#Six years down the line you get the retrains

[vonbaghager]

every big monster yugioh card is named Absolute Tyrant King Dicksmasher the Primal Terror and every big monster magic card is named Borgus, the Beefsmith

#Six years down the line you get the retrains #Nightmare Emperor Dicksmasher With Eyes of Blue #And Borgus the Beefgenius #Yugioh #magic the gathering #Mtg

[bestieslittlebitch2023]

A humbling

I want to tell you about what happened to me 5years ago. I had been working at the same company for 12 years and the business was about to expand, my line manager said it was time to get me some help and naturally I thought this a good Idea.

When it came to the day of the interview there was my self my line manager and the owner of the company. Just as I thought we had interviewed the last person my line manager brought in a tall broad Black gentleman called Darryl. After his interview I felt that he hadn't come across particularly well but neither my line manager or the owner would hear me out and the owner said that she didn't want to hear anymore of my objections.

He soon started working at the company and very quickly become popular with the staff , what I didn't know then was that the staff were going directly to him to get jobs done. Leaving me out of the loop and looking silly when I went to do jobs and the staff explained that the jobs had been done to a very high standard! I was very quickly loosing control of my department.

One day about six weeks since Daryll had started I asked him to do a job. He flatly refused and told me that I couldn't tell him or even ask him to do any jobs as he worked for my line manager and not me! I said 'you work for me Daryll ' he stood there smiling and said ' no no no ' then walked off . This was infront of other staff and I couldn't believe what had just happened!

Within 30 minutes I was called to my line managers office, as I entered Daryll was already sitting in her office. She told me that she'd heard what had happened and that she wasn't happy. I was then informed that Daryll did work for her and not me... She then said ' I want you to face Daryll and apologize...I want to hear you say I'm sorry ' my dick and balls shrank and my face went crimson red as I stumbled and stuttered to say ' I'm sorry Daryll ' my line manager then said that there would be a official meeting with the owner in the morning and that could I leave the room as she still wanted to speak with Daryll. I left the room my face flushed with shame and a feeling of emasculation.

The next morning at the meeting I was told by the owner that she was concerned about what happened and ask me if I needed to goon some retraining courses? I said no that I'd acknowledged my mistake and that I was fully on board! I was hoping that would keep her happy. She then got up on the screen Darylls qualifications and asked him if she could show them to me ? His response was ' sure but do you think he'll be able to understand or will you have to explain it to him' he had a huge smirk on his face as he said this. The owner suppressed a giggle and said ' I'll break it down for him ' she then showed me the screen Darylls qualifications were far superior to mine! I was told that because of that she wanted him to be office based only and that he was far too qualified for manual jobs. Then my line manager said that she was very busy at the moment and since Daryll would be office based and his high qualifications that he should arrange what jobs where to be done in what order! I was told by the owner that she would be having interviews for the next position on my job title and that we were both welcome to apply for the position . I left that room deflated.

It wasn't easy working the next few weeks. Daryl changed the office round so it no longer looked the same, he told me that I was no longer to answer the phone if he wasn't in the office I was to let it go to answer phone. The job description came out for the new post it wasn't one post above mine ... It was two! We both applied and they interviewed two external people as well. Long story short Daryll got the position.

The next morning going into work was hard I opened the door to the office and he said I could come in. As I stood there he sat behind what once was my desk he stretched out his hand and tapped his cup with his finger said 'first job ' I picked up his cup and walked out of the office with my head down totally demoralised. As I got to the door he said ' don't you worry your little self if you don't make it 100% right your going to get a lot of practice at making tea ! In fact I'm making it your top job! Now tell me what your top job is ? ' I said it's making tea ' . 'speak up ' ' it's making your tea Daryll ' he smirked as he said good boy.

And that's how the last 5years started...but that's another story.

[crybabytoy59]

The ultimate backwards way forward….

1. The day had finally come all the hours, days, weeks, months and years even.....That had lead to this one intrepid moment. Tonight He (Mark) stood before Her “Chrissy”....Shaking whilst doing as instructed, he was to put his Big clothes into the black bags in front her. She would decide what if any we’re to be kept. All things related to his Big life went in…

 Next She sat him down in only a cartoon disposable & a onesie ! He sat & listened as she reinforced her Will as the midnight deadline approached !... 

 She spoke very gently, a deep love of genuinely wishing to take him to his “little place”,  Yes his Big had pushed back and fought at times but this was IT her words would be final !  No turning back whatsoever no wriggling out. A new life lay ahead as Chrissy delicately spoke….

2. “Now sweet-pea  all your big things are away and in fifteenth minutes you will be My Bunny, my BabyBoy & I your Mommy I will treat you as a baby always & this you will come to accept through Mommy’s intense retraining of you to become that infant baby again we will take you back mentally & physically to a small child, Mommy’s cute toddler In nappies 24/7 ….

This will not be easy at first but please trust Mommy, she is going to help you mentally to be the baby that hangs on to every one of Mommy’s kind nurturing words….. So Bunny are you ready hmmm, Are you ready my darling baby boy? 

3. Mark took a huge breath but still the words came out at a tremor…..“Yyes am rready Mommy, I realise my fears will at times test you for that I am truly sorry… but I do wish for this deep inside, so any fears I have, I gladly hand them to your care & compassion, to regress and nurture me into who & what we Both wish for…So yes Mommy your “Baby boy” wants this with all his heart.... Mommy hugged him tightly, anticipating the clock in the nursery awaiting for it to strike Midnight !! ...

4. The nursery was a work of art they had both built together a room where Baby Mark was dwarfed by the furniture within the nursery ! .......As the big hand met the little hand of midnight…Mommy began to speak almost in a whisper…“Baby? give Mommy her “Gift” of your submission.”

5. She smiled warmly watching the mirror as her baby began wetting the cartoon disposable, she could see it changing colour through the soft white plastic pants, she stroked his hair soothingly as the nappy began to swell outwards…“Clever Baby All done Sweet-pea?” (he nodded into her soft shoulder welling up slightly in the knowledge that this was his “Gift”, his submission to her, the first act of remaining in nappies 24/7 at Mommy’s will)

The very smell of her soft flesh had always made him feel a Deep want of regression ! But tonight she smelt Devine. Chrissy had taken a shower before this chat, washing her hair with Johnston’s Baby shampoo,  she then oiled  her whole body with baby oil! Knowing the effect it would have on Mark, pushing him over the sensory edge....After all the Hot pulsing between her legs drove her want of complete control over him! …“Clever Boy let’s get you changed & down for the night in your onesie and blue booties, then I'll read you a nice little story”….

6. As he waddled slowly forward, suddenly Mommy barked “And what do you think you are doing Mr? ” ...He was puzzled by this remark & Mommy’s new stern tone? Mommy simply smiled saying “Are you a big toddler yet Crinkle Butt? No, you are not ! All fours baby... Now! As what did Mommy say to you about obedience? (He got down on all fours, as she wished, knowing soon he would have the blue crawling booties on with the nasty studs that made walking near impossible anyway! ) 

That and the ankle cuffs with the tiny locks would make removing them a futile task!)… As he crawled Mommy patted baby’s botty “Much better see you can be a clever Bunny for Mommy! ” Baby jolted forwards as Mommy spanked him full force ! “Pardon Baby? ”...  Yethss mommy ! ...

 “Much better think we just earned our first “redstar” baby Yes?” …. “Wess mommy sworry…” “Clever Baby you can put it on the naughty behaviour chart after Mommy changes that soggy bott bott of your’s ehy? Up on the changing table then Mr, let’s get that wet  nappy off & your special night time dipee on!”

7. As baby got up on the table he could feel the soggy thin cartoon nappy sagging! ... Complete humiliation overcoming him at his new lot in life, a true baby boy status started to hit home. God how he loved this girl so much, knowing he would now no longer be able to touch her in a Big way he felt that new part of the Humiliation was ever looming and yet to come pressing closer. Mommy was very clever, astute and thorough, she would have a lot in store for her new charge.…Mommy tugged the plastic pants down “Someone has a soggy bumbum! look at this wet nappy Mr! (He couldn’t miss it in full view from the mirrored ceiling over the changing station ! This had been Chrissy’s idea as she loved the Humiliation element that it brought! )…“Aaawww don’t fret your going to be doing this all the time now Crinkle Butt!...As Mommy is going to make sure you become such a dribbling dependant little boy”….she chuckled lightly...There seemed to be a glint in her eyes too. 

8. The clean up was very intense & had baby stirring underneath her! She reapplied the thick white cream paying just enough attention to all the right spots then she delicately but quickly slid the night time pluggie in. This was Very large & could be adjusted to vibrate with a very intense level if was required… baby gasped as Mommy pushed it all the way home! As Baby moved she chuckled lightly and playfully spanked the huge night time nappy to a dull thud once she was done! “Mommy's little drum.” she cooed. “ All that padding is going to make sure you will stay safe till morning Sweet-pea… “Now come to Mommy”. He instinctively crawled towards her open lap, she guided him to rest his head in her arms and his back against her leg. 

Mommy stretched across to her right side, reaching for the giant glass night time bottle, full with the formula she had earlier prepared.

10. “Take hold with your mittens Sweet-pea, Mommy wants to see how you do, if its to heavy then I will hold it too” She now began to playfully stroke and tease his nipples as he held the bottle unsteadily! The gurgling was instant behind the milky teat as baby had developed very sensitive little nipples, just as she had designed! Straining in his bulky nappy wiggling gently on the spot between her, the whimpering and soft moans started up as the bottle continued to empty. When baby finished the last drops of formula she began to rub and stroke his back, gently massaging him encouraging those little burpies out... Baby squealed as he nearly had an accident at the same! “Ok Sweet-Pea off to Beddie Byes.” She gently held and led his shaking hand.  “But first please put the star up on Your chart!” Baby took a red star off the pad & put it onto the first square of naughty chart… (The red stars were for a Sunday evening’s end of week  “punishment time” If he had gold stars that would bring a reward) But red !...............Mommy patted the mattress on the double bed sized Cot. “Ok Bunny Boy hop up into your cot now.” He would sleep with Mommy Bear at ni nights time (but unbeknown to Baby, he'd be napping in the day time as well, part of her new routine she had in store for him)! She patted again “Position Baby !”…or do you want a second Red star “!...She chuckled as He scrambled into the cot positioning himself for Mommy!

11. Mommy lifted up the little blue booties to his new horizon line. She took the first swiftly and deftly to his toesies slipping it on his right foot, click the ankle cuffs latched shut. Next was the left, it too had the same bemusing locking system, designed so the Baby (him) could not free himself from the deceivingly cute little slippers. He'd never seen how the locks worked. Click... She smiled at him gently, knowing that the spiked shoes would limit his ability to now stand unaided and maximise her ability to retrain him to a more appropriate babyish crawl. Yes they would make life much easier outdoors too...  “Clever Boy,  almost done, then we can have that chat and Mommy will read you your bed time story after… ok baby?” ( “Wess Mommy” ) Clever boy Mommy does so love those manners Sweet-Pea well done!”

12. Now a little afraid realising he was properly in Mommy’s world. Things would continue to happen now that he would have no control over.  Next Mommy lifted his brand new dummy, he had not seen this one before! It must have been a recent purchase, this one was an extra large sized red yellow and blue primary coloured affair. She knew it had been designed specifically to help him dribble (just a little) and make his big boy words very difficult !! 

Putting it into his mouth she moved to his ear and whispered softly “Mommy wants you to nurse on this dum dum sweetie, I won't fasten it into place just yet unless you show me that you can't be trusted, OK?” It was a rhetorically phrased question that didn't need an answer, but there was that same look in her eyes.

13. “Now Sweet-pea first we'll have our wee chat then Mommy will read you a nice story before ni-nights. Your going to need lots of sleep Bunny Boy as Mommy has lots of adventures in store for you tomorrow ! … Now listen very closely as I will say this only once….Mommy is going to have you fast for five days ....This is to strengthen baby’s immune system and also induce a bit of a body reset, then on day six we will start your new baby food regime… This will be all fruit and vegetables as Mommy is going to have a very health baby… So then Baby,  you can get adjusted to those adorable nappies nice & easily...Your only going to be drinking fluids for the next five days first though, so Mommy is focusing on those soggy bum bums to begin with, then we will work up to your mushies…Your such a cutie for sucking on your new binkie like a good boy. Well done!

14. “She chuckled lightly lifting the story book to begin…

The alternate “100 Acre Wood”......

 God she was so dam hot there and then, in her best condescending cooing Mommy voice. She began “Once upon a time there lived a boy who was very very lonely inside,  he desperately wanted to have a friend. Out walking one day in the woods he found a small bunny, it hopped right over to him and began hugging the boy tightly.....The rabbit started to gently speak to the boy! “Hello Crinkle Butt ....The boy protested to the Rabbit “Am a not a Crinkle Butt!”....But the Bunny simply chuckled “I know who you really are Silly! The boy looked around but nobody was there? As he turned around the rabbit stood beside him again swatting his bottom Thwack !!... “I suppose this isn't your nappy then Crinkle Butt?”  The boy stayed quiet as he felt embarrassed. But the Bunny Smiled gently and hugged him even tighter. Bunny the Rabbit then took Crinkle Butt’s hand ....“Best we get back inside or Mommy will be angry with us & we will get the hairbrush! The boy took the rabbits hand, as he too hated the hairbrush spankings.....“Ok Bunny we best hurry then as it’s getting dark & Mommy will want us fed & then to Nigh nights”.....They both skipped through the puddles getting Mud all over their legs! ...On the porch Mommy was already waiting standing with her arms folded....Babies look at the colour of you !.... She held out her finger pointing to inside, that’s when both Babies noticed Mommy already had the hairbush!”....oh bother.

