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#or possibly our shit memory or possibly our food cravings. or some combination of these
systemaltoclef · 3 years
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boo we hate your ramen shops hours
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yangrr · 4 years
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prom-ises [l.minho]
⇾ pairing : lee minho x reader
⇾ summary : you might have forgotten about prom,but never your promise to minho
⇾ wc : 1.6k
⇾ genre/warnings : high school!au,friends to lovers!au | mild swearing
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You know you had it bad for him.
There was a saying that goes; a boy and a girl can’t always stay as friends,one is bound to fall in love with the other with time.You could say for yourself that you were an avid believer of that principle,till a certain doe-eyed dancer came along and blurred the lines between platonic and romantic.
Truth be told,you both weren’t the classic cute duo that went from childhood best friends to lovers,it was more of a ‘vexed president and vice-president shit-talking the lazy dance club members who never attends practices’ to ‘I call you at three because I’m hungry and lonely’ kind of relationship.You wanted way more than this with him,but you would take the weird dynamic you both have over nothing at all.
You weren’t an idiot to take risks like that,but you were an idiot that kept going back for more.Every moment spent was like a teaser for an upcoming release of your favourite group’s new song;it showcased a little of what it was like to date him,only to wake up from the fantasy that he was never yours to begin with.
You just didn’t have the willpower to say no to his face,which was exactly why Minho dragged you out of your dorm at 8AM to have breakfast with him because he didn’t like to eat alone,and you went with it.
Eyes concentrated on him,your irises glittered with amusement and slight annoyance as he scanned the males in the cafe to spot a potential partner for you,claiming that you were antisocial and should have been dating at this age already.Your conversations somehow always end up on the topic of your love life,and never his.He pulled this stunt plenty a times and to be honest,you were getting sick of it.
“Minho,just eat your food.”You sighed,chewing half-halfheartedly on the greasy meat you wished you never bought.Kudos to him for craving fast food first thing in the morning.
It was a painful dig at your heart,watching the boy you like trying to set you up with a stranger.A clear sign shown that he has no interest in you in that way,yes,but your mind never wanted to cooperate and still held on to the fraying strands of hope that you two might be something someday.
He pointed at a guy not much older than both of you,or maybe even the same age as you,who was lining up at the counter--presumably getting coffee like any normal person would(not you and Minho,there’s that).Minho waggled the fry around,and grinned triumphantly at you. “What about him?”
“Stop it,”You scoffed,rolling your eyes playfully at the snickering male in front of you.He took a huge bite of his burger which was in his other hand,then continued to tease you with his mouth full.
“I think you'll look cute with him.Isn't those boys exactly your type?”Minho mused,eyes sparkling with mischief and something else you could not quite catch. “Handsome,muscular,badass looking,all macho and shit.”He muttered,a light contempt in his tone at the mention of the said boy.There was a disdainful look as Minho eyed him,jaw slacking and he stopped chewing altogether.
Baffled by his comment,you snorted in disbelief at the crap he just spewed out.
Was he really that blind?
As much as you could remember with your memory of a tea-spoon,you recalled rather clearly that you’ve never once mentioned what type of boys you were into.And even if you did,you were positive you wouldn’t ever tell Minho.Never ever.
Minho smiled at you,confused.
“Why are you laughing?”He pushed at your shoulder softly,a small grin extending over his face.
You shook your head,fingers wrapping around the red plastic straw of your soda.Sipping on the iced Pepsi,you cringe slightly at the taste of it,diluted with melted ice.Which reminded you that Minho and you had been in that cafe for quite some time now.
Unsurprisingly,your table was still filled with food,considering the fact that you both had ordered way too much.There were still a few packets of fries and wedges with way too much cheese sauce(Minho claimed that but you argued,saying that there was no such thing as too much cheese sauce),plus three pieces of fried chicken.You grabbed a fry off his tray,while he swatted away your hand.
“Don't steal my food.”He whined,swallowing the remnants that he was chewing. “Tell me,why were you laughing?”
You sniggered, “Whoever told you that I like 'tall,muscular,badass looking,all macho and shit' boys?I don't remember telling you.”You added,raising your eyebrows questioningly at Minho.
You watched how he dipped his head down meekly,his plump lips quirking up from your remark as he struggled for an answer.His chestnut strands fell perfectly into his eyes,languid fingers moving to brush them back.Trying to take no notice of the familiar fluttering in your stomach whenever you're with him,you took another sip of the tasteless Pepsi,hoping that the bleach-like flavour was enough to still the wild thrums of your chest.
“I just thought so…”Minho replied after a while.He fiddled with the burger wrapper,tearing it into small strips. “Anyways,are you ready for our finals?”He breathed out quickly,his round eyes meeting yours.He was trying to change the subject and you knew.Still you let him off the hook.
Your palms started to sweat,and you cursed the morning sun.No,it wasn’t because of the devilishly attractive male in front of you,it’s definitely the sun.
Clearing your throat,your lips parted to speak but was cut off by another presence at your table.It was the same boy that was going to order at the counter just now,the exact one that Minho had said you would look good with.
To be completely honest,you don't see the ‘badass’ and the ‘macho’ in him,though he was handsome by your standards.It was just that he looked edgy and soft at the same time,an interesting combination but the total opposite of the person Minho was describing as your apparent ideal type.
“Hey,this seat isn't taken is it?”He asked softly,grinning politely at the both of you.Minho scowled a little,but still attempted a friendly smile.You shook your head and moved your backpack to another chair,gesturing for him to take the seat.
“I'm Changbin.”He introduced,sensing the heavy atmosphere.He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and continued to speak. “I study in the same school as you guys.”
“Interestingly,I’ve never seen you before.Or maybe you're just not well known enough.”Minho mumbled,answering before you could say anything. “Very very pleased to meet you I must say.Honoured too.”
“Yup,”You quipped awkwardly.
“I'm just gonna be honest about why I came over,”Changbin said quickly,and far too loudly in a panicky tone.You noticed him glancing every now and then at the door,and so out of curiosity you turned to look.You spotted several boys outside cafe waving enthusiastically,and cheering silently at the valiant soldier.
Minho followed your line of sight and scoffed quietly. “Got your personal cheerleaders too I see.”He remarked snarkily,folding his arms across his chest.
“Minho,”You hissed as a warning for him to stop his childish tantrums and motioned for the oddly quiet Changbin to continue,feeling bad for him. “I'm sorry,we got a little distracted.”
He waved it off. “Uhm,maybe if you could possibly agree.If you can,I would really like it if you could be my partner for prom.No pressure though,just a suggestion.”He rambled,scratching the nape of his neck,struggling to look you in the eye.
“A suggestion?I don’t like the suggestion-”
Your eyebrows furrowed slightly,turning to Minho for confirmation. “There's prom?”You asked,genuine confusion written all over your face.
Minho gave you an incredulous look and shrugged. “If he asked,there must be.”He said nonchalantly,munching on a piece of chicken now. “It's after the finals.”He sighed bitterly when he noted your still confused face.
You turned back to face Changbin,a small apologetic smile gracing your lips. “I'm sorry again.I didn't know there was prom,”He just nodded,hands curling around his belt loops and anticipating your answer.
“I think I'm going with someone else already.Thank you for asking.”You said,scanning Minho’s tensed figure.Changbin's face fell in disappointment but he managed a soft 'it's okay,all the best for finals' before he grabbing the lukewarm cup and shot out of the place.
Eyes trailing after his slumped figure,you saw his friends patting him on the back and trying to cheer him up.Sure,you felt guilty of ripping the hopeful smile off his face,but you just wanted to be selfish for once.Changbin was a nice boy,he deserved far better than you.Someone that actually likes him back maybe.
“Didn't know you have a person in mind that quickly.”Minho stated,not meeting your eyes.His tongue tasted sour and he refused to meet your eyes.You pursed up your lips and stared at him in frustration.
“Idiot,you don't remember that time I promised to go to prom with you,if our school ever organised one?”You reminded,seeing his face lit up with realisation."This is me keeping my promise."
“That was so long ago,”He said. “I didn't think you would actually remember it.”He laughed,relief clouding his face.
“Just make sure you remember to pick me up for prom then.”
The silence that befell was not just comfortable,it was a soundproof blanket to smother the bouncing knees and throbbing veins in your throats.
Maybe the last filament of your tattered faith was stronger than you think.
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sheabuttahwrites · 3 years
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[I Know]
. three : talkative
two
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I had been blessed with a very rare situation. Cam hadn’t left for work, yet I was home alone. He always requested that I cook the day before his flight, but, today, we didn't have all of the necessary ingredients for whatever he was asking for. I didn't care enough to remember what he wanted and, since my jaw was still a little puffy and a few marks remained around my neck, he was also forced to make the grocery store run on his own. After he had been gone for a solid ten minutes, I saw my opportunity. I hadn't actually spoken to O in ages, so I decided to call him up while I had the chance.
“Awww, man,” he answered, in a groggy tone. The deep, sexy ‘morning’ voice was in full effect. “Look at the Lord working on this fine Sunday--what time is it?--afternoon.”
“You know what?”
The comforting melody of his laughter fell into my ear. I had been craving it for the longest. “What’s up, pooh?” 
“Hey, my boo boo boo boo bear,” I half mumbled, employing a voice usually reserved only for babies. He laughed again, this time I joined him. 
“Yo, I miss you.”
“I’m saying. I wanted to hear your voice.”
“Yeah, I almost forgot what you sound like.”
“Anyway,” I giggled. “You actually sound like you were sleeping. Did I wake you?”
“You most definitely did.”
“I'm sorry.”
“It’s all good, I ain't trippin’. What you up to?”
“You sure? ‘Cause I can let you go back to sleep and just talk to you later.”
“You about to hang up on me or something?”
“No, I'm not hanging up on you,” I barely replied, laughing way too hard. It even hurt my jaw a little. “I'm just trying to make sure you good.”
“Why wouldn't I be good?”
The silliest smile found its way onto my face. I was so glad he couldn't see me. “Ok, I’m done.”
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When I saw her name pop up on my screen, I knew she was alone. This would’ve been a text conversation for sure. The only time we really got to talk was when she was here. Which was spaced out, but still pretty often. Her first visit was my suggestion. She sounded like she needed to get away, so I offered up my place. Understandably, she was reluctant, but decided to come a week or so after the initial invitation. We had been knowing each other for about six months then, and I felt cool enough to share my space with her. When she got here, all she wanted to do was stay inside. I didn't press her, because I was sure there was some fear involved, but I did eventually convince her to hit the streets with me. Ever since, her getaways became customary. She would hit me the day before her dude was leaving, and I’d plan to pick her up as soon as I could. She’d stay with me for two weeks, then she’d go back home for a week before she returned. She said it was because she didn't want to wear out her welcome. I told her that wasn't even possible, but I let her do it however she felt most comfortable. Either way, I enjoyed her company. The arrangement wasn't the most ideal of situations, but I just couldn't shake the fact that shit was just better when she was around. 
“Um hmm. You by yourself?”
“Yeah. He just went to the store.”
“Ok. So, what you up to?” I asked, referencing my earlier question. 
“Sitting in this house looking ugly,” she said, giggling at her own lie. “I been missin’ you, too.”
“When I’ma see you then?”
“He leaves in the morning.”
I can't lie, I always looked forward to this news. My grin was so wide I wouldn't be surprised if shorty could hear it through the phone. “Yeah? Well, I can come through tomorrow. Or you wanna wait a little bit?”
“Wait for what?”
“I mean, I was just checking. It's whatever you wanna do.”
After a slight pause, she smacked her lips and laughed, catching that this was just my way of getting her back for trying to hang up on me a second ago. “You are not funny.”
“So, you want me to come tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow, O. Definitely tomorrow.”
I chuckled, hearing her try to speak through her giggles. “I'm messing with you. You know I'ma be there.”
“Um hmm. What time?”
“What time you gon' be ready?”
“Around eight-thirty or nine.”
“I’ll come at nine.”
“Yeah, that’ll be perfect. I can't wait to see you.”
“Me either. It's been a while.”
“It has. I miss your face.”
“Yeah?”
“Um hmm.”
“What you miss about it?”
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For some reason, I started to blush instantly. I sat back, twirling a piece of my hair, snickering into the phone. “Anyway.”
I heard him laugh a little. “You are a trip. It’s good to hear your voice, though.”
