#And small nerve fiber damage
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A small molecule previously shown to enhance strength in injured or old laboratory mice does so by restoring lost connections between nerves and muscle fibers, Stanford Medicine researchers have found.
The molecule blocks the activity of an aging-associated enzyme, or gerozyme, called 15-PGDH that naturally increases in muscles as they age. The study showed that levels of the gerozyme increase in muscles after nerve damage and that it is prevalent in muscle fibers of people with neuromuscular diseases.
The research is the first to show that damaged motor neurons — nerves connecting the spinal cord to muscles — can be induced to regenerate in response to a drug treatment and that lost strength and muscle mass can be at least partially regained. It suggests that, if similar results are seen in humans, the drug may one day be used to prevent muscle loss of muscle strength due to aging or disease or to hasten recovery from injury.
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A Gift Unto the King
18
Revelations
Lucas stood rigidly outside the solar door. The mere sight of it brought upon him an overwhelming sense of dread and unease. Beyond that threshold was the man he had spent many a night intertwined with in the throes of passion. Soft sheets and warm candle lit nights were now fading into distant memories, with the only real proof of their existence resting quietly in his womb, hidden away by sheer will and loosely draped fabric.
He couldn’t tell for certain how much time had passed, but, however long it was, appeared to be slightly outside the realm of socially acceptable, judging from the sideways glances the guards down the hall would periodically pass his way. Deciding the awkwardness culminating on this side of the door was likely to be far worse than whatever waited for him on the other side of it, he gave the door a couple quick, hesitant, knocks.
After a few heart pounding moments, the door furiously swung open, an angered Vin rapidly appearing from behind it.
“I said to leave me-” Vin stopped short, his eyes widening, and jaw falling agape, as he was met with the golden gaze of a man he feared he’d lost. A man he knew he’d lost. “Lucas?” His voice was hardly more than a whisper.
Vin’s face was one Lucas could hardly recognize at first glance. The crimson eyes that had once glowed bright with passion had now dimmed, following suit of the darkened circles lining them. His eyelids appeared red and puffy, as though he’d been crying, though all evidence of tears had long since perished. Lucas could feel the exhaustion flowing off of him in waves, and for the first time, he saw just how crushed beneath the crown’s weight his former lover had become.
“I have an urgent matter to discuss, your majesty.” Lucas forced a small bow, attempting to maintain formalities, despite every fiber of his being screaming at him to act otherwise.
Vin winced instinctively, before straightening up, and waving the knight into the room.
“Of course.” The king cleared his throat. “What is it?”
“Sir Remus and I have just returned from Widow’s Wild. Unfortunately, we were unable to locate the missing ghouls.” Lucas held his voice steady, doing his best to disregard the nerves threatening to push through it.
“As expected.” Vin let out a melancholic sigh.
“There is something else…” Lucas started, taking a deep breath, as Vin raised an inquisitive brow. “On our return through Riverbend, we caught sight of Honterran soldiers entering one of the cottages.”
Vin’s brow furrowed, his eyes furiously darting with confusion.
“Honterran soldiers? Are you certain?” He asked, pleading for the slightest air of uncertainty in Lucas’s testimony.
“I am.” The knight confirmed.
Vin closed his eyes, attempting to calm himself, despite his clenched jaw and tensed body betraying him. Drawing a deep breath, he directed Lucas to continue.
“Upon interrogation, the farmer divulged to us that Honterran soldiers had been frequenting the area for the past several months, making deals with the curse-borns there.”
“What kind of deals?” Vin pressed with a low growl.
“Your majesty,” Lucas continued, articulating his phrasing carefully, “they’re making deals to… well, what I imagine to be a sort of… escalation to the war in Honterra.”
Vin paused, allowing the knight’s words to soak into his mind for a moment before, reluctantly, urging the continuance of the deeply unsettling conversation.
“How exactly?” Vin asked, sternly, certain that he did not want to know the answer, but needing it nonetheless.
“Curse-borns… are being contracted to kill Honterran humans.” Lucas swallowed hard, nervously gnawing at his bottom lip.
At first, it was quiet. Like the calm before a storm. That brief moment of hope that made you feel like, perhaps, the damage wouldn’t be too severe. And then, the young knight watched as Vin’s heart fell, and every emotion a person could possibly feel began battling within him for dominance. He was furious, and devastated, and homicidal. His body trembled with rage, even though his mind was trying desperately to quell it. Hunching over his chair, his long fingernails unconsciously dug into the leather backing, leaving in it deep indents and scratches. His jaw was clenched so hard, Lucas feared his teeth might crack.
“Your highness-” Lucas began, but was abruptly interrupted by the aforementioned chair being slung across the room, slamming into the wall hard enough to break off one of its legs.
Panting heavily, Vin ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his face twisted into a vicious scowl. Lucas glanced between the king and the, now broken, wooden chair. Never in his life had he ever recalled seeing Vin act in such an aggressive way, and it was then that he realized just how much had changed in these few, short, months. Vin wasn’t the same person he had been when they parted ways, and Lucas wondered if he too had changed in equal measure. But it was the next thought that crossed his mind that made his body shudder. If Vin knew the truth, would he still hold enough compassion in his heart to not resent him for it?
“My apologies.” Vin straightened his shirt, refusing to make eye contact, afraid of the expression he might be met with if he did.
They stood silently for a few moments, waiting for the air around them to lighten, before eventually accepting that it wasn’t going to.
“How many have accepted the deal?” Vin asked, returning to his formal tone.
“I don’t know, for certain.” Lucas replied, catching a bitter glare from the king. “Your highness, it would be impossible to know with any amount of accuracy.” He insisted. “However, given the time period for which these events have been allowed to occur… I would imagine a fair amount.”
“Let me guess, they were offered protection in exchange for their services.” Vin spat, sharply.
Lucas nodded and Vin let out a long, defeated sigh.
“The ghouls that went missing, do you think they were involved in one of these deals?”
“I don’t believe so.” Lucas answered, confidently. “Both the woman and her son went missing, and the child’s father was human, so I believe their abduction was unrelated.”
“Are you stating, formally, that they were abducted by Honterrans?” Vin pried for confirmation.
“There was no evidence to the contrary.” Lucas stated, firmly. “I cannot make that statement officially, but, unofficially, I believe it to be the only conclusion of merit.”
“So his attacks are based solely on his whims.” Vin muttered to himself.
“If I may speculate, my king, I suspect that King Wilfred may have ulterior motives in waging this war. I believe the eradication of curse-borns may only be part of what he wants.”
Vin crossed his arms tightly, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger.
“He wants the land.” Vin concluded, gaining a brief nod of agreement from Lucas. “So, of course he’d start with Valkevilla. We have an abundance of resources, plenty of established trade relationships, and the lowest level of defense of any of his neighboring countries.” He dragged his hand down his face. “If he takes Valkevilla…”
“Nothing will stop him from taking the others.” Lucas finished, the gravity of the situation growing by the minute. “And, I imagine the war would seem much easier to win if his citizens had a more personal investment in his cause.”
“It would certainly give his sentiments a more solid foundation.” Vin shuffled over towards the table, where the map had rested, unmoved, since the war began. Leaning over it on his palms, his head hung low, he studied the map. “We’ll send more men to secure the border, and I’ll send word to Elvenwood about our suspicions.”
“Very well-”
All of a sudden, Lucas was overcome by a wave of lightheadedness, and found himself unable to finish his sentence. Abruptly, he gripped at the table to steady himself as his head began to spin.
“Lucas?” Vin’s attention immediately snapped towards the sandy-blonde, his voice thick with concern.
“I’m fine.” Lucas grunted through his brewing nausea. “It’ll pass.” His voice wavered as he focused on keeping the floor still, instead, resigning himself to squeezing his eyes shut and avoiding the matter entirely.
“Lucas, what’s wrong?” Vin’s voice was becoming more panicked as he noticed that, whatever it was, wasn’t passing.
“I’m fine-” The dizziness finally taking its toll, Lucas began to wobble, his knees threatening to buckle beneath him.
“Lucas!” Vin rushed to the knight’s side, quickly wrapping an arm around him to hold him steady.
Lucas did everything in his power to right himself, even praying to the gods to regain his bearings, at least long enough to escape the solar, but it seemed his prayers were going to go unanswered. He could feel Vin’s warm body pressed against his own, trembling with nerves. Slowly, the king guided him towards the remaining leather chair, and carefully lowered him into it.
“I’ll send for Alistair-” Vin stepped towards the door, but found his wrist in the surprisingly tight grip of the ill man, stopping him short.
“Don’t.” Lucas huffed with a wince as pain pierced through his skull.
“Nonsense!” Vin furiously ripped his hand away. “You’re clearly unwell!”
“Please.” Lucas pleaded, the pain subsiding for the moment.
“Enough!” Vin returned, sharply, once again making his way towards the door.
But as the young king turned away, Lucas, barely clinging to consciousness, lunged forward, gripping the man’s arm with all the strength he could muster.
“Vin!”
Whipping around, Vin’s eyes were met with a hazy, half-lidded, golden stare. Fresh beads of dewy sweat lined Lucas’s brow and his face had gone pale. His chest heaved as he panted. Then, his grip loosened, and his body slumped forward.
“Lucas!” Vin exclaimed, sliding beneath the muscular man, and propping him back up in the chair. He gripped Lucas’s shoulders tightly to hold him still, anxiously studying his face, brows upturned with worry.
The man’s head bobbed slightly, and Vin moved a shaky hand to gently caress his pale cheek.
“Why won’t you let me help you?” He hissed through clenched teeth.
Lucas lifted his gaze. Even amidst the world’s blurred focus, he could see Vin’s crimson eyes piercing into his own. His chin quivered against his will, and a single tear escaped, trickling down his cheek, brushing along Vin’s slender fingers, and as it did, Vin’s expression softened.
“I’m… sorry…” Lucas trailed off as a blackened haze slowly crept into his vision and consumed him.
Lucas awoke to the comfortable warmth of soft linen sheets, and the scent of fresh lavender and cedar wood. The golden glow of early morning sun danced through the window, illuminating the all too familiar room.
The ghost of a headache still lingered, and his stomach felt dreadfully uneasy. Shifting to prop himself up, he glanced to his side, finding an overly exhausted, and seemingly very unamused, Vin sitting slouched in the chair beside the bed. Sunlight haloed around him, casting his face in a dully lit shadow.
Before Lucas had a chance to speak, Vin produced a glass drinking vessel, filled with a thick, red liquid. Extending his arm towards him, he nodded, beckoning Lucas to take it. Hesitantly, he accepted the cup, blankly staring at it as he held it in his lap.
“Drink.” Vin instructed, flatly.
Giving the king a sideward glance, he swallowed hard, before returning his gaze to the cup. His brows furrowed as he nervously bit at his lip. He had never drank blood before. At least, not that he could recall, and certainly not in human form.
Apprehensively, Lucas lifted the glass to his lips, and took a small sip. It was thicker than he’d expected, and clung to his tongue with a somewhat sweet, iron flavor. He imagined it would be similar in taste to licking melted sugar off of an old sword. It’s not that he hated it. He found it rather interesting on its own. However, had he been given the choice between a juicy, rare steak and a bowl of blood soup, the decision wouldn’t require much deliberation.
“You’ll get used to it.” Vin assured, noticing Lucas’s slightly confused and mildly disgusted expression.