15. “Now Sweet-pea I think that’s enough for tonight, Mommy can see you are looking tired I'll read you some more tomorrow if your a good boy. She gently stroked his face “Off to sleepies now.....She began to start the lullaby mobile that hung overhead and the cute little noises and lights softly sprung into action and gently soothed her precious little one into the land of dreams...Mommy lifted the plug remote and set it to the night time precycle with the hypnotic recordings ! These would play all night as the monitor recorded his sleep & dream patterns, it would match the patterns playing the recording & pluggie vibes to their best effects.....Night after night she would subliminally reprogram his brain to be a contented infant Baby Boy... To her will... to her wants... to her Deepest held desire over controlling him, but also letting him be the baby he was destined to become! This would be Absolute !! Her new hypnotherapist friend would help with new insertions of “trigger words” that would become instant in there use over him, no matter where, no matter when or who they were with !.....Fuck every inch of her was tingling with her desire to further his regression......

She looked down at him all safe in that cot with an oversized dummy bouncing in and out. Fuck he was already hungrily sucking on that dummy! Her Chest ached with anticipation....This was just the start, she held all the cards, she had everything ready for the morning & for the day’s events......Time to sleep though, putting her arm over his chest a small whimper came......She smiled to herself...Tomorrow he would go through so many trials and emotions. Day by day his emotional state would become much easier to control due to her fasting retraining, first hunger & loss of energy...then as the energy started to peak later on in the week she would simple take a sense from him so as to have more control mentally over his nappies!....awash with thoughts flashing through her mind she settled down to sleep knowing the “Hypno-Mommy” tapes would be working there magic on him....These she would use as she put him down for his afternoon nap too!

[imamotherfuckingstar-lord]

Even the Yelling

Bakugo x Reader

Warnings: cursing, a little angst. 

A/N: This takes place three years after graduation, Bakugou went Pro. NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS, SORRY. 

Summary:  While on patrol, Katsuki runs into you – his ex-girlfriend.

The day was boring – not a single fucking peep, not even from a lowlife criminal. Bakugo grunted as he checked the time on his cellphone, ignoring the text message from dumbass Deku. He was getting irate with the lack of action he was seeing during his shift, so he said screw it and decided to have an early lunch. He walked a few blocks before coming into a ramen shop that was all too familiar. He stood there for a moment, frozen at the front door; it was the restaurant he used to take you to.

“Fuck.” He muttered, not remembering how he even ended up on this street. Staring at his reflection in glass, he noted that his hero costume had changed quite a bit - it felt more refined and less childish now that he was a Pro.  He did away with the flashier items, dialed it down because he decided his power and pure strength would be what was on display. He sensed it within himself, the last couple of months had made him more into a man and he hated to think it had been because you weren’t around. He was forced to grow up, forced to deal with his feelings.

It had been six months since the two of you broke things off, he needed to focus on his Pro Hero career – always pushing himself closer and closer to the number one spot. He had become so consumed with his career that he didn’t notice you slipping away. His self-doubts and esteem had gotten the best of him when he noticed how other people could make you laugh so easily. He hated seeing his friends and you bonding, texting and making plans to hang while he took more shifts at his agency. You had decided not to go Pro, instead settled for a hiring job at a competing agency right after graduating. The two of you had busy lives but it worked out so well, you leased an apartment together.  Living with you had been the greatest year of his life, waking up to you had been Bakugo’s delight – not that he would admit it, at least not then. He knew now, that had been the problem – he couldn’t admit his feelings, any of them.  

“Kacchan?”

His heart dropped at the sound of your voice, for a moment, he thought he had made it up in his head. How pathetic, he thought to himself until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked away from his reflection to see you standing there, wearing jeans and a dark blue winter coat.  

“Lion,” he blurted out, embarrassed that he even uttered the loving nickname out loud. He was relieved that you didn’t seem to mind, just smiled. Six months had gone by - it might not have seemed long or maybe it did, but staring at you, he noticed how different you looked. He hoped you could notice the difference in him too.  

“How are you?”

“I haven’t kicked the damn bucket yet,” he urged in that same explosive tone you had loved since UA.  

You laughed, pretending it didn’t hurt to see him or worse that your heart was pounding so fast. His costume had changed since you had last seen him, it suited him better – he looked like a real Pro Hero. He stood straight; his hair shorter with an under cut. It was easy to admit to yourself that Bakugou was looking good because he always did, even if he wasn’t aware of it, which was hilarious, knowing how modest he could be.  

“That’s good to hear, were you going in to eat?”

You looked at him and tried to not be reminded of how much it hurt when he broke things off – sure it was technically mutual, but it felt far from it. He had been so busy with being a Pro Hero and you had always been supportive, but then it all got flat. Somewhere along the lines, the two of you became roommates, not lovers.  

“Uh, yeah – you hungry? It’s on me,” he said, reaching to open the door. You thanked him, accidently brushing up against him as you walked into the shop – his body took up a lot of room and it felt electric when you touched him. He looked slightly red, ushering you in with a slew of curses under his breath. You ignored them with a smile because it was nice to know he hadn’t changed entirely.  

He muttered something about getting a seat, but he didn’t need to, you knew which table to get – the back corner one. It was the one the two of you took up every week, sometimes together, sometimes Kirishima and Mina would join.  

The two of you sat down and ordered lunch, trying to edge around the notion that you were with each other again – after six long months. Bakugo leaned back into his chair, trying to seem relaxed but you saw the anxiousness in his eyes. He stared intently as you drew off your coat and sighed deeply.

“You fixin’ to leave? I’m not holding you back, you know.”

“I know,” you snapped. Your ex’s eyes widen in delight and he laughed, a gruff, loud laugh that drew attention from the other patrons.  

“There’s my Lion,” he laughed again. “I’ve missed your dumbass getting all pissed off. Remember when you challenged Kirishima to a fucking duel?”

Rolling your eyes, you asked how things were. “I heard your number one at the agency, congratulations.”

“It means shit,” Bakugo grunted, pausing as your food was brought to the table. Neither of you said a word, just thanked the waitress before she walked away, and then it was radio silence. The ramen was hot, steam circling up to your nose as you felt his eyes on you. He was undressing you like he used to, carefully watching for turns in your mood, ready to fight at a drop of a hat.  

“I’m not trying to fight with you, Katsuki.”

“I ain’t tryin’ to fight either, it’s fucking pointless. This whole thing is pointless – what the hell were you doing so far from your part of the city?”

You looked at him with great disbelief and laughed. “You’re fixin’ for a fight, dumbass.”

He didn’t catch the bait, instead he sighed and scratched the back of his head. “No, I'm not,” he whispered, voice low and sincere. “I didn’t expect to see you today, it’s been a while, huh?”

Admittedly, you were a bit shocked – this whole set up screamed fighting, that’s how it was the last month of your relationship.  The two of you would pick fights with the other, ending the night with Bakugo on the couch or crashing with Kirishima – it was childish, and you saw now, that the two of you were past that.  

“I’ve been busy with work, I’m looking to move agencies,” you said.

“Going Pro now?”

“Hell no,” you laughed, leaning forward to eat. “Although Fatgum has been begging me to join his agency, he wants me to be a trainer.”

Bakugo nodded and pointed his chopsticks at you. “You’re wasting your quirk by pushin’ paper behind some shitty desk. You should take up his offer, you’re a good trainer.”

He was speaking from experience; back at UA and after graduation, you spent hours training with him. Your quirk allowed for you to momentary blind your opponent, it was a useful quirk, but you realized earlier on at UA that your passion was leaning towards training than leading. Bakugo loved when you used your quirk on him, he felt like it enhanced his senses and quirk.  That’s how your relationship started, he had demanded that you to trained with him and no sooner than later, the two of you had become decent friends. Then somewhere along the lines, he had confessed to you during a session – he was pissed off that you weren’t pushing yourself with your quirk.

“You’re gonna be a great hero! Don’t be a dumbass! FIGHT ME!”

“I’m not like you, Katsuki! I don’t have the fire inside me,” you yelled back, lifting the blindness from his sight. He dropped down from the air and landed with a large bang; his eyes were glowing with fury as he walked towards you. You stumbled back and threw an upward hand gesture to him, making him blind again.  

“I don’t need my sight! I CAN SEE PERFECTLY! You’re meant to be a damn hero!”

You knew he meant well, but you just didn’t have it in you. “I don’t want to be a hero; I want to help people become the heroes.”

Bakugo stopped in his tracks as you lifted your quirk. He didn’t look upset, just a little disappointment. Your heart raced as he stood silent, eyes fixated on you. Then he spoke and it wasn’t what you had expected.  

“I know I can’t make you be a hero if you don’t want to,” he said quietly, the undertone of his voice retrained and hoarse. “Yeah, it’s gonna piss me off that your wasting your quirk but I’ll respect your wishes. Just know I believe in you; I know my Lion can do it!”

“Your - your lion?”

He squinted and crossed his arms against his chest. “Are you deaf! I know you heard me!”

That was the closest to a confession Katsuki had ever given anyone, and after the session, the two of you had become a couple.

A couple of idiots, you realized as you looked across the table to an older version of the boy from that fighting session. The two of you were kids then, maybe still are – sometimes you felt older than you were and then there were other times that you longed for the days at UA.  

“Training would be far more interesting than recruiting...”

Bakugo grinned. “Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. I guess you’ll be seeing Shitty Hair more often, huh.”

“Always an asshole, huh?” you teased.

“Yeah, yeah,” he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes fell onto yours as you smiled and continued to eat – then a sinking feeling washed over him. It was a chance meeting – how many times had he run into in the last six months? None. Now today, here you were across from him, looking beautiful as ever and it pissed me off knowing you were existing without him. That was selfish – he didn’t mean that, all his feelings were jumbled up.  

He just missed you, he hadn’t realized it until he saw you. Yeah, his days were long, and he spent too much time at the agency. He still wanted to be the world’s number one hero but when the days were over, he came home to an empty feeling.  He even still had the photo from his birthday last year up in the living room.

You had thrown him a surprise 21st party and the old gang from UA were there. It was more fun than he cared to admit, but he was annoyed that Sero had gotten a photo of you and him cuddling on the couch after several drinks. He had gotten damn tipsy – his first time in fact and if he thought about it too hard, he could still feel the hangover from the next morning.  

“I’m different now.”

Katsuki’s voiced boomed in your ears so unexpectedly your chin was covered in ramen broth; he laughed and without thinking, reached over to clean your chin with his napkin. Frozen, you could only watch and feel the weight of the napkin on your skin until he pulled away and tossed the cloth on the table.  

“Anyway, I’m different – you should know that. I’ve - I’ve been tryin’ and it’s been a real pain in the ass!”

Your face relaxed and all you could do was smile at him – he looked and sounded sincere, and you knew it took a lot of strength for Bakugo to even talk about his feelings. So, you had to give him that.  

“I hope you didn’t change too much,” you teased, reaching your hand across the table to his but unsureness had you pulling away. He noticed right away, reaching to death grip your hand. His hand warmer than most. It was comforting as it always had been, and you felt guilt in that moment for not fighting for your relationship. Then again, the Bakugo sitting across from you was more mature than the one you said goodbye too six months ago.  

He held your hand tightly and leaned forward, his red eyes softening. “I-I know I’m an asshole and my hero career is important to me but – but I can’t let you go again.  I’ll be more present....”

Relief – that's what you felt after hearing those words from the man you loved since the two of you were teenagers. Yes, he was difficult at times, but no one knew him like you did. No one saw the person he was behind closed doors – he laughed a lot and was the biggest home body you knew. He was thoughtful and sometimes silly. There were days when he came home from the agency pissed the hell off, cursing and unable to settle down but that was his passion, and you were more than happy to him rant about his day.  It was when he stopped talking that things changed, he stopped coming to you with his problems and most importantly, his laughs.  

“I never wanted anything but to be your person, Katsuki,” you said giving his hand a squeeze. He relaxed under your touch, the two of you forgetting about the hot ramen in front of you.  “I can’t do this again if you stop talking to me, so, please, don’t stop talking.”

He grinned widely, squinting his eyes mischievously.  “Even my yellin’?”

You laughed then and rolled your eyes, god, he was such an asshole. “Yeah, dumbass, especially the yelling.”

#bakugo x reader #bakugou katsuki #kacchan #katsuki bakugo imagine #mha hawks #my hero academy fanfiction

[thetomorrowshow]

Slower Than Words Ch. 22

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Hey all! It’s good to be back! The break was much-needed, but I’ve missed interacting with y’all. Have a relatively calm chapter!

cw: food

~

Weeks passed, and Patton realized that lip-reading was harder than he thought it would be. Patton practiced every single day, studying the diagrams in the book and taking down notes on everything. Remus had at first practiced with him by saying a phrase and having Patton guess, but they had quickly realized that it was too advanced at this stage. Now, Remus held up a notecard with a phrase or word and said it. After going through five different different notecards, Remus would start over again without displaying the notecards. This helped Patton grasp it much quicker, and he had advanced to picking up several words that his therapists spoke in everyday conversation.