“Yeah.” I just wished that he and Cam were more alike. Or that they could switch places, or something. O was just everything, the same way I knew that Cameron could be. But, somewhere along the way, I guess he had forgotten how to show it. “…Oh, yeah, I dreamed about you last night. We were dead ass flying.”
“What was this one about?”
I almost always shared my dreams of him with him. Only because they had all been mostly innocent. Up until last night. If I would've been thinking, I wouldn't have even mentioned it. Now I had to tell him. But no way was I about to tell him everything. “You came here, left with me, and we didn't come back,” I half lied.
“Hmmm.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, you know what I told you.”
“Yes,” I smiled. “I know.”
“Um hmm. Ain’t nothing changed. Whenever you’re ready.”
I bit my bottom lip, so taken by his words that I couldn't even say anything. Omari had always been honest with me. From the beginning I knew that our friendship was important to him, but I also knew that his interest in me went much deeper. I really didn't know what to do with that.  
“So, what we doing tomorrow?” He continued.
“I'm just happy to be getting away for a while.”
“You say that every time I ask you what you wanna do.”
I smacked my lips at him. He was already fully aware that I was the most indecisive person on the planet. “But it's the truth. I would come over there right now if I could,” I confessed.
“I can be there in like twenty minutes.”
“Omari, no,” I laughed. He was a mess and then some. Knowing he lived more than twenty minutes away. 
“You always giggling. Goofy self.”
We talked for about forty-five more minutes until Cam got back home. I was already downstairs in the kitchen, so I could easily hear when he pulled into the garage. Though I was nowhere near ready, I told Omari I had to go and hurried to erase all evidence of our interaction. First his number from my phone, then the smile from my face. Right before Cam walked in with takeout from King Spring, my favorite Chinese spot.
“I got Chinese. I thought maybe you would like that better than cooking.”
Barely even looking his way, I responded with a weak grin. Only because I really didn't feel like cooking. Especially not for him. “Yeah, thanks,” I mumbled, unimpressed. He sat the bag up on the counter and passed me the carryout box from the top, along with a handful of duck sauce. 
“You're welcome.”
We washed our hands and he took a seat beside me up at the island as I began to squeeze packet after packet of duck sauce onto my combination fried rice. I wasn't stuntin' his ass, but I was past ready for the food he was failing to bait me with. 
“Um... can we talk?” he had the nerve to ask.
“Cameron, seriously?”
“What?”
“You know what.” I stopped, focused on stirring my rice. “...I really don't have anything to say to you.” I started to eat, quickly forgetting that I had been punched in the jaw just a little over a day and a half ago. “Aaah,” I winced, grabbing my face. For some reason, he reached up and placed his hand to mine.
“I'm sorry.”
I dropped my arm down into my lap, mainly because I wanted him off of me. Why he felt the need to touch me at the moment, I had no idea. “Yeah, I know. You told me,” I replied, wondering if he could sense my mild sarcasm. I replaced the food that had fallen from my fork, this time being a lot more careful not to aggravate my injury as I ate.
“You still mad at me?”
Once again, my attempt to satisfy my hunger was cut short. I slowly turned to look at him and slumped my head in disbelief. He couldn't be serious. “Look at me, Cameron. Look at me. Do you see this?” I asked, holding my hair back to make sure he could get a clear view of my face and neck. “This is you. I didn't do this.”
“But, baby, I apologized for that. I'm sorry.”
He was serious indeed. So much so that I lost my damn appetite. I turned away with a frustrated sigh, allowing my fork to fall from my hand. “Cam... can we please just let it go?” 
I did not have the energy for this shit. No matter how hard I tried, I could never make him understand that his ‘sorrys’ didn't reverse my pain. They didn't take away my scars. They didn't erase all of the bad memories or make me feel more comfortable in my own home. But, still, they were all I ever got from him. And, quite honestly, I was sick of being lied to. Because, if he were ever really sorry, he wouldn't have to repeat it over and over. Because he wouldn't keep doing this shit to me.
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“So, that's it? You don't wanna talk to me?”
“I don't. I don't wanna talk to you about anything right now.”
“...Aight ...ok.” I decided to just leave her alone and let her eat. I went back to my plate as well, but then I realized she wasn't eating with me. “You don't want the food either?”
“I'm not hungry.”
I sighed and looked away for a second, more upset with myself than anything. I had overreacted. She said she didn't call me someone else's name, maybe she didn't. I don't know. It’s like, when it came to her, I could turn into something so ruthless. I just loved her so much. And I’d never had to doubt her love for me. After twenty-seven years of life, I hadn't come across anyone like her. She had stuck with me through everything, given me her love, sacrificed herself and her own happiness for me. Somebody who didn't even deserve it. But I could sense her starting to get tired early on. That's when I knew I had to make moves. We needed to get far away from Atlanta. I had to become all she had. It was the only way she would stay. And God knows I didn't wanna lose her. But I wasn't treating her the way a man should. At some point, she had become like a possession to me. Maybe it was because she was untouched before me, but I just felt like she was mine. And the thought alone of another taking my place was enough to push me over the edge. I had no idea what I would, or wouldn't, do if the shit actually happened and that scared me. I don't even know if it was in me to restrain myself anymore. 
One thing I knew for sure, I was a different guy when we first started. It was never my plan to turn into this horrible person. In fact, my goal was the opposite. I wanted to be good to her; the way she was to me. I didn't want to use my hands to cause her body harm. It wasn't my intent to employ my voice in a way that would make her feel unsafe or less than the amazing woman she was. But the ability to control those impulses was something I had long lost. All the shit she was working with could drive the soundest mind mad. She was damn near perfect. Which was why I didn't understand myself in the least. Most people would kill for what I had, and I couldn't even handle it.
“Baby, I can't leave here tomorrow with us like this.” She looked over at me, her face void of any expression. “What I gotta do?”
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Not a single solution came to mind and I had grown tired of him trying to force me to talk to him, so I got up and put my food into the microwave. I quietly left the kitchen and made my way upstairs to lie down in the bed I had been banished from and then reinvited to on many occasions. I fought so hard not to cry, but I did not win. Tears ran from my eyes like faucets as I hugged my pillow, wondering if he knew the depth of the pain he was causing me; if he even cared.
After a few short minutes, I felt his side of the bed sink behind me. I knew he would end up there. He always followed me around like a puppy when he'd done wrong. Which was the opposite of what I wanted him to do. But it always got him the result I guess he was looking for...
Once he was done fucking my brains out, I had to coax myself into not throwing up. I felt disgusting. Still, I had to make it seem as if everything was ok. Because, to him, it was.
There were many things that had changed about Cam over the years, but one that had remained the same was his ability to appease me sexually. I didn't like to admit it, but the way he used his body made me absolutely stupid. And, in knowing this, he often took advantage.
“I love you. So much,” he claimed, out of breath.
I smiled up at him, playing along with this sick game. “I love you.”
 Hours Later
We were still laid up; facing one another, legs tangled, and wrapped in each other's arms. His eyes hadn't left me once, and neither had his hand left my face. His caresses were endless and so were his kisses. When his lips weren't pressed against me, they were in my ear reciting countless I love you's. The guilt had him laying it on extra thick.
This was usually the time where I'd begin to exact my sort of revenge. For about the next week or so, I could get anything I wanted out of him. I had attained my phone, laptop, and use of one of the cars from time to time this very way. But, with this particular instance, I wasn't even interested in gaining anything. His leaving was enough for me.
“I don't wanna let you go,” he whispered, before kissing my lips for about the hundredth time.
“You better go pack.”
“Shit, I don't even have to leave tomorrow.”
I almost frowned, but, luckily, I caught myself. He did not need to start with that shit. No way was I about to agree with him. “...I think you should,” I somehow mustered up the courage to say. He didn't reply, but the slight confusion all over his expression was enough. “Baby, it's your job. You need to go.”
“I wasn't serious. I just wish I didn't have to leave right now, you know?”
“Yeah.” I reached and put my arm up around his neck, giving him yet another kiss. A grin spread across my face after, but he didn't seem so thrilled anymore. “It’s gonna be ok, baby. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
About another hour later, he finally left the bed and started to get his things ready. Needless to say, I was elated and it definitely showed. I didn't even bother trying to hide it. I was nothing but smiles and giggles, and this nigga had the nerve to believe it was because of him. Seriously? How could he possibly think that he had anything to do with my newfound joy? Anything!
“It's good to see you smile again,” he told me, smiling himself. I didn't say a word. I just smiled wider, and way goofier, which only made us both laugh. “Silly girl.”
It was almost funny how clueless he was. He would probably lose whatever morals, religion, and sanity he had left if he knew I had found so much comfort in another man. Especially one who was without a doubt more attractive than him. But that was a risk I was willing to take. O was worth it.
“You not gon' help me, though?” he asked, fake pouting, trying to persuade me. I usually did help, but tonight I was exhausted. Plus, I didn't wanna help.
“I'm tired, boo.” Just as I finished speaking, a perfectly timed yawn followed. “See?”
“Damn. I probably should've done this before, huh?”
“Maybe,” I giggled, “but it's too late now.”
He laughed to himself and continued to fill his luggage as I rolled over, not worried about him or his clothes. Only one person was on my mind, and my longing would be cured in just a few hours.
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buck-nialled · 4 years
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Could you please write an imagine where the reader is dairy sensitive, but one day she eats a lot of dairy and decides to sleep in the guest room to not bother Niall while she’s gassy, but neither of them can really sleep bc they miss the other and then it’s just super fluffy the next morning? You don’t have to if you don’t want, I’ve been enjoying your writing!
here we go again!
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Tradition - N. Horan Imagine
As you splayed your aching body down atop the guest bed, you could net help but ponder all of your past relationships and compare them to where you were now. At this moment in time, no partner you once knew came close to Niall and how he understood you. One of your first serious relationships had the tradition of questioning your self-diagnosis of lactose intolerance. It was inquired so often he almost sang it like a song after each shopping trip, every dessert, and all of the pills you carried with you just in case. The relationship that followed consisted of one major issue: listening. Particularly, the lack of it when you had mentioned your dairy allergy to the man. It was safe to say the affair between the both of you was short-lived.
But Niall, he was a gold star when it came to your issues. Even before you two took the big step of sharing a home, he always made sure to have your favorite dairy-free foods and snacks on-hand at his place. No questions about your diagnosis were asked whenever it was mentioned. And the day you called him asking for what you deemed to be the “biggest favor”, he barely saw picking up Lactaid as going out of his way.
He was especially understanding when cravings would strike for various things like iced coffee or a milkshake. Today was one of those days when the two of you shared an early dinner at a New York-inspired restaurant, whose cheesecake just looked too delectable on their menu. Neither you nor Niall had remembered for you to take your pill beforehand, which was a rare case. Normally, it was at the front of your mind at times like these, but you were desperately craving the velvety smooth dish, and your hand longed to stay in Niall’s all night, you were certain your subconscious had pushed the routine manner away.
Your mistake hit you like an epiphany two minutes into the ten-minute drive to the house. It came in a form of your stomach painfully contacting and a small whimper as your hand squeezed Niall’s free one on the compartment between the two of you. The meek sounds that kept leaving your lips in between pants caused Niall’s eyes to flick over to you in worry, and he was already predicting the cause.
“You alright, petal?” His hand sent an assuring squeeze back as he sped up the car. You kept your lips pressed tightly together, and bit down so hard on your teeth you had prepared for them to shatter from the pressure.
“I forgot…” you began, struggling to speak as another painful churn within you came to its peak. “I forgot…” you try again, only to let a strangled cry leave you a few seconds after. Niall squeezed your hand once more, taking a turn down a road that he knew would lead the two to their house faster.
“It’s alright, love. I understand, just breath.” If this was anything like labor, you could safely say you were adopting.
The drive that Niall managed to cut down to nearly six minutes felt like twenty to your body, scrunched up in the passenger seat in your attempt to find a comfortable position midway through the drive. Upon parking, you did not wait for Niall to even take the key from the ignition before you were bustling to your front door and digging through your bag for your pair of keys. You jiggled the key furiously into the doorknob before a familiar click sounded. You completely abandoned the open door, key still hanging in the lock as you raced to the guest bathroom, locking the door behind you.
Your cheeks were flushed with embarrassment at the situation you had stupidly put yourself in the middle of. Even though it has been years that you and Niall have been together, he had only caught you in this scenario once, at the very start of you dating, where you politely requested Niall to leave your apartment when the sickness had overcome you. The next morning, he had come by with your favorite flowers and candy (obviously, dairy-free) with a wide smile. Though he took it all well and without qualms, you think it was because he was not there to witness your malaise in its prime, unlike now.
