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cocastyle · 4 years

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Robin — ONE

Pairing - Joel Dawson x reader

Word Count - 5,047

A/N - this chapter was so much fun getting to write! I wanted to introduce you guys to the dynamic of our two characters before they take off into the world. they are just a super close pair which is definitely going to cause some interesting scenes throughout this movie, especially with Joel being in love Aimee at the moment and Y/N being in love with Joel. but no matter what, it’s their friendship that makes them Y/N and Joel and it’s just the cutest thing.

also, I just want to say, take note of the little letters Joel writes to Aimee. they are definitely going to show growth in Joel’s character as the story goes on :))

if you would like to be added to the tag list, let me know!

R O B I N

Robin Series Masterlist

⭒❃.✮:▹ ONE ◃:✮.❃⭒

Dear Aimee,

I am wide awake. I've just gotten good at not really moving or breathing.

Being stuck in a survival bunker with a bunch of people who have all found their soul mate is less than ideal.

Karen and Ray got together a few months ago, so they're still kinda in their honeymoon phase. It is super physical. Good for them, you know. They're both very attractive and apparently quite flexible.

Hey, life's short. Especially down here.

After Tim's parents were eaten by a warm of termites, he and Ava became inseparable. In every way.

So pretty much everyone's coupled up down here besides me and Y/N. We're the singles of the bunker and I don't know how I would survive by myself without her. Having your best friend stuck down here with you helps a lot.

Our first baby was born last winter. It was super emotional. Welcome to the apocalypse, kid. The food sucks. At least you'll never know what you're missing.

Kala and Connor got together after Carol died. Carol was a cow who ate a box of laundry detergent and now we only have one cow. Her name's Gertie. Gertie is great. Y/N named her actually and every time someone uses the name she gets this goofy grin on her face that's hard for anyone to not smile back at.

Gertie's not our only food source. We actually have a hunting party that brings back whatever they can from the surface. It was easier in the beginning, you know, before we ran out of bullets. Facing down one of those things with a hanky handmade weapon is no walk in the park. Or that's what Robin tells me. I-I don't go on the hunting parties. They need me in the kitchen. I'm kinda the, uh. . .the chef of the bunker. Everyone likes my minestrone.

Me and Y/N being the only single people in the bunker has its perks too. We get to hang out with Mav1s. Of course, she's not much for conversation anymore. Her core battery's shot, just like every other Mav1s, I'd imagine. Actually never seen a working one.

Other than that, it's become our favorite pass time to mess with the other couples. Or at least that's what Robin does. I kind of just cheer her on.

Sure wish you were here, Aimee. I'd love for you to meet everyone and become closer with Y/N. Maybe we could do a little target practice together.

It's kinda my thing.

- - -

Y/N had been in the middle of dreaming about killing a monster when something began poking her face and pulled her from her slumber. Letting out a groan, the girl turned her head towards her pillow in an attempt to hide her face, but the person was persistent and instead began poking the back of her head instead.

"Joel," Y/N whined in annoyance earning a soft chuckle from the boy as he continued to poke her head. "Joel, I swear if you don't stop poking me right now I'm going to drag you out of this bunker and feed you to the nearest cold-blooded creature."

The poking stopped instantly and she slowly turned her face and let her eyes flutter open for a second to see Joel smiling at her in amusement. "Seven years underground and you still aren't a morning person," he mused.

Y/N groaned and fell further into her pillow as she closed her eyes once again. "I don't think I'll ever be," she muttered, her voice trailing off a bit at the end as sleep tried to take over once again.

"Hey, I just woke you up. Don't go back to sleep," Joel insisted as he reached out to poke her again. However, Y/N was quick to grab ahold of his finger and stop him without even having to open an eye.

"Don't poke me," she told him before letting go of the boy. "I'm tired, Joel. I don't have to see the sun to know it's still shining on the other side of the world. It's too early."

"Actually, it's not too far away from dawn," Joel said earning a groan from the girl because it was in fact too early. The boy frowned and gently nudged her as he rested his head on the edge of her bed. "Come on, Robin. I can't sleep and as my best friend it is your job to keep me from doing anything stupid while I'm awake. You can't exactly do that while sleeping, can you?"

"Joel," Y/N complained.

"Y/N," Joel mimicked. Y/N frowned slightly and Joel sighed before looking away as he got lost in thought. Finally he let out a small gasp and nudged the girl again, a smile appearing on his face, "I'll make you breakfast."

Y/N peeled open an eye at that, flickering her gaze over the boy's eager face before hesitantly saying, "Throw in a piggyback ride all the way to the kitchen and you've got yourself a deal.”

"Deal!" Joel exclaimed as he reached out to grab her hand and shake it. Y/N let out a soft sigh, knowing she was going to regret waking up, but pulled herself up out of bed and let out a yawn. Joel was practically bouncing from foot to foot due to his impatience and Y/N just ignored it as she sat up for a moment longer before looking to Joel.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said and the boy quickly turned around. Y/N lazily got out of bed before slowly getting onto Joel's back. He made sure she was on securely and waited until she had her arms wrapped around his neck and her head tucked into the crook of his neck before he was practically running out of the room.

"Woah! Slow down!" Y/N exclaimed as she almost went toppling off of his back from how bumpy the ride was. Joel slowed to a walk and looked back to her with an apologetic smile while she just rolled her eyes. "You're lucky you're my best friend," she muttered, propping her elbow against the boy's shoulder in order to keep herself up right.

"You know you love me," Joel retorted and Y/N let out a soft sigh for she knew the boy was right. He just didn't understand the kind of love she had for him.

The two were about halfway down the hallway when they suddenly passed a door that was wide open. "Hey, Joel! Hey, Y/N!" a fellow colony member of theirs named Ava greeted.

The best friends turned their heads and instantly looked away, their faces red while Y/N hid her face against Joel's neck once again. "Oh. Hey, Ava," Joel said, coughing awkwardly as he held onto Y/N a bit tighter and tried to ignore the fact that he just saw Ava and her boyfriend Tim being intimate.

"Ava," Y/N greeted.

"Joel. Y/N. How's it going?" Tim asked.

"It's going good, Tim," Joel responded, attempting to hide his small smile as Y/N just shook her head, obviously embarrassed. "How are you. . .How are you doing?"

"Yeah, good," Tim replied.

"Good," Y/N muttered as she sat up a little more and just leaned against Joel's shoulder. "Uh, we were just. . .um. . .heading to the kitchen. Joel here couldn't sleep, so now here we are." She let out an awkward laugh and Ava and Tim returned it.

"Yeah, we know the feeling," Ava told her and both Joel and Y/N made a face.

"Yeah. Probably not for the same reasons," Joel muttered. "Y-You guys's, uh, door's open. Is that. . .did you know that?"

"Yeah," Ava admitted at the same time Tim said, "Yeah, we know."

Both Y/N and Joel didn't move before Joel muttered awkwardly, "Okay." A silence fell among the group after that and Y/N could just feel herself growing more uncomfortable by the second and it was obvious Joel was too.

"Batman, away!" Y/N exclaimed, pointing towards the direction of the kitchens in hopes that they could get away from this situation as quick as possible. Joel chuckled softly and shook his head before bolting off down the hallway making the girl yell at him.

Joel didn't slow down until they were in the kitchen, setting the girl down in a chair before moving across the room. "This better be the best breakfast you have ever created after putting me in that sort of position," Y/N told him. "This is why you sleep at night, so you don't have to see or hear what the others are doing when the lights are out."

Joel just waved her off with his hand and Y/N craned her neck in an attempt to see just what he was doing, but the boy merely moved his body each time so that she couldn't see. "Joel!" Y/N complained, but the boy was already turning around, his hands behind his back as he grinned at her.

She fell silent almost instantly, the grin making her heart skip a beat while she watched him stop on the other side of the counter. "You ready?" he asked and Y/N nodded her head eagerly, her stomach growling at the thought of food. Joel's smile widened and he quickly took his hand out from around his back and slammed an apple onto the table in front of her.

Y/N stared at the apple with a blank look on her face before scowling up at her friend. Joel just smiled and leaned his arms on the counter before he shrugged, "I never said what I was making you for breakfast."

"You didn't make anything," she pointed out, grumbling softly to herself as she grabbed the apple and took a bite out of it. "You tricked me."

"Hey, but look on the bright side," Joel told her and the girl raised an eyebrow. "Now that you're up, we can spend more time together and I don't have to be alone!"

Y/N made a face before looking to her apple and chuckling as she took another bite. "Well, joke's on you because today's planning day," she said, her words making Joel frown because he knew that planning day meant she would be with the hunting crew all day and not him.

"But planning day was last week," Joel complained.

"It was actually last month, but nice try," she replied with a smug smile on her face.

"Can't you skip it? I was wanting you to help me with my aim. I'm using the tips that you said, but it would be different if you were actually there to help," Joel said.

"I'm sorry, Joel, but I have to go. I have to pull my weight somehow," Y/N reminded him.

"Then at least let me help out. I don't do anything around here except make shitty minestrone," Joel sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration and not noticing the way Y/N’s eyes seemed to follow the action.

Y/N set the apple down, rolling her eyes slightly when Joel picked it up and angrily took a bite out of the other side. "First of all, your minestrone is heaven, so never refer to it as shitty ever again," she told him. Joel just looked away and Y/N sighed before reaching out and setting a hand on top of the boy's arm. He hesitantly looked her way and she offered him a small smile. "I know you may think you don't do anything to help out around here, but you do, Joel. You help out in more ways than you may think."

Joel looked away and bit into the apple again. "You're just trying to make me feel better and I appreciate it, but we both know I don't do anything," he muttered. "Not anything important anyways."

"Joel," Y/N began but the sound of someone yelling her name made her fall short. She glanced in the direction of the voice, putting together who was calling for her and why. It was planning day after all and those days always started at dawn so that they could get some training out of the way before mapping out their next hunting trip.

Sighing, Y/N looked back at Joel and gave his arm one more squeeze. "That's my cue to leave," she said, pulling herself up out of her chair. The girl began to make her way towards the door before pausing and looking back at Joel who was just staring at the table with the half eaten apple in hand.

Before Joel knew what was happening, Y/N was jumping on him from behind, her arms wrapping around his frame for a quick hug as she kissed his cheek and said, "Have a great day, Joel. I'll see you later for lunch, okay? Love you." She then slyly stole the apple from him and winked in his direction before running out of the room as her name was yelled out once again.

Joel couldn't help but smile as he watched the girl leave, ignoring the way his heart seemed to skip a beat which was unusual for him.

"Love you too," he whispered.

- - -

Y/N stared at the map in front of them with a contemplating look upon her face. She was resting her head on her hand and gently tapped her finger against her cheek while her eyes flickered over the marks they had already made.

"Why don't we try over here?" Y/N suggested, pointing towards the section that they had already marked off as 'Do Not Enter.'

All eyes turned to her almost immediately and Connor shook his head. "Y/N, you know why we don't go over there," he told her, referencing the incident where half of their hunting squad got killed, but the girl was persistent.

"That was back when we were just beginning our second year down here. We're more prepared now," Y/N told them. "Every time we go hunting, we stay close enough that we can run back to the bunker if needed. We can't keep living like this. I mean, aren't you guys a little bit curious as to what it's like out there?"

There was a unanimous, "No."

Y/N frowned and looked back down at the map, her fingers now brushing across the small area she had been pointing at while the others all watched her. “Y/N," Anna Lucia sighed, walking over to the girl's side and placing a hand on her shoulder. "There are so many unknowns out there and you know that. What if we go out there and our whole hunting party gets eaten by those monsters? What would the others do?"

"Live off Joel's minestrone," Y/N suggested before sighing and looking towards her friend. "But what if we don't die? What if this opens up a whole new world for us?"

Anna Lucia squeezed the girl's shoulder before whispering, "We can't risk it."

Y/N frowned and looked away while Anna Lucia let her hand fall back down to her side. "Anna Lucia's right except for the being able to live off Joel's minestrone thing. I'm pretty sure he'd be out there trying to avenge you before even thinking about making minestrone," Tim spoke up.

"He wouldn't be stupid enough to do that," Y/N assured them.

"He'd be reckless enough," Connor retorted. Y/N gave him a look and the man sighed, "Seriously, Y/N? When are you two just going to grow a pair and tell each other how you feel?"

Y/N blinked in surprise, a light blush taking over her features as she looked around at her friends who were all smirking. "W-What?" she whispered.

"Gosh, you're insufferable sometimes," Anna Lucia muttered jokingly. "It's obvious that you like him and he is your best friend who is also the only one that's still single down here."

"Joel and I—" Y/N hesitated, the thought of actually being with Joel like that making her heart flutter. "We're just friends," she insisted before giving them all a sad smile. "We won't be getting together."

"It's only a matter of time," Anderson smirked making the girl glare in his direction. However, she didn't get a chance to say or do anything because they all were frozen in place as the lights to the bunker flickered on and off before turning on once again.

"What was—" Anna Lucia began, but Y/N could already feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end and had a sneaking suspicion of what was happening.

"Breach," she muttered at the same time someone yelled out from another room, "There's been a breach!"

They all ran out of the room, a few of them scanning the perimeter before they made their way to the main room where everyone was waiting to help them get ready. They hurriedly put what armor they did have on their bodies and Y/N was pulling her hair back into a ponytail when she noticed Joel stumbling into the room with all the weapons in hand.

"Guys! Guys! I got the weapons," Joel announced before proceeding to hand them out to the hunters that walked by.

"Stay," Anderson told him as he took a crossbow.

Joel blinked in surprise, "What? What's happening? What's going on?"

"We've been breached," Y/N explained while she waited for Anna Lucia to grab her weapon so that she could finally reach Joel.

"Breached?" Joel asked. "What do you mean? Like, inside the bunker breached?"

"That's what 'breached' means, kiddo. Y/N, come on," Connor demanded causing the girl to sigh in frustration as him and all the hunters left the room. She turned to Joel who was still trying to process what was happening.

"Joel," she said and he quickly turned to her.

"Right. Right. Here," he muttered as he held out a back holster with two katanas strapped in. She had taken them off of a guy back when the apocalypse had first begun. He had been dead and it wasn't like he planned on using them anyways, so she had taken them in order to keep herself alive. They were her weapon of choice, but she was also one of the best shooters they had so she tended to use a crossbow when necessary. "And here's this," he told her before handing her a crossbow as well.

"Thanks," Y/N told him before nodding her head at him and running out of the room.

"Wait!" Joel yelled, but the girl was already gone. "Breached," he muttered to himself in shock before running after his best friend. By the time he made it to where everyone was, Y/N was already inspecting the gate to the sewers with a frown on her face and her crossbow at the ready while some others worked on getting it open.

"Anna Lucia, Y/N and I will engage," Connor directed. "Anderson and Tim, flank us."

"Flank 'em, yeah, okay. Where do you guys need me? The rear, or. . ." Joel trailed off causing them all to look his way, including Y/N.

"I thought we were past this, Joel," Tim told him as they all looked back to gate.

"Past what? You need help. I can help," Joel insisted. "In case you've forgotten, Robin and I are a duo and I know she goes on the hunting trips and I don't, but this I can help with. Let me help."

"You gonna make me say it?" Connor asked.

"Say what?" Joel questioned.

"You can't handle it, Joel," Connor told him.

"You're shook," Tim added.

"Okay, yeah. So, you guys don't get scared ever?" Joel asked them.

"We get scared."

"We all get scared, Joel, but you get really scared."

"We're not trying to make you feel bad."

"We love you, Joel."

"But you're unsafe."

"You're a liability."

"Even on supply runs."

"Guys!" Y/N exclaimed glaring at the men while Joel looked between them a bit confused.

"Okay, why did that speech feel so rehearsed?" Joel questioned.

"He's got a point," Y/N muttered, turning back around while she nervously fidgeted her hands against the crossbow. "If you're going to tell him something like that at least be sincere instead of rehearsing in your mirror beforehand."

"We did not—" Tim began, but the sound of a growl and something banging against metal made them all tense while Joel jumped back a good foot from where he originally was.

"Connor, Y/N," Karen said as she handed a device to the man. Y/N quickly stood up and hurried over, her eyes flickering over the screen where she could see a blue dot making its way through the sewers towards them.

"Shit," she muttered before standing up more and cracking her neck. She got an arrow ready in the crossbow and jumped in place for a moment to get her nerves out. "Let's do this."

"Okay, 30 meters out. Let's move," Connor directed.

The sewer door was pulled down before the hunters began making their way inside. Y/N was about to follow when someone grabbed ahold of her wrist. She looked back, her eyes locking with Joel's as he held on tightly and whispered, "I can help, Robin."

Y/N let her eyes flicker over his face while her mouth opened up to say something. However, she found herself unable to. All she could imagine was Joel getting attacked by whatever creature was in the sewers at that very moment. She couldn't let him go in there, no matter how badly he wanted to. This was the first time a breach like this had ever happened. Who knew what awaited them down there?

The girl rushed forward, hugging the boy tightly and making him stumble back a bit in surprise. She didn't give him time to react before she was pulling away. "I'm sorry," she whispered, quickly turning around and climbing into the sewers. However, she didn't disappear before she yelled out, "No one let Joel follow!"

Joel's eyes widened. "What?" he exclaimed before attempting to rush forward, but Tim was already there to stand in his way. "Tim, you got to let me go with her. I can't let her go alone. I-I can help."

"She'll be fine, Joel. Y/N’s a survivor. She won't let whatever creature this is take her down," Tim assured him before reaching out to grab the curtain. "You heard what she said. Now go with them." He then pulled the curtain between the two, effectively blocking Joel's view of the tunnel and leaving the boy standing there with a numb feeling coursing through his body.

"Robin," he muttered in frustration before turning on his heels and running to the room everyone was in. The door was locked behind him and Joel quickly shoved his way to the front so that he could watch the monitor with Karen and Kala.

They could all see five yellow dots moving through the tunnels near a bigger blue dot in the center of the screen. "They're getting close," Karen muttered, a silence falling upon them all as they noticed the five dots stop not too far away from the creature. Before anyone knew what was happening, the blue dot lunged out and grabbed ahold of one of the yellow dots.

"Shit."

"Oh, my God."

"It's got one of 'em."

"What about the others?"

The lights began to flicker while Joel felt his heart drop to his stomach. "Y/N," he whispered, his voice making everyone look his way. He was pale, his hands shakily holding onto the crossbow in his hands.

"We don't know if that's her, Joel," Karen tried to tell him. "She could be fine. She—"

"I'm going after her," he said before turning and running for the door. Everyone's eyes widened as people began to make a move towards him, by the boy was quick and already had the door open.

"Joel!" Kala yelled.

"They need help. My best friend needs help. I'm going," Joel insisted before running out the door and slamming in shut behind him.

Joel spun around quickly, crossbow in the air while he nervously looked around the bunker. It was like he was walking into a foreign place, the usual warm feeling of the bunker being replaced with nothing but an eerie feeling and a coldness that shook him to his very core.

His breathing was shaky as he began to walk forward, his eyes flickering around his surroundings while Joel tried to keep himself calm. The only thing keeping him from collapsing in fear was the knowledge that Y/N was out there possibly hurt. He had to get to her. He had to.

The lights flickered as he slowly made his way back towards the tunnels where he knew he had his best access to the others. It was a deafening silent as he walked into the room, so quiet in fact that his ears were ringing.

He nervously looked around and adjusted his hands on the crossbow. As he grew closer to the curtain Tim had pulled out earlier, a new sound filled his ears while his feet slowly stepped in the new puddles of water and blood that were on the ground. The sight made him feel sick to his stomach, so Joel did his best to keep his eyes staring straight ahead.

A lightbulb exploding behind him made the boy jump and spin around, his eyes wide in fear before he realized what had happened and turned back around. He could hear Tim and Connor's words replaying over and over in his head.

