flour foods such as white bread, pasta, and white rice have a high glycemic index.

This causes an insulin surge after consumption and leads to the production of androgen hormones that cause sebaceous glands to produce more oil and cause acne.

Sugar/corn syrup – soda, juices, sports drinks, protein-granola bars cause inflammation and destruction of collagen and elastin in the skin that leads to wrinkles and premature aging and also the same mechanism as with refined carbs.

where an increase in serum insulin leads to more oil production by sebaceous glands and the overproduction of oil leads to clogged pores and acne.

Dairy products – high inflammatory food that will contribute to skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and wrinkles.

Overconsumption of alcohol – pro-inflammatory, causes dehydration, increases likelihood of broken capillaries due to skin vasodilation, increases skin dullness, and wrinkles formation.

Secret Anabolic Recipes | Cook Healthy | Muscle Building Meals

Healthy Skin Starts With Good Nutrition

Best Foods for Healthy Skin:

Though it may sound counterintuitive, the high concentration of water in watermelon can actually reduce the water retention that leads to puffiness around the eyes,” says Baumann.

“And because watermelon is low in sugar—well, compared to many other fruits—you don’t have to worry about glycation, the chemical reaction that compromises collagen and leads to lines and wrinkles.”

“Since green tea contains polyphenols, making it an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory, it can be used as a great toner to treat acne,” says Dr. Kaleroy Papantoniou, a cosmetic dermatologist.

“It’s great for healing blemishes and scars, flushes out toxins, and also keeps skin supple. The vitamin K in green tea helps lighten dark circles under the eyes, too. So, put used green tea bags in the fridge for a great 15-minute under eye treatment.”

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a potent antioxidant to protect skin from UV damage, says Zeichner.

In fact, a study in the British Journal of Dermatology found participants who ate five tablespoons of tomato paste daily showed 33 percent more protection against sunburn than a control group.

“This vegetable is orange thanks to high levels of beta-carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A … which also happens to be a form of the main active ingredient in Retin-A,” says Baumann. “This vitamin has been found to decrease the skin’s oil production, and there’s also some evidence that it can improve psoriasis.”

There’s a reason why avocados are a popular ingredient for face masks. “Avocados penetrate cells at the deepest level, which is virtually a tasty way to get a basal layer skin dose of vitamins A, D, and E, good fats, and phytonutrients,” says Papantoniou. Seriously, is there anything this fruit can’t do?

Walnuts amp up collagen production because they are also high in omega-3 fatty acids, says Papantoniou.

If you’re wondering what the heck is collagen, it’s a protein that helps improve the skin’s elasticity, preventing sagging and ultimately leaving your skin plump and youthful.

Walnut’s rich omega-3 content also helps reduce stress and diminish the risk of heart disease.

This leafy green is rich in vitamin A, which is an antioxidant and promotes healthy skin cell turnover, says Zeichner. As mentioned earlier, vitamin A is also a big ingredient found in Retin-A, a medication used to treat acne.

Legend has it that applying kale topically helps diminish the visibility of bruises, scars, stretch marks, and spider veins.

Almonds are rich in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent signs of aging caused by free radicals and may even bolster your skin’s defense against skin cancer.

Foods that lower your risk of cancer

FlaxseedsThey’re a top source of alpha-linolenic (ALA) omega-3 fatty acids, which are tied to lower breast cancer risk.

Clinical trials have also found that flaxseeds have the potential to slow the growth of tumors in women who’ve already been diagnosed with breast cancer.

And here’s a tip: Choose ground flaxseeds over whole ones whenever possible—grinding the seeds makes their nutrients more bioavailable, research shows.

KaleIt’s another cruciferous vegetable, so you know these hearty leaves have good stuff going for them from a cancer prevention perspective.

A single cup of chopped kale serves up more than a day’s worth of antioxidants like vitamins A and C, both of which can scrounge up free radicals and stop them from causing cell damage that could potentially lead to cancer.

ApplesCan having one a day really help keep the doctor away? Regular apple eaters have a lower risk for lung cancer as well as certain types of breast cancer, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). Just be sure to have the skin too.

“The flavonoid quercitin has been associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers, and the highest concentration is found in the skin,” says nutrition expert Erin Palinski-Wade, R.D.

CauliflowerBroccoli’s paler cousin is also a cruciferous vegetable, and it boasts similar cancer-fighting abilities.

So feel free to fill up, well, as often as you can. A Harvard study of some 124,000 adults found that women who gobbled up more than five servings of crucifers like cauliflower a week were less likely to get lung cancer compared to those who ate the veggies less frequently.

WalnutsLike flaxseeds, walnuts are rich in ALA omega-3 fatty acids. But that’s not all. They also serve up antioxidant compounds like ellagitannins, melatonin, and gamma-tocopherol, which the AICR says could combat oxidative stress and inflammation.

Just keep your portions in check, since walnuts are calorie-dense. A one-ounce, 150-calorie serving is all you need, says Palinski-Wade.

GarlicPopulation studies have tied higher garlic consumption to lower cancer rates, particularly when it comes to gastrointestinal cancers.

according to one review. Garlic contains sulfur compounds that exert antimicrobial activity as well as inhibit cell-damaging carcinogens, the researchers note.

To reap the biggest benefits, chop or crush your garlic and let it sit for 10 minutes before adding it to your cooking.

The brief rest helps the garlic produce more sulfur compounds, the AICR points out.

OatmealOats are an easy, delicious source of whole grains, which may boast serious cancer-fighting abilities.

People who get three servings of whole grains daily have a 15% lower cancer risk overall compared to those who get less, concluded one major study.

The benefits are even more impressive when it comes to colorectal cancer in particular: Three daily servings of whole grains could slash your risk by as much as 17%, the AICR notes.

Diet & Weight Management

What is A Healthy Weight loss

How To Naturally lose Weight Fast

Science-Backed Ways To lose Weight

What’s The Best Diet

Healthy Weight loss

Tips To Help You lose Weight

#Breast feeding diet health woman mother pregnancy weight loss women

0 notes

emeatocannoliii · 7 years

Text

Vectazar Fanfic Ch. 3

*THE SAGA CONTINUES*

The walk to the car wasn’t terribly long. The two men stopped once they got to small, orange, rather cute Slug Bug-looking vehicle. It didn’t look like much, but if it survived the trip to the convention, then it’s good enough for anywhere.

“Here we are! Say hello to the Vector Mobile!” Vector told Bratt, staring at the car with pride and joy.

Balthazar observed the vehicle a little bit, noting some of the damage he could see on the outside (specifically with the hood having some faded paint that didn’t belong). He also noted the fact that there were some stuffed sea animals on the dash, much like how some people would have a bobble head or something like that. Bratt chuckled a bit and caught the nerd’s attention.

“What’s so funny?” Vector asked, feeling a bit embarrassed by his new companion’s sudden laughter.

“Oh nothing,” Bratt admitted, pointing to the dash “I just think it’s cute how you have some stuffed animals in there.”

“Oh. I love animals, especially sea animals, as you can tell.”

“You do you, I guess. So, we gonna admire the car all day or get some burgs?”