Sometimes, when he felt really excited, Patton would mimic the diagrams in the mirror, making the mouth movements for his own name, Remus's name, and Virgil's name. He already knew what his own name looked like, he found—he'd been unknowingly able to recognize it for years.

Patton always had the same translator at his doctor and therapy appointments, so he asked her a few questions about lip-reading and speaking. The woman was able to answer, usually, but there was rarely any time to get into a conversation. The woman did recommend some online resources and teachers for learning to speak, which Patton passed along to Remus. Patton didn't really understand the whole online thing yet. Virgil had tried to explain it several times, but it didn't make a lot of sense. Where did all of the information come from? Who put it there, ready for everyone to use? How was it usable?

Patton had learned how to use the internet in basic terms. He knew how to look for something in specific on Google, and he knew that Youtube was a thing because Remus liked showing him videos from it. Youtube had captions, unlike the television. Patton had found himself watching a lot of comedy videos, sometimes writing down the best jokes from them. He had a cheap blue notebook that he wrote the jokes and his notes in, and he kept it under his bed, like he used to do with his journal back ho—back at the cult.

Patton had researched the cult briefly on the internet, but had quickly become upset at seeing his own face on the cover of one of the articles that popped up. He'd closed it after seeing that several of the scientists, as well as the two prophets, were facing legal charges. That was all he'd needed to know.

Well, not really all. He'd been looking for any mention of Virgil. The one he'd read had mentioned him briefly, if not by name, and was now written in Patton's notebook: Investigations began after the appearance of two young men, both of whom required immediate medical care.

One was Remus. The other had to be Virgil. That meant Virgil was alive somewhere. Patton wondered if Virgil too was reading the articles, seeing that Patton was out, wondering how to find him.

Gosh, Patton missed him.

Right now, Patton was following along with a video on tongue movements for forming different letters. He wasn't sure that he was getting the S quite right, he'd have to ask Remus later. He took a few more notes on how to do it, then folded his notebook closed and took Father's laptop off incognito. Remus had taught him how to turn on and off incognito mode with a little wink, and now Patton used it almost every time he was on the laptop, which was only while Father was at his second job. For some reason, Patton felt that he wouldn't be allowed to do this.

He was just in time out of Father's room for Remus to get home from work, shooting him a fingergun (Virgil used to do those all the time) before throwing himself onto the couch. Patton longed to shake his shoulder, ask him for help practicing, but Remus was always tired right after work. Patton wasn't sure what he did, only that he was trying to find something else that paid better, so sometimes he would be out for hours after he was supposed to be home looking for a new job.

Patton slid into his room, flicking the light switch to turn it off. He rarely sat in his room with the light on, it made him uncomfortable. It almost felt as though someone was watching, though he knew that it was just a response developed from a traumatic situation, as his therapist had told him.

He'd barely been in his room for thirty seconds when Remus wandered in. He gestured to his mouth, and Patton watched carefully as he spoke.

“You - - - - to eat pr - - - - -.”

“One more time?” Patton signed. Remus repeated himself, but Patton still didn't pick it all up, so he asked Remus to sign it.

“You need to eat protein,” Remus signed slowly. “Diet time.”

Patton wasn't particularly hungry, but a part of regaining his body mass and retraining his body to eat normally was eating six or seven small, 'enriching' meals instead of three big ones. Remus was right, Patton realized as he checked the clock—it was time for his protein supplement, a meal usually made up of beef jerky and peanuts. Yay.

-

The weeks turned into months, and Remus decided that it was time for Patton to get some real world practice. Sure, he'd been going to therapy and all, but those folks rarely talked to him. It was time to play to Logan's weaknesses.

He brought it up over dinner one night, when Patton had already gone to bed. It rubbed him the wrong way that Logan sent him to bed instead of letting him stay up and talk to his pops, who had only been home for ten minutes. Sure, Pat had a schedule or whatever, and he had to follow it to stay healthy, but it should be his own decision. Still, there was nothing Remus could do about it. Except maybe this.

“So, when's your next day off?”

Logan shrugged. “I believe I have the morning of next Wednesday off, but that's all for next week. Why?”

Remus twirled his fork through the cheap macaroni and cheese, pretending to not be too interested in the outcome. “Just thinkin'. Pat's almost out of books again, we should probably make a trip to the library.”

Logan smiled softly at the suggestion—or maybe at Patton's name. There was no telling with the man.

“And his therapist's been saying he needs to go to a new place for enrichment or something like that. Wouldn't—”

Logan's face had already shuttered. “Absolutely out of the question. I cannot—”

“Lo, he really wants to,” Remus pleaded, letting his fork fall to the table. “He's gotta get out of this house. And what better place than a quiet library, where it's easy to watch him and sometimes there's a cop hanging out?”

“Remus, I—I can't,” Logan said, his face still stone, but now his eyes had grown sad. “I cannot, in good conscience, allow Patton to be in an unsafe environment. If I lost him again. . . .”

“You won't,” Remus cajoled. “I'll come too, watch him be safe. Just imagine how much he'll love it! Father-son bonding and all that crap!”

Logan looked down at his plate, clearly thinking deeply. Remus could almost see him weighing the options in his head. Internally, his heart rabbited, but externally Remus was the picture of calm. Hopefully. Maybe. He was probably not, but he could dream.

“I'll consider it,” Logan said eventually. “You are correct in assuming that the library is a place I would very much like to share with him. Tomorrow after tutoring Andy I will stop at the library and inquire after safety precautions. By Monday, I will have my decision.”

Remus leaned back, picking his fork up again. That was as close as he was going to get Logan tonight. If he continued to push it, Logan would completely shut down the conversation and then there'd be no chance of getting Pat out of the apartment.

They'd been watching a stupid black-and-white movie a week or three ago, and one of the characters had said a line that Patton had obviously related to. Remus had looked over to see tears brimming after the old man on screen said, “I thought I was supposed to be getting fresh air. So far, I've been in a train and a room, and a car and a room, and a room and a room.”

That probably really sucked for Patton. Remus went stir-crazy in this tiny apartment, and he was able to leave whenever he wanted. Patton left three times a week, and went straight to his appointments and then straight home. One of his doctors had actually just switched over to doing virtual appointments, so Pat was only leaving twice a week now. Kid had to be going insane.

-

Patton felt a bit like he was going insane.

He marked a tally in his notebook every day, one for each day that he had been out without Virgil. It sort of was a continuation of his tallies in the cell, but he couldn't remember where he had left off, so he had just started anew.

He had just filled a second page of tally marks. It had been months since he'd escaped, even longer since he'd seen Virgil. Every time Remus tried to tell him that everything was going to be okay, or Father told him that everything was okay, Patton felt anger simmer in his stomach. It was not okay, it couldn't be okay, it would never be okay without Virgil. Even if he had to be trapped in this horrible apartment for years, it would be wonderful with Virgil by his side.

Every day, he followed the same schedule. Therapy exercises, meals at precise times, lip-reading studies, regular reading, bed at ten PM. It was terrible.

He couldn't help but feel excited, though. He was leaving, at least for a little bit! Father had asked him if he wanted to go to the library with him tomorrow, and Patton had thought his heart was going to drop out of his chest. Both Father and Virgil had told him about libraries, and how beautiful they were, and how many books were always there.

Patton was finally going to a new place, and it was the library. All of the anger he'd been feeling over the past weeks had washed away, replaced only with anticipation. Even with Father there, this had to be the best thing to happen in months.

~

Taglist: @enragedbees @gotta-love-alejandra @bunny222 @basiic-emo @patt0n-sanders @rosiepupper @fangirlgeekandfreak @dn-fan21 @that2000skid @remy-the-lemon-berry @itsadastraperaspera @xionbean @sanderssides-angst @hell-yea-we-gay-tonight @maybedefinitely404 @broken-pencils @thewhimsicallibrarytech @doomllily @hereissananxiousmess @judyismydog  @arodynamic-enby @at-that-one-nerd @therapysides @awkwardandanxiousfander @thekitchenpan @im-an-anxious-wreck

#slower than words #sanders sides #thomas sanders #ts #ts sides #patton sanders #ts patton #remus sanders #ts remus #sanders sides fanfic #angst #sanders sides angst #logan sanders #ts logan #it feels good to be tagging again lol #i swear that this story is close to over #it's already over twice the length i intended #hope patton's anger isn't a plot point #boy needs to go off #logan is trying his best #he's doing bad #but he's trying #anyways have y'all seen romeo es julia??? #i am in love with it #the full show is on youtube with english subs #i have posts for it queued through january #anyway take care all #love you guys

[sushiburritonoms]

@ofcoming4th requested from the AU fic list:

43: falling in love with their best friend’s partner au

There's many characters I can see cheating, but Din and Luke aren't two of them. So have soft pining and breakups instead.

They could all hear Bo screaming at the top of her lungs at Din in the parking lot next to the bar, even over the obnoxiously loud bar music.  Thankfully it was loud enough so he didn’t hear the exact words, but the rage and shrill peaks of their argument still made their way over to Luke. He slumped further into his seat, cradling his right stump close to his chest, and did his best to pretend he heard nothing.

Wedge made no such effort. His boyfriend was leaning towards the slightly open window with Boba.  “It’s the kid argument again,” Wedge said with a shake of his head.  “Damn, Din, you gotta let that go.”

“He needs to dump the bitch,” Boba growled. “I’m sick of him putting up with this shit.”

“Agreed,” Cara said from her seat across from Luke.  “It’s fine if Bo-Katan wants that child-free life, but don’t keep Mando from it if that’s what he wants.”

Fennec took another sip of beer. “How did this even come up? I thought we all agreed not to talk about crotch droppings and other domestic shit.” She had arrived late, just in time to see Bo-Katan drag Din out by his leather jacket.

“Crotch droppings,” Cara snorted. “Ha--good one.”

Boba pointed a finger at Luke. “Fucking Skywalker’s fault.”

Luke sighed. “All I said was that I was watching Ben this weekend.” He slumped further into his seat when he saw Wedge twitch at the mention of his nephew.

Ok, maybe it was his fault. Children were a sensitive topic for both Bo-Katan and Wedge and he’d already had a massive row with his boyfriend earlier about his agreement to watch Ben for the weekend. Luke knew better. But when Din had asked what his plans were he’d just let the words slip out of him. Truth was, he liked having Ben around. He couldn’t help it if Wedge was uninterested in playing Uncle to an (admittedly difficult) child.

More than that, it wasn’t fair to Luke. Leia and Han deserved a break from being parents once and a while and there was no one else his sister could turn to besides him and Chewie. Chewie was in Oaxaca for the month visiting his family, so that left Luke. He’d already arranged it so he would watch Ben at Han and Leia’s house, leaving Wedge alone in their apartment for the weekend. What more did his boyfriend want from him?

There was more shouting outside--this time it was Din’s voice.  It must have been a bad one if Din was raising his voice enough for them to hear it.

“This is why I keep my gay ass out of the whole family conversation,” Cara sighed. “Kids are more trouble than they’re worth.”

“Kids are fine. Dealing with parents is the real nightmare,” Boba said, surprising them all with the seriousness in his voice.

“Kids are expensive, loud, needy, and too much work,” Wedge countered. He wasn’t looking at Luke but he felt tense all the same.  “I can reason with adults more than I can with kids.”

“HA! You’re telling me you’d rather put up with Solo than his kid?” laughed Boba. “I’ll take Solo Jr any day.”

“I happen to like Han,” Wedge grumbled.

‘He really doesn’t’, Luke thought sadly.  Han and Wedge were barely cordial these days. Maybe once, back when Luke and Wedge were still flying together in the same squadron, but now that Luke was out of the Air Force and living as a civilian things were strained between his family and Wedge.

Basically, everything about Luke’s life was wrong since his accident. Losing his hand turned out to be the easiest thing to adapt to because he’d had lots of physical support from his medical team, his liaison with the VA, and his family. Sure, his prosthetic wasn’t great, but he’d adapt, and now that he was out of the Force he could smoke his pain away. Nobody expected him to get a job right now and the inheritance from his mother was more than enough to scrape by.

What he hadn’t adapted to was the new strain in his relationship with his boyfriend. Wedge was still enlisted and could be redeployed at a moment’s notice.  Their apartment on base meant that Luke was constantly surrounded by the life he’d been abruptly ripped from and it hurt to see men and women walk by in blues or to hear the screech of fighter jets constantly overhead.  He felt like a damn military spouse, buying food at the commissary every Friday and getting sucked into random conversations about the rising price of beef.  He knew that Wedge desperately wanted Luke to reconsider the Force’s offer to transfer him to the USAF Test Pilot School down at Edwards, but he had no interest in retraining for aerospace.  He wasn’t smart enough for NASA or SpaceX either.

He wasn’t a hotshot anymore. Why was he still living like a parody of one?

Luke came back to himself when he felt Wedge squirm beside them. “I think they’re done,” he said quietly.  Luke listened and sure enough, he heard nothing but country music belting from the bar’s stereos.

“Do you think he’s coming back?” asked Cara.

“The bitch better not,” Boba hissed.

“Maybe someone should go check to see if they’re gone?” Fennec suggested.  “Otherwise we’re paying for their tab.” The table groaned.

“I’ll go,” Luke said as he stumbled to his feet.  It was his fault Din was in this situation, to begin with. He looked to see if Wedge was going to argue but the other man was already focused on trying to badger someone to play darts with him.

That used to be their thing before Luke lost his throwing hand.

Fuck, his life was pathetic.