We all get scared, Joel, but you get really scared.

You're unsafe.

You're a liability.

Joel walked forward and took in a shaky breath as he attempted to push the voices from his head. His eyes continued to survey the area and he hesitated at the sight of a figure on the other side of the curtain. It almost looked like—

"Connor?" Joel questioned, his voice barely above a whisper. When there was no response, Joel furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and lowered his crossbow just a bit. "Connor?"

It was at that moment that a loud hissing sound came from the other side of the curtain and Connor's body limply flew across the room before being shoved into the mouth of whatever creature was over there with him. Lights from the other side shinned their shadows against the curtain and Joel's eyes widened in fear as he slowly took a step back.

Joel's whole body was shaking, his eyes tearing up a little as he feared for not only his life, but Y/N’s as well. If the creature had done what it did to Connor with Y/N. . .well, Joel didn't even want to think about what he would do.

It seemed he wouldn't have to because at that moment the monster finished up eating Connor and turned its attention towards the curtain. It made a noise that Joel swore was able to rattle his bones. The crossbow was back up in position once again, but his hands were shaking so badly that he knew if he didn't get his fear together he was going to be the monster's dessert to the meal it just ate.

The monster began to stand up on the other side of the curtain, its shadow growing bigger and making Joel gulp. He shakily got the crossbow ready to fire before freezing at the sight of the monster appearing over the top of the curtain.

There were tears in his eyes at this point and Joel couldn't even move as he watched the monster tear the curtain down before moving towards him. A few tears slid down his face and Joel felt the fear and panic coursing through his veins.

He closed his eyes as the monster grew nearer, his face confronting in pain and fear as he felt the monster's breath fanning his face and heard the growls rattling in his head.

Then before he knew what had happened, he heard the sound of something flying through the air and then the monster cried out in agony. He felt someone rush by him and opened his eyes to find Y/N standing above the monster's dead body, one katana dripping with blood in one hand while the other protruded from the center of the monster's face.

"D-Did I kill it, or did you?" Joel whispered, her eyes flickering between Y/N who still had yet to turn around and look at him, Tim, and Anna Lucia.

"What do you think?" Anna Lucia asked.

"Robin," he muttered for he knew she had been the one to save him, his eyes flickering back over to his best friend. It was then that she turned to look at him, her whole body shaking as she breathed heavily and attempted to calm herself down. Joel inhaled sharply at the sight of her, her face covered in dirt and blood while a scratch ran down the length of her arm from where the monster had no doubt tried to grab ahold of her.

Joel began to break at that, tears rolling down his face even more while Y/N pulled the other katana out of the monster's head before shoving them both into their sheaths. She moved forward in an instant, her hands grabbing ahold of Joel's arms while she looked to him with a worried gaze.

"Joel, are you okay? Are you hurt?" she asked earning a slow shake of his head in response. "What were you doing? What were you thinking? You could've gotten killed!"

Joel slowly lifted his gaze to her, his whole body still shaking as he whispered, "You-You were in trouble, Robin. I—"

Joel was unable to finish what he was saying, his words being cut off as he closed his eyes and more tears fell. It was obvious he was holding back a sob due to the fact they were in front of other people and Y/N felt herself soften almost immediately.

She was wrapping her arms around his neck without a second thought, pulling him in for a hug which Joel quickly accepted. His arms were around her waist and he held onto her tightly while he shook, his tear filled eyes flickering to the ground where the monster that had been seconds away from killing him laid dead on the ground.

- - -

Oh, and I have a pretty severe freezing problem.

But I am working on it.

- - -

Tag List

@simplybarnes

@spideysimpossiblegirl

@bookdorkfangirl

@katemusic

@eternallyvenus

@juliebean247

@trustfundparker

#love and monsters #love #and #monsters #dylan o’brien x reader #dylan o'brien #joel dawson #joel dawson imagine #joel dawson x reader #joel #Dawson #Aimee #Clyde #minnow #boy #apocalypse

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oateo-oats-healthy-breakfast · 2 years

Text

9 Ultimate Ways to Add Oats to your Summer Diet

Although recent analyses have ascertained the health threats of missing breakfast, getting excited about eating a generally healthy hot breakfast in harsh summers is challenging. However, there is a magic solution - on warm summer dawn, a chilled and rejuvenating oatmeal breakfast is the ideal means to fetch your day-to-day quantity of the cholesterol-reducing, fiber-abundant cereal without overheating.

However, if you do not have the time to make oatmeal in the morning, our experts have the perfect solution to this problem. This guide explains the top recipes for eating oats in summer without wasting your precious time in the morning.

However, before moving to the recipes, it is essential to know the different types of oats available in the market.

Different types of oats

You will find a variety of oats in online stores and even offline markets. All the different types are derived from oat groats.

Instant oats

Rolled oats

Steel-cut oats

Scottish oats

Oat groats

Different ways to add oats to your summer diet

Here are six ways to consume your oats in summer, unlike the traditional hot meal.

1. Muesli overnight oats

This Scandinavian breakfast diet is refrigerated in milk throughout the night; the oats crumble into a delightful porridge by daylight. When people consume their Muesli as breakfast in the morning, they like to add seasonal fruits, honey, and Chia seeds.

The trick to making excellent Muesli overnight oats is to soak them for a more extended period. The longer they are soaked into a liquid, preferably milk, the softer the texture. You can also sprinkle interesting oat toppings on your oatmeal breakfast, such as mashed nuts, berries, dates, or even fresh fruits. Moreover, you can also eat muesli and oats- a quick fix with cold milk in the morning if you do not prefer the soaked muesli texture.

2. Granola

Granola is made primarily of oatmeal cooked with a thick paste of water and sugar, churned cream, and some butter. It is lightweight and convenient, ideal for quick on-road food. Consume it with cow milk or drizzled on a crown of vanilla or ice cream loaded with caffeine, but if you wish to shake things up, prepare it savory and drizzle it on the crest of salads for added crunch.

3. Breakfast or snack bars

Bars are a snack and breakfast buddy for all the sweet oatmeal devotees worldwide. Eat your oats as a bar with fruit or big pieces of chocolate.

4. Smoothies

Shakes or smoothies are a rejuvenating means to commence your summer weather mornings when your stomach is growling, but you do not wish to eat anything solid.

So how can you save yourself from starving in such situations? Here we are providing you with an oat secret that you can use to make your oats to save yourself from starvation. Just add some oats to your favorite fruit smoothie. It will help you keep your growling stomach busy and provide extra nutrition.

5. Cookies

Oatmeal cookies appear to be seasonal, don't they? False. They are the perfect snack food for the summer season because of their versatility. You can use these chilled oatmeal cookies as dessert, evening snacks, and picnic foods. These cookies are a perfect combination of taste and nutrition.

6. Chilled oatmeal or overnight oats

According to dieticians and nutritionists, oats have a perfectly well-balanced nutrition content. The benefits of eating oatmeal are:

Reduces the level of sugar in the blood

Oats are a rich source of antioxidants

Encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract

Aids in weight management by making you feel full

Relieves constipation

It helps in relieving the itching and irritation of the skin

Reduces your chances of developing colon cancer

Chilled oatmeal is an excellent option for those who cannot imagine consuming warm oatmeal for breakfast at a 40-degree day temperature.

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weaver-z · 4 years

Text

Birthmark

A short horror story by B.E.

The women in my family have port-wine birthmarks, but none ever had any as strange as mine.

Not even my mother, who had one that stretched across her forehead like a bloodshot eye, the pale sclera-white of her skin visible under the glaze of reddish violet. She told me, when I was very young, that my grandmother had one, too, along the back of her head--she, unlike us, had been lucky enough to have one that could be hidden under a bonnet, though her blonde hair still revealed it in the summertime.

“Can I see the ones on the legs?” Thomas asks, chewing the inside of his cheek like a cow chewing its cud. I allow it, even though I am a girl, because Thomas and I are friends, alone in the center of a field of tall summer alfalfa. I can feel his eyes boring into the marks on me in fascination, as he moves around me to see my arms, at the marks on those.

“I like the winter best,” I say, pulling my skirt up. “Pa hates it. But I like it, because I can cover all of ‘em up with my clothes, even the ones on my arms.”

“They’re not so bad,” he says. “They’re not on your face, at least.

“Guess so.”

He sits in front of me in the clear space between the eden-green strands of the grass, looking down at the marks on my legs. They are strange, wobbling lines, not blotches or patches--the lowest two are at my knees, lines that wrap around the joint like the borders of a county.

There are two more on my upper thighs, though I don’t show Thomas those--he’s still a boy, and even though he looks at my markings with nothing but fascination, I still feel a little kernel of shame rubbing at the walls of my chest. The arms are easier to show to him--there are only two marks, just too low to be covered by my short sleeves, broad and awkward unevenly-stamped lines.

“So you’ve got more? On your back?” Thomas asks, sitting on his haunches, looking at me with intent, dust-brown eyes too large for his face.

“Yes. Almost like a corset,” I say, “like a nice corset, the kind rich ladies wear with their jewels. One on my waist, like a belt. One below my shoulders. Oh, and a line down my back, a kinda wobbly one.”

“Like the laced-up part of the corset,” he says, and I nod, happy that he understands. Most boys who live in these parts wouldn’t. He moves around me, and I sit straight, lifting my long frigid-blonde braid so that he can see the very top of the line that travels down my spine, the source of the splotchy red-and-purple river.

“You ever wish that you could have them wiped off?” He asks. “I heard that God sometimes grants big miracles if you pray for ‘em enough.”

“Maybe,” I say, doubtful. “I’ve tried it. Pa makes me pray each night, but nothing seems to work.”

“Shame about that. Real shame. Maybe God’s busy with somethin’ else--” he says, and suddenly a gunshot rings out in the distance.

He freezes, pupils dilating like a rabbit that hears a hawk, and I scramble for my boots, forcing them on over the crumbles of mud on my feet. We can both hear Pa, coming through the brush, forcing his way through it with snaps and tears and nearly inarticulate grumbling. Thomas is off like a shot, running almost on all fours as he crouches, and by the time my father reaches me, panting and huddled in the grass, my friend is nothing but a mole-trail disturbing distant strands.

Pa is a tall man--though I inherited his height, I’m only 13, and he towers over me, so broad and heavy that I am thin as grass and summer wind below him. I stand, looking up at him with a look that must look shameful, and he lowers the rifle to point at the earth, face still and steely with malice.

“I told you I didn’t want no boys ‘round,” he says, voice thick, like smoke from a bonfire. “Told you I didn’t want you foolin’ round like a little whore.”

“He didn’t do nothin’,” I say, arms wrapped around my chest. “Honest.”

“Who was it, then? And why didn’t he come see me, an’ ask if he could talk to you?” He takes my arm--not tightly, but with such strength that I couldn’t run if I tried.

“He and I met while I was out with the chickens. He was on the road going up to town.”

“Sure he was.” Pa shoves my arm away and laughs, the sound like metal clattering to a dirt floor. “Sure, the devil ‘e was. I heard him talkin’ bout your legs, girl. Didn’t hear much, but I heard that. You think you’re the pick of the meat at the market, don’t you?”

“Pa--”

“Don’t talk, pretty girl. Don’t talk, and don’t you ever try and do this again. You’re gonna pray as long as you can tonight. I want your damn tongue to fall out before you stop praying,” and he begins to move, and now the pain comes as I stumble half-backward with him, held in a vise by my arm.

“Pa, I’m sorry--”

“You ain’t sorry yet, Lu,” he says. He looks back at me, from under the shadow cast beneath his brows by the white sun overhead. “You ain’t sorry, yet.”

---

He makes me pray, that night, for hours and hours, for forgiveness, for something I never did. But the praying he makes me do that night is only meager practice for the praying I do during the winter.

Our chickens die when a coyote pack rolls through in the late days of fall, snarling and barking with a sound like mocking laughter. We salvage what corpses we can, and for a while, we eat well, but not well, because while we dine on fresh meat, the knowledge that something terrible to come hangs over us like the fog of their blood. The cattle start to go soon after, the first to a weak cover over a well (it falls in, it screams for hours), the second to a river, the third to disease, the rest tumbling like the articles like a rotting shelf soon after them.

When winter comes, we have little, so little, and my father tears into his meager dollars to buy us what we can. I am grateful to him, even as the food dries up, even as he becomes silent, frighteningly silent, staring at me above the candle that lights our dinner-table with a face like a haunting.

I am not allowed to leave the house anymore.

I only cook--clean--mend--read the scraps of old newspaper used to patch the walls of the house as best I can. I make what food he finds for dinner, if he finds any, and I give more to his portion, and he says almost nothing to me except to remind me to stay in the home, to keep house and to keep out of the snowstorms and the paths of wild things. He fixes the roof and sharpens the knives--those are the only tasks he does around the house, besides force me onto my knees beside him to beg God for something for our stomachs.

And it is in cleaning that I find the box.

It is a small box, barely as long as my forearm and as shallow as the length of my hand, and it is under his bed, dislodged from a long stay deep in the shadows beneath his cot by a storm that shook the house.

I pull it slowly from beneath--it is unpainted, made of thin wood that leaves little splinters in the flesh of my thumb-joint. I remove its lid and look inside.

My mother is there, first, as I remember her--thin, short, with a look in her eyes like the hollow of a tree, unexplainably empty. The mark is clearly visible in the photograph, as she stands next to my father, mottled and dim. Neither of them are smiling. They are younger in this photograph--it is blurry, hard to make out.

Beneath that is a scrap of newspaper that I have a hard time understanding for a moment.

Mrs. Mary J. Letts, 68; Wife and Mother

We regret to announce the death of Mrs. Letts, wife of Mr. Roger Letts and mother to Mabelle Letts, which took place last Thursday due to a tragic accident involving an injury sustained to her head while riding. She is survived by her husband and daughter.

The paper cuts off there. I don’t recognize the name of Letts, and the paper is old; I continue reading as I find another scrap.

Mrs. Mabelle Dawson, 36; Wife and Mother

We regret to announce the death of Mrs. Dawson, who is survived by her husband, Mr. Arnold Dawson, and her young daughter, Lucy Dawson. Their family has our greatest sympathies. She was killed accidentally as she was cleaning a weapon owned by Mr. Arnold Dawson, who claims deepest regret that

I feel my mouth run dry and my pulse hammer against my skin like stone against a drum. That is my mother’s name--that is my name, too, faint against the paper. I don’t understand why these things are in the box, among other pictures and portraits of my mother, and, unmistakably, my mother’s mother, whose mark is just visible in one small portrait of her, clearly done by an amateur hand. I can imagine how it stretched across the back of her head, branching along her skull--I can see my own mother’s mark, clearly, in the center of her forehead.

I feel cold as the wooden floor under my feet as my eyes trace the border of the mark on her forehead for the first time.

“Lu?” my father calls, from downstairs. “Lucy? Lu-cy?”

The starburst on her forehead is strangely jagged. Unsteady. The shape that a bullet hole would make, if someone were shot close in the head. An accident while cleaning a gun. A trauma to the back of the skull. I hear a footstep on the stairs, almost hesitant, its weight barely masked by the slowness with which my father places it down.

“Lucy?” he says. “I prayed to God for a miracle, and he told me what we ought to do. I need to see you, now.”

I can’t breathe. My throat is choked by a snare as I throw myself back, scrambling across the floor and away from the box. My skirt flies up--my legs are exposed, the lines on them obvious in their purpose.

Summers ago, I went to the village with Pa, and we went to a stall hung with pig carcasses. There, there was a picture of a sow, her legs and sides and ribs marked with uneven lines where the different cuts of meat came from. Here was the thigh--here was the shank--here was the cut you made along the spine and the stomach.

I hear a slow, low rumble of creaking wood as he stops outside the door.

“Lucy?” he says, his voice more paternal than I have ever heard it, and I begin to cry--begin to pray to anything, anyone that will listen, pray that something else kills me before he enters, and nothing does.

And the door opens--slowly, too slowly, as though I’ve had a nightmare and he’s coming to check on me like a good father should--and he sees me with the box, with the tears flowing down my face, with my chest heaving in great stops and starts.

He takes a step forward. In his hands, he holds a sharpened butcher’s knife.

#horror #short story #writing #creepy #abuse tw #FEEL FREE TO REBLOG

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ginazmemeoir · 3 years

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Mmkay so this is just a fic idea that was swirling in my head, based off the tale of Kacha and Devayani. hope you like it :D

tagging some : @gopikanyari @momo-all-the-way @carmen-riddle @taareginn @reddish-green-personality

@holding-infinity-and-a-book @aadyeah @weird-u @the-fault-in-our-inquilab @dragonfairy1231 @allegoriesinmediasres @mango-pickle

The afternoon sun poured through the trees. A breeze flowed through the forest, picking up pace and then lazing back, like a cat trying to chase bees. Kacha, Sharmishtha, Prabha and I had gathered near a brook. It was our favourite spot in Vrishaparva. There were no prying eyes, and devas did not interfere in asura territory so we were safe from them as well. Everything seemed a bit too bright and colourful whenever Kacha was around. He chalked it up to the fact that his mother was a yaksha, so he had a connection with the forests. I sighed as I admired him – his flowing shoulder length locks, his wide nose and high cheekbones, his smile, the way he talked with the cows, his biceps as he whirled around his lathi. “Quit ogling him and just go up to him already or you’re gonna end up alone in a pit” said Sharmishtha, elbowing me. “I don’t even know what you see in him. I hear the other asuras call him a ‘deva bastard’ and a ‘twink’.” “That’s because they’re jealous of him. No asura could match the way he looks, or the way he behaves” I reply, cutting off Prabha’s useless critiques.

The wind picks up pace once again, and Sharmishtha gets up chasing her dupatta. A blue lotus flutters and drops near my feet, and I pick it up. It shimmers as if dusted with moonshine, and its scent made the fullest of roses in bloom in spring smell like stale bread. Prabha put it along with the other flowers in my gajra, and said “Even Lakshmi wouldn’t look half as beautiful as you when she sees you like this” she laughs merrily. I push at her playfully, and that is when Kacha arrives there. He was mostly silent, listening, observing, so it made me feel as if the lotus was a drug when he said, “Devayani, can I have that lotus?”

I hastily pluck it from my hair and give it to him. Sharmishtha returned by then, leaves in her hair, and her torn dupatta in her hand. “It was stuck in a branch and I had to climb 6 feet to retrieve it.” Kacha was oblivious to her rant, and he kept looking at the flower, as if studying a complex problem. “Do you like it Devayani?” he asks. I stare at him, slack jawed, dumbfounded to reply for a minute. “Yes she does. Now Kacha why don’t you get her those flowers?” “After all aren’t you the one who brings flowers for her priceless gajras?” say Prabha and Sharmishtha in order, teasing Kacha. A blush creeps up his cheeks, as he replies, “Lady Devyani is my guru’s daughter, it is my duty to serve her.” What I wouldn’t give to hear those words, but spoken with love instead of reverence. “They grow near the river’s source, in a lake nearby. That is the only place you can find these blue lotuses.” Sharmishtha says. Determination fills Kacha’s eyes. Sometimes I do wonder if he lies about his half yaksha parentage, for there is certainly something… different about his eyes. “I will return by dusk with your cattle Lady Devyani.” He assures me, and leaves for the lotuses, getting his lathi for the trek up ahead. I don’t believe his promise at all. Twice he’s promised me before, and twice before have the other jealous asuras murdered him, and twice before has father resurrected him through the mrita-sanjeevani on my plea. I look behind him, hopeful for the love budding in his heart, and dreading for his safety.

