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msjarvis · 1 year ago

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Siggy!!!! Holy Guacamole!!!

This is just incredible! 😃 The way you write Javi is wonderful and totally unique..

Damn I love how he is completely devoted to his family, how he worships her..

That bit when he said that he’s nothing without her.. just.. 😭😭😭

And now baby 4 is coming… 🥹🥹

You talented, amazing, wonderful you.. 🥰

Thank you so much for sharing this universe with us! ✨💖✨

Te Quiero, a Husband!Javier Valentine’s Special

A/N: This is for all my readers who have wanted to get an insight into Hubby and Wife’s dynamic, backstory and family life. I hope you enjoy it because I put my heart into this mess of a fic. Thank you @strang3lov3 for always inspiring me, thank you @angelofsmalldeath-codeine for always being a great beta-reader and here’s to @morallyinept who told me to tag her in any V-Day fic I post!l

Summary: Your husband has made big plans for Valentine's Day, beginning with breakfast in bed, but not everything goes as smoothly as expected, and suddenly you are faced with a big surprise.

Pairing: Javier Peña x Reader/You (No y/n)

Tags: +18, hubby!Javier, tooth-rotting domestic bliss, breastfeeding, playful banter, Chucho makes an appearance!!, siblings being siblings, Javi loving you and his kids, negative feelings about your mom-body, insecurity/comfort, spontaneous sex, pussy eating, (Spanish) dirty talk, fingering, unprotected piv sex, creampie, multiple orgasms, silly people in love, LOTS of kisses, lots of i love yous, mention of pregnancy and its symptoms

Word count: 11.7k (i am so sorry)

Link to this work on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53757202

Te Quiero

You open your eyes, reaching to rub them as the door to the bedroom opens by Javier using his shoulder and backing into it. There’s a crease on his forehead, between his furrowed brows, from looking extremely concentrated because he is carrying a wooden tray in his hands.

Most days you are a heavy sleeper. It is a result of having two children without an understanding of the concept of privacy when it comes to their parents. However, what truly wakes you up is the concerning rustle of utensils, plates, and mugs that your husband is balancing as he nears your shared bed.

Because Javier has his back to you, you close your eyes again and pretend to be asleep, not wanting to ruin the surprise. The tray is placed on the foot of the bed, and you fight a smile as you hear his footsteps coming around the end of the bed and closer to your side.

“Buenos días (good morning),” he whispers to you, and you roll onto your back and sit up. Javier stands by the side of the bed and waits.

Like in a movie, you blink awake slowly and lift your arms up over your head to stretch and yawn. Javier looks at you expectantly, and you catch a glimpse of why your son resembles him so much. They both have that boyish charm, the ability to look excited in the exact same way when waiting for a reaction from you.

“What’s all this?” You ask with a grin.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, mi vida (my life),” he says and leans down to initiate a kiss.

“I have bad breath,” you point out.

“I have coffee,” he replies and kisses you anyway, “And today’s crossword puzzle.”

“I knew I married you for a reason,” you scoot to sit back against the headboard. Javier moves to get into bed with you, pulling the covers aside to get under them while you reach for the tray. You place it between the two of you as if you are about to have a picnic in bed.

“Did you check on Seb?” You ask as you marvel at the breakfast that Javier has put together for the two of you. There are heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes, an abundance of fresh fruit (including blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and banana), whipped cream, syrup, and coffee the way you both like it; black without anything more which Javier claims - to this day - is still one of the reasons that he fell for you.

“Still asleep for now but I suspect he’ll want one of us soon because he can hear us,” he tells you and reaches for his mug after handing you yours.

“I’ll enjoy this while it lasts then,” you take a sip of coffee, humming at the taste. Then, after putting down your mug, you pop a blueberry into your mouth.

“I think Lucas has a crush,” Javier tells you in a heartbeat later, smirking into his own cup of coffee.

You raise a brow in suspicion and surprise, looking at him without turning your head. You swallow down the blueberry and go for the pancakes next, “What makes you say that?”

“Well, he got shy when I asked him if they were making Valentine cards at school today. So I figured something was up because he usually doesn’t get quiet about all those things, you know, he’s touchy-feely,” Javier explains. As he talks, you pour syrup onto the stack of pancakes on your plate, “Inés nearly fell off her chair as she talked about what the school has planned. So yeah, whatever, he’ll tell us if he wants to.”

“Well, perhaps, and hopefully I might add, he’s inherited his dad’s charm as well as his good looks,” you tease, tapping your chin as if you are trying to remember something, “What was it Connie called you? Think it was serial romancer.”

“Hold on, you’ve never told me this,” he pretends to look offended, “When was this?”

“At the bar… just after I laid eyes on you,” you sprinkle fruit on top of your breakfast and wipe your hand on your tank top, “She told me not even to think about it but I knew that I was done for.”

“That damn woman,” he lets out a genuine laugh, “Better tell Steve to keep his lady under control.”

��Connie’s definitely the one keeping her man under control. Just like me,” you smirk, taking a bite that is way too big because your eyes can’t get enough. You groan at the taste. Everything is delicious, so you stuff your mouth and thus don’t have to reply to your husband’s outrage.

“Hey,” he says but you just grin at him, showing off each piece of pancake between your teeth. He sighs but there’s a hint of adoration in his eyes and you know he is fighting a smile, “Charming.”

When you finally swallow, he has dug into his own meal. You eat in silence for a moment, simply enjoying each other’s company as it is undisturbed by children.

“Don’t you have work today?” You ask eventually.

“I told them I was coming in later,” he replies, stabbing a strawberry with his fork, “They can survive without me until 10-ish. They’re gonna have to.”

You glance over at the clock on your nightstand. It is 8:16. There’s still time to enjoy each other’s company, maybe even have a cuddle or something more if you aren’t too full from breakfast.

Javier has opened the paper now but he hasn’t gotten out a pen yet which means that he isn’t starting the puzzle yet. You continue eating, and meanwhile, conversation flows naturally around subjects like work, kids, and sweet memories.

Suddenly, in the midst of reminiscing about your first trip out of town together, the light on the baby monitor comes on and Sebastian’s distraught, unhappy cries sound through the speaker. Javier puts down the paper and gets up before you.

“Do you think he’s hungry?” You ask, already moving to pull your top’s straps down to reveal your breasts.

“I know he is, that’s how he cries when he is,” he moves towards the door, already talking to his son throughout the house, “I’m coming, mijo (my son).”

“You’re so much better at the parent thing than me,” you try to remember which of your breasts you nursed from last night but you cannot, and therefore resort to feeling for the fuller one.

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” he leans down to kiss your lips before heading down the hall. You listen and wait, hearing Javier coo at his newborn and causing the cries to turn into hiccups instead.

After a moment, he returns with Sebastian in his arms. You hold out your own and he carefully hands him over to you. With a grin, you settle your baby into your arms, “Hi, sweetheart. Hi there, baby boy, ooo, you’re hungry, aren’t you? Look at that big mouth you’ve got — Honey, can you get me a cloth?”

You don’t look up but hear Javier leave the room again but only briefly. He comes back and gives you a muslin cloth which you throw over your shoulder, a thing that always makes Javier joke about you looking like - and kind of being - a bartender if that bartender only served milk.

Sebastian quickly latches on. He closes his eyes as he nurses, and you look longingly at your breakfast as he eats his own. You frown, “It’s getting cold. My coffee too.”

“Just sit back,” your husband reassures, shifting on the bed without making the tray tip over. He cuts a piece of pancake and stabs it with his fork, “Open up.”

“You’re ridiculous,” you smile happily but oblige.

“You’re literally keeping my kid alive, mi amor (my love). The least I can do is keep you alive as well, fuel you up,” he feeds you with his own mouth slightly agape. It makes you laugh.

“What?” Javier chuckles in his confusion.

“You look like a fish,” you tease as you giggle, letting Sebastian grab at your index finger, “I’ve never noticed if you look like this too when feeding the kids.”

“Cállate (shut up),” he laughs, consciously avoiding making himself look foolish again as he feeds you another bite. He purposely pokes your nose with the back of your fork to smear the tip with whipped cream, and you respond by looking shocked while laughing.

“That’s so unfair, I have an actual baby in my arms,” you argue, looking down at Sebastian to give him the run-down on his father’s behavior, “You know, Seb, it’s a good thing I love him so much. Look at this. Absolutely ridiculous.”

“I think you might have deserved that one, baby,” he reasons, “Don’t think I feel bad. Seb agrees.”

“You don’t know that,” you use the muslin cloth to wipe a little milk off of your child’s cheek and then wipe whipped cream off your nose too, “Now, please, feed your starving wife. I feel weaker by the second.”

“Always the dramatic,” he replies but follows through.

The teasing dies down after that. You eat whatever Javier gives you whilst you are breastfeeding and Javier eventually finds the crossword in the paper to do it during your quiet morning.

When Sebastian is done eating, cooing happily, you bend your knees and place him against your thighs. You hold both of his hands, doing a little dance with him whilst your husband reads clues aloud.

“Another word for radiance, four letters and beginning with g,” he says.

“Glow,” you reply instantly.

“You’re so much better at the crossword thing than me,” he winks and writes down the remaining letters.

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” you smile at him and he smiles back. The morning is perfect.

After a cozy morning, Javier has to leave for work. He kisses you and Sebastian goodbye and takes the breakfast tray down into the kitchen with him so you can sleep more if you want to.

You protest at first - it really hadn’t been your intention - but seeing your baby yawn and coo in your arms makes you sleepy, and you end up on your side with Sebastian on Javier’s side of the bed. He has his arms above his head, face turned towards you and you rest an arm over him whilst you snore lightly. The few hours of sleep you get like this without any interruption are fantastic, boosting your productivity for the rest of the early afternoon.

You dress casually and wrap Sebastian in a sling, so he can sleep against your chest while you clean up from breakfast, fill and start the dishwasher, and do a round of laundry before having to pick up Lucas and Inés from school.

However, when you start to get the car keys from their place in the hallway, you hear the door open and the familiar sound of children’s voices filling the house. You can hear the enthusiasm in their voices as they talk to who you assume is your husband but when you turn the corner, you see that it is, in fact, your father-in-law.

“Hello, mija (my daughter),” Chucho says and takes off his hat. He hangs it by all the coats and scarves, “Javier told me to pick up the kiddos.”

You look a little dumbstruck, having been taken completely by surprise but still, you walk over to give him a hug and receive a kiss on the cheek, “Did he say why?”

Chucho kisses Sebastian’s head too, who only coos quietly against your chest. From below, Inés is trying to get your attention. You run a hand over her hair without looking at her, trying to get her to tone down her enthusiasm as you search for answers. Chucho just smiles.

“It’s Valentine’s Day, sweetie,” he reasons with a gentle smile, “I think he has his reasons. All I know is that I’m not supposed to bring them back here before tomorrow afternoon after school.”

“Abuelo promised that we could get pizza for dinner,” Inés interrupts again. You smile down at her whilst trying to process having a whole twenty-four hours off from being parents.

“Ain’t you lucky,” you say with a grin.

Chucho beckons Lucas over who brings his school bag with him, “But first, I think these two have some things to show you. Lucas, c’mere.”

“We made presents!” Inés says and Lucas glares. He frowns at his little sister, placing his backpack by his feet and throwing daggers in her direction.

“Inés, you’re ruining the surprise,” he grumbles despite still digging into the bag. Inés seems unbothered about his irritation, simply joining him to stick her hands into the bag as well. Lucas continues, “Don’t tell Mom what it is.”

You and Chucho watch them, hiding a chuckle as Inés eventually still states that she wants to show her drawing first and Lucas starts groaning.

“Mom!” He says with exasperation.

“Ay, Inés, por favor (please),” you say, “Let Lucas share his surprise. It’ll be your turn soon.”

“Mine is for Papá,” she states proudly.

“She’s just excited, hijito (little son),” you hear your father-in-law say. He puts a calloused hand on Lucas’ shoulder, whispering quietly, “Show your mom your present. Inés’ll be too busy talking to notice.”

It is true. Inés gets a hold of her drawing and spends her time admiring her work, and Chucho is sweet enough to indulge her to give you and your son a moment alone.

In his very own gentle nature, Lucas finds the card that he has made for you just next to where Chucho had told him to store Inés’ drawing as well. He blushes as he hands it to you, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Mom.”

You inspect it before opening it; it is a blank card that Lucas has decorated with colorful stickers and glitter, having drawn shapes and patterns along the sides and a big heart in the middle where it says To Mom in his wonky handwriting.

You open it to reveal a little letter addressed to you. It is framed by another border of glitter:

Dear Mom,

Happy Valentine’s Day! I love you a million billion times around the Earth. You take care of me and Inés and Sebastian. And you always make me happy when you give me a hug.

Love, Lucas

You find yourself speechless for a moment and out of the corner of your eye, you see the familiar expectant face that Javier sported earlier too. It takes your breath away.

Carefully, you crouch down with Sebastian still in his sling. It gives you the opportunity to embrace Lucas from the side, hugging him close and kissing his hair repeatedly. You whisper endearments to him, tell him you love him and he gets shy as he reciprocates, using the time to caress Sebastian’s fine hair on top of his head.

“I love you so much, my Valentine boy,” you say with a soft voice as you pull away, stretching again and running your hand through his dark hair repeatedly. You can feel a few more tears escape your eyes, your heart pinching in your chest from how much love you feel. Could the day become more perfect? You doubt it.

“Dad asked me about it at breakfast but I was scared of him telling you so it wouldn’t be a surprise because he always does. But then Inés did it anyway…” he grumbles and looks up to see your tears. His eyes widen, “Mom, are you crying?”

“It’s just happy tears, mijo (my son),” you reassure, “Sometimes having babies makes you cry a little more often.”

Lucas seems a little confused by this. You tell him that he’ll understand when he gets older. After all, he only has so many years until hormones will start to rage through his own body.

Suddenly, the front door opens and closes in the next moment, and Inés giggles loudly as she recognizes the sound of her father’s footsteps. When he enters the kitchen doorway - his steps are way bigger even if Inés is running - he crouches down and opens his arms, “There she is! Mi diablilla (my little devil), how are you?”

Inés throws her arms around her father’s neck, drawing still clutched in her grip to the point where the paper crinkles. You feel like it was a waste of time to try and wipe away your happy tears because the sight makes them well up in your eyes once more.

“I made you a drawing. Abuelo told me I could give it to you before we go to his house. Did you know we are having pizza tonight? I can have a whole pizza to myself and I want the pizza to have pepperoni,” Inés announces, squealing with delight as Javier wraps his arms around her before stretching to his full height again and picking her up with a dad-groan. He places her on his hip, bumping his nose into her cheek.

“Christ, you get bigger by the second. Pizza? I don’t remember you liking pizza,” Javier teases, walking across the room to the rest of his family. He smiles at his son, reaching out to rub his shoulder with his free hand and winking at him before talking further with babbling Inés, “Hold on, I thought you liked broccoli and spinach the most. Do you really want pepperoni? I think you should get broccoli on your pizza.”

Inés loves it when her father teases her. He’ll act dumb and silly on purpose - her favorite thing a year ago had been whenever he made himself purposely bad at puzzles, and he’d try to piece two corners together - much to his daughter’s delight.

“Nooo, ew!” She says with a grin, clinging onto him.

“She only wants it because I want it,” Lucas says matter-of-factly, still a little frustrated with his little sister. He bounces back and forth on his heels.

“Then you can have her leftovers, mijo (my son), she never eats a whole pizza anyway” Javier reasons and mouths the last bit of the sentence, moving the hand on his son’s shoulder to put it on the back of his neck. He gently tugs him into his side. Eventually, your son gives in and hugs him around his middle.