Around ten minutes had passed with your figure sat on the toilet in a less-than-comfortable endeavor, when a knock on the other side of the door sounded. You almost disregarded it over the various whimpers and moans you let float around freely in all of your pain. Had it been anybody but Niall, you would have gladly ignored it. But instead, you let out a stifled “yes?”
“Hey, petal. I left some comfier clothes and water on the bed for you, whenever you’re ready to come out.” Above your suffering abdomen, you could feel your heart flutter for the man stood just outside the door. He truly cared too much for you, sometimes. But you would never let a complaint come from it.
“Thank you, Niall. Would you mind if I…if I stayed in the guest room tonight?”
“Not at all, love. Just as long as you’ll be here in the morning.” Niall jests, earning a small scoff from you.
“Trust me, I’m not going anywhere.”
True to your word, you had only made the small distance that was the guest bathroom into the connected bedroom. And true to Niall’s word, sat atop the comforter was a pair of his boxers and a tee-shirt of his, along with a pair of your favorite fuzzy socks. Near the pile of clothes sat a bottle, filled to the brim with chilled water that was practically orgasmic as you let it trickle down your throat. During your small change out of your jeans and dressy shirt, your eyes took the sight of the lingerie that sadly, would not be of use tonight. But soon, your frown curled upwards to a devious smirk when you grabbed your phone and snapped a couple of photos of yourself adorned in the blue lace.
After changing fully into Niall’s clothes and the socks, you curled beneath the comforter as the milder cramps rolled through. You and Niall had been particularly frustrated lately that neither of you could find an acceptable time to be intimate. Both of your schedules for work were practically inverted, making the time to see one another incredibly limited for both of you. The two of you had to request this date off from work three weeks prior to its happening, and both of you were eager in the days leading up to it. It goes without saying, but the flame within you burnt out the moment Niall was pulling away from the restaurant tonight, but something within you clued that the heat within Niall was still alive and growing.
You looked to find your purse on the bedside table, and fished your phone out of it, pulling up your messages with Niall.
Y/N: sorry the night ended differently than planned :,(
Ni <3: don’t be sorry love, it was neither of our faults. We were both too caught up with dinner to remember
Y/N: that cheesecake was really good
Ni <3: worth getting sick over?
Y/N: totally, but I know we were both anticipating something different. and I don’t want the night to end without pleasing you in someway
Ni <3: what are you getting at love?
Rather than answering his question, you sent him the string of photos taken only a few minutes earlier. As soon as the small “Delivered” appeared on your end, you hear Niall bellow from the other end of the house. “HOLY SHIT, I LOVE YOU!” All you could do was giggle and tap furiously at your phone’s keyboard as a reply.
Y/N: love you too, babe. Have fun ;)
By the next morning, you were exhausted. You figured after purging all of the diary from your system possible the night before, that sleep would come easy. But it was quite the opposite, and the fact was that there was no comforter and memory foam mattress combination that could lull you to sleep like Niall’s strong embrace could. A few hours of tossing and turning in your sleep resulted in a complete awakening in the early hours of the morning, before another forty-five minutes of sleep swept you in its arms once again. You woke up once more after the sound of your front door opening and glanced at your phone sat on the bedside table. The clock read nine in the morning, and you figured Niall had returned from an early morning run due to a lack of sleep also.
You sat up and stretched your arms out, feeling a strange feeling of fatigued refreshment from last night. Slowly, you stumbled down the hall in a tired, needy stupor into the kitchen. Niall had just finished setting the clear vase down in the middle of the kitchen island. It held tap water and a bunch of your favorite flowers. Beside it, a mountain of snacks and candy. But your eyes weren’t lingering on them for long and rather, moved to Niall’s blue eyes crowded with joy at your figure drowned in his clothes. It felt like your body could not be pressed against his tight enough when your arms locked around one another, and his nose rested against the top of your head, taking in the familiar scent of your shampoo.
“What’s all this for?” You lift your head to meet his gaze once more but remain tight in his hold. He simply shrugs and gives a small smirk.
“Gotta keep up the tradition.”
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iknowff · 3 years
Text
. three : talkative
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I had been blessed with a very rare situation. Cam hadn’t left for work, yet I was home alone. He always requested that I cook the day before his flight, but, today, we didn't have all of the necessary ingredients for whatever he was asking for. I didn't care enough to remember what he wanted and, since my jaw was still a little puffy and a few marks remained around my neck, he was also forced to make the grocery store run on his own. After he had been gone for a solid ten minutes, I saw my opportunity. I hadn't actually spoken to O in ages, so I decided to call him up while I had the chance.
“Awww, man,” he answered, in a groggy tone. The deep, sexy ‘morning’ voice was in full effect. “Look at the Lord working on this fine Sunday--what time is it?--afternoon.”
“You know what?”
The comforting melody of his laughter fell into my ear. I had been craving it for the longest. “What’s up, pooh?” 
“Hey, my boo boo boo boo bear,” I half mumbled, employing a voice usually reserved only for babies. He laughed again, this time I joined him. 
“Yo, I miss you.”
“I’m saying. I wanted to hear your voice.”
“Yeah, I almost forgot what you sound like.”
“Anyway,” I giggled. “You actually sound like you were sleeping. Did I wake you?”
“You most definitely did.”
“I'm sorry.”
“It’s all good, I ain't trippin’. What you up to?”
“You sure? ‘Cause I can let you go back to sleep and just talk to you later.”
“You about to hang up on me or something?”
“No, I'm not hanging up on you,” I barely replied, laughing way too hard. It even hurt my jaw a little. “I'm just trying to make sure you good.”
“Why wouldn't I be good?” 
The silliest smile found its way onto my face. I was so glad he couldn't see me. “Ok, I’m done.”
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 When I saw her name pop up on my screen, I knew she was alone. This would’ve been a text conversation for sure. The only time we really got to talk was when she was here. Which was spaced out, but still pretty often. Her first visit was my suggestion. She sounded like she needed to get away, so I offered up my place. Understandably, she was reluctant, but decided to come a week or so after the initial invitation. We had been knowing each other for about six months then, and I felt cool enough to share my space with her. When she got here, all she wanted to do was stay inside. I didn't press her, because I was sure there was some fear involved, but I did eventually convince her to hit the streets with me. Ever since, her getaways became customary. She would hit me the day before her dude was leaving, and I’d plan to pick her up as soon as I could. She’d stay with me for two weeks, then she’d go back home for a week before she returned. She said it was because she didn't want to wear out her welcome. I told her that wasn't even possible, but I let her do it however she felt most comfortable. Either way, I enjoyed her company. The arrangement wasn't the most ideal of situations, but I just couldn't shake the fact that shit was just better when she was around. 
“Um hmm. You by yourself?”
“Yeah. He just went to the store.”
“Ok. So, what you up to?” I asked, referencing my earlier question. 
“Sitting in this house looking ugly,” she said, giggling at her own lie. “I been missin’ you, too.” 
“When I’ma see you then?”
“He leaves in the morning.” 
I can't lie, I always looked forward to this news. My grin was so wide I wouldn't be surprised if shorty could hear it through the phone. “Yeah? Well, I can come through tomorrow. Or you wanna wait a little bit?”
“Wait for what?” 
“I mean, I was just checking. It's whatever you wanna do.”
After a slight pause, she smacked her lips and laughed, catching that this was just my way of getting her back for trying to hang up on me a second ago. “You are not funny.”
“So, you want me to come tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow, O. Definitely tomorrow.” 
I chuckled, hearing her try to speak through her giggles. “I'm messing with you. You know I'ma be there.”
“Um hmm. What time?”
“What time you gon' be ready?”
“Around eight-thirty or nine.”
“I’ll come at nine.”
“Yeah, that’ll be perfect. I can't wait to see you.”
 “Me either. It's been a while.”
“It has. I miss your face.”
 “Yeah?”
 “Um hmm.”
“What you miss about it?”
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 For some reason, I started to blush instantly. I sat back, twirling a piece of my hair, snickering into the phone. “Anyway.”
I heard him laugh a little. “You are a trip. It’s good to hear your voice, though.”
“Yeah.” I just wished that he and Cam were more alike. Or that they could switch places, or something. O was just everything, the same way I knew that Cameron could be. But, somewhere along the way, I guess he had forgotten how to show it. “…Oh, yeah, I dreamed about you last night. We were dead ass flying.” 
“What was this one about?”
I almost always shared my dreams of him with him. Only because they had all been mostly innocent. Up until last night. If I would've been thinking, I wouldn't have even mentioned it. Now I had to tell him. But no way was I about to tell him everything. “You came here, left with me, and we didn't come back,” I half lied.
“Hmmm.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, you know what I told you.”
“Yes,” I smiled. “I know.”
“Um hmm. Ain’t nothing changed. Whenever you’re ready.”
I bit my bottom lip, so taken by his words that I couldn't even say anything. Omari had always been honest with me. From the beginning I knew that our friendship was important to him, but I also knew that his interest in me went much deeper. I really didn't know what to do with that.
“So, what we doing tomorrow?” He continued.
“I'm just happy to be getting away for a while.”
“You say that every time I ask you what you wanna do.”
I smacked my lips at him. He was already fully aware that I was the most indecisive person on the planet. “But it's the truth. I would come over there right now if I could,” I confessed.
“I can be there in like twenty minutes.”
“Omari, no,” I laughed. He was a mess and then some. Knowing he lived more than twenty minutes away. 
“You always giggling. Goofy self.”
We talked for about forty-five more minutes until Cam got back home. I was already downstairs in the kitchen, so I could easily hear when he pulled into the garage. Though I was nowhere near ready, I told Omari I had to go and hurried to erase all evidence of our interaction. First his number from my phone, then the smile from my face. Right before Cam walked in with takeout from King Spring, my favorite Chinese spot.
“I got Chinese. I thought maybe you would like that better than cooking.”
Barely even looking his way, I responded with a weak grin. Only because I really didn't feel like cooking. Especially not for him. “Yeah, thanks,” I mumbled, unimpressed. He sat the bag up on the counter and passed me the carryout box from the top, along with a handful of duck sauce. 
“You're welcome.”
We washed our hands and he took a seat beside me up at the island as I began to squeeze packet after packet of duck sauce onto my combination fried rice. I wasn't stuntin' his ass, but I was past ready for the food he was failing to bait me with. 
“Um... can we talk?” he had the nerve to ask.
“Cameron, seriously?”
 “What?”
“You know what.” I stopped, focused on stirring my rice. “...I really don't have anything to say to you.” I started to eat, quickly forgetting that I had been punched in the jaw just a little over a day and a half ago. “Aaah,” I winced, grabbing my face. For some reason, he reached up and placed his hand to mine.
“I'm sorry.”
I dropped my arm down into my lap, mainly because I wanted him off of me. Why he felt the need to touch me at the moment, I had no idea. “Yeah, I know. You told me,” I replied, wondering if he could sense my mild sarcasm. I replaced the food that had fallen from my fork, this time being a lot more careful not to aggravate my injury as I ate.
“You still mad at me?”
Once again, my attempt to satisfy my hunger was cut short. I slowly turned to look at him and slumped my head in disbelief. He couldn't be serious. “Look at me, Cameron. Look at me. Do you see this?” I asked, holding my hair back to make sure he could get a clear view of my face and neck. “This is you. I didn't do this.”
“But, baby, I apologized for that. I'm sorry.”
He was serious indeed. So much so that I lost my damn appetite. I turned away with a frustrated sigh, allowing my fork to fall from my hand. “Cam... can we please just let it go?” 
I did not have the energy for this shit. No matter how hard I tried, I could never make him understand that his ‘sorrys’ didn't reverse my pain. They didn't take away my scars. They didn't erase all of the bad memories or make me feel more comfortable in my own home. But, still, they were all I ever got from him. And, quite honestly, I was sick of being lied to. Because, if he were ever really sorry, he wouldn't have to repeat it over and over. Because he wouldn't keep doing this shit to me. 
“So, that's it? You don't wanna talk to me?”
“I don't. I don't wanna talk to you about anything right now.”
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 “...Aight ...ok.” I decided to just leave her alone and let her eat. I went back to my plate as well, but then I realized she wasn't eating with me. “You don't want the food either?”
“I'm not hungry.”