Dusk creeps its way into the ashram. I stand at the gate, looking anxiously for any sign of Kacha, when the asuras, led by Atibala, arrive at the gates. They were clearly coming after making merry, and I could smell the scent of honey wine on them. “Guru Shukracharya, please come accept our obeisance” says an asura, slurring his words and giggling half way through. Father arrives, in his flowing white dhoti and beard, annoyed at the disturbance in his prayers to Shambhu. “Who is it at this late – oh Atibala! Come, it is always great to see an old student!” says father, as he invited Atibala and his companions. Maybe he wouldn’t greet them the same way if he knew they were the ones who had murdered his favourite disciple in cold blood twice. Or maybe he did know, but chose to ignore it. Atibala brings a pitcher and a goblet towards father and offers him wine. Father took the goblet and greedily inhaled the scent, swirling the vessel. An enthusiastic wine connoisseur, father downed the goblet in one gulp, remarking afterwards that it tasted different. Atibala attributed it to fanciful terms like the right serving temperature, touched father’s feet and left. Father soon after retired to his chambers, leaving me alone.

The sky is now dotted by stars, illuminated by the first rays of moonlight, and I start panicking. There is still no sign of Kacha. I rush towards father’s chambers and wake him up. “Father, Kacha hasn’t returned yet. Please do something!” I cry. Father immediately gets up, all hints of the sluggishness from the wine gone. He instructs me to light a lamp, and to wait outside. After what feels like eternity, but would have been a blink of an eye for him, he calls me in. His expression is gaunt, and his hands are trembling. “What happened father?” I ask, warily. “Kacha is no more.” he says, as if tired. “What?” I reply, shocked. “I SAID HE IS DEAD. HE WAS CUT DOWN BY ATIBALA AND HIS PARTY, AND THEN THE SON OF A BITCH BURNT HIM.” “Father, you are the only person in this universe who can revive the dead. Twice you have revived him at my behest, I vow father this is the last time I ask of you, please bring Kacha back.” I plead again, trying to calm father’s rage. He goes into a meditative trance again, but returns back quickly, this time even more shocked than last time. “Kacha is in me.” I am too stunned to even comprehend what he means. “Atibala mixed his ashes in my wine.” Father says, disgusted and horrified at himself, his students, and fate’s cruel turn.

Dread floods me. I cannot choose the man I love, about whose love I’m not even sure, over my father. Father, as if sensing my thoughts, says in a resigned tone, “Devyani, I can only resurrect Kacha on one condition. I will have to teach him the mrita-sanjeevani, which Kacha will then use to resurrect me back once he comes out of my body.” Father sounds like a defeated man. Obviously, such a heinous act by ones students was bound to leave a teacher like this. I kneel beside father’s bed, holding his hand, calming and healing him through my powers, as he starts chanting the mantra. Slowly, a faint light starts emitting from him. Kacha then emerges, making a sickening sound as he tore through father’s abdomen. Immediately he kneels down beside father, laying his hand on his chest, and utters the mantra. Father’s stomach seals up, and his breath returns to him as he opens his eyes. He still has that odd look of resignation on his face, and looks at me with – pity?

Today has been a lesson to me, a lesson that matters of the heart while shouldn’t be rushed, should certainly not be stayed, lest the heart’s wish never take wings. I can’t even bear the thought of losing Kacha again, not without telling him how I felt about him. “Kacha,” I start, as I move towards him “, I am in love with you. I love you like the dawn loves the sun, like the river loves the sea, like the clouds love-“ “Stop Devyani.” Kacha says, interrupting me midway. I fear what’s going to happen. Is he offended? Or does he not love me? “Devyani, I must return back.” Kacha says. “Where?” I ask him. Kacha had showed up on our door once, and each time I asked about his origin or parentage, he shied away. “Back to Amravati.” he replies. The deva capital? I look at father, who has instead chosen to look at the floor. I look back at Kacha.

I now realize the heartbreak that poets so fondly mention, as if stating the weather. How idiotic they are. Heartbreak wasn’t beautiful. It wasn’t even painful. It was draining. Everything I thought I knew was a lie. The man I had fallen for saw me as nothing more than a tool. All those times I caught him looking at me, or when he caught I, was a performance. His demeanour? What about his silent laugh? Was the way he blushed earlier today also a performance, part of an elaborate use to manipulate me? A thousand questions flood me, but only one sentence makes it out of my mouth – “You lied to me. You-you used me?” Tears blur my vision as I take a step back. “You are just a deva spy, and you used me.” Kacha stays silent, his shoulders hunched and head bent. “And you knew – you knew and you kept this a secret from me!” I whirl at father. He looks at me with tear stained eyes. “Devayani I-“ “Don’t you dare even take my name out of your filthy impure tongue!” I shout as I turn back to Kacha. He flinches at my tone, and I see the glistening tears on his face as well.

“You knew how I felt about you. You knew I loved you, and you knew I would get father to resurrect you each time you died. Had you told me your truth, I would’ve kept my distance, I would’ve stayed out of your way, I would’ve respected you for fighting for your faction, and yet. Yet you chose to manipulate me and my love, you conniving betraying lying cheating deva bastard!” Kacha looks taken aback at my words. I can feel my features contorting from my rage and pain. I can feel the hurt I’m causing, the way my tongue bleeds Kacha’s heart like he bled mine. I muster all my powers, and then I utter words that would cause Kacha the most suffering – “Kacha. You have seen my love so far, but now you will see the power of my hatred and my wrath. Kacha, I curse you to never be able to use the mrit-sanjeevani. I curse you to forget the knowledge to use the same mantra for which you have died and returned to the world thrice. Let the devas know that their spy failed.”

Kacha’s expression turns to stone. He bows to my father and touches his feet, and my father, the chivalrous, honourable man he is, blessed the man who almost killed him and broke his only child’s heart with a curt “May you emerge victorious in all future missions.”. Kacha then flies out of my house, and a blue lotus, with petals that shone like moonshine and fragrance that made the fullest of roses blooming in spring smell like stale bread, falls at my feet.

#kacha #devayani #devyani #kacha and devayani #kacha and devyani #hindu mythology #mythology #story time #vasu

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itsallmightbitch · 4 years

Text

Stitches (Part One)

Villain!Might is annoyingly sexy. God damn. Part One of two, because once again, it was getting way, way too long. The real smut is in part two but this has it’s fair share of naughtiness. *once again the gif is not mine

Pairing: Villain!Might x Reader

Rating: Explicit (Dry humping and dirty talk)

Warnings: Blood, Bad Language

Word Count: 7633

Summary: It turns out that being injured on the job makes the biggest villain in Japan undeniably horny. If only he would quit being so handsy, maybe you could finish his goddamn stitches.

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

You were only just getting used to having All Might stumble in to your apartment at all hours of the day or night.

Only. Just.

That didn’t mean you bloody enjoyed it though! Considering the amount of times it happened a week you should probably just give him a key- but there was little chance of him using it when he seemed so content in picking the lock anyway.

It was sort of like a power play. A ‘look how easily I can break in’ kind of thing.

In the beginning it had been an intimidation ploy and fuck, had it worked. You’d walked on eggshells for weeks until it slowly dawned on you that he was simply having a little fun on your behalf. Breaking in at all fucking hours to loudly watch TV and drink your goddamn milk like he owned the place.

Scaring the absolute bejesus out of you when you went for water in the middle of the night and he was sitting in the dark like an absolute creep.

He did that one a lot. Informed you that your reaction was absolutely priceless and he couldn’t help himself.

You’d threatened to overdose him on morphine when he was asleep.

Quid pro quo.

Now… his intrusions had become more of a semi-welcome occurrence slash inconvenience.

After much nagging and complaining on your part, when you felt confident that he had no real desire to murder you in your sleep of course, he’d stopped being such a prick when he came around and if you were honest, it was kind of nice.

It would be less nice if any heroes or the police caught wind of you harbouring Japan’s Number One Villain but that was a thought best left for when the time came. Your less than legal activities for the criminal class hadn’t been sussed out in the six years you’d been here and you doubted that any of them were planning on ratting out one of their few sources of medical attention any time soon.

Speaking of medical attention…

All Might was certainly not welcome when he was bleeding like a stuck pig all over your new hardwood floor.

He was framed in the low light of the hallway behind him, although he nearly blocked it out as he filled out the doorway with his wide shoulders. One large hand gripped the door jamb and the other crossed his chest, clenched over a wound you couldn’t see.

But you could see the blood pouring from it- seeping out between his fingers and soaking through the tattered remains of the shirt he’d been wearing.

His breathing was hard, eyes dark and guarded and the rain had flattened his hair to his head, making him look absolutely manic.

“Oh my God!” were your only words, fear suddenly coursing through you as you lunged from where you’d been sitting- only stopping inches from him and praying that he could make it to the couch by himself. There was no way you could carry that much weight alone and the thought of calling for reinforcements should he pass out was less than appealing.

The only people you really knew were criminals or your parents. You could see how that conversation would play out and it didn’t end well.

The hand he’d been using to stem the blood flow fell from his shoulder and red splattered in a line in front of your socked feet. You took a step back as he ducked under the doorway, effectively inviting himself in.

“What happened!?” you balked, moving out of his path and shutting the door behind him. A cursory glance told you that there was no-one else around, thankfully.

“Bad business,” he grunted, steadying himself on a dining chair- although the wood creaked worryingly under his thick fingers.

“Bad business,” you repeated incredulously, your voice tinged with mild exasperation at just how easily he could brush off an entrance like that with such a throwaway remark. He shot you a warning glance that you heeded. It was the most you’d probably get out of him so you didn’t attempt to pry further as he trudged tiredly towards the comfort of your couch.

For now, at least, you would leave it at that.

He sat down gingerly, learning from past experiences that throwing his weight around was likely to end with yet another broken bit of furniture and you calling him all the names under the sun. He didn’t look like he quite had the energy for your usual snarky banter.

“Good to know you’re as enlightening as ever,” you frowned, following behind him and flicking on another lamp as you went. You would need plenty of light for what was about to come next. He sank into the soft couch cushions with a sigh of relief that he probably wouldn’t have made if he wasn’t gushing blood from his shoulder.

“Shit,” you said, panicked suddenly at the sight of it coating almost every inch of his chest and arm. While you couldn’t see underneath his shoulder armour, you could guess that it was slick and red as well. His usually golden complexion was pale but besides that, there weren’t any other marks on him..

Sucking in a deep steadying breath, you pushed away the encroaching panic.

You were a medical professional, for fuck sake. Blood was basically a daily occurrence and the fact that it was suddenly pouring out of him of all people, shouldn’t make a difference.

Except it did and deep in your stomach, panic still flitted around and made you quiver uneasily.

“Let me see how bad it is,” you said, a tremor to your voice. But you made no room for an argument as serious mode was firmly engaged. Despite all he was to the rest of the world, you really didn’t want his stupid ass to die.

He nodded stoically, recognising that you were now in your professional frame of mind and that acting up would only make treating him more awkward. Though his dark gaze still fixed on your face as you gingerly tugged the ruined edges of his shirt aside.

You pulled in a hiss of air between your teeth initially, but the more you explored the less you wanted to freak out.

Despite the superficial shock from the sight of so much blood, your stomach settled it’s uncomfortable rolling as you gauged the seriousness of his injury. The gash was fairly deep but not enough to bare the bone of his clavicle- and you guessed that the amount of blood he was covered in was a result of adrenaline and disregard for the injury as he fought.

“How bad does it hurt? Do you need something for the pain?” you asked, not look at him and you tried to move his shoulder pad away gently. The thing weighed a tonne though and you had little success.

He scoffed, pushing you away with a stern look followed by a cocky sneer.

“Don’t be an idiot. I enjoy the pain,” he rumbled, staring you down as if daring you to disagree.

You did more than dare. He wasn’t big bad All Might when he was in your fucking domain and sometimes he needed reminding of that.

“Oh really?” you levelled a look at him. “So, doing this doesn’t hurt at all?”

Without warning, you poked his shoulder just to the left of his injury and he yowled, infuriated and pained at the same time. His whole body stiffened in agony and his yelping quickly morphed into a half growl, low and dangerous- like you’d awakened the dormant dragon from his slumber.

His eyes flashed and he bared his teeth in a snarl at you, a wounded animal trying to hide behind his bluster and bravado.

“You fucking bitch,” he snapped, hand covering the gash once more as though you were about to go in for a second attack.

Instead of cowering in fear like you had the first time he’d ever darkened your doorway, you simply rolled your eyes at his brutish behaviour. This arrogant showboating of his wasn’t new to you. Nor was he even remotely intimidating when he was clearly in pain.

Hell, he hadn’t even attempted to get up from the welcoming comfort of the couch and so you weren’t particularly concerned for your physical safety.

All Might- around you at least- was all bark and no bite. You clicked your tongue at him, as though admonishing him.

“Language you big jerk. Show your doctor a little respect.”

The look he shot you would have cowed a lesser man and had sent heroes in the opposite direction pissing themselves in fear.

You patted his cheek fondly instead.

“Don’t be a big baby,” you murmured, smirking as you wandered towards your kitchen in search of your supplies. “I’ll get you some bourbon. I still have that top-shelf shit you left here a few months ago.”

His bellyaching abruptly settled into an irritated grumbling when he realised that you hadn’t meant your run of the mill Advil and instead meant ‘booze’. He still said something under his breath as you went though, sullen and annoyed at his current predicament and determined to get the last word in as always.

You kind of sympathised? Maybe?

It wasn’t often that he came to you with a serious injury. Usually it was for shrapnel damage or the odd burn when he was less than careful around Endeavor- which again, wasn’t often. You’d never had to really worry about him before, even if he seemed determined to make you.

But it was fun to tease him now that the fear had abated and your mind was a little less on red alert.

You left him sitting there, your cat staring up at him with big curious eyes, while you headed towards the kitchen.

“You’ll give me sympathy, won’t you Marco?” he said, loudly enough for you to hear as you rounded the corner. You rolled your eyes.

After pulling the bottle from your cupboard and setting it aside, you rounded on an indiscriminate blank wall- the one that separated your kitchen and hallway. Eyeing it for a moment, you lightly rested the pads of your fingers in the centre. It felt warm from the thrumming mechanism underneath and a soft beep, followed by a click, informed you that it was now unlocked.

The panel compressed inwards by a quarter inch and you used your fingertips to slide it to one side, your face now illuminated by a soft blue light. God bless your satisfied customers, you smirked as you surveyed the medical equipment now on display.

You had everything from sterilised needles to IV bags, scalpels to a portable defibrillator.

It wasn’t as though you didn’t have all of this shit legally. But having a place to hide it made things easier when you wanted to pretend you were a normal, run of the mill citizen to your (very few) friends and family. They assumed, quite wrongly, that your medical career had been left behind in the army.

You gathered what you would need, including a damn strong needle that glinted in the low light when you settled on it. You’d need something tough to get through his skin and only then did you begin to wonder again about just what had managed to cut him so deeply.

It boggled your mind, the force that some of these people could fight with.

He was staring at you impatiently when you returned.

“You seem calmer,” he observed, sounding almost disappointed. “It’s almost as though you don’t care what happens to your favourite patient.”

You tutted.

“It’s almost as though you just enjoy making me panic.”

“I like to watch you panic, sweetheart. Brings out your eyes,” he chuckled darkly, catching his tongue between his teeth while his own eyes trailed over you. You ignored the sudden surge of heat to your cheeks because as usual, he was managing to make you blush.

Nothing new there.

While you’d been fucking about in the kitchen, he’d had the foresight to remove both his armoured shoulder pads and the remains of his shirt- despite his injury making it painful to do so.

You had an unobscured view of his chest now, blood painting it red and you were suddenly glad you’d invested in a throw for your couch because it was damn near everywhere had he clearly had no qualms about leaving bloody hand prints on it.

“You better not have pet Marco with blood all over your hands,” you warned him as you laid out your supplies on the side table neatly, glancing around until you found your cat lounging on his cat tree- no longer interested in your intruder. Since All Might didn’t have food to sneak him today, Marco wasn’t bothering him any more.

Fickle thing, you thought.

“The cat is fine. I’m the fucking injured party here,” All Might scoffed, apparently irritated that you were no longer fussing around him like you had been. Despite how he always complained and brushed off your worry, you knew he liked having someone fawn over him. Sometimes you played it up just to watch him melt for you.

Not tonight though.

“Oh hush,” you said, leaning in again to examine the wound.

It was angry and still oozing blood like it was the world’s worst slip’n’slide but from what you could see there was nothing in there you would have to dig out. It only really needed to be cleaned and then it would need at least twenty or so stitches but hey, at least he wasn’t dead.

The warmth of him under your palm confirmed your ‘not dead’ diagnosis. How the Hell did one man produce so much heat?

You hummed and debated with yourself for a moment because… well. Leaning over him like you were for twenty stitches would be rough on your back and from experience, you knew asking him to move from his current comfortable position would be met with a firm ‘fuck off’.

This was going to be torture for both of you- for different reasons. You’d never hear the end of it.

With no other way to reach him without being awkward about it, you straddled his thick thighs- grumbling all the way. His eyebrows rose as you climbed into his lap, settling your ass onto his knees before reaching for your things beside you.

You refused to look him in the eye though and absolutely would not think about how far apart your legs had to go to accommodate him.

All Might, despite the pain he was in, clearly hadn’t lost any major brain function. His hands came up and settled on your hips like they belonged there- blood staining your tee-shirt. They were heavy and warm, the sheer size of them covering both hips as his fingers splayed out across your back. He exhaled but said nothing about your sudden position, simply relaxing back to let you do your thing.

His usually slicked back hair was mussed and falling over his eyes but you could still see the shock of bright blue following your every movement with a sharp, ardent scrutiny.

Well.

That was intense.

“What!?” you snapped, annoyed at his incessant staring- and the effect it was having on you. His smirk broadened into a full blown, easy smile.

“Not quite how I imagined you sitting in my lap for the first time,” he rumbled, as though it was a perfectly normal thing to say. Like he was talking about the weather. Your body jolted, head swimming. You prayed he couldn’t read your face but you knew it was a futile hope.

Your expression and blush simply encouraged him more.

His thumbs swept a wide path over your waist while you desperately tried not to think about how big his fingers were. You swallowed hard, attempting to steady the shake in your hands as you wiped away blood.

“I’d always thought… well, hoped actually, that you’d sit on my face first, kitten,” he continued lightly.

Honestly, the fact that you didn’t pop a blood vessel right then and there was admirable.

“If you don’t quit that, I’m going to poke you with this big ass needle and it will hurt,” you managed to choke out, pressing a little harder than necessary as you cleaned his chest. He flinched, body tightening before sagging with relief when you removed your hand.

He heaved an irritable sigh but you weren’t exactly finished berating him.

“Symbol of Chaos my very fine ass,” you continued mockingly, embarrassment spilling out in the form of harsh words. He glared at you with icy, unreadable eyes. “You bleed all over my apartment, scare the shit out of me and then think it’s perfectly acceptable to make a joke about me riding you. You’re being such a dickhead.”

You said it like you meant it.

You already lived on edge half the time without having to worry about him as well. His lack of concern for his own well being was frustrating and you’d often find yourself scouring the news channels after a particularly vicious fight just to make sure he wasn’t dead or captured- seeing as he didn’t afford you the courtesy of a phone call.

Not that you’d ever expect him to.

“Are you finished, sweetheart?” he interrupted your train of thought, his fingers squeezing your hips almost painfully now. The mildly annoyed All Might was swiftly being replaced by the one who you would get into blazing arguments with. At least you knew how to handle this one…

“I think you’re getting too fucking comfortable with me, little bird. You think I’ve gone soft? Huh?” he lifted your chin with his thumb and forefinger, making you look at him while the other hand held you in place. “You and I both know I could snap that pretty little neck of yours with one hand if I wanted to,” he growled, his face suddenly inches from yours and you had the gall to mindlessly think that there was nothing soft about him.