“Hi Dad,” he says softly, hugging him tightly even if it’s briefly.

“Hola,” he smiles.

“We should get going,” Chucho interrupts gently and reaches for his hat again, “We’ve got a lot of things planned this afternoon. The animals won’t take care of themselves.”

“My drawing!” Inés yells, squirming in her father’s arms from eagerness and rushing, so much that she nearly smacks the picture into his face. She holds it too close to his eyes so that he has to take it and hold it for her.

You find yourself tiptoeing up behind them to look at the picture yourself, trying not to distract anyone from what they’re doing.

It’s a picture of your house. There’s a fire in the chimney but its smoke blows the opposite way of the way that a cloud is raining. She has just started drawing butterflies but they’re as big as the trees in the garden and with multicolored wings.

In the bottom right corner, she has written I love Daddy but replaced the word love with a heart instead. Underneath is her signature. The S in her name is turning the wrong way but it’s her name nevertheless.

“This is so good,” Javier says enthusiastically, “Tell me about it. What is it?”

“It’s my house! I drew a lot of butterflies in the garden,” she explains proudly. In the background, you notice that Chucho is carrying bags, which you had no idea were packed, out of the front door.

“I can see that. You really know how to color. The green one is my favorite,” Javier continues, “Do you want me to put it on the fridge for when you come home tomorrow?”

Inés nods eagerly. She beams and then turns serious, “Yes! If— if you want to take the rabbit one down that’s okay.”

“Oh, I am gonna miss you, mi vida (my life),” Javier pecks her cheek and she giggles, “So much.”

“It’s only till tomorrow,” you point out with a giggle.

“Doesn’t mean I won’t miss these rascals,” Javier puts Inés down on the floor again, still holding her drawing and making sure not to crumple it. He ruffles Lucas’ hair, “You too, hijo (son).”

“I love you, Dad,” he says with a shy smile.

“I love you too, Daddy!” Inés joins in.

You mimic a wave with Sebastian’s little hand, “I love you too, Papá.”

“Now, now. As much as I love you, say bye to Mom,” he protests, nodding towards his infant son, “Want me to take him?”

“Yes, please,” you say and carefully unwrap Sebastian from his sling. It’s not a difficult transfer, something you have done a million times in the past many years. Sebastian only complains a little, Javier tuts and bounces him and the paper in his hand flaps.

You hug both of your kids at the same time, kissing them repeatedly on their heads, “I love you very much, my babies. I hope you have a fun time.”

“That’s the car packed,” Chucho announces as he comes back inside, “Come on, kids.”

“Right, I’ll put Seb in his car seat,” Javier replies as Inés and Lucas run to their grandfather’s car. Chucho goes with them to put on their seatbelts.

“Sebastian is going too?” You tense up. This hasn’t even crossed your mind.

“It’s just supposed to be us tonight,” Javier says, having put Inés’ drawing on the kitchen counter and already moving towards the front door where the car seat is on top of a cabinet. You hear shuffling around as your husband clicks the safety belt on, and you instinctively follow.

“We haven’t done that since the summer,” you argue.

“All the more reason to do it again if it’s been that long,” he responds with a little smile.

“Well, does he have enough milk?” You ask, moving your weight from side to side.

“More than enough, I packed extra.”

“O-okay.”

Javier leaves the car seat on the floor, steps close to you and cups your face, “He’ll be fine. Just like Inés and Lucas have been in the past. Relax, mi amor, no pasa nada (my love, it’s okay).”

“Okay,” you take a deep breath and nod, holding onto one of Javier’s wrists for a moment as you steady yourself. He looks like someone ready to catch you, “Está todo bien (it’s okay).”

“Now, let’s say goodbye so I can have you to myself, vale?” He smirks, leaning in to kiss you just barely.

“You have to tell me what you have planned tonight too,” you say and he nods.

“Claro (of course).”

It takes five minutes to get Sebastian in the car, secure him properly, and wave goodbye to your kids from the driveway. When you cannot see the car anymore, you walk inside and the house gets incredibly quiet after you close the door. The both of you let out a sigh.

“What now?” You look at Javier questioningly. After all, he is the one who has planned the next 24 hours.

“Honestly? I just want to take a nap,” he finds your hips and steers you closer, linking his arms around your waist. You reach up to rest your palms on his chest, scratching slightly against his shirt. He chuckles, “Do you want to take a nap with me?”

“Just a nap?” You raise a brow.

“Yes, just a nap,” he confirms with a boyish twinkle in his eyes.

“I’d kill for a nap but only if you tell me what’s happening later. I don’t like surprises,” you remind him when he already starts dragging you by your hand toward the stairs.

Javier waits until the both of you have ascended the stairs before telling you. You don’t say it but there’s a bit of relief following as you thought that he had forgotten what today was, especially because you usually at least get a present from him. He smiles brightly as he speaks, seeming proud that he has managed to keep it a secret from you, “Well, first you are going to wear something nice, a dress, and get all gorgeous for me.”

He continues as you reach the bedroom, toeing off his shoes, “Then at eight, I’m taking you out to dinner at that new place downtown where the portions are fucking tiny and ridiculous.”

“Wait, the gourmet restaurant?” You have let go of his hand to undo the baby wrap, folding it afterward and placing it on your shared dresser, “They’ve been fully booked for months.”

“Well yeah, and guess whose name is on one of the bookings,” he smirks, crawling onto the bed and waiting for you to follow.

“You spoil me,” you lay down on your respective sides and turn to face each other. You rest both hands underneath your cheek, grinning at the way that Javier looks so mischievous but suddenly, something in his eyes darkens.

“What?” You ask.

He reaches out for your waist, “And then when we get home, when you are all giggly from champagne, I am putting a baby in you.”

Your heart skips a beat. All blood in your body goes south. Without thinking, you sling a leg over his body and move closer, “Is that so?”

“Indeed, mi vida (my life),” the hand on your waist goes to rest on top of your thigh. He rubs it once and then twice but doesn’t do anything further, “But not now. Have a nap, wake up, and get pretty for me. You won’t get dick before tonight, lo siento (I’m sorry).”

“Unfair,” you mumble with already closed eyes.

It turns out to be just a nap. You wake a good while longer before Javier, knowing that you need more time than he does to get ready if you want to feel good about going to a fancy restaurant.

Besides you, your husband continues sleeping soundly. He doesn’t even sense it when the mattress shifts, bed springs creaking a little, as you leave the bed, and you make a mental note to ask him about his day to figure out what on Earth has made him this tired.

You have a checklist in your head with steps for getting ready to go out. It changes with the details of the event, so you pull out the one that includes what you like to do to look pretty for your husband. However, all the lists always start with a shower.

The spray is hot and soothing against your skin. You wash your hair and leave in your conditioner while you scrub your body, giving it extra time to work as you top your normal shower routine by shaving your legs. After struggling with balancing your leg against the wall for what has seemed like forever, the last five minutes of your shower are just spent standing underneath the shower head to feel the water cascading down your clean, smooth, and soft skin.

It takes you twenty-five minutes more to put on lotion, brush your teeth, blow dry your hair, and choose an outfit. When you leave the bathroom to put on your dress, Javier kisses you in the doorway before popping into the shower himself.

Now the hard part, you think to yourself. The dress you have chosen is from your anniversary a few years ago, consisting of tight red fabric. A part of you knows that it’s a bad idea as soon as you take it off its hanger and start putting it on, stepping into it, and pulling it up over your hips.

When it hugs your body in a way that feels unfamiliar to you, you step towards the full-body mirror on the bedroom wall with the intention of seeing if it needs any adjustments around your chest and waist. What greets you is not something that you wish to continue looking at but staring into the mirror, you find yourself unable to look away.

A reflection of your post-baby body stares back. You aren’t anymore who you were when you had Lucas, and thus getting back into your usual shape after giving birth to Sebastian has not become a reality despite the pressure from people around you being there.

There’s not much to say about it except your hips are wider and your stomach protrudes more than it did before. Usually, you haven’t worn a dress before getting down to your pre-pregnancy weight but Javier had made it sound so easy and now, it is so difficult; insecurities whisper in your ear as you try to flatten the fabric in hopes of looking prettier.

However, the scrutiny you put yourself under only intensifies and self-doubt becomes the uninvited guest that insecurity brings to the party. Should you ditch the idea of a dress altogether? You think yes and start to undress again because it’s way too tight around your middle and torso.

When Javier comes back into the bedroom, his hair is still damp and he has put on black underwear. You cannot help feeling the tiniest bit bitter at how well his extra pounds suit him and simply leaves him with a so-called dad-bod. He finds you stepping out of the dress as it has pooled around your feet. You look on the verge of tears at this point, knowing that you are not the woman that he chose to marry ten years ago.

“¿Que pasó (What happened)?” He is just about to head for the dresser when he stops in his tracks and turns on his heel to face you, noticing immediately the way your shoulders slump when you feel defeated.

You smile at him in the mirror, slightly unsure, when he catches your eyes, and you shift a little on the spot when he goes to stand right behind you.

“What?” You ask.

“What’s wrong?” He inquires once again.

“Do you think I’m pretty?” The question leaves your mouth before you can stop it, and Javier raises a brow.

“Is this a trick question?” He continues with a smile, “Baby, you are pretty, so pretty. You look incredible. As in, it is actually illegal or should be.”

Your attempt at a smile falters and Javier seems to realize that he has overdone it. You don’t believe him when he goes too head-on with the compliments.

“I don’t have anything to wear,” you say in frustration and reach up to rub your face, finally turning around to avoid the mirror completely, “My boobs are too big, my thighs and waist too. Nothing looks good on me, especially not a dress.”

“Ay, slow down,” he looks down at your half-naked body and smirks a little. It mostly just makes you want to cover up again, “First of all, your boobs are great.”

You try to laugh but it just sounds painful. Then he finds your eyes again, watches the pout on your face, and tuts when a tear escapes your eye and rolls down your cheek.

“I’m not beautiful anymore,” you say as if it’s a fact, “I look so different from when you met me.”.

He wipes the tear away with his thumb, saying your name gently and you find your eyes prickling with more frustrated tears.

He lets out a soft aww, baby, and steps closer to pull you into his arms, holding you as he lets you whimper quietly and then cry softly into his shoulder. His hands rub up and down your back. He is so warm.

“How about I choose something?” He suggests after a long silence filled with a bunch of silent tears. He pulls back to look you in the face, “You know I have a favorite, and then it won’t be as much pressure if you worry that I won’t like it. Even if that’s bullshit.”

“O-okay,” you sniffle, wiping your eyes with the back of your hand.

“Okay, baby,” he smiles genuinely and pecks your hair.

He goes to browse through your clothes and you stay by the mirror, still not turning around to look at yourself but instead looking at your feet like a child feeling guilty. It takes a moment for him to find the dress that he refers to as his favorite but when he returns to you, you look up again and are surprised by the one he apparently likes more than all the others.

It’s a navy blue satin dress that you bought last year when you were pregnant with Sebastian, and it quickly became your favorite dress for the summer because it had to be tied just below your breasts and therefore didn’t sit tight around your belly. It has butterfly sleeves and a flowy skirt that is slightly longer in the back and stops right at your knees in the front. It’s a wrap-around too, which means that it shows enough cleavage to make you feel sexy for him and to top it off, holds your breasts in place so you can avoid the annoyance of a bra.

You don’t know why it didn’t come to mind but you suspect that given how much you wore it last summer, it didn’t feel special enough. However, the fact that Javier likes it so much seems to transform it into the most beautiful dress you’ve ever seen.

Javier pulls the dress off its hanger and walks around you. He puts it on you like a coat and then stands in front of you to tie a knot on the front, undoing it and redoing it when he isn’t satisfied with his creation the first time. None of you say anything. None of you feel the need to.

His hands smooth out the fabric in a careful manner, and you suddenly find that Javier making you feel loved is so interchangeable with you feeling beautiful that you don’t have a clue why you had been in tears five minutes earlier.

He helps you into your heels too, lifting your feet one at a time by holding your ankle. The action is so gentle that you forget to breathe, even more so when he stretches to his full height once more and cups your face.

“Listen to me,” he says and there’s a certain sternness in his voice. Despite this, he doesn’t sound mean or angry, “I don’t ever want you saying these things about yourself again, okay?”

You nod your head as much as you are able to. A whimper wants to escape your lips but you hold it back.

“You are my wife, mi vida (my life),” he begins, letting his hands smooth over your shoulders and then down your arms until he can hold both of your hands, “I don’t give a shit about what you used to look like, it’s past, it’s not important. Eres tan hermosa (you are so beautiful). Look at the love you pour into our family. You’re the best Momma in the world, patient and kind, and I am in awe of you every day to the point where I can’t stop falling for you in new ways. You make me happy, make it worthwhile to power through at work so I can come home to you and the kids.”

“And you have never looked sexier,” he continues, eyes going down your body to see for himself that he is undoubtedly right. He grabs your hips, rubbing circles with his thumbs, “Your hips, your thighs… You’ve carried my children, for fuck’s sake. Without you, I’m nothing.”

“I mean look at you…” He trails off for a moment, looking down at where his hand is resting on your hip. You cannot help thinking about how warm his strong hand is, radiating comfort throughout your body. He looks lost in his thoughts and licks his lips without thinking.

“Javi,” you say quietly.

“Do you understand?” He asks.

“Yes,” you say almost nervously.

But then suddenly, his arms are around your waist and he is pulling you in for a kiss that makes you forget about the dinner reservation, the insecurities, and the time management altogether. You sling your arms around his neck and give in to his lips on yours, following him wherever he goes as he tugs you away from the mirror and towards the bed.

Before he instructs you to lie down, his hands find the knot on the front of your dress. He undoes it slowly, letting the dress fall open like a satin robe and groaning at the sight of your lack of a bra. He lets his hands go inside the dress, skimming his palms around your waist to pull you close and your head swims from the feeling of his skin on yours.

“Hermosa (beautiful),” he says, hands going up and cupping the underside of your breasts, You smile shyly, looking down to where he is touching you. Warmth has started to burn low in your belly just like before you fell asleep.

With newfound bravery, you reach up to peel the dress off of your shoulders. It falls down to your elbows, exposing your chest and tickling your back, until you let it slip off onto the ground in a pool around your feet. Javier looks like he might need someone to tell him to breathe.

He wraps one arm around your body and reaches behind your thigh with the other to pull your leg up slightly. Allowing him to slip you off your feet, he moves you onto the bed in a swift motion.

You kick off your heels as soon as you can, crawling back towards the headboard and Javier follows you without having to get undressed. After all, he never got any further because he saw you. You feel like you want to giggle with glee at the fact that you still have this effect on him years later.

Instinctively, you bend your legs and plant your feet flat on the mattress and without hesitation, Javier crawls between them to look down at you and marvel at the sight. He looks like a child on Christmas Day, hands reaching out to run up your shins, over your knees, and to grope at your thighs.

“Qué fuerte (unbelievable), are you really my wife?” He muses while rubbing your thighs absentmindedly. You reach for his hands and tug him down to you.

“Sí, mi amor (yes, my love),” you sound drunk on him already, using his own words against him. He is so close to you as he lies on top of you, crushing you so heavenly with his weight.

He kisses you longingly and gently scoops you into his strong arms whilst he does it, holding you flush against himself so you can feel your nipples harden against his chest. When you inhale through your nose to keep the kiss going, his scent fills your nostrils and God, he smells like soap and home.

It takes a minute to move on. You can see how he wants to descend on your body but each time he tries, you want another kiss and he happily indulges you. Like a couple of teenagers, you only stop when both of you have slightly swollen lips and he has a hard-on poking into your thigh.