Lucas gave the dark-haired man a confused glance. Vin’s cheek rested against his fingers, his eyes heavy, with dark circles that could rival a moonless night. It was becoming increasingly more obvious to Lucas that he hadn’t slept.
The room grew heavier, and a pit began to form in Lucas’s stomach. Something about the way Vin looked at him put him on edge, and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Growing uneasy, he returned his attention to the glass, giving it a light twirl, watching the blood swirl around the edges.
“You weren’t going to tell me, were you?” Vin interrupted the silence, his voice low, with a broken weight.
Lucas snapped his gaze back to Vin’s, his heart skipping a beat, and as he stared into those crimson eyes, he realized what about them had left him so unsoothed. The light was gone, and sadness had taken its place.
“W-what are you-”
“Lucas.” Vin stopped the knight short before he could continue further into his faltering bluff. “I know.”
The haze of the night before came into clearer focus. Not entirely, but he certainly remembered delivering the report, coming down with a bout of illness and then… nothing. He gulped.
“Why didn’t you just tell me?”
Lucas’s eyes flickered as tears threatened to well, his chin starting to quiver. There it was. The question he’d dreaded answering the most since this all began, finally here to taunt him.
“How could I?” Lucas whispered shakily. The drinking vessel shook as his hands trembled, sending small ripples over the blood’s surface. His heart pounded in his ears, and everything fell deathly quiet. Fresh sobs pressed into Lucas’s throat, and he firmly clamped his jaw shut to suppress them.
Vin just stared. His heart had been emptied so many times, there was hardly anything left in it to fight with. The entirety of his being had been cracked apart, over, and over, and over again. But this was different. This was a lie. A betrayal he had been sold by the one person in this world he trusted most. He’d spent the entire night trying to understand why Lucas had done it. Why he would ever wish to keep their child a secret from him. And as he had watched the loosely draped sheets rise and fall with Lucas’s breath as he slept, he felt himself drifting further and further away from him.
Slowly, Lucas broke his gaze, unwilling to let the king see his tears fall. In his heart, the weight of this moment felt heavier than he’d ever imagined possible. Before, it was simply a concept that he had fooled himself into believing would never come to pass. But, now that he sat firmly in the thick of it, mere feet away from the father of his child, he’d come to the realization that all of the justifications he’d made for keeping the baby a secret were only masks, hiding a much more devastating truth. That at his deepest depth, he was simply afraid.
“I'm nobody… I come from nowhere.” Lucas finally spoke, his voice timid. “You can’t tell me you don’t understand.” His breath hitched.
“I don’t.” Vin insisted, unconsciously leaning towards the bed.
“You’re a king!” Lucas snapped his misty eyes back towards Vin’s, fresh tear tracks glistening against his flushed cheeks.
Vin jolted slightly.
“I’d ruin everything.” Lucas’s voice wavered, cracking through the tears, as he hunched over, pressing his face into his palm.
Vin sat quietly for a moment, watching the young knight sob, his heart sinking into his stomach. After all this time, Lucas still saw himself as the commoner that walked through the castle gates with a stolen copper clutched in his fist. A man of no nobility, with nothing of value to his name. A man unworthy of holding a king.
“It was just…” Lucas hiccupped, “easier if you didn’t know.” He drew a choppy breath, his low voice descending further into a broken whisper. “I can’t protect you now.”
Pushing himself up from his chair, body unexpectedly stiff from his prolonged residency in it, Vin shuffled around the bed, reaching over, and gently removing the nearly tipped glass from Lucas’s trembling grip. He placed the vessel on the wooden side table, next to the fresh bouquet of lavender flowers, then turned towards the distressed man sobbing in his bed.
“Is that all you see yourself as? My protector?”
Lucas drew a sharp breath, attempting to calm himself, but failing miserably. His eyes remained fixed on his lap, and he dared not move them. Then, he felt the bed dip to his side, as Vin sat down beside him.
“Lucas…” Vin spoke calmly, twiddling his fingers. “I don’t… I didn’t mean to-” He let out a frustrated sigh as the words kept getting caught in his throat. “I never meant to make you feel that way.” He turned to face Lucas. “That was never how I saw you.”
The knight folded his arms across his body, squeezing them tightly, still refusing to look up.
“If I can’t protect you,” his voice low and crackled, “then, what good am I?”
Slender fingers softly caressed Lucas’s cheek. Gently, Vin pulled the sandy-blonde’s golden gaze to meet his own. His eyes were red and swollen, and his face had been thoroughly dampened with tears. Guilt swirled in Vin’s stomach, heightening with each passing moment. He had spent an entire, sleepless, night, wondering what he might say when Lucas finally awoke. How severely he’d tell him off for what he had done, because he so desperately wanted Lucas to feel the same hurt that he had. But now, watching the tears spill from his golden eyes, he found himself wanting none of those things.
“You’re plenty good.” Vin whispered as his own eyes began to mist over. “You will never need to prove yourself to me.” He smiled kindly, his voice quivering slightly at the end. “Perhaps… it’s my turn to protect you.”
Lucas swallowed hard, his body jerking from a shaky inhale, as Vin wiped a few tears away with his thumb.
“If nothing else, can you at least allow me to do that?”
Biting his lip, Lucas nodded, and Vin released a slow breath, pressing his forehead against Lucas’s. Slowly, he slid his hand down, reaching for Lucas’s, and gripping it tightly. There they sat, together, finally in the grace of peace. Then, Lucas pulled away to look Vin in the eyes.
“There is something… I wish to say,” Lucas spoke softly, and slightly unsure, “but I know I shouldn’t.”
“What is it?” Vin brushed away a stray strand of blonde hair from the lycan’s face.
“I still…” Lucas pressed his lips together for a brief moment, studying the other man’s sharp features, his lightly tanned skin glowing in the rays of the morning sun, and he felt himself grow overwhelmed by the beauty before him. Seeing him now made him realize just how little his memories had done him justice. Even with the dark circles and untamed hair, he was still the most beautiful creature Lucas had ever seen. “I love you.”
Vin’s eyes widened, his lips parting slightly with surprise, as his heart skipped a beat. Still, after all this time, after everything that had happened, Lucas had never stopped loving him. And for the second time, those three words rang in his ears, but this time, he had no intention of standing idly by while he watched them fade away.
“I know I’m forbidden to-”
In a wave of passionate impulse, Vin sprang forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Lucas’s neck, a deep kiss pushing the words back into the pregnant man’s throat. Never in their lives had either of them tasted anything so sweet. Cautiously, Lucas moved his hand around Vin, before gripping him tightly and pulling him close, until their bodies were flush against each other. Tongues delicately danced around sharpened teeth, the sweet taste of blood still lingering on Lucas’s lips.
Catching his breath, Vin pulled away slightly, their noses still brushed up against each other’s. His crimson eyes shimmered with new light, and finally, he felt at home.
“I love you, too. I always have.”
Lucas nearly choked as a smile danced on the corner of his lips. His heart pounded heavily, and butterflies fluttered in his stomach. For so many years, he had longed to hear those words, even though he knew he could never have them. Because he was a nobody, from nowhere, who dared to love a prince. Who dared to love a king.
His fingertips traced over Vin’s cheek, and he placed another, gentle kiss upon his lips, slowly leaning back, guiding Vin down onto the bed with him.
“You taste like blood.” Vin whispered breathily with a smile, as he wrapped his arm around Lucas, snuggling into the muscular man’s chest.
“Oh?” Lucas raised a brow. “Should I drink more, then?” He asked, playfully through a mischievous grin.
“Yes.” Vin returned. “But, not for me.” Suddenly, his tone became more serious, and after a brief pause, he continued. “Vampires need blood to survive, you know. If you don’t feed them properly,” lightly, his hand slid over Lucas’s chest, down towards the protruding bump of his belly, “the baby will take what it needs from you until you have nothing left to give.” His fingers delicately traced circles around the moderately sized swell. “That’s why you felt so ill, and fainted.” He let out a long sigh. “Had you just told me-”
“I know.” Lucas interjected. “I’m sorry.” He gently rubbed Vin’s back with his thumb. “I should have, I know that. I just… couldn’t.” His voice faltered, and he pressed his lips together tightly to prevent more words from escaping until he had thoroughly collected himself. “I thought I’d be exiled. Or worse.” He drew a shaky breath, fresh tears, once again, clouding his vision. “I was afraid you’d hate me.” His voice barely more than a whisper.
Propping himself up on his elbow, Vin gazed into Lucas’s tear filled eyes, gently wrapping his fingers around the side of his neck, a slender thumb tracing over his jaw.
“There is nothing in this world that would make me hate you. Especially not this.” He watched Lucas’s golden eyes flicker as he fought against his quivering chin. “You have given me a gift, Lucas.” He gave him a reassuring smile. “And I will treasure it for as long as I live.”
“Don’t make me cry again, you sentimental prick.” Lucas let out a relieved laugh, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
“You were already crying before I said anything.” Vin giggled, pressing a kiss onto Lucas’s soft lips, then nuzzling back down against his chest.
They laid together quietly for a short while, peacefully embraced in each other’s warmth. The rise and fall of Lucas’s chest was nearly enough to lull Vin to sleep, and with the gradually increasing weights tugging at his lids, he feared it very well would.
“When you fainted… I was so worried about you that I didn’t even notice.” Vin spoke softly, his hand once again drifting towards the bump, caressing it gently. “It seems so obvious, now.” His fingers lightly danced over it. “It’s not exactly small, is it?”
“I suppose it isn’t.” Lucas agreed with a sigh.
With a hint of curiosity, Vin cautiously tugged at Lucas’s shirt, sliding it up to expose his bare belly. Where rippling abs had once been, was now a firmly rounded swell. He pressed his palm against it, suddenly overcome with emotion.
“They’re right there.” Vin whispered.
Lucas smiled softly, moving his hand down, resting it over his slightly rounded belly, and interlacing his fingers with Vin’s. Beneath their palms, growing safely within his womb, was their child. The one piece of indisputable evidence that proved they had once loved each other, and that they always would love each other. He held everything he had ever wished to hold in that one hand, and he never wanted to let it go, lest it all be a dream that would vanish the moment he did.
“Can you feel them?” Vin asked, interrupting Lucas’s thoughts.
“Not really.” He answered with a hint of melancholy. “There are times when I think I can, but they're such… tiny little flutters that I can’t help but feel like it’s all in my head.”
“You’ve always been rather observant, so if you thought you did, you most likely have.”
It was such a pleasant thought, being able to feel his baby stirring, and as much as he wanted to believe it was true, his mind would always stop him, telling him it was anything else. But, soon enough, their little bun wouldn’t be so little, and his mind would no longer be able to play such cruel pranks on him.
“Lucas,” Vin started, his tone growing somber, “there’s something you need to know.”
“What is it?”
“As per the agreement with Elvenwood, I…” The words clung to Vin’s throat. He desperately did not want to say what he needed to say, but he had no choice. Gathering his nerves, he pushed himself to continue. “The agreement requires-”
“An heir of elven blood.” Lucas finished.
Vin shifted his gaze to meet Lucas’s, his brows slightly creased with apprehension. But, as he saw his love’s face remain calm and unchanged, his tension lightened.
“I know.” Lucas comfortingly stroked Vin’s back with his thumb. “And, even if I didn’t, I would have assumed as much.”