You were a horny idiot with no self-preservation apparently.

He released your chin and rested the side of his hand on your shoulder, open palm angled towards your throat but not touching it.

A warning.

You’d definitely hit a nerve.

All the same though, some dumbass part of you refused to be intimidated in your own fucking home. You scowled up at him, pretending to be unimpressed rather than frightened. Blood thrummed in your ears, keeping pace with your rapid heartbeat.

Looking him in the eye was like was like staring down a fucking lion.

“Maybe I should. It would teach you a lesson.”

But you’d been doing this little song and dance with each other for months now and you’d perfected your ‘you don’t frighten me’ face long ago. It infuriated him, sure, but you had a sneaking suspicion that it also intrigued him.

He knew full well that he wasn’t the Symbol of Chaos when he was in your apartment. He was just… Toshinori.

Although he despised it when you called him that. Shouted and raged and screamed at you every time but let you continue doing it anyway. You didn’t know why he hated his own name so much nor why he relented so easily when you insisted on calling him by it but, it was always your trump card.

“Toshinori,” you said sharply and he nearly flinched. “Stop being such a drama queen.”

His anger withered right then and there into something else, and the beast reluctantly backed down as he seemed to come to his senses.

But once a villain…

“You going to stop being a bitch if I do?” he asked, cocking his head to one side. His brow was still furrowed, making his face look harsh but you could see his scowl lessen.

“No,” you muttered petulantly, mustering up all of your courage to do so. He hadn’t killed you yet, after all. He’d never even laid a hand on you- violently anyway. Light touches and slapping your ass didn’t count. You pushed his large hand from your shoulder and he let you, dropping it back to the couch below. “But I suppose I’ll save it for when you’re not bleeding out on my couch.”

“Gee, thanks.”

And he was back ladies and gentlemen! How to train your villain, in three steps or less.

You brushed off his sarcasm and leaned to one side, reaching for the needle and surgical thread. His hand came back up to your hip- finished with his tantrum. He supported your weight as you rummaged through the plastic container you’d set aside for him.

It took you no time to find a rhythm for your work as you both fell into easy silence- pinching the wound shut with one hand while the other deftly stitched him up. You had to shift a few times in his lap, holding a small flashlight between your teeth when the lamps on either side of the couch weren’t bright enough.

It was thankfully, a clean cut with no ragged edges to it and once again, you could only wonder how sharp the thing that made it was.

There was no indicator that he was in pain other than the occasional squeeze of his fingers but you didn’t bring it up or offer him any other pain medication. He seemed content with the occasional swig of bourbon.

Halfway there, you paused for a breather.

“You good?” you asked softly, noting that you were ten stitches down with eleven more to go. When you looked up, you saw his jaw tick at your concern but he answered you all the same.

“M’fine. Just get it over with,” he grunted, his breath fanning over the top of your head.

He sounded more impatient than pained now but honestly, that was just the norm for him. At least he seemed less woozy as blood started flowing around his body instead of out of it. He’d have another gnarly scar to add to his collection at the end of this but you were doing your best to minimise the damage.

“Almost done,” you said, patting his chest reassuringly. He said nothing but you felt a little of the tension in his thighs abate.

“Good,” he grumbled eventually, as petulant as ever. Your lips quirked in a half smile. He noticed the mood change. “So…” he said, clearing his throat when it became clear you weren’t going to say anything else. “What does the good doctor recommend this time? Plenty of rest and chicken soup?”

“You know, it’s like you read my mind,” you said, focusing hard on the last few stitches. You’d given him some of your best work despite the fact that your hands were shaking with adrenaline. Not to blow your own trumpet too much but you could see why he came back time and time again.

There wasn’t a back alley, hack job doctor in the city who could do work like you could- mostly thanks to your Quirk.

“But, you know, I can’t cook worth a damn so you’ll have to make do with leftover takeout, your highness,” you added, tongue caught between your teeth to hide your smile. He didn’t bother hiding his, grinning at you like the damn Cheshire Cat. “The bed rest is non-negotiable though. I don’t need you running rampant in Kamino and undoing all of my hard work.”

You had already decided that he would sleep here for a few days before you even considered letting him leave again and he could throw all the fucking tantrums he liked because you wouldn’t be budging an inch on it. You knew he would tear the damn stitches the second you let him out of your sight.

He didn’t whine though. Just said-

“Well, there’s always one way to keep me occupied,” he leered, eyes trailing over you and down to where you were seated over his crotch. You rolled your eyes. Even when he was clearly in agony, he was trying to get into your pants. “What do you think, sweetheart? Wanna sit on my cock?”

Um YES!?

“Um, no, you big fucking pervert,” you tutted, rolling your eyes inspite of what your body screamed at you. He chuckled, amused at how fast you’d said no.

“Shame. You’d like it,” he purred, his voice no longer tinged with pain.“I know I’d fucking love it.”

His tone was light, teasing and it did unspeakable things to you. You had to hand it to him. He’d always been surprisingly playful when it came to you- that first meeting notwithstanding.

If there was one word the media would ever use to describe the man who terrorised their cities day in and day out, playful would not be it. When he’d first stooped through your doorway and demanded your services, you hadn’t thought for a single second you’d ever make it out of there alive- let alone have him tease and flirt with you six months down the line.

He’d inserted himself into your life with the sort of ease that came naturally to a wicked, no good villain like himself. Then twisted your worldview until you suddenly couldn’t see what life would be like without him annoying you.

Sure, he made jokes and provocative comments and generally acted like a pervert when he wasn’t in need of medical assistance- but he also never pushed you and you felt a deep appreciation for the weird moral code that he stuck to.

He was a liar. A cheat. A murderer. An absolute fucking psychopath when he wanted to be. He took a tremendous amount of pleasure in causing pain- almost as much as you took in binge watching Netflix on a Saturday night.

But he’d reeled in indignation when it was suggested that he was interested in sexual deviancy.

He insisted that he liked his partners willing and able to participate and then had looked you up and down like he was actually going to eat you on the spot. You’d quickly changed the subject and then when he’d said his brief goodbye you’d changed your panties too because that look had soaked you through.

And he fucking knew it did.

You’d spent years patching up the worst people that this city had to offer. Which, in comparison to other places, was a disturbingly high number per capita. Like, off the bloody charts high. At the end of the day though, you could detach yourself from them. If the army had taught you one thing in your seven year deployment, it was how to stay detached.

Becoming emotionally involved with a man- especially one as universally hated and feared as he was- hadn’t been covered in the handbook.

It had hit you out of left field like a Detroit Smash to the fucking temple.

You had Vagabond- Ivy to her friends, to thank for the entire situation.

She had been the first villain you’d ever patched up. You’d found her, barely breathing and severely wounded, in the alley way behind your apartment complex. It had been a spur of the moment rescue and after you’d nursed her back to health, she’d been surprisingly sweet to you.

After a few successful meetings in which she didn’t murder or rob you and you didn’t shop her to the cops- she’d begun to recommend her ‘friends’, for lack of a better descriptor, to you when they needed something done.

Seeing the money they were offering had put to rest any guilt you might have felt about helping criminals.

All Might… had come to you on his own.

Ivy had never mentioned any affiliation with him and you’d never exactly advertised your services, so when your door had swung open and he’d marched in, you had all but pissed your pants in fear. So had the unfortunate Yakuza member that you had been prescribing muscle relaxers to at the time.

He’d certainly needed them as All Might had literally thrown him out into your hallway, face first and then demanded that you patch up the burn on his hand instead.

Ivy had listened to your tale the next day, wide eyed and mouth gaping as you’d described the most feared man in the world sitting patiently on your couch as you’d whipped up a special salve to combat the sting of Endeavor’s handiwork.

Despite his rude entrance, he’d been gruff yet polite as you talked him through caring for the burn when he was done. Then he’d thanked you for your time and left. Just like that. You’d never thought you would see him again.

Then he’d started to come around more often. Sometimes he wasn’t even injured and while he passed it off as needing a place to lay low for a day or two, you suspected that even a man as intimidating and powerful as him- needed a friendly face sometimes.

Or someone to ogle. Either or.

Now that you were done with his stitches, you wiped the wound clean with an antiseptic wipe but left the gauze on the coffee table. He needed a shower and clean clothes before you would even consider dressing it.

“Not that I’m telling you how to do your job, darling,” he queried, shifting underneath you but keeping you steady with his firm grip. “But don’t I at least get a band-aid?”

You quirked an eyebrow at him, leaning back and away from the heat of his body because it was tampering with your ability to think straight.

You ‘tsked’ disapprovingly at his question, grabbing his chin and moving his face to one side to get a better look at him. He was deathly pale and looked exhausted. Yet he still had the energy to suggest that you have sex with him. Usually you wouldn’t have been so openly pissed at the blatant disregard he had for his own well being but he’d terrified you tonight and had brought all your silly feelings for him rushing back to the forefront of your mind.

“No,” you deadpanned. “You need to take a shower first and get into something clean.”

“I knew you were trying to get me naked. All you had to do was ask you know,” he teased softly, hands sliding up from your hips to your waist.

You grabbed his wrists to push them away but it was like pushing at steel and you narrowed your eyes at him. He made a low, vibrating noise in his chest- half laugh half admonishment for being disobedient.

“You can’t keep teasing me like this kitten,” he informed you, even though you had no idea you’d even been teasing him in the first place. “You make me so fucking hard, d’ya know that?” He tugged you closer without warning until you were plastered against him, almost face to face.

Your heart thundered in your chest and every nerve ending sparked to life under his hands.

His voice was laced with thick arousal. Apparently life threatening injuries made him horny.

Go figure.

“Is that right?” you said, staring up at him while your gut twisted into a million different shapes. He leered at you and then to emphasise his point, he rolled his hips upwards and pressed his erection between your legs.

Your breath hitched despite you trying not to make a sound. He grinned, wolfish and hungry- wanting to chase that sound out of you again.

“Yeah, s’right,” he muttered lowly, eyes flickering to your lips and then lower. He seemed to debate with himself for a moment before he ducked his face to your neck, laying a hot kiss over your pulse point. His mouth was warm and wet and his tongue was thick, trailing in a line along your jaw and back again- until he tugged your earlobe between his teeth and you bucked mindlessly, without even meaning to.

You felt him grin, then the sharp pinch of his canines as he nipped at your neck.

“Come on sweetheart,” his voice was laced with arousal. “Tell me what you want me to do to you. Or do I have to guess?”

Oh where did you even start?

“I- I want-,” you breathed hard, letting him grind you down against his cock. Your thighs shook, the pajama pants you’d worn for your quiet night in, doing nothing to get in the way of the thick shaft that pressed between the lips of your pussy. God, he was big. You’d guessed he would be but this was just ridiculous…

His hand slid along your back and covered your ass and pull you down harder- rubbing you over his cock in a steady rhythm.

Your gasp of pleasure made him grin wickedly and hum a pleased sound in his throat.

“That’s it, kitten,” he said encouragingly, like he was proud of you for being so pliable for him. So easily led into this sinful encounter. It’s not like you’d tried to push him away, was it? No. Because deep down, underneath all of your shaky morals you wanted him just as badly as he wanted you.

“You’ve always wanted me to fuck you, haven’t you? Always wanted to spread your legs for me? Don’t worry, I’ll make it so good for you,” he murmured, a promise you never thought you’d hear him make.

Gentle and All Might didn’t exactly go together and the thought of him making love to you, whispering sweet nothings in you ear was almost laughable.

…Almost.

It was also incredibly arousing.

“I didn’t think you were the gentle type,” you managed to say, excited by the prospect of having him inside you now. All other issues were pushed out of your mind at the mere thought of him fulfilling all of these promises he was making.

Abruptly, as if to make his point, he slowed the pace that he’d been rocking your hips at- taking on a more leisurely roll that saw him bucking upwards to meet you halfway.

“You don’t think I can be gentle with you?” he asked, hand coming up to cup your cheek and he must have been amused by your rabbit in headlights expression because he laughed. Was this really the same man who you would have blazing, heated arguments with? Who tore down whole city blocks just because he could?

“You really think I’m just a one trick pony? Oh baby, just wait until I get you into a bed. I’ll take my time with you. Fuck you long, and slow and hard until you can’t see straight. Until the fucking sun comes up.”

His words were punctuated by your pathetic whines of pleasure as he ground against you and at the thought of him, not just pounding you into the bed, but actually taking his time? Of seeing a side of him you’d never seen before, loving you slow in all the right places?

Well, you just about melted against him. Boneless would fail to describe how you felt.

How had you gone from stitching him up to dry humping him on your couch? You had no idea but you also knew that it was a long time coming. Him getting all sweet on you was just… speeding up the process. He was still keeping the pace languid and you had no problem with that, the intense build up of winding tension in your stomach twisting ever tighter.

You had soaked through your panties by now and the damp fabric was pressing against your clit with every upward stroke of his cock.

You wanted to kiss him but even now, as close as you both were, his height still put him at an awkward angle.

Vaguely, you remembered that you had goddamn hands.

You reached up and circled them around the back of his muscular neck and tugged softly to indicate what you wanted. He leered at you tauntingly for just a moment before remembering his promise and letting you pull him in.

He was, as you’d rightly guessed, an excellent kisser.

His lips were cool from the rain he’d walked through to get here, but his tongue was hot and as always, he gave you very little preamble before the main event. His tongue was at your lips almost instantly, testing your boundaries of which you apparently had fucking zero tonight.

All it took was a sharp nip to your bottom lip and you were letting him in, letting him take what he wanted from your mouth while you revelled in every second of it.

His groan was music to your ears, deep and almost needy as a palm pressed between your shoulder blades. You didn’t think you could physically get closer to him but you were wrong as he devoured you, your breasts pressing hard into his chest. You kept up with him as best you could but eventually you needed air and to your surprise, he let you pull away when you wanted to.

His eyes were dark and full of lust when you stared back at him, swallowing.

It was then that you finally caught sight of your own hands on him, blood coating them.

His blood.

Your body went cold. Shit! How had you gotten so distracted!?

Fuck. You longed desperately to throw all your inhibitions right out of the window because he was very, very good at this but that niggling voice that had been worried about him from the moment he arrived was suddenly getting too loud to ignore.

As much as you wanted to enjoy the attention and his lips on your throat, he was currently in no state to even think about anything remotely physical. Although… you could do most of the work… No! No, he needed to shower and eat and get some of that strength back.

You knew it and he knew it, despite his attempts to make you believe otherwise.

He made an irritated sound at you when you pulled away.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, amused by your sudden fussing of him as you checked over the fresh stitches. So much for keeping everything sanitary, you cringed. You’d been about ready to ride him into the couch not twenty seconds ago.

“Sorry, big guy but the buffet is closed. As much as it hurts me to say.” And oh, was it excruciating. “Now, get your ass to the shower,” you commanded, levelling a hard glare in his direction and ignoring the whine that your brain gave at the loss of contact.

Usually he would match your glare, not intimidated by some uppity little army doc who whored out her services to Kamino’s underbelly.

His words, the first time you met each other, not yours.

He was clearly more tired than he let on as he reluctantly relented, letting you climb off of his lap with no more arguments. You brushed yourself down, cheeks red all while attempting not to stare at the straining outline of his cock through his blood covered pants. You focused on his injury instead of the ache between your legs.

When you were satisfied the stitches would hold through some light movement, you held out a hand for him to take. He shot you an incredulous look but took it all the same, standing in one swift movement that told you it had been out of courtesy and not necessity. You hadn’t even had to pull.

“We aren’t finished here, I hope you know that,” he warned you and your body sang in response. Your face stayed serious though and you pulled your lip between your teeth. His eyes followed the motion and he dipped down for another kiss-

You really, really wanted to let him but instead, you shoved him as hard as you could towards the hallway and in the direction of the bathroom.

He growled, unimpressed at being denied so abruptly.

It was only seconds ago you’d been whining and hot under his hands and now you were shuffling awkwardly and forcing him in towards the shower. Talk about a cock tease.

“Leave your clothes out,” you said, before he could go. “I’ll wash them. You can’t go around in those bloody things like an animal.”

“You sure you don’t want to wash my back in there, kitten?” he was suddenly towering over you, crowding you with the bulk of his body and you felt heat creep up along your neck. You resisted the urge to say yes and follow him- although it was a battle hard won.

“Towels are in the cupboard and there should be pajama pants and a tee-shirt in your size in the bottom drawer,” you smiled sweetly, patting his stomach and ducking out from under his shadow. You cleared the room in an instant, leaving him in the entrance to the hallway and dancing out of reach of his very bad influence.

He gave you a long, very searching look.

“You had company over or something?” he asked bluntly, never one to beat around the bush.

“Not that’s it any of your business but no,” you replied, tonguing the inside of your cheek as you contemplated your answer. “I um… I bought you some stuff in case you decided to use me as a hotel again. It’s not a big deal.”

So what if you’d picked out a couple of shirts and some pajama pants in his size and colour? It wasn’t like you wanted him to move in or anything. You were being prepared. Which is the hill you’d chosen to die on and you weren’t budging from it.

He shot you a filthy grin, pleased with your answer and the redness in your face.

“Oh stop looking so happy with yourself and get out,” you huffed, flinging a cushion at him. He roared a laugh that shook your walls as he retreated down the hallway- appeased by your current level of affection for him.

A soft, ‘mrrp’, to your left caught your attention and your cat stared back at you.

“Don’t even start your lecture,” you answered, grumpily. “You like him too.”

Marco rubbed himself against the cat post, scratching his own chin on the rough material. He gave another quick meow of agreement before hopping down and wandering away and leaving you wondering what the hell you’d gotten yourself into.

TBC...

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(Part One) (Part Two) (Part Three)

#all might #all might x reader #all smite #all smite x reader #bnha #smut #BNHAFF

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lesbianmonsterlover · 4 years

Text

Under New Skies (Female Lizardfolk x Female Reader)

Three days into your little solo camping venture, you were regretting not paying more attention during that one astronomy class you took to fulfill your science gen ed in school. The little clearing where you’d set up was about a mile down a dirt path off of a main thoroughfare, and only the fact that it was midweek and getting into autumn kept things relatively quiet. You hadn’t come across another camper since you set up your tent and fire pit, spending your time pretty happily alone. Something has felt off all day though. It was so misty when you woke up, damp tendrils coiling along the ground and into the trees, so dense you couldn’t see past the treeline at all. You felt electric, almost like what you’ve read about before lightning strikes, all of your hair standing on end. Nothing happened though, and by late morning the sun had taken care of the mist leaving the day unseasonably warm.

Now, though, it’s nighttime, and something definitely seems wrong. You should be able to see the big and little dipper at this time of year, but they don’t seem to be anywhere in the sky? None of the constellations you can name seem to be anywhere actually. You don’t want to dwell on it, chalking it up to ignorance, but it leaves a niggling in the back of your brain. You wish you’d paid more attention to a lot of things, now. Were these forest sounds familiar? You want to say you’ve heard these bugs before, and birds, and frogs, but really would you notice if they were different? You think you would, hope you would. Something feels off though, but you put it off to deal with it in the morning.

That lump of lead hasn’t gone away by morning, and even though you’re meant to spend another night here you decide to cut the trip short and trek back to your car. It’s a ten mile hike from where you are to where you parked, a straight shot once you make the mile back to the main trail. You take care to clean, making yourself a thermos of coffee for the road before putting out the fire, and leaving the campsite behind with nothing to signify your presence other than a small ring of rocks surrounding cold, damp ash.