“Let’s get these off,” Javier crawls back on the bed with elevated breath, fingers slipping underneath the waistband of your panties. He tugs them down your thighs and you help by lifting your ass off the mattress for a moment. His eyes are glued to your soft, fresh-out-of-the-shower and glowing skin, kissing your ankle as he slips your underwear off your feet and throws it to the side.

“You are so fucking hot,” he sounds in awe, “Look at you.”

You cannot stop grinning. Even when he lowers himself down on the bed again and gets comfortable between your thighs.

When he settles, he takes the sight of you in. You can feel your heartbeat in your untouched clit, and it only gets more powerful when Javier looks between your legs as if he is starved. He noses along your knee and then bites your inner thigh, growling under his breath. He moves inwards towards your quivering cunt then finds your eyes just before he dives in, indulges, “Do you know how fucking wet you are for me?”

You do know. It has steadily gotten to the point where you know that when you are going out later, you need to wear a new pair of underwear since the white cotton has probably become see-through and shiny.

And then his mouth is on you and you throw your head back, nearly breaking your neck and letting out a hah-sound as you stare up at the ceiling.

“You’re so good at that,” you moan, letting your eyes fall shut so nothing can distract you from the way his velvety tongue feels between your legs. It is intense to focus on nothing but the way he can guide it over your clit until your toes start to curl, “Oh my God, baby!”

When he kisses your clit and then sucks on it afterward, you lose your mind. Both of your hands come down to rest on the top of his head and when you feel the first flutters of pleasure that tell you that you are getting closer, you cannot keep your hips still. You move underneath his mouth, pushing your pelvis upward occasionally to let him devour you even further.

He eats you until you are seeping arousal into the bedsheets, pussy aching to be filled and stretched in only the way that his cock can. You twitch, clit pulsing, when his mouth leaves you briefly but you know what is to come - other than you, obviously - so you don’t complain. He does it to concentrate on slipping two fingers inside of you, pressing them upwards toward your g-spot before curling them over and over again.

His mouth finds your clit again and he is beyond his usual enthusiasm. The hands on his head stop simply resting there. Instead, you thread your fingers through his hair to channel the way you want to scream into something else because oh, mmhm, oh… oh!

You come on his tongue, shaking like a leaf and with a high-pitched moan that bounces off the walls. Your whole lower body spasms, walls clamping down on Javier’s fingers which still press towards your front wall and make you delirious with pleasure.

“Fuck!” You cry, “Fuckfuckfuck!”

Javier has pushed himself to his knees to watch you. He replaces his tongue on your clit with his thumb, teasing out the very last twitches of your high by going in circles until you need to yank his wrist away from the overstimulation.

After a moment, you begin to giggle. Your hand skims over your forehead, holding it there afterward in an almost soothing manner. Javier is looking at you, having wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and is now trying to decipher whether he can move on to something more or if you need a break.

At no point do either of you think about checking the time.

“Happy Valentine’s Day to me,” you say when you finally get your breath under control. You still feel giggly but instead, it comes out as a soft chuckle as you speak.

“You make it sound like I don’t do this often,” he crawls closer to you again, and you tell him to come here as he enters your arms. He kisses your neck a few times and then looks up at you, “I go down there quite a lot and often, you know.”

“Yes, yes, like a good boy, I know,” you tease him, reaching for his chin to pull him into a soft and lazy kiss. He tastes like you, and you lose yourselves in each other once more until Javier pulls off his briefs with one hand. He discards them without leaving you for too long, throwing them to whatever spot he had aimed your own underwear at.

“Need to have you close,” you voice what you long for, having grown needy from seeing him undress completely. The sight of his beautiful cock is enough to get you fired up again, clenching around nothing, “Please.”

You spread your legs even further and Javier lies between them, reaching down to ease his cock inside of you. He enters you slowly and with a shaky breath, the both of you staring down to watch as he disappears inside of your cunt.

You hold onto his arms, breathing hard and trying to relax as it stings slightly due to his generous girth. The second he bottoms out, you whine feebly as if you have been holding it back and it’s now safe to do so.

“Lo sé (I know),” he soothes.

“You feel so good,” you babble, “I love you.”

“Y yo a ti (I love you too),” he bumps your noses together, looking into your eyes as he moves once and then twice. Your mouth falls open in a gasp and he uses the opportunity to lick into your mouth and kiss you deeply.

You slide your hands underneath his arms to hug him close, letting them go up along his broad back and each ripple of muscle that flexes as he fucks you until you can clutch onto his shoulders. You rock with him, relishing in the smooth motion of his hips moving back and forth to stretch your cunt open again and again.

Your fingers dig into his shoulders until your knuckles start to ache. No matter how many times he is with you like this, it will never be enough. It will never be enough because you need him to be this close and connected to you every goddamn day. It’s like a hardcore drug that clouds your brain, like the oxygen that you breathe in daily, like the food and drink necessary to survive.

Without interrupting him, you move to dig your heels into the back of his legs. With each stroke of his cock inside of you, each roll of his gorgeous hips and pelvis, you can feel the muscles of his calves tightening and relaxing. Your limbs tangling around him allows you to angle him how you want it most, so you mumble something and dig your heels in further.

Suddenly, his pelvic bone crashes against your clit, and it continues doing so until you know that this is how you are going to come a second time.

“Oh, just like that,” you let your head fall back into the mattress, “You’re gonna make me— Javi! You’re gonna make me come, baby.”

“Is this pussy mine? Esta cosita linda (This pretty little thing)?” He asks with a growl, sounding so sexy that you know he is determined to make your orgasm approach even faster because his thrusts speed up.

“Para toda la vida (for life),” you say breathlessly, panting as you near your crescendo. It only takes a few more strokes against your clit and then you are done for, coming a second time with a sharp intake of breath and then a cry that could disturb the neighbors from whatever they are doing.

He kisses each whimper from your mouth and slows down a little to give you space for you to return to him. However, you know that this isn’t the end. His stamina today is mind-boggling but you don’t complain, instead take what he can give you even if it leaves you sore until the next day.

“You okay?” He asks when you have calmed down.

You let your arms and legs fall down to your sides with a blissful expression on your face. You nod, reaching up to rub your eyes as you feel deeply sated, “Just give me a moment.”

“Think you can take anymore?” He pulls out of you to get back onto his knees. You make a noise. On his shoulders, you spot the little crescent marks that your nails have left.

“We’re making babies, right?” You note.

“Claro (of course),” he snorts.

“Then you better screw me silly, Mr. Peña,” you shift slightly on the bed to present your spent cunt for him once more but more obscenely this time by reaching down and spreading your lips open. He groans at the sight, especially when you visibly clench around nothing and silently promise him what’s to come.

“Anything for you, Mrs. Peña,” he almost sounds in pain from the desperation to get back inside of you.

The sweet tenderness and romance are put on hold for something dirtier to take their place, Javier moving forward until the front of his thighs touches the back of yours. He pushes inside of you again with a gasp of your name and places his hands on your hips, holding on tightly so he can pound you into the mattress.

The sound of his skin slamming against yours fills the room along with your moans, and each thrust sends ripples of intense pleasure through your body now that you are so sensitive. You allow yourself the relief of crying out towards the ceiling because, for the next twenty-four hours, you are completely child-free so who cares?

Javier’s eyes burn with desire at your noises. He is so beautiful, mouth hanging slightly open as he pants and his shoulders looking even broader when he hovers above you. And his noises, he is louder than normal too, you realize, with no intention of quieting his moans down either.

A particular snap of his hips sends you reeling as he nudges your g-spot just right and makes you grip at the sheets. Javier is on you like a hawk and notices immediately the way that his cock has severed connection to your brain for a moment.

“You like that? You like my cock?” He digs his thumbs into your hip bones, indulging himself by staring down at where his cock pistons in and out of you. His length is sticky with your arousal, “I can tell you like my cock, God, your come is all over me, baby.”

You bite your lower lip, furrow your brows, and nod repeatedly, “Yes… yesyesyes!”

“You’re on fire today, mi amor (my love), makes me wanna come inside of you like I’m meant to,” he spits filthy words as he goes harder, “Think you can give me one more? Make those gorgeous legs shake?”

The comment about your legs makes you bend them to your chest so you can link your arms under your knees. The position makes Javier swear under his breath, and when you squeeze around your calves, he becomes a tighter fit inside of you and a sob escapes you.

He is the one to look drunk now, fighting the urge to let his eyes roll back into his skull in case he misses anything you do while he drives into your pussy in this new position. He moves his hands to place them on the back of your thighs and contort your body slightly. He digs his fingers into the extra pounds there and then fucks you with your shared pleasure in mind.

The squelch of your cunt is obscene and you almost sound like you’re crying from how he pounds your g-spot. A third high, which started building slowly, approaches so quickly that you squeeze your eyes shut and nearly choke as you scream for him, “Yes, oh my God, yes! I’m—“

“That’s my girl,” he sounds close too, “Get it all over my cock, baby.”

The bliss you feel as you come a third time turns your demeanor from pathetic and whimpering into smiling and giggling instead. You look up at him with hazy eyes while you are grinning, moaning, and coming so hard that Javier cannot stop himself from laughing slightly even if it’s interrupted by his own moans.

“Fuck, you are gorgeous coming for me,” he praises with a shit-eating grin, gasping sharply at reaching his own peak a second later because he just cannot hold back any longer. He pulses inside of you, breeds you until you are filled to the brim, and you can feel some of it spilling out onto the bed sheets.

Exhausted is not the right word. Your whole body slumps when post-orgasmic bliss hits you and you groan as Javier topples down on top of you as well. You melt together and breathe hard, one big tangle of limbs turning you into an octopus.

“Definitely didn’t have time for that,” you say eventually.

“Stop being so hot then,” he jokes. He lifts his head to kiss you longingly and you allow yourself to lose yourself in it, again forgetting about the time that’s ticking by.

As Javier reluctantly tears himself away from you, he casually looks at the clock on the nightstand and gets up so quickly that he needs to find his balance. He seems to realize that you are not just fashionably late but actually really late, “Mierda (shit).”

You check the time too and swear as well. It is twenty minutes to eight, and it takes at least fifteen minutes to drive to the inner city. There’s no way that the two of you are going to make the reservation, and you will just have to hope that they are kind enough to hold onto your table the minutes you are going to be late.

It seems like you turn into the stars of your own romantic comedy, the only thing missing being the laughing track in the background because you move through the house so quickly that you almost forget to put on underwear after getting cleaned up in the bathroom. The rush doesn’t even give you time to ponder your shape in the mirror again.

By the time you actually leave the house, you are laughing at the ridiculousness of it all and looking disheveled. In fact, you have to stop Javier from getting into your car because his buttons are buttoned unevenly and his collar looks like he’s been out in a storm.

“Right, fuck, what’s the time?” Javier asks when he slams the car door on his side.

You look at the car radio’s clock, making a concerned noise, “Hmm… Ten to eight. If you speed a little?”

“I’m law enforcement,” he deadpans.

“You’re also late for a booking you have had for months,” you argue.

Javier pulls out of the driveway but despite it all, he still doesn’t speed with the mother of his children in the car.

However, he does use his badge in the window to get a parking spot close to the restaurant. He pulls it from the glove box and you raise an eyebrow at him, to which he simply tells you to shut up with a tiny glint in his eye.

Your heels click on the sidewalk as you speedwalk towards the restaurant’s main entrance. Javier holds the door open for you, and for a moment, you actually look like a couple who has it all together and is on a date.

Despite this, it seems that impromptu sex is apparently not good for new restaurant businesses, even if it starts out innocently with an intention of comforting one’s partner, because your table has already been given to someone else. You can see Javier’s fist tightening into a ball at his side as he is told this.

The man at the front desk looks unimpressed with your husband’s attempt to make him show you to a table anyway, and you even hear Javier saying that he cannot, in good conscience, let you starve.

You stand a little behind your husband who quietly fumes because nothing seems to work, “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m afraid we’re fully booked tonight and many nights ahead. It is Valentine’s Day after all.”

“Yes, I am aware,” he replies with gritted teeth.

“Honey,” you reach out to put a hand on his arm and he whirls around, only to look a lot more calm the second he finds your gaze, “It’s fine. Come on, we’ll find someplace else.”

“But you’re starving,” he says helplessly.

“Then let’s not keep this up. I know a place around the corner,” you smile at him, holding out your hand until he gives in and takes it, “Besides, they can keep their tiny portions to themselves.”

It may just be the last remains of what you did half an hour ago but Javier starts snickering while you guide him through the door and out into the evening air. He only manages to walk down the street with you for a few yards before he presses you against a brick wall and kisses you.

“No,” you scold him playfully and place your palms on his chest, “I don’t care if you’re Laredo’s local hero. You couldn’t get a table so we’re not wasting time by making out in public. Like you said, I am starving.”

“Descarada (cheeky devil),” he pecks your lips but lets go of you, “Fine, lead the way.”

The two of you start walking. The place you have in mind is only a short walk away and it’s a nice night, so you don’t mind. Especially not when you can walk hand-in-hand with Javier the whole way and not have to say a thing.

You end up in front of a food truck that sells tacos. It is the perfect spot for something low-key which makes your whole night seem even funnier now that you are so overdressed. The two of you snicker together as you wait in line, mostly resembling a couple who have escaped a tedious wedding to get junk food.

“My treat,” he says.

“You better. It’s your fault we’re here,” you tease.

“I think we have different versions of what happened back home,” he winks, “But fine, order whatever you want. Like always.”

You order your food, telling the owner of the food truck to go heavy on the pico de gallo and Javier follows behind with his own order. After paying, you take a step back to let other people buy their food.

“This is where we had our first date,” he notices, an arm around your waist as you wait for your food. He tightens his grip around you as he speaks, “Where I knew I wanted to marry you, have kids with you.”

“This is not where we had our first date,” you say with a playful roll of your eyes, looking at him long enough for him to give you a kiss.

“Yes it was,” he replies.

“No, you were drunk and we were heading home from the bar a few blocks from here,” you remind him, “We’d only just met. Connie told me not to follow you.”

“Fuckin’ Connie,” he shakes his head, “No, that was definitely our first date. I don’t care what you say. I just don’t wanna think about the disaster that followed even if you want to call that the first date.”

“You were late and we missed our reservation,” you reminisce, “Just like today.”

“Which is why I am not calling it the first,” he lets go of you as the woman in the truck places your orders on the counter. He hands you yours and then takes his own, “We had food, talked for hours and you were wearing that dress with the bows.”

“No more talk about dresses,” you groan as you walk to find a spot, “You’re making me depressed.”

“I’m just saying,” he shrugs with a grin, “I knew then.”

“Well, I knew when Connie told me you were forbidden fruit,” you smile back at him, and there’s something strangely comforting about knowing that he follows right behind.

The food truck's sitting area is right behind it in a cozy nook between two buildings. As disappointed as you were at not getting to try out the new restaurant in town, the picnic tables, and colorful plastic chairs more than make up for it. It is a lot more romantic than what you assume the gourmet restaurant would have been, and you choose a spot right underneath a blanket of string lights that seem to imitate stars.

There are a few guests aside from you, and you feel warm at hearing their voices filled with laughter and joy.

You sit down on the bench and tuck your skirt between your knees, getting comfortable and looking excitedly down at your soon-to-be-devoured food. There’s something uniquely satisfying about a greasy meal after sex, and even more so when your husband indulges you to have whatever you want.

You pick up your taco and bite into it, doing a happy dance as you chew whilst Javier watches you with a grin on his face. However, the happiness is short-lived because something in the taco triggers a wave of nausea and you soon realize that it is the pico de gallo.