“Oh yeah!” Vector exclaimed, “Burgers it is! I’ll be driving.”

With that, the men got in the vehicle. Vector started the car and started to drive off while Bratt was in the passenger seat, eyeballing everything in and out of the orange piece of metal. He reached over to the dash and grabbed a seal plush Vec had, it was spotted. His mustache formed a smile at the sight of the toy; Vector noticed this as they stopped at the stoplight.

“You like seals do you?” He asked the man in purple.

Balthazar quickly looked over with a surprised expression on his face, “Oh yeah, yeah I love seals. Especially leopard seals; I wanted one since I was around 10. The people who worked with me on Evil Bratt refused to get me one, probably for the best. I heard they are extremely dangerous, I still think they’re cool though.”

“Really?” Vector was interested in the fact that Bratt wanted a seal. “Well, I have an actual shark at my place.”

“You do?!” Balthazar was stunned by this piece of info. He heard of other villains having some of the most bizarre pets out there. But a shark … he wondered what it was like to live with one.

“Yeah, I know. Very impressive I say. Anyways, we’re here.”

Vector pulled into the parking lot of small burger place, something like a Burger King in terms of shop size. It was called Little Leo’s Burgers, Bratt started to feel a bit iffy on the place by its appearance and name alone. It all seemed like it would be somewhat childish to the two men, but it didn’t seem to be a big deal to Vector who was looking at the ex-actor.

“Is something wrong, Bratt?” Vector asked.

“Are you sure this place is even good? I mean, I don’t want to be rude and all to a fan but … it seems to have a Chuck E. Cheese’s kinda feel to me and I don’t like it,” He explained.

“Don’t worry,” Vector replied, “This is nothing like Chuck E. Cheese. Think of it as more of a McDonald’s or Burger King.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

The two quickly got out and headed inside. For the most part, Vector did keep his word to Balthazar; the place wasn’t filled with wound up kids nor did it have much kid-targeting mascots, games, or anything like that. There weren’t even that many people in the restaurant at all; it was just Bratt, Vector, a few folks at a table here and there, and some employees. With the 80s man’s mind at ease, he began looking through the menu and deciding what he wanted. Vector took the time to do the same and within a few minutes, they were ready to order. Both of them decided to get the same meal idea; a burger for each, a thing of fries for each, and two drinks. Once the order was said and done, Bratt attempted to pay for the food, only to be stopped by Vector.

“No,” the man in orange told him, “This is my treat.” Vector then gave the cashier the money that was needed.

“Well, um, thank you then, Vector,” Bratt said, he was a bit flustered by this.

This guy’s actually really nice. Bratt thought, I haven’t had a treatment like this in a LONG while.

They quickly got to a table near the front window (not like it was necessary, noting how few people were in the place) and began talking with each other once they were seated. They discussed various things about each other; Bratt talked a bit about his life during his Hollywood career and about what he was currently up to. Vector talked some of his own personal interests like video games and the many different sea animals he can name off the top of his head.

“I didn’t know humans know more about the moon than the oceans,” Bratt said in amazement, “I always thought it would be the opposite.”

“Tell me about it,” Vector replied, taking complete interest in every piece of information being exchanged.

Their order was called out and Bratt hurried over to grab it and return to his seat. Bratt took out his gum before starting to wolf down his meal. The men still continued to talk a bit, but was limited by how much they were eating.

“So tell me,” Vector said through a bite of his burger, “Why did your show get cancelled, anyways? I was wondering what happened to it once season three was halfway completed.”

Balthazar stood there for a minute, frozen in place like a dog that knew it was in trouble. A moment passed before he drank some of his soda and replied, “Well, *sigh* during season three I started puberty and that just caused a whole mess of problems. I honestly don’t like to talk about it, but by God I looked horrible.” Bratt placed his hands over his face as he leaned back into the chair.

“I bet you didn’t look THAT bad,” Vector said, being very sincere to his friend.

Bratt quickly took his gloved hands away from his face, revealing a somewhat offended-looking face. His mustache hid his mouth but was shaped to match the rest of his expression. He let out an angered sigh and quickly pulled out his phone. He typed some stuff in and handed it to Vector before putting his hand over his eyes. Vector looked at the phone to realize it was a photo of Balthazar in his teens. Bratt seemed to have all the curses of puberty: acne, some stubble where his mustache would later be, and he even noted braces on his teeth. Vector didn’t know what to say; Bratt definitely wasn’t the most handsome boy then, but at the same time, he knew there were far worse cases of acne and body hair than what Bratt had.

“Well, I still think you looked fine to me,” Vector confessed. The man in purple lifted his hand a little bit at his comment. His face changed from embarrassment to surprise.

“You … You do?” Bratt asked.

“Absolutely. I’ve heard and seen far worse.”

“But I was rejected by Hollywood! They stopped caring after that! What would say to that!?” Bratt replied, getting slightly infuriated.

“Well, that was their fault then. They didn’t want you for what you were capable of. I think you’re still the ‘baaaad boy’ you were on TV.”

Bratt started to smile, he hasn’t heard anything that sweet being said to him by anybody other than Clive for the longest time. With that, what the nerd was saying really meant a lot to him. Bratt’s eyes attempted to form tears at this.

“Thank you,” Bratt said, sounding very joyous to what Vector was saying,” Y-you have no idea h-how much that means t-to me.”

“I know it does.”

The two then finished their food before heading outside. Once outside, Vector showed off his Squid Launcher to Bratt who in turn showed him his Rubik’s Cube and Keytar. Both were impressed with each other’s weapons and styles. Suddenly, Bratt got a call; Vector let him take the call.

“Oh hey Clive!””Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I met this guy at the convention and he offered me food and I guess I just forgot to tell you about it.””Okay, okay, I’ll text the address I’m at for you. Alright see you then. Bye.”

“Sorry about that,” Bratt told Vector,” My ride’s coming in a bit.”

“That’s fine,” Vector said, “I had fun either way.”

“Yeah, me too,” Bratt agreed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Vector was about to get in his car before pausing. He wanted to do something real quick; he grabbed the stuffed seal from Bratt’s seat as well as the pen and notebook in his bag. Balthazar crept closer to the man as he dug through his car, only to be greeted by Vector being in his face. Their noses nearly touching.

“Son of a Betamax!” Bratt yelled,”Don’t do that!”

“Sorry,” Vector said, “I just thought I’d give you something and have us exchange phone numbers.”

“Oh, alright then. Do you have anything to write with or do you want me to say it out loud?”

“No, no, I got pen and paper.”

“You’re even prepared. You know Vec, you never seem to stop impressing me.”

Bratt then grabbed the book and wrote his name and phone number on the first page. He gave the book back to Vector who wrote his name and phone number and the next page. Vec then ripped out and gave it to Bratt along with the plush.

“Are you really giving me the seal toy?” Bratt asked.

“Yeah,” Vector said, “You seem to like seals more than me. But don’t worry, you can keep that little guy. I prefer sharks anyways.”

“Well, thank you. I think I’ll call him Bowie. Like David Bowie.”

“Okie dokie!” Vector smiled at him, “Well you and Bowie get home safe. I’ll text you tonight.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Bratt replied, “Okay, my ride’s pulling in. I’ll see you later!”