The first few minutes of your hike, you keep telling yourself you’re cutting you trip short due to paranoia. But you promise yourself a treat to make up for it, maybe some pastries and a gourmet coffee to make up for the freeze dried instant stuff you’re currently drinking, with enough powdered non dairy creamer to choke an actual cow. You don’t notice how long you’ve been walking, until you’re pretty sure you’ve walked well over a mile on this dinky little pathway through the underbrush, and you really should have come across the main trail now. Sitting on a downed log you pull out your map and your phone. You curse the lack of bars, regretting not bringing your little handheld satellite GPS receiver, but you’d thought it would be overkill for a short and straightforward hike like this. That will show you to never do that again, you suppose. Still, your compass says you’ve been walking the right direction, and you wonder if maybe you just haven’t gone quite far enough. Still, you keep your phone out, knowing that you should at least get a bar or two on the main trail, considering you were using it on the hike in.

By the time lunch rolls around, you haven’t made it anywhere it seems like. Sure you’ve made progress, but you know you’ve walked at least half a dozen miles, and you still have no cell site, you’ve seen no main road, no other travelers. You sit, resting against a tree, and study your map while you eat a protein bar. You’re scrutinizing, trying to figure out where you might be if you’ve gotten turned around. You wonder briefly if you should head back for the clearing you came from and wait it out another night, but what would that do really? You left at the only trailhead leading out of the clearing, that leads onto the same straightforward little trodden path that should have hit the main trail hours ago. There are no paths branching off of that one, and you haven’t stepped foot off the path since you began walking. You finish your protein bar with a grimace and have a few sips of water before angrily folding your map and continuing to follow the path.

The sun is just touching the tops of the trees when the little path you’ve been walking down all day finally intersects with a trail. You say a trail and not the trail, because this road that you’re now standing on looks completely unfamiliar to you. It looks like an old through road, unpaved and with two well worn ruts for what look like cart wheels running along it. You don’t see any sort of civilization either direction, and you’re contemplating climbing a tree to see what you can make out from up that high, but you really don’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere in need of an ambulance and you aren’t exactly a spry young child anymore, capable of climbing trees on a whim.

You wrack your brain, trying to figure something, anything out. You know that when you left the main trail onto what had been a small path to your campsite you’d turned right, so you should turn left down the trail to get back to your car. You head that way, despite all contrary evidence you keep hoping that if you just push through it you’ll reach your car and be headed back home. Maybe you’d go see a doctor, or maybe you’d just sleep off this experience, but it would be over and you could go back to the regular world.

When it’s well and truly night, and you still haven’t seen hide nor hair of another person, you let yourself settle down for a good cry. The moon is full, and you can at least see where you’re going, but all that does is illuminate everything that’s wrong. You should be able to see some sort of light pollution nearby, the sky shouldn’t be this full of stars, why is there no noisy civilization. You should be close enough to hear cars on the road, so where are they? You know you should settle down and wait for morning, but you know your brain just won’t let you sleep. So why rest? You keep pushing forward, and by the time the sun is rising you just want to collapse into another sobbing heap as the road continues ever on in front of you.

You aren’t hungry, anxiety eating at your stomach as much as it is your head. You do make sure to choke something down though, knowing that if you’re going to keep walking you need to keep calories in you. You’re thankful that the road runs near to a running source of water, you can hear that at least sometimes in the background and it’s easy enough to find once you go looking. Filling up your large canteen, you drop a water purification tablet in and continue out on your trek. Running on fear and anxiety, you stagger on for what could have been hours, or maybe only minutes, or maybe even days (okay that’s a bit of an exaggeration) until you reach a fork in the road.

Now, do you go the Robert Frost take the road less traveled with its overgrown footpath and dark canopy, or do you listen to the horror trope screaming at you in the face and take the well maintained and nicely lit pathway? Your desire to not wind up murdered wins out, and you take the brightly lit road with its well worn ruts. Robert Frost will have to wait until you aren’t in an actual life or death situation to come in with his wisdom. Although when you trip in one of those well worn ruts and sprain your ankle two miles later you’re rethinking your decision. So, you break down, and I mean who can blame you?

-------

Two days ago, and a handful of hours, Rha’ss felt her chaining for the first time. Usually sometime around reaching maturity one’s chaining would make itself known. Some bloomed slightly earlier, some later, but most who made it into their thirtieth year without it knew that they would not find themselves being called by their other half. It wasn’t unheard of at all for these unfated pairs to still love and live together, but the connection of a chained couple was known to be unrivaled, such that even high born nobles would take their fated regardless of status.

At thirty-eight Rha’ss had resigned herself to life without a chain, becoming a sellsword content with the knowledge that there would be none to truly mourn her when the time came. So imagine her surprise when she woke in the middle of the night to feel that gentle pull in the center of her chest, a yearning wrapped ‘round her heart that would not be fixed until the subject of her desires was with her. Between contracts as she was, it didn’t take long for her to be fixed on her horse and following the gentle pull in her chest.

She wondered then what had happened to have brought the bond to life so suddenly. Were you just coming of age? How would she handle that, and the differential that comes with such a difference in life experiences? Was there something else that had kept the bond dormant for so long? Were you merely far from her, and only now in close enough proximity for it to kindle? She hopes you won’t be disappointed by her, a hardened and jaded mercenary. She long buried her love and affection beneath a tough veneer of indifference, necessary for the blood she traded in. How would you handle holding hands that had dealt death?

Rha’ss isn’t sure what to make of you when she first comes across you. You’re curled in the middle of the road, sobbing, with your hands pressed against your face. From what she can see you’re too tall to be a gnome, but your ears are round so you can’t be an elf. Maybe half elf half gnome? You’re dressed so oddly too. In bright colors and materials she’s never seen before. Your shoes are odd to her, your coat, your bag. Everything is so strange. But when you look up, and your watery eyes sparkle against the sun as you stare up at her, she can’t find it in her to be upset.

“What’s the matter sweetling?”

-------

You find yourself staring up at an imposing creature astride a rather large dapple grey horse. They look like a lizardfolk out of a fantasy game, their reptilian face gleaming like jade in the bright sun. Their head is crested with pink and teal moving down their spine in impressive pointed frills almost like a mohawk. Their slitted eyes are a bright yellow, matching some of the scales that look almost like freckles across their shoulders and down their arms. Their throat leading down into their shirt is a pale cream, and the whole look is rather impressive. You wonder briefly at the edge of your consciousness if you should be scared, but something in your chest that’s been tight since two mornings ago seems to have relaxed now that you’re thinking of it.

Still, this...person? Person. This person is definitely not a human. And isn’t that something to think about? You wonder briefly if you’re in shock, did you actually break your ankle? Is this some weird fantasy your brain has stirred up to keep you from passing out and dying? Is all of this some weird fever dream where you’ll wake up in your campsite after a bout of food poisoning vowing to never eat rations again?

“What’s the matter sweetling?” Their voice is rough and feminine, low and rasping but with a lilt and timbre that makes you think of your grandmother in some odd way. They’re off their horse now, kneeling over you and looking down at you with such tenderness that all you can do is start sobbing anew and throw yourself at them. They shush you with quiet murmurs of nothing, taloned hands gently sifting through your hair to scratch at your scalp soothingly. Somehow, you choke out everything. From the changed pathway, to the different stars, to the different bugs, even to themselves.

“I don’t know what’s going on. Everything is all wrong, none of this makes sense! I can’t - I don’t know where I am, I can’t figure out how to get home. What do I do?” The being surrounding you gives a low, soothing hum, and their cool skin helps ground you.

“Well, sweetling, I can tell you that you’re at the border between the riverlands and dragon’s spire.” They give a thoughtful hum when your face remains as confused as ever. “In Xanthalan?” Your brows knit together further, and she huffs a little. “Why don’t we start with where you’re from, sweetling, and maybe your name at that. I am Rha’ss, daughter of Sharath, protector of the dragon’s spire.”

When you introduce yourself, with much less pomp, she finds herself confused. “I’ve never heard of that land before, and I have traveled across the great East sea to the basin of the world, and across the great North sea to the kingdoms of ice.” She frowns in thought, staring down at you heavily. “Where is your map?” When you fumble your map out of your bag and hand it to her she frowns again as she unfolds it. “This doesn’t make much sense…” She studies the map with you caged in against her chest, her arms still wrapped around you. “I think we need to pay a friend of mine a visit.”

Rha’ss moves to stand and pull you up with her, and you go with it completely forgetting your ankle. Until, of course, it decides to give under you when you try to put your weight on it. You’re pleasantly surprised by Rha’ss’ strength, as she catches you easily without stumbling. You mumble a shy apology, but she just gives you a warm look and caresses your cheek with her thumb lovingly. She helps you onto her horse, mounting behind you and wrapping her arms around your waist to take the reins. You feel small in front of her, she must be at least seven feet tall the way the top of your head doesn’t even graze her chin. You don’t have much riding experience, and it shows, but she’s patient with you, and the way she guides your hips into the rhythm of riding is surprisingly sensual.

It’s only a two hour ride at a moderate pace before you come across a small town built alongside the road. There’s an inn, and what looks like a general store, but that’s all you can make out before Rha’ss is pulling you bodily from the horse’s back and carrying you into the inn like a bride over a threshold. After settling you gently in a chair by the fire she greets the innkeeper and barkeep like old friends, complete with embraces that make you suddenly and unexpectedly jealous, all in a hissing sort of language you don’t understand. They’re both lizardfolk like she is, so you’re guessing it’s their own language.

You take a few moments to look around. There are a few others in here, not lizardfolk so this isn’t a planet purely populated by reptilian people. It looks like some orcs, and something furry with round ears - maybe a gnoll? And then a pair of short but intimidating looking...you’d have guessed humans but who knows at this point, both with impressive beards. So dwarves? You’re brought out of your reverie when Rha’ss walks back over to you carrying two frothy mugs and a roll of what looks like linen. “Let me bind your ankle sweetling, and then we can talk more.” The care with which she handles you makes you feel secure down to your bones, but you’re dreading trying to come to terms with whatever it is that’s happened to bring you here.

Under Rha’ss’ watchful stare you take a long sip of the drink she’s brought you, thankful that at least honey mead is honey mead regardless of whatever else is going on around you. “I don’t even know where to start…” You sound exhausted even to your own ears, the kind of weary that extends past physical tiredness and into the realm of a soul deep exhaustion. “I was camping, having a fine few days in the woods, but the other night I noticed the stars didn’t look quite right. I couldn’t find any of my landmarks. And then my trail disappeared, and I don’t know where I am. I don’t know how I got here. None of this makes sense. I’m just a normal human, from a normal family, lizard folk and orcs and stuff, none of this should be real. I can feel you’re real like I am though, and I’m starting to think I’m not hallucinating all of this…” You take another deep drink of your honey mead before placing your tankard down on the table and resting your face in your hands tiredly.

When you look back at Rha’ss she’s staring with a confused look on her face. “What’s ‘human?’ Is that your clan?”

You give her an equally confused glance. “No? It’s my species? My race?”

She doesn’t look appeased by that. “I’ve never heard of ‘human’ before.” She hums thoughtfully. “You’re softer than an elf, but bigger than a halfling or a gnome. You’ve got the rounded ears too.” She jerks her chin in your direction and you touch the rounded top of your ear a little self-consciously. She drinks from her own tankard and stares away in thought, you can almost hear the gears working in her head as she tries to puzzle things out. “That map you showed me earlier, you said that was from your home?” You nod at her and she hums again. “But you were camping just along the dragon’s spire, I know that land better than almost any and your map is fully foreign to me.” She frowns in contemplation, mumbling to herself before pinning you with a serious look. “Tell me what you know of heart’s calls and chaining.” You stare at her as confused as ever, you aren’t sure what you’ve done wrong as her face falls while you look on. Her sigh is weary and resigned, but she gives a grimace of a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Worry not sweetling, all will be revealed in time. Qruz has told me that the Wizard Gorux has made himself comfortable in the inn as of yesterday. It seems we were expected, we’re to meet tomorrow.”

You just nod your head tiredly at this point, too overwhelmed to even question it any longer. You can’t lift your head again though, crashing hard after the stressful past days. You’re already half asleep when Rha’ss picks you up again and settles you on a rather comfortable straw mattress in an upstairs room, and you’re out completely with barely enough time to mumble your thanks.

-------

When you wake the next morning, the first thing you notice is that you aren’t alone. While you’re alone in your little bed, you can see the lizard person, Rha’ss, from the day before, along with a somehow even taller and broader orc sitting across from her at a small table. They’re conversing lowly, and you can’t understand them over the crackling of the fire. The orc is dressed in ornately embroidered robes, and has a plethora of feathers and glass beads woven through his black hair. He looks wizened but not old, his hair lacking even a single streak of silver but his eyes carrying the weight of centuries.

You don’t really pay attention as he comes over and asks you a few questions, you can tell from them that Rha’ss has shared your story. He smudges you with some fragrant herbs, although you can’t place what any of them are and that sends a pang of sadness through your heart. Whatever he sees though makes his face go grim and he settles the lizard woman in the chair with a heavy look. “Aye, lass, it’s as ye thought. It isn’t the first time a bond has made it across time and space, but this is something I’ve only read about. It hasn’t happened in a millenia at the least. Do not take this gift lightly.” He turns to fix you with an inscrutable stare, dark eyes searching your face. His eyes soften though, and with an exhaled puff of air he places one large hand on the crown of your head and mumbles something in a language you’ve never heard before. “Blessings on you little one, I do not envy your position, but I know Rha’ss, I know she will love you and cherish you until the end of days if you let her. Do not ignore your chaining, the both of you will suffer for it.”

He’s gone before you can ask him about it, and Rha’ss is staring at you guardedly. “I guess it’s time for me to explain that eh?” She pulls a small leather pouch out of her pack, removing a pipe and what smells like it might be tobacco. You watch as she packs the leaf into the bowl of the pipe, soothing herself with the practiced repetitive motion. “Never thought I’d find myself doing this. See, sweetling, from the time we’re babes we hear about our calling. Our heart’s calling, or we call it the chaining. Because it’s said to feel like a chain pulling us together. I’d never felt it, my whole life. I dedicated myself to my sword, to battle. But I woke three nights ago to a feeling in my chest I knew with certainty was it.” She stands from the table then, leaving her pipe abandoned and unsmoked as she moves to kneel before you. “I was trying to fathom who might be waiting for me at the other end of my chain, and sweetling, it was you. Please, tell me you feel it.” Her hands are on your knees, and her yellow eyes are full of open affection and fear it won’t be reciprocated.

You reach up to stroke over her reptilian snout, soft little fingers skating up the butt of her jaw. “I know that I was panicking until I met you. That as soon as you held me I knew I’d never been safer in my whole life. I can’t promise this will always be easy for me, and that I won’t make mistakes, but I can promise to try.” Rha’ss relaxes against you burying her head against your stomach and gripping tightly at the back of your shirt. You lean down to kiss the top of her head between her eyes, and she curiously nuzzles up against your breasts when they crowd in against her. Your soft giggle at the action makes her face light up, and she begins rubbing against you with her jaw trying to make you laugh again.

Once she has you laughing you tug her face up to your own, kissing along the top of her nose. Her scales are cool and smooth against your lips, and she lets out an affectionate chittering noise when she feels your soft mouth on her. She strokes her tongue over your cheek and throat, letting out a high, throaty sigh at your taste. The gentle prick of her talons at your hips barely keeps you grounded as she laves over your skin with her dark, forked tongue in repeated strokes. You can’t help letting out a sigh of pleasure when that curiously dextrous appendage presses down the front of your shirt and skates over the cup of your bra. She seems intrigued by the garment, and with questioning eyes she tugs at the hem of your shirt.

You let Rha’ss strip it from you wordlessly, lifting your arms over your head until you’re left in your bra and hiking pants on the bed. Her talons gently trace the cup of your bra and up the straps to your shoulders. “This looks much nicer than a corset sweetling, not that I’d know much about that either way.” She leans down to lick a hot stripe down between your breasts before sneakily pushing her tongue underneath the front busk between the cups. You’re thankful to be wearing a front closing bra, and with only a little bit of experimentation she’s used her hands to pop it open, letting it fall aside to bare your chest to her. Her taloned hands have been smoothing and stroking up your sides, from your hips over the side of your chest and back down, gently massaging at your hips at they sit there momentarily before repeating their journey.

When you cry out Rha’ss’ name in frustration as she merely gazes down at you, she repeats yours back to you in a smitten sigh. Her knuckles gently graze over the peaks of your nipples, and she watches your face to learn what you like and how to touch you. She gently pinches them between two fingers, giving an experimental tug before fondling your breasts in earnest, her tongue licking stripes along your shoulders and throat. She has one firm thigh lodged between yours, and you can feel her cool skin heating beneath the languid thrusts your hips make up searching for friction.

Her head soon replaces her hands, that prehensile tongue coiling around one breast before giving a firm lick up the center to rasp over your nipple. You barely notice her hands as they skate down your stomach, talons dipping into the waist of your pants before she tugs at them softly, looking up at you with hopeful eyes. You lift your hips in assent, feeling bereft for a moment as she moves away only long enough to tug your pants and panties down in one fell swoop. She tugs her own garments off then too, a simple tunic and linen pants that whisper to the floor as she tosses them carelessly aside.

Rha’ss is on you again then, and over you. Her face is tucked into your neck, tongue scenting and tasting your skin as she presses your soft breasts against her cool, firm torso. The give of them against her is enticing, and she relishes in the way that you arch up into her when her thigh finally makes contact with your bare core. The heat is so intense against her cool skin, and she presses up against you harder in an attempt to feel more of it. You’re burning hot and so slick. She grips your hips, just careful enough not to prick you with her talons, although you may be sporting bruises later. She uses this leverage to move you up and down against her, drawing your slick heat over her flesh and painting her with your essence.

Your head is thrown back, baring your neck up submissively. One of your hands is caressing down over her head and neck, skating along the base of her frills. They had been tucked down against her back, but as she loses herself to pleasure you find them occasionally flaring unconsciously. Your other hand is at her back, at the base of her tail. You hadn’t really noticed it until now. Reaching down for a handful of her buttocks you instead catch the base of her tail, although the way it makes her stutter and cry out against your throat has you abandon your original goal in favor of stroking over where her tail meets her back with your soft hands and blunt nails.

Your orgasm sneaks up on you, one moment you’re lost in your partner and the next you’re almost whiting out as the heat licks down your spine and your back arches. You cry out Rha’ss’ name, toes curling and thighs cramping as you reach your ecstasy. She spreads you out before her, and as you’re fuzzy from your pleasure you watch as she teases something from a slit at the apex of her thighs. It’s not quite as large as a penis, although it’s much thicker at the base and tapers to an odd blunt, angled tip. “When you’re ready, sweetling, I’ll fill you with my brood, but this will do for now.” She sighs happily when she slips the cool organ between your labia to rut against you. The oddly cool and slick sensation against your clit has you clenching again, and you cry out loudly when the tip prods at your hole only to just barely slip inside.

Rha’ss lets out a guttural noise when your hot body surrounds her, and you can feel the organ lengthen inside you even as it gets thinner. One of her hands comes down to stroke at your clit, touching you in just the right way that has you clenching harder. You’re still so tight around her, gripping her in all the right places. You’re surprised by her orgasm, a cool fluid gushing from the tip inside of you and flowing out to coat your inner thighs. It smells strangely sweet and heady, and the feeling of her coming inside of you along with her incessant fingers on your clit has you reaching your peak again.

Rha’ss falls beside you, pulling you in to lay on her chest. She feels blissfully cool against your heated skin. There will be more to work out and talk about, this is only the beginning of something after all, but you find yourself feeling oddly at peace with things. You know there will be trials, and that things won’t always be easy for you considering the abrupt and complete change of your lifestyle. But in this moment, you find you’re more excited than anxious. You’re pulled from your contemplation by Rha’ss fingers gently sifting through your hair to reach your scalp, lulling you to sleep with gentle touches and soft words.