He marched out of the bar, dragging his jacket behind him. The cold autumn air hit him like a slap to the face as he stepped outside.  The sun was gone and the only lights around were the bar and one sad streetlight several feet away from him. Luke squinted as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he looked around for a familiar black leather jacket or blue dress. “Din? Bo?”

A flicker of light appeared at the edge of his vision and Luke turned to see Din lighting up a cig while leaning against the wall of the bar.  “She’s gone.”  There was no emotion, no heat, behind his words.  The only thing illuminating Din was his lighter and it cast shadows that distorted his face, hiding his facial features like a mask. It was hard to see if he was truly upset by Bo-Katan’s absence or not.

“I’m so sorry. I knew better than to bring Ben up--”

“You did nothing wrong.” Din took a deep drag.  “Don’t apologize.”  Din leaned his head back and Luke could hear the soft thump as he hit the brick wall.  “You wanna…” Din held up his cigarette carton and let his words trail off.

“Sure.”  Luke struggled to pull on his jacket one-handed but Din waited patiently until he was covered. He let Luke pull out a cigarette before he put the carton back into his pocket and pulled out his silver zippo so he could light it for him.

Luke promised Leia he’d try to cut back, but every time he went out to a bar the cravings hit him like a tidal wave.   There was something about being in a dark loud bar with friends that made him crazy for the first rush of nicotine in his system. As he took a long drag he almost moaned at the sensation of smoke curling up deep inside of him. It seeped out of his nose and dragged with it the minor aches and pains that he constantly lived with. That was probably why Din kept it up too.  You could watch a tiny bit of your life pull away from you and curl up into the evening air.

They were silent for a good long while, just taking turns blowing smoke and listening to the raunchy laughter of the servicemen and women inside.  If not for the ever-present awareness Luke had of his missing hand he could almost pretend this was a year ago, before his crash, when Din and Bo-Katan were having a good patch and contemplating marriage.  When Wedge still looked at Luke like he wanted him and when he could just fly away from all his problems. Just him and the endless sky.

“She’s really gone,” Din said finally, breaking the silence and Luke’s self-pity.  He flicked away the butt of his cig and turned to look at Luke.  “It’s over.”

Fuck.  Luke took one last greedy hit before he stomped the rest out with his shoe. “I’m so, so, sorry.”

“I’m not.”  Luke could see Din’s eyes tracking him in the darkness, carefully watching his reaction.  “We should have ended it a long time ago. I knew she was never going to change her mind about getting married and starting a family. That’s just not Kryze.”

Luke couldn’t imagine Bo-Katan as a mother either. He’d never wanted to frankly, and had never seen what Din saw in her. It wasn’t just because he was gay either. “She didn’t deserve you anyway.” On this, the entire friend group was in agreement. Din had lousy taste in women and men.

“Cliché, Skywalker,” Din teased him.  “Are you gonna offer me some wine and chocolate next?”

“Nothing wrong with drinking wine,” Luke shot back.  He had a bottle back ...home.

Home with Wedge.  Luke’s face fell as soon as the thought crossed his mind.

“Hey.” Din nudged Luke with his shoulder. “You ok?”

“That’s supposed to be my line.”

Din shook his head. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks.”

“Is therapy going ok?” Din looked concerned now and Luke was overcome with a wave of affection. Here was Din, freshly dumped by his long-time girlfriend, and yet he was worried about him.

“It’s going.” Luke waved his stump for emphasis. “Still waiting for my cosmetic hand.  You know how the VA is.” Incompetent and full of red tape.

“It’s been six months,” Din said with a frown.

Luke shrugged.

“Can’t Wedge pull some strings for you?”

“He’s a Captain, not a miracle worker.” Plus that would require Luke and Wedge to actually talk about his missing hand instead of dancing around it.

“You’re not talking to him again, are you?” Din’s fingers twitched and he knew that the other man was longing for another cigarette.  But they were both trying--and failing--to quit so he probably would stand in pain until the craving completely overwhelmed him...five minutes from now.

Luke sighed. He knew Din would see right through his answer. They’d known each other for years now since Luke first hooked up with Wedge after Iraq. Din had been one of the few friends that bothered to visit Luke in the hospital right after his crash.  He’d come as often as his duties would allow, bringing him magazines, snacks, and plenty of base gossip. He’s been Luke’s lifesaver and after he was finally discharged he found himself dragged into Din’s orbit more frequently, standing next to him as they held up the walls of every bar in town with a cloud of smoke. Din knew the basic details of his deteriorating relationship with Wedge; more than anyone else except maybe his sister.

“There’s nothing left to say,” Luke finally admitted.  Nothing that they hadn’t already dissected, fought, and screamed over.

“Luke.” He felt Din’s hand on his shoulder and he looked up into sympathetic brown eyes. “You two either need to get some help or finally end it.” He lessened the harshness of his words by offering another cigarette to him with his other hand.

Leia was going to kill him.

Luke let Din put the cig in his mouth and light it for him.  The intoxication of the smoke and the closeness of his friend made him dizzy and lightheaded. Din reeked of smoke, leather, and stale beer, and yet it was comforting all the same.

“We never talked about any of this,” Luke admitted. “I never thought I’d leave.” Except maybe via a body bag. He knew Wedge felt the same way, as did nearly everyone in Luke’s squadron. That’s why their visits had been short and performative after his accident.  His squadmates pitied and feared him...and he didn’t blame any of them for that.

“Well, I’m done.” Din lit up and turned to blow the smoke away from Luke’s face. “I’m done with all of this shit. I’m discharging and going back to college.”

“Y-you...really?” Luke stuttered. He knew Din’s IRR was almost up but he just assumed he’d re-elist like all of their friends.  “You’re gonna leave Boba and Cara?”

You’re gonna leave me?

“Fett, Dune, and Bo are lifers. I never saw myself extending even this long.  That last fight, it wasn’t just that I wanted a family and Bo-Katan didn’t. She’s committed and this is just a job for me.” The look on Din’s face was peaceful. He met Luke’s confused eyes with calm focus.

“Oh.” Luke didn’t know what else to say. Good on you? Good luck?

Din sighed. “Wedge is one of them.” Din jerked his head towards the wall of the bar. “He’s never gonna leave until they give him the boot. You know that right?”

Luke nodded wordlessly. Until he lost his hand he’d thought he was one of them too.

“Look, I’m not gonna tell you how to live your life. Just do me a favor.  You listening?” Din paused until Luke squirmed uncomfortably and nodded. “Try to put yourself first for once in your life. You deserve more than this too.”

Then Din stepped away. He threw the end of his cig on the floor and stomped it out.  “I’m gonna head out. You can tell the others everything, I’m sure they’ll all be thrilled.”

Luke shook his head to try to find his voice again. “Hell no, I’m not telling them you’re leaving!” Fuck that was going to be a disaster conversation.

Din laughed. “Ok fair enough. Just tell them about Bo. Cara will owe Boba $50 so she might as well get paid now before the idiot spends it all on booze.” Then without waiting for Luke to reply, Din started to walk towards his bike with his hands in his pockets.

Luke watched as Din walked away, with his head held up high. He looked lighter already. Letting go of Bo-Katan must have settled the anguish that had permeated his entire being for months now. It was strange, Luke had grown used to seeing Din with slumped shoulders and downturned lips. Whenever he had visited him at the VA, he’d always looked so beaten.  But now, he was walking away like a new man.

More than that, he looked like the old Din again. The one Luke had once found very attractive before he’d gotten too involved with Wedge to notice other people around him.  It was like watching someone reappear in his scope of vision while he was in the cockpit of his fighter, or like watching a bird reappear from the clouds.

“Din!” Luke shouted.  He watched as the other man turned back. He meant to say something appreciative, a thank you for the smokes and the advice. Instead what slipped out of his lips was, “I’m taking Ben to the zoo this weekend! Do you want to come?”

He didn’t know what exactly possessed him to say that, but it was worth it to see Din’s face break out into a real honest-to-god smile. “Yeah, sure. Text me!”

He watched Din until the man disappeared with a loud roar of his Harley, until his cigarette was ashes in his fingers and he felt his own smile finally fade away.

---

Previous responses

28. Knocking on the wrong door (Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan)

38.cop/person getting a speeding ticket au (Din/Luke)

30: tourist/knowledgeable local au (Din/Luke)

19. parents meeting when they take their kids to class au (Din/Luke)

15: meeting in the E.R/A&E au (Din/Luke/Boba)

40: Soul destroying exes meeting again after not speaking for years au (Din/Luke)

25: Library/Avid Reader AU Part I (Din/Luke)

Library AU part II (Din/Luke, Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon)

#warnings: a lot of foul language and Fennec says rude things about children #also I don't know jack shit about the US Air Force #forgot to mention in this AU don't ask don't tell never happened and homophobia aint a thang #I feel like Wedge was very OOC and I apologize I just assume he's a bit of a jerk in this AU #their squadron is not Rogue Squadron they are generic meatheads #the US military is a trauma into itself and would change people's personalities for sure #ok please I beg of all of you never make me write bo-katan and din again #sbficlets #Din/Luke #if you squint

[nocompromise-noregrets]

💕 get to know your mutuals!! when you get this, it means someone wants to know more about you, so list 5 things about yourself you want your followers to know. they can be as simple as your age or as complex as your deepest fear, as long as it’s something you’re comfortable with sharing. when you’re done, send this to 10 people you want to get to know better!! 🥺🌼💕

The ever-awesome @theresonlyzuul tagged me - thank you! Hmmmmm. Five things about me. *thinks*

I'm quoted in my absolute hero's biography. Way back in the mid-90s I used to write for a fanzine, and I wrote a review of a show by another band where he guested for the encore; it was the first time I'd ever seen him (he'd barely played in the UK for years) and the friend I was with got me backstage to say hello after the gig, and I nearly died on the spot because I thought I'd never get to see him, much less meet him and say hi. Anyway, I more or less forgot all about it, especially as a few years later he reformed the band he was famous for, toured a lot, I saw them loads, met him and the others several times, etc etc. And then I picked up a copy of the biography when I was in Helsinki and was leafing through it on the plane home when my name leapt out at me (quoted alongside an actual journalist who'd reviewed the show for Kerrang! the proper rock and metal magazine) and I went O.O what the actual fuck??? It turned out that a girl I used to know who was even more obsessed than I was (and was utterly self-obsessed and somewhat toxic as it turned out) had collected a huge number of press cuttings about him and his band, including this fanzine review, and had scanned them all and put them online in the late 90s/early 2000s - and later taken them down again because she'd fallen out with the person hosting the website or something, but someone had already taken a copy and put it back online, which is where the biographer found it. The kicker? I am almost positive I actually own (and have owned for more than 20 years) the hard copies of all these press cuttings because she gave them to me after she got obsessed with another band. They're in a folder in the loft and I've never got round to going up there and digging them out but I'm almost certain they're there. :D

Okay, how do I follow that? Hmmm. I'm studying for a degree in Language Studies with English and German with the Open University (distance learning uni in the UK) with a view to retraining as a translator from German to English. I just got my results for the level 2 German course I did this last year (85% :D ) and am supposed to be spending the summer learning all the grammar I didn't have time for during the course, but there will be no prizes for guessing that I have done very little towards that goal. Oops. Anyway, once I've finished the course I shall have the academic equivalent of Prince Charles' favourite band (the Three Degrees, sorry, that's a joke for Brits of a certain age who remember Charles and Diana's wedding...*echoing silence* XDDDD ) and will then get on with doing the OU's MA in translation studies, which coincidentally is run by my sisterinlaw, although I don't think that'll help me any. XD

I've been working as an archivist for 21.5 years at this point (if my professional career were a kid, it'd have its degree by now, jesus wept O.O ) and I split my time between the local authority archive service in the city where I live, and a real actualfacts castle. The castle in question has been owned by the same family (give or take 50-odd years where it was owned by the Crown, long story) since 1154, and the family can provably trace their descent in the male line back 26 generations to before the Norman conquest, and they're the only family left who can do so. On the one hand, colonialism, although they don't seem to have been too involved in all that with the exception of a few individuals, and on the other, I am responsible for a good three or four thousand medieval documents, including about four illuminated books of hours, three documents that are older than the castle itself, and a whole shedload of post-medieval and modern stuff including the papers of one of the greatest women gardeners (and most prolific renaissance women) the UK has ever had. So...no pressure. :D

I have three tattoos, all of them music-inspired, and am planning more, but whether I'll ever get round to booking in with our tattoo artist is up for debate.

We're in the middle of a heatwave at the moment and I'm soaking it all up like a solar battery to see me through the rest of the year when it's cold and damp and grey and miserable. But six days of continuous 30C+ temperatures is a tiny bit much, even for me.

Thank you! I am going to tag...anyone who wants to take part, my brain is a bit fried this morning :D :D :D

#tag game #about me

[suddenfossilfightersheadcanons]

Bullwort and Bandits - Origin and Ending

Bullwort grew up the eldest son amongst five children, forever fighting figuratively and literally to get his way. This propensity for provocation proved dangerous when his father demanded his son study medicine or law, for Bullwort started a fistfight for his right to do art instead. Though he won, his was a Pyrrhic victory, leaving him certain that others couldn’t be trusted, and that exhibiting weakness was nigh-fatal. Thanks to this philosophy, a background noise of aggression and anger haunted him throughout his degree, by the end of which he had collapsed into a solitary, depressed squalor. He exhibited some artworks to apathetic crowds, and lived off dirt and water for a few years. His burgeoning rage manifested in stringent Cubist jawlines and oversaturated backgrounds in his paintings – to most, these seemed ugly and obscene. But to a fellow struggling artist named Lynette June Miles, they were gloriously creative. He adored her paintings in return – but by ’94, it was clear they’d both have to turn to other professions to make a living.