 I sighed and looked away for a second, more upset with myself than anything. I had overreacted. She said she didn't call me someone else's name, maybe she didn't. I don't know. It’s like, when it came to her, I could turn into something so ruthless. I just loved her so much. And I’d never had to doubt her love for me. After twenty-seven years of life, I hadn't come across anyone like her. She had stuck with me through everything, given me her love, sacrificed herself and her own happiness for me. Somebody who didn't even deserve it. But I could sense her starting to get tired early on. That's when I knew I had to make moves. We needed to get far away from Atlanta. I had to become all she had. It was the only way she would stay. And God knows I didn't wanna lose her. But I wasn't treating her the way a man should. At some point, she had become like a possession to me. Maybe it was because she was untouched before me, but I just felt like she was mine. And the thought alone of another taking my place was enough to push me over the edge. I had no idea what I would, or wouldn't, do if the shit actually happened and that scared me. I don't even know if it was in me to restrain myself anymore. 
One thing I knew for sure, I was a different guy when we first started. It was never my plan to turn into this horrible person. In fact, my goal was the opposite. I wanted to be good to her; the way she was to me. I didn't want to use my hands to cause her body harm. It wasn't my intent to employ my voice in a way that would make her feel unsafe or less than the amazing woman she was. But the ability to control those impulses was something I had long lost. All the shit she was working with could drive the soundest mind mad. She was damn near perfect. Which was why I didn't understand myself in the least. Most people would kill for what I had, and I couldn't even handle it.
“Baby, I can't leave here tomorrow with us like this.” She looked over at me, her face void of any expression. “What I gotta do?”
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  Not a single solution came to mind and I had grown tired of him trying to force me to talk to him, so I got up and put my food into the microwave. I quietly left the kitchen and made my way upstairs to lie down in the bed I had been banished from and then reinvited to on many occasions. I fought so hard not to cry, but I did not win. Tears ran from my eyes like faucets as I hugged my pillow, wondering if he knew the depth of the pain he was causing me; if he even cared.
After a few short minutes, I felt his side of the bed sink behind me. I knew he would end up there. He always followed me around like a puppy when he'd done wrong. Which was the opposite of what I wanted him to do. But it always got him the result I guess he was looking for…
Once he was done fucking my brains out, I had to coax myself into not throwing up. I felt disgusting. Still, I had to make it seem as if everything was ok. Because, to him, it was.
There were many things that had changed about Cam over the years, but one that had remained the same was his ability to appease me sexually. I didn't like to admit it, but the way he used his body made me absolutely stupid. And, in knowing this, he often took advantage.
“I love you. So much,” he claimed, out of breath.
I smiled up at him, playing along with this sick game. “I love you.”
 Hours Later
We were still laid up; facing one another, legs tangled, and wrapped in each other's arms. His eyes hadn't left me once, and neither had his hand left my face. His caresses were endless and so were his kisses. When his lips weren't pressed against me, they were in my ear reciting countless I love you's. The guilt had him laying it on extra thick.
This was usually the time where I'd begin to exact my sort of revenge. For about the next week or so, I could get anything I wanted out of him. I had attained my phone, laptop, and use of one of the cars from time to time this very way. But, with this particular instance, I wasn't even interested in gaining anything. His leaving was enough for me.
“I don't wanna let you go,” he whispered, before kissing my lips for about the hundredth time. 
“You better go pack.”
“Shit, I don't even have to leave tomorrow.”
I almost frowned, but, luckily, I caught myself. He did not need to start with that shit. No way was I about to agree with him. “...I think you should,” I somehow mustered up the courage to say. He didn't reply, but the slight confusion all over his expression was enough. “Baby, it's your job. You need to go.”
“I wasn't serious. I just wish I didn't have to leave right now, you know?”
“Yeah.” I reached and put my arm up around his neck, giving him yet another kiss. A grin spread across my face after, but he didn't seem so thrilled anymore. “It’s gonna be ok, baby. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
About another hour later, he finally left the bed and started to get his things ready. Needless to say, I was elated and it definitely showed. I didn't even bother trying to hide it. I was nothing but smiles and giggles, and this nigga had the nerve to believe it was because of him. Seriously? How could he possibly think that he had anything to do with my newfound joy? Anything!
 “It's good to see you smile again,” he told me, smiling himself. I didn't say a word. I just smiled wider, and way goofier, which only made us both laugh. “Silly girl.”
 It was almost funny how clueless he was. He would probably lose whatever morals, religion, and sanity he had left if he knew I had found so much comfort in another man. Especially one who was without a doubt more attractive than him. But that was a risk I was willing to take. O was worth it.
“You not gon' help me, though?” he asked, fake pouting, trying to persuade me. I usually did help, but tonight I was exhausted. Plus, I didn't wanna help.
 “I'm tired, boo.” Just as I finished speaking, a perfectly timed yawn followed. “See?”
 “Damn. I probably should've done this before, huh?”
 “Maybe,” I giggled, “but it's too late now.”
He laughed to himself and continued to fill his luggage as I rolled over, not worried about him or his clothes. Only one person was on my mind, and my longing would be cured in just a few hours
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scatcatz · 6 years
Text
Affection by Decimals
Chapter 2 - Fuzzy Paws and Fuzzy Thoughts
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Summary: Doing something nice for Connor. Lots of fluff.
"So, was the aquarium what you hoped it would be?" Connor asked as he tried flipping the stamped coin they got from the machine commemorating their visit.
"Yeah, it was beautiful. They changed it dramatically since I was last here but I'm glad they still have the piranha tank. They are terrifying little critters."
"They are ‘opportunistic carnivores’."
"Think you could swim across a river before they could eat you?" He was never tired of her bizarre hypothetical questions.
"Yes, for multiple reasons. First, they don’t attack large animals unless provoked. Second, my blood wouldn’t trigger a feeding frenzy like yours would. Third, their teeth wouldn't be able to penetrate past my hard shell. I would survive. What you should really be asking about is the electric eel. I wouldn't come back from that the same person." 
She made a audible disgusted noise. He placed his new coin in his coat as they got into the taxi. She set up a destination he wasn't familiar with and then sat along side him.
"Are we stopping somewhere to eat?" It was about that time she would begin to crave food.
"Sort of. I have a surprise for you." Her bright smile bordered on playful. "Turn off your GPS. I don't want you spoiling it for yourself." She was lightly bouncing in her seat which got him extremely curious.
"That’s fine, I can still figure it out."
"No! Let it be a surprise! You're not solving crimes tonight just enjoy it."
"Most stores will be closed at this time during the weekend..."
"Hey!" Her finger pointed at him but he didn't care.
"You mentioned food and the block we are going to had a strip of restaurants."
"Connor, I wanted to do something special for you since you're always taking me to places I like." The android was on a mission now. His brain processed thousands of possibilities and it was exciting to challenge his abilities in a low stress environment. He could figure it out given enough time. He had seven minutes to pin a location.
"Connor, how many teeth do piranhas have?" Connor tilted his head. He felt inclined to respond.
Data load paused... New request loaded.
"Depending on species, around 25 teeth." She hummed back nodding her head.
Processing area data...
"Well, some of them are vegetarian. Do they have teeth too?" He noticed her trying to hide a smile again.
Data processing paused... New request loaded.
"Yes."
Filtering current availability of stores...
"How strong is their bite?" Three times is a pattern.
"You're not going stop me from deducing where we’re going." But he really couldn't leave her question unresolved even if it was a passing interest.
Filter paused... New request loaded.
"A two and a half pound fish delivered a bite with a force of 320 newtons, or about 72 pounds." A trill of giggles was her response. Her default response for many interactions.
Resuming filter...  Filter paused.
Oh. A stimulus sensor diverted his attention. Her hand was squeezing his knee but she was too swept up in laughing to notice the contact. It slipped off him and gripped the edge of the seat. Once she simmered down, she leaned toward him.
"You're so sweet for indulging in my inane questions." He grew accustomed to her bubbly nature. It was never a burden but rather a refreshing contrast to his stressful work day. This was partly why he enjoyed going everywhere with her. That and she was very open to his blunt comments and suggestions. She also gave excellent feedback for the social cues he failed to notice. 
He didn’t expect having a life outside of work would still contribute to his overall effectiveness. He could honestly believe he was enjoying his downtime instead of dreading them.
He didn't have any response for her so he settled for a simple nod and a faint smile. She turned back to him.
"We both know you will discover where we're going before we even reach the street but I'm not asking you to figure it out. I want to see your face when we get there. When was the last time you were pleasantly surprised?"
In a pleasant way? Once. "One time, Hank hugged me. I'm still not used to physical or emotional affection, so it surprised me a little but it was...pleasant." It was a light tingly kind of feeling. Most likely fondness. Was that really the only memory he could recall? He must have some more logged in his brain. 
He snapped back to attention when he felt her hand again placed on the same knee but this time she was consciously allowing it. Soft. Deliberate.
"This just made our trip way more interesting then." She teased.
"Why?"
"It's a surprise." He told her everything he knew yet she would withhold information from him? He was starting to resent surprises.
"Be careful while walking on the curb. There is a high chance of--"
"Fu-ah!" The snow slid under her footing causing her to stumble up the ledge but fortunately he managed to stabilize her. Her gloved fingers dug into his coat as she wobbled beside him.
"Thank you. Almost bit the dust there." She was doing it again. These odd combination of words sounded like an error from the Broca's area of the brain.
"What dust? That's snow." She chuckled resembling the same response as if he told a joke. He had no talent in telling or understanding jokes but seeing her entertained tickled a certain part of him.
"No, no. Its a saying. Bite the dust means to die or fail. Granted I was a bit dramatic to use it there but it was for... emphasis? You know what, just pretend I didn't say that." Humans were fascinating in the sense that they were ever changing for better or for worse. There were a great deal of lexical gaps that were never addressed in his programming but he appreciated having her shed some light on his blind spots.
"I'm not sure if you are making these sayings up as you go or if they truly are common knowledge."
"I promise, it's real. There's an old song named after it and everything." Following her around the corner of the block, he found himself gravitating towards her. Whether it was for her safety or maintaining a comfortable talking space, he wasn't sure but this whole exchange was cordial. 
The dull crunch of snow under their boots. Her silent puffs of breath heating the air. He caught her peeking at him. She smiled and hid back into her scarf covering her face from him. Something about that provoked him to smile back and when she glanced, a loud laugh came from her.
"Oh my god, Connor! I can't handle you sometimes."
"What? Did I do something inappropriate?"
"You really need to practice smiling."
"Oh." He touched his face trying to manually correct them.
"Don't worry, I can help you later with that but try and raise your cheek muscles when you smile. It will look more natural or more human, I guess."
"Like this?" He stopped walking to adjust himself. She turned to inspect his expression but he became distracted for a split second. Her eyes were so pretty. He watched her pupils incrementally widen like a camera’s aperture zooming in and out of focus.
"Yeah, that already looks a lot better." He watched her face slowly reflect his like a mirror. Her smile was even prettier. He barely noticed the faint internal rush that surged through him. Waiting for an error that never appeared. Just positive feedback. 
She tilted her head when her eyes briefly watched his LED then back to his eyes. Stepping closer than the recommended distance, she leaned in towards him. Her voice too delicate for anyone walking past to hear.
"Its a shame you don't smile often because its very lovely." The pulse was stronger and stiffened in his chest as she carried on down the street. He placed a hand on his sternum and felt the irregular rhythm fade back to its normal range. Blinking a couples times, he jogged back up by her side meditating on what just happened.
"Can I ask you a personal question, Connor?"
"Go ahead."
"Why didn't you remove your LED? You don’t wear the branding on android clothes anymore. Why keep that?"
"Its a part of me. I thought about removing it a couple times when it would benefit my integration but I realized I could help show humans that androids can be trusted. That we are just like them with thoughts and feelings of our own."
"I can understand that. You're a braver person than me. I don't know if I could carry that kind of responsibility of setting an example for androids. It must be hard."
"Sometimes but every day gets a little easier and I have friends I can rely on. Perhaps one day we could be friends." She giggled again.
"I thought we were already."
"Oh, I didn't want to assume. That's nice to know actually because it took a long time to gain Hank's friendship. I thought the process always took months."
"Its hard not to like you, Connor." Her words stirred in his chest again. Best not to let it distract him. He'll run a diagnostic later.
"I aspire to being amicable. It could just be remnants of instructions from my programming but it is often rewarding."
"“You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” When were flies ever discussed in this whole conversation? Connor stared for a long time at her like something was broken inside of her.
"Oh, sorry. I do that a lot, huh? I mean it's easier to persuade people by being nice than by threatening them."