#lesbian love #lesbian fiction #lesbian romance #WLW #female reader #fem reader #female lizardfolk #fem lizardfolk #smut #thigh riding

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readwithem · 3 years

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Today, i'm combining two different books. And they're not very far from each other. It's Why We eat (too much) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson and Midnight Chicken by Ella Risbridger.

Starting with Why We Eat, you would think it's gonna be judgemental but it's not the case. Dr Jenkinson is a consultant in bariatric surgery, an invasive procedure that cuts the size of the stomach in order to decrease the appetite (by decreasing hunger hormones). But apparently, it's only a short term solution for obesity, because there is a more powerful physiological boss who wins in controlling appetite. The hypothalamus. That's the neuroendocrine gland in your brain. And it has a tight relationship with fat tissue through a messenger called Leptin. All human beings have this hormone that signals to the hypothalamus how much fat (which is a vital source of energy) is stored in the tissues and exerts a negative feedback on it. If there is high level of Leptin (energy fuel tank is full), Hypo keeps you satiated and amps up your metabolism, and vice-versa. So you don't even need to exercise to burn calories. That stands for healthy people. In obese people, there is a huge amount of Leptin but the boss doesn't acknowledge it. It's called Leptin resistance. So to Hypo, there's no Leptin hence feeling ravenous hunger to further fill the tank. That's how hard it is for obese people to stop eating. They don't have a choice. How did they get obese in the first place, you say? Genetics mostly, then environment, then Western food (you'll need to read to know more).

Where does this Leptin-Hypothalamus dysfonction comes from? Two things: High insulin level in the blood by eating high-sugar foods and TNF-alpha, an inflammatory substance made by immune cells as a result of fat tissue cells getting bigger with stored energy, which has effects on vessels (heart disease), articulations (arthritis), cells (cancer) and, you guessed it, the hypothalamus while neutralising the effect of insulin thus creating more of it, which perpetuates fat tissue formation.

So, how can we solve this? First, no dieting. The human body evolution process made sure that it stays alive, so in period of shortage or famine through time, the hypothalamus elevates its equilibrium level (called weight set-point) so that the human being eats more, stores more energy and prevents future energy depletion. Dieting emulates a famine-like state to the brain. You surely lose weight for a few months but you gain more of it when the boss wins over, even more than the pre-diet weight. So, no harsh restriction of food, but minding what kind of food you're eating. For Dr. Jenkinson, the only thing you need to decrease is refined suga, not cholesterol (studies on how cholesterol is dangerous for the heart were biased and funded by sugar companies), to try to get rid of wheat, nuts and vegetal oils because they're rich in Omega-6 which is not the omega we need. Omega-3 is the one we need the most. We can get it from vegetables, meats, eggs and dairy products from grass-fed cows, lambs and chicken, and sea based fish. So it's not about how much you eat, but what kind.

At the end of the book, he gives a few steps to help you regain your normal weight-set point regarding food, exercise, sleep and stress management while also managing your expectations on how quick and drastic your weight loss will be.

It's a well written book. A tad long, but interesting to read.

Andrew insists throughout the book on how important home cooking is. How it's a community driven activity since the discovery of fire. And in order to commit on your weight equilibrium journey, you need to enjoy the process, and cooking yourself is one of those pleasures. For cooking newbies like me, cook books are a must. Not just any books, but the relatable, cut-to-the-chase, no-bullshit, easy-to-follow ones. I discovered one of these and it's a gem.

Ella is a funny one. And this is an unusual cook book that you can read just for leisure time. Being a cooking-for-dummies kind of book is a bonus.

And the thing that makes this book special is how cooking was sort of salvation for Ella going through her bad bouts of depression. Having anxiety, i got how she felt and i understood how helpful this book would be to a lot of lost people. First, she gives a brief list on what utensils and staples you need in your kitchen, with no fuss. Then she gives some recipes relating to times of her life and mental health moments.

I have to admit that not all her recipes were for me, but i enjoyed every little bit of sunshine she threw in them. They're written like essays, not like your usual cookie-cutter books, so it makes them easy and lovely to grasp. A beautiful heartwarming book.

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 3 years

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Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt 111

111

Lance had Keith tucked up in his lap, Coran way ahead of him by sending through the ultrasound video. Technology was scary, he’d recorded it, yet in the time it took for them to get home, he’d already received the photos with the measurements and a copy of the video like it was nothing. Keith want to hold him, but Lance was happy with the three blankets over his shoulders between him and the sofa, plus he was doubly happy having Keith there kind of as a protector between him, their baby, and the rest of the world. Pidge and Hunk wanted to make plans for the camping trip, more like snoop if they asked him for the truth, Lance banning them from driving over to see them in this weather, he’d head down tomorrow if things cleared up. Yeah. He was paranoid. Keith hadn’t pried into his paranoia, Lance holding back telling him that stemmed from a nightmare he’d had over losing his two best friends to the snow. He’d tell Keith, but only if he asked.

Watching the ultrasound on repeat, Lance couldn’t get used to the background noises. There was something not quite there, his heart telling him it was the racing heart of their baby. He felt the same as Keith did, that fear that lingered like the fear that lingered after that near miss. With his chin on Keith’s shoulder, he could watch the scan all day now that he was needing to pee

“You okay?”

Keith hadn’t said much, watching the screen as intently as Lance

“Yeah... I still... it’s... wow”

His boyfriend was so eloquent

“You know, we need a name for them so we stop calling them “it””

“People name them? Like before they come out?”

“Some people even have names picked out before they fall pregnant. I suppose “squirt” is the obvious one”

Keith hummed, mind more on the video than the conversation

“Not squirt. That’s how we got them in the first place”

Okay, maybe he was paying more attention than Lance was giving him credit for

“Lots of people go with “bean”. I don’t know...”

“Let me think about it”

“Yeah. That’s probably the smartest idea... ultrasounds look so weird. Like what’s all the grey? I mean, obviously is like inside me and all, but it looks like we’re watching a bad fish film”

“I was thinking the same thing but thought I must be stupid”

Lance melted, nuzzling into Keith

“You are not stupid. This is new territory for both of us. If anything I’m the stupid one for not realising I was pregnant”

Keith leaned his head back against Lance’s shoulder, looking to him with a soft smile

“You’re not stupid. Maybe... we could name it something like “Macaroon”? I mean... if I’m an anger loaf and you’re an idiot crumpet... I don’t know what a crumpet and a loaf make together”

Lance didn’t know why he found Keith saying “Macaroon” so funny. His big bag boyfriend definitely had a hidden sweet tooth

“You’re laughing at me”

“I’m laughing at the word “Macaroon”. There’s a macaroon floating around in my stomach”

His boyfriend snorted

“Okay, point taken. Not “Macaroon””

“Noooo. Let me have this... it’ll be like the longest I’ve kept down food in 37 years”

“You are pretty bad at keeping food down”

“Don’t blame me. I have no control over this body. Sometimes even water gets thrown back up, other times it doesn’t... it’s weird”

“It’s fine. You should eat though”

“But the baby”

“The Macaroon needs food... the idiot crumpet needs food to feed the Macaroon”

Lance snorted at his boyfriend

“If I’m feeding something, then shouldn’t it be like an animal. Like a guppy in all those fish?”

“You’ve been spending too much time on the internet”

“I can’t deny that... alright, I know you’re going to be bossy until I eat. I’ll have a shake now then a nap with my macaroon maker”

“Do you want to try blood in the shake? See if that keeps it down longer?”

Lance tensed. Keith was trying to be sweet, but he didn’t want him going out his way, or making him uncomfortable with his dietary requirements

“I... uh...”

“It’s okay... I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I’m not going to be grossed out”

“It’s blood”

“Babe, you drink blood all the time. I might not like the taste, but it’s something you need”

“I never really... I’m still getting used to being able to feed without hiding it”

He’d drank a few times in front of Pidge and Hunk, before overthinking about how they’d be uncomfortable watching him eat. Keith, Shiro, Curtis, Matt, and Rieva, were all different because they were used to this world

“Let me make you a shake. I’ll use a little of my blood...”

Not this again

“Babe. No”

“Not a lot...”

“You can’t”

“Lance, I want to. You’re scared over my blood, so I think maybe we can try just a bit in your shakes and see if that helps them stay down longer”

Keith broke his heart bringing up his jealousy over a strangers blood in his system. To Lance it was food now. He’d fed for so long on blood bags. Nameless blood bags. Sources responsibly, without the donor being harmed. They were of course compensated well too... He honestly feared too much fresh blood in his system would make him an arrogant arsehole. Yeah. He’d fed on Keith... when he’d had to. Keith’s blood was... easily very addictive. He didn’t taste like blood bag blood. He wanted Keith to feel connected with their baby. Not feeling inferior, like Lance was cheating on him repeatedly. He didn’t want to say yes, but for Keith... he couldn’t deny him. He couldn’t deny him anything... the words stuck in his throat... He wasn’t that kind of vampire...

“Lance, let yourself rely on me”

“I do. I need you understand who hard it is still to accept blood from you. Bags are like eating a well seasoned steak that’s cooled enough to lose its tenderness. Humans are like eating that steak while it’s still part of the cow... and knowing you can have the whole thing if you really want it. My teeth cut your lips when we kiss to much... so it’s not I haven’t tasted your blood a lot. Your blood tastes good... You are good. Good not food”

“You sound like you’re deflecting”

“I’m not trying to deflect. Fine. Think of it as having too much coffee”

“You can never have too much coffee. I don’t mean like a lot of blood, just a little bit, and just to see if it helps keep food down for you and the baby. I’ll use some from a bag if you’re going to be this upset”

“I’m not upset. You being hurt would upset... and we don’t know how I’ll react to the scent of blood... If you’re so set on trying this, then wait until Shiro is home”

Keith’s safety was his priority. As the pregnancy progressed he feared he’d need more blood to keep up...

“Fine. But you’re having your shake”

“Only if you finally show me what this secret thing is”

“Deal”

Well fuck. Keith agreed far too readily.

Keith secret turned out to be a letter from Krolia. Though Lance liked to keep things neat and tidy, he respected that there were certain things he shouldn’t be touching or moving, the things on Keith’s desk being one of those cases. He also never touched his boyfriend’s phone or laptop with Keith’s nagging, respecting his boyfriend’s privacy. He knew Keith sometimes messaged their friends privately, and Lance like Keith feeling comfortable doing so. He wasn’t going to be that kind of controlling partner who had to know everything and didn’t trust their partner enough to let them have their own secrets.

Keith forced him into his lap this time. Sitting on the sofa again, Lance sipped his shake slowly, trying to do draw out eating in the hopes if he kept eating it’d take longer to come back up. The blood with the vanilla wasn’t the best flavour combination, Lance didn’t really know how to describe it. Blood lasted like blood to him, but it wasn’t gross tasting like it was to humans. It was only gross tasting now thanks to the vanilla flavour in the shake powder. Opening the envelope, Keith’s hands were shaking

“Babe, it’s okay. We don’t have to rush”

“I’ve had this for like a month now... I need to face it... before Krolia finds out we’re having a baby”

Honestly, if Krolia told him she knew, Lance wouldn’t be surprised. Allura had probably noticed the change in his quintessence... Though Krolia didn’t have fae powers, she was at VOLTRON a lot. Like a whole lot. She easily could have snuck into Coran’s office and found out, or intercepted lab results. Heck, the Blades had 4 werewolves who were probably smarter about this than Matt and Rieva

“We can still take it slow”

“I’ve been thinking about it for weeks... She... I don’t know...”

“Maybe you don’t dislike her as much as you thought?”

“She’s not the same here as she was in Rome”

“That’s good. Noticing that, that’s okay. I’m not trying to pressure you, but if you’ve been thinking it’s time for a while now, maybe it’s time to read this letter?”

Krolia usually tried to say hello to Keith, or to him if she saw them. She wasn’t shooting him, a good sign that he was still in the clear with her, although it could be thanks to the Blade’s being busy. Lance had tried to forget the briefing room board and all the scraps of information on it, trying not to cross the lines or belittle their work... even if it solving the question of where Sendak was would be great. He’d loved to be able to rub in their face as revenge for not telling them about Antok.

Dropping the envelope into his lap, Keith separated the pages, photos falling out. The letter from Krolia was roughly two pages long, Lance noticing immediately that Krolia had enclosed a copy of the photo she’d shown him on his birthday

“Dad...”

The letter was no longer important. Lance taking them from Keith as Keith tried to hold both the letter and the photo at once resulting in the page crumpling. Turning the photo over, Krolia had written on the back

“Keith aged 5 months”. She’d stayed longer than Lance thought. Keith seemed to think it was more a “pop and run” kind of deal. Turning the photo back over, his boyfriend’s tears started soaking into Lance’s borrowed long sleeve shirt

“I think that’s my dad... and my mum”

Lance stared at the photo. Keith’s parents couldn’t have been much older than Keith when the photo was taken. Damn if Keith didn’t have some good looking genes in his family tree. Lance nearly pointing out that Keith’s dad was as hot as his son, then stopping himself him short thanks to thinking of how Keith had lost his father in a fire

“I... I forgot his face... I had a photo at some point but... God. What kind of a son forgets his dad’s face?”

“The kind of son who loses him far too soon. What are the other ones?”

Keith sniffled loudly, his hands shaking harder as he took three attempts to pick up the the other two photos

“God... is that me?”

Young Keith was holding his hippo, the photo older and taken from a distance... Hanging off his dad’s arm, Keith was wearing the biggest smile Lance had ever seen. Both hands holding around the arm in the photo, with his hippo barely gripped as he hung in the air. Lance wasn’t sure for sure it was his dad’s arm, but an educated guess would say it was

“Yeah, that’s you. I’d recognise those knobbly knees anywhere”

“I don’t remember this at all”

“Check the back”

The back read “Keith aged 5”. One of Krolia’s friends must have taken it, or one of the Blades, or even of one Lance’s father’s friends.

The third photo was a photo of a photo. The photo used when Keith’s father had died in the house fire. Keith’s dad really was very good looking, especially in his fancy firefighter uniform

“How did she have these?”

“She said she never stopped wanting to know you. She probably had hunters or friends take photos... I know you’re probably not going to be happy, but she showed me that one of you guys together. She says it’s her good luck charm. She’s proud of you... I’m not trying to interfere here, but I don’t think there was a time that you weren’t in her thoughts”

Keith sniffled hard, Lance moving to kiss his cheek

“Hey, I’m here for you”

“I... what do I tell her? I didn’t get it. She and Shiro tried to tell me and I didn’t get how you could leave your baby behind... and now you’re pregnant, I finally fucking get it. I wasn’t brave enough to read this sooner... she... she’s been respecting my boundaries more and more...”

“You kind of wanted to talk to her before you found about the baby and now you’re worried maybe she’ll only be concerned with listening to what you have to say about it?”

“I couldn’t have faced her if I hadn’t come here. You helped me so much... and she... she walks all over everything. She butts into my life. She shot you. She gets on with everyone else... but she’s... at the Blade of Marmora Headquarters she was terrifying. Like... a walking statue made of gold. Something you shouldn’t be approaching. I felt like she was always looking down at me... I hated it. I fought so hard to carve out my own space but that didn’t matter with her there. She didn’t even come when I nearly got killed. I was pretty desperate, hitchhiking and trying to get to the cabin. Caught a lift and it turned out someone let slip Krolia had a son. No idea who or how they know me. They tracked me down, assuming I was running back to dad’s shack. They were so nice that I thought I was being careful. Shiro was tracking them tracking me. I nearly became dinner. He shot out the windows, flooded the place with light and took me away... I didn’t even know I was in danger until they showed their faces and fangs...”

“You’re both lucky”

Keith would have been lunch. There was clearly more to the story, which Keith had left out

“He knew what he was doing. I had no idea. I thought I was a freak of nature that maybe deserved it. I can’t believe... dad...”

He got what Keith was saying. He tried so hard to find a way back to his dad and now he had part of him returned

“He looks so much like you... You even have that same crease in the corner of your eyes when you smile”

“Do you think so?”

“Babe, yeah. You two against each other photo wise, people would think you’re brothers”

“I can’t believe she had these”

Lance wasn’t sure Krolia had had them. He was secretly sure that out there there would be a file on Keith filled with photos and reports on Keith growing up

“I think she probably always wanted to show you... but that’s okay. Because you weren’t ready before. You made to feel worthless by worthless people instead of being confident enough to see how much you are truly loved. I know it’s hard. When so many people are mean to you, you feel like people complimenting you are only doing so because they’re either lying or laughing behind your back at how dumb you are for believing them. I get paranoid like that too”

“I don’t know what to tell her. You saw me today. I panicked at the idea of Kolivan knowing. I panicked at the idea of be treated differently... I don’t want to be given special treatment...”

“You’re not as weak as you believe you are. If they still see you as weak, then they’re morons. You were in a fucking accident and still cared more about your bike than you”

“I think that just makes me slightly stupid”

Keith bike was still at VOLTRON. Lance assumed it was being fixed, but Keith seemed pretty down about it still. His boyfriend would probably be working on it more if he didn’t have him to worry about

“Nah. I’m shitting myself over you getting back on that death trap, but that’s what you want to do. Your brave. The world hurt you, and lately you’ve showing your face more. I really like it. You keep moving forward and that makes you strong. Your father was so proud of you. I can see it in his eyes. He loved you so much babe. He’d be even prouder if he’d got to see who you grew into. That stuff in the middle, that doesn’t make you a bad person... in his last moments I’m sure all he was hoping for was your safety and your happiness”

“I’m sorry... I think maybe I... I think I need to talk to Krolia”

“You don’t have to be sorry for anything at all. You talking with her is what you need. Again, I’m not pushing, but when we talked... she’s desperate to know you. She loves you. You’re loved very much”

“I want to see the others too...”

Lance nodded

“Tomorrow. If the snow let’s up we’ll head there tomorrow. I miss them too”

“I didn’t think I’d ever miss a bunch of people”

Lance chuckled at his boyfriend

“That’s because we know the coolest and weirdest bunch of people. You’re in with the cool kids, babe”

“And you’re sounding like Shiro”

“Hey, it’s not my fault. I’m totally allowed to be lame when I feel like it”

“You feel like an ice block again”

“I’m thinking of taking a trip to the fridge just to warm up”

“Or we could go to bed”

Lance blinked half a dozen times. Keith didn’t mean that... like that...

“Yeah. More blankets and snuggles sound good”

“Who said anything about snuggles?”

“Me, right now”

“I suppose that can be arranged. I want to make copies of these photos. I don’t ever want to lose them”

“We’ll work that out... like we work everything else out”

Keith kissed his hair

“We make a good team”

“That we do”

#once bitten twice stupid #oncebittentwicestupid #ashratherose

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myheartlove · 3 years

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Sacrificing a Goat in Turkey for Kurban bayrami

This week had led to a flurry of activity in markets all over Turkey. Cattle farmers are busy as communities gear themselves up for a four-day festival that will start on Sunday called Kurban bayrami.

The cattle farmers will experience their busiest week of the year as all over the country, goats, sheep, and cows are sold to be sacrificed according to Islamic rules and traditions.I will stand and listen while a verse from the Quran is read. The throat of the sheep will then be slit and the blood drained into a hole in the ground. Once this has been done, I will join in with the other women to clean and cut the animal up, hence why I am not dressed in my best gear.

A certain amount of meat will be allocated to the poor. Neighbors who have not had the opportunity to purchase an animal will be given some and the rest will be divided between the families. I have gone past the stage when my stomach turns while this ritual is being performed. I suppose if you experience something often enough, you get used to it.

Kurban Bayram in Turkey

At the eid 2021 date I will dress in my oldest and drab clothes (bear with me- there is a reason why I am wearing old clothes), then head to friends and family to join in with this age-old religious tradition. My role in the celebration is simple.I will stand and listen while a verse from the Quran is read. The throat of the sheep will then be slit and the blood drained into a hole in the ground. Once this has been done, I will join in with the others to clean and cut the animal up, hence why I am not dressed in my best gear.