“Carmilla’s pregnant.” Vin forced out, before he had a chance to lose his nerve. He had expected some sort of reaction. At the very least, for Lucas to appear even the tiniest bit upset. But he didn’t, and it left Vin uncomfortably confused. “Are you not upset?”
“It’s not my place to be upset.”
“But, shouldn’t it be?”
Lucas gave a small, reassuring smile, and shook his head.
“We don’t exactly live normal lives, and this isn’t some affair with a woman across the way.” He raised his brows and cocked his head, with a bit of an unserious frown. “If anything, metaphorically speaking, I would be the woman across the way.”
Vin rolled his eyes, fighting a grin, as he settled back down, nuzzling into Lucas’s warm chest.
“I wish we lived normal lives.” He sighed.
“It has its merits.” Lucas agreed. “But having lived one once, I don’t think I would exchange the life I have now for it.”
“Easy for you to say.” Vin groaned. “You're not the one with two children to raise with only mere months between them.”
“And to think, all those times we trained together, I never would’ve guessed you were such an excellent shot.”
Vin whipped his chin up to deliver a joking glare towards the pregnant lycan, who himself was displaying a playful grin. After a moment, Vin buried his flushed face in Lucas’s chest, attempting to muffle his laughter. Lucas pulled him close, leaning forward to brush a kiss atop the vampire’s head.
“I’ll be right there with you, every step of the way. And anything you need of me, I will gladly do.”
“Thank you, Lucas.”
The knight smiled softly, but Vin didn’t see, as he had already drifted off to sleep.
#tum kink#mpreg#male pregnancy#agutk#a gift unto the king#knightau#lucas#vin#vampire#werewolf#oc#writing#fic
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Undead Unluck ch.187 thoughts
[Just the Way I Like It - Extra Crispy]
(Contents: immediate reactions, small Andy analysis, speculation)
Ohhh, the DNA hair isn't supposed to represent chromosomes, it's supposed to represent evolution! You know Tozuka did that on purpose. He wanted us to think she was Sex so we'd be surprised when she was Change. And from what I've seen, all of us sure were
But that's not the most interesting part of this chapter, not by a long shot. No, the most interesting part has got to be, without a doubt, Andy
As always, Tozuka provides us with a shot that's instantly iconic, this time in the form of Andy's charred body sitting stalwart on the barren surface of the extinguished sun. The linework and shading here is phenomenal, it almost feels like something out of Berserk. In the hands of a lesser artist, Andy's body might just be completely blackened with a barely recognizable outline, but here, even through all that ink you can see every contour of his physique, almost like you could count the individual muscle fibers. It's eerie, it's haunting, it's melancholy, it's beautiful, and to top it all off, it's metal as hell
Understandably, everyone is terrified when they see Andy in that state; they've only seen Andy in action for the span of about a minute, so they don't quite understand the extent to which Undead really works. Seeing someone charred to cinders but still shockingly intact like that would definitely be unsettling, especially if you aren't used to seeing death the way that the previous Union members all were, but being told that he's still alive through that? Knowing that the heat you're feeling on the extinguished sun, likely a fraction of how it feels normally, is the sort of condition he's been stoically enduring for eons and somehow he's still conscious? That's pushing eldritch horror territory
But of course, Fuuko isn't even phased. She's seen her fair share of the things that Andy's had to go through, and she knows that however hard it was for him, he'll be able to bounce back better than ever. Seeing Fuuko run up to hug him and thank him, telling him that she learned to live as she does from him, is so heartwarming and sweet that you almost forget that Andy's a smoldering statue
Now, the whole time that Nico was talking about Andy's sensory nerves and organs being fried, I was thinking one thing: he doesn't really need them, does he? He was able to move his body with his soul even through the effects of Unmove, and we've seen him moving his body while the sun's flames were active, so we know he has some way to tell what's going on around him, so why even worry about conducting sound through his bones?
The first answer is probably that Fuuko didn't know that or couldn't rely on it. Even if he could hear her through his soul, it's best not to take any chances and guarantee that her message is going to get through. Secondly, though, it's way more dramatic to shoot him in the head and jam her fingers into his skull. It makes a beautiful parallel to the events of the Spoil arc, it cuts the tension of the movement by being surprising and funny, and again, it's a striking image. Not even just the gunshot, but Fuuko having her hands on Andy's head while she talks to him, almost like she's holding his face but in the macabre and disturbing way that only UU can provide
My concerns were then answered though with Andy not only raising to his feet, but also firing off a brand new move: Soul Boosted Parts Bullets! Whether it can actually deal damage remains to be seen, since we've seen in the past that souls can only interact with souls, but Andy also created a soul chain to hold Change in place, suggesting that he's able to interact with a target's soul while its bonded to its body, much like how Ichico gained the ability to force a target's soul out. This implies that Andy can in fact deal damage with this move, even if only to the soul, which would arguably be more effective than harming the physical body of a UMA since they can regenerate any damage that isn't to their core anyway
Andy leveling up to the point that he can weaponize his soul like this, coupled with Enjin having solar-level control of Unburn, suggests that Tozuka is nowhere near showing us the real ceiling of everyone's powers. I talked about it in my response to @buhbuhlmao's post the other day, but there really is a good chance that, while no one's going to be able to solo Sun, everyone's probably going to be able to operate on a scale that would let them at least hold their own if they needed to
That said, Andy's new ability made me realize something: Victor probably wouldn't have been able to hold off the Master Rules like Andy did. While Victor never believed that his mind was a necessary part of "being alive," he also was stated not to believe in the soul as a concept, meaning that if his whole body were charred inside and out like this, he wouldn't have a mechanism for forcing his body to move anyway - he wouldn't be dead, but he also wouldn't be able to regain consciousness until someone brought him somewhere he could heal, and he certainly wouldn't be able to use his soul to suppress the Master Rules. Andy's ability to pull off such a feat proves that he's surpassed Victor, or at least caught up to his level by traveling a different path. Honestly, if we ever do get to see Andy and Victor split, I hope that we get to see them using Undead in completely different ways to show just how much of an individual Andy has become
To cap off this stellar chapter, we finally get a glimpse of our last five members (excluding Ruin and Lucy). Bunny, Tatiana and Kururu are all how I'd expect them to be, and Top is a bit older looking, but the real surprise is that Juiz is clearly younger. Not only that, she looks remarkably like Fuuko. Twitter user Junebug pointed this out too, that Fuuko and Juiz's positions and appearances have switched: Fuuko went from short- to long-hair and has become the leader of the Union, and Juiz has become short-haired and naively bright-eyed. The impact that this will have on their characters remains to be seen, but I'm super excited for it!
I do hope that meeting Juiz will allow us to fully understand the mechanics of the loop, though it's probably not super important that we get that. I just really want to know myself. Was Juiz always supposed to be a child/teenager in the 2010s, or did her soul hold her off for a few extra years? Also, she looks completely different compared to her child self before, is this because this is her first reset in the loop after getting transed as many have theorized? Oh, and could it be that Sex isn't the one who made Juiz into a woman, but Change? There are so many questions, and I hope Tozuka deigns to answer them all in time!!!
Until next time, let's enjoy life
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March of the Tropes prompt: Wound Tending
Skipping ahead to write a little scene in the new Enemies and Lovers au for a prompt. Slightly spicy, but cuts off before it gets very nsfw.
“Strip.”
The door of the little Inn room had barely closed behind her when the command filled the air, sending a shiver through her. Nero was sitting at a small table in the corner, his feet propped up on the table’s surface, his hands folded in his lap. He had the relaxed confidence of someone who is used to being obeyed and every fiber of her being yearned to obey him, but she resisted. It was all part of the game.
Severia turned her back on him and took her time stowing away her weapons and assorted gear in another corner. Even so, she could feel his eyes on her, following her every move with that piercing gaze that always saw right through her.
“You watched, I assume?”
“Of course I watched,” Nero answered her. “It’s my job. And my pleasure.”
“What did you think?” She went to stand before him now, but made no move to undo a single clasp or button.
“Titan is certainly more impressive than Ifrit. There were a harrowing few moments where I thought he might knock you off that pillar.”
“I can’t say it wasn’t a close thing,” Severia admitted.
“And yet you handled him with all the grace I’ve come to associate with you,” Nero said with a smug smile, as if her prowess were a matter of pride. “You do know you are making my work vastly more difficult.”
“Naturally,” she said with a sweet smile, making him huff in amusement.
“Strip,” he issued the command again, a subtle growl in his voice that she couldn’t resist.
Her hands went to the hem of her tunic and whisked it over her head, dropping it on the floor behind her. Nero locked eyes with her as boots, shorts and smallclothes joined the pile. Only when she stood bare before him did his gaze rove over her body. His brow furrowed and his lips curved downward. Severia looked down at herself and was taken aback by the numerous bruises and abrasions that scored her body.
“On the bed,” Nero ordered. He stood from his chair at last fishing a small jar out of the pocket of his jacket before discarding the jacket on the table. “Lay down.”
“I’m fine. I’ve been healed,” Severia protested as she followed his instructions.
“And these?” He pointed to the darkening splotches of red purple, the scrapes and mild burns.
“Y’shola took care of anything serious.”
“Any wound can become serious if it’s not taken care of,” Nero argued reasonably as he unscrewed the lid of the jar and dipped his fingers in. “This Y’shtola is a very shoddy healer.” He withdrew two fingers covered in a reddish paste and proceeded to apply it to a bruise on her thigh.
“What is it?”
“A healing salve I procured from a wandering Alchemist in the area,” Nero said with perfect nonchalance. “It should help rebalance the disrupted aether and speed your natural healing as well as reducing pain.”
Severia eyed him suspiciously. That… wasn’t how Alchemists operated. Had he… Had Nero gone out of his way to obtain this, knowing that she would be in poor condition after her battle?
With meticulous patience he sought out every minor wound and rubbed the salve into her skin with such gentleness it made her blush. He’d never touched her like this before. He’d never cared for her before. Theirs wasn’t exactly that kind of relationship. She made a mental note not to get used to this. When he was done with her front he made her flip over onto her stomach, tsking when he saw the condition of her back.
He missed not a single scored scale, and paid special attention to her horns and tail. She could have told him that these would simply grow over the damaged parts, but she couldn’t deny that it all felt wonderful. Pain had been an insistent hum in her mind that she had shoved to the background, but now that it was truly receding she felt her nerves relax. A contented sigh escaped her.
“Better?” he said as her tail slid through his hands.
“Much. Thank you.”
Nero’s hands slowly moved away from her injuries and began to explore, following the curves of her body. “You’re beautiful, Severia,” he murmured as his fingers splayed across her lower back.
Her breath caught in her throat. She was turned away from him, and couldn’t see his face, but his voice was soft with the same gentleness his hands had shown. “Even battered and bruised?”
“Even so,” he said. “I’ve never seen such lovely bruises.”
Severia turned onto her side and huffed a laugh. “Now you’re teasing me.”
“Only a little,” Nero conceded and leaned in to kiss her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her. It felt like ages since he had last kissed her, even though it was only days. When she released him she asked, “When are you going to take your clothes off?”
He chuckled. “Right now.”
“Finally.”