"Of course." He stated.
"Yeah, I guess that was a dumb one. Everyone should know that by now." Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks and he had to turn back to her.
"Oh shit, Connor. We past it."
"Hmm? Oh."
"I can't believe I just walked right past it. Uggh. How embarrassing." She hit her head which he disapproved of and then they turned 180 degrees around.
"I should've just let you figure out where we were going. Save myself this humiliating trip back."
"It's not so bad. I learned two new phrases."
"Thanks for putting up with my blunders."
"Its alright. You are very hard on yourself but I don't understand why. It was an honest mistake."
"You wouldn't have forgotten."
"I also don't have your ability to correlate vastly different ideas. I might not have ever thought to come here at all." He hoped it brought her some comfort being honest about his own shortcomings. Her hint of a smile told him it did.
"Here it is!" She opened her arms as if she was presenting the building to him as a gift.
'Cooper's cafe'. The signs were decorated with animal prints and images of dogs. A dog themed cafe? He followed her in as she talked to the cashier. He scanned the tables and chairs that were covered in dog hairs. That was not up to sanitary regulations. Bringing along a purchased cup of coffee, she escorted him over to the joined room where he heard the surprise. 
She held her hand on the door handle for a few seconds looking back to him excitedly. She opened it and there was a pen filled with various tiny and medium size dogs.  
He paused for a moment processing just how many adorable dogs there were. He had never seen so many in one setting and all he could think about was petting every one of them. Ever since he became deviant, certain aspects of his life before were amplified. He didn’t just like dogs. He really liked dogs. She set her cup down on the table and pulled him into the room.
"Come on. Don't just stand there!"  
"Whose dogs are these? Are we allowed to interact with them?"
"Connor, you can play with all the dogs here."
"All of them?" There were no words to describe how ecstatic and frantic he was.
"All. of. them." He quickly flung his coat and outerwear and then opened the pen to let himself in. A wave of dogs gathered around his legs barking their excitement at him. How could he focus on one? There were simply too many, moving too fast, with their overly endearing faces to even begin anywhere.
"The coffee shop here helps these dogs find new homes by letting customers play with them." She explained. 
“Time to dive in.” She slowly lowered onto her knees as they jumped up to lick her face. He followed her action also surprised by the overwhelming licks, scratches and general bombardment. He held onto the one in front of him. An energetic corgi that sniffed his whole face. Sumo must have left an impression because he was not letting him go. Granted he did not need to breathe or see but it would be nice to relax his face from his intense affection.
“Haha! You okay?”  She had her own dog, a terrier mix, which was running laps around her. Turning his head to the side and up, he managed to free his mouth. 
“I’m having a great time!” Eyes still squeezed shut, he tried smiling to her but had to stop once the corgi licked his mouth. She laughed again and handed him a plastic dog toy. He threw it and when the corgi ran after it, he had a moment to recollect himself. 
“That was a bit excessive, thank you.” He sighed. He ran back to him letting him take the toy out of his mouth to throw it again. His energy remained high. Would this be an endless loop of him throwing and the little one catching? 
“Let me take a photo of you and the dog together. I want to remember this.” He picks the little guy up and holds him as he smiles. 
“Oh this is a good one. I’m keeping this if its fine with you. Check out your smile. Like a professional now.” She flips the camera to show him. 
“Would you like me to take one of you?” 
“Yeah, lets do it!” She struggled with her dog as he focused the camera. She held onto his scratching paws and quickly flashed her teeth towards the shot. He had to go with the first one unless he wanted her to undertake more abuse from the terrier. He handed it back to her when he remembered her old scar on her hand. Was this where she got the bite marks?
He was happily fluffing the corgi’s face when he heard her sharp yelp of pain. She jolted away from the dog with her hands balled up to her chest. The terrier continued playing rough, climbing onto her arms while she tried keeping him away. In two seconds, Connor grabbed the back of the dogs scruff a little too harshly causing the terrier to cry out in surprise. He quickly released him feeling guilty when he ran across the room and hid under another persons chair.
“Connor?” Her face was full of worry as she slightly shifted away from him. 
““I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He looked back to her and the dog confused. What was wrong with him today?  He never made this kind of mistake before. He rested his hand on his chest again. There it was. Fear. He knew that emotion and what it did to him. He retraced his movements in his mind. He didn’t mean to hurt the dog but the sound of her in pain lunged him into action.
“Are you oka-” Her expression was understanding until an employee walked up to her.
“Maam, I heard you across the room. Are you okay?”  People peered over after hearing the commotion. Her discomfort grew the more attention that was placed on her.
“Oh! I’m fine. He just missed the toy and nipped my hand. Nothing serious, thank you.” A lie, he detected. 
“Are you sure? We can-”
“Oh no, no. He’s a sweet dog. Its my own fault for encouraging him.” She waved him off.
“Okay, well, let me know if you need anything.” Her breath eased once he left. She tucked her injured hand into her knees before he could analyze it. After a few intakes of air and avoiding eye contact with everyone around the room, she handed Connor some treats. 
“Try feeding him. Maybe he’ll come back around.” Giving one of the treats to the corgi, he waited for the terrier to wander. He let the corgi onto his lap as he tried licking his closed hand holding the treats. 
“No, these are not all for you. Here, one more.” He placed it on the ground leading him away while the other terrier circle him. He paused then walked closer. She called out to him extending her free hand.
“Come here, boy! Come on!” Her voice cooed. Eventually the terrier gave in and started licking her hand again. 
“Oh, you’re such a good boy. See? I’ve already forgiven you, silly.”  And like that, nothing had happened in their eyes. The dog was back to bouncing around as she drowned him in praise and comforting touches. He observed how she interacted with him and tried to match her playfulness. 
“Come here!” Connor called. The dog’s head perked up and returned his attention back to her. She shrugged. 
“Try the treat.” She suggested. 
Connor held out his hand with a few of the snacks laid out on his palm. She scooted the dog towards him but to no avail so she slid over right beside Connor. She patted her leg lively but in his stead the corgi ran up and licked her cheek. 
“I know, I know. You love licking.” Holding the corgi in her lap, Connor tried luring the terrier with treats again. Slowly, he stood next to her hiding his tiny body behind her. Then extending his face closer to Connors palm, he grabbed several out of his hand and in the process dropped some on the floor which he came back for. Connor sneaked in a few strokes on his back before he scampered away. The small victory didn’t go unnoticed by her. 
“Baby steps. He’ll warm up to you, I bet.” At least the dog wasn’t afraid of him anymore. He was happy enough with that. She seemed to relax as well when she rubbed the corgi’s back eventually calming him into her lap. 
Time ran short for them and eventually they had to leave all the fluffy companions behind for another day. Oh, he was going to adopt one. There was no doubt Hank would refuse him but one look at that cute face and Hank would give in too. 
As they exited the cafe, he noticed she shoveled a piece of snow into her gloved hand and squeezed which made her face contort slightly. That’s when he remembered. She never did wash her hand from that bite. Dog bites have a high potential for infection if not addressed within eight hours of the incident. She caught up to him as he turned to her. Oblivious to his concerned attention towards her hand.
“Show me.” 
“Hmm?”
“Show me where it hurts.”
“Oh not you too. I’m fine. It didn’t even break the skin. Just stings a bit.” 
“You didn’t disinfect it. We can head back to Hank’s house and get some supplies.” He kept walking and thankfully she didn’t refuse. 
On the tranquil taxi ride over she kept to herself. Staring out the window of falling snow, she daydreamed. The passing lights blinked across her face. Her eyes were so still and barely blinked like she was lost and never coming back. 
A dip in the road jogged her back to the interior. Her tired eyes drifted across the seats and blinked when she noticed him watching her. He stared at her hand again. He wanted to ask but he already knew the answer. She noticed how much it bothered him so she reluctantly removed her glove revealing the inflamed dented marks across her fingers and an even older mark from years ago.
“I had a bad experience with a dog once when I was little. Its made me a bit jumpy since then but I still love dogs.” The fingers flexed then stiffened back. She hissed. 
Connor rolled down the window and stuck both of his hands out. 
“Connor! Its freezing outside! Why are you opening the window?” He ignored her complaints until his hands thermal reading dropped to a certain level and then he closed it shut. Not wanting to waste any time, he covered her fingers with both of his encasing the wound. 
“Oooh. That's why you... That’s really cold.” She sucked in a stream of air while she adjusted. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you.” He liked the way she said that sentence before and decided to use it as well.
“I’ve already forgiven you, silly.” She softly chuckled. Her hands were smaller than his but somehow were already warming his touch. Her eyes lifted up to his. 
“Thank you.” He squeezed her hand tighter. The coldness ebbed out of his hands as hers neutralized their temperature. Even if he could only dampen her pain for just a few moments, it was enough for her to smile sweetly back to him.
“It feels nice.” Her fingertips twitched slightly. He switched hands and pressed the last of the cold into her. And again, the bitter frost was replaced by a glowing heat that radiated from her. So soft yet so vibrant. Her digits shifted in his palm. It tickled at first but then the more he felt, the more he wanted it to happen again. 
“It does.” He felt no shame when he said it because it was true. Even when her eyes flickered up double checking his meaning, he remained still and detected the pulse in his chest fleeting. He calmed his mind and it slowed back down.
“So this is where you live, huh?”
“Yes, ever since Android Equality Day, Hank invited me to stay here. It’s the only place I call ‘home’.” He owed so much to Hank. He would have to spend a long time repaying the kindness he had showed him but he was happy to do it. Connor opened the screen door and then Sumo ran up to the edge.
“Oh my god, Connor!” She gripped his arm as she turned to face away from the entrance. “I’ve changed my mind. I think I’ll just go home.”  
“I thought you loved dogs?”
“That’s not a dog! That’s a... a bear dog!"
“Sumo is a very docile dog. He wouldn’t hurt you.”
“That’s the same thing that lady said to me before her dog bit me.” He leaned into her grip softening his voice.
“He will probably sniff you and go lie down on the couch. He’s too lazy to exert any more energy than that.” She looked up to him still unsure. Her hands slowly warmed through his clothes. There was something engaging about how she clung to him. Being needed. Not the same kind of service he spent as a machine but a more emotional even personal unspoken request. 
“Trust me.”  He placed his hand on hers slowly prying her off him. With one last exhale, she turned around.
“Okay.”
“Thank you.” He opened it and Sumo did exactly what he said. Once his curiosity was sated, he sat down next to the TV. He led her to the bathroom where she insisted on taking care of it herself which gave him some time to replace Sumo’s water bowl. 
“Thanks again for taking care of me.” She placed a cool rag on her hand as she walked into the living room. 
“You’re very welcome.” She thanked him a lot. Or perhaps people don’t typically feel inclined to thank him as much. Shyly, she revealed how the swelling had faded to a light pink. Connor didn’t realize how closely he was standing next to her until Hank opened the door and she stepped away.
“Oh, hey there. You brought a guest, Connor?”
“I sent a message 23 minutes ago informing you about her condition.” Hank pulled his phone out of his pocket.
“Huh, shit, yeah guess you did.” He shrugged. 
“Well then, make yourself at home.” He made his way over to the kitchen after setting down his coat. “Oh and um... sorry about the mess and all that.” She muttered a simple ‘thanks’ which he nodded back. 
“I should probably head back home.” 
“Would you like to stay and watch a movie? Hank has a long list that he claims are ‘classics that everyone should know.’” 
“If that’s fine with you guys. I don’t want to intrude.” 
“Have a seat.” He gestured to the sofa which she sank into the plush couch smiling slightly. 
“Hank! What movie should we watch tonight?” He scrolled down the list on the TV flashing past several cheesy action movies from the 90′s. 
“I think we left off on titles starting with B. Which one was it... Oh yeah, Blade Runner. That was it. I’ve been looking forward to showing you that one.” Hank snickered as he flopped down on the side couch. Sumo also attempted to sit with him until Hank shooed him away. Dejected, Sumo went to her and dropped right on her lap. 
“Ooof. He’s a big boy.” 
“Yeah he is. Let me know if he becomes too much. I’ll call a crane to lift him off ya.” He laughed. “So what did you kids do today?”
“We went to the aquarium and stopped by a dog cafe.” She responded showing him the picture of Connor with the dogs. Hank was immediately interested.
“Aww. Look at that little guy. I didn’t even know that place existed.” 
“I want to adopt the corgi. We have space for him and I’ll take care of him.”