Meaning of عید قربان: Feast of the Sacrifice

The traditional animal to use is a goat or sheep however families that have joined together may find themselves with enough money to upgrade to a meatier and plump cow. Sunday will be spent performing this ritual while the following days are spent visiting friends and family as well as attending the mosque.عید قربان in Turkey is known as the Sacrifice holiday and is a major event in the Islamic calendar. The significance relates to the occasion in the Quran when Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son at the command of God. God interrupted the act and Abraham used a sheep instead however the celebration occurs to show the dedication of Abraham and his acknowledgment that God is everything.

you can Read More About Chickens, Goats Quails And More About Pets and Animals Here

Animal Cruelty versus Religion

Of course, some argue that this practice is outdated and on the verge of animal cruelty. I have mulled this argument over in my mind many times.However, I cannot buy into the aspect that it is animal cruelty because, for me, it is all or nothing. We eat chicken, beef and lamb which I buy from my local supermarket. We are fully aware that we do not know the source of those animals, the conditions that they were kept in, and how they died.I feel it would be quite hypocritical of me to shout about animal cruelty on this day and then continue to buy meat from unknown sources. I would have to give up meat altogether and become a vegetarian of which I am not prepared to do.

On Your Holiday

If you find yourself in Turkey during عيد الأضحى, the chances are that you will not see the sacrifice of animals unless you head off to the rural areas. The only way it will affect you, is that travel on public transport will be hectic and most businesses will be closed. In the tourist areas, bars and restaurants will probably stay open.Muslims who are unable to attend the celebrations may instead give money to the poor. While non-practicing Muslims will spend the day as normal. It has been suggested by some that this celebration may become outdated and not be practiced shortly. I do not believe this however in your eyes. It did stop would that be a good thing or a bad thing?

#kurban bayrami #eid 2021 date #عید قربان #عيد الأضحى

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wisdomrays · 3 years

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TAFAKKUR: Part 247

RUMINANTS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO OUR LIFE

AND SURELY IN THE CATTLE (FEEDING ON THE PASTURES OF THE REVIVED EARTH) THERE IS A LESSON FOR YOU: WE GIVE YOU FROM THAT WHICH IS WITHIN THEIR BODIES, (MARVELOUSLY DISTINGUISHED FROM) BETWEEN THE WASTE AND BLOOD, MILK THAT IS PURE AND PALATABLE TO THOSE WHO DRINK. (NAHL 16:66)

Ruminants, probably the most abundant of the herbivores such as cattle, sheep and goats, are foregut fermenters with a four-chambered stomach (rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum) and are an essential component of utilizing marginal land in the world in a sustainable way.

In the verse above from the Qur’an, the Creator and the Sustainer of the universe draws our attention to many of the benefits we get from domestic animals. While the main message of the verse is easily understandable to the general reader, it also contains some concise hints, even descriptions about the physiological details of milk production in ruminants that would be fully understood and explained by science only centuries after the Qur’an was revealed. The purpose of this article is to explain this process in a general sense and milk production in some detail.

Mammals are generally categorized according to the dietary habits into three classes-flesh-eating (carnivore), plant-eating (herbivore) and both flesh and plant-eating (omnivore). In a sense, humans (omnivores) and carnivores depend on herbivores for their nutrition. Generally speaking, all humans and animals in the world have directly or indirectly benefited from the plants. The ability of herbivores to utilize plants as their main energy source is dependent on symbiotic microorganisms which live at various sites within their gastrointestinal tract. The animal provides the microorganisms with food and habitat for growth and the microorganisms provide the animal with fermentation acids and microbial protein.

Herbivores are divided into two types, those with post-gastric (hindgut) fermentation and those with pre-gastric (foregut) fermentation. Fermentation is a chemical process during which microorganisms obtain energy from organic products. Ruminants, probably the most abundant of the herbivores such as cattle, sheep and goats, are foregut fermenters with a four-chambered stomach (rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum) and are an essential component of utilizing marginal land in the world in a sustainable way. Rumen and reticulum contain millions of microorganisms, which form about 3 to 10 percent of rumen fluid.

A major reason why human beings keep ruminants is their ability to convert food which humans find inedible-or at least unpalatable-to food (meat, milk) which humans can eat. They play an important role in the livelihood of farmers throughout the world, providing sustenance such as milk and meat, manure for crop production, cash income from sales of their products and a safety net of capital assets to face risks and misfortune in harsh environments. Currently, humans obtain about fifty percent of the meat and most of the milk they consume from ruminants. Scientists who have conducted studied on ruminants have developed cow breeds, which have higher milk and meat production than traditional cow breeds, and thus supplied an important development to meet the nutritional requirements of humans.

Pre-gastric fermentation provides three important nutritional advantages to the host animal.

First, cellulose and other plant polysaccharides are brought into solution and become available as energy sources. Cellulose is the most abundant natural carbohydrate polymer in nature, but mammals do not produce enzymes that can degrade it. Ruminant animals utilize cellulose via a symbiotic relationship with ruminal cellulolytic microorganisms. During ruminal fermentation, microorganisms ferment the carbohydrates to produce energy, gases (methane and carbon dioxide), heat, and volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the rumen. Effective digestion of plants requires a means of dealing with cellulose, the most important structural material of plants, which is extremely insoluble and remarkably resistant to a chemical attack. Cellulose digesting enzymes that are called cellulases and produced by microorganisms are also present in the intestinal tract of several invertebrates that feed on wood and similar plant products. Rumen harbors the different functional groups of the microbial population, which is responsible for about seventy percent of total digestion in ruminants, and the ability to digest cellulose has been ascribed to a large number of bacterial, fungal and protozoal species isolated from the rumen.

The energy content of plants is low, and the herbivore must consume a large quantity in order to satisfy its energy requirements. Therefore, herbivores spend a lot of time eating; eight or more hours per day may be spent eating.

Secondly, the rumen microorganisms can utilize non-protein nitrogen for growth, converting it into microbial protein which becomes available to the host. Proteins provide the amino acids needed for maintenance of vital functions, reproduction, growth and lactation. Non-ruminant animals need pre-formed amino acids in their diets, but ruminants can utilize many other nitrogen sources because of their rare ability to synthesize amino acids and protein from non-protein nitrogen sources via a symbiotic relationship with ruminal microflora.

Ruminants possess a rumeno-hepatic nitrogen circulation mechanism, which does not exist in non-ruminant animals, in order to save nitrogen. By this mechanism, ruminants can be fed non-protein nitrogen sources such as urea and nitrate when nutrients are in short supply to obtain high quality milk protein. Feed proteins are degraded by microorganisms in the rumen via amino acids into ammonia. Ammonia is used by bacteria to build their proteins and any excess of it is absorbed through the rumen wall into the blood and then converted to urea in the liver. When a diet is low in nitrogen, large amounts of urea (which is normally excreted in the urine) return to the rumen where it can be used by the microbes. In non-ruminants, urea is always entirely lost in the urine. If ammonia levels in the rumen are too low there will be a nitrogen shortage for bacteria and feed digestibility will be reduced. Too much ammonia in the rumen leads to wastage, ammonia toxicity, and in extreme cases, death of the animal.

Thirdly, vitamin synthesis by the microbial population makes the ruminant animal virtually independent of dietary sources of all vitamins, except for vitamins A and D.

However, rumen fermentation also brings some disadvantages. First of all, rumen metabolism causes environmental pollution. Methane is produced as a natural consequence of the anaerobic fermentation; it is a potent greenhouse gas. Dairy farming is the largest agricultural source of methane, one of the greenhouse gases. Furthermore, the major environmental concern associated with the animal industry is ammonia volatilization, which increases atmospheric acid deposition because of the impact of nitrogen-rich excreta on the environment. Therefore, worldwide, scientific research projects have been carried out to find sustainable strategies for reducing emissions of the greenhouse gas methane and ammonia volatilization from domestic ruminants to the environment.

In conclusion, the symbiotic relationship between ruminants and ruminal microorganisms plays an important role in the recycling of nutrients between humans and plants. This relationship also contributes to human life by converting low quality nutrients (grass and hay) to high quality food (meat and milk). Humans will benefit more from ruminants as scientific knowledge about relationships between ruminants and rumen microorganisms advances.

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danielzetterholm · 4 years

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Seven Secrets To Choosing A Safe, Healthy Pet Food

Do you select canned food or dry food? What's? There are many diverse brands, all of size and shapes of dog food to select from and owners are given with hardly any facts to base your decisions on (apart from advertisements ) - it might become so confusing! Well, buckle your seat belt based on how far you are aware of your pet industry, this might possibly be a rough ride! You're just about to find seven keys - well maintained secrets - of Petfood. Sit right back, guard yourself, and read.

Beneful says it has'Premium Dog Food for a Happy, Healthy Dog' and retails for approximately $18.00 for a 3 1 pounds. Tote, Science Diet"promises"'precisely balanced nutrition through continuous research and the highest quality food backed by your Vets endorsement' and retails for approximately $21.00 for merely a 20 pound bag. Afterward there are a lot of pet foods which produce exactly the exact same statements 'Premium Dog Food, Highest Quality' - which sell for $30.00 or to get a 20 pound bag. And the exact same is true for kitty owners. . .Do you decide on Whiskas that says'Everything we do is about making cats happy!' Or can you select some of the highend cat foods which produce exactly the exact same promise of a joyful, healthful kitty however cost three times as much?

With the pet food remember pet-owners possess questions such as'Has this food been recalled?' Or'Is this food the next one to be recalled?' ...'Is my pet safe?' Wow that really is confounding! And scary too! Just what is just a dog owner ? Think about learning just a couple secrets! Built with all the wisdom of a couple keys of Petfood, it isn't anywhere near as confusing.

Secret #1...

All pet foods use descriptive words such as premium and choice, although some of these actually utilize premium or alternative components in their own food. The'secret' is that each the rules of their pet food business, no Petfood may create any claims or testimonials in the label or advertisements regarding grade or quality of ingredients. You seethe word'premium' if it is associated with pet-food DOES NOT mean that the ingredients from the food are superior. Together with pet foods, superior doesn't (can't ) clarify the foodstuff does it (is it) clarify the standard of the foodstuff. It's actually really just a marketing term and that's all. Per your Petfood businesses own regulations and rules,"There are no references to ingredient quality or grade" (law PF5 D-3 ). Therefore keywords such as superior, or choice, or grade are simply advertisements or sales provisions. They shouldn't be translated as terms explaining the standard of the food.

Why would not be a pet food label be allowed to share with a prospective customer the standard in these ingredients? Does a pet-owner deserve to be aware of what they're buying? This direct me into another location trick...

SecretNo 2...

If I will compare'people' food into pet food for only a minute, all of us know there are distinct qualities of food. There clearly was White Castle (I'm sorry, I really like the tiny guys!) And there's Outback Steak House (another favorite). Both restaurants serve sausage and meat. At White Castle at less than $3.00 it is possible to find two or three burgers along with also an order of chips. While at Outback you are able to find yourself a steak and baked potato for approximately $16.00. Both function beef and curry - yet you realize there are tremendous nutrient similarities between a fast food burger and a beef. . .right?

The issue from your pet food industry - is that a lot of owners do not think in precisely exactly the exact terms in regards to pet food. They don't really believe in terms which we now have fast-food kinds of pet foods also you can find still sit restaurant longer nutritionally beneficial kinds of pet meals. In reality, many years back a new man tried this incredibly experimentation with their or her own diet - eating only fast food for thirty days. In no more than 1 month of eating take out three meals every dayhe gained a fantastic deal of weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels sky rocketed. Now, imagine your dog eating such a food its own' entire lifetime.

OK, so back to our two meals. . .if a chemical analysis of your meal at White Castle was compared to a chemical analysis of your meal at Outback - both would analyze with a percentage of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Regardless whether you consider a steak at Outback a higher quality of protein than the burger - it would still analyze as protein. The analysis doesn't measure quality of protein.

So here is the secret. . .All pet foods come with a Guaranteed Analysis stating the percentage of protein, fat, fiber and moisture in the food. The REAL secret lies in the quality of the percentages of protein, fat, and so on.

In a chemical analysis of a pet food - chicken feet would analyze as protein, although granted it provides very little nutrition. And as well, a cow that was euthanized (put to sleep) because of a disease that made it unfit for human consumption - would analyze as protein although that could be considered dangerous for consumption. Both of those things - chicken feet and a euthanized cow - are allowable ingredients and commonly used in pet food. You see the secret within the pet food industry is manufacturers have a WIDE OPEN door to where they obtain their ingredients. The only strict rule they must follow is an adult dog food must analyze with 18% protein and an adult cat food must analyze with 26% protein. Sources to acquire those particular percentages range from a 'human grade' meat, to chicken feet, to euthanized animals, to grain proteins, to even man made chemical proteins and many variations in between.

Pet food labels do not have to tell - are not allowed to tell - the sources they use to obtain that required 18% or 26% protein. And to make matters worse. . .quality minded pet food manufacturers - the companies that use 100% human grade ingredients - are not allowed to tell customers or potential customers that their products are quality, human grade ingredients.

So how can you know if your pet's food uses chicken feet or euthanized cows or if it contains human grade ingredients?

Secret #3...

If the words premium and choice mean basically nothing with regards to the quality of pet food, and if some pet foods use chicken feet and euthanized animals in their food - how can a pet owner know what they are getting in their pets' food?

This massive secret lies in fixing definitions. Unlike'people' food at which you could look at the foodstuff to ascertain the caliber, Petfood is much different. All of'people' food needs to meet particular USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) guidelines. The very same is incorrect for Petfood. Chicken feet and euthanized cows are NOT allowed in humans food for obvious reasons - that they don't have any nutritional value or else they are dangerous to take. The very same is NOT correct for Petfood. The single method to recognize if those fish foot or euthanized cows have been on your dog's food would be to understand what ingredients they are sometimes utilised in.

The frequent pet food component'Meat and Bone Meal' is ostensibly a combo of numerous lost left overs from the individual food market. Components of'meat and bone meal' may be such a thing from bunny heads, stomachs, and intestines, to (dreadful but-true ) Exotic animals such as cows, dogs and horses and cats out of vet offices, dog shelters, as well as farms. And combined side all those euthanized creatures your Petfood additionally comprises the medication pentabarbitol which has been used to euthanize the pet. 'Meat and bone meal' also can comprise left over restaurant grease, also diseased (such as malignant ) meat cells cut off from slaughtered creatures. To put it differently, this widely used fixing is a mixture of exceptionally poor and potentially dangerous left overs from the individual food market.

The Petfood component'Meat By-Product' or''Meat By-Product Meal' is virtually the exact identical item as'meat and bone meal'. It's an extremely poor Petfood component comprising literally who-knows-what.

Still another comparable ingredient to this aforementioned is'Animal Digest'.

Concerning the poultry feet I said earlier in the day - that this thing are discovered from the ingredients'Chicken By-Product' or''Poultry By-Product' or''Chicken By-Product Meal' or''Poultry By-Product Meal'. Any left overs from the poultry or chicken branch - containing but not restricted to poultry foot, epidermis including a few feathers, poultry or chicken thoughts, and intestines have been within those ingredients. It will NOT matter regarding wellbeing of the bird - ill healthy, deceased, dying. . .all is comprised in those ingredients.

So here is the thing you have todo. . .BEFORE you obtain some pet food, reverse the bag again and carefully inspect the set of ingredients. The aforementioned ingredients are recorded within the first ten or five ingredients. If you find ANY of the ingredients - it really is my proposal to NOT purchase that particular food. Recall - poultry feet and euthanized creatures do test as protein. This is all that's necessary in Petfood - only the suitable diagnosis.

Still another little trick a few pet food manufacturers utilize within this category would be using grains and compound additives to grain products to raise the protein proportions. That will be precisely the origin of your Petfood remember that began in March 2007 - compound proteins. Two different compound additives - which have NO nutritional significance for pets, however analyzed since protein - were inserted to your grain product (wheat germ, corn glutenfree, or rice ) solely to supply a inexpensive protein. Countless critters expired and hundreds of others became ill due to nobody relied upon the issue of this combo of both of these compounds would lead to kidney and sinus congestion. Their trick would be that the product needs to test as using a specific number of protein - that no body must supply an excellent beef protein.

As you're taking a look at the ingredient list - it's also advisable to observe the number of grains (wheat, corn, rice) or just the number of grain products (corn broccoli free, whole wheat, ground corn, whole wheat, ground corn, wheat gluten, rice, brown rice, brewers rice, poultry, soy, etc and on) are recorded within the first five or 2 ingredients. If you will discover more than 1 grain recorded from the first five ingredients - which is letting you know that this pet-food is gaining a number of its own nourishment .

What's protein got from potatoes significant that you be aware of? Several reasons - off mathematics demonstrates that cats dogs equally require and flourish on a protein. When your pet food is currently obtaining nourishment from grain resources, then your pet isn't receiving the meat it must flourish. Secondly, in the event the grain goods and solutions are a corn grain free, wheat glutenfree, or rice you require the probability of compounds like melamime added for it used rigorously to raise the protein investigation. Incidentally, melamime is just one of those compounds regarded as the reason for this March 2007 Petfood remember. And there was yet another concern with all grains - aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is just really actually a mortal mold that's not uncommon for wheat, corn germ, and soy plus it's really in charge of other Petfood remembers you almost certainly never found out of. In December 2005, Diamond Pet Food included improvised grains which murdered over 100 pets until the merchandise was remembered - all thanks to aflatoxin.

It's my recommendation in order to steer clear of any Petfood which comprises wheat, corn, or soy in ANY version. The danger is just too significant.

Secret #4...

I have more hints for one to search for while inside the fixing listings. . .chemical preservatives. A perfectly kept secret of this pet food sector is the ordinary utilization of chemical compounds. BHA/BHT are remarkably popular chemical compounds found in pet food and science has linked them into cancer and tumors. The other frequent preservative is ethoxyquin that includes understood risks into cancer. Ethoxyquin is ONLY allowed in human food in a few spices as a result of their very little proportions. Nevertheless it's enabled in substantially bigger proportions in Petfood.

If you scan the fixing listings, then you'll be searching for BHA/BHT and ethoxyquin listed anywhere. Commonly BHA/BHT can be employed to carry on the fat from the food that can be available higher among the. And look for at least one of these compounds near the close of the fixing list. As for me, I wouldn't touch a puppy food which comprised those compound preservatives. You desire a pet food that's maintained naturally - standard all-natural preservatives are'natural mixed tocopherols' or'vitamin E'.

Secret #5...

The absolute greatest food to supply to your own pet would be actually really just a well made food with ingredients that are human. This ought to be simple . . .How would you will discover that? You know that pet food manufacturers are NOT allowed to produce any statement concerning grade or quality of ingredients, so the only real means it's possible to figure out the grade or level of one's pets' food is to call the manufacturer and ask them.

Now, let's say you call the ABC pet food company and ask the question"Is the Premium pet food along with Premium cat food made with ingredients that are human " It could be that you get the response yes, we use human grade ingredients - when actually only a couple of ingredients are human grade. Here's the trick to asking. . .ask them if they are APHIS European certified.

Pet food manufacturers that are APHIS European certified assures you that ALL ingredients in their pet food are human grade. APHIS - Animal Plant Health Inspection Services - is a division of the USDA. APHIS European certification provides this pet food manufacturer with the opportunity to ship their foods/treats to Europe. When importing pet foods from the US, European countries demand that all ingredients are human grade and thus require this certification. Most pet food manufacturers that have APHIS European certification do not ship their products to Europe - they simply use this as a means to assure their customers to the higher quality of their ingredients.