#Severia x Nero#WoL/Nero#Severia Zetsuen#Nero tol Scaeva#my writing#Enemies and Lovers au#MarchoftheTropes#ffxiv fanfiction#spicy content#I've Got You Under My Skin
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*Trigger warning, Trauma, Accidents*
A friend of mine has had a tragic accident within their family. Being a rider myself, I understand the fear and that comes with riding and having a loved one who rides. When someone goes down, It can be a scary experience. Dustin has experiend a bad accident that has caused a traumatic brain injury. In order to help, My friend Kelsei has gong through numerous avenues to help raise funds for Dustin and his family. In my efforts to lend a hand a bring awareness to a cause that hits close to home, I have taken Kelsei's image, with her permission, and placed it on these Sim shirts! I think it would be amazing if the community did what it could to help! Anything as simple as taking photos and sending them to me or tagging me so that I can show the family the support they have garnered would be amazing! If you would like to take a step further, there are to methods available to donate to the family! If you use the shirts and post photos on facebook, the family can see them through this hashtag #standoutfordustin
GoFundMe: Fundraiser by Terri Edwards : Help Dustin and Morgan Mullins and children (gofundme.com)
CashApp: $WeRideWithDustin
Statement From the Family:
On August 19th Dustin, who is from Vidalia, La, had a horrible motorcycle accident and is in a hospital in Arkansas. Dustin is suffering from traumatic Grade 3 Diffused Axonal Injury(DAI). This is the sheering of the brain’s long connecting nerve fibers due to the brain shifting or rotating inside the skull. The result of this injury can be coma, possible damage to other parts of the brain, vegetative state, and/or other possible results. Regardless of the outcome Dustin will be in the hospital for months or more and will not be working therefore Morgan and their children will not be able to pay bills and any other monetary necessities. Please help this young family any way you can. No amount is too small. There’s no way to say how much your help is appreciated so we will just say thank you with all our hearts.
Shirts Download Link
#awareness#Motorcycle#Traumatic Brain Injury#Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness#TBI#GoFundme#GoFundthem#go fund them#Raise awareness#help if you can
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4 Times Peasley Initiated a Hug, 1 Time Luigi Completed His
Luigi was surprised how many time the BeanBean Prince seemed to pop up into his life. And how ever interaction started with Peasley hugging him.
Fandom: Super Mario & Related Fandoms
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Relationships: Luigi/Prince Peasley, Luigi & Mario
Warnings/Additional Tags: Minor relationships in the background, Starting with heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, Building a Relationship, Story Idea created from Twitter Comment
Side Hug
It was a strange sensation to be landing at the BeanBean airport as visitors and not acting heroes. No attacks, no looming threats, no large, multi-colors Piranha Plants damaging the runway. Just a typical royal social engagement to further build the bond between the two kingdoms.
Not that Luigi was complaining. Any time a trip could just be a trip without something terrible hanging overhead will always be welcomed. The number of beings in this place that had a need to destroy or concur was just ridiculous. Seriously, how many people wanted to rule the galaxy?
Even with no ‘world ending’ issues, Luigi still felt nervous. Eyes on the sea of clouds as the pink plane skimmed over it. Barely taking in the casual conversations Mario and Peach were having. The younger brother’s attention focused on what was making his stomach churn.
When last met, Luigi really thought there was something building between him and the heir to the BeanBean throne, Prince Peasley. Their adventure to said kingdom had the brothers working close to the royal family. Event interaction with the prince seemed solely for Luigi. Getting the yellow (autographed) rose, how Mario’s name slipped from the prince’s mind but he’d say Luigi’s with such joy. Even the conversations involving trying to trick or take down the villain, Luigi truly thought they’d been flirting in some fashion!
That strange yet connecting moment when Luigi had saved Peasley from both an enemy and from being small for the rest of his life. Of Peasley when he tried to catch Luigi as he fell from the airship. The bet, when Peasley made his declaration of winning with eyes blazing focused on the deeply flushed younger brother.
The human wholeheartedly believed there was something, anything, sparking between them. Maybe he’d just been stupidly hopeful. After all, it was rare for Luigi to be treated like Luigi, not just Mario’s younger brother.
That idea came crashing down when Luigi tried a rather daring move. Deciding to try and pull the fair prince into a tight hug. Hoping it wouldn’t turn out terribly. Be given a chance to lay it all out in the open and hope that Peasley wouldn’t reject him.
Except the prince moved. Flew out of Luigi’s reach to deliver a present to the departing group. Casting no further glances to the green-cladded hero.
The younger brother immediately swallowed the hurt and bitterness down. Waving Mario’s worries away. Feeling every fiber of his being screaming in embarrassment.
Of course.
Of course he was wrong. What else did he expect?
Why would royalty lower themselves to date a lowly plumber. (Mario being the clear exception to this rule because it was Mario! Everyone loves him!) So Luigi ended that adventure with his tail between his legs and a shattered heart.
Now, they were returning. Peach and her entourage invited back to the BeanBean Kingdom to be properly shown the sights. It made sense. But that now meant Luigi had to face the prince, who he still had strong feelings towards in his heart. Who clearly didn’t see the human that way. The humiliation of rejection (intentional or not) still burns in his stomach.
Luigi wondered if he was shaking from the plane or his rising nerves.
‘Attention everyone, this is your Captain Toad speaking! …Not of the exploration variety. Just a friendly heads up that we’ll be arriving to the BeanBean Kingdom soon. Please prepare to land!”
Luigi swallowed weakly. A nervous swooping feeling hitting his stomach as the plane tilted downwards. The clouds cleared away to show the land filled with green. Wheels touching down on the sturdy ground soon enough.
The door opened to reveal the large welcoming committee. Beanish citizens lining the way to the royal family. All cheering a greeting as the Mushroom Kingdom party descending said plane with a smile and a wave.
Luigi pointedly stayed in the back of the group.
“Princess Peach!” Queen Bean joyously called out, smile as wide as ever. “It is wonderful to see you again.”
“Thank you for extending an invitation back to your wonderful kingdom.” Peach responded.
“Of course. You know any of you are welcome here at any time.”
Luigi remained a few steps away from the group. Watching at Toadsworth was pulled into a lively conversation with Lady Lima. While Mario was content with standing by Peach’s side to merely observe the talk happening between the two royals. Blue eyes traveled around nervously, almost immediately picking up that something was off.
Where was-
“Hello, Luigi.”
The human was a little embarrassed jumping at the sudden voice. Offering a sheepish smile hearing Peasley laugh softly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“N-No, no, you’re fine!” Luigi attempted to sound casual, “I-I was just wondering where you were.”
“Well…here I am.”
“Yep…”
Even with how awkward this conversation was, Luigi couldn’t help but note how beautiful Peasley was. Vivid green skin seemed to shine as brilliantly as his golden hair. Dressed in a familiar red and white outfit that complimented the prince in every way. Warm brown eyes and soft smile made Luigi’s heart thump painfully.
Yep, he was still crushing on the prince, hard.
Before Luigi could think further on his predicament, he was surprised when Peasley warped an arm around his shoulders. The prince gave them a gentle squeeze with a wink. Small smile turning into a playful smirk.
“Don’t suppose I could interest you in seeing my garden? You weren’t able to view it last time, I think you’ll be impressed.”
“Oh, I would love to!”
“I can show you my latest project as well. Hybrid colored roses.”
“No way, really?”
“You’ll just have to come and see yourself.”
As Luigi and Peasley talked, they were unaware of narrowed eyes that followed them.
Mario hoped his face didn’t give away too much. He was fully aware of Luigi’s attraction to the Beanish prince. Even more so of how crushed his brother felt when he’d been more or less rejected. Mario wasn’t thrilled by the idea of leaving Luigi along with Peasley…
He hadn’t trained his face well apparently. Because Peach reached out and held his hand between her own. Giving a knowing smile when Mario looked over.
“Please pardon Prince Peasley’s previous actions, in regards to your brother,” said Queen Bean, clearly understanding what Mario’s stance currently was. “While personable to his citizens, personal interest is…very new to him.”
Mario merely nodded, giving a weak smile back. Unsure of what he could say in response.
_____________________________
Friend Hug
The Jungle Kingdom was way more intense than any other kingdom the brother’s had visited. Truthfully, every kingdom had their own dangers. But this one was just…built different.
The biggest part of this was their king, Cranky Kong, who had an absolute obsession with go-karts. Safety immediately going out the window when the walking paths were turned into rickety roads into kart tracks. With no barriers. The karts not having seat belts put in. But the karts could also go upside down. Yeah, safety was not top priority with this place.
The brother’s were surprised to have an invitation addressed to them each, delivered to their small home one morning. Eyes widening realizing it was for the annual go-kart event held in the Jungle Kingdom. Normally, only citizens from said kingdom could compete. Visitors were more than welcome to spectate the event. But never allowed to participate.
“I’m pretty sure DK just wants to try and show me up in some way.” Mari had laughed about it.
“Don’t suppose Peach has a track we could practice on?” Luigi weakly voiced.
“...Couldn’t hurt to ask.”
They were relieved when Peach offered to train them. Offering tips and points on how to handle the different kart styles, the number of different power ups and how they work on the tracks. Allowing them to practice for a long as they wanted on the Mushroom Kingdom’s smaller version.
Even then, Luigi was a little intimidated by his opponents skills when the event started. More so when they saw, up close, how the Kingdom raced. They were ruthless.
So he was a bit surprised that he not only made it to the semi-finals, but he came in second place. Just barely missing the win. His competitors slapped his back and congratulated him. Surprised himself with how closed he’d gotten. But was a little upset knowing he was so close once again and just fell short.
Always second place…
At least he was able to get out of the racing suit. That thing was tight! It kept him safe, but he was warm and uncomfortable.
Now in more civilian style clothing, overalls with a green t-shirt, Luigi was winding his way around the large garage. Either looking for Mario or the stairs that lead to the V.I.P. seating. It was the latter that happened first. But it wasn’t exactly Luigi who found it.
Said door flung open to Luigi’s surprise by a familiar prince running out. “Prince Peasley?”
Peasley turned to hear his name. Eyes lightened upon seeing Luigi, and he rushed over. The human’s instincts took over as Peasley practically launched himself at Luigi. Who caught the other easily. Another bolt of surprise hit, realizing that Peasley was full on hugging him. Arms tightly wrapped around his shoulders.
“You did such a wonderful job! That was amazing! Oh, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!” Peasley cheered. Arms wrapped around Luigi’s neck. Whose face was beet red. Eventually having his own arms wrapped around the prince.
“W-When did you get here?” Luigi asked, heart fluttering nervously.
“A few hours ago. I was allowed to come to represent the BeanBean Kingdom. This was all so thrilling, a bit more intense than what I was expecting.” Peasley pulled away to smile up at Luigi. Warm eyes crinkled in joy. “I was able to watch all of your races. I’m not technically allowed down here, but I just had to see you!”
“R-Really?” Luigi was sure his face and neck were red.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I? I couldn’t wait to congratulate you!”
Luigi couldn’t help but laugh, Peasley’s eagerness infectious. Their eyes connected once more and something new fell over them. Luigi noticed a faint blue blush appearing on Peasley’s cheeks. The prince’s hands placed on the hero’s shoulders.
“I’m…really glad you came.” Luigi whispered. Surprised that Peasley could hear him given how loud the garage was. But…now that he thought about it, it wasn’t that noisy. It felt as if it was just him and Peasley.
Peasley laughed softly, squeezing Luigi’s shoulders gently. “I am too…”
Luigi wasn’t sure how long they stood there. Lost in their own world. Swearing the space between them was disappearing…
“Luigi!” Mario’s voice cut though. Breaking whatever moment was happening. Luigi looked up as his brother came running over. Peasley easily stepping out of the way just as Mario reached them. Easily lifted his younger brother off the ground.