“Connor, we are not putting Sumo through an older sibling crisis.” Hank noticed Connor’s confusion. “That corgi will annoy the shit out of Sumo. He’s an old man like me and doesn’t want to deal with that ball of energy all day.”
“But you seem to like Connor’s high energy.” She chuckled but Hank was not having it. He groaned and mocked laughed at them. 
“I’ll think about it okay? But right now, no.” Connor’s lips gradually lifted into a smile. There was a possibility.
 She shifted under Sumo trying to nudge him to the side but eventually gave up and stroked his fur. Yep, she wasn’t going anywhere now.
The night ended after the movie and some troubling questions arose in Connor’s mind after watching such similarities in real life but for now, he was satisfied with just being with the two people he cared about most.
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71- and what was ur fave thing about each of them? and for the us, can you do states??
71: Countries you’ve visited?
United States
PennsylvaniaI love the fact that in PA, you just can’t escape the trees. The forest is everywhere. Deal with it.
New YorkI’ve only been to New York a couple of times, and each of those times was to the Big Apple. My favorite thing about NYC I think is how no one bats an eye your way. No one asks questions, and it’s kind of great. (That’s the image I got anyway).
New JerseyNew Jersey is kind of one of those layover states for me- a place that I’m only passing through to get somewhere else. But I did have the chance to stay at my roommate’s house when we were getting ready to head to Newark to fly to London. She’s the granddaughter of some really rich dude- Her house is big enough to fit my entire village in, no lie. She took us to her local mall, and I was faced with the blooming reality that there are actually people out there that can spend $3785 on a single pair of shoes and not bat an eye. She is among those. But she also now knows how to thrift shop like a boss, and I think we really balanced each other out in that end.
MarylandI’ve only driven through Maryland, sadly. But as it stands now, my favorite part is probably that it’s the state where one of my homies lives. Oh! And the Baltimore Barnes and Noble! They had a kickass train set in their children’s section, and I spent a good portion of my afternoon there. Got a full set of Shakespeare there~
VirginiaI’ve been to Virginia once in my life, and that was for my high school senior class trip. We hit up Busch Gardens (where I rode my first upside down roller coaster ever), Virginia Beach (my first time seeing the ocean, where I decided to run as far in as physically possible while wearing jeans and all my outer layers), and Norfolk (where I and my best friend hopped aboard a wedding cruise, were mistaken as wedding guests, and basically completely avoided our classmates as we danced with the wedding party and shared stories under the stars with the bridesmaids.) For Virginia- it was the memories. Good, good memories. But mostly Busch Gardens. I love the way that park is set up; each section is based off another country. Highly recommend the pretzels in their Germany, by the way. And check out the Loch Ness Monster- it goes into a tower and- Yes. Terrifying. Love it.
United Kingdom
EnglandMy beautiful, precious England. Lived in the centre of Westminster for about six months, and I had never been happier. I did get to visit a few places outside of London- Rochester, Nottingham, Sherwood, Bath, Dover, Canterbury, Stonehenge- but not as many as I would have liked. For England as a whole, I adored how easy it was to travel around the country- the public transportation there is leagues beyond anything the US could hope to find within the next decade. As for London- I feel I’m a bit more of an expert on this from living there. London- Despite being one of the bigger cities in the world, it never felt crowded? I only was overwhelmed by the size in my first week (then I explored a bit and realised it’s honestly one of the easiest cities I’ve ever had to navigate), My favorite part about England was that, no matter where I was in the country, despite being completely different soil (sometimes brick red, sometimes white chalk), it always felt like I was home. I’ve never fallen in love with a human, but the emotions I feel in regards to London- I find it’s comparible. I didn’t want to leave. I’ve been stateside for over 2 years now, and every day my heart still pangs in longing for the Belgian waffles outside Baker Street station, the roasted chestnuts that are floating around between Tate Modern and the Millenium Bridge, the annoying voice of the lady at Charing Cross always reminding you to “mind the gap,” the houseboats of the Romani in Regent’s canal, Little Venice, the way the hot cocoa from Pret a Manger is so rich that it just melts in your mouth, the peppercorn sauce from Garfunkle’s, the secret gardens in Regent’s Park, the divine massages that come with every new hair style, the salt in the air, the brilliant colours alligning the Queen’s Walk (whether you’re heading towards Southwark or Victoria), and the constant, spontaneous hailstorms that go totally vertical if you’re on Westiminster Bridge.London- London was honestly a dream come true, and as the real world creeps ever closer, I’m becoming more resigned to never having the opportunity to go there again.
ScotlandI only got to spend a couple of days in Aberdeen. We three (my roommate, her boyfriend, and myself) were going to visit Edinborough, but after comparing costs, we realised it was way cheaper to rent an apartment in the coastal city than it was to rent individual beds in the latter. We explored the coast, found a mall, saw a film, I flirted with a cop, befriended a couple of cats, discovered an abandoned castle- Scotland was the most peaceful place I have ever been. I would be entirely content with a small flat somewhere in Aberdeen- The library was very much like one in one of our coal towns, the theatre is active, the shopping district is lively, Primark of course has wonderful selections, and there is a lovely deli/cafe hidden away that makes the best homemade lollis I have ever tasted.
France
I think I would have enjoyed France a lot more if I hadn’t gone in the spring. As it was, I visited Paris (and Versailles!) during my Easter Break, and for the first two days, I was extremely disappointed. Paris itself is amazing; the food at any pop-up stand is to die for (totally recommend the Croque Monsieur served at the open-air stands in Jardins de Tuileries!), you can buy really fucking good wine at any grocery store for less than 10 quid, and there are little secret nooks and crannies you would never expect. However, the city itself smells like shit, and the homeless population is almost overwhelming. It was by far not the cleanest city I toured while in Europe, but it was definitely the… There is gold in most of the buildings, and a certain romanticism that is purely French in itself. My third day, the sun was out, and I did most of my exploration then. If you abandon the Metro, you’ll find gold (literally). You just have to… Learn to ignore the negatives and appreciate the positives. Perhaps one day I’ll return, and give her another chance. When that happens, I’ll take someone with me.
Belgium
Belgium was quiet, there were swans everywhere, I met at least four cats in each of the three cities I explored, and it’s the perfect blend of Germanic architecture and French linguistics to make my heart skip a beat. In Ypres, I found some really cool looking in-ground huts, and a giant wooden cat sculpture in the town square (all cobblestones, by the way). My afternoon was complete when I saw a tractor just roll on through the main streets like it was a normal thing. In Oostende, I was nearly blown into the sea by a squall and found the most romantic little park I’ve ever come across. In Brugge, I danced with an older gentleman playing an accordian, sampled more chocolate than should be tolerated, threw a bottle of beer at a party I wasn’t even invited to, and accidentally found a thrift store and befriended the elderly couple who managed it. I also purchased a watercolor from a local artist and his fiance, both of whom I’m still penpals with to this day. Belgium was quiet, peaceful, and perhaps the most genuinely friendly of countries I’ve wandered.
Netherlands
Another in which I went with my roomie and her boyfriend. We stayed in Amsterdam, and oooh boy there were some moments. At one store, I was mistaken for a local and had a gentleman start talking to me in Dutch. We toured the Jewish Historical Museum; it was the first time I had seen my roomie brought to tears simply by being in a room. There was a carnival in the Red Light District, and we bought a cotton candy that was bigger than our three heads combined. I loved Amsterdam because it was probably one of the most laid-back, cleanest places I have ever seen.
Italy
Spent my birthday in Rome, took a train to Venice. Rome is easily walkable, but be warned that it’s mostly cobblestones and there are a lot of hilly spots; don’t wear shoes you haven’t broken in yet, no matter how cute they are. Don’t take pictures with the guys dressed up; they’ll try to charge you about 5 quid per photo. If you’re craving pizza, there is a tiny, almost invisible pizzeria just across the road from the Spanish Steps. Buy yourself a whole pie; it’s worth the 8 quid. I liked Rome for the mere fact that it felt like a foreign city. It had distinctly contemporary aspects to it, but the orange trees, the heat, the dry air- that was all a new experience for me. I honestly wish I had been there for more than a day. As for Venice- we (my roomie’s bf and me- We scored a deal on Groupon for flights, hotes, train ride for Rome and Venice for two, and we met up with my roomie in Venice with her folks, who had taken her to Florence and Naples) splurged on 1 euro gelato, the best damn apples I have ever found, really bad films- That was just the first night. Our train ride had us sitting across two glorious lads from Brighton- I don’t think they actually had any luggage; their sacks were filled with at least five bottles of wine and half the breakfast buffet. The second day in Venice, we toured the city, moved from our hotel to a private apartment that my roomie’s parents rented, and I discovered the joys of premade toast with nutella, Italian bridal showers, and befriending the local fishermen. The food, the culture, the drinks- well, the wine. I will never do limoncello again in this lifetime. The absynthe in Paris was leagues better, and that’s saying something.- Venice is- There’s something almost mystical about the place. The water trickles all around you, and the wind whispers in old dusty walls. It’s a complete maze, and some corners you turn into have no ending, no life. And’s almost completely walking, which only adds to the whimsy. I- Venice was magical, and I hope I can return to explore on my own before she succumbs to the sea.
Vatican City
Stopped by while in Rome, and I was super disappointed by the hellishly long queue waiting to go into the Chapel. My traveling buddy and I instead opted to explore the mini city within the tiny nation. We found the ATM that has Latin as an option, and played a small round of catch with a young Swiss boy who was there with his grandparents. I feel bad as I don’t really have much feedback on Vatican City, but I can say at least the exterior architecture is ace.
Spain
Oh Spain. Where to begin? Barcelona houses the best gelato out of all the cities I toured (with a small exception to the Gelati Leche I found in Rome, but it still dominates in Vanilla and Chocolate.) The beach is wonderful, the waters were so blue it was almost like looking at the sky again. Our Irish buddy was with us, and it was the first time someone taunted me enough to swim out into the sea deep enough that I could no longer touch the bottom. Again, I always underestimate how much I like being in water, so I didn’t pack a change of clothes that first day. We did do some exploring and some shopping, but the best part after the hours spent on the beach was finding an Italian restaurant that was playing Spice Girls’ music videos in the background, while the owners spoke in French. Spain was the last trip I did while abroad, and the flight home was to Finals Week, and my last week in London. Our flight home brought with it the sunrise over France, knowledge that I was coming to a new chapter of my life, one I still haven’t written yet. But the greatest and most transformative moment came after we had returned.Traffic was fucking shite man. I didn’t get back to school until about halfway through my one history final, so late that I didn’t even go to my room. I hauled ass in with my big backpack, my notes in my free hand, panic written on my face, desperation in my words. Unofrtunately, the professor could not by contract allow me to take the exam. However, in a private meeting later, he asked me to confide what grade I needed to earn full credits back in the States. On account of my earlier performance, he gave me the grade, assured me that I “would have gotten an A anyway; I know you know your history,” and only gave me a brief chiding on poorly timed scheduling.Somehow though, I didn’t mind. I should have been more upset about missing an exam- a Final, no less!- but in comparison to everything I had done that weekend-Spain taught me that sometimes in life, there will be conflicting paths. Both will give you an opportunity, but it’s up to you to decide which one to take. I chose the path that gave me more stories to tell, gave me memories of soft sand and amazing french fries and complimenting strangers over breakfast, gave me a hat and a hand-painted fan that I couldn’t have found anywhere else. I chose to follow my heart, and while I may not have gained the A I wanted for that module, I earned something that can never be replaced.Spain taught me that life is short, and while there are goals you will want to reach, don’t push aside those chances to live a little.In The EndI miss traveling. I want to see more of the US, I want to visit friends and family in Ukraine, Phillipines, Louisiana, Madagascar, Russia, Germany, and Brazil. But for now, I’m here. For now, I’m bettering myself in the small ways. The world is so much bigger and far more wonderful than you could even begin to imagine. I may never see Nepal or Alaska, I might never get a chance to explore the Amazon or wander Kenya. But what I can do is keep collecting each memory, every moment, keep it all close to my heart. Because those little moments?
Those are what make the adventure truly amazing.
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losewtrevs · 7 years
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6 Horrifying Thing The Nutrition Industry Won’t Tell You
Nutrition is one of “the worlds largest” thwart disciplines in that it is arguably the most important to our daily lives, but we just know diddly tits about it. Knowing what nutrients are good for us and which ones will kill us instantaneously seems like the kind of event we’d invest more serious energy into deciphering, but “healthy” and “unhealthy” nutrients craft neighbourhoods more often than pro wrestlers in a tag-team equal. Take coffee for example: First it was good for you, then it was bad, then it was good again, then it generated cancer, and then it cured cancer.