Bullwort retrained as a policeman, granting himself a means of physically expressing his incessant infuriation. But his pleas to Lyn not to throw away her talent proved futile by the end of ’95, when she opened her retirement with a long, long holiday to stay with her boyfriend, Russel Richmond, on Vivosaur Island. Russel was the son of the island’s owner, who was beyond keen on fossil fighting, frequently sending his son to explore the island and discover new dig site ground. However busy he was, Russel was jovial and sweet – the perfect antidote to Lyn (and Bullwort’s) consternation – and he married Lyn on Greenhorn Plains over the spring of ’96, inviting Bullwort as best man.

Whilst on the island, Bullwort met Mr. Richmond, who encouraged him to join their police force. Desperate for job security and a giant salary, he accepted. Lyn, meanwhile, took to exploring with her husband, reapplying her artistic skills as a cartographer. The map of Vivosaur Island visible when travelling in-game is her most famous piece, but the artworks in Bullwort’s office are amongst her best.

However much Richmond’s fervour helped fossil fighting to thrive, it was deleterious to other businesses on the island. (Were it not for Bullwort’s dogged determination, the police would have all but imploded in all but name; meanwhile, almost no non-fighting related trade brings in considerable revenue. It’s quite worrying to consider what would eventuate from a major dino medal provider’s collapse.) Worse than the price paid by the police and people, however, was that paid by Lyn and Russel. Four years after the 1998 birth of their daughter, Rosetta, they were assigned a new mission. Diggins and Richmond had just discovered the Secret Island via radar screening, and were salivating for information. The couple left on Tuesday the 9th of July, and after sending confirmation of their arrival on Wednesday night, sent back nothing. Richmond distracted himself from his accumulating consternation by organising a search party for Monday. Bullwort, insomniac and distracted with deep, deep dread, bullied Diggins into admitting the location of the Secret Island on Saturday night, and left the next morning.

Bullwort quickly found his way to the ruins of the Starship. The entrance had caved in, and beneath the rubble... Two long, limp, rotten objects…

Russel and Lyn dead too soon. He took them back to the mainland and sobbed all the long night and all morning. To honour them, he returned to the island two days later, and cleaned up the collapsed doorway with Amargo’s power scale. When he did, another chunk of land thundered down, striking him in the middle of the back. He returned bitter over both the deaths and the injury.

Richmond was horrified. If he’d been a little less callous, his daughter-in-law and son would still be alive. Now, here they lay, six feet beneath his heels. Grateful to Bullwort, he promoted him to police chief on the 20th. Then, as if the newly declared sergeant regent hadn’t cleaned up the Secret Island, he barred it to all visitors, insisting that the Starship was too sensitive a matter to be known to the public. Bullwort’s ephemeral pride vanished. In its place, loathing sprung up. His promotion, he decided, was for arriving too late to change what mattered most – in other words, for being weak. This wasn’t honour – this was humiliation, and all because of Richmond’s shallow love of dino medals. That man could not be fit to rule. Bullwort could. He maintained a veneer of cordiality with Richmond, but from July 20 onwards, to him, their relationship was well and truly in livor mortis.

Bullwort founded the BB Bandits as the anti-Richmond mafia – everything they did was to disrupt fighters wherever possible. They began as a lucrative fossil black market trader, dealing in rare vivosaurs and miraculous/wondrous fossils. By legal standards, the prices were ugly, but compared to other vendors, they were beyond lucrative. (Saurhead was infamously intercepted mid gold head fossil transaction – but while the press censured him, the public couldn’t help but empathise.) These operations briefly drove Vivosaur Island’s economic growth into the ground. Unfortunately for Bullwort, Diggins responded with two initiatives which have made the Island the richest Fossil Eden worldwide: Establishing fighter levels and level-up battles, and found the Donation Points scheme. The former fuelled tourism while allowing Diggins to bar dangerous and archaeologically vulnerable dig sites to the public. The latter meant that fighters could obtain vivosaurs such as Stego, Spino, and Compso for no price but an annual fee.

The majority of recruitments into the Bandits were black-market based: if one was caught trading one time too many, it’d be easier to join them than to face an absurd jail sentence. The fear of the authorities bred a culture of paranoia and despotism amongst the grunts, meaning that Bullwort could easily ask one of his flightier underlings to carry out some deranged measures. Medal-stealing wasn’t uncommon, but occasionally, grunts turned to attacking fighters with a mind to kill. Beth infamously had her shoulders and her clavicle broken by a BB Bandit intent on murder – ever since that incident, Diggins has pressured Richmond into increasing dig site security. All male BB grunts must shave their heads, and all grunts, regardless of sex, must don the oppressively drab uniforms. It’s meant to prevent police from recognising individuals at a distance, but it’s despised – Snivels was never actually promoted, but gained valence amongst his peers for refusing to obey the dress code.

Most non-black market Bandit operations involve defacing dig sites in degrees ranging from graffiti to arson. Bullwort drew the line at cave-ins – that would be too painful after Lyn and Russel’s deaths. The majority of his most dramatic stunts were executed in Knotwood Forest, where he terrorised the residents and chieftain into directing him to Frigi, vandalised the Digadigamid, and stole numerous artefacts. Whilst the BB Bandits never traded the latter, they did steal particularly beautiful relics from dig sites all around, with Bullwort typically hoarding them.

The Bandits’ market operations, led by Vivian, made Bullwort rich very, very quickly. As he’d never had an awful lot of money prior to this, he quickly became drunk on cash, exchanging his morals for avarice and deluskon. Bullwort had always planned to obtain Frigi to stage his coup in the Guild Area – but after twelve years of Cain-raising, he built up a capacity for spite and pettiness that hadn’t been present initially. Originally, he wanted to covertly control the islands. By 2014, he’d given up on them, and thought he’d be better off as a glorious dictator than a fool attempting to save a hopeless slab of land.  

Bullwort’s arrest didn’t collapse the Bandits, but currently, they’re nothing more than an economic nuisance dominating the black market. Sometimes, they engage with the other two B syndicates to spread chaos. But ever since the Caliosteo Cup, Joe’s made it nigh-impossible for the Bandits to access miraculous/wondrous fossils as before, which has driven away most of their clientele who weren’t lost to the DP scheme. Vivian’s considering moving the Bandits into more general illegal trade, such as drug trafficking – however, since Bullwort’s departure, her conscience has inflated, making that difficult to consider. It’s likely that after she leaves, the Bandits will simply pack up and go home to their wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, grandparents, children, sisters, and brothers.

However momentous Bullwort’s arrest was, Vivosaur Island’s citizens paid dearly for it. Thanks to his iron grip on his men, almost all crime on Vivosaur Island other than disruption to fossil was eradicated. Without him, the forces have slid back into incompetency. Bullwort could likely break out if he wanted to, but ever since his wife donated an easel to his cell, he’s been quite content to paint behind bars. As long as they don’t give him carrot sandwiches, there’s no point for him in escaping – for wherever he goes, he’ll face poverty, ignominy, and dissatisfaction.

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Thank you so much to @biblical-mythconceptions for requesting this topic! I’d never really considered the BB Bandits before, so this was huge, huge fun! I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. 

And as these asks are so enjoyable to answer, please send some in! I can’t guarantee I’ll respond quickly, but I promise I’ll put in all the effort I can.

#bullwort #fossil fighters original character #ff oc #oc #fossil fighters oc #richmond #mr richmond #mr. richmond #dr. diggins #diggins #dr diggins #ask #answered ask #bb bandits #bb #fossil fighters bb bandits #vivosaur island #fossil fighters Vivosaur island #vivosaurs #donation points #dp #saurhead #beth #secret island #rosie #rosie richmond #fossil fighters #カセキホリダー #僕らはカセキホリダー #seriously tho send in more asks!!! I crave them

[iol247]

Opinionista • Ismail Lagardien • 15 March 2021

Fifteen years along the road to nowhere, and the worst is yet to come

We are at a point, now, where instead of pointing to the perversity of misguided distribution, corruption, theft, maladministration, tenderpreneurs, and State Capture, discussions are deflected – and the spectrum of opinion has been narrowed.

In 2015, Justice Malala published his book We Have Now Begun Our Descent. Without having read the book I sat down to consider South Africa’s future, and concluded that there was little to no hope for the country. I was in Bonn, Germany, at the time, after four or more years in the secretariat of the National Planning Commission. Although the Covid-19 pandemic has had a dreadful impact on South Africa’s political economy and society – as it has on almost every country in the world – the country’s problems took a turn for the worse at Nasrec at the end of 2017, and Malala’s “descent” gained momentum. 

I want to break with orthodoxy, and say that it is the politics, not “the economy,” as the old canard goes. Homo economicus might believe that the economy is everything, and everything is the economy, but “the economy” is those millions of transactions that humans make every minute of every day, and the personal and public political decisions that enable or disable those people (from making those transactions).

A collapse that preceded democracy

Before I continue, I want to share a passage I wrote between 1991 and 1993, when I was the southern African correspondent for the New Straits Times of Malaysia. I don’t have the exact date of publication, because the person who decided to make a “portfolio” of my work neatly trimmed my reports and columns but failed to include the date. I was going to save it for my memoir, but here it is – written at a time when the apartheid government was losing its grip on power and state institutions in the early 1990s:

“It is as if a villainous character had every day, over the years, gone to the Union Buildings, the seat of government in the capital, Pretoria, and methodologically and systematically undone every single screw, bolt, nut and nail of government. Every day, now, for months on end, a section of government in South Africa is coming apart. It is difficult, now, after a spate of scandalous exposes in recent months to say exactly when the disintegration first started, or when the first door, window or desk in the Union Buildings collapsed. What has become evident, however, is that the state is collapsing bit by bit, in slow motion, while its powers of rehabilitation [are] dissipating with its political might.”

It has been reported, over and again, that the democratic government inherited a state that was on its knees. As the Afrikaner historian Herman Giliomee wrote, a decade ago, March 1985 marked, “the day apartheid started dying”. 

Wrote Giliomee: “Pik Botha recalls: ‘I will never forget the night of July 31 when [Minister of Finance] Barend du Plessis phoned me… [He said]: ‘Pik, I must tell you that the country is facing inevitable bankruptcy … The process has started.’”

We had growth, and increased social spending, but the thieves saw opportunities

The first democratic government of South Africa, led by Nelson Mandela, was fully aware of the terrible state of the economy. They managed, within a decade or more, to provide utilities and access to public goods and services (including social grants) to millions of people across the country (all necessary for a stable, progressive social democracy), while managing the country’s finances, avoiding profligacy – and through it all, produced growth and a Budget surplus. 

This demonstrated that you can reduce poverty, provide social services, deliver public goods and services, as well as manage the country’s finances. The problem that emerged, after the first 12-15 years was not lack of growth, or a contraction of the economy, it was about distribution – much of the growth did, indeed go to social spending, but a lot more began to go into the wrong pockets. Corruption, maladministration, cronyism, nepotism and prebendalism took root – what good was the ANC-led state, if it did not line the pockets of its leaders, and members who were deployed to state agencies, and boards across the country?

Fast-forward to a few years later, and we are at a point, now, where instead of pointing to the perversity of misguided distribution, corruption, theft, maladministration, tenderpreneurs, and State Capture, discussions are deflected – and the spectrum of opinion has been narrowed. Somewhat simultaneously rose the politics of identity (the ugly version), and instead of policies focusing on social problems, they focused on contortions of language, the politics of revenge, populism, scapegoating, and the speeches and statements of leaders were increasingly laced with words like “bloodshed,” and all the while xenophobia, aimed mainly at Africans and Asians, has spread. 

A careful read of Carl Niehaus’s eight-page submission on likely policies of the ruling alliance, suggests we are expected to choose between Radical Economic Transformation by policy (ANC), or Radical Economic Transformation by force (EFF). At what point do the ANC’s radical forces join the EFF? Impossible, but not improbable. 

Are we there yet?

Let’s take stock, briefly, of where we are. We know that “the economy” is in the pits. But what makes an economy stable, expansive, progressive and able to secure social justice? Don’t ask an economist. To them it’s all cost-benefits, assumptions, laws and models which they mistake for truth. And anyway, people who are so sure of their own predictive powers belong on the beachfront with fortune tellers. What makes an economy work is everything else: the people, the institutions, the policies, ethics, food, water, shelter, clothing and, well, energy. If we start just with energy, consider the fact that we may have load shedding  for at least the next five years. 

This week, Eskom’s Chief Executive Officer, André de Ruyter, confirmed that “there will be a shortfall in supply of electricity of approximately 4,000 megawatts over the next five years as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa. We welcome further interventions announced by the president, which will include a further request for proposals for a further 2,600 megawatts from wind and solar energy.” 

Using non-economic rationalist orthodoxy, us ordinary citizens know, intuitively, that you cannot run a shop, a workshop or any heavy industry without a stable source of electricity. We also know that you cannot get to work without commuter trains running. We also know that we place our lives in danger with every taxi ride. While us mere mortals don’t travel abroad much, if at all, we know that planes belong in the air; that the public broadcaster is meant to serve as, well, a public broadcaster; the police are meant to serve and protect; our military personnel should be able to march in straight lines, and its hardware has to be up to date (you can’t have stockpiles of ammunition that is outdated); along with the police and military, the state security system ought to make us sleep better at night, and criminals need to be prosecuted – even if they are among the highest office-bearers in the ruling alliance. 