“Ah- Mario!” Luigi laughed, “What are you doing?”
“I’m celebrating! You did such a good job!”
“I-I came in 2nd place during the semi-finals. Not that impressive.” Now back on his own two feet, Luigi let out a noise of complaint as Mario ruffled his hair. “Mario! Stop it!”
“Only when you admit you did an amazing job!” Mario let out a snort as Luigi did some weird maneuver. Both moving out of the way and grabbing onto the red-cladded hero’s wrists.
“I’m not going bald because of you.”
Peasley had no qualms standing off to the side. Just happy to watch the brothers interact. Head tilted, hand over heart, warm eyes watching Luigi fondly.
_____________________________
Hugging from Behind
Luigi will never fully understand why he and Mario insisted on wearing overalls practically everywhere they went. Sure they were durable and perfect to fight in. But why did they feel it worked for all situations? Especially on the beach. Why the beach? Short sleeves could only do so much.
The return to Pi’illo Island was far calmer than their first trip. Prince Dreambert was able to have rule over his kingdom once more. Still allowing some areas to be used as a resort/vacation place. Namely, the beach. The sandy area hadn't really been inhabited when the Pi’illos were there the first time, so there was no issue about kicking others out of their homes.
“I’m not super thrilled by all the tourism still,” Dreambert admitted to Peach, “But the money has been helpful, I won’t lie. As well as Dr. Snoozemore has been wonderful with finding more of our lost kingdom.”
Peach gave a sympathetic smile. “Do what you feel comfortable with. If it becomes too much, let me know. I’m on your side, Dreambert, with whatever you decide.”
“Thank you Peach.”
Removing his green cap, Luigi used it to fan himself while he wiped his brow with his other hand. Happy they’d stopped in the shade of a large shop. Holding himself back from grumbling loudly at the steady heat. He looked over at Mario feeling his older brother gently elbow his side.
“We’ll get you a drink in a moment, promise.” Mario whispered.
“Please and thank you.” Luigi said back.
“Think you’ll be okay?”
“I’ll survive.”
“We have opened invitations to other kingdoms already,” Dreambert said, clearly unaware of the brother’s conversation, “I’m hoping to make better connections than what we have now.”
Peach beamed, “Oh, that’s wonderful! Who have you invited so far?”
“Um, let’s see… Princess Daisy, she’s been having a wonderful time. And…who else…”
Luigi couldn’t hold back a loud yelp as arms suddenly wrapped around his waist. Something heavy colliding into his back, kept upright by the same arms. Worry and panic quickly melting away hearing a familiar laugh.
“P-Prince Peasley?”
With another gentle squeeze, the arms were removed. Allowing Luigi to turn around to face the BeanBean prince. Who’s wide smile was brilliant against the bright sun. “Hello to you, Greenie.”
“Wha- You never said in your letters you were visiting here as well!” Luigi felt his own smile growing, heart beating furiously. His mind unhelpfully provided a note on how good Peasley looked, seeming to glow in the sun. The tank shirt not leaving a lot to the imagination.
“I won’t lie, it took me everything to not spill when you said you’d be visiting here as well. But it was worth it to see that charming look of surprise on your face…as well as that beautiful color.” Peasley reached up to playfully tug at Luigi’s cheek.
Not missing the way said cheeks turned a darker shade of red. “I will say though, you’re wearing the wrong hat for this weather. Don’t get me wrong, that green hat is dashing on you. It is your signature. But you need something better. Follow me.”
Luigi, while confused, followed along happily. Pulled towards the same shop Peasley has just left from. Watching at the prince gently whisked off his green cap, replacing it with a wide brimmed sun hat.
“Ah, much better. You should feel a bit cooler with that on. And I’ll hold onto this for the time being.” Easy as ever, Peasley placed the green cap on his head. “How do I look? Suits me pretty well, don’t you think?”
Peasley was clearly just playing, teasing the human. He was even about to suggest finding a way for the human to wear both. Until Luigi spoke up.
“Yeah, it does. The color looks really good on you.” The human’s voice was so sincere, it caused a blue blush to appear on the prince’s cheeks.
“Flatterer, aren’t you.” Peasley shyly said. He froze when the cap was moved.
Luigi offered a smile as he settled the green cap better onto the prince’s head. “There, that’s better.”
He wasn’t sure what possessed him, it had been just a sudden burst of bravery. Luigi reached out to brush a thumb along Peasley’s cheek. Following the path the deep blush made. There was brief eye contact, both clearly surprised by what was happening.
“S-Sorry!” Luigi blurted out, bringing his hand down straight at his sides.
“N-No, no, you’re fine! Um…” Peasley cleared his throat, “I-I don’t suppose your group would mind if I tagged along with?”
“I-I should be fine, y-yeah.”
“Okay…”
Luigi caught slight movement, noticing Peasley’s hand twitch forward before stilling at his side again. Pulling from his bravery reserves, he reached forward slowly. Faltering back when Peasley looked up. But the prince didn’t step away. Instead meeting Luigi’s hand between them. Both were a little unsure of how much they were supposed to take.
Peasley eventually decided that looped pinkies would work just fine.
“I think they forgot we were right here.” Peach whispered, holding back her laughter.
“I wasn’t aware Luigi was dating anyone.” Dreambert quietly commented.
Mario quickly suppressed a snort. “He’s not…they aren’t.”
“Oh… Are they aware of that?”
_____________________________
Bear Hug
Sometimes, being a hero was really not what it was cracked up to be. Dangerous and terrifying ordeals that had someone facing ‘End-of-the-World’ odds on someone else who wants you dead.
It was a common sight to see the brothers carrying heavy and numerous physical scars after each battle. Mushrooms only able to do so much before the damage becomes too severe.
That wasn’t even touching upon the mental wounds they carried.
This battle was no different from previous. The brother arriving back to the Mushroom Kingdom, limping. Both leaning against the other to try and keep each upright. The path up to the large castle seemed like an impossibility.
Upon opening the door, all conversation fell quiet. Eyes darting over to the barley functioning heroes.
There was a familiar cry of “Mario! Luigi!” from Princess Peach. Said royalty running down to meet them. Shining eyes on the brothers with fear and worry clearly seen.
Luigi took his hug with a smile and held back winces. Limping away slightly so Peach could fully embrace his brother. Hearing soft whispers of assurances coming from Mario. No doubt trying to downplay the damage dealt to them in comparison to how terrible they looked.
“Luigi…”
The younger brother snapped his head around hearing a fearful voice he wasn’t expecting. Prince Peasley standing before him with a look of absolute horror on his rather pale face.
Almost instantly, Luigi tried to stand a little straighter, tucking away his exhaustion. Offering a wobbly smile. “P-Prince Peasley, w-what… I-I didn’t know you were visiting.”
“...Princess Peach told me you and Mario had left to settle a dispute.” Peasley sounded so small.
“Oh, yeah, w-we did. Discussion became a little…physical. But we’ve handled worse.”
“This is not ‘worse’? How severe have you been…”
“I-I just mean that- You don’t have to worry, M-Mario and I are used to this.” Luigi faltered as Peasley strode forward with purpose. The human fearful for a moment that he was about to get hit.
Only to have Peasley’s arms wrapped around him tightly. The prince burying his face into Luigi’s chest. Who realized the prince was shaking. Peasley desperately clutching onto the back of the overalls.
“Peasley-”
“I’m not used to this.”
Luigi felt his shoulders drop, arms wrapping around the prince as tightly as he could. Head gently resting on top of Peasley’s. “Sorry…”
Peasley shook his head. “Just…don’t lie to me.”
“I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Well, you did.”
“S-Sorry…”
They shifted, still holding onto each other tightly. Luigi’s forehead tucked into the crook of Peasley’s neck. The prince’s own pressed onto the top of Luigi’s shoulder.
“‘M not mad.” Peasley whispered.
“You sure? You sound it.” Luigi smiled hearing Peasley’s laugh.
“Okay, I’m a little mad. But you’ve never told me… I didn’t know you could… You look horrible.”
“Oh, well, thanks. I was feeling stunning until you said that.”
“Stop, you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know… I just didn’t want you to worry.”
“We are far past that. I mean, I know we saw each other after that Bowletta catastrophe. But…Grambi above, you scared me Luigi. You look like you’re close to death.”
“I feel like it.”
“Not funny.”
“Sorry.”
“I’ll forgive you, if you promise to be honest with me about…all of this.”
Luigi let out a heavy sigh before nodding. “Yeah, okay…”
“I can handle this.”
“...Okay.”
“I promise.”
“Okay.”
They pulled back slightly, Peasley reaching up to gently cup the human’s cheeks. Pulling Luigi close to allow their foreheads to press together. “Okay.”
A cleared throat caused them to look over, finding the entire hall was watching them. Mario’s mustache twitching in quiet joy while Peach giggles.
“How about we get these two to the medical wing?” The princess suggested with a smile.
Cheeks aglow with blue, Pleasley nodded quietly. Purposefully reaching out to take Luigi’s hand and followed Peach as she led the way. Face a deep red, Luigi’s eyes darted down to their connected hands, a small smile forming. Moving his hand so their fingers were intertwined. Peasley stoic face falling to a soft smile as well. Neither able to look at the other.
Peach and Mario smiling knowingly.
_____________________________
+1 Hugging Around the Waist
Peasley felt like he was going to throw up.
He’d never felt this nervous before.
With the approach of an annual BeanBean celebration, Peasley had extended an invitation to Princess Peach and the brothers. Thrilled to announce that this was the first time he would be hosting and wanted his friends to be in attendance. A time to celebrate the changing of the seasons and the kingdom’s first big harvest. A rather major event, a festival more than anything.
A perfect place to make some rather heartfelt confessions.
Even with all the times they had held hands, swapped letters, stayed up late into the night talking about anything, Peasley was still slightly fearful that he was gleaming too much into all of this. After all, when Luigi had attempted, Peasley reacted…negatively. Not because he didn’t like the hero, but because the prince had become vulnerable around Luigi. In a way he’d not expected. In a way that Peasley was not used to.
It took a few nights and discussions with his mother to understand what he was feeling. And how he’d possibly just lost his opportunity when the brothers left the first time.
Still, he had to take this chance. Rebuilding the relationship he wanted to have until he felt he’d reclaimed what he lost. With day passing filled with double checking that everything was set up and perfect.
If Luigi said no, it wasn’t going to be because Peasley was underprepared.
When the day finally arrived, Peasley was sick with panic. Trying to put on a brave face in hopes of giving nothing away. Even as his mother’s and Lady Lima’s smirk said otherwise.
Peasley tried to remain professional as they greeted the Mushroom Kingdom representatives. Only for it to break as quickly as Luigi broke away from the approaching group. Ignoring Toadsworth’s cries to remain professional as he pulled Peasley into a tight hug. The prince beaming, the nervousness churning in his stomach seeming to disappear.
Arriving to the castle proper, Peasley was able to pull Luigi away from the group. Saying he wanted to show the younger brother something important. Luigi unbothered as he was led down an unfamiliar hallway. Hand in hand with Peasley, who was nervously quiet while Luigi chatted away.
“Are you okay?” Luigi’s question jolted Peasley from his nervous thoughts.