“What is it?” Javier has caught on because you cannot help but grimace.

“This tastes funny,” you say. Puzzled, you take another bite but quickly stop yourself before you are stupid enough to go for a third. Your stomach growls but there’s no way you are eating the rest without at least scraping it off.

Carefully, you place the taco back down on its paper tray and take a few napkins from the dispenser on the end of the picnic table. You spit your latest bite out into one of them because your body does not agree with the idea of swallowing the acidity again. Then you take a long sip of your water and wish you had something to neutralize the taste in your mouth.

Without thinking much of it, you start to rid your food of the salsa fresca. You use your index finger to scrape it out onto the napkin and pick any remaining pieces off too, avoiding the natural instinct to suck your finger clean and wipe it on a new napkin instead. In front of you, Javier has stopped eating and simply watches you.

You feel slightly judged by him, narrowing your eyes from annoyance, “What?”

“Are you pregnant?” He asks with a furrowed brow.

“What? No way,” you let out a chuckle of disbelief, “That’s not funny.”

“Honey,” he continues, nodding down at the napkin, “You love pico de gallo.”

“So? The only times I haven’t eaten it has been when I’m pregna—“ your eyes widen, looking down at your taco for a moment before staring at Javier again. He looks just as alarmed by your food which is only two bites down, “There’s no way.”

Around you, people have started to notice a shift in your voice. It probably sounds like you are upset, like Javier is using Valentine’s Day to break up with you.

“Baby, there’s no way,” you say again and your voice has become a little higher pitched, “I’d only be five weeks along.”

To the opposite of you, Javier is speechless. He has stopped eating his own dinner, sitting with his own taco but is unable to figure out how to react.

“We can’t have been lucky the first time around. My period is due in a few days. This is ridiculous. Sebastian is only just about five months old,” you are starting to sound frantic, “Javi. Baby, I am freaking out.”

Javier blinks a few times almost as if he is mentally shaking himself out of his trance. He reaches across the table and takes hold of your wrist, “Calm down. Let’s just finish eating and then we can go get one of those early detection tests, yeah? Te prometo que todo va a salir bien (I promise you that everything is going to be okay).”

“Yes, alright, you’re right,” you feel instantly calmed by his touch, turning your palm upward so he can hold your hand instead. Then you frown, “But I can’t eat this. It’s probably still going to taste like it.”

“Hold on,” he says, letting go of you to switch plates with you without hesitation, “There, now you can eat.”

“Te quiero (I love you),” you sigh happily, smiling at him from across the table.

“Love you too, now eat, so you can feed my kid,” he starts to load the taco with pico de gallo again.

The late-night pharmacy, just opening, exudes a subtle but steady hum of activity, bathing in the fluorescent glow of overhead lights. Shelves are neatly lined with pharmaceuticals, and you scrunch up your nose at the faint scent of antiseptic. Javier keeps a hand on the small of your back the whole time, steering you gently toward the counter as if this new piece of information has made him instantly more protective.

There’s only a single pharmacist behind the counter, a middle-aged woman with her glasses around her neck in a chain, but she doesn’t blink when you explain your sudden emergency. She beckons you down along the aisles and grabs a few different pregnancy tests for you to choose from.

“This one is more certain but it does cost a little extra,” she explains and holds up a Clearblue digital test. Javier quickly exchanges a look with you.

“We’ll take that one, actually make it two,” you say, tapping your feet nervously on the floor, “Can I use the bathroom here?”

“We’re that eager?” She smiles, “Sure, dear. Let me just get the key.”

Javier pays at the counter, a twinkle in his eyes as he makes a joke, “My treat again.”

“You better; you’re the one who got us into this mess - again,” you giggle and it even earns you a chuckle from the pharmacist.

“I hope you get the result you are hoping for,” she says when unlocking the door to the staff toilet. She ushers you both inside the door and then closes it behind you.

Silence at last, you think to yourself and even find that the water you drank with your meal earlier has run right through you. You pull up your skirt, twisting it and tying a knot to keep it from falling down again. You go for your underwear next, bending over to pull them down your legs to your ankles. You feel Javier’s palm steadying you without thinking.

Besides you, Javier starts tearing open the Clearblue boxes. He hands them to you one by one, and you finally sit down to pee, angling your wrist awkwardly to make sure you use the sticks correctly. The both of you stay silent through the whole ordeal.

You wrap both pregnancy tests in toilet paper and hand them to Javier who places them on the edge of the sink so you can finish up and get dressed again. He takes a step to the side to let you wash your hands, having crossed his arms over his chest and started tapping his fingers nervously.

While you listen to the sound of the water running, the air in the tiny, poorly lit bathroom seems to hang thick with anticipation. You want to say something but there is nothing you can say that’ll ease your shared, anxious heartbeat. Eventually, Javier beats you to it.

“Don’t be disappointed if it’s negative,” he gives you an uncertain smile. Mostly, it sounds as if he is talking to himself.

“You know I will be,” you sigh, stepping close to link your arms around his neck. He nods in understanding, cupping your waist and rubbing soothingly with his thumbs.

“Me too,” he lets out a shaky breath.

“I know,” you automatically tighten your grip on him as the minutes go by, knowing that he needs it as much as you. On the sink, the white plastic sticks seem to mock you with their silence.

Come on…

A few minutes more and suddenly, you know there is no way back. It seems ridiculous that a stick with your pee on it has the ability to predict your future but here you are. You shake your head after untangling yourself from your husband, “I can’t look.”

Javier bravely takes them from their place on the sink. Your stomach does somersaults as he unwraps them, twisting them so their displays face upward. A slow, relieved smile spreads across his face and he looks up immediately, “You’re four to five weeks pregnant.”

“What?” You grab his wrist to take a look for yourself, “There’s no way!”

Sure enough, both displays show a positive result and an approximate number of weeks. Calculating in your head, you know it has to be that one time in the middle of the night in January. The thought of getting it right without even really having begun is crazy because it’s so unbelievable.

“That’s so surreal,” you walk straight into his arms. He hugs you tightly, resting his lips on your forehead and you can feel his elevated breathing because you are so close to him.

“Pop is going to have a heart attack,” he mumbles with slight amusement, although you can hear the tremor in his voice. You look into his eyes, reaching up to cup his cheek and smiling softly.

“We can’t tell anyone yet, it’s not been three months,” you say, lost in just staring at him. He is so beautiful when he is happy.

“God, I know, I'm just so excited,” he chuckles, a little embarrassed.

“I’m sure you’ve already figured out that it’s going to be a Halloween baby,” you grin.

“Oh fuck, forget about Pop; Inés is gonna get so pissed if she has to share Halloween with a birthday child,” he starts to laugh after he has said it. You join in, high on the happiness you feel.

“I love you so much,” you say when the laughter dies down.

“I love you too,” he kisses you after saying it.

“And happy Valentine’s Day to us,” you continue, letting Javier pull away to throw the pregnancy tests out and wash his hands.

“See? Now you’re using it right,” he teases after drying his hands.

Then he opens the door and waits for you to step outside. Everything seems possible tonight.

FOLLOW @notjustjavierpena-fics AND TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS 💖❤️💖❤️

#notjusjavierpena #javier peña #javier peña x reader #hubby!javi #fanfic writer appreciation post #fic recs

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mirandamckenni1 · 2 years ago

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youtube

TikTok tattletales need to CHILL: the ethics of stranger surveillance 👁️‍🗨️ Go to INTIMINA’s website and check out the amazing discounts and GWPs they’re offering on all their products for Black Friday! ➡️ https://ift.tt/4VjcOlm 🎁 Free sterilizing cup with code: TARA2 Chapters: 0:00 Imagine... 3:52 To catch a CHEATER! 🚩 13:55 Fake friends 👋 24:46 Bob 🦛 Sources: 1. https://ift.tt/yl91oVM 2. https://ift.tt/ZCpPHqL 3. https://ift.tt/2LZlfpa 4. https://ift.tt/VI5SNU9 Follow me: https://ift.tt/z0kJXQa https://twitter.com/taramooknee Cow Artwork by Sara Spellhammer Insta: https://ift.tt/cFPNS4y Support me on Patreon: https://ift.tt/9MS6xoP Follow Siggy: https://ift.tt/uTrJX4W via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4-USOBfGLw

#IFTTT #YouTube #Youtube

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alexbkrieger13 · 3 years ago

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Magda learnt from probably one of the best captain role models in the game: Siggy Sigge Segs aka Seger 😎

Aside from when she guested Ali Riley's pod when Ali mentioned Segs has basically ended up as captain for every club team she's played for, these are some recent Fcr articles with the team about Seger's importance.

Knaak (one of the Germans), Berglund and the coach Slegers

Slegers, Knaak and Schough

Bredgaard

Knaak

Brown

But as one picture says more than a thousand words, these photos are telling: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (Do a keep reading-post of these pics? 😊 They're just amazing).

#you all know i love photos #caroline seger #swewnt article #magdalena eriksson

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gaylecleven · 4 years ago

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First off, I love your torvi & ubbe edits. With that being said, any opinions on the new season?

Thank you so much. I would die for Ubbe and Torvi...

Now, thoughts. Ummm so I’ve only watched up to 14 cause I’m watching with my parents and they go slow but current thoughts in general.

Amma. Now, I know not may people cared or got attached to her but I loved her. Or more loved her for the character she could have and should have been. She was brought on to fix the severe lack of female characters and then they had no clue what to do with her so... they kill her off. Despite them continuing to find repetitive, boring and drawn out plots for the million male characters... Vikings can’t write women. No wait, they can create beautiful amazing women but then don’t know what to do with them after. I’m pretty fucking sick of it.

Lets fucking talk about killing off Asa. Like my heart breaks for Torvi. I love her so much and she really is the best and most devoted mother on the show and what does she get for it losing 3/4 of her children. It’s not fair. And while I’m sure it plays into realism that a child on that sort of voyage is likely to die but fuck it really was just cause once again they didn’t know what to do with her so byye to the cutest fucking kid ever. And the way they barely gave a reaction from Ubbe about it? Like he seemed more upset about Hali even. I know Ubbe wasn’t her real dad but he cared for them as his own and he should have been more upset than just upset for his wife.

On top of that the death of Asa meant the end of Lagertha’s line and that made me sad. Also - which child did Bjorn forget about when he said he’d lost two children, he’s actually lost 3 (4 now). So did Gunnhild’s baby not count cause it wasn’t born? Or did he forget about Siggy?

On to Ubbe and Torvi. Like? I hate how they kinda instantly sifted into old married couple vibes. Like they don’t even get Ragnar and Lagertha married energy with all the heat and passion. It kinda disappoints me. And while I love them to death and know that they are in love and perfect for each other wish they got more of that. Like back in 5B when they were sparring and it was all playful and flirty. That was great. They was this lovely shot of them in ep 14 though when he’s sitting behind her and they kiss and you bet your sweet ass I screamed and will be giffing that.

The rest of it... idk. I don’t give a fuck about Harald. Kill the cunt already. Please be more consistent with Ingrid and Gunnhild - are they friends, are they enemies. idk. But why are their plots once again centred around a man? Like, at least the election plot was (mostly) about them. The Ivar, Hvitserk, Oleg ect plotline seems dragged out to me or idk I’m not loving it all that much. Vikings has a similar problem to late got where you know the big action you want in the end so lets draw it out with useless shit that really has no impact on the final thing which could have happened in two episodes ?

I don’t know. I’m not hating it so far but I don’t think I could have binged it like I originally planned. Asked me again when I finish.

#vikings #vikings spoilers #lara answers #tre-ang-fer

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shmisolo · 5 years ago

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creator tag meme

Tagged by @politicalmamaduck & @southsidestory!

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

This is a tricky one, and includes some original things I’ve been working on, but we’ll give it a shot!

First and foremost, I have spent most of this year working on the draft of the fantasy novel I am currently querying. I also worked on the draft of it’s sequel for NaNoWriMo, which I’m going to lump in here too. I don’t have a link to it (🤞🏻yet🤞🏻) because woohoo trying to find an agent sure is a Process, but I do have links to some art that I’ve commissioned over the course of the past year as milestone “treats” and rewards! 1. Book 1: {1} {2 by @naomimakesart} {3 by @lilithsaur} {4 by @thesigularity} {5 a gift from @aionimica} 2. Short Story (set in the same verse for @lemonandlimefic): {1 by @nad-vaa} 3. Book 2: {1} {2}

Checklists and Promises - Many trigger warnings, but they’re in the AO3 tags and not really talked about in this little ramble -I’ve had headcanons that are populating this fic for the past three years, but never quite had the guts to write it. I’m so glad I have—it’s been really cathartic.

Do You Know The Muffin Man? - {art commissioned from @elopez7228} - I wrote this for @reyloner as part of a @thereylowritingden exchange earlier this year and honestly I’ve never had a fic flow so quickly. It was a delight to write, short and sweet, and in a voice that was just so enjoyable to capture.

The Hoarder’s Dilemma - {art commissioned from @thesigularity} - I just had a great time with the worldbuilding in this one. The art that Siggy drew was also my computer background for a while because it was such a #vibe.

till touch down brings me round again - (Trigger warnings for Babies, Postpartum Depression) - Technically I wrote this in 2019, but I didn’t get to post it until 2020 because it was part of the Babies at the Border Anthology. I love it so much. It’s much more focused on Rey, and friendship, and personhood, with a background bit of Reylo in there. It was one of those times where I really love fanfiction: it was a vehicle to let me explore a topic I’d wanted to explore (postpartum depression) but wouldn’t have been able to, I think, without the understanding from the pre-built relationships of the canon.

That’s it on my end! I have tagged a few other creators in writing this little meme, so please consider yourself tagged to carry on the chain!

#about fic meme

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mo-mo-and-porkchop · 6 years ago

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Our paths will always meet

Vikings Fan Fiction - College AU

Chapter 5 (Chapter 4 here)

*I do not own any part of the Canon Vikings characters. It is simply my interpretation. I make no profit off of this.

**I do own the original characters and everything associated with them.

((A special thanks to @scoundrcls and @theboatbuilderswife for help with the inspiration for this work.))

Prompt: - it’s 3 am and I’m still in the library studying for finals and I’m losing my grip on reality and I think I just saw a ghost —::—

Tagging for updates: @captstefanbrandt , @kenzieam

"Do you think four is enough?" she asked bounding down the stairs, her arms full of blankets for the group.

She mentally counted through the couples, singles, and triples waiting back at the bonfire. Ragnar chuckled at her as her fingers went up and down as she did so.

"Might want one more," he replied taking a couple to help carry the load. "I don't think Lagertha and Aslaug will want to share."

"Shit. You're right." She headed to a hall closet and pulled one last blanket. "Never thought I'd see those two in a room since orientation," she called to him as she made her way back.

Ragnar huffed and hung his head momentarily before rolling it back and grimacing. "That fight was not my fault," he defended.

"Sure heartbreaker," she teased handing him the last blanket.

He gave her an exasperated look.

"Calm down. I was only joking. You're only partially responsible," she laughed.

He growled softly with her remark.

She couldn't help the chuckle that left her. "C'mon Cassanova," she added playfully, leading him from the house.

-----

"So what exciting things will you be doing in India," Siggy asked, sipping her wine cooler.

"Meeting lots of exotic men I hope," Aslaug chimed in, a momentary glance Ragnar's way.

He averted her eyes and drank his beer. O laughed softly at the silent exchange between them before answering. "It's an archeological site, so mostly grunt work.

You know, digging holes and cleaning away dirt. I know it's a far cry from my major, but I couldn't resist the opportunity."

"You always were obsessed with the past," Arne observed.