A woman walking to work is not safe. A family sitting at home watching TV is not safe. A farmer working his or her fields is not safe. The driver stopping at a red light is not safe. Do we really expect someone to invest in an existing or new industry or fund innovation if a faction of the ruling party calls for “the mass nationalisation of industries including mines, insurance companies, steel and chemical companies”? The future of work is changing, but our major union leaders, supported by barbarous professors, want our workers to stay in the bondage of assembly lines – instead of retraining them for new, more innovative means of production.

All of these represent the life world of everyday people in South Africa. Every time anyone buys a loaf of bread or a bag of oranges they comprise “the economy”. Speaking of oranges, you can return the land to “its rightful owners” and (with the help of the former white owner) farm citrus products, but if individual oranges have a fungal disease you may not be able to export your produce. That’s not a racist conspiracy. (I use this one example because I have some insights into a related domestic issues case, and about the way the World Trade Organisation works.) 

This can go on and on if we can’t guarantee: the safety of investments; a reliable stream of energy; community and personal safety; trains that run; a reliable justice system – with judges who are unimpeachable; a postal service that is functional; public servants who do the jobs they’re paid to do; teachers who teach; nurses who are paid well, and don’t sign in for one another when they want to escape parts of night duty; and if we don’t play our part, as active citizens.

The government can build schools, but parents must make sure their children attend school, and show an interest in the child’s education. The government can provide trash cans, but people must use them. Visit downtown Johannesburg and you may get a sense of how filth has built up – it’s not quite at the levels of Naples, but give it time. While we hold the state and political parties to a high standard, we need to, also, report on citizens who refuse to pay or steal electricity and water, then cry foul if they are brought to book. That, is largely, the result of ANC promises. With another election in a couple of years, do we really think the ANC, or any political party is going to tell people to pay their electricity bills or get cut off? And so, it’s not “the economy” it’s everything we do, and say, every day, that makes the economy work. 

We may have started our descent, as Malala, wrote almost six years ago; my loss of hope has deepened – helped along by #statecapture revelations. But let me turn to the observations I made in the early 1990s, with regards to the National Party:

“What has become evident, however, is that the state is collapsing bit by bit, in slow motion, while its powers of rehabilitation [are] dissipating with its political might.” 

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2021-03-15-fifteen-years-along-the-road-to-nowhere-and-the-worst-is-yet-to-come/

Submitted by TT

[jazzforthecaptain]

Yesterday was the last day at work. Made it through the exit interview, sent out the goodbye emails, got the emails and phone numbers of folks I want to keep up with. Handed off my key fob, loaded my light-up unicorn into the car.

Everything's been handed off, wrapped up, and shut down. I spent the weeks before I handed in my resignation writing SOPs for every duty I could think of, to help my team and any future person settling into the job. They have resumes for some good people to fill the position. It feels done at the same time it doesn't feel completely real and I keep forgetting that I'm done.

So now that I'm done, here's the abbreviated version.

I'm leaving partly because of the way they handled COVID, but mostly because of the toxic asshole they hired to replace my previous, retired director. In just over six months, he systematically destroyed my creative team and made a job I loved into an anxiety-ridden misery. Endlessly negative, about anything and everything. Behaves as if he's the only competent person in the room, no matter how little skill he has in the subject. I have had my job explained to me almost daily since he arrived in a part time capacity to work alongside our outgoing director in September. Questions about how we do our jobs are framed as insults. Bullshitting answers to questions that wasted my time as I made a project based on incorrect information. Throwing his creative team under the bus when he made a mistake, until his behavior started taking a toll on my preexisting working relationships with managers and employees at my workplace whom I've known for years. We didn't work enough unpaid OT. We weren't working far enough ahead. Nothing was done right, nothing was enough. For someone who 'didn't like to micromanage his designers,' he micromanaged tf out of almost every project. Disrespect, diminishing our competence, disbelieving us when we offered feedback - and feedback of any kind would prompt a long diatribe about how he was right. Body comments about our male coworkers. Weird personal criticism. Like I can't make this up - I got criticized for having a higher temperature when we had to record our temps after reopening. On top of that, LOUD political diatribes with people from other departments that frequently centered my age group as The Problem With the Country Today. My values and my age meant he called me evil, stupid, malicious, out of touch and incompetent by associstion. I'd hear him ramp up and put my headphones on so I didn't have to hear it after it became clear it was going to happen on a regular basis.

I WARNED top brass back in October that things were getting rough in my department, and wasn't believed.

Well, they believe me now.

He's solely responsible for 3 members of the creative team quitting, including myself. Coming back to work after shutdown brought back all the bullshit I'd escaped for 2 1/2 months and made it clear this job wouldn't be sustainable for me. And I can, without hyperbole, lay ALL of that at his feet. Coming back reminded me that if I stayed, even if this asshole fucked back off to wherever he came from in a year, I'd be subjected to whatever new asshole they hired based on his claims of improving the bottom line, and his job description is so vastly outside my experience that I didn't have a hope of getting above him in the chain of command without a complete retrain. Even if the management at my new job turns out to be frustrating, at least it's something I chose.

I didn't pull any punches about him in the exit interview with the VP of internal operations, and I talked to our GM yesterday about him too. I've been in this job long enough to have credit banked with leadership, and damned if I'm going to let the dude who signs this asshole's checks get a filtered HR version of what happened. There are still people I care about there, and I might as well blow that banked credit trying to make things better. He heard me. He also made it clear that other team members from other departments have voiced issues, they're going to deal with it, he's sorry they didn't see it in time for me and he's glad I've found a better opportunity.

I took some vicious, petty satisfaction in unfriending the toxic director's ass on social media accounts IMMEDIATELY after I walked out. I maintained my professionalism everywhere else because I know that it's important not to burn your bridges in case you end up interviewing with former coworkers or managers at some other job. But man, if I found out he worked at another job I wouldn't want it anyway. He made a wreckage of a team I loved, and he's so incapable of taking a shred of personal responsibility that he'll make a wreckage of any other place he works.

#personal jazz things #long post

[let-me-love-you-loki]

An Ending Within-Ch. 10

Chapter 10

           The second we got backstage, Jericho looked down and saw me leaning heavily on Sammy. My heart jumped. Fear like something I hadn’t felt in years. Tears prickled at the corner of my eyes.

           “Get Jon. Call Seth,” I said, gasping, desperate to hold back the tide of panic that threatened to drown me.

           “You need a trainer,” Sammy replied, as if I didn’t know exactly what I needed.

           “I need you to shut up and get Jon,” I spat.

           Jericho swept his arms under my knees and lifted me up. He glared back at Sammy and jerked his head. “Find Mox,” he ordered before stalking off with me down the corridor.

           “Just fucking perfect,” I swore, banging my fist into the outside of my pricklingly numb thigh. “My first match and my leg just fucks off.”

           “You landed wrong, that’s all,” he replied.

           The Bucks appeared as we rounded the corner. Matt took one look at me and furrowed his brow in worry. “Llane, you good?”

           “Her fucking leg is fucking numb… again,” Jon snarled out of nowhere. He stalked down the hall toward me, fire snapping in his blue eyes. He stopped in front of us, wriggling his fingers at Jericho in a gimme gesture. “Hand her over. Right fucking now.”

           “Jon, I’m—” I started.

           “You’re not fucking fine, so don’t say it, goddammit,” he swore. He stepped forward and took me from Jericho’s arms. I smiled apologetically as Jon carried me off in the opposite direction, toward his dressing room.

           My phone was ringing before we walked into the room. Jon snatched it up as he carried me over to the counter and sat me down, stretching my numb leg out. I swiped my finger over the front of my screen, unsurprised to find six missed calls from Seth.

           “Call him,” Jon said firmly, pacing from one end of the room to the other, cracking his knuckles and dragging his hands down his face. “He’s going to kill me. Both of them are.”

           “What? Jon, what are you talking about?” I asked, tapping out a message to Seth with the promise that I’d call him in a moment or two.

           “This is why I didn’t want to fight you,” he said miserably. It took a moment for me to understand what he meant. And why he’d been so against getting in the ring against me in a real match. “You were fine until I DDT’d you.”

           I scooted forward on the counter, already pins and needles were crawling up and down the outside of my thigh. My fingers went to my boot, tugging at the laces until I could kick the offending shoe to the ground. I looked hard at my toes, counting the time from thought to action. Wiggle… a fraction of a second later my big toe jerked.

           “Jon, stop and look at me.”

           He paced, more frantic than before. He raked his hands over his hair, the muscle in his jaw working as he ground his teeth.

           “Jon,” I said again, the pins and needles getting more uncomfortable around my knee. “Jon!”

           My ringtone trilled through the air. I glanced down and saw Seth’s face. I picked up, immediately going into soothing mode. “Don’t panic. I’m fine…”

           “You limped out of the arena, Llane,” Seth said, voice thick with panic.

           “It’s a blip. The doctor told us about these…” I watched Jon stalk the length of the room, getting more agitated as he went. I raised my voice, hoping he would hear it. “I’ve had them before. And I’m okay.”

           My husband sighed. “One to ten, how numb are you?”

           I relaxed, surprised that he wasn’t racing out of the house to get to me. “Two and dropping.”

           “Ok,” he replied, breathing deep. “Do you need me to come drive you home?”

           “No, it’s my left leg. I can drive.”

           It was quiet on the other end of the line for a moment. I heard the faint whimper of Sefina in the background. Seth cleared his throat. “Tell Dea—tell Jon that he’s welcome to stay here.”

           “I will. Love you.” Once he replied, I hung up and sighed. Jon was still pacing. “Jon. Jon! Jon! Jon!”

           It didn’t matter how loud I yelled his name. He was so deeply caught up in his worry that he’d hurt me. I hopped down from the counter, my left leg giving just a little as I hit the floor. My knee ached, and the numbness in my thigh was slowly working its way back into feeling.

           “DEAN!”

           He stopped, looking my way with panicked eyes. As much as he said he wasn’t that person, it was clear that there was part of him that was still my Dean—my friend, my brother, my eye in the storm.

           “I’m fine,” I said softly, talking to him just as I would a wounded animal. “I’m okay, Jon. The feeling is already coming back. It happens.”

           Jon crossed the room and wrapped me in a tight-armed hug. He crushed me against his chest, his lips resting against my hair. His heart hammered against my ear. For a moment, I couldn’t tell if he was breathing.

           “Llane…” he murmured at last, his voice low and broken.

           I hugged him tight around the middle. “I know,” I replied softly. “It scares me sometimes, too. But you didn’t do this, Jon. My leg is always going to be like this.”

           “It’s not fucking fair,” he sighed. “You deserve to have something good happen.”

           My heart squeezed tight in my chest. “I did. I’m here, aren’t I?”

           Jon hugged me so tightly that I couldn’t breathe, but it didn’t matter. For a moment, it was like nothing had changed. He was still Dean, the guy who became my best friend, my brother, who understood me when no one else could.

***

           “So… you legitimately had to learn how to walk again?” Nick asked from the seat next to me. “Did you have to do training again?”

           I nodded, flexing my foot and wiggling my toes. My leg was stretched out, KAFO brace going from thigh to ankle. I kept them in my bags, travelled with them just in case, but I hated that I had to wear it again. “Yes to both. I hated physical therapy. Like… loathed it. That was probably more depressing than being in the chair in the first place.”

           “Did Rollins do your retraining?”

           “Him and Marek together.” I laughed. “I was so clumsy. I’m surprised I didn’t lose my front teeth as many times as I hit the turnbuckle with my face.”

           “Jesus,” Nick said, leaning back in the chair, tipping the brim of his ballcap up. “I can’t imagine… Mox was right. You are a badass.”

           I grinned, blushing just a little as I got to my feet. “You really want to see the badass? Put me and Jon together in a team. See you in a week, Jackson.”

           Without another word, I hobbled off toward the parking lot with my bag over my shoulder. Jon was waiting by the door, the hood of his sweatshirt tugged up over his hair. “Took you long enough, dollface.”

           “Sorry, I was talking to Nick.”

           Jon winced when he looked at the brace on my leg. He held out his hand. “Keys. I’m driving.”

           I tossed the keys to him and hopped myself into the car. My knee was already stiff from the KAFO, and I was ready to get home and get out of it. “You remember the way?”

           He rolled his eyes. “Shut up. You’re buying dinner.”

           Laughing, I sent Seth a text to let him know we were on the way. He answered pretty quick—mostly because he wanted a burger.

***

           Seth was on the sofa, XBOX controller in his hand, Madden on the television when we came in. He glanced up, a worried half smile on his face when he saw the KAFO. It had been a long time since he’d seen me wear it. I didn’t have to ask if it bothered him—I could see it in the set of his jaw. The sight of it probably reminded him of those terrifying months after my surgery.

           I know it did for me.

           “Sefina asleep?” I asked, sinking down on the sofa beside him, my leg stretched out on the cushions. I wriggled my toes against his knee to show I was okay.

           He nodded as Jon leaned against the wall. “I wanted to see the munchkin,” Jon whispered, looking longingly down the hallway.

           “Go ahead,” Seth said, his lips tipping upward. “So what if she wakes up? She’ll fall asleep again.”