“Oh, um, yes! Why do you ask?”
“...You’re shaking.”
Peasley tried to swallow his nerves down. Feeling heat travel up his neck. They were outside the double doors where Peasley’s surprise was set up. Facing Luigi, who had his head tilted to the side in confusion, the Beanish prince let out a slow sigh.
“I…wanted to show you something. It’s…important to me…”
“O-Okay?”
Giving Luigi’s hand a squeeze for comfort, Peasley opened the doors.
He smiles softly hearing Luigi let out a soft gasp. Peasley had truly outdone himself, if he said so himself. The balcony overlooked the wide, beautiful garden. Banner and pillars filled with lush, vivid green foliage and familiar yellow roses spotted around the area. An ornate glass table was placed in the center.
Resting on it was a large flower crown. Yellow and white roses woven together, small stems of white flower puffs poking out with large green leaved vines filling the spaces. All of it gleaming as if they were jewels. Peasley’s heart was hammering as Luigi admired it all. Stepping forward when the hero was fully focused on the crown.
“This is amazing!” Luigi beamed, “But…um, what’s all of this for?”
“It’s…tradition.” Peasley started. Removing the crown from the table and turning towards Luigi. Who looked a little confused. “When someone wants to… Well, um, how do I say this? If we wish to court someone, we offer a crown woven together by our own hands as a sign of prosperity in the new relationship. It’s also a way to show off what the family’s best product is. Kind of a way to show off.”
“E-Either way, I’m getting a little off topic,” Peasley let out a slow sigh before holding the crown out further towards Luigi. “I, Prince Peasley, present to you a courtship crown of my prized roses. I ask for your hand in building a strong and healthy relationship. While it is a seed now, I hope we can create a sturdy growth. Do you…accept?”
.
.
.
Why wasn’t Luigi saying anything?
Opening his eyes, Peasley worried seeing how flushed and nervous the human looked. “Are you okay? I’m sorry, was this too much? You don’t have to agree-”
“NO!” Both were a little startled at how loud Luigi’s response was. The human even covered his mouth for a moment before whispering, “I’m just…confused…”
“...About?”
“Well, I…I thought we were already dating?”
Peasley felt as if his heart was going to explode with joy and relief. Letting out a bit of a shaky laugh. “Ah, my apologies for not doing this sooner. Do you accept?”
Luigi beamed. “Absolutely.”
The human bent down slightly to allow Peasley to place the crown on his head. Said crown wide enough to be placed over the green cap, but not enough to slide down. Luigi practically glowed as he reached up to gently run his fingers along the pedals. Soon reaching out to wrap his arms around Peasley’s waist. The prince stepped closer and followed the same action.
Forehead gently touched, both staring into the other’s eyes as a sense of peace fell around them. Peasley surprised by welcoming to the pair of lips that softly claimed his. The kiss was soft and slow. A clear promise of what was to come for their future.
Peasley swears he’s never heard the BeanBean Kingdom cheer so loudly as when Luigi entered the evening celebration wearing the crown. Arm and arm with said prince, the green suit Luigi was wearing complimenting the flower crown well.
#luigi#prince peasley#luisley#luigi x peasley#luigi / peasley#mario and luigi#mario#princess peach#s-creations#fanfiction#this is my comfort pairing
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Writer’s gore manual
There are (in my opinion) two main types of gore. Single body gore, where there's one person in the focus and gored. Or battlefield style with more people and subsequently more gore. Note, that I am not a medical professional. I’m just a weird person.
Single body gore
(Tho can be used up to three to five people, when done well)
This way it's the best to focus on details. That's what's noticeable the most here.
Human bodies (and basically anything humanoid enough) has four main things to focus on.
Muscles
Blood vessels
Nerves
Bones
Each thing has a unique effect on the body.
A wound, blunt or piercing the skin will affect all those things.
Stabbing a muscle will make it unusable; depth and width means a lot, as well as the direction? rotation? of the blade. If it's along the fiber, it's less damaging. You can stab a muscle with a swiss army and still use that muscle (don't try it at home!). But if you stab/cut muscle across the fiber, wide or deep (or both) it will be either very painful to use the muscle or just plain impossible.
Braking a bone will make the affected area unusable as well. Bone or more broken in limbs effectively disables adjacent joints and the rest of the limb further from the body. Broken bones are also sharp. They can puncture muscles, skin, organs, blood vessels. In most cases it's not the issue. Usually injury done by stronger force can misalign the bones. One of the more interesting and also bad to happen examples are broken ribs and punctured lung. Can be only fixed by surgery when the ribs are realigned and the injured lung reinflated. Open fractures are also a nightmare, as the very nature can cause infection to the injury and complications when the bone is moved because it’s literally sticking out of someone’s body. Also lot of blood.
Blood. Small blood vessels are everywhere. Then there are the big blood vessels. Any injury that goes skin deep and further will produce blood. The bigger, the bloodier. Artery hit = almost an instant death, unless they're given first aid. Internal bleeding (usually from broken bone or blunt force injury) is Bad™. First, you don’t see it, second blood can put pressure on organs and limit their function. The worst places for internal bleeding to happen are around heart and inside brain. Here you can see major blood vessels, so you know there will be a lot of blood. Needless to say, arteries are pressurised. When cut, they’ll squirt blood periodically until your human bleeds out.
Head injuries are never good. You can always write it off as concussion, if it’s bad, coma or brain damage and bleeding is safe way to go.
Nerves. There's a few nerves in the face that getting damaged can put half a face out of commission. The biggest thing is spine. Broken spine doesn't have to cause spinal cord injury. But it's pretty likely. Anything on the level of the injury and bellow dies off.
Multiple body gore
Where's there more people, the details become blurry. Instead more vague sensations become more prominent.
Smell of blood, of course. Metallic, iron/rusty smell. You'd probably throw up from a lot of it.
Then pee. When people die, at first all their muscles relax. Including their bladder and they pee themselves.
And vomit. Refer to the first two mentioned thing.
At that point it's safe to say you can add mental distress. Panic attack, dissociation... There's a lot of shit happening, people dying and suffering, to feel unwell even a bit is natural. For more, refer to Single body gore, but in lesser detail
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Prelim Polls: Warhammer 40k
2 will go through, propaganda under cut
Spiker: The Spiker is a type of plant found on many Death Worlds, such as Catachan. They are considered by many to be one of the most dangerous plant forms in the entire galaxy. Spikers are vaguely cylindrical in shape, and tend to be man-sized, about 2 meters tall and upright. They are covered with a thick layer of hair-like leaves, out of which protrude the countless thin, sharp spikes that give the plant its name. These spikes, which are fired at nearby animal forms, are what make this plant dangerous. Piercing the skin of an animal, they release a mutagenic chemical into the bloodstream that reforms the victim's body into that of a Spiker. A human taking a spike in the arm will soon find his arm become hairy and immobile, and within a short time his whole body will be covered in spikes. Although the victim remains mobile for some time, the physiological changes destroy the mind, so that the victim wanders aimlessly and is unable to react to the horrifying process. Eventually all mobility is lost, and the host completes his transformation into a Spiker.
Breathweed: Breathweed (Parasitus Respirare) is a type of organism found on Catachan.
It is unclear if Breathweed is a plant or fungus, but it is known to grow on the side of tree trunks and resemble a vine. If something brushes against the weed, it dissolves into a cloud of airborne spores which if inhaled, will attached itself to the tongue. At this stage it appears no more than a small blister, but left alone for a day or two it will absorb into the tongue and vanish from sight. Over the subsequent weeks the spore eats the tongue from the inside, growing until it has eventually taken the place of the hosts original tongue. The host has no idea the tongue itself is a growing parasite that absorbs more nutrients that pass over it while producing more spores. The host gradually wastes away and dies; and as they take their final breath the pseudo-tongue dissolves, releasing spores it has grown to seed new weeds.
Brainleaf: The Brainleaf[1a] (also referred to as the "Grey Vine" or "Slave Vine") is native to Catachan and appears to be a small tree. It has a rudimentary animal brain with the lowest level of intelligence and appears to be able to control animals and humans through attaching its leaves to them. The leaves can float away from the tree for many metres using a wing-like undulation, but when they come into contact with a creature, the nerve bundles in the leaf attach themselves and grow throughout the victim's nervous system, effectively taking them over. The Brainleaf can then make use of the creature and its abilities.
There is another variant of Brainleaf that appears as a grey, hairy vine wrapped around a tall object. When prey gets too close to the vine, it will reach down and attach a leaf to the back of the creature's neck. The fibers in the leaf then quickly burrow into the spinal chord of the victim, reducing a victim to a brainleaf thrall.
The Brainleaf uses its victims to protect itself, and propagate its young. Victims have no intelligence, often lacking the motor skills to use primitive weapons. To protect the Brainleaf, the Brainleaf Thrall will charge at anything that gets too close and beat it with whatever appendages it has.
The Brainleaf can be removed from a victim, though it is incredibly dangerous to the victim. If they aren't killed by the agonizing procedure, they will suffer permanent nerve damage.
Feculant Gnarlmaw: The Warp-flora feature an enormous mouth that run up the centre of their trunks, with dozens of razor-sharp teeth lining it, while the few stunted branches that grow from Gnarlmaws feature Plague Bells, tentacles and pustulent boils. They also gather clouds of fatted Plague Flies around them and the base of the Gnarlmaws' trunks are linked with the skulls of those who have been foolish enough to venture near them. And while they normally reside within the Garden of Nurgle, the Warp-flora will rapidly sprout up outside of of his realm, wherever a large number of the Chaos God's Daemons are congregating or Nurgle's most grievous foulness reigns. On the battlefield they aid the Plague God's armies, as the Feculent Gnarlmaws belch clouds of Daemonic spores and shed rot-wet blossom to carpet the maggot-churned earth beneath their boughs. They also exude an aura of supernatural disease and the dull tolling of the Gnarlmaws' Plague Bells, draws Nurgle's Daemons to the battlefield in swarms.
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When does the unborn child begin to respond to sensory input and become capable of feeling pain? How does the formation and functioning of the nervous system factor into this capacity?
Page:
The unborn child responds to sensory input as early as seven weeks (gestational age). All of the organ systems of the developing human demonstrate function simultaneously with the appearance of the anatomical structure. By 10 weeks, the human embryo has well-developed organ systems and most of the anatomy can be named with the same nomenclature that we use in adults.[1] The brain has been growing rapidly and will continue to develop as the baby grows, moves, and experiences the sensory input of the environment surrounding it. There is no point in development in which the structure exists without function.
With respect to the nervous system, the structures responsible for pain perception are the afferent and efferent nerves and the lower brain structures, including the reticular activating system and the thalamus. There is no pain perception center in the cortex—the pain fibers all terminate in the reticular activating system, and a very small percent will connect in the thalamus to neurons that travel to the cortex for the purpose of localizing the pain. At seven weeks, the thalamus is visible. Within a few days, the entire system of pain perception expands into a completely intact structure and continues to develop into a very sophisticated part of the nervous system.
What are the most common arguments against providing pain prevention for the unborn child? What do you think is the motivating force behind these arguments?
Page:
I can’t begin to understand a motivating force behind insisting that pre-born children feel no pain. The arguments are often centered on a false supposition that there is a pain perception center in the cortex that is not functioning or intact until as late as 26 weeks. There is simply no evidence that this is true. Almost all of the pain fibers terminate in the reticular activating system, and a small percent connect in the thalamus to neurons that travel to the sensory motor cortex for the purpose of localizing the pain. This means that the message is delivered to its intended destination, the lower brain centers, which are responsible for the perception of pain and for alerting the whole nervous response system that damage has been inflicted.