“See ya!”

The two waved goodbye before they drove off in different ways.

Boy, oh boy. Vector thought, What a day.

#vector despicable me #despicable me #balthazar bratt #vector #yaoi #80s cinnamon roll #fanfiction #80s trash lord #my post #fanfic #80s dad #vectazar #my fanfiction #OTP #my fanfic #despicable me 3

9 notes · View notes

thetruthwillworkout · 6 years

Text

The Real Real Journey

Sunday, July 22, 2018…today is the day that I am going to try to start my real journey in getting back into shape and losing weight. It is 9 pm and I have eaten a 3-piece chicken combo Popeyes meal (at 3 pm), and that is basically the only thing I am eating today since it was so greasy I just want to drink water and wash it all away. I am also in the midst of watching a documentary on Netflix called “From Fat to Finish Line” which has inspired me to write this blog post, as it is in some way keeping me accountable for what I have done during the day. The documentary focuses on 12 individuals who have collectively lost 1200 lbs together and celebrating their weight loss with a marathon. Today, I can successfully tell you I have still not done my calculus or physics homework, and have done a 20-minute Blogilates workout which I took several breaks in between since I am the heaviest I have ever been in my life, which is the whooping weight of about 190 lbs.

I can honestly say this wasn’t too big of a surprise, I can see it in my face, my stomach, my arms. My fat was just everywhere and it has very heavily affected my perception of myself. I don’t look the way that other 18-year-olds look, especially since in university at every club and party, girls are trying to go out practically naked…but honestly I think they look great! I’m never jealous of other girls with great bods, I congratulate them! I mean, it must not have been easy to get that six-pack and a booty that just won’t stop! I just imagine the hard work they must have done. When I see girls like this, I just evaluate my own decisions, was it smart to order a pizza and eat it by myself? No, I don’t think so. I can go on and on about poor decisions in my life, but nobody got time for that. But I wasn’t always like this, with my knowledge of fitness and health I don’t know how I let myself come to this point in my life.

Since about 2013-14, I have been watching this Youtube channel called “Barbell Brigade” where it portrays an L.A. powerlifting gym. I got to watching these videos due to the gym owners Bart and Geo, who have separate Youtube channels called “Just Kidding News”, “Just Kidding Party”, and a couple of other funny stuff. I started watching this powerlifting channel since I loved their other channels so much, I just wanted to help them become successful by visiting all their channels. I began watching these powerlifting videos because I thought it was just SO cool to watch people lift heavy weights and it was just completely badass. This made me interested in learning more about the ever-growing sport so I got to watching their videos answering viewers questions about all things fitness related, such as “Do Supplements Work” or “Lifting Advice for Beginners”. I binge watched all these videos and tried to just absorb all this knowledge and learn how to lift.

I was about 13 when I was overweight in the eyes of my parents. I believe I was 5’3 and 120 lbs. Looking back at pictures and videos I do not look fat at all but I do just have a bigger frame than other girls, as my hips were very ‘womanly’. This was due to the fact that I went through puberty at the age of 10!! All the sudden I had B cups by the age of 12 while girls in my class have not even tried on a training bra yet. I was so self-conscious back then, now I wish I was 120 lbs. Anyways, at the age of 12 I went through a lot of changes, my parents spent over $1000 on acne treatment (oh yeah, and I also have such bad acne doctors would get shocked by it…yeah it was that bad) and I also joined the gym! Since you had to be 14 to register my dad used my older sister’s name and everything to get me in…I looked 16 at 12 so I think it’s fine, not illegal or anything…right? Lol, so at this time, I just used the machines at the gym and I went practically every other day with my dad, and I started to lose weight! Then winter came, and I just didn’t have the energy to go out, or I was tired from school. I was just making these excuses to not go to the gym because I thought I was done with my journey. I looked and felt great so that meant I could stop going which is what I think was going through my head. Unfortunately, this was not the case and I got into a huge argument with my parents.

Being Korean girl growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood can be a challenge for a first-generation immigrant. I believed that guys only wanted girls with blonde hair and blue eyes, and no one would like my small eyes and big nose. Also, being a first-generation immigrant, my parents knew no one in Canada and started from nothing basically. Money was always tight and my mom always made a big deal of it. So, this relates to my journey because I stopped going to the gym, which did not go over well with my parents. Gym memberships are not cheap by any means, and by me not going were stressing them out, with my mom shoving the membership bills in my face and yelling at me. Being 12 and going through puberty, this was not a good time for a girl to hear she was too fat when I already knew that I was convinced that no one would like me if I was too fat, and Asian and I was going to end up alone with 20 cats (12-year-olds are sooo dramatic, am I right? Or am I right…?). This sent me into a depression which my parents noticed, and in my culture, you show your love with food. So, my mom is trying to apologize by buying me McDonald’s and just whatever is unhealthy. Of course, I ate all of it and eventually forgave her. With the weight I am at now, you have probably guessed I am the child that has fought with my parents the most and time and time again they fill me up with food to make up for it. But, I am in no way in shape or form, blaming my parents for my weight…kinda. This is majority my fault, but honestly, I didn’t know any better for myself and I was just filled up with hormones. It wasn’t until I was 15 when I started to make a change.

At the age of 15, I joined the gym again with my parents, and I also started going on runs everyday! Yayy! I think it was this age where I was the most fit I had ever been. My friends were noticing my weight loss (starting at 140 lbs to about 130 lbs), I was becoming quicker on my feet in my volleyball games which my coach noticed. I was constantly working out and eating healthy for about 3-4 months…but then came my mother. I was doing so well in reaching my goal of weighing 120 lbs, but going out to eat with my family was never fun. My mother would try to get me to eat chicken wings or pasta but I refused…until one day I didn’t. This just broke a wall in me, I began to eat more, and my runs were less frequent. My excuse for not running was it was starting to snow, and I didn’t have clothes to workout in the snow and I had no money to buy $100 sweaters for running at the Nike store. I quit the gym again, much to the disappointment of my parents, and I started to lose control of my self and my body once more. I love my mother, but she can make or break my mood and motivation at the snap of her fingers. She is always someone I look up to, and when I was younger, I thought my parents knew everything and everything they said was 100% true and accurate (I found out that this was false a couple of years later). But my father on the other hand has always been there for me, I tell him almost all my problems and he’s the one that helps me rationalize and get through them. He was always at my volleyball games and just there for me in general.

Back to weight loss! I gained a shit ton of weight back, but luckily, I took a course in grade 11 called Weight Training. This class allowed me to properly learn how to use most equipment at the gym, as well as learn how to properly squat (but using the smith machine) and using free weights. I already had previous knowledge on most of it since I’ve been on and off going to the gym since the age of 12, but I did learn which workouts target which muscles and how to safely train in the gym. Loved the class, and in that class, I met one of my close friends today, which is a nice plus 😊. I liked this class so much, I took it again in grade 12. In my grade 12 year I joined the gym, once again. It was never consistent, I tried to diet but it never seemed to stick, I wanted to go running but all of the sudden I was embarrassed and unfamiliar with it since I haven’t done it in 2 years. I was eating basically whatever I wanted and would go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week, never taking training too seriously. On the plus side, I finally got the courage to learn how to squat and deadlift with the squat racks at the gym, which my father did not think it was a good idea. My father is always concerned my health, but I believe he doesn’t know about health as much as he thinks he does, or he thinks he knows better than me. He might know better than me, but he will not take my passion away from weights and learning from professional athletes online. At this point in my life, I became more knowledgeable in powerlifting, crossfit, health, different diets, but was not really practicing any of it due to the restriction I felt I had living my parents. I was able to squat 50 lbs (with a 45 lb bar) and deadlift about the same weight, but was not eating the way I wanted to.