Again, you WON'T see this listed on the label - it's not allowed. You must call the manufacturer and ask. Often times the representative of the pet food won't even know what you are talking about when you ask about APHIS certification - if that's the case, you can assume they are not APHIS European certified. APHIS European certification is a bonus to pet owners - it is not required or even suggested that any pet food manufacturer go through the extra steps to obtain this. This is a special effort some pet foods go through to tell their customers they REALLY CARE about the quality of their products. Personally, I would NOT buy a pet food that doesn't have it.

And by the way, if you can't reach the pet food manufacturer, or they do not return your call within a short time frame, lose their number! Any company that does not place a priority on answering customers questions - doesn't deserve your business!

Secret #6...

Minerals are a required ingredient in human diets as well as diets for our pets. Copper, Iron and Zinc are common minerals found in pet foods. Just as they are - copper, iron, and zinc are basically rocks, very difficult for anyone or any pet to utilize. Science has developed several ways to introduce minerals into the body (human and pet) for better absorption thus benefiting the individual far more. This scientific development is called chelating or proteinating and it's been around for years. Through the chelating or proteinating process minerals are absorbed about 60% better than just the minerals alone.

This secret is spotting the minerals in your pet food to see if they are chelated or proteinated. Notice the minerals on your pet food label, way down on the list of ingredients. You are looking for minerals that read 'copper proteinate' or 'chelated copper'. If you see just the mineral listed, your pet is sort of like Charlie Brown at Halloween saying'I have a stone'. If you want your pet to have the best, chelated or proteinated minerals are part of the best foods!

Secret #7...

This secret is called 'friendly bacteria'. Although'friendly bacteria' sounds a little scary, the reason for it lies in your pets' immune system. A huge part of one's pets' immune system is found within the intestinal system. Keeping the immune system healthy helps to keep the animal itself healthy. This friendly bacteria is similar to what's found in yogurt, however in pet food it is introduced in a fashion so that the cooking process doesn't destroy it. Looking at the fine print on your pet food label, this time you are looking for lengthy, scientific words like Lactobacillus Acidophilus or Bifidobacterium Thermophilum. If you do NOT see these words or some very similar, that pet food is not addressing the care of your pets' defense mechanisms. And , should you would like your dog to own the most useful, then you would like'friendly bacteria' in your own food.

There really are some seven very secrets that will aid you in finding the absolute safest and finest Petfood for your own friend. Equipped with those keys - you finally have the data to locate your dog the very best food potential! An Petfood which could extend their life and also prevent premature aging and disorder. In the event you never wish to bother doing this assignments included, I recommend you to register to my own yearly magazine Petsumer Report(TM). During Petsumer Report(TM) I've done all of the prep for you - monthly I examine and speed within 40 distinct pet foods, toys, treats, along with also several other pet supplies. Oahu is the ONLY book of its' kind providing pet owners with the information they need to know regarding their pet product purchases.

I want to share just a couple more things...

It's best to feed an adult dog or adult cat two meals a day. The nutrition they consume with two meals is better utilized than with just one meal a day. If you are currently feeding your pet one meal a day, split that same amount into two meals and feed in the AM and PM.

You should know that all canned or moist pet foods are anywhere between 70% to 85% moisture. This means that 70% to 85% of that can or pouch of food is useless nutrition - its water. Granted our pets need water, cats especially tend not to drink enough water. But since all canned or moist foods are mostly water, they do not provide adequate nutrition to be fed strictly a canned or moist diet. Use a canned or moist product to supplement your pet's diet - not as the only food.

The best pet foods are preserved naturally (secret #4) - but there is a concern with naturally preserved pet foods. . .freshness. Take notice of the expiration date on your pets food label - typically with naturally preserved dry pet foods (not as much of a concern with soft foods because of canning - very little need of preservatives) the expiration date is one year to 18 months from the date it was manufactured. Let's say the pet food you are considering to purchase on July 1, 2007 has a 'Best if Used by' date of January 1, 2008. This would tell you that this particular bag of pet food is already 6 months old. While it is still'good' a more healthy food - a tote that's 2 or 3 months old - is much way better. Needless to say pet foods lose nutrient effectiveness as time passes. Always work to come across an extremely fresh tote.

If you're thinking about shifting your own pets food, then ALWAYS check your Veterinarian first. You always need to maintain your vet advised of any changes which you create with your dog. Do not take chances. Of course should you switch pet food, then make the shift over very slowly. I recommend to pet-owners 1/4 fresh food to 3/4 old food for 4 weeks days to 1 week, 1/2 into 1/2 to get a second 4 to seven days, etc. Shifting food fast might cause gastrointestinal illness! Its short word, however we do not desire autoimmune disease!!!

1 final thing, since you're already aware cats and dogs have a much greater sense of smell than humans. Their food bowl may be wealth of scents - both bad and good. A few times a furry friend will won't eat because she or he snacks a preceding food in their bowl. Vinyl water and food bowls maintain scents that the most worst. And surprisingly does metal utensils. The ideal form of water and food bowl would be a ceramic . They maintain scents at the least.

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highfatlosssite-blog · 4 years

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Get in the habit of losing fat

Change your eating habits

I believe that a well-designed exercise program is complete for long-term fat loss. However, exercise alone will not make you slimmer. Nutrition is crucial. There is a famous saying that I agree with: “You can't get out of bad food”. Carbofix Review You can still put on weight because of your eating habits. Here are some important nutritional habits you can use to help you lose body fat while maintaining lean muscle tissue:

Component control

Portion size control is essential for reducing your body fat. Try to eat small meals throughout the day, each meal consists of three main types of palm-sized foods: protein, fibrous carbohydrates (i.e. vegetables) and starchy carbohydrates. It helps control your blood sugar, improves digestion, maintains energy levels, controls your appetite, and controls your calories.

Eat often

It may sound like the opposite of your goal, but it is associated with the above benchmark. Your portions should be small while eating often. As many trainers have done, I believe eating more will increase your metabolism. However, there is no science to prove it. Whether you eat 3 times a day or 6 times a day, it does not affect your metabolism.

It goes without saying that eating more often has other benefits. Eating 4 or 5 small, healthy meals or snacks throughout the day can help control your blood sugar, improve digestion, control appetite, and maintain your energy levels. If you wait too long between meals, you may find that energy levels drop, leading to sugar cravings and fatigue.

An easy way to start reducing portion sizes is to add a high protein snack in the afternoon, breaking down the long time between lunch and dinner.

Milk may not be good for your body

Although the dairy industry heavily markets milk as an important part of a healthy diet, too much milk can hinder your goals of staying lean. Milk is high in calcium and other important nutrients, but most dairy products have a high glycemic load, which can affect your insulin and interfere with fat loss. Milk can also cause fluid retention and mucus production, which increases congestion.

In addition, a large number of people find it difficult to digest milk properly. Most of the milk we drink is highly processed and various chemicals are added. If you don't have access to clean, raw organic milk, I suggest limiting your milk intake to natural yogurt and kefir, as they contain good digestive bacteria and are easy for your body to process.

To make sure you're getting enough EFAs, I recommend replacing your diet with two or three servings of fish oil each day. It helps your body burn more fat and has many other health benefits.

Avoid refined starch and sugar

Sugar is the enemy if your goal is to lose fat! Sugar contains empty calories (minimum nutritional value) which quickly release energy without nourishing your body and then quickly slows down energy. Sugar also interferes with fat loss, causing insulin to increase. When insulin levels are high, your body is in a state of storing or releasing fat. Your body also likes to metabolize sugar for fuel before using up fat stores. You can control these rapid fluctuations in blood sugar by including a diet high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Foods high in fiber can help control blood sugar and insulin levels. Cut down on highly processed, low-fiber breads, cereals, breakfast bars, potatoes and pasta.

Goat's milk products are also easier to digest than cow's milk. If you suffer from frequent congestion, sinus problems, and ear infections, try to avoid all treats for a while. Alternative sources of calcium are almonds, salmon, cruciferous vegetables, and calcium supplements.

Take smart fats

Fat is a misnomer. Many people still believe that all fats are "bad" and believe that eating fat will make you fat. However, not all fats are created equal, and consuming the right kind of fat is not only essential for good health, but it also contributes to the metabolism of body fat. The good fats are called essential fatty acids (EFAs) and contain omega 3, 6 and 9 oils. These healthy fats include fish, nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil and olive oil. safflower. Flaxseed oil and fish oil are also popular in general sources and in supplemental form.

In a weight loss study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2005, researchers found that a group with a high protein intake was less likely to regain the weight they lost and any weight gained in the body. protein group from lean tissue. The results are said to have a high thermal effect and a decrease in appetite.

Finally, another potential benefit of reducing your carbohydrate intake is better glycemic (blood sugar) control. This means that your insulin and blood sugar levels are more balanced, which helps maintain healthy body composition and provide health benefits for people who are "carbohydrate intolerant".

Like I said, limiting your carbs for the long term is not recommended. A more balanced method of moderating your carbohydrate intake is called a "carbohydrate cycle" or "carbohydrate manipulation". This method will dramatically reduce your carbohydrate intake just two or three days in a row each week, followed by a carbohydrate “load” day. On low carb days, you need to increase your protein intake to get the calorie difference. Carbohydrate cycling makes low-carb diets safer, more effective, and easier to follow.

Change your lifestyle

To increase fat loss, maintain lean tissue, increase your metabolism, and increase your energy levels, you will need to make a few more lifestyle changes. In fact, even with a good diet and a good exercise program, fat loss is very low if you do not include some of the following guidelines.

Researchers have found that healthy men who get only 4-6 hours of sleep per night for 6 consecutive nights have higher blood sugar and insulin levels. It is a very bad state of metabolism for those who are trying to lose weight because the excess insulin increases the storage of body fat.

Aim for 8 hours of sleep every night, and try to keep a regular routine where you have the same bed and wake times. Pick a time that you wake up to most days and make sure you're in bed at least 8 hours before.

Eat more slowly

Some animals simmer for about 15 minutes, feel overwhelmed, and stop eating. But you are human. Because you eat fast, your full stomach won't have time to alert your brain. If you eat more slowly and chew your food well, you won't be able to digest well, but you will be less likely to eat more. At your next meal, take your time, chew well, and rest between mouth sores.

Stay well hydrated

Water is a very important nutrient, especially when trying to lose weight. You need it to flush out the waste products your body makes when breaking down fat for energy or processing protein. You need it to transport nutrients to your muscles. You need it to digest food and boost your metabolism. Water also helps keep you warm during hot weather workouts.

To boil well, let water and green tea be your main drinks. Fruit juices, sodas, and other drinks contain calories and often contain sugar. Hence, avoid juices, sodas, and sports drinks and instead focus on consuming still water and green tea. Drinking one liter a day for every fifty pounds of your body weight is a good guide to water intake. Drinking enough water can help control your appetite and lose fat.

Don't skip meals

In today's fast-paced society, I often hear that people are too "busy" to eat or eat enough during the day. If you really want to be slim, eating regularly should be a priority. One tip that can help you is to prepare your meal in advance. It can also help you avoid fast food or junk food snacks. Keep your portions small and focus on foods high in protein, vegetables, fruits, and essential fats.

Enjoy

A very stressful lifestyle can lead to adrenal fatigue and increase your cortisol levels, which forces the body to retain fat. Exercise, rest, and a balanced diet are healthy ways to deal with the stress in your life. Suparicitamena? Also try to reduce stressful activities over which you are in control. If you can't let go of stress, adopt healthy coping practices such as positive thinking and relaxation techniques. Whatever you do, don't use alcohol or other drugs to deal with the symptoms of stress ... it won't solve the problem but it will make it harder to lose fat.

Ultimately, to increase fat loss and stay lean forever, you need to control your calories, increase your metabolism with a balanced exercise program, and make changes in your lifestyle and eating habits. You also need patience to be successful and to focus on achieving your goals the “right” way rather than “immediately”.

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mwolf0epsilon · 5 years

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Hello, I'm the anon that asked for the three werewolf prompts. I thought I'd drop by and ask for three vampire ones as well if you're still taking D:bh writing requests? “So…how old are you?”, “There’s no such thing as ‘the good old days’. Every time sucks.” and “I shouldn’t have waited this long…”

Hello again Anon. Those three werewolf prompts were pretty fun to do and I'm happy to write with these three vampire ones. Feel free to pop back in if you want some more AU/Canon goodness!

On with the show. One vampire Simon coming right up (with an appropriate gif to boot), enjoy!

---

[[MORE]]

On the ride back to the Manfred household from North's family cabin, Josh can't help but fidget and glance curiously at the only person in the car that's covered from head to toe to shield himself from the sunlight. He had been pondering for a while now, why a vampire would risk sun exposure by coming out to camp out in the woods with friends.

Then, as the minutes crawled by, Josh began to ponder on something else. The way Simon had worded his friends's apparent adoption of the werewolf into their inner circle, and how the vampire apparently had been living in Markus's attic before he too was taken in, in a similar manner.

"If you keep staring at me like that, I fear you might burn a hole through my layers." The blond spoke up, startling Josh out of his thoughts, a humorous tone indicating that he wasn't so much as unnerved as he was amused.

"Sorry..." He couldn't help apologize as he caught the other's gaze under his sunglasses. "It's just... I've never actually seen a vampire before."

It was odd how werewolves were so common these days, but vampires were merely spoken about in hushed whispers. It was less terrifying to some that men could become huge wolfish beasts, but their undead kin could remain hidden behind a facade of normalcy. Simon certainly looked human enough. Enough so that Josh hadn't even realized what he truly was before he'd made his move to defend his friends. Defend them from a percieved common threat, even if he'd been rather passive at the time rather than aggressive like the rest of his pack.

Still, the werewolf saw no reason to fear the blond. If anything he was just curious about him.

"We're rare these days. It's hard to find one of us if we don't want to be found." Simon explained, seeming to have rehearsed this response. Maybe he'd had to say the same to many others before him.

Which brought another question...

"...Ok this is going to sound super rude..." Josh flustered slightly as he tried not to be too blunt "But uh... how old are you?"

At the front North snorted loudly and Josh could see the corner of Markus's eye crinkle with amusement on the rearview mirror. Simon simply stared at him before rolling his eyes and smiling.

"Old enough." He responded nonchalantly.

"What?" Josh stared, before North burst out laughing and spoke up.

"He can't remember, but he's old as fuck!" She told him, before whining when the vampire lightly punched her arm. "Sensitive about your age as ever, old timer?"

"I'll have you know no matter how old I technically am, I'll remain 28 for eternity!" Simon almost sounded like a bird with it's feathers ruffled, which was quite funny really. Almost like a cockatoo, minus the extravagant yellow display feathers.

Josh made a note not to ask about his age again tho, he doubted it was nice to be eternally youthful and then lose track of time like that... If anything it sounded like a lonely existence.

---

Mr. Manfred (who insisted Josh call him Carl because being refered to as 'mister' made him feel ancient) was a rather interesting man. An eccentric artist with an extravagantly decorated house and three bright young sons that he was proud of (even if Leo seemed to doubt his father liked him at all). Josh found in him a good conversation partner, a brilliant chess opponent, and someone who could teach him a lot about the world.

No one in his family had liked history and philosophy, so staying with the Manfreds was like paradise. Especially when he sat down and discussed things with Carl.

Another person who seemed so fond of joining their debates was undoubtedly the resident vampire.

Simon was a man of few words and many hobbies, but whenever he had something to say it often got both Josh and Carl thinking.

“There’s no such thing as ‘the good old days’. Every time sucks.” the blond grumbled once, when Carl had been reminiscing about the past. Saying how easier it was now to assume your sexuality or gender identity without being prosecuted by the public.

Simon had wholly disagreed with his opinion on the matter.

"Hundreds of years ago people would slaughter each other for minor differences. Be they gender, race, or religion." The vampire stated. "Today is the same, but the media is changing to hide it more. What's the death of a young unarmed black man, or of an innocent trans person worth to the public, when they could focus on the pressing things of life, like what celebrities are doing, or what is fashionable these days?"

Josh had been unsure what to say to those bitter words, because he knew for a fact that injustices still happened regularly. Carl had merely tried to shrug it off, not seeming all that willing to discuss it further. The artist later admitted he'd been wrong, when Leo came back with a black eye after being assaulted in a public bathroom. Apparently a guy had noticed his binder when he'd gone to wash his hands and, had Leo not been accompanied by two of his friends (one of which was a 6'7" Russian built like a goddamn bear), things could have taken a turn for the worst.

Agreeing to disagree was not something people should do with a vampire that had seen the world change and people remain the same...

---

It takes three months of living among friends for Josh to see Simon feeding off a person. The vampire is very reserved in his dietary habits, only ever drinking from a cup he keeps separate from everyone else's dishes, and he never really drinks human blood. He purchased a variety of animal blood from the butcher's, often commenting on how unsanitary human blood really is.

"I'd rather not risk catching any blood related diseases, thank you very much." The blond scoffed as he took a sip out if his cup of fish blood. "The high levels of cholesterol would also probably kill me faster than sunlight ever could... I'm an old man, my poor heart can't take it."

Josh has seen him drink pig's blood, cow blood, even snake blood if he had been feeling "fancy", as Simon would put it. But never had he seen him drink any of the types of human blood. Then, three months into his stay, Simon became incredibly sick after drinking a contaminated batch...

He vomits and shivers for days, while Josh helps Markus tend to the miserable vampire's intense fever. North goes to the butcher's to complain and comes back furious when the man doesn't provide so much as an apology or a refund. They help Simon through the sickness and are relieved when he begins recovering.

But then, when Josh walks into his room one day, Simon has this pained distant look as he curls in on himself and clutched his stomach as if he were dying.

He looks deathly pale with darkened (almost black) veins snaking under his waxy skin, and sunken in eyes and cheeks that make him almost look cadaveric. His fangs (which Josh learned are kept within special sheaths like those of venemous snakes) are visible and gleaming in the low lighting of the attic that had been converted into his friend's comfy room. As soon as he locks eyes with Josh, he begins to salivate heavily before whimpering softly.

"I shouldn’t have waited this long…” Simon is shaking from the pain in his empty gut, but also from the amount of control he's trying to maintain over himself. Josh can see that unmistakable predatory need to pounce rolling off his twitching frame. Simon's instincts want him to hunt. Hunt his friend for sustenance. But Simon doesn't want to hurt anyone. He's too kind for that.

Josh can't bare seeing him suffer like that, especially when they don't have any fresh blood to give him.

All three of them (Josh, Markus and North) decide he's suffered enough from food poisoning and donate a portion of their blood, so that Simon may feed and replenish his health properly.

The blond dislikes drinking from people, but the eagerness to drink from their willing veins is more than enough for him to loose at least an ounce of self control.

He practically crashes it Markus when the tan freckled man exposed his neck to him, and sinks his teeth and grips his shoulders hard enough that his sharpened nails break skin. The noises that escape him are almost obscene and Markus becomes flustered as Simon suckles and laps up the warm life giving liquid. He lets go when Markus starts getting woozy and his legs begin to give out, moving on to feed from Josh next.

The sensation is an odd one, intimate even. The werewolf can smell Simon's desperation, and feel his neediness against his skin, before the blond has had his fill and moves on to finish quenching his thirst with a smaller sum from North. They gave more than her, because they were larger and because Josh would heal faster.

Markus is a little weak for a few days after, while Josh bounces back quickly due to his own beastly nature. North promises to give more the next time something like this happens.

Simon is embarrassed about the whole ordeal, but grateful nontheless.

He hopes there won't be a next time, and seeing him so weak and inhuman makes Josh hope the same. Still there's no closer bond than that of letting a loved one feed off your life source.

As odd as that might sound.

#eps writes:#fanfic #detroit: become human #detroit become human #vampire au #werewolf au #dbh simon #dbh josh #dbh markus #dbh north #polycho

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