"That's because she's an old soul," Helga agreed. "Don't deny it," she added with a smirk O's way.

"I won't," she laughed, drinking.

"Three months of playing in the dirt," Ragnar chimed in. His bitterness was less controlled the more he drank. The laughter died down. "Sounds great," he added sarcastically, taking another drink.

"Ragnar," Tor started clearing his throat a bit. "You've been awfully stingy with those beers. Maybe let me and Floki help you out with some of them?" he said only half joking.

He huffed in reply and drank.

Ofreyja silently stopped Torstein from trying to dissuade Ragnar's drunkenness. "Did I ever tell you there's a spot here where you can see the Milky Way?" she offered to Ragnar, wrapping her arm through his and pulling him closer; her fixated gaze forcing his to find hers.

"No. You haven't," he said with a sigh, even drunk knowing what she was trying to do. And knowing it would work as usual.

"Then let's go," she said standing and half pulling him with her.

The blanket around them slipped from his shoulders and he wobbled a bit once he was upright. O reshifted the blanket around her and let her hand slide down his arm into his.

"Hell yeah!" Arne said jumping up.

Torstien immediately grabbed him and forced him to sit back down. He gave O an 'I got you' smirk and nod letting her continue.

"Come on," O said softly, motioning toward the woods with her head and starting off. Ragnar shuffled drunkenly along with her, the voices of their friends fading into silence.

-----

She watched as the stars slowly moved through the velvety black of the sky. Her bare feet moved silently across the soft, forest floor. The colors of the Milky Way popped against the dark, peeking through the trees as they walked.

Ragnar had begun to trail behind.

His inebriated mind could care less about her 'love for the past'. He didn't want her to leave. He wanted her to stay right where she was. With him.

She stopped, taking it all in for one moment longer. She wanted to remember this.

His feet instinctively stopped along with her and caught sight of her. A soft breeze tickled her hair. Fireflies twinkled around them. The stars glimmered off her skin, almost mimicking the ocean's reflection perfectly; everything enhanced thanks to his buzz. Just seeing her there cemented his desire to keep her there. And India could go fuck itself.

He took one more drink before catching up. He was going to make her see how way and change her mind about all of this. Somehow he was going to make her stay.

"Beautiful isn't it?" she asked her her eyes fixated upward.

Her voice broke through his focus and forced him to really see her.

She was happy.

"Yea. She is," he answered quietly, unable to filter his thoughts.

He suddenly felt like a real piece of shit for being such a dick back at the bonfire. This was an amazing opportunity and it was selfish of him to try and derail that.

"Come on," she said with a soft laugh, bringing her gaze to his; "It's even better through here."

She led him toward the clearing just ahead. She wanted to blow his mind, making this his final memory of them before she left. Not some regretful fight.

-----

As they stepped from the treeline, his breath was taken away. Soft purples and blues were splattered with the twinkle of stars - a beautiful scar across the sky. "Wow," he mumbled to himself. It really was better here.

His feet shuffled toward her and he tried to force himself to enjoy his last remaining moments with her, but he couldn't. A thud sounded in the grass and he’d wrapped himself around her - his inhibitions clearly loosened from his alcohol consumption. Beer splashed against her leg. His breath was warm against her skin. The scent of alcohol lingered in the air with each breath he took.

His sudden closeness caught her off guard, but not enough to solicit confusion. O pulled him even closer. Whether night or day, crowded or abandoned, it wouldn’t have mattered. Everything around them disappeared in that moment. She nuzzled herself against him, inhaling deeply. Her fingers entangled themselves in his hair as she held him.

“Ragnar,”she whispered into his ear.

The sound of his name against her lips sent a dagger though his heart and his chest tightened. His eyes dampened. "Please don't go," he said, his voice muffled and cracking.

Her eyes squeezed shut with his words. A few tears fell to her cheeks. Her grip on him tightened. Never had she been forced to leave someone she cared for so deeply. It was horrible. She never wanted to let go. She wished the two of them could just stay right there, in that clearing, and never leave.

But the real world didn’t worked that way.

"I have to,” she said parting from him enough to catch his gaze. A hand went to his cheek, her thumb caressing his skin.

"I know," he sadly admitted, trying his best to gather himself. "Go and see the world," he added dejectedly.

She let her hand slip to his beard and gave it a light, playful tug before falling to his neck. A sad smile pulled itself to her lips when he told her to see the world. Of course she would see it. All of it. Every last corner. Nothing was safe from her desire to explore.

“India first,” she agreed. “Then we will see the world," she said leaning her head against his.

She wouldn’t have it any other way. Even with the sorrow filling her voice, her decision was made and understood. Nothing he could tell her would change her mind.

His fingers wrapped themselves around hers and pulled it from where she held him. "India first," he repeated quietly.

She pulled his hand to her lips. His skin was rough against her soft skin as she nuzzled it against her cheek.

#ragnar lothbrok #ragnar lodbrok #vikings #fanfic #fan fiction #fanfiction #fan fic #indie #writing #fiction #original characters #oc #canon characters #canon #modern #au #modern au #fluff #ragnar x oc

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randomnameless · 7 years ago

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Chapter 10 - Miletos to Chalphy!

Here we are!

Finally, after 20 years, Oifey returns home!

Oldvis reaps what Arvis sown, Julia’s still useless and spooky figures appear.

Palmarch can’t believe it, Oldvis really wants to save the children??

Quick Palmarch! Use a rewarp staff! How’s that you don’t have any??

hm : forgot to screencap a panel - But Oldvis gives something to Palmarch.

However, what does he mean by “you were a confidante to Sigurd”? Palmarch wasn’t a part of our group on Gen 1, was he? Or was he Siggy’s pal from before? Maybe he is the court archbishop of Chalphy?

OMG here it is

OMFG

This, this line holds so many things, i dreamt of it so many times you have no idea. Julia doesn’t care about what happened, rather, “what happened” doesn’t matter, she never hated her dad. Now, what is that “what happened”? Is it the stories about Siggy and how Oldvis murdered everyone? When all of her LA pals were saying they hated Arvis because he killed everyone? Even in her amnesiac state Julia didn’t hate him? Or she didn’t care about her LA pals?

“To me”, is it “imo you’re kind” or “you’ve always been kind to me”?

Aw, Oldvis calls himself a fool was he a fool just like Reptor

I still can’t believe the “powerless to do a thing” angle.

You’re still the Emperor, how is that “i have given the empire to julius”? He is a mere prince, you’re supposed to outrank him. And Arvis calls him the embodiment of Loptyr, does that mean that he thinks Julius had always been Loptyr?

DEEDEE NO :’(

OTOH, Oldvis still sees Deedee as a material possession, “he took the love of my life from me” no he killed her, he didn’t take your toy away... Deedee warped Julia away.

maybe you wouldn’t have been sent in a war without tomes nor staves?

OMG JUGDRAL AU : JUGDRAL’S BEST MOM FOUND JULIA

At this point, Julia still thinks that it was Julius who killed Deedee. Or maybe she thinks it was Julius, but when she sees him afterwards she realises he isn’t her bro anymore.

“you had too many lines, the plot commands you to stay useless”

MANFROY NO JULIUS ASKED YOU TO KILL HER NOT TO BRING HER TO VELTHOMER

So Julia is a bargaining chip!

Just kidding, everyone with half a brain would know that she’s dead when Manfroy finds her, which he did so even if Oldvis managed to kill Seliph, Julia’d still be dead :)

what if Arvis learnt that Julia was with the LA? Would he have thought she was an hostage?

Again, Jugdral AU : The empire knows Julia is with the LA, and the LA knows who Julia is.

What do you have with your “people belong to someone else”? Still, it echoes what Oldvis said, now, the Empire belongs to Julius. But before?

what is the pain beyond the ken of mortal men? Turned into a deadlord à la Reidric? He already lost his wife, his son, his bro and his daughter, i doubt you could break him even more.

he is so evulz! Hee hee hee

HELP ME DAMN IT YOU HAVE THE STATS TO DO SO

LIAR YOU HAVE YOUR HW WITH YOU AND BIG SHIELD AND A STUPID SWORD YOU COULD REKT MANFROY DAMN IT

BECAUSE IT SAVED HER? I DON’T THINK SO

“ssh i can’t tell you but it’s important if you manage to survive long enough to find the hidden vault in Velthomer”

“HE’S GOING TO KILL ME ASAP”

“don’t worry about that”

Hopefully Arvis read the plot in advance!

Julia cries because her dad abandoned her to a certain death.

“you’re leading us to a cliff you know that?”

“in a certain manga someone has been able to swim through the silessian channel, so you can do it too!”

“That’s why you have to swim!” Eyvel drifted from Conote to Fiana, so you can do the same!

“i have faith in the crusader of Vala! Wait...”

Meanwhile, a child is concerned about his liege.

Daw, Alty takes care of this child. It’s so cute.

“Do you want a dragon ride? I’m sorry but we can’t do that in this game.”

OMG Alty’s going to have a res stat in the double digits!

I’d like to learn more about those spells that endanger the caster. Maybe casting without staves is dangerous?

Alty acts as a reponsible adult. She doesn’t want the sweet kid to die to save her.

Daw!

Alty helped him? Maybe when she hanged out with Hannibal or something, I’d like to see a pre FE-4-5 thing regarding Alty’s life. She’s made friends, managed to help a kid, spent quality Father-daughter time, etc... Eons away from the bleak life another manga tried to paint (i think it was LI?)

:’)

It makes it all the more heartbreaking when Cairpre decides to abandon Thracia to inherit his dad’s ancestral seat, if his dad had any. But in this verse Cairpre is Alec’s kid, so...

Safety first !

This was more heartwarming than I thought.

Ready steay go?

i implore of you make it so she doesn’t die to the first mage in the next map!

Seliph finally reaches the old man running away.

all i can to survive and he heads off to a cliff --> yay of course

It makes me think, Seliph most likely never saw the Tyrfing before. Maybe OIfey told him stories about his dad being even more op with Tyrfing?

i smuggled it - nope wrong divine sword!

I”ll finally be useful! Take that Cousin Leif!

Seliph’s surprised at his HW while Palmarch begs of him to end this chapter.

first of all, it’s not a return, because, just like Seliph pointed it earlier, he’s never been in Chalphy before. Secondly, what do you mean by endure?

Wrong Seliph! Julius’ still laughing at your silly sword, despite what the game wanted to do.

But Seliph can rekt Arvis now! Well, rekt is a bit presomptuous but...

Oldvis had been waiting for Seliph to come.

Ohoh, look at that pre-battle quote. Somehow, it feels forced - you called him courageous first, and now you’re calling him a worm?

Of course Patty’s amazing. She will finally be able to promote in the next chapter!

Lene doesn’t like how this kid is surprised at seeing her here.

DASTARD

Meanwhile, after 20 turns of dodging, BS’ing and missing, Seliph finally kills his step-dad.

“Julia who?”

“lester if it is a prank i’m going to tyrfing you”

Seliph remembers someone he’s seen 17 years ago? Ameldha can’t say the same thing, in 20-ish years she forgot the face of her newborn :’(

“you know Shanan, Oifey and Aidean raised me”

“i don’t give a fig, bless F!Lewyn”

“you forgot Oifey and Shanan mom”

“of course i’m married to one of my friends! hey, praise me, i avenged dad and killed your second husband!”

? Seliph knows that Julius is his half-bro

“JULIA WHO”

“i forgot that you inherited sigurd’s dumbness - Julia doesn’t she look like me a bit? Has the same name as the imperial princess, my own daughter?”

“JULIA WHO”

Ohoh! Ghost!Siggy is here!

He isn’t the one to become arrogant, save for, maybe, killing Arvis. “i know, Shanan and Oifey and Aidean already made my education, you know?”

Arvis gave Palmarch the sword, Ghost!Siggy saw it from Ghost!Jugdral.

OMG Ghost!Siggy is a ghost of wisdom! “your truth is not the reality of all”, if only Siggy listened to this advice before turning into a ghost...

know the pain of the commons? You know, Seliph spent more time with the randoms than you did, Siggy, unless you’re talking about somehting else.

Note how Siggy asks Seliph to learn and to know about things, and how it is a contrast with what F!Lewyn has been doing to him since the beginning. Leif was allowed to learn and understand by August’s side, but when Seliph wanted to know and understand why the war in Thracia was crucial, F!Lewyn told him to return to Tirnanogue if he couldn’t continue to fight.

See you ghost!Deedee! Maybe you’ll appear to Julia one day - haha who am i kidding

stay humble my dad said

:’(

Chalphy has never been your home Seliph, and will never be. You’re supposed to go to Barhara! And I’ll smack you if you call this place your home when you were raised in Tirnanogue.

“ah yeah i nearly forgot my mom”

I HOPE YOU TURN INTO GOO JUST LIKE DUMA

kill that guy/dragon, seriously, Julia’s been missing for nearly one chapter, he was supposed to be her caretaker, but he treat her like the punchline of Seliph’s romantic partner joke.

Ignoring the fact that, yes, Seliph is already married in this verse.

I really hope this changes in the remake

I WONDER WHY

“enough about julia, she’s starting to be important to the plot”

You feel Empty because vengeance sucks Seliph. Avenging Siggy isn’t the reason why set up on your quest, despite everything pointing in that direction. Seliph wanted to help the people, and wants to stop the child hunts.

The last map!

“I set up everything in advance for this big battle, crusaders vs crusaders. and julia is just a punchline lol”

The truth about dragons and crusaders or the truth about how i saved Jugdral’s messiah only to abandon her afterwards?

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marjaystuff · 4 years ago

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Guest Review: Unstoppable by Joshua M Green

Unstoppable

Joshua M. Green

Insight Editions

April 6th, 2021

Non-Fiction

9781647222154

Unstoppable, by renowned Holocaust author Joshua M. Greene, is a compelling book. It delves into the life of story of a remarkable human being, Siggi B. Wilzig. He was a survivor who showed what grit and determination can do.

Born In Germany, he and his family, in February 1943, were sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp after two years of slave labor. He lost his family, including his mother and father. He survived by pretending to be a master tool maker. After enduring two death marches he was liberated by the American forces in May 1945. The next two years were spent assisting the U.S. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps in tracking down Nazi guards and Gestapo operatives in Austria and Bavaria, and then emigrated to America in 1947 at the age of twenty-one. He barely had an elementary school education, no contacts, and little money. He worked as a toilet cleaner in sweatshops. But he had a dream.

“After researching him, I knew Siggi was a ‘Volcano of a man.’ He was able to rise from nothing to become in 1965 President and Chief Executive of the Wilshire Oil company. During his tenure, Wilshire acquired a large interest in the Trust Company of New Jersey, a full-service, commercial bank. Siggi became a director in 1969 and was elected Chairman and President two years later. Over the next thirty years, he grew the bank’s assets from $181 million to more than $4 billion. He considered America an amazing country.”

But he never forgot his past. In 1975, he told an audience honoring him, “I’m not liberated. I’m in Auschwitz every day.” Another quote by him, up in his office, “Free men who forget their bitter past do not deserve a bright future.”

“These quotes are reflections of who Siggi was. I wrote in the book how he had nightmares. For him, the Holocaust was a living memory. He did not think he could live without the nightmares that showed the awareness of the difference between life and death.”

Siggi was also the first Holocaust survivor to address the West Point Cadets. In that speech he told the audience, “You’ll need to know what Jews went through in the Holocaust so that you will be vigilant that it never happens again…Why did the world stand by and do nothing? Was there some kind of conspiracy of silence?” He went on to say how the allies were bombing German strategic industrial centers. Yet even though there were an access of bombs, why were they not dropped over the concentration camps that would have saved thousands of lives? He questioned if it was a strategic military decision or a form of Anti-Semitism. Emphasizing, it was very dangerous for those who underestimate the past.