Then things changed when I went away for university. I learned that I found it was much more peaceful living away from my family, but this meant I had freedom in food choices which I didn’t have with my parents. Contrary to my mother trying to fatten my up, she’s the one that is constantly telling me that I shouldn’t wear blue jeans since they make me look too big and I should just stick with black clothing since it makes people look slimmer, or I shouldn’t spend money on clothes since she knows I’m not going to have the confidence to wear it. Just stuff like this to make a girl feel like shit. What I learned is that my mother is just projecting her own insecurities onto me, which I can look past, up to a certain point though. Next thing you know I’m 190 lbs, on my way to 200 which I am horrified to be. I’m about to enter my 20s, I can’t enjoy my 20s being fat! I need to dress slutty and make bad decisions in this period of my life!! I am 90% joking about this 😉. But at 18-years-old, I am going to find a personal trainer and try to get myself back on track. Tomorrow, I am going to try and wake up early and go for a jog. I am already intermittent fasting which I believe is great! I don’t have to worry about making 3 meals a day and can mostly focus on just eating fruits and vegetables as snacks during the school day in the period of 8 hours.

I am going to try and update this blog post daily to what I’ve done in the day.

#fitness #workout #weights #female #fitnessjourney #health

0 notes

vdbstore-blog · 7 years

Text

New Post has been published on Vintage Designer Handbags Online | Vintage Preowned Chanel Luxury Designer Brands Bags & Accessories

New Post has been published on http://vintagedesignerhandbagsonline.com/sanele-junior-xaba-i-take-pride-in-my-albinism-fashion/

Sanele Junior Xaba: ‘I take pride in my albinism’ | Fashion

Sanele Junior Xaba makes photographers and stylists get a little carried away. This year alone the South African model has posed naked save for a swarm of butterflies on the cover of Polish design magazine Label and worn feathered angel wings and a loincloth for Dutch art photographer Gemmy Woud-Binnendijk in a depiction of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. Viewed more than 25m times on YouTube alone, the jawdropping pièce de résistance in Sanele’s portfolio is the ad for sportswear brand Adidas Originals in which shirtless Sanele stands in for the wind god Zephyr in a dystopian reworking of Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. Here, he writhes on a set strewn with broken computers to a cover of Sinatra’s My Way as Venus takes a selfie inside a giant satellite dish.

It’s all gorgeous, captivating work, and Sanele isn’t complaining one bit, but I wonder whether he might sometimes like to be asked just to stand next to an attractive young woman at a bus stop, or mope handsomely on a staircase. You know, standard male model gigs like those performed by his contemporaries at Boss Models in Cape Town. Jobs where you turn up and pull on a beanie and some jeans, rather than don a ceremonial wreath and pour a carton of milk down your front.

“People have said things to me like: ‘Oh, but you don’t look like the Heineken- drinking guy,’” he says. Today he’s dressed in his favourite black fedora (“I love a hat”), black skinny jeans and black Dr Martens. “But I do drink Heineken,” he continues, “so maybe they need to get out there and look at who’s actually drinking that stuff.”

‘I was an undercover black’: Xaba wears T-shirt, £230, and herringbone trousers, £450, both Stella McCartney (harrods.com). Photograph: Daniel Benson for the Observer

I can’t fault his logic. But if we’re honest, the reason image-makers seem to go a bit high concept at the prospect of Sanele is because, apart from all the standard-issue stuff – runway-ready 6ft stature, muscular torso, exquisite face furniture – he has what several photographers I speak to refer to obliquely as “a very special aesthetic”. In other words, Sanele has albinism, a genetic condition that results in the absence of pigment in his eyes, hair and skin. This does not make him “albino” or “an albino”, a term that’s unhelpful because, as Sanele puts it: “It implies that we’re a species, or a race apart.” In fact, people of all races can be affected by albinism. Still, the condition seems to be most prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the UN Human Rights Council is implementing a five-year regional action plan to counter the astonishing discrimination and persecution that continues to exist.

I realise that it sounds a bit Zoolander, but I want to play my part to promote diversity in the fashion the industry

In his professional life, Sanele has encountered tokenism from image-makers of all stripes. “I’ve had situations where casting directors have said: ‘No thanks, we’ve worked with Shaun Ross already” – Shaun Ross being an American model with albinism, who has appeared in music videos for Lana Del Rey and Beyoncé. Does that make him angry, I ask? “Well, it makes me want to say, ‘How many white models have you used this week?’ They’re not all considered to be the same person.” Still, he’s known for being patient and polite: “I realise it sounds a bit Zoolander, but I want to play my part to promote diversity in the industry. The commercial end of fashion is crucial as it dictates what’s cool, and the idea of cool is changing drastically. It feels more inclusive, but it can still do a whole lot better.”

Sanele was due to spend this summer at the most commercial of all the fashion capitals, New York. Several agencies there had expressed interest in representing him and ordinarily – because of his proven track record in modelling – a visa would have been granted in a jiffy. Instead, Sanele’s application was declined twice in the midst of Donald Trump’s chaotic visa shake-up. “The authorities weren’t sure about my intended reasons for coming to the States,” Sanele says, neutrally. I make an unfavourable reference to the example of Slovenian-born First Lady Melania Trump, who was apparently paid for 10 modelling jobs before she received legal authorisation to work in the United States, but Sanele will not be drawn. “It’s fine, it’s OK,” he says. “I’m the kind of person who believes everything happens for a reason.”

Instead of New York, Sanele decided to go to the Netherlands, where he has family, including a great aunt who moved to Dordrecht during apartheid. Nowadays she’s what Sanele calls “a hardcore Dutchie” and she was proud to see him walk in Amsterdam Fashion Week, one of several engagements arranged at short notice by Elite Model Management Amsterdam, the agency that supported Sanele’s straightforward visa application.

Xaba wears Taplo jumper, £655, Dries Van Noten (selfridges.com); jeans, £225, Dries Van Noten (libertylondon.com); boots, £230, grenson.com. Photograph: Daniel Benson for the Observer

While appearing on a popular late-night TV talk show, Sanele met Nicky Libert, a Dutch local and fellow Elite charge who worked on a building site but shot to Instafame after being snapped by a British tourist. The two unconventional clotheshorses hit it off and a bromance began. “He’s Tweedledee and I’m Tweedledum,” says Sanele. Libert invited Sanele to come and live with his family in Almere, just outside Amsterdam, and has been introducing him to Dutch culture, one Turkish and Surinamese takeaway at a time.