Other arguments dismiss the fact that surgeons who care for babies in-utero during fetal surgery and other interventions use anesthesia and analgesic drugs on their tiny patients. They casually state that, in the context of abortion, the use of anesthesia would be solely for the “beneficence” of the pre-born child, and therefore would not apply. Since abortion is not a procedure that is intended to benefit the child in the first place, they have no reason to try to discern whether the victim suffers in the process.
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ideal life as a witch/some kind of magic user that lives in a humble forest cottage with all the modern necessities on the outskirts of town and uses magic to create enchanted items and trinkets.
(Long post under the cut btw)
Spell/Magic word: Tweek/Edit. Change the item at a cost.
Store bought figurines of dragons and other fantastical beasts that through equivilent exchange magic have themselves enhanced. got unrecyclable junk? Use that as matter and energy to add detail to the beings of stone, bringing them from simple sculptures to having such an intricate level of detail you could cut them open and they'd have cells, organs, bones, nerves and muscle, indestingishable from a real living thing yet made entirely of stone.
They remain as figurines with impossible levels of detail. When like this it uses less magical energy to have them move and change pose, at night they curl up, close their eyes and tuck in their wings. Also useful for transporting them long distance, want to mail a client one of the little beasts? Make them tuck their wings close to their body, coil their tail around themselves and make themselves as small as possible, less likely to break and snap.
Spell/Magic word: Restore/Heal. Often used before Tweek/Edit to avoid unessisary strain while changing.
Putting energy into the object yourself, letting it draw from it's surroundings to heal any damage done to it, useful for mending boxes, torn fabric or simply restoring a well loved toy to how it was when it was brand new. Wear and tear being undone before your very eyes, fabrics fibers snaking out to reach each other and fusing together once more. Can even be as simple as cleaning a surface, your pc absorbing the dust on its surfaces as sustinance to undo the damage of entropy. Maybe even just removing a stain from your favorite shirt.
Once the restoration is complete, the object will return to being a regular, unenchanted object.
Spell/Magic word: Self heal.
An alternate version of the above spell, this one doing the same things with the difference of the enchantment is permenent, the object will remain magical in nature and continue to heal itself if any further damage is done to it. Good for clothes and tweeks figurines as it removes pressure from the caster to manually cast the spell each time.
There is always a price to these spells, matter must be exchanged so the caster doesn't exhaust themselves magically, thankfully the prices can be pretty cheap if you know what is favoured.
-Living matter will always be at the top of the list, you allow some of your own body fat to be consumed? You'll hardly have to rely on your magic reserves.
-Dead matter (matter that was once alive but is no longer) also counts towards this, so you can allow objects to draw from your own shedded skin cells and you're good to go!
-Byproducts of living things (shed fur from pets, hair from you, poop if you're really lazy) are also pretty high on the list, this also means things like cows milk are pretty lucritive to use. It's also a nice treat for the enchanted figurines, allows for higher magic reserves.
-Matter that was never alive (waste plastic, dirt and dust and many other processed materials) are the last matter teir, but some can still be very lucritive to use.
Spell/Magic word: Create.
The most costly of the spells listed, this one allows you to fundamentally change the makeup and state of matter and turn it into a new object. Say you wanted a custom case to store a poster in, you would gather enough matter from other objects into one place, cast, and then you'd be able to change that matter into a case for the poster. It isn't like sculpting or drawing, if you think it, it will be projected onto the matter.
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Writing that themed around suicidal ideation
Proceed at your own discretion
Gently, I pull the fibers together.
Over, under, over.
My fingers ache to match the searing in my wrist. Some early warning of nerve damage have begun to rear their head. Barely 18 with a looming diagnosis of carpal tunnel. It’s funny, I guess. In the ironic sense.
Soon, the pain will stop. Replaced by a lulling numbness. Then, freed from the limits of my physicality, I can make some real progress.
Over, under, over, pull.
It’s eaten through my calloused hands. Once tough work-hardened hands, now soft and vulnerable. Torn blisters sneer their seething pink pain up my arm. Angry that I disturbed their healing. They scream, pull and bite at the braid.
This couldn’t possibly be worth it.
They don’t get it, nor do the crying nerves in my wrist.
How could they? The trouble of the mind hardly concern the body.
It doesn’t feel worth it sometimes. Some days I want to put this little project away. Tuck it somewhere deep in a closet, to be buried and forgotten.
But I can’t seem to stop. Maybe muscle memory has taken over. Maybe I don’t have a say anymore.
So I push through. What’s a little blood, I laugh but only to myself.
No one is around to hear it.
Over, under, over, pull.
My mind wanders, mostly against my permission.
Do they know? My friends. What I’ve been up to. Braiding a rope for myself and the dramatic tree by the creek.
I’ve always liked the creek. When I was younger, I spent most of my days by the creek. Running with the neighbor kids, laughing with my sisters.
It’s been years since those days and I’ve felt every second of it with excruciating awareness.
My thoughts dance around the inherit tragedy of what time has done to me. It won’t do me any good now, dwelling on that.
So instead I think about my high school Latin teacher. Will she miss me? Will she even notice?
A quick greeting in a dead language, a roll of the R’s, a small snicker.
She has other students I guess. They’re probably better at conversational Latin than me.
I’ll join Rome soon, in her grave. We’ll speak a common tongue.
I wonder if Magestra was ever proud of me.
Supra, sub, Supra, adtrahere
Adhuc- I miss that class and the people in it. No matter how bullshit verb conjugation was.
There was a sense of community when no one knew what was going on. But I’ve figured it out. I can conjugate, roll my R’s, identify the predicate nomative. Ive moved on, and left everyone else one room over.
I can hear their laughing, it’s distant. Too far for me to get the joke.
Over, under, over, pull.
Broken skin, cracked lips, worn fingers, worn mind.
In front of me, a friend walks away. She takes part of me with her.
Another patch of skin ripped clean open.
What remains braids.
Braids and braids and braids
Braid like I’m putting myself back together. I’m hemming my sharp edges. Sewing the holes. Tying heartstrings into a Gordian knot
Over, under, over, pull.
Over, under, over, pull.
Over, under, over, pull.
Over, under, over, pull.
Pull it together
Long enough to make it out
Outside
Out of time
Over the creek under the bridge, under a rotting tree- what a fall from grace.
Once tall and proud.
Now nothing more than mushroom food.
An overhand toss, another knot, a slight breeze.
The sound of a lone rope hitting against the bark fills the silence.
I stare at her, all my work finally paid off.
This couldn’t possibly be worth it.
Is it?
The wind rips itself through the trees- a new violence.
The rope struggles against the new assault. Fighting, tearing, running. Desperately holding on the branch too many feet above me.
She twists, and loops between the twigs.
I think about my classmates again, the Latin teacher, my friends.
My arms hurt.
The wind doesn’t stop. There’s no point. The rope is lost.
Egretudo.
I hear the distant laugh of a friend. It’s closer than usual.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, pouting at my absence.
A distant cry of a name that never felt like it belonged to me.
The wind pushes against me harder, I can’t resist her call. Not with these torn blisters and tear stained cheeks.
I lace my hands together with another’s- it hurts. Irritating the new skin underneath. But it’s better than the unforgiving burn of hemp and straw.
The wind pushes me closer to the laughter, and I let it.
The rope coils- what a nasty thing.
I leave her there.
To be tangled and forgotten.
#tw sucidal ideation#tw: sucidal thoughts#writing#my writing#writers on tumblr#creative writing#suicide mentioned#I’m all good now but DAMN fuck the winter#poetry#poetry?
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5 Foods that Make You Happy!
Low mood and sad feelings are experiences that sadly, all too many of us are familiar with. But there is good news available.
While it can sometimes feel as though a low mood dominates your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, this does not have to be the case.
Small, subtle changes can make a significant difference, and this includes paying close attention to your diet.
Read more: Top 5 Ways to Add More Vegetables into Your Family’s Diet!
Making small changes to the things you eat can have a huge impact on your mood and emotions. In this guide we take a closer look at five foods you can enjoy to lift your spirits and boost your mood.
1. Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate has been shown to improve mood in those who suffer from depression, and studies suggest that eating dark chocolate may also help reduce stress levels.
The flavonoids found in cocoa beans are thought to increase the level of serotonin (a brain chemical) in the body. This helps to regulate mood and makes you feel happier.
Keep a bar of dark chocolate in the fridge, and enjoy a square or two when the low moods hit.
2. Salmon
Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids which are known for their anti-inflammatory properties.
They are also rich in vitamin D, B vitamins, and iron, which are essential nutrients for healthy skin, hair, and nails.
Eating salmon regularly can help keep your immune system strong, and protect against heart disease and stroke.
Salmon is also an excellent source of protein, so if you’re feeling tired or run down, try adding some fish to your diet.
3. Blueberries
Blueberries contain anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that support mental health. Anthocyanins are believed to help fight free radicals, which are harmful compounds produced during normal metabolism, and this means that blueberries can help to prevent memory loss and dementia.
As an added bonus, blueberries are also a superfood!
4. Bananas
Bananas are packed full of potassium, which plays a key role in nerve function and muscle contraction.
Potassium deficiency is associated with anxiety and panic attacks, so eating bananas regularly can help to calm nerves and ease tension.
Bananas are also packed with vitamin B6, an important element in synthesizing feel-good neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, which help you to feel great.
5. Oats
Oats are another food that is great for fighting low mood, as they contain magnesium, which is vital for helping muscles relax and reducing stress.
Magnesium is also needed for energy production, so eating oats regularly can give you more stamina throughout the day.
If you want to add extra fiber to your breakfast, try making porridge from rolled oats, water, and milk. It takes just minutes to cook. This is easy to prepare ahead of time. You can even freeze it, then pop it straight into the microwave for a quick, warm bowl of goodness.
6. Berries
Berries are high in antioxidants, which are beneficial for maintaining eyesight, protecting cells from damage, and boosting immunity.
Antioxidants are also thought to play a part in preventing cancer, so berries are a fantastic way to maintain good health - including lifting your mood and combating high levels of stress.
Try mixing berries with bananas and yogurt for a tasty snack that is packed with goodness and nutrition.
Final Thoughts
Mood swings are common, and can be difficult to manage.
But the good news is that there are ways to manage them naturally. Try incorporating these foods into your daily diet to boost your mood and get back on track.
Combat mental stress and physical fatigue with a healthy does of our Health and Vitality Jelly, which boast a dose of 900mg of the 6 year old red ginseng extract per serve! This will bulletproof both your body and mind be it at the workplace, gym or in the classroom. Click here to read the reviews and check out the Health and Vitality Jelly on offer today!
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Closed starter @califxrniaxdreamin
Damp, drizzly afternoon grew into sooty stormy night. Blankets of rain mixed with waves of fog covered the view on the stony town and its busy streets. Industrial time was the juice of life on this hundred years old streets where monarchy lefts its lavishing structures. Hunting time, perfect cover for bloodshed, cure for crimson tracks left by the monsters..a reason why the Nox Archana’s headquarters were low in numbers. Harvest. Word almost too easy to use, when legions of night creatures roamed the land in search for a blood pump to satisfy the agonizing thirst. Scarlet hair fell in waves over her elegant shoulders covered with laced black dress. Savagery not a stranger to her, but a friend, yet, Clare remained in the library of the castle, going though the ancient pages of medical lexicons she knew by heart. Still, no mortal could see the text written under the bold inky letters. One written with sweat dripping from burning bodies of witches on stakes, revealing the recipes for potions more damaging than the toothy mouth of a monster.