           The two watched each other for a moment, then reached out to tap their fists together. Jon grinned sideways at him before ghosting down the hallway to Sefina’s room. He pushed the door open slowly and tiptoed inside. I could hear him whispering “hey, princess” even in the living room.

           Seth dropped the controller on the table and reached over to run his fingers over the plastic and fabric of my brace. “I hate this thing.”

           “I do, too,” I replied, wriggling my toes again. “But it helps when the numbness kicks in. I’m proud of you by the way.”

           His fingers brushed my ankle. “Because I didn’t panic?”

           “Oh, you panicked. I heard it in your voice.” I smiled. “You just didn’t lose your mind like you did when I was training to get back in the ring. You’re getting better.”

           Electricity crackled along my skin when he smiled brightly, the gap in his front teeth as endearing now as it was the day we met. “You don’t give me a choice. But that’s a good thing.”

Tag List

@mox-made-me-do-it​ @lakamaa12​ @sammyfireheartashryver @cburdine​@easyobsession​ @xbutterflius-effectusx​ @0paint-thestars0 @Echrai @themumbler​ @bigdunneenergy​ @queenofthearchitect​ @vebner37​ @reigns-rollins-ambrose​ @mother-forker​ @gwyneirastorm​

#an ending within #hounds of justice sequel #sequel to hounds of justice #seth rollins #seth rollins fanfiction #dean ambrose #jon moxley #shield #wwe fanfiction #wwe #aew fanfiction #aew #ofc #oc #seth x llane #llane black #FKA llane black #leighton black #multi-chapter #real person fanfiction

[chimchimsauce]

Advent Calendar

YN looks at the large box in a mixture of confusion and amusement.

“Really? An advent calendar?” she says, glancing at her beaming boyfriend. “Yes, really! It’ll be fun!” Leaning over and kissing her cheek, her boyfriend stands, brushing off his jacket. “Don’t open anything early!” He says, waving goodbye as he climbs back into Bangtan’s large bus. “I won’t!” She calls, heart clenching at the thought of him leaving again.

Taehyung had only been back in town to see her for two days, and even then he spent most of his time with his bandmates, all of them having to squeeze in some extra practice due to a scheduling issue. Bangtan’s MAMA performance originally had backup dancers from a different company, but for whatever reason, they had pulled out of the job, forcing BigHit to have to rehire and retrain the new dancers. So their five-day break was whittled down to two days, Tae still having to run and go practice with the new crew on his off days as well.

YN sighs, slight disappointment welling up in her, which she promptly squishes down. She’d known what she was getting into when she began dating Taehyung two years ago; An idol’s life was never simple, never allowing for long periods of rest.

The girl glances at the oversized box he hauled onto her kitchen table. The whole thing is covered in shiny wrapping paper and sparkles, the obviously homemade calendar warming her heart. Out of curiosity, she pulls open the drawer marked with a number one. Inside, nestled in wrapping paper and fluff sits a singular Hershey’s Kiss. A string is tied gently around the tip, connecting the piece of chocolate to a small note.

Since I can’t be here to give you a kiss myself, I thought I’d leave one behind ;)

YN lets out a chuckle, unwrapping the candy and popping it on her tongue. As the candy begins to melt, she gently places the note back into the box, wanting to keep it safe.

Taehyung is known to buy and give ridiculously expensive gifts, which she appreciates, but all of his homemade presents are her favorite. It’s these gifts she pulls out in the middle of the night when she misses him, when it feels like he’s a million miles away.

Some days it’s harder than she’d like to admit, some days she misses him so much her stomach ties itself into endless knots as she cries herself to sleep. Others, she watches proudly through her phone screen as he and his members - his closest friends - make their way through the world, leaving a blazing trail of successes and awards behind them. But the best days are spent with Kim Taehyung (not V) cuddled underneath the covers, watching stupid movies and messing with each other. The best days are spent walking through small parks and talking about the most important unnecessary things in the world. The best days are spent just being with the love of her life.

Day Two and Three pass quickly, Taehyung managing to dial his girlfriend for a few minutes as they travel, eagerness resonating in his voice as he impatiently urges YN to open the small drawers. Day Two's gift consists of a gift card to her restaurant, the amount large enough to treat herself to a good meal or two.

“I'll wait for you to come back. Then we can eat there together,” YN says hopefully, phone wedged between her cheek and lifted shoulder, hands occupied with the small piece of blue plastic.

“Nah, you enjoy yourself, babydoll. I got it for you to use sometime while I'm gone, so you don't survive on instant dinners,” he says amused.

His concerns are valid. YN never was a particularly good cook.

“Okay, fair,” she replies, grinning softly.

A noise is heard in the background and her boyfriend lets out a sigh.

“I have to go,”

The line goes dead.

Day Three is a small bracelet, one Tae explains over the phone he picked up because he thought it would suit her. It's a simple thing, but incredibly elegant, a small butterfly charm dangling from the chain. He rushes off of the phone even quicker than before.

Day Four, Five, and Six, she receives a boatload of coins for the arcade nearby (It was running a Christmas special, apparently. How he'd known, YN is unsure), a couple of pieces of saltwater taffy he'd been gifted in Europe, and a pair of earrings he himself owns as well. She thanks Tae via texts, unable to get him on the phone.

It’s only on Day Seven where she starts to miss him, unable to pretend everything was okay. She doesn’t even want to open the advent calendar, looking at the box with a heavy heart, it a happy reminder of her boyfriend’s absence.

You’d think the girl would get used to it eventually, that him leaving wouldn’t impact her as much, but every time he leaves she aches inside, a piece of herself off dancing across the world.

But remembering her promise to Tae, YN opens Day Seven’s door. Inside, she can’t believe it because it’s so bizarre, is a small glass figure of a puppy, the small creature’s front paw lifted up into the air, almost as if he’d been turned into glass during a happy stroll down a merry lane. There’s a note this time as well.

I saw this in one of the vintage stores in America. I’m not sure why, but I thought you’d enjoy this little dog. It seems so jolly, doesn’t it?

Day Eight is more candy, a couple of peppermints with a corny Christmas joke stuffed into the box as well.

When I told you I love you I peppermint it ; )

YN can’t help but chuckle. Seokjin is rubbing off on him.

Day Nine is a silky blue scarf, rolled and tied up delicately with a silver ribbon. The material is so soft, it nearly tickling the girl’s skin when she wraps it around her neck. She takes a photo of it, sending it to Taehyung.

He doesn’t reply.

Day Ten is a matching hat, still tied with ribbon, and Day Eleven completes the set with a pair of furry mittens.

Taehyung knows she despises gloves, her fingers always feeling a chill no matter how thick they are. She only wears mittens.

Day Twelve is a small jar of peach-flavored lip balm which YN finds incredibly smoothing, the faint scent of fresh fruit lingering on her soft lips. She knows it’s more of a gift to himself than to her, Taehyung always loving when she wears flavored chapstick. It gave him an excuse to kiss her even though he didn’t need one.

Day Thirteen (still no word from Tae, but YN saw the boys had won several awards overseas), YN pulls out a small ornament, a photo of the two of them hugging glazed perfectly in the middle of the bell-shaped decoration. She hangs it immediately, smiling.

She remembers that day fondly. Taehyung had a rare day off, a day completely to himself, and he had spent it with her, exploring the woods that back her house. The couple had discovered a small and half-rotted treehouse suspended from one of the bigger trees. Taehyung had been fascinated by it, climbing it despite YN’s warnings of possible danger. He hadn’t cared. To him, that was the best discovery he’d ever had.

Day Fourteen was a fortune cookie that promises eternal happiness; Day Fifteen was filled with colorful stickers. They were random, hearts and puppies and cakes and octopi.

With Taehyung, you never knew what you were going to get.

Day Sixteen was a pair of designer sunglasses, the same pair she’d been mooning over since she saw them in the store. She hardly remembers mentioning them to Taehyung, but he never missed anything. He’d never once forgot her birthday or a date, never once forgot to pick up milk before he came over. It’s one of the things she loves most about him.

Day Seventeen held a couple of brightly colored pens, which she used in conjunction with her stickers. She couldn’t say she wasn’t amused, YN spending a few hours working on a drawing and tossing some stickers in wherever she saw fit.

Day Eighteen was a pretty lipstick, the perfect shade for her skin tone. Nineteen was more candy (He’s trying to make her fat, she feels it) and Twenty was a few bags of Christmas themed tea.

YN still hadn’t heard from Tae at all. He wasn’t even answering her messages, except once to say he wouldn’t be able to make it back home for Christmas. She was disappointed, but not particularly surprised.

Day Twenty - One was a keychain, pressed flowers stuffed between two circles of glass. It’s gorgeous, and YN places it on her bag immediately.

Twenty - Two was a small bottle of perfume in a scent Tae thought she’d enjoy. She did. It smelled of sunshine and fresh daisies.

Twenty - Three was a Christmas card, a photo of Taehyung and the boys grinning in silly holiday hats wedged in between. After reading it, YN places the card on her mantle.

Day Twenty - Four, Christmas Eve and the last day of the calendar, YN opens the drawer only to find it empty. She checks once again, even circling the box to see if she had somehow bumped it off the table.

But she found nothing. YN is about to give up, thinking he’d forgotten to add the very last day in his haste to put the gift together, when her phone dings, a text message grabbing her attention.

Her heart warms when she realizes it’s from her boyfriend, but her happiness is replaced with confusion when she reads the message.

Come outside

Curious, YN throws on a coat and follows the instructions, exiting out her front door only to see her walkway decorated with lit candles, the flames flickering gently in the cold. Soft music is playing from behind her house and YN walks towards it through the walkway of candles and into the woods, tears coming to her eyes when she sees Taehyung dressed handsomely and standing in the treehouse.

What had once been little more than a safety hazard has been transformed into a comfy area, the structure decorated with strings of fairy lights and fluffy pillows.

“Tae,” she says, breathless, looking up at him.

He’s smiling widely, an excited look on his face.

“Come on up!”

YN quickly climbs the new ladder, joining Tae in the refreshed treehouse. Immediately, she wraps her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

“I thought you weren’t coming for Christmas!” she exclaims, hitting him gently on the shoulder.

“I wanted it to be a surprise!” he replies, kissing her on the forehead, “I missed you so much while I was gone,”

“Not as much as I missed you, Tae! I’m so glad you’re back. Did you enjoy yourself?”

Taehyung then launches himself into a fluffy of stories about his travels, breath coming out in white puffs of air. YN listens with rapt attention, hanging onto every word. When he’s done relaying his adventures, the two of them cuddle up under a blanket, looking up into the night sky.

“I enjoyed your calendar, by the way. It made me miss you a little bit less. But you know, Tae, there was nothing in today’s drawer. Did you forget it?” she asks him, chuckling.

“Nope, I didn’t,” he says.

“Are you the present? Because I’m not complaining,”

He laughs, a bright, cheerful sound.

“No, I’m not the gift. This is,”

With those words, Taehyung sits up, pushing his girlfriend up as well.

“YN,” he says, suddenly nervous and taking her hand, pressing something cold in it.

Looking in her eyes, he opens her palm, a ring glittering in the moonlight.

“Will you marry me?”

#bts #christmas with bts #networkbangtan #taehyung x reader #network bangtan #taehyung #tae x reader #bts fluff #bts angst #taehyung fluff #taehyung angst

[calorieworkouts]

Lose Belly Fat Fast: 3 Keys and a Killer Workout

To much of individuals, a sexy, toned stomach resembles the Holy Grail of fitness, but like the Holy Grail, it can additionally be frustratingly evasive. A lot of the moment it's not for want of attempting, but rather due to the fact that you're putting the majority of (or also every one of) your initiative in the wrong area. Let's put it in this manner: 1000 grinds a day alone is NOT going to obtain you there - I'll explain why in a moment. As well as don't worry if you've been doing this, due to the fact that bunches of people drop afoul of this widespread fitness myth, so when you hear it you'll see precisely what you've been doing incorrect and also extra notably, what to do regarding it.

It's Your Health Too

What's even more it's not just about vanity either. Sure all of us want to look great and also the majority of us agree that a limited, toned belly is sexy, but there's even more to it. According to Harvard Female's Health Watch stubborn belly fat is even worse than hip and also thigh fat in terms of health risks.

The Bad News

If you have an interest in the science: the gist of it is that tummy fat often tends to be natural fat, i.e. below the abdominal wall surfaces as well as bordering the inner body organs. This type of fat is even worse for you than the surface-level (subcutaneous, i.e. just listed below the skin) fat since it produces even more of retinol-binding healthy protein 4 (RBP4) which increases insulin resistance (which can cause diabetes mellitus as well as a host of various other illness). The more visceral fat you have the more RBP4 is secreted into your bloodstream. Not good.

The other issue is that as we age the percentage of fat to bodyweight tends to enhance, as well as fat starts to favour being saved in the upper body over the hips and also upper legs. Which suggests that also if you do not put on weight, you waistline can grow by inches as the visceral fat pushes out versus your stomach wall. As well as sorry to be the holder of poor information, yet ladies, we're more at risk to this than males. Harvard! Why did you need to obtain all science-y on us ?!

The Great News

As with everything in life however, there's always a silver-lining (you really did not assume I would certainly simply leave you there did ya?). The terrific news is that natural fat responds really, truly well to exercise and diet regimen. Better, in reality, than fat on the hips as well as upper legs. Which means that you can get the level, sexy tummy you have actually constantly wanted, if you agree to place in the initiative and do what jobs. Which leads us nicely to ... what does not work!