I used spray tans and very dark foundation. It looked really bad, especially because I had braces and terrible acne

“There’s so much variety and diversity,” says Sanele. “It’s rich with culture from all over the world – and I thought that South Africa had a lot going on!”

Sanele was born in a township outside Durban in 1994, the year South Africa transitioned from apartheid into democracy – making him a first-edition “born free”. When he was little, strangers would assume he was a white child in the care of a black nanny. In fact, his Zulu mother, Sithembisile, is a medical technologist who took Sanele’s albinism in her stride, but left the township after an incident in which another child shouted “umhlope” (Zulu for “white man”) and threw a rock at his head. There was considerable bleeding and he still has the peanut-sized scar on his forehead. “That was when my mum decided to move to the city,” says Sanele. His father, he says, was never in the picture – “a rolling stone” with an undisclosed number of kids.

Unusually, given that racial integration was in its infancy, Sithembisile enrolled Sanele at the fee-paying, majority-white Open Air School in Durban (motto: “I can and I will”) where he was, he jokes, “an undercover black”. Although he was acutely aware of the stares that his alabaster skin and naturally ginger hair attracted when he was out in public, he says his mother’s insistence that “I shouldn’t look on my albinism as any sort of disadvantage” bolstered his self-esteem. But with puberty, it collapsed entirely. “When you hit 13 or so, you become self-conscious and you start to want to impress people,” he says. Other pupils began to taunt him about his appearance. “I could give you a whole list of names: Casper the Friendly Ghost, white pudding, milk of magnesia, Tipp-Ex, snow globe…” Sanele’s actual name means “enough” in Zulu. He is an only child.

Xaba wears striped top, £75, Raf Simons x Fred Perry (fredperry.com). Photograph: Daniel Benson for the Observer

“I went through a stage of depression during which I did lots of desperate online research on how to get melanin,” says Sanele. Predictably, his attempts to boost the pigment-creating substance came to naught, so he resorted to the cosmetics counter. “I was experimenting with spray tans and very dark foundation,” he recalls, “and it kinda looked really bad, especially because I had braces and terrible acne.” He was already taking Roaccutane, the controversial retinoid drug, to try to get his spots under control. “For four months I had this circumference of heat around my face and it was bright red, like a tomato.”

Now I’ve realised I can use my looks to raise awareness, I’ve started to take a lot more pride in my own albinism

To make matters worse, it was around this time that Sanele’s father – a perfect stranger – came back on the scene, only to tell Sanele that he was dying. “He apologised to me for everything before he passed,” recalls Sanele, before starting to giggle reflexively. When I listen to the recording later, the peals sound like nervousness bordering on panic. “I’m sure it seemed like I was heartless at the time, but I just couldn’t get emotional about it because I didn’t really know who had died and I was just too confused,” he says.

Back at school, he resolved to toughen up and confront the bullies. “I knew of another kid – not someone with albinism – who had hanged himself at the age of 10 and I just thought: ‘That’s not going to happen to me. I’m not going to let my entire student career go like this.’ I decided to beat the hell out of the next person who called me names.”

The strategy worked (“People learned not to mess with Sanele or he’s going to beat you up. That’s not the kind of person I am, but I had to grow a pair,” he says). In due course, so did the acne treatment. Sanele refers to what came next as his “blow-up season”. Buoyed by the confidence of clear skin, a promotion in the playground pecking order and his newfound athletic prowess as a championship swimmer with the body to boot, he began to socialise with a vengeance.

Xaba wears sweatshirt, £235, Yeezy, and shirt, £480, Vetements, both selfridges.com; cords, £255, Etudes (libertylondon.com). Photograph: Daniel Benson for the Observer

It was at the age of 15, while attending the Durban July horse racing, that he was approached by a model scout. “I took the card and then I thought: ‘Nah, I’m not going to do that shit,’” he recalls. The scout persisted, tracking Sanele down via Facebook and persuading him that there was money to be made. “As a teenager, scoring a buck is a big thing,” Sanele smiles. So he walked in Durban fashion week and appeared in campaigns for local designers before transferring to a more prestigious model agency in Johannesburg. “They got me catalogue work for Adidas, I did GQ magazine, and that’s when I realised that this industry could use a whole lot more diversity.”

Increasingly, he now sees his Instagram account as a means of owning the conversation, and photos are frequently accompanied by lengthy and heartfelt “believe in yourself” captions.

“At the end of the day, I know there’s an expiry date to what I do and my dream is to make my presence last a bit longer, to leave a footprint in the industry.” Among his 21,000-plus followers are teens struggling to come to terms with their own albinism. “I get messages from people saying: ‘Oh you are so brave for what you’re doing, I’m ashamed to even go outside,” he says.

Things are much worse, he notes, in the parts of Africa that GQ doesn’t typically reach. In some regions of Tanzania, for example, people with albinism live in fear of mutilation and murder because potions made from their body parts can command large sums on the black market. “There’s a whole industry run by so-called spiritual leaders,” says Sanele.

In some regions, people with albinism live in fear of mutilation and murder as potions are made from their body parts

Since he has been in Holland, he has connected with Inside The Same, a charity that campaigns for the rights of individuals with albinism. With them, he’s planning a visit to an orphanage in Tanzania for children who’ve been abandoned as the result of stigma and ignorance. In some communities, children with albinism are believed to be reincarnated ghosts of slave masters, as opposed to what they are: innocents with a genetic idiosyncrasy.

“The charity provides the kids with sunscreen and medical treatment because a lot of them have skin cancer,” says Sanele. “Now that I’ve realised I can use my looks to raise awareness and to challenge the perceptions and stereotypes about the condition, I’ve started to take a lot more pride in my own albinism.”

As I pack up my things and we say our goodbyes, Sanele tells me he would hate for his nascent activism to somehow overshadow the meticulous work done by others: “I’m glad to assist and I really want to learn,” he says. He’s flying back to Cape Town tomorrow for a wedding – a cousin from his dad’s side of the family – so I ask what he’s most missed about South Africa during his summer away. His response is a little more starry than before: “I miss the nightclubs where they give me a private table because I’m a model, and I can take my friends and drink champagne all night without having to open my wallet. It’s fun, now and again, to celebrate your youth.” Good on him, I think. But so much for Heineken.