“ Two shillings, virgin’s molars, child’s nails..” the last one was clearly voiced with disgust, what for the demand and some for his own act of delivering. Mateo threw the small leather bag with things he gathered by ‘robbing the graves’ next to the woman that gave no sign that she noticed him, heard him or is planning to acknowledge him. If the tender fibers of the heart were still filling his skeleton cage, in the time when he was alive, this person would never be in the palette of his chosen friends. But the chest area was silent even if the flesh was warm...because he was nor alive or dead, and the bitter redhead was the reason he was not sent to eternal darkness.
“ Do you think Frankenstein's monster followed his creator around? “ Gaze still glued to the worn pages, Clare asked with a emotionless tone. Another one of her insults. Man’s eyebrows knotted, chains of muscles tensed, but he remained silent. At first, the hostile behavior nearly drove him over the edge of patience, yet now it only challenged it, when he learned by observation, the woman maybe wore thorns, but that sharp spikes covered something honest inside.
Mateo dismissed the rudeness once more.
“ I would need more...” hesitating, man swallowed through his dry throat, forcing him to continue. “.. of it. “
“ You were outside just now, am I mistaken? Plenty ‘of it’ out there. “ pale hand turned another page calmly. Deep growl echoed through the empty library, dimly lit by the few candles.
“ You know damn well I won’t do it. “ roar as an answer, presenting his thin nerves and determination.
“ Not your mother to hold your hand, nor a innkeeper to fulfill your beverage choices. “ Clare was not a heartless, hostile monster she so desperately tried to present yourself as. But it was what was needed. After the life she suffered, followed by the brutality of her turning, solitude was what was the safe choice. Baring her fangs, what figuratively what literally, worked spotlessly with humans and immortals...but this man was a leach that kept sucking the poison with a mere speculation there will be something else under it. Ruby haired woman took pity on him, but never would show it, and forever gave him a tour of hell before finally acting even slightly..more approachable.
However, this time, rough fist slammed on the wooden table next to her arm, blue eyes replaced by two pits filled with fire. One that she gave to him...in a way. Without fear, she gazed upon his tortured expression now presenting rage.
Her moves faster than the speed of light, when she rose, facing him fearlessly like the alpha lion one of his reckless followers in the pack.
“ Anything you were going to do? “ she provoked, but not pushing it further. Veins on his arms popped, reminding her on a spider web, face with ash complexion, result of not feeding. She huffed, shaking her head, before slipping past him and heading for the door.
“ Taking the ways of a sympathetic vampire on the enemy side a step further? Don’t you think she is just weakening you to snap your neck afterwards? “ a secret. One so dangerous it would result in execution. One he decided to share with her. Mateo flinched on the mere mention of Aida in that way. looking around for some prying ears or eyes.But there was no one...most of them on the mentioned hunt.
“ Why are you so repulsed by compassion? “
“ She is an enemy. “ sharp response from the redhead.
“ More of a friend than any of others here. “ he protested in a hoarse voice.
“ Before she sinks her teeth in your neck as a proper dinner, not like you, feeding on the scraps of blood drained from the already harvested. “ the though of sinking teeth in flesh reminded her on her own hunger, and the enemy whose neck she fantasized about....one that would surly teste like nectar.
Before Mateo could answer the hair of his neck rose, and even the woman stopped.
Smell. Sound. Voices.
None of them belonging inside this high walls. None of them covered by thunder rain, and howling wind, like they probably thought it would.
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in an ideal world if i could just argue my case & magically convince doctors to do every test that might help & also it would be free:
parathyroid hormone levels (i always have elevated or borderline elevated calcium; i had a benign ectopic pancreatic tumor in my stomach; i have refractory peptic & duodenal ulcers, & severe refractory GERD; i have esophageal reflux dysphagia & cell changes leading to barrett's esophagus; they suspected zollinger ellison syndrome but never followed up, & together with my diffuse nonspecific fatigue/pain/GI issues, it is worth ruling out gastrinoma for sure & multiendocrine neoplasia for SURE for sure)
the full migraine-epilepsy-spinocerebellar ataxia genetic panel that also tests for mitochondrial diseases that mimic those conditions
biopsy esophagus, stomach lining, & small intestine for mastocytosis / eosinophilic esophagitis, gastritis, or whatever the intestinal version is, i forget
small intestinal transit study
repeat ultrasound of renal arteries because the last one was...unusable? & they just. kinda shrugged even though they couldn't see whether or not there was stenosis
please just rule out abdominal aortic dissection they run in my family so hard & i have hypertension & weird vascular issues nobody understands & i don't want to die in my 30s-40s
repeat MRI & brain CT w/ contrast just to check on things since i haven't had one since 2018 & am supposed to get them every 2 years re: cerebellum & the white matter you get with my genre of migraine
TILT TABLE
holter monitor that actually works
the thing where they measure your arterial pressure & blood oxygen as you change position? i don't remember but they used it to diagnose the guy whose symptoms mimicked POTS but had a different condition related to obstructive lung disease
the alpha-1 antotrypsin deficiency test that i WILL send this coming week for REAL
updated pulmonary function testing including the, um, what's it called. the stress test with the substance that starts with m? not metacholine but you know what i mean, the one they use to diagnose asthma. updated one of those too, i think my last one was in middle school & my lungs are Worse lol
sleep study for narcolepsy & sleep apnea
the thing where they run fibers into your extremities to see where your damaged nerves are when you have peripheral neuropathy so a doctor can write down "peripheral neuropathy" instead of "fibromyalgia" & insurance will let you see a pain clinic instead of a psychotherapist
full anemia breakdown & figure out why i have normal iron levels & normal ferritin & normal hemoglobin but my levels of BOUND iron are always anemia-low & i seem to have like, a transferrin deficiency??? what...causes that???
[Say The Line, Bart voice] anti-nuclear antibody test not at the clinic's convenience but when i am actually having an arthritis flare so it doesn't come back negative & get me dismissed from rheumatology lmfao. i've had this test done a handful of times in my life & the results are about 50/50 split down positive/negative & you'll never guess what the predictive co-variable is re: positive results (it's a corresponding elevated CRP level, because...autoimmune disease)
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it does seem that histamine blockers (h1 & h2 specifically) reduce* perception* of post-exercise soreness and pain (ie DOMS), but also the benefits of exercise themselves. the studies i've found are all pretty small, but the findings make sense with what we know of histamine's role in inflammatory response + inflammation's role in muscle repair/growth. enough so that i feel confident in my decision to reserve h2 blockers for very intermittent nocturnal use, in favour of PPIs and antacids (and hopefully other things that actually address the root of the problem, rather than gastric acid production)
a few excerpts under the cut for my own reference
In one study, in spite of the other findings the histamine blockaded group lost less muscle strength than the control:
We believe there are two potential explanations for these results. First, although not evident in circulating biomarkers, histamine-receptor blockade may have reduced inflammation, preserving muscle function or reducing discomfort associated with maximal voluntary contractions. Second, histamine-receptor blockade may have reduced the sensitivity of group III/IV afferent neurons. These possibilities are not mutually exclusive explanations.
The III/IV neurons (which send info to, rather than from, the brain, hence 'afferent') mentioned are implicated in the perception of skeletal muscle pain, like in DOMS. The idea is the activation of h1/h2 receptors in these nerve fibers -> lower threshold for stimulation of nerve fibers -> increased pain, temporary loss of muscle strength, recruitment to protect from muscle damage. Following that, h1/h2 blockade -> higher threshold for stimulation -> less pain to limit activity and muscle damage.
Athletes are apparently more prone to allergies:
Descriptive studies indicate that the incidence of allergies and use of antihistamines in endurance athletes is two times greater than in age-matched controls (1, 17), presumably the result of a switch from nasal to mouth breathing at high ventilation rates (\~30 l/min) and its effects on increasing exposure of deep lung tissue to allergens. [...]the combination of antihistamine medication and muscle-damaging exercise may result in situations where more extensive muscle damage may occur[...] Conversely, athletes competing in multiday events (such as the track and field decathlon, or the multiple qualifying rounds of various athletic competitions) may gain a performance benefit by taking histamine-receptor antagonists. This may allow conservation of strength after strenuous exercise, in conjunction with decreased muscle soreness, across days of competition. Although, if the use of histamine-receptor blockade results in increased muscle damage, the athlete may require an extended period of rest after competition for full muscle recovery.
Similar study on the role of histamine in exercise training:
[...] whole-body insulin sensitivity did not increase in the experimental group treated with H1/H2 antagonists, whereas a substantial improvement was noted in placebo-treated participants. In summary, our data suggest that H1/H2-dependent signaling is involved in the exercise training–induced improvement of whole-body glycemic control. Whether this histaminergic effect is secondary to the observed blunting of angiogenesis and increase in abundance of related proteins or whether there also is a direct role in the up-regulation of the insulin signaling cascade is subject to further research.
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Hearing Well Being Center
But understand this, that in the final days there will come instances of issue. We have a perfect three step cleansing routine you could follow to ensure your device lasts lengthy and performs its best. The interplay between an individual and his or her surrounding environment is mediated by way of sensory experiences.
This model works well with an iPhone and with gentle to extreme listening to loss. Dia II is a BTE hearing assist for gentle to average hearing loss with background noise filtering. Lexie’s Directional Hearing know-how first focuses on sounds in entrance of you to help with hearing conversations.
Has not given you a heart to know or eyes to see or ears to hear to. There is a small dense area of nerve fibers called the macule positioned in each of the saccule and utricle. The macule of the saccule is oriented vertically whereas the utricle macule is horizontal. Each macule consists of nice hair bundles that are coated by an otolithic membrane that's jelly-like and lined by a blanket of calcium crystals. Information from the vestibular system of the inside ear is shipped to the brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal wire. Potential stability abnormalities do not require conscious input from the cerebrum of the mind.
Hearing impairment should be identified as soon as possible, so that your baby is not delayed in learning language—a process that begins the day they are born. That's why, earlier than child goes house from the hospital after delivery, they undergo a formal new child listening to screening. However, at any time throughout your kid's life, should you or your pediatrician suspect that they've a listening to impairment, insist that a formal listening to analysis be performed promptly. Some family docs, pediatricians, and well-baby clinics can test for listening to loss or fluid in the center ear.
Today, 34 million kids have deafness or listening to loss, of which 60% of circumstances are due to preventable causes. We recommendation you to talk together with your hearing care skilled for extra steering on RITE listening to aids. They are much less noticeable than conventional BTE hearing aids but are extra vulnerable to earwax build-up and moisture. With the receiver being within the ear, it could be damaged by wax as opposed to a BTE mould.
The physique will produce as a lot ear wax because it wants, however sometimes it could produce too much. VitaHear Plus of ear wax causes cerumen buildup and ear blockage. Several components can influence ear wax production, together with food regimen, stress and hygiene.
#hearing problems#ears hearing#chronic tinnitus#get rid of tinnitus#tinnitus relief#nutritional solution
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