This book is a must read for everyone who wants to see the characteristics of a survivor. Siggi had self-respect, determination, dignity, a sense of humor, and believed in the dignity of human life. He was never intimidated by bullies or Anti-Semites, and never forgot his past. As the author says, “Siggi was a beacon of light, and a candle of hope, with a story that deserves to be told.”

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earlylifediggysimmonsff · 4 years ago

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Mia

Next Thursday 8:24 am

I excitedly sat in the car with Gianna and Daniel. He offered to drive us there and escort us in. And I mean, that was totally fine with me. Especially since he was the one that got her into this school.

I wasn’t thankful enough.

“Baby is going to school. Yay mommy!”

I chanted. Gianna smiled brightly, babbling and nodded her head continuously. I really can’t believe I’m excited about her starting at daycare. Usually, I’m nervous, and scared. But for some reason, I know she’ll be in good hands.

Pulling into the parking lot, I got myself together, fixing my Rolex on my wrist and taking a deep breath. My baby looked so cute in cute hairbows and outfit. Hopefully she stays cute.

“Before we go in, I gotta tell you something”

I nodded, turning towards him to give him my undivided attention.

“I.... I told them Gianna was my daughter”

My breathing went back to normal. I thought it was something more serious. I was about to say, I was just starting to like him. I was curious to know why though.

“Why?”

“It’s moral conduct. In order for her to... be able to attend the school, free of charge she would have to be my child If not, it wouldn’t be fair to the other teachers and staff who kids go there that pay 20% less or Board of Trustee’s of pay 50% less. I as the owner am the only one that can have my child attend for free”

I exhaled and nodded. I understood completely.

“I hope it didn’t put you under any pressur-”

He smiled taking his seatbelt off.

“Nah, give me more reason to be up at the school, checking on shit. Make sure ain’t no crazy shit going on”

I smiled, taking a deep breath, watching as he opened the door, letting me out, then helped Gianna and held her close. She smiled, clapping at everybody that greeted Daniel It was cute.

Coming to her classroom, We both walked in. The classroom was so well lit. Bright with colors, appropriate toys and table size as well as chairs. I wanted to cry.

“Good Morning Mr. Bailon and Hi Gianna, it’s good seeing you again”

She hid into the neck of Daniel and her teacher turned towards me.

“And you must me Mia. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Gianna teacher Danielle Bennett, her other teacher, who you will meet upon pickup is Siggi Nash.”

We shook hands, talking a bit more before she showed me around the classroom as well as the new cubby, and crib assigned to Kyrie.

“And dad says she’s still breastfed but weaning”

“Yes. I’ve packed her 4 bottles. She should only need 3 but a extra just incase. She drinks every 4 hours. She can have her breakfast after this next bottle at 8:30, then her lunch and next bottle at 12:30. After that she’ll sleep for a good 2, maybe 3 hours”

She nodded, and made sure to listen closely at every detail. It felt so good to be heard acknowledged.

“Alrighty. Bottle and food every 4 hours and is it solids or regular food”

“It’s regular food. I’ll send her with food every day. Once she wakes up she can do the 3rd bottle and her canister labeled snack. If she refuses a bottle, it’s okay. I’m trying to wean her complete. I’ll almost always pack extra food or enough food just in case she decided tly not drink a bottle. My goal is to... at least by time she’s 11 months to be fully done with breastmilk and on almond milk”

She nodded with a smile, and I glanced in the corner of my eye, watching as Daniel walked her around the class and looked out the window with her in his arms.

“Okay, got you. So this is her cubby. All of her soiled clothes, diaper and wipes reminder will be in here. We also post in the app we use, but in the even you don’t see it, we’ll always have it posted over her cubby”

“Okay, and I brought her a box or wipes and diapers. 2 sets of change of clothes, 2 pair of socks. She has a pacifier that can be kept here. If she doesn't keep her bows or socks on, they can just go back in her cubby. And I ask just all her clothes be returned”

“Absolutely, we don’t wanna loose those”

Walking over to Daniel and Gianna, I kissed her cheeks, grabbing her as he handed her to me. Taking in her scent, I took a deep breath and handed her to her teacher.

“Have a good day baby. See you later”

She smiled me out the door, literally. No tears or anything. I scoffed, walking down the hall beside Daniel.

“What you got to do today?”

I exhaled and shook my head.

“Umm, I just gotta head to the office and plan a reception for a wedding on Friday. What about you?”

“I have a few High-IQ meetings. Less than 20 minutes. Then, I have a luncheon with Roc Nation around 2:30. If you’re free you should join me”

I exhaled and shrugged.

“Mmm I’ll see. I’ll text you”

He nodded, leaning in to kiss my cheek then opened the back door for me

Daniel

“Okay, closing statement from our Owner and CEO Mr. Daniel Bailon”

I exhaled, as I stood up from my chair at the head of the table and looked at everyone around the table. Like I said, I don’t like meetings unless they’re vital and extremely important. This wasn’t one of them. I was brought in to view number and progress. And while all of that was great, the product can use some work

“So first give yourselves a pat on the back because reviews and revenue are amazing... but, a word of advice”

I cleared my throat and pointed to the product in the middle of the table.

“Spend less time on finances, spend less time in a conference room, spend less time on PowerPoints, and more time on trying to make this product as amazing as possible. Statistically speaking, out of 5 stars this is a 4, with 30 negative out of 100 collective reviews. That’s just okay. I want better. So, let’s work on that. In 2 weeks I want 5 starts with better reviews. Thank you guys. Lunch is also available”

They all nodded, shaking my hand as I walked out. With my security ahead of me, I walked to the elevator. Taking a deep breath, my phone began to ring.

Daniel: What’s good

Quest: Nothin nigga. You free, we gonna pull up on you-

Daniel: I’m about to head to this luncheon, meeting with Tidal. I’m hit you after see what’s good

Quest: Iight my nigga

Hanging up I shook my head as I got off and hopped into the back of the SUV. Yeah I’ll admit life is good. But I’m still young. And the shit I wish I could do, I really can’t do. In the end though it’s all worth it, but my mind is still blown that a lot was cut short due to popularity, money and fame.

5:04 pm

“So uh.... how’s life man. How’s it treating you?”

Jay-Z spoke as I sat along side him, overlooking the pool of his Bel-Air home. Sipping a Dusse mix made by his bartender I nodded. Never in my life did I think I’d be rubbing elbows with Jay-Z, let alone having more money than him. Besides the money thing, this nigga stay dropping jewels. I’m a student. Since I inherited this money, he’s been a father figure to me, teaching me what and what not to do. How to run a business and a enterprise correctly. Like I said, he’s like a father for the past 4-5 years. Since I was a teen. I don’t even call him Jay, I call him pops.

“It’s all good. I met this .... this chick. She’s a planner. She got a daughter, I’m feeling her. But, she been through some shit, and I ain’t trynna fuck it up with her. I just know how I am, and I don’t know what it means to be in a healthy relationship”

He nodded. I told Mia I wasn’t like other niggas, but I got my ways. Not that I haven’t worked on them, I’m just worried about relapsing. Being a part of my fucked up environment.

“We don’t have to be circumstances of our environment son. We have mistakes and we have choices. Things that happened in your past were mistakes because you were young, careless, and unaware of the impact. But now, as a conscious man, we can’t repeat the same bad habits. Because at that point it would be a choice”

I nodded, understanding his view and continued listening.

“I know you see in your generation.... a..... uh.... fad to be a man with multiple women, and hoes, and so forth. But think of it this way, would you rather be a trend, or you rather be Ralph Lauren? You know what I mean; like, you rather be a trend, or you rather be forever? A trend dies out, hoes die out, a relationship last, love is forever”

I nodded, taking another sip of my drink and exhaled. See what I mean, puts it in better perspective.

“You feel me?”

“Yeah, I feel you”

He nodded, patting my back then sitting back in his chair.

“I love you and care about you like a son. Bring her by, and bring her daughter by. Anytime you both need a break, she is welcome to come and play with the kids. You’re like my son man”

“I ‘preciate. And how about I take you up on that offer”

I laughed lowly.

“You not gonna give it a week or something?”

I laughed standing up and shook my head.

“I’m your son right. I think I should have unlimited babysitting services”

“I got you but don’t push it”

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hinasho · 5 years ago

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so i made it to season 2 of vikings and it isn’t bad. but i do like the l*st kingdom more. like i know tlk was based on a book so it had a more rigid storyline to follow, but that’s not really any excuse for why vikings made all these storylines in s1 that either went nowhere or had extremely unsatisfying ends

the MOST unsatisfying plot line so far has to be the rollo vs ragnar dynamic. all throughout season 1, they kept showing us that rollo hates always being behind his brother. (i mean he’s a huge fucking follower maybe if he actually tried to take the lead sometimes then shit would change but i digress) he’s tried to take everything from ragnar behind his back several times, his wife, his title as earl, etc. and then at the end when he FINALLY decides to do smthg about it and join sides with jarl borg, it’s like played up to be this huge thing. then they have one (1) battle in the first episode of season 2 and rollo who wasn’t hesitating to brutally murder all his past friends is just like “nevermind” and surrenders. and then afterwards he goes “i always wanted to get out from your shadow, but once i did, there was no sun at all” and like. okay.

now him surrendering to ragnar bc he loves his brother so much, and the “no sun at all line” was really fucking good and i think the script writers for this season did do much better in regards to dialogue. but wtf is rollo even talking about. “there was no sun” you were GLORIOUS in battle wth. he was cutting people down like a fucking tank and was smiling while doing so. he makes it sound like he went through his huge angsty thing when really the only reason he gave up is because the show wrote it in. it felt rushed. extremely so. and now his “angst” is all about how everybody in town (the village?) hates him bc of what he did but i still can’t even wrap my head around why he did it and how fucking rushed that storyline was.

the characters. most of them are kinda... poorly written? like i’ve said i haven’t watched s3 or 4 yet and am only on episode 2 of the second season, but after watching the entire first season it’d be nice if the characters went through engaging development.

siggy could’ve been one of the most complex characters on the show, she lost ALL of her children one by one and her husband and then her status. she lost it all and that’s not even an exaggeration. so you’d think we’d have seen her idk doing some plotting to gain allies or smthg. but nope, she was perfectly happy i guess being lagertha’s hand maiden. fortunately it seems like the show is rectifying this in season 2 because she’s started forging alliances and etc. so hopefully this season lets us see siggy reach the high potential a character like this is capable of.

ragnar’s squad feel like just plot devices. now i don’t wanna keep comparing tlk and vk but in tlk uthred’s squad felt like a family. they laughed together, cried together, hung out, had fun, went through hardships, together. even when they weren’t necessary for the plot or for uthred’s development, his squad was still there and still played important roles. with ragnar’s, they just feel like the writers’ chess pieces and not in a good way. when one of them offered to sacrifice himself in the priest’s place, i didn’t feel one ounce of sadness. and when rollo was butchering the rest of them, i was more shocked at how violent he was rather than feeling sad they were dying. ragnar keeps bringing up one eye whenever he refers to the battle, but him and one eye didn’t even seem that close. just...... it doesn’t feel like there’s any connection/genuine relationship there.

now what i do think the show has done right is lagertha, bjorn, and floki. i LOVE lagertha. she’s strong and will kill anybody that wrongs her or her family, but she’s also genuinely kind with how she treats other women and those less fortunate. honest to god i loved her taking ragnar’s place as earl while he was out raiding. and i love the self respect she has for herself, ragnar brought up that stupid idea of him marrying aslaug after knowing how much what happened between them hurts her, and she without speaking one word to him, took their son and divorced him. that was fucking amazing. i’m in love with this woman.

bjorn is a complicated one for me. i like the bond he has with his mother. ragnar is a scoundrel and instead of bjorn admiring his father for it, he actually resents him because of how strong his love is for his mom. at the same time tho he’s just kinda annoying sometimes ahdjhcjs like he can be a hothead for literally no reason. but at the SAME time, he’s what? 13/14? he’s young! so he’s gonna be annoying sometimes and it’s okay. i’m really curious to see what happens when he gets older. i feel like he’s gonna come back and challenge ragnar or smthg

floki. gustaf skarsgård is an amazing actor and really brings the character to life with the subtle (or unsubtle) things he adds to it, like the constant yelling and jumps and maniancal laughs and etc. and then when rollo got baptized, floki’s anger was genuinely unsettling. he was pissed and more serious than we’d ever seen him before. a part of me still has the theory that he’s actually the god loki just toying with the vikings.

but like to end this random rant, a big part of the show just feels extremely directionless. even in season 1, most of the time when the characters were working UP to the smthg or a storyline felt like it was building, it would end extremely fast and feel unsatisfying. it’s like the show creates and ends several plot lines within a matter of 2 or 3 episodes. it’s just very rushed.

but i didn’t think it was that bad tho. i have my favorite characters which i already talked about before, and the dialogue in s2 is already fucking amazing. the characters will say lines that’ll have me go “oohhh that was a good one”. so hopefully this season will handle some of the issues i had much better and i’m curious to keep watching

#babbles #vikings lb

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sh-nhyo · 8 years ago

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11 question tag woo

I was tagged by @attackonsujuu like 3 days ago lol thanks babe <3

1. Did you know kpop was korean the first time you listened? (cause I thought it was japanese omg)

can’t remember when I first listened to kpop tbh lol

2. How did you get into kpop? (just make it short if the story is too long if u feel like it)

I was attacked

3. Which group do you think has the most genuine friendship with each other?

omg this question is impossible wtf siggi??? but ugggh I’ll say shinhwa because they’re just amazing and tbh just any group whos been active for a long time, I mean they wouldn’t be able to keep up for that long if they were only together for business

4. If Hello Baby ever came back, what group would you like to be in a season?

VAV if youre reading this and youre a vav blog then hit me up please omg I need more of my boys

5. If you watch dramas who are your fave actor and actress?

atm fave is ji chang wook especially when hes wearing his glasses omfg i cant hold my glasses fetish down

6. Favorite idol actor?

sungjae arhhhh and chani cos hes cute

7. What group would you choose to go to a haunted house and amusement park with and why? (you can choose one group per location if u want)

if two girls go into a hounted house together theyll become bestfriends so somin because I love her and wanna be her friend ughhh! and tbh ill go to the amusement park with somin as well! if theres a parade and fireworks even better!!

8. If you could be in a variety show, what show would you choose and why?

hello counselor! I just wanna kick some sense into the idiots in that show

9. If you could change bodies with two kpop idols (one male one female) who would you choose and why?

nobody lol I I need my privacy and my sleep

10. What member leaving what group made you the saddest?

namtae omg my heart broke... but his solo music is srsly amazing you should all check him out!! lol siggi did you make this question just to see me cry?

11. Have you ever had an encounter with a kpop idol? If yes what happened?!

I saw bigbang in the airport yeeeaaars ago but I was standing behind a sea of fans so only saw the top of their heads lol.. does concerts and fanmeets count in this question??

I’m tagging you who’ve read this far!! go do it!! heres my 11 questions! 1. Recommend me your favourite song and tell me why you like it? 2. Spontaneous outing- where do we go? 3. Who is the most beautiful person you know? 4. you’re forming a band- what’s your role and who else is in it with you? 5. If you could spend a whole day with the celebrity of your choice, who would it be? 6. If you could go back in time to a certain decade, which decade would you go to? 7. What’s your guilty pleasure song? 8. What’s your ideal fashion style, and tell me what’s keeping you from wearing it now? 9. What’s the strangest thing you’ve eaten? 10. What’s your aesthetic? 11. What book would you recommend me, or anyone?