Grooming by Jade Leggat-Smith using MAC and Elemis; production by Christopher Smith; model Sanele junior Xaba at Boss models

Source link

#Fashion

0 notes

relatable-depressed-egg-blog · 7 years

Text

You know it's like I don't feel a lot of emotions but at the same time I do??? Like I feel hurt but normally I would overreact and be like wtf and I'd like to say I've come to my senses but ya right lol I'm just depressed again I shouldn't have drank alcohol 2 nights in a row what the fuck was I thinking omg

Also anyone else ever get that moment where everything just seems super far away and like small or the opposite and everything just seems super big before you fall asleep? Like is that a thing? Because it actually scares me into staying awake and it's lame

Anyone else with trypophobia like get it stuck in ur mind like you just imagine it before you fall asleep but you're not like trying to imagine it just comes up in ur mind before you fall asleep and everytime you close your eyes because that happens to me and it's the worst because I can't close my eyes when that happens and u need to close ur eyes to sleep it's awful and then when I think about it like I am now ugh I just get so itchy and my fucking goosebumps make it worse bc it makes me feel there's something on or in my skin and omg someone KILL ME

I just wanna rant to someone like I just want to tell them my problems like someone come listen to me I need to talk

I hate it when someone u know and love is like hey u can talk to me I'll help u and ur like lol not u bc some of the things has to deal with you and if anything ur just gonna turn it around on me and say that I have a problem but the only reason I have a problem is bc I deal with you 24 fucking 7 and omg don't even get me started on fucking Brian ugh

Isn't it sad I was anxious about not having or getting a job and then once I got a job my anxiety took over and made me quit and now I have no job again and I'm fretting over it isn't that funny

Oh my god everytime I think about it I can't I just can't how could I let my mental illness take over me take over my life like that fuck

And recently I've been picking at my skin again even though I promised myself I wouldn't do it because I got a new acne treatment but o just can't help it you see that one blackhead or whitehead and it just stays in my head I just can't stop thinking about it until it's gone and once it's gone I have to make sure nothing else comes out so I have to keep picking and then the scabs hurt too much so I have to pick at them to make them stop but then they just reappear and it's just this never ending cycle like how do I stop I just need to like never look at myself in a mirror cuz when I do all I see are those holes and I just need to get the stuff out I just need to get rid of them!!!!!!!!

Anyone else get that way where they just get so antsy and they just like they just have to get up and do something like they just start shaking so much and your body starts twitching and you just gotta get up and move and just do something you just have to do something but it can't be anything it has to be risky you have to get your adrenaline rushing that's the only way that's the only way

I've been feeling so sick recently like so sick and it's probably due to the alcohol but recently my stomach has just been aching all the time like all the time why idk idk it's weird

I honestly feel like just shaving all my hair off I feel like getting rid of it getting rid of my old life I just want to run away and start a new life

Or maybe end this one who knows yet

But honestly it's like I just want to leave everybody behind and I don't know why why do I want to do that there's people I love here

Well right now it doesn't even feel like I love them like my chest doesn't ache when I think about my bf and that's sad I liked that feeling but right now I'm so emotionless why I don't like it I don't like it one bit

I wanna think about my bf and think about how cute he is and how funny and adorable bc that would make me feel better but for some odd reason I can only focus on the bad sides and honestly it's terrible like that mindset I'm in right now it's awful but I can't seem to get out and I need help I need to start taking my meds again but I can't I can't not until my package comes in I want to be able to have fun but I can't because by the time that it comes who knows I might be long gone lol

Not like long gone I don't think of suicide that much anymore which is a plus well I mean it's always on my mind but it's not like I'd ever act on it like I'd use to anyways not like suicide but like mental wise lol I'm afraid of becoming crazy and going to a crazy ward like those people are just in need of help and I'm in need of help but they need more help than I do bc my problems can be managed I think and I just have to make sure I manage them correctly which I'm not I'm using unhealthy coping mechanisms which is leading to my mental deterioration but even though I know that will I stop? No because I'm self destructive and I just want to make sure I become this waste that no one wants because that's what I deserve.

0 notes

nettleandfriends-blog · 7 years

Text

Ye Olde Nettle

When you’re a child, the only thing you’re interested in is to get on with the stuff you like to do, like climbing trees, jump over fences, play tags on rooftops, collect tadpoles… I know, I know, I’m talking ancient history here, as today kids’ thing is online gaming, instagramming, texting and such, but the principle is there.

Any hindrance to your childhood pursuit of happiness is perceived as unfair, malicious and utterly pointless (“I wish I was dead and then you’d be sorry…”)

During my early years I often pondered about this or another unpleasantness in my life. I was trying to find the sense in existence of barbed wire, mosquitos, younger brothers and nettles.

As I was growing up, things were becoming clearer. For a time, I thought that the sole purpose of the existence of barbed wire on fences was to make mothers stop dolling up their daughters in pretty dresses, blouses and skirts. Time after time I was coming home in shredded skirts and dresses, until my mum finally gave up. It was leggings and shorts after that.

Some time later I discovered that younger brothers kinda grow on you. Eventually I stopped moping around for getting a baby instead of a puppy – or, even better, a horse. There was still a problem of him following me around like a – well, puppy – so I waited patiently for my chance. When he was old enough (about 4 or 5) I showed him a picture of T. Rex. Then I took him outside and pointed to a small hole in the ground (my favourite when playing marbles) and told him that it was where T. Rex lived. Not only did he stop following me around, he was petrified of going out whatsoever. Later still, when he stopped grassing my every little transgression and blaming me for his own ones, we even started talking to each other and occasionally having fun together. By the time we were semi-adult we started even liking each other. So, basically, I admitted to myself that baby brothers are OK and stopped wondering why they existed.

Nettle, of course, was one of the major annoyances in my childhood. Although I’m fortunate enough to have quite tough skin so nettle, or bee stings, even wasps only cause mild redness and itchiness that lasts a day or two, it was still not fun to brush them lightly while whizzing around having fun. Furthermore, my best friend was very sensitive to everything; nettle would cause swelling and blisters lasting for a week or two, and wasp stings… Whoa!

So, understandably, I detested nettle with a passion. I hated even the fact that the most frequent shampoo in our house was the one with nettle extracts (my mum still swears by it).

However, when I started developing interest for plants I discovered that this nasty nettle is actually quite an amazing plant. Every single part of it – root, stalk, leaves, flowers – is beneficial. It is not only edible, but quite tasty too. It’s packed full of iron (almost ten times more than spinach) and vitamin C, as well as various minerals and trace elements. I suppose poor old nettle had to develop some sort of defence, otherwise it would be eaten to extinction by herbivores.

As food, you can use it virtually everywhere you use spinach. Well, maybe it would be a good idea not to do the substitute if you eat your spinach raw, in salads or sandwiches. If you do, please make a recording and post it online. I’m sure it’ll go viral like the video of the eejit who lit a firecracker while holding it in his teeth.

Actually, now I’m thinking about it, I’ll make a post about nettle as food (maybe the next one), with a few of my favourite recipes. Meanwhile, here’s a link to a quite nice article about nettle: http://www.countryfile.com/countryside/ten-unusual-facts-about-nettles .

Stop prattling about and get on with nettle’s remedial properties, I can hear you grumble. Here goes…

Nettle (its posh name is Urtica dioica) is an excellent diuretic; if you have high blood pressure caused by water retention, nettle tea will help a lot. Be careful, though: if you’re already taking pills you might achieve a double whammy resulting in low blood pressure.

If you’re having difficulties with passing water, either because of the urinary tract infection or because of benign enlargement of the prostate, nettle root is the thing to go for. You can make tea or use tincture.

Tea: boil ½ litre (approx. 17 fl oz) of water and pour over 2 tbsp of chopped nettle root. Cover and leave to soak 10 minutes. Take 4 cups of this tea daily.

Tincture: add 30-40 drops to a glass of water; take 3-5 times a day.