Belly Fat Myths

Crunches = Sexy stomach

Remember how I said 1000 grinds a day alone will not provide you a toned stubborn belly? It's not that problems aren't a great exercise (although there are much better exercises, see the workout listed below) yet the primary reason is: you can not identify minimize fat! What this means is that you can't target a certain location of your body to selectively lose fat. So it matters not the amount of problems, sit-ups or ab-blaster device representatives you do, it won't give you a flat stomach unless you do several of the various other things I'm going to tell you regarding in a moment. Not just that, however there are far better abdominal exercises than crunches which you might be doing.

It's all about exercise

I wish this held true. Would not it be excellent to exercise as well as eat cupcakes, pizza, ice-cream and also everything else you desired ... as well as still have the ability to walk with a six-pack? I have actually tried this, and I can tell you for a truth: it doesn't function. This does not mean you need to consume a flawlessly clean diet plan - where's the enjoyable because - yet you do need to eat tidy the majority of the moment. I've found that you can actually enjoy consuming a tidy diet plan due to the fact that you retrain your body to delight in food which is actually healthy and balanced. I recognize it appears insane, yet it's true!

Just do cardio

Yes, aerobics are great for fat loss, however they're not the be-all and end-all. Make certain you incorporate several of these ideas if you wish to boost weight loss when you do cardio.

So now that I have actually covered a few of the fitness misconceptions you may have had, you might be questioning what you should be doing instead. Well stay, due to the fact that I'm concerning to inform you ...

How To Get A Sexy Stomach Fast

Now I recognize this write-up isn't labelled 'Shed Belly Fat Actually Freakin' Slowly' however there is a healthy rate most individuals must lose weight: 1 - 2 pounds each week. Yes, this isn't as fast as some people would such as, but it's the healthy and balanced alternative, plus you're less likely to shed muscular tissue in addition to the fat - which would be a negative thing, because muscle mass assists you melt fat. To put it simply, it's not going to take 3 days, it can take weeks or more probable, months.

And if you want visible abdominal muscles, that's a whole 'nother pot of fish. Initially, there are the biological factors, particularly: your genes and sex. Females need to have greater body fat percentages than guys to be healthy, this often indicates they can not have noticeable abdominals revealing as well as additionally go to a healthy and balanced, lasting body-fat. Even so, because of genetics, some ladies do have visible abs at healthy and balanced body-fat percentages. You need to do the finest you can with the genetics you have, not utilize them as a justification. Same thing goes for individuals, yet they can get away with lower healthy body-fat percents, thus the six-pack.

The other concern with getting noticeable abdominal muscles is it needs you to follow a clean diet plan a great deal more purely (once more, relying on your genetics). So you can decide if it's worth that extra commitment or otherwise (and as long as you can keep a healthy body fat).

The excellent news is despite your sex or genetics you can still get an attractive, toned tummy ... get much healthier as well as look wonderful nude. So allow's chat concerning just how to do that!

Tips To Lose Tummy Fat and Obtain An Attractive Stomach

There are actually just 3 tricks to obtaining a level tummy: exercise, a tidy and healthy and balanced diet and getting enough sleep. These are the 3 huge ones, they form the foundation of losing belly fat and getting a sexy belly. At the exact same time there are a great deal of points you can do to compliment these and improve your fat loss, which I'll consist of in a moment.

First, let's go right into a little bit more information on these 3 tricks:

Exercise

You should intend to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity workout most days. If you increase the duration as well as intensity of the workout you'll shed much more fat, quicker.

Combine cardio with stamina training

Most people turn to aerobic workout for fat loss, yet you will certainly increase your weight loss significantly by combining cardio workout with toughness training. This is since toughness training constructs muscular tissue and also muscular tissue burns fat (i.e. raises your metabolic price). Muscular tissue also takes up less area than fat, so although you may not drop weight ... you will lose fat as well as obtain a smaller sized waist and also even more toned belly - which is exactly why you should not make use of the ranges to judge your weight loss! Not only that, it's inadequate to just concentrate on abdominal workouts, you also intend to do whole-body training specifically making use of substance workouts like squats, deadlifts and also shoulder presses.

Eat clean and healthy

' Abdominals are made in the cooking area. 30% exercise, 70% diet. You can not out-exercise a poor diet.' You have actually probably heard those before, and they merely show just how essential a clean, healthy diet regimen is to shedding stomach fat. The important point is to devote to it as well as follow it constantly, to the very best of your capability. It's not concerning perfection, it has to do with sticking to it as best you can as well as obtaining back on when you occasionally drop off. You could create an entire publication on tidy eating (and also that's been done) but I'll offer you the standard rules below, daily:

Eat lean healthy protein, complicated carbs and also healthy and balanced fats.

Eat lots of veggies, specifically cruciferous and also dark green leafy vegetables.

Eat some fruits.

Drink water (9 mugs for ladies, 13 for males). That's complete water quantity, i.e. counting various other beverages.

For losing stubborn belly fat, there is proof that you gain much less visceral fat the a lot more calcium you take in. Yogurt, cheese, sardines, kale are all great resources of calcium.

Avoid all processed and improved foods. This suggests sugar, white flour, candies, baked goods etc.

Avoid sodas as well as juices. Don't drink your calories, obtain your calories from food.

Avoid junk food.

Especially for losing stubborn belly fat, stay clear of foods which appear to urge it: hydrogenated vegetable oils as well as fructose-sweetened foods and also beverages.

No alcohol.

Looking at the checklist above, you might be a bit daunted, but remember it's more vital to take little incremental steps which you can keep, than trying to do everything at the same time and lasting a month. I'm talking from experience below: add a little bit each time, possibly a couple of items weekly, get an excellent feeling for it and after that relocate onto the next products in the checklist. If I needed to pick two to begin with, I 'd pick to up my veggie consumption substantially and also reduce way down on sodas and juices. Pick what help you and don't hesitate to experiment.

Get enough sleep

But not too much. A five-year research showed that grownups that got less than 5 hrs sleep an evening gathered dramatically more visceral fat ... yet those that rested greater than 8 hrs a night also obtained even more visceral fat. 6 - 8 hrs seems like an excellent array. Interestingly, this wasn't the case for individuals over 40 - that stated growing older didn't have benefits!

Boost fat loss with these tips

Try out some of the 101 weight loss pointers to boost your weight loss. Bear in mind, the 3 above are the core structure of what you require to do, but by including some of these ideas they can include up to a collective impact of higher fat loss.

The Workout

Phew! Okay, now that we've laid the foundation for obtaining the limited, toned, attractive stomach you desire, allow's jump on to the exercising component. So we have actually assembled an ab-licious workout which focuses not just on the front component of your stomach (rectus abdominis), yet also on the sides (obliques) as well as a lot more notably the deep internal stomach muscles (transverse abdominis). When the majority of people think regarding abdominal muscles, they think of the usually looked for after six-pack or eight-pack in the front, as well as by the way, obtaining an eight-pack is purely to genetics, there is no workout or amount of exercise which can offer you an eight-pack if you don't have that stomach separation genetically speaking.

Sometimes individuals consist of the obliques (typically viewed as the groves to either side of the rectus abdominis, e.g. right here as well as right here) yet very couple of individuals consist of the transverse abdominis (TVA), which are the deep internal stomach muscles. Currently the incredible point concerning the TVA muscular tissues is that they function as an all-natural bodice for your body, cinching in you core - in other words, strengthening these muscles can give you a smaller sized midsection. Not just that, however your TVA muscular tissues become part of the foundational core you use in almost every compound exercise, so obtaining more powerful right here is definitely a great thing!

Now, every stomach workout you do jobs every one of your stomach muscles, yet there's one exercise I enjoy which especially targets your TVA muscle mass: the abdominal vacuum cleaner (you can see exactly how it's carried out in the video below). This is an amazing workout for strengthening your inner core and the wonderful point is you can do them anywhere. You can do the ab vacuum alone, but also for ideal efficiency it's finest to combine them with a kegel which leads right into the abdominal vacuum cleaner, so by doing this you strengthen both your pelvic floor muscle mass along with the TVA muscular tissues. Boom! Better sex and a flatter tummy - you win!

Pin this workout:

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And if you desire to print this workout out:

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Your turn: What are your preferred abdominal exercises? Have you attempted the stomach vacuum cleaner yet? Was this workout challenging sufficient for you? Let us know!

#aerobic #best fitness #cardio workout #exercise #fitness #health #weight #workout #workouts

[vampirewalterskinner]

Star Trek AU — just some of my fave lines w/ the boys

First Officer, Science Officer Jaegerjaquez: Has it occurred to you that there's a certain... inefficiency in constantly questioning me on things you've already made up your mind about?

Captain Ichigo Kurosaki, smiling: It gives me emotional security.

——————————

Dr. Uryū “Bones” Ishida: This is the first time in a week I've had time for a drop. Would you care for a drink, Mr. Jaegerjaquez?

Grimmjow: My mother’s race was spared the dubious benefits of alcohol.

Uryū: Oh. Now I know why they were conquered. What are you worried about? Ichigo generally knows what he's doing.

Grimmjow: It was illogical for him to bring those players aboard.

Uryū: Illogical? Did you get a look at that girl? That's a pretty exciting creature. Of course your, uh, personal chemistry would prevent you from seeing that. Did it ever occur to you that he might like the girl?

Spock: It occurred. I dismissed it.

Uryū, snorting: You would.

————————

Uryū: What if you decide he is Aizen? What then? Do you play God, carry his head through the corridors in triumph? That won't bring back the dead, Jim.

Ichigo: No. But they may rest easier.

————————

Grimmjow: If Romulans are an offshoot of my Vulcan blood, then attack becomes even more imperative.

Uryū: War is never imperative.

Grimmjow: It is for them, Doctor. Vulcan, like Earth, had its aggressive colonizing period, savage even by Earth standards. If Romulans retain this martial philosophy, then weakness is something we dare not show.

————————

Grimmjow: I picked this up from Dr. Ishida’s log. We have a crew member on board who is showing signs of stress and fatigue. Reaction time down 9 to 12 percent. Associational reading Norm minus 3.

Ichigo: That's much too low a rating.

Grimmjow: He's becoming irritable and quarrelsome, yet he refuses to take rest and rehabilitation. Now he has that right, but...we found -

Ichigo: A crewman's rights end where the safety of the ship begins. Now that man will go ashore on my orders. What's his name?

Grimmjow: Ichigo Kurosaki.

[Realizing he's been tricked, Ichigo stares somewhat balefully at Grimmjow.]

Grimmjow: [continuing] Enjoy yourself, Captain.

—————————

Grimmjow: The logical thing for you to have done was to have left me behind.

Ishida: Mr. Jaegerjaquez, remind me to tell you that I'm sick and tired of your logic.

Grimmjow: That is a most illogical attitude. It is more rational to sacrifice one life than six.

Ishida: I'm not talking about rationality.

—————————

Chad: Mr. Jaegerjaquez, you said a while ago that there were always alternatives.

Grimmjow: Did I? I may have been mistaken.

Uryū: Well, at least I lived long enough to hear that.

—————————

Ichigo: You're not going to admit that for the first time in your life, you committed a purely human, emotional act?

Grimmjow: No, sir.

Ichigo: Mr. Jaegerjaquez, you're a stubborn man.

Grimmjow: Yes, sir.

—————————

Uryū: Does your logic find this fascinating, Mr. Jaegerjaquez?

Grimmjow: No. "Fascinating" is a word I use for the unexpected. In this case, I should think "interesting" would suffice.

—————————

Enemy: You do realize that it's in deference to the Captain that I brought you here.

Grimmjow: Affirmative.

Enemy: Well, I don't know if I like your tone. It's most challenging. That's what you're doing, challenging me?

Grimmjow: I object to you. I object to intellect without discipline. I object to power without constructive purpose.

Enemy: Oh, Mr. Spock, you do have one saving grace after all - you're ill mannered. The human half of you, no doubt.

—————————

Ichigo: We're a most promising species, Mr. Jaegerjaquez, as predators go. Did you know that?

Grimmjow: I frequently have my doubts.

—————————

Ichigo: You said you had some additional information, Mr. Jaegerjaquez?

Grimmjow: I made an error in my computations.

Uryū: Oh? This could be a historic occasion.

—————————

Ichigo: [about some dude from the past] But in our society, he'd be useless. Archaic.

Uryū: But maybe he could be retrained, reeducated.

Ichigo: Now you're sounding like Jaegerjaquez.

Uryū: If you're going to get nasty, I'm going to leave.

—————————

Uryū: (enemy has grabbed Uryū by throat and is holding a knife on him) Well, either choke me or cut my throat. Make up your mind.

Enemy: Where am I?

Uryū: You're in bed, holding a knife at your doctor's throat.

Enemy: Answer my question!

Uryū: It would be most effective if you would cut the carotid artery, just under the left ear.

Enemy: [releasing Uryū] I like a brave man.

Uryū: I was just trying to prevent an argument.

—————————

Ichigo: War is instinctive. But the instinct can be fought. We're human beings with the blood of a million savage years on our hands! But we can stop it. We can admit that we're killers... but we're not going to kill today. That's all it takes! Knowing that we're not going to kill - today!

—————————

Grimmjow: Captain, you almost make me believe in luck.

Ichigo: Why, Mr Jaegerjaquez! You almost make me believe in miracles!

#long post #adrian's endless list of aus #grimmichiishi