#yaay guys do it!!

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ivarthebadbitch · 4 years ago

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top 5 vikings episodes? 🍀

1. 5x3, Homeland: this, for me, is THE vikings episode, and it's really because alex hogh's energy level in this one is absolutely off the charts and unmatched by anything before or after this. ivar's horny yet bewildered! he's scheming! he's bitchy and rude! he's covered in blood and shrieking his head off! aethelwulf's first attempt to take back york is also my favorite battle sequence for the entire show, using the tight, narrow spaces to the fullest effect.

2. 2x10, The Lord's Prayer: my favorite season finale, combining great character/relationship moments (athelstan and ragnar, lagertha and aslaug, bjorn and thorunn) with suspense and plot twists that actually make it a fairly unpredictable episode with high stakes. and I LOVE the staging of the final confrontation with horik in the great hall, just very well done.

3. 6x16, The Final Straw: I think that especially in the later seasons, one of the biggest writing problems was that there were just too many storylines going on all at once. what I really appreciated about this episode was that the writing pulled back from that to focus on ivar and hvitserk and their motivations/state of mind in a surprisingly introspective way that actually set up the england plot well. also, hvitserk fucked an actual goddess!

4. 3x4, Scarred: this one has some of my favorite scenes, including siggy's incredibly moving death sequence and the various interpersonal dramas taking place all throughout the celebration in wessex, ending with kwenthrith's poisoning of her brother. (the harbard stuff is a pass for me but I guess you can't have everything)

5. 4x11, The Outsider: I love this one for being the incredibly horny season opening to an incredibly horny season, even by hirst's standards. like yeah, ragnar's sons can fight and argue and such, but above all, they are just a bunch of horny guys. amazing stuff.

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rabbittstewcomics · 6 years ago

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Episode 185

Doomsday Clock 9, Age of X-Man: Prisoner X, Amazing Spidey 16.HU, Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History, Domino Hotshots, Marvel Super Hero Adventures; Spider-Man - Spider-Sense of Adventure, Meet the Skrulls, Star Wars: AoR - Padme, Darth Vader: Dark Visions, Ziggy Pig Siggy Seal, Astro Hustle, Black Hammer ‘45, Frozen: Reunion Road, 6 Million Dollar Man, Ronin Island, Morning in America, Sparks: The Way I Was

Reviews: Captain Marvel, Stumptown v1, Punisher Max

Sparks: The Way I Was - https://www.comixology.com/Sparks-2/digital-comic/753106?ref=c2VyaWVzL3ZpZXcvZGVza3RvcC9ncmlkTGlzdC9SZWNlbnRBZGRpdGlvbnM

News: Mike Deodato leaves Marvel - new comic with Lemire from Dark Horse, Game of Thrones trailer, Sparks 2, Arrow ending, Idris Elba is Deadshot, BKV Gundam movie, DC collection madness, Mouse Guard casting

Comics Details:

Age of X-Man: Prisoner X 1 by Vita Ayala, German Peralta, Michael Spicer

Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History 1 by Nick Giovannetti, Paul Scheer, Gerardo Sandoval, Victor Nava, Antonio Fabela

Meet the Skrulls 1 by Robbie Thompson, Niko Henrichon, Laurent Grossat

Star Wars: Age of Republic: Padme by Jody Houser, Wilton Santos, Cory Smith, Marc Deering, Walden Wong, Java Tartaglia

Darth Vader: Dark Visions 1 by Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum, Paolo Villanelli, Arif Prianto

Ziggy Pig Siggy Seal by Frank Tieri, Jacob Chabot

Astro Hustle 1 by Jai Nitz, Tom Reilly, Ursula Decay

Black Hammer ‘45 by Jeff Lemire, Ray Fawkes, Matt Kindt, Sharlene Kindt

Frozen: Reunion Road by Joe Caramagna, Eduardo Francisco, Eduard Petrovich, Anastasia Belousova, Yanna Chinstova

Six Million Dollar Man 1 by Christopher Hastings, David Hahn, Roshan Kurichiyanil, Ariana Maher

Ronin Island 1 by Greg Pak, Giannis Milonogiannis, Irma Knivila

Morning in America 1 by Mags Visaggio, Claudia Aguirre

Sparks: The Way I Was by Glenn Matchett, Katie Fleming

Comics Countdown, 06 Mar 2019:

Green Lantern 5 by Grant Morrison, Liam Sharp, Steve Oliff

Die 4 by Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans

Deadly Class 37 by Rick Remender, Wesley Craig, Jordan Boyd

Black Hammer ‘45 1 by Jeff Lemire, Ray Fawkes, Matt Kindt, Sharlene Kindt

Batman 66 by Tom King, Jorge Fornes, Dave Stewart

Deathstroke 41 by Christopher Priest, Fernando Pasarin, Sean Parsons, Cam Smith, Jeromy Cox, Carrie Strachan

Conan the Barbarian 4 by Jason Aaron, Gerardo Zaffino, Matt Wilson

Justice League 19 by Jorge Jimenez, Scott Snyder, Alejandro Sanchez

Ronin Island 1 by Greg Pak, Giannis Milonogiannis, Irma Knivila

Immortal Hulk 14 by Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, Ruy Jose, Paul Mounts

Check out this episode!

#comics #podcast #podernfamily #rabbittstew

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dorothyd89 · 7 years ago

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How Kenney the Tabletop Gamer Lost 120 Pounds and Found His Voice (Literally).

“There’s no way that’s the same person, right?”

Admittedly, that’s what I first thought when I saw Kenney’s before and after photos. There was just NO way that this Tony Stark looking dude on the right was the same person as the man in the other photo, right?

And then I saw his other photos. And then I heard his story.

And then I teared up.

Shut up I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Today, we’re going to be talking about Ironma—-Kenney Frazier, an IT systems administrator from Alabama, a gamer, and an opera singer who has had one of the most dramatic transformations I’ve ever seen. It’s no exaggeration to say that Kenney clearly saved his own life. Not just in terms of life expectancy, but also quality of his life.

Kenney is a proud member of the Nerd Fitness Academy who made some key changes in his life that helped him succeed. We’re going to dig deep into those major and minor changes Kenney made and how you can be like him!

After years of struggle, starting and stopping, a switch flipped and he has lost over 120 pounds in the past 15 months.

Here’s his origin story.

Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit

The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.

Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.

Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Meet Kenney

STEVE: Kenney! My man. When I first saw your post in the Academy Facebook group, and it had hundreds and hundreds of likes and comments, my jaw dropped. Let’s hear your background:

KENNEY: I’ve pretty much always been overweight. Even in Kindergarten I was pudgy! I attribute this to my love of Reese Cups (I’m a recovering addict; there should really be a Reese Cup Lovers Anonymous Group). I steadily put on the pounds, and by high school I easily tipped the scales at 250lbs+.

By the age of 25 I was over 300lbs and miserable.

I would go on a diet, have some success, then expand to new heights in short order. My addiction to Everquest and World of Warcraft definitely did not help. I lived an extremely sedentary life and I was depressed. I would use these virtual worlds as an escape from my self-imposed dungeon. I was finally able to break out of this addiction and decided to start living in the real world. I joined the workforce and did my best to become an adult.

STEVE: I hear ya brother – I too played Everquest (and Everquest 2) for over a decade and did it for the same reasons you did – to escape a crappy reality. What was a typical day like for you then?

KENNEY: I would wake up around 8:30am during the week and drag myself into work. On the way to work I’d stop by Chick-fil-a and grab 2 chicken biscuits and a large lemonade because breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?

Ha. Of course being a southerner you can’t have breakfast without biscuits!

Lunch, would roll around and I’d run to Burger King and order 2 double cheeseburgers and a large fry and Coke to wash it down with.

I’d probably grab a candy bar or chips from the snack machine mid afternoon.

On the way home I’d stop by and grab more food for dinner: a large chicken finger plate from Zaxby’s because who don’t love fried chicken? I had to have another large Coke to wash it down.

After I finished my food I’d plop down in front of the TV or my computer or go take a nap for a few hours. I’d normally heading to bed around midnight or 1am after playing a few games of Dota2 with some friends.

STEVE: So let’s talk about what happened that brought about actual changes:

KENNEY: I was 35, tired all the time and unhappy with my life. Obesity, diabetes, thyroid issues, and high blood pressure are also all prevalent in my family history.

I finally had enough and made an appointment to get a physical. When I saw my lab results I knew I was in trouble. My blood pressure was high, my blood sugar was high and my A1C was in the diabetic range! My cholesterol was sky high and I weighed 334 lbs! Despite these sobering results it still wasn’t enough to wake me up.

As a card carrying super nerd – I’ve always enjoyed table top RPG – I was a member of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with some friends from High School. One of the players started talking about Nerd Fitness and it piqued my interest.

I decided to check it out and joined the NF Academy in January of 2016. I read the starter quests, but keep putting off actually starting.

STEVE: That’s interesting – so you joined the program, but couldn’t get yourself to commit or take action beyond just reading the missions. Sounds like a classic case of not having a big enough reason WHY yet! Your doctor said you had bad health signals, but deep down you weren’t ready to change yet.

So what happened next?

KENNEY: Music has always been my main passion. I was a vocal major in college before switching to something more “practical.” I decided to restart my vocal studies at a local music school in my early 30’s.

As if being a typical DnD/MMORPG nerd wasn’t enough, my musical endeavors are in the Classical/Opera genre. The school where I study has spring and winter productions each year. I was cast in my first show and I was hooked. I was continually cast in smaller roles but I had larger ambitions. In September of 2016, I had just finished a production and felt I had performed well but I wanted more. I reached out to the teacher in charge of casting.

I told her that I was committed to landing a leading role, and her response? My weight was a showstopper.

STEVE: And there it is…your ACTUAL “Big Why” – the reason that deep down made you want to change. It must have been brutal to hear that you were too big to be considered for more important musical roles. But it appears to also have been a big turning point for you.

KENNEY: October 2016 I started my fitness journey first by cutting out sodas and cutting my portion sizes. I started logging everything in a Fitness App.

I knew from reading the articles on Nerd Fitness that making small changes at first worked best. I tried doing some of the free home workouts but I knew my motivation would suffer and I would stop unless I had some “skin” in the game. So I called up my local gym and set up a free training session on Columbus Day.

The first workout was so horrible and I was so out of shape that I almost tossed my cookies – it just reinforced how far I had to go…but I was inspired. I signed up and started working with a trainer 3 times a week.

Strength training with some occasional cardio has the name of the game since then.

At that first session, I weighed in at 320 lbs and by Nov 16th I was down to 297lbs. I couldn’t remember the last time I was under 300lbs and my motivation never faltered. I started incorporating cardio 3 or 4 times a week into strength-training routines.

STEVE: Hmmm, so what you’re saying is…this whole diet and exercise thing might actually work! Hahaha – so talk to me what other changes you made along the way.

KENNEY: I started doing intermittent fasting along with a low carb, high protein diet. As my weight went down I started feeling better and was continually amazed at what I could do. By January 4th, 2017 I was down to 281lbs.

STEVE: And that’s when you discovered the power of a supportive community, right?

KENNEY: Later that month I saw that there was a Facebook group for Academy members, which I had somehow missed when I signed up the year before. When I joined the group I was amazed at the community. The posts were uplifting and informative.

The progress posts served as motivation for me! By February, I had lost 50lbs and decided to make my first post on the Facebook group (which you can see below):

This was a huge step for me due to self-esteem issues but the support and uplifting comments were great. I used the Academy community to help keep me motivated.

Whenever I’d feel like quitting I’d log in and read the new posts and fortify my resolve. By May I was down 75 lbs and I was doing things I never thought I’d be able to do. I went from being winded by walking up stairs to doing Burpees, Squats, and bear crawls. I even started taking tennis lessons!

By the end of summer I was down 100lbs.

And just a few weeks ago, I weighed in at 198 lbs, meaning I’ve lost 120lbs! I can’t even remember the last time I was under 200! I recently went to the doctor again and had a fresh set of labs. My results were night and day! My A1C was normal, my blood sugar was normal, and my cholesterol was greatly reduced.

STEVE: AMAZING. So let’s hear about the New Kenney. What’s a typical day like now?

KENNEY: I wake up around 6:30 and 6:45am and try to get to work before 8:00am. I do intermittent fasting so I actually skip breakfast. My “feasting” window runs from 11am til 8pm.

My typical lunch is a salad minus croutons with chicken (I have a slight addiction to Caesar salads) If I need a snack I’ll eat some tuna or even some beef jerky (can’t have enough protein). Normally, I’ll head home and get ready to go to the gym! I work out 3 times a week with the trainer so I’ll do 40 minutes of cardio after those sessions or on a non-lifting day I’ll do an hour of cardio.

Lately, I’ve been on an elliptical kick as I can zone out and watch Netflix while I’m doing it. I also play Racquetball once a week with friends and I joined a basketball league (I’m really bad!).

After I work out, I’ll grab dinner with chicken or beef, with some brown rice, and broccoli (I love broccoli!) or a mixture of other veggies.

I also have a bit of a sweet tooth so I’ll treat myself with some halo ice cream (within reason) or some fruit or Siggi’s Icelandic style skyr. I’m a simple guy so I can eat the same things a few times a week and it doesn’t bother me. I guess I look at food differently now. It’s fuel for me to reach my goals before I used it to make me feel better.

STEVE: That mentality change is amazing, and I love hearing it. You changed physically. What else changed about you along the way?

KENNEY: Looking back over the journey so far I’ve learned so much more about myself. I’ve discovered that I can reach goals and that I am capable of doing anything if I put my mind to it. While I haven’t reached my goal weight, I am well on my way. I have the tools to complete my journey.

I was a soloist in a community Sing-a-long Messiah tonight and I got to rock a tux, so I thought it would make a good after!

When I went to try on my “rent-a-tux” I was fitted in a 46S jacket and when I got home I looked at my old suit jacket and it was a 56R! It’s just amazing to me! I really appreciate the community that you have built. I wouldn’t have come this far without it!

STEVE: Everybody assumes that they’ll be happy once they lose weight. And you clearly seem like a completely different, more content, and proud person. Is there anything you still struggle with?

KENNEY: Losing this weight has really forced me to face my self-esteem issues and the mental aspects are a struggle. I feel so much better physically but I still struggle mentally with being the “fat” guy.

STEVE: Thanks for sharing that honestly with us, man. We’re all works in progress, both inside and out! And these battles take time.

It’s a good reminder to know that even if you build the body you want, you still have to level up on the inside too and that can take time! Luckily you have an amazing community of weirdos cheering you on, and others who have struggled with those same self-esteem issues and can help you get through it!

How Kenney finally succeeded and lost 120 pounds

I wanted to highlight the key points to his transformation that allowed him to finally find success, and hopefully you can implement these types of changes into your life too.

KEY POINT #1: Kenney kept trying.

Kenney spent over a year reading Nerd Fitness articles before working up the courage to even get started. After that, he joined the NF Academy and read the content but couldn’t get himself to do much more past that.

And yet, something kept him around. He kept getting Nerd Fitness emails in his inbox, even if he wasn’t ready to take action yet. And EVENTUALLY, the right combinations of words on a page, life experiences, and things clicked for him to finally take action.

If you’re somebody that has started and stopped or lost 20 pounds only to put on 30, you’re not alone.

If you woke up this January and said “I said the same thing last year about getting healthy, but here I am still overweight,” you’re not alone.

If you beat yourself up when you fail and think you’re doomed to stay fat, you’re not alone.

Give yourself credit – you’re still here reading this, and that counts for something! Keep trying. Keep reading. Keep attempting different methods until you find one that works for you – though I’d consider these 10 changes before making another attempt).