For frequent nosebleeds and intensive period bleeds, as well as for hay fever, acne, eczema and gout use nettle leaves tea:

Pour ¼ litre of hot water over 1 tsp of dried nettle leaves. Cover and leave for 10 minutes. If you use kettle to heat the water, wait a minute or so after water boiling, then pour on the leaves. Take a cup of this tea 3 times a day. You can use tincture instead of leaves - 1 tbsp of tincture in a glass of water. The tea also helps with mouth ulcers and gum inflammation, as a mouth rinse.

Tea prepared from the whole plant is good for getting rid of lung phlegm and cleansing of stomach, liver and guts. This is how to make it:

Finely chop the whole plant. Put 3 tbsp of chopped plant in 2 litres (3.5 pints) of water to soak 10-15 hours. After soaking bring to boil and simmer, covered, for ½ hour. Leave to cool, then strain and take a cup 3 times a day, before meals.

I’ve mentioned nettle tincture; here’s the recipe:

Use the root collected either in spring or in the autumn. Wash the root well, pat dry and chop finely. Fill ¾ of a bottle or a jar with chopped root, then add rakija (or vodka) to the top. Cork well and leave in dark warm place for a month. Then strain it into a clean bottle/jar (preferably coloured) and keep in dark place, at room temperature. I haven’t made tincture for a couple of years, but when I did, I kept it in a deep drawer in my bedroom.

Nettle tincture is very good for treating hair (more about it below), as well as for treating children anaemia (especially if the kid refuses to drink nettle tea). In this case you’ll want to reduce the amount of alcohol in the tincture. I mean, let’s say you massage your scalp with tincture in the morning and then go to work... and your boss smells alcohol on you on daily basis... You get my drift? Not to mention nosy neighbours reporting you to Social Services for giving your kid something containing alcohol.

To reduce the amount (and smell) of alcohol, once the tincture is strained, just boil it a bit - most of alcohol will evaporate quickly.

Nettle is brilliant for treating hair: not only it makes it stronger and thicker, but also gives a wonderful healthy shine.

We all lose hair all the time but it also keeps growing. Some people, however, simply have thin and/or weak hair; sometimes an illness or a lack of vitamins, trace elements and such can weaken the hair. Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with one’s hair but one wants it improved anyway. In all these cases nettle is a great helper. This is what needs to be done to stop hair loss:

Simmer approximately 20g (around 3/4 oz) chopped nettle root in ½ litre water for 10 minutes. Strain and mix with a few cups of nettle leaves tea. After washing hair, use this mixture as the last rinse. In addition, use the tincture to massage the scalp daily.

Keep in mind: if you’re genetically predisposed to hair loss (e.g. your dad, granddad and both uncles went bald before they were 40), this treatment will NOT stop it. It will slow it down, though, but the rate varies from person to person.

I was lucky enough not to have problems with dandruff, but a few friends told me that tincture worked for their dandruff problems, so have a go...

For general hair care, to make it soft, supple and shiny (basically, what Pedigree Chum does for dogs if we are to believe the ads) do this:

Put 5 litres (10.5 pints) of water in a large pot. Add several handfuls of nettle (fresh or dried leaves and stalks) and, on low heat, bring to boil. As soon as it starts boiling remove from heat and leave for 10-15 minutes. If you’re using nettle root, leave a handful of root in cold water overnight. The next day do the described preparation. Use this to slowly rinse-cum-massage your hair after wash, leave for 5-10 minutes, then rinse well.

I’ve mentioned earlier that the tea made from nettle leaves is good for treating skin problems. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days and apply the same way as cleansing lotion, using cotton wool. Ideally, you’ll be drinking freshly made tea 3 times a day (same with hair treatments, I forgot to say).

If you want to treat all of your skin, then have a nettle bath: put a mug of nettle (whole plant or leaves + stalks) in a large pot and pour hot water on it. Leave for about 15 minutes. Use the time to fill your bath with warm water. Strain your nettle tea in the bath water and get in straight away. Soak for 15-20 minutes. Don’t rinse the bath water off - just pat yourself with a towel. You should stay inside for about an hour if it’s cold outside.

A few warnings:

1. Although you can use nettle tea and tincture all year long, very rarely people might get oversensitive to nettle if using it for a long time. This can manifest as allergic reaction, digestive problems or diarrhoea. If you want to make sure it doesn’t happen to you, simply make pause in using it – e.g. use it for 3 weeks, then pause for a week, then use for 3 weeks… you get a pattern, right?

2. I’ve never heard about any problems with using nettle preparations in pregnancy and during breast feeding period. As a matter of fact, a few women I know used to drink nettle tea in pregnancy as they became anaemic. However, I’d always advise to check your blood results with your doctor and follow his/hes advice.

3. Nettle tea is really good for treating anaemia in children, as well as for strengthening their immune system. But, sometimes, kids are too finicky and won’t drink it. If this is the case, 10 drops of the tincture in a glass of water or their favourite juice should be alright. Keep in mind: I said “juice”, so no colas, fantas etc. - strictly non-fizzy drinks.

4. Being strong diuretic, nettle might slightly change the colour of urine or make it look cloudy. It should not worry you, it’s just a sign there’s lots of toxins and metabolic leftovers clearing out of your body. As they are getting reduced, your urine will get clear.

There are loads more remedy recipes where nettle is one of ingredients, but I want to go through some major plants just on their own before I start with mixtures.

So, there you are: from dreaded childhood nuisance to really great and useful stuff.

Still wondering about mozzies, though…

0 notes

spn-fanfic · 7 years

Text

Abuse??