And coffee is far from the only speciman, which forms it was not possible to to take any health report earnestly. If you’re wondering why nutrition is such a tough nut for us to crack and why people “ve no idea” what to think about obesity, it’s because …
# 6. Our Techniques For Analyse Nutrition Are Terrible
To known better different foods affect different parties, we firstly have to know exactly what food beings gobble, and in what sums, combinations, orientations, etc. If this sounds like the sort of thing that is impossible to accurately observe without planting hidden cameras everywhere in “the worlds”, that’s because it is. Fortunately, scientists designed something called “memory-based dietary assessment methods”( M-BMs ), which is another way of adding “we ask parties about their diet and then take them at their word.”
That would explain why in the ‘7 0s obesity was blamed on eating “like … salads? Yeah, super health salads and shit, man.”
Unsurprisingly, when the scientists over at the Mayo Clinic looked into the M-BM, they found that the methodology used was “fundamentally and fatally flawed” when it came to studying nutrition. They tried to be tactful and diplomatic about their findings by attributing the failings of the M-BM to the unreliable sort of human rights remembering, but as anyone who has ever devours anything in their lives can tell you, it isn’t hard to remember whether you snack steamed veggies or Taco Bell on a regular basis. No, the conclude the M-BM doesn’t work as an accurate representation of people’s foods is because people are filthy fucking liars.
We lie all the freaking epoch, which is why a review of nutrition questionnaires found that 67.3 percent of women and 58.7 percent of men report calorie intakes that are “not physiologically plausible .” And this is the data on which we base all of our food plan and dietary recommendations. Shit, perhaps the facts of the case that Big Macs are considered undesirable is because the only ones to ever admit to eating them were depressed beings on their course to kill themselves.
“Two all-beef patties, special sauce, an entire bottle of crushed-up sleeping pill, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun … ”
With such slipshod information, you can find subjects associating almost any nutrient to nearly any adversity you can imagine . So what we’re genuinely saying is: Recollect that survey that linked eating processed meat to cancer? We wouldn’t give that stop you from chewing bacon just yet. Speaking of which …
# 5. The Media Constantly Bombards Us With Bogus Food Subject And Contradicting Research
If some shitty blog reports that the world leaders are privately robot lizard beings from another dimension’s future, chances are whoever wrote it is either a goddamned lunatic or is pretending to be a goddamned lunatic, which is basically the same concept. But when a respectable arrangement like the BBC reports that breastfeeding forecloses obesity, the legend is instantly credible in our judgments. We assume that they conducted thorough independent study, and aren’t precisely blindly echoing the results of slipshod contemplates that depicted a questionable conclusion.
“Coming up next: Why are scientists so good in couch? A bunch of scientists illustrate! ”
Between 1999 and 2006, the BBC has changed their recollections about the benefits of breast milk more durations than a vegan, first-time mother. Of trend you are able to respond: “Duh, they’re just reporting on the latest developments in science, ” but the thing is, they’re not. At all. Three out of the four investigates covered by the BBC were based on surveys, clearing them about scientifically dependable as horoscopes. And when another place reports three conflicting studies about the implications of the sodium on the human body within the same year , you have to start wondering if mass media isn’t simply fucking with us like George Lucas at this point.
“Huh? Is this even bulletin? Too belatedly, you already clicked.”
Things have gotten so bad that the same word store will now report on how red wine might make radiation treatment guys more efficient, fight holes, and even stir your girls grow up to be more solicitous and better behaved, which of course it can’t, because it’s fucking grape juice , not angel tears.
A group of researchers lately foreground how bad their own problems has become when they exhausted research studies showing that dark chocolate could help you lose weight. The examine was blared in the various regions of the Internet, represented front-page headlines in major newspapers, and was discussed on TV bulletin networks. The study, nonetheless, was intentionally flawed, and was written by a lead columnist from an academy that didn’t actually exist. The researchers behind it wanted to see how many outlets would do some basic journalism to vet the story before breathlessly reporting it. Depressingly , not many of them did, so we’re not sure how stoked health researchers were that their phony subject was such a success.
“No joke. … No journalism, either.”
That’s why you should get all of your diet advice from medical doctors, right? Yeah, about that …
# 4. Doctors Get Almost No Nutritional Training Whatsoever
The one thing you should have removed from such articles by now is that it’s hopeless to construct sweeping generalizations about nutrition, so you should probably just do what the commercials announce and ask your doctor which diet is good for you . Unfortunately, it is about to change that during the course of its entire stint in med institution, the average doctor only spends about 19. 6 contact hours learning about nutrition, which is less duration than it takes to beat Final Fantasy XII .
In 2003, a inspection found that 84 percentage of cardiologists didn’t know that a low-fat diet could actually growth your high levels of triglycerides, which can lead to heart disease. This seems like something that heart physicians was likely to be taught, right? But modern medicine is apparently more concerned with the medicine of myocardial infarction than the prevention.
“I’m sorry Mr. Johnson, but I can’t start giving you pills until your dick stops working.”
Even scarier, less than 25 percent of physicians surveyed said they look qualified to talk about diet with individual patients. The subject likewise found that physicians are less likely to talk with their patients about nutrition if they happen to be overweight themselves, which means that you should only search nutrition advice from medical doctors if she has a formidably powerful physique.
# 3. All Diets Sort Of Work( As Long As You Put With Them)
If you grew up in the 1980 s, you recollect listening that it’s sugar that constitutes you fat — that’s why suddenly artificial sweeteners were in everything TAGEND
Then in the ‘9 0s, it was decided that paunch was reaching you fat — thus the “stop the insanity” diet, which was all about fatty grams and nothing else. That held birth to a ripple of “fat-free” snacks sold as health food despite being full of carbohydrate, carbs and calories.
Shockingly, a chocolate-filled chocolate patty is still bad for you .
In the 2000 s, carbs were the bad person — that brought us the Atkins diet and millions of lives telling eateries to supplant their burger bun with extra bacon.
The knowledge that they had to handout an improved publication of a revolutionary diet should have been a red flag . These periods, you’re starting to hear about sugar again, and we’re right back to where we were 30 years ago TAGEND
“Right between “rat poison” and “trifluorochloroethylene”
Were any of them right? Well, let’s look at the still-raging struggle between low-fat vs. low-carb nutritions. Countless books and clauses have been written fiercely indicating one over the other, because it is apparently impossible that both could have merit. Researchers lastly gave both thoughts to the test in a huge meta-analysis, and found that after 12 months, the difference in median weight loss between those on low-carb nutritions and those on low-fat diets was a small fraction of a pound in favor of low-carb( which isn’t exactly floors for a culture crusade, but blood has definitely been spilled for less ).
“Science suggests it’s OK to eat as much fatten as you crave! ” – how medical reporting projects .
Other types of foods is likewise experimented, and while they scored worse than the low-fat/ low-carb ones, variations in weight loss between them were barely see. What does this entail? For one, it means that the Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, and Tapeworm diets all work to virtually the exact same degree, and that best available various kinds of food for you is simply the one that you won’t discontinue 2 day after starting. For some people, giving up carbs might be a walk in the common, while with others, it will realize them hallucinate that their friends and loved ones have turned into monstrous sheets of cartoon hamburgers.
There’s a more subtle outcome at play too. Let’s “re saying you” decide to cut back on sodium, and after a few months you’ve lost load, you feel more energetic, and your blood pressure has started lane down. But before you go recommending it to everyone else, consider all the other changes you’ve indirectly manufactured. Cutting back on sodium represents most fast food is no longer an option. Same departs for most processed food. You’ve perhaps also started cooking more of your own banquets, and they’ve likely included more fresh fruit and veggies than you used to eat because, again, your options are a lot more limited now.
“What do you represent? “Theres”, like, seven nuts I can choose from! ”
It’s kind of same to the gluten-free hysterium, in which millions of people persuaded themselves that gluten was seeing them sick, despite possibly not knowing what gluten even is( do you ?). Sure enough, they feel better after making a concerted effort to cut it out. But is it because they cut down on gluten, or because they cut down on the kind of foods that happen to have gluten in them — namely pasta, cookies, patties, beer, etc? “I feel so much better now! ” Of route you do.
Hell, merely get people to stop and examine the contents of what they’re gobbling is a huge accomplishment. If somebody’s handing out snacks at a party, you’re less likely to merely absent-mindedly cram something into your opening because it searches good if you think you’ve got an allergy to some invisible ingredient. Even if you almost certainly don’t.
“Sorry, I’m allergic to sour cream and onion and regret.”
# 2. Almost Every Health Initiative That Food Business Take Is Complete Bullshit
Every now and then, big-hearted food companionships will announce that they are making their makes healthier by removing all the asbestos and cancer and supplanting it with it with a bunch of vitamins and shit. For speciman, Kellogg’s and General Mills lately decided to stuff their cereals with vitamin A, niacin, and zinc in the hopes that mothers everywhere will choose their sugary products over some bullshit grapefruit. In Big Cereal’s defense, there’s nothing incorrect with a little bit of sugar as long as it’s given alongside some solid nutritional supplements.
Well, the thing is, the cereals’ dosages of vitamin A were bafflingly calculated in accordance with adults. The dosage was dangerously high-pitched “for childrens”, enough to potentially generate liver shatter and immune disorders.
Although, that might have just been because of all the sugar .
And when these companies aren’t adding useless( and sometimes harmful) ingredients to their produces, they’re removing innocuous ones to pander to fad-stricken buyers. When Pepsi announced they were removing aspartame from their diet sodas( that is, the stuff that 1980 s commercial-grade was boasting about earlier ), they made it clear that it “ve got nothing” to do with health, or refuge, or any sort of scientific research. Customers decided they didn’t trust aspartame( false rumors about its harmful effects had been flowing for decades ), so it had to go. The same was true when Subway removed a common food additive from their foods after public pressure. And when Kraft and Nestle announced they were removing artificial parts from some of their products, they said it was because of food directions rather than any nutritional anxieties( they probably made the word “food trends” in condescending air paraphrases ).
Now, we’re not saying that all the stuff meat firms arbitrarily remove from their concoctions was actually good for us. We’re saying that nutrient business do not give one solitary peanut shit whether their products throw us all cancer or not. They’ll add or subtract anything we ask them to, and regrettably for us, what we want is easily were affected by daily doses of alarmist bullshit. That’s often because …
# 1. We Discount Nutritional Experts In Favor Of Beings With No Academic Knowledge Or Training
The truth is the fact that it are lawful scientists out there who can tell you what food will allow you to live long enough to see that fourth season of Sherlock . Regrettably, we generally decide to ignore them, because they tend to babble on about events like “vegetables” and “moderation, ” while brutally leaving no area for Bloomin’ Onions or mozzarella sticks.
Then there are beings like Vani Hari, who forced corporate monstrous like General Mills and Kellogg’s to change their commodities, wrote a best-selling notebook on nutrition, and was mentioned one of Time magazine’s 30 Most Influential Parties On The Internet, despite having absolutely no education in the field of nutrition whatsoever. Instead of reaping from any actual academic educate, every ounce of her advice is based on the idea that all substances are bad for you, without exception.
That’s why we get all our fluids from beer instead of that nasty “water” compound .
We might scoff at the idea of Rihanna writing a neuroscience textbook or expecting Mel Gibson’s opinion on how to find the Higgs boson. But when Beyonce and Gwyneth Paltrow endorsed a “cleanse” diet, loads of beings were more than happy to listen, trying extreme diets invented by attractive celebrities in an attempt to “detox” their body of scary poisons that can’t be screened or identified by any kind of medical testing.
That alleged, it is admittedly a bit perplexing to figure out whose nutritional advice you are able to listen to, because the terminology is weirdly muddled. To witticism, a “dietician” is a legally accepted expert who went to school to learn how to tell you to stop eating like a frightened goblin. Nonetheless, a “nutritionist” is a bullshit claim that bullshit make-ups like The American Association of Nutritional Consultants formerly granted on a dead feline. That is in no way a pun .