The important thing is that you take action – more information is usually not the answer.

Here at Nerd Fitness we refer to the perpetual activity of collecting information as “collecting underpants!“

Don’t get stuck on Phase 1 – you’ll never get to “profit” (healthy) without taking action (that’s phase 2).

Now, there’s a powerful psychological element to Kenney’s journey that I wanted to highlight as well.

KEY POINT #2: Kenney finally found his “Big Why.”

Just saying “I want to get in shape” wasn’t enough for him. Being overweight wasn’t enough. Having his doctor tell him that he was at risk for a all kinds of preventable diseases wasn’t enough.

Sure, he “wanted to get in shape,” but it wasn’t enough to make him actually change. After all, Chick-Fil-A, Zaxby’s, Coca Cola, and Burger King is SOOOO damn good, it takes a really powerful reason to want to give up those things and delay gratification until the future.

And then he finally found his “Big Why.”

Kenney was told that his weight was holding him back from landing bigger roles while performing on stage (something he truly loved). And that’s when he decided to finally take this next attempt at getting fit seriously and actually took steps to change.

If you are somebody that thinks you “should get in shape,” you’re not digging deep enough for your reasons. However, if you are trying to get in shape because:

You’re tired of being unhappy with the person you see in the mirror.

If you want to build confidence to finally go on a date for the first time.

If you want your wife to look at you with love/admiration the way she used to.

Your dad died at a young age and you want to live to see your grandkids.

A reason like this, written somewhere that you can see daily, will help you stay on track when life gets busy.

Key Point #3: Kenney changed his relationship with food.

This quote from Kenney perfectly encapsulates why Kenney was successful in his transformation:

“I look at food differently now. It’s fuel for me to reach my goals, whereas before I used it to make me feel better.”

This is a guy who ate fast food 3-4 times per day, every day. Who grew up in the South, home of “comfort food.” A self-described Reese’s Cup and Ice cream aficionado.

THAT guy now views food as fuel for his fitness goals!

How did it happen? Slowly with small changes over a long period of time. Kenney knew that going on a crash diet wasn’t going to work (he had tried that in the past), so as we discuss here on Nerd Fitness he focused on small actionable changes he could make that didn’t scare him.

He kept things simple like cutting back on soda and tracking his food intake.

Only after he started to see some progress did he start playing this “healthy eating” game on a harder difficulty setting:

He moved his diet over to a more low carb, Paleo-ish nutritional strategy

He cut out breakfast and followed an Intermittent fasting plan

He consistently ate healthy options and go-to “default” meals.

Thanks to this dramatic change in his mentality, Kenney no longer needed food as an escape, but rather saw it as fuel, with occasional indulgences – like his favorite ice cream or candy – but in moderation without fear or guilt.

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace

What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating

3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Key Point #4: Kenney STOPPED relying on himself.

Believe it or not, Kenney giving up on himself might be the most important mindset shift he could have made.

When most people decide to get in shape, they all do the same thing: “I am going to get in shape. I’m gonna get motivated and hit the gym consistently!” Two weeks later, they’ve already given up but now they ALSO have shame: “I am ashamed that I couldn’t stick with my goals, something must be wrong with me!”

Conversely, people that succeed know themselves better than that, so they plan for it. They stop expecting themselves to magically become a motivation powerhouse and instead start asking better questions. “Okay if Motivation ALWAYS leaves me, rather than beating myself up how can I stack the deck so that I no longer need motivation in the first place?”

Kenney stopped relying on himself in two key ways:

He invested in himself so that he had “skin in the game”

He had OTHER people keep him accountable other than just himself.

We’re going to dig into both of these specific issues in the next two points, but I want to return to the above:

If you rely on yourself to be motivated, and you think you need to be motivated to get in shape, you’ve already lost.

STOP relying on motivation. Instead, build systems, recruit allies, and structure your environment in ways that support your goals.

Try this: recruit a friend who will cheer you on. Give him $50 of your money and tell him you’ll check in with him every day. If you don’t check in to let him know that you went for a walk and ate a veggie, he will donate that money to a cause you HATE.

Speaking of recruiting allies…

Key Point #5: Kenney surrounded himself with the right people

I’m proud to say that Nerd FItness played a communal role in helping Kenney Reach his goals. Our Academy doesn’t a super secret proprietary workout plan – its fun compound strength training. Our nutritional strategy isn’t anything proprietary – its less junk and more vegetables. Sure, it digs deep on the mindset stuff, and it’s got a fun leveling system and nutritional strategy that gamifies getting in shape.

But that’s not what made it such a big help in Kenney’s journey: it was the community of people who are aligned with the same goal, struggling with the same problems, that were cheering him on.

Or in another Academy member’s words, when asked why he loves the community:

Human connection and supportive people can be the biggest help in transforming, and Kenney had both: a coach who pushed him, and a community that supported him.

Did you know that you are the average of the 5 people you associate most with?

Show me the weight, health, net worth, and happiness level of the 5 people you spend the most time with, and I bet I can guess a lot about you with startling accuracy – it’s because those people influence you every day without you realizing it with their words, decisions, and choices.

So then I ask you: Are your five people making you want to be better? Or are they people who make fun of you for skipping game night to exercise or goad you into skipping the salad and ordering a cheeseburger to “live a little.”

Kenney has been a major contributor to our community, sharing his struggles and his progress. Unsurprisingly, he’s also one of our BEST successes, and an inspiration to the men of the Academy group – and now the galaxy.

If you are serious about getting in shape, interact with people that make you want to be better:

Join a running club at work. Or start one!

Find an accountability buddy that you check in with daily.

Create a guild and introduce positive peer pressure!

Have somebody you can ask embarrassing questions to and share your struggles with.

I love that Kenney found the NF community to be super supportive while he also leveled up his life with in person connections too, and I want the same for you.

I don’t care where you find these people, I just want you to have these people in your life! Now, I might be slightly biased, but I believe our online crew is the best community on the planet!

Key Point #6: Kenney invested in himself

Kenney tried to follow along with free workouts at home. He read free articles on Nerd Fitness for over a year. And he couldn’t get himself to take his attempt at getting in shape seriously.

As he was still in search of his big WHY, he realized that he’d never stick with an attempt until he had some “skin in the game” (invested in himself). So he called up his local gym and set up a free training session.

And that lead to him realizing that hiring a trainer that knows him better than he knows himself was going to be a game changer:

“My trainer is perfect for me! He keeps me motivated and honest without being the cliched TV trainer who berates their clients! He’s never yelled or made me feel like a failure. Honestly, If had a trainer like that I would have quit after the first session. He’s a self described nerd so we often talk about the next big superhero movie or I crack jokes about his addiction to big Kit Kat bars!”

Whether it’s an online coach or a course, there’s so much psychology at stake beyond just the information you learn in these situations. We all know what we need to do (eat less, move more), but we can’t get ourselves to do those things.

Investing in a course or hiring a coach can be the biggest difference between success and failure for many people. When you spend money on a quality fitness product or service:

You spend time with other people who are investing in themselves.

You get to outsource your decision making and just focus on following directions.

You get the peace of mind that you are doing the right thing because its been prescribed by somebody farther along than you.

You get guaranteed accountability, because you’re paying somebody for something which means you’ll value it more!

Sure, there are MILLIONS of free resources out there about how to get healthy. There are millions of free fitness articles (you’re reading one of them!).

And yes, many people can get motivated and go build their own workout and go to the gym and figure things out and LOVE spending that time doing so.

For the rest of us though, we don’t have the time or ability to sort through the junk to find the best information, or we just want the peace of mind knowing we’re learning from somebody that gets us.

And lastly, maybe we know ourselves well enough that if we spend money on something, we’ll actually use it!

Personally, I pay money to go to a gym 2 blocks away instead of using the free gym in my apartment building, because I never go to the free one! I also pay hundreds every month to work with an online fitness coach, and it’s the best money I spend each month.

I’m not telling you to spend your money on fitness. Instead, I’m saying that what you spend your money (and your time) on says a lot about your priorities.

Kenney looked at his spending habits and despite what he was told himself he cared about, he was really prioritizing fast food, no sleep, and video games.

So he changed his priorities by eliminating unhealthy, expensive food and instead, spent that money on investing in himself (a coach, the NF Academy, healthy food).

Of COURSE you don’t need to spend money on your health and wellness – but it can be like powerleveling yourself in a video game! If you think you can’t afford a gym membership, or a trainer, or a course…track your spending and measure what you have been spending your money on instead (TV, Netflix, game subscriptions, etc).

If you reallllly want something, you can find a way to save elsewhere to invest on what’s important:

If you have chosen to prioritize your health and wellness, I’d suggest investing in:

A gym membership (or home gym) if you’re serious about changing your physique.

A comprehensive online course/community if you can’t learn in person. (like the Academy).

A personal trainer or an online coach (we have a 1-on-1 online coaching program too).

Notice I didn’t say anything about supplements or ab coasters or whatever – get your mentality in order, work with people who have succeeded in the way you want to succeed, and get started!

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace

What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating

3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

be Less like Old Kenney. Be more like new Kenney.

I’m so thankful Kenney let me share this story with you today! Here are the most important things he did to transform into Tony Stark:

Even though he wasn’t ready to transform, he kept reading about health and fitness for years until something clicked.

He finally had a big enough reason why to overcome his love of fast food. He dug deep and really addressed his motivations.

He stopped relying on himself, and instead outsourced his motivation and accountability to a community and a coach.

He invested in himself, which made him take the opportunity more clearly

He fixed his relationship with food – instead of comfort, it became fuel for his goals.

Regardless of how involved you want to be with Nerd Fitness, I’m just glad that you’re here and reading this. I hope you can see Kenney’s transformation above and decide “Hey, I want to do that! maybe I should do what he did.” And put his words into your practice!

And then go see Kenney perform!

Look for the guy center stage….

-Steve

PS: I’m glad that Kenney is a really active and encouraging part of our community in the Nerd Fitness Academy, and I hope you consider checking it out too!

It’s the most supportive group on the internet, and you’ll also get workout plans, a 10-level nutritional system, an entire mindset module, and character leveling system with real-life quests and boss battles. It comes with a 60-day guarantee to give you a chance to try it out and see if it can help you level up your life!

See you in there!

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joshuabradleyn · 7 years ago

Text

How Kenney the Tabletop Gamer Lost 120 Pounds and Found His Voice (Literally).

“There’s no way that’s the same person, right?”

And then I saw his other photos. And then I heard his story.

And then I teared up.

Shut up I’m not crying, you’re crying.

After years of struggle, starting and stopping, a switch flipped and he has lost over 120 pounds in the past 15 months.

Here’s his origin story.

Meet Kenney

STEVE: Kenney! My man. When I first saw your post in the Academy Facebook group, and it had hundreds and hundreds of likes and comments, my jaw dropped. Let’s hear your background:

By the age of 25 I was over 300lbs and miserable.

Ha. Of course being a southerner you can’t have breakfast without biscuits!

Lunch, would roll around and I’d run to Burger King and order 2 double cheeseburgers and a large fry and Coke to wash it down with.

I’d probably grab a candy bar or chips from the snack machine mid afternoon.

On the way home I’d stop by and grab more food for dinner: a large chicken finger plate from Zaxby’s because who don’t love fried chicken? I had to have another large Coke to wash it down.

STEVE: So let’s talk about what happened that brought about actual changes:

KENNEY: I was 35, tired all the time and unhappy with my life. Obesity, diabetes, thyroid issues, and high blood pressure are also all prevalent in my family history.

I decided to check it out and joined the NF Academy in January of 2016. I read the starter quests, but keep putting off actually starting.

So what happened next?

I told her that I was committed to landing a leading role, and her response? My weight was a showstopper.

KENNEY: October 2016 I started my fitness journey first by cutting out sodas and cutting my portion sizes. I started logging everything in a Fitness App.

Strength training with some occasional cardio has the name of the game since then.

STEVE: Hmmm, so what you’re saying is…this whole diet and exercise thing might actually work! Hahaha – so talk to me what other changes you made along the way.

STEVE: And that’s when you discovered the power of a supportive community, right?

The progress posts served as motivation for me! By February, I had lost 50lbs and decided to make my first post on the Facebook group (which you can see below):

This was a huge step for me due to self-esteem issues but the support and uplifting comments were great. I used the Academy community to help keep me motivated.

By the end of summer I was down 100lbs.

STEVE: AMAZING. So let’s hear about the New Kenney. What’s a typical day like now?

KENNEY: I wake up around 6:30 and 6:45am and try to get to work before 8:00am. I do intermittent fasting so I actually skip breakfast. My “feasting” window runs from 11am til 8pm.

After I work out, I’ll grab dinner with chicken or beef, with some brown rice, and broccoli (I love broccoli!) or a mixture of other veggies.

STEVE: That mentality change is amazing, and I love hearing it. You changed physically. What else changed about you along the way?

I was a soloist in a community Sing-a-long Messiah tonight and I got to rock a tux, so I thought it would make a good after!

STEVE: Everybody assumes that they’ll be happy once they lose weight. And you clearly seem like a completely different, more content, and proud person. Is there anything you still struggle with?

STEVE: Thanks for sharing that honestly with us, man. We’re all works in progress, both inside and out! And these battles take time.

How Kenney finally succeeded and lost 120 pounds

I wanted to highlight the key points to his transformation that allowed him to finally find success, and hopefully you can implement these types of changes into your life too.

KEY POINT #1: Kenney kept trying.

If you’re somebody that has started and stopped or lost 20 pounds only to put on 30, you’re not alone.

If you woke up this January and said “I said the same thing last year about getting healthy, but here I am still overweight,” you’re not alone.

If you beat yourself up when you fail and think you’re doomed to stay fat, you’re not alone.

The important thing is that you take action – more information is usually not the answer.

Here at Nerd Fitness we refer to the perpetual activity of collecting information as “collecting underpants!“

Don’t get stuck on Phase 1 – you’ll never get to “profit” (healthy) without taking action (that’s phase 2).

Now, there’s a powerful psychological element to Kenney’s journey that I wanted to highlight as well.

KEY POINT #2: Kenney finally found his “Big Why.”

And then he finally found his “Big Why.”

If you are somebody that thinks you “should get in shape,” you’re not digging deep enough for your reasons. However, if you are trying to get in shape because:

You’re tired of being unhappy with the person you see in the mirror.

If you want to build confidence to finally go on a date for the first time.

If you want your wife to look at you with love/admiration the way she used to.

Your dad died at a young age and you want to live to see your grandkids.

A reason like this, written somewhere that you can see daily, will help you stay on track when life gets busy.

Key Point #3: Kenney changed his relationship with food.

This quote from Kenney perfectly encapsulates why Kenney was successful in his transformation:

“I look at food differently now. It’s fuel for me to reach my goals, whereas before I used it to make me feel better.”

This is a guy who ate fast food 3-4 times per day, every day. Who grew up in the South, home of “comfort food.” A self-described Reese’s Cup and Ice cream aficionado.

THAT guy now views food as fuel for his fitness goals!

He kept things simple like cutting back on soda and tracking his food intake.

Only after he started to see some progress did he start playing this “healthy eating” game on a harder difficulty setting:

He moved his diet over to a more low carb, Paleo-ish nutritional strategy

He cut out breakfast and followed an Intermittent fasting plan

He consistently ate healthy options and go-to “default” meals.

Key Point #4: Kenney STOPPED relying on himself.

Believe it or not, Kenney giving up on himself might be the most important mindset shift he could have made.

http://ift.tt/2EVPfs8

#How Kenney the Tabletop Gamer Lost 120 Pounds and Found His Voice (Literally).

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