I need some advice. I know that you all aren't professionals or anything and it's hard to judge something from an online account of it, but I really have NOT been able to get something off my mind recently. I've been constantly thinking about my parents/brothers treatment of me growing up. There's a lot of things that stick in my mind and they just kinda hit me this year, when I moved away to college. I just want to start this by saying I wasn't physically abused. I mean, not really. There were 4 instances that stick out in my mind in terms of getting physical. First, my dad hit me on the leg (hard enough to sting) because we were having a discussion in the car. I have no clue what it was about. Second, one time I was fighting with my mom and she slapped me on the arm. Not hard. Last, again I was fighting with my mom and my dad kinda yelled to stop it. I said something to him (I think it was like "this doesn't involve you" but I'm not sure.) And kinda ran towards me and grabbed me by the hair. This happened twice. I don't remember why he grabbed my hair the second time. What I really want to ask about is emotional stuff. Let me start with my brother. When I was younger, I remember some times when he tormented me. Now I know that this is fairly normal and he probably didn't realize what he was doing, but I remember being so genuinely terrified that I would hide from him and call my parents (who would be working on a house we were building in the backyard). I would be with my back against a door and he would grab at my ankles. I don't know how to feel about this... but I can say that I can't think of a recent particular instance that I've felt scared or victimized by him, only then. Then there's my dad - first off, he is not okay with me having a different political opinion than him and makes me feel very guilty about disagreeing. He will scream over me, even now, and tell me to shut up. Also, I remember one time we all went on vacation to Florida. I don't do this often and so I asked of we could stop by Myrtle Beach at some point (because we were driving and passing through) and everyone undoubtedly said no. Of course, I was disappointed and acted like I was (which, admittedly we were on vacation and I should've just went with it... There's always another time to go) and he called me a bitch... more than once, yelling over me when I tried to defend myself. He said "this is what I hate, that defeatist attitude from you." Then he called me that. Also, there were a lot of times where he said the words "I know you're [insert any age below 18 here] but don't think I won't hesitate to beat your ass." Of course, he was referring to spanking me? Which I find VERY weird and am confused because I believe I was almost 18 the last time he said this to me? Plus, I don't think spanking is every appropriate for a kid anyway... but that's another thing. He would also say "YOU aren't going to tell me what YOU'RE going to do." Again, all the way until I was 18. This was usually in relation to things like me not wanting to help them clean at home when I had made plans prior. I'm sure there's stuff I'm missing about the other two, but I want to move onto my mom. Whoo boy, there's a lot. First off, I remember being a very passive child and kinda doing anything anyone told me because I just assumed they were right. Now, I was like this all the way up until about middle school (7th grade) and I remember being SEVERLY depressed for 5th and 6th. Like, cried myself to sleep, and ate very little food. Idk, it was bad. But when I got to middle school, things got better and I started to find my voice. Still a pushover, but better, and I wasn't so depressed anymore. I'm honestly not sure what changed. But then, again my sophomore year of high school it got really bad for a second time, and was like that for a whole year. Like... i wasnt eaying bad. Then it got better again, idk how to explain it. But anyway, I digress. Around the first time I started to feel better, my mom starting saying how much I had changed and how bad it was. She used to say "you were such a sweet child then, and now you aren't, and you don't listen to me. What changed?" Which.. I always found very insulting because this was the time I feel I began to become better.. not worse. I remember her humiliating me in front of my friends. At the time, I HATED my dance classes (I can admit that it totally was a phase, I love dance) and she had me stick with them. I would make excuses not to go a lot, and admittedly part of this was because of my emotional state. But anyways, one time my friend was over and was going to carpool (because we had the same dance class) and I can't remember if I lied about not having the right shoes so I couldn't go, or if I genuinely couldn't find them. (Which obviously, I shouldn't lie and shouldn't lose things) also, I had a very messy closet. I just remember yanking everything out of my closet, throwing it all over the place and screaming because she was trying to find my shoes. In front of my friend. Idk. She also CONSTANTLY comments on my weight and appearance. She made me feel self conscious about things I didn't even k ow were there. Her comments are always unwarranted and she acts innocent when I confront her about them. She does the same with acne. She also gets very upset that I talk a lot. Like, she berates me for it? I'm making this sound way worse than it is lol. The first time she visited my college, I swore (accidently.. ik I shouldn't swear at my mom) and she was like.. "if this is what this place teaches you then don't think we won't hesitate to pull you out." When I'm the one paying for it. Speaking of my college, she does nothing but insult it.. She made negative comments about my room being too clean the first time she came. She also tries to keep me from getting a summer job. I go to school 10 hours away, and I'm home for the summer. (This is my first year.) I told her I'm going to work when I'm home, and she gave me a myriad of reasons why I cant. She said 1. They would lose food stamps and federal assistance because I would be making money and coming off from them as a dependant 2. I wouldn't be home to "help her" get the house together (there are piles of junk all around and in the property she wants to get clean... bit I've tried to help before and she was saying this for years. Nothing gets done on it) and 3. Bringing up reasons why I HATED my job last year and telling me all jobs would be like that. Also one time.. And this was by far the worst... it took place this year. I was home for Christmas break (about a month long) and my only goal other than having a nice holiday was to get a particular ear piercing before I went back to school. Now, I'm 18 and have money so I had no problems going to get that done and doing the last few errands I had to do by myself before and went back, and said as much. But my mom wanted to come, and I said whatever because I'm a little scared of driving. (Even though I've done it for a few years now 😂😂). I did tell her though that once we were downtown, I wanted to do the ear piercing first because it was on the way, and the website for the place I was getting it done didn't list hours. We had a full list of groceries and stuff to do and I thought we might get there too late.. And this was really the last day I had to get it done before I went back. She agreed, no problem, to doing this.. even though I knew she wasn't too happy about me getting the piercing. So, as soon as we get downtown, (she's driving) she starts saying that she wants to go everywhere else first before my piercing. I got upset.. And said to her that the only reason she's doing that is because she knows it'll be too late to go the piercing parlor by the time we finish everything else, and she doesn't want me to get it. (Once again, I probably shouldn't have been so accusatory.) But.. She starts yelling that I'm paranoid and need to see a psychiatrist because I'm downright crazy for assuming things, and paranoid that everyone is out to get me. This was while we were driving and I started sobbing hysterically.. which she didn't care.. And you know, there's a difference between telling someone you care about you think they need help and using that comment to hurt them. Especially because before she had outright stated how she thought anyone on medication was crazy and looked down on them. She continued errands leaving me in the car, and when she returned and I didn't want to talk this just made her more upset. Of course, she denies a lot of this and is the kinda "well I'm sorry if you were offended" person and she's always blaming someone else. One time she said she didn't like aspects of my personality and then called me too sensitive when I got upset. There's also a lot of instances of my parents fighting and involving me in ways I shouldn't have been. Making me feel guilty about money, etc. Telling me personal things about my brother that were none of my business. My parents also never let me cut my hair. Also, something I really hated my sophomore year was high school band, and I told my parents this and I was forced to continue. Eventually I started skipping (Which I shouldn't have done 😣) and lying to them, telling them I was going. (Which again, shouldn't have done) well, long story short they found out because my teacher called them, and they didn't tell me, getting me to confess. This all came to a head because there was a school parade I was supposed to be in, (on a saturday) and I went to my friends the night before. My dad said he would pick me up in the morning and take me, and I was just going to like hang out at the school and pretend I went. (I know, I shpudnt have done this) So, my friend was aware of this situation and very supportive. She said to call my dad and just tell them her dad would take me, so I didn't have to just sit at the band room. So I did.. And my dad informs me that he has a friend there that can tell him if I'm not there. So.. I just come clean. (Mind you, I've managed to officially withdraw from band at this point because my parents never called the band teacher back and he just ended up dropping me from his roster) and he instantly says, "then you're done with cheering, and I'm coming to get you right now." *click* cheering was one of the things I truly enjoyed. But anyway, he came to get me and they both reemed me out. They didn't end up taking me out of cheering though. That said, my mom still lords it over my head even though I've told her it was contributing to my depression because it is literally the only big lie I've told. I don't know what to make over all that. I'm sure I'm missing things, but there's a lot to this post already and I just want to say that of course I'm not talking about the happy times either. And there's a lot of those! So, to get back to the point of this post... would this be considered emotional abuse? Should I see a therapist? I think I have anxiety/depression but I know you shouldn't self diagnose, and I don't want to pretend I have something I don't.. But I also have a block about therapy I suppose. But I don't know if I was abused and I always doubt how I feel on it and I just wanted other opinions. Thank you for reading and thank you in advance for commenting.

#emotional abuse #abuse #abuse tw #emotional abuse tw #physical abuse #physical abuse tw #help #advice #mom #brother #father #young #personal #rant #personal rant #i'm sorry #sorry #i need advice

0 notes