No, actually .~ ATAGEND
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losewtrevs · 7 years
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6 Horrifying Thing The Nutrition Industry Won’t Tell You
Nutrition is one of “the worlds largest” thwart disciplines in that it is arguably the most important to our daily lives, but we just know diddly tits about it. Knowing what nutrients are good for us and which ones will kill us instantaneously seems like the kind of event we’d invest more serious energy into deciphering, but “healthy” and “unhealthy” nutrients craft neighbourhoods more often than pro wrestlers in a tag-team equal. Take coffee for example: First it was good for you, then it was bad, then it was good again, then it generated cancer, and then it cured cancer.
And coffee is far from the only speciman, which forms it was not possible to to take any health report earnestly. If you’re wondering why nutrition is such a tough nut for us to crack and why people “ve no idea” what to think about obesity, it’s because …
# 6. Our Techniques For Analyse Nutrition Are Terrible
To known better different foods affect different parties, we firstly have to know exactly what food beings gobble, and in what sums, combinations, orientations, etc. If this sounds like the sort of thing that is impossible to accurately observe without planting hidden cameras everywhere in “the worlds”, that’s because it is. Fortunately, scientists designed something called “memory-based dietary assessment methods”( M-BMs ), which is another way of adding “we ask parties about their diet and then take them at their word.”
That would explain why in the ‘7 0s obesity was blamed on eating “like … salads? Yeah, super health salads and shit, man.”
Unsurprisingly, when the scientists over at the Mayo Clinic looked into the M-BM, they found that the methodology used was “fundamentally and fatally flawed” when it came to studying nutrition. They tried to be tactful and diplomatic about their findings by attributing the failings of the M-BM to the unreliable sort of human rights remembering, but as anyone who has ever devours anything in their lives can tell you, it isn’t hard to remember whether you snack steamed veggies or Taco Bell on a regular basis. No, the conclude the M-BM doesn’t work as an accurate representation of people’s foods is because people are filthy fucking liars.
We lie all the freaking epoch, which is why a review of nutrition questionnaires found that 67.3 percent of women and 58.7 percent of men report calorie intakes that are “not physiologically plausible .” And this is the data on which we base all of our food plan and dietary recommendations. Shit, perhaps the facts of the case that Big Macs are considered undesirable is because the only ones to ever admit to eating them were depressed beings on their course to kill themselves.
“Two all-beef patties, special sauce, an entire bottle of crushed-up sleeping pill, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun … ”
With such slipshod information, you can find subjects associating almost any nutrient to nearly any adversity you can imagine . So what we’re genuinely saying is: Recollect that survey that linked eating processed meat to cancer? We wouldn’t give that stop you from chewing bacon just yet. Speaking of which …
# 5. The Media Constantly Bombards Us With Bogus Food Subject And Contradicting Research
If some shitty blog reports that the world leaders are privately robot lizard beings from another dimension’s future, chances are whoever wrote it is either a goddamned lunatic or is pretending to be a goddamned lunatic, which is basically the same concept. But when a respectable arrangement like the BBC reports that breastfeeding forecloses obesity, the legend is instantly credible in our judgments. We assume that they conducted thorough independent study, and aren’t precisely blindly echoing the results of slipshod contemplates that depicted a questionable conclusion.
“Coming up next: Why are scientists so good in couch? A bunch of scientists illustrate! ”
Between 1999 and 2006, the BBC has changed their recollections about the benefits of breast milk more durations than a vegan, first-time mother. Of trend you are able to respond: “Duh, they’re just reporting on the latest developments in science, ” but the thing is, they’re not. At all. Three out of the four investigates covered by the BBC were based on surveys, clearing them about scientifically dependable as horoscopes. And when another place reports three conflicting studies about the implications of the sodium on the human body within the same year , you have to start wondering if mass media isn’t simply fucking with us like George Lucas at this point.
“Huh? Is this even bulletin? Too belatedly, you already clicked.”
Things have gotten so bad that the same word store will now report on how red wine might make radiation treatment guys more efficient, fight holes, and even stir your girls grow up to be more solicitous and better behaved, which of course it can’t, because it’s fucking grape juice , not angel tears.
A group of researchers lately foreground how bad their own problems has become when they exhausted research studies showing that dark chocolate could help you lose weight. The examine was blared in the various regions of the Internet, represented front-page headlines in major newspapers, and was discussed on TV bulletin networks. The study, nonetheless, was intentionally flawed, and was written by a lead columnist from an academy that didn’t actually exist. The researchers behind it wanted to see how many outlets would do some basic journalism to vet the story before breathlessly reporting it. Depressingly , not many of them did, so we’re not sure how stoked health researchers were that their phony subject was such a success.
“No joke. … No journalism, either.”
That’s why you should get all of your diet advice from medical doctors, right? Yeah, about that …
# 4. Doctors Get Almost No Nutritional Training Whatsoever
The one thing you should have removed from such articles by now is that it’s hopeless to construct sweeping generalizations about nutrition, so you should probably just do what the commercials announce and ask your doctor which diet is good for you . Unfortunately, it is about to change that during the course of its entire stint in med institution, the average doctor only spends about 19. 6 contact hours learning about nutrition, which is less duration than it takes to beat Final Fantasy XII .
In 2003, a inspection found that 84 percentage of cardiologists didn’t know that a low-fat diet could actually growth your high levels of triglycerides, which can lead to heart disease. This seems like something that heart physicians was likely to be taught, right? But modern medicine is apparently more concerned with the medicine of myocardial infarction than the prevention.
“I’m sorry Mr. Johnson, but I can’t start giving you pills until your dick stops working.”
Even scarier, less than 25 percent of physicians surveyed said they look qualified to talk about diet with individual patients. The subject likewise found that physicians are less likely to talk with their patients about nutrition if they happen to be overweight themselves, which means that you should only search nutrition advice from medical doctors if she has a formidably powerful physique.
# 3. All Diets Sort Of Work( As Long As You Put With Them)
If you grew up in the 1980 s, you recollect listening that it’s sugar that constitutes you fat — that’s why suddenly artificial sweeteners were in everything TAGEND
Then in the ‘9 0s, it was decided that paunch was reaching you fat — thus the “stop the insanity” diet, which was all about fatty grams and nothing else. That held birth to a ripple of “fat-free” snacks sold as health food despite being full of carbohydrate, carbs and calories.
Shockingly, a chocolate-filled chocolate patty is still bad for you .
In the 2000 s, carbs were the bad person — that brought us the Atkins diet and millions of lives telling eateries to supplant their burger bun with extra bacon.
The knowledge that they had to handout an improved publication of a revolutionary diet should have been a red flag . These periods, you’re starting to hear about sugar again, and we’re right back to where we were 30 years ago TAGEND
“Right between “rat poison” and “trifluorochloroethylene”
Were any of them right? Well, let’s look at the still-raging struggle between low-fat vs. low-carb nutritions. Countless books and clauses have been written fiercely indicating one over the other, because it is apparently impossible that both could have merit. Researchers lastly gave both thoughts to the test in a huge meta-analysis, and found that after 12 months, the difference in median weight loss between those on low-carb nutritions and those on low-fat diets was a small fraction of a pound in favor of low-carb( which isn’t exactly floors for a culture crusade, but blood has definitely been spilled for less ).
“Science suggests it’s OK to eat as much fatten as you crave! ” – how medical reporting projects .
Other types of foods is likewise experimented, and while they scored worse than the low-fat/ low-carb ones, variations in weight loss between them were barely see. What does this entail? For one, it means that the Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, and Tapeworm diets all work to virtually the exact same degree, and that best available various kinds of food for you is simply the one that you won’t discontinue 2 day after starting. For some people, giving up carbs might be a walk in the common, while with others, it will realize them hallucinate that their friends and loved ones have turned into monstrous sheets of cartoon hamburgers.
There’s a more subtle outcome at play too. Let’s “re saying you” decide to cut back on sodium, and after a few months you’ve lost load, you feel more energetic, and your blood pressure has started lane down. But before you go recommending it to everyone else, consider all the other changes you’ve indirectly manufactured. Cutting back on sodium represents most fast food is no longer an option. Same departs for most processed food. You’ve perhaps also started cooking more of your own banquets, and they’ve likely included more fresh fruit and veggies than you used to eat because, again, your options are a lot more limited now.
“What do you represent? “Theres”, like, seven nuts I can choose from! ”
It’s kind of same to the gluten-free hysterium, in which millions of people persuaded themselves that gluten was seeing them sick, despite possibly not knowing what gluten even is( do you ?). Sure enough, they feel better after making a concerted effort to cut it out. But is it because they cut down on gluten, or because they cut down on the kind of foods that happen to have gluten in them — namely pasta, cookies, patties, beer, etc? “I feel so much better now! ” Of route you do.
Hell, merely get people to stop and examine the contents of what they’re gobbling is a huge accomplishment. If somebody’s handing out snacks at a party, you’re less likely to merely absent-mindedly cram something into your opening because it searches good if you think you’ve got an allergy to some invisible ingredient. Even if you almost certainly don’t.
“Sorry, I’m allergic to sour cream and onion and regret.”
# 2. Almost Every Health Initiative That Food Business Take Is Complete Bullshit
Every now and then, big-hearted food companionships will announce that they are making their makes healthier by removing all the asbestos and cancer and supplanting it with it with a bunch of vitamins and shit. For speciman, Kellogg’s and General Mills lately decided to stuff their cereals with vitamin A, niacin, and zinc in the hopes that mothers everywhere will choose their sugary products over some bullshit grapefruit. In Big Cereal’s defense, there’s nothing incorrect with a little bit of sugar as long as it’s given alongside some solid nutritional supplements.
Well, the thing is, the cereals’ dosages of vitamin A were bafflingly calculated in accordance with adults. The dosage was dangerously high-pitched “for childrens”, enough to potentially generate liver shatter and immune disorders.
Although, that might have just been because of all the sugar .
And when these companies aren’t adding useless( and sometimes harmful) ingredients to their produces, they’re removing innocuous ones to pander to fad-stricken buyers. When Pepsi announced they were removing aspartame from their diet sodas( that is, the stuff that 1980 s commercial-grade was boasting about earlier ), they made it clear that it “ve got nothing” to do with health, or refuge, or any sort of scientific research. Customers decided they didn’t trust aspartame( false rumors about its harmful effects had been flowing for decades ), so it had to go. The same was true when Subway removed a common food additive from their foods after public pressure. And when Kraft and Nestle announced they were removing artificial parts from some of their products, they said it was because of food directions rather than any nutritional anxieties( they probably made the word “food trends” in condescending air paraphrases ).
Now, we’re not saying that all the stuff meat firms arbitrarily remove from their concoctions was actually good for us. We’re saying that nutrient business do not give one solitary peanut shit whether their products throw us all cancer or not. They’ll add or subtract anything we ask them to, and regrettably for us, what we want is easily were affected by daily doses of alarmist bullshit. That’s often because …
# 1. We Discount Nutritional Experts In Favor Of Beings With No Academic Knowledge Or Training
The truth is the fact that it are lawful scientists out there who can tell you what food will allow you to live long enough to see that fourth season of Sherlock . Regrettably, we generally decide to ignore them, because they tend to babble on about events like “vegetables” and “moderation, ” while brutally leaving no area for Bloomin’ Onions or mozzarella sticks.
Then there are beings like Vani Hari, who forced corporate monstrous like General Mills and Kellogg’s to change their commodities, wrote a best-selling notebook on nutrition, and was mentioned one of Time magazine’s 30 Most Influential Parties On The Internet, despite having absolutely no education in the field of nutrition whatsoever. Instead of reaping from any actual academic educate, every ounce of her advice is based on the idea that all substances are bad for you, without exception.
That’s why we get all our fluids from beer instead of that nasty “water” compound .
We might scoff at the idea of Rihanna writing a neuroscience textbook or expecting Mel Gibson’s opinion on how to find the Higgs boson. But when Beyonce and Gwyneth Paltrow endorsed a “cleanse” diet, loads of beings were more than happy to listen, trying extreme diets invented by attractive celebrities in an attempt to “detox” their body of scary poisons that can’t be screened or identified by any kind of medical testing.
That alleged, it is admittedly a bit perplexing to figure out whose nutritional advice you are able to listen to, because the terminology is weirdly muddled. To witticism, a “dietician” is a legally accepted expert who went to school to learn how to tell you to stop eating like a frightened goblin. Nonetheless, a “nutritionist” is a bullshit claim that bullshit make-ups like The American Association of Nutritional Consultants formerly granted on a dead feline. That is in no way a pun .
No, actually .~ ATAGEND
The post 6 Horrifying Thing The Nutrition Industry Won’t Tell You appeared first on loseweightreviews.org.
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0 notes