#cause my legs don't hold me up and I need to exercise to build muscles around my knees and it'll help apparently

[yeeiguess]

Sometimes the thing that helps is actually physical exercise and that fucking sucks. How is my body able to make my lungs breath and my heart beats all right but I don't naturally have enough core strength to stay upright for ten minutes ?

[clonedchaos]

Marathon

Orchids and Oranges: A Yasammy Week Special

Yasammy week brought to you by @yasammyweek!

Sorry this one was late, I had some errands to run yesterday and an 8 hour shift early this morning. I'll try my best to catch up, but I might be a day late on my prompts.

Day 2: Firsts Rating: G/PG Summary: Sammy attends her first marathon. Fortunately, she has an expert partner to coach her along. 

AO3 Version:

Tumblr Version:

"Ready for this, Sammy?" Yaz asked, reaching down to touch her toes. Her hair was done up in a tight bun, preventing any loose strands from obscuring her vision. Sammy had ditched her boots for a nice pair of pink running shoes; courtesy of her amazing girlfriend. After so long sporting boots, this experience felt foreign. It was far more practical for running at least.

Sammy quickly copied her action as Yaz continued to lead her through the stretching exercises. "Ready as I'll ever be," She smiled. This would be the first time since Nublar that she would be running such long distances. And, it was the first time Yaz had done anything akin to track since the island. Plus, it was fundraising for the local hospital in Yaz's district. All around, this would be a fun time. She was thrilled to be able to partake in an experience and hobby that was close to Yaz's heart. She just hoped she could keep up!

"Alright. You know the basics. Conserve your energy until we near the finish. When going downhill, let gravity do the work for you. It'll make your pace far easier, trust me. And don't push yourself too hard. If you need to take a break, we'll take one," Yaz listed, twisting her upper body to loosen her muscles.

"You got it!" Sammy chirped, playfully saluting her. Yaz chuckled and nudged her with her shoulder.

"Runners! To the starting line! We will begin shortly!" A man's voice crackled through a loudspeaker.

Sammy noticed the flame of competition erupt in Yaz's eyes at the announcement. She was so passionate, so confident. Oh, how she wished she had that sense of valor.

Yaz turned her attention onto Sammy and extended a hand. "Ready, cowgirl?"

"Always, track star," Sammy replied, playing up the nickname. Her fingers intertwined with Yaz's and they headed for the starting line.

Sammy's heart beat wildly in her chest as the anticipation began to build. Her first marathon! This was going to be so much fun! 

She was forced to wait-- she hated waiting when she was this excited-- until the announcers dropped the welcome banner and the marathoners took off. Sammy was instantly pulled forward as Yaz shot off like a bullet. She felt like a cartoon character with the way her legs were flailing back and forth.

Yaz glanced over her shoulder and slowed her pace. "Sorry about that. Got a bit carried away," She apologized, her movements deliberate and precise.

Sammy put a bit more pep in her step and took the lead. "Don't tell me you wanna slow down! We've got competition!"

The marathon path snaked through the thinning shops of the town square and out into a lush pine forest. Miniature markers were laid out on the trail, directing them where they should go. Despite the event not being a race per se, the duo kept toward the head of the pack.

They passed by a small blossoming flower field with vibrant daisies. It took Sammy all the self-restraint in the world to not divert off the path and pick a few to give to Yaz. She'd look astonishing in a woven flower crown.

A medial incline was up ahead.

"Remember, Sammy. Let gravity do the work for you," Yaz panted, having vast control over her breathing patterns.

Sammy nodded and powered forward. By the time her and Yaz reached the top, her calves felt like they were on fire. As they descended, Sammy reserved her energy and let motion take hold. The breeze tickled her cheeks as they picked up speed. She couldn't help but laugh, causing Yaz to do the same.

The next locale was to skirt around the edges of a lake. The sand pulled at her feet, a much rougher terrain to balance on and navigate through than hardpacked dirt or concrete. And boy, cannonballing into the water was getting more and more appealing by the second. It was hot. Really hot. Why had they chosen to do this in the summer again?

Sammy wasn't sure how much time had passed when her pace began to slow. She wanted to keep up with Yaz, but her body felt like it was in the process of shutting down all together. With every gulp of air, her chest burned and her throat stung.

"Sammy? Do you need to take a break?" Yaz asked as they crested another hill. She began to slow her own pace.

Sammy shook herself. Come on, Sammy! You can do it!

Maybe she could. From the high vantage point, Sammy could spot the finish line at the bottom of the hill. Several onlookers awaited them, as well as volunteers with numerous water bottles and towels at the ready.

"We're so close. We can't stop now!" She insisted.

"But Sam--"

Sammy released Yaz's hand. Just a little bit further. Her legs felt like jelly and her cheeks burned. The sun was relentless. Was she going to black out?

Yaz suddenly overtook Sammy. She crossed the finish line and spun on her heel. "Come on, Sammy! You got this!" She encouraged, waving her hands. She didn't take Yaz for the cheerleading type, but she sure inspired Sammy.

Yaz was right there! She was waiting for her. Just a few more steps. She could do this, couldn't she? Seeing Yaz standing there, waiting for her, it filled her with hope. Sammy pushed forward with one last burst of energy. Her legs completely gave out from under her and she crashed into Yaz, sending both of them toppling onto the ground.

Sammy blinked, her throat burning and chest heaving as she fought to take in oxygen. Sweat dribbled down the side of her face. She was used to the heat and physical exertion of working on the farm, but she forgot just how taxing running could be. Being chased by dinosaurs had surely lit a fire under her back on Nublar.

Sammy finally snapped back to reality as she moved into a sitting position. Immediately she helped Yaz do the same. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!" She immediately began checking her over for any bruises or scrapes that she might have accidentally inflicted upon her. Exhaustion was thrown to the side as her girlfriend's wellbeing was of far more importance; to her at least. She didn't even care her vision was slightly spinning.

Yaz grabbed her hands. "Sammy. I'm fine, really." Her eyes searched Sammy's expression thoughtfully.

Sammy set a hand on her forehead and wiped away the sweat on her brow. Why was she feeling fuzzy?

Yaz leapt to her feet, dashed over toward one of the water refuel stations, and grabbed two ice cold bottles of water. In seconds, she was right by Sammy's side. "Here, drink this. You're dehydrated," She uncapped one and handed it off.

Sammy brought the bottle to her lips and took in the refreshing icy chill. In ten seconds, she had downed the entire thing.

Yaz held the other bottle against her forehead to help cool her off. With her other hand, she supported Sammy's back in case she fainted. "Feeling better? I don't want you passing out on me. If you need to lie down, I'll help you," She quickly rambled off and bit her lip.

"I'm fine, Yaz," Sammy assured as she leaned against Yaz's shoulder. Her breathlessness had begun to subside, and the water bottle had done wonders for her heat exhaustion. "Just out of it is all. I forgot just how much running takes it out of ya. You make it look so easy."

Yaz chuckled and moved to set a hand atop Sammy's. "It took years of practice to get to where I am today. Or, well, to where I used to be. You did amazing. Besides, I can say the same for you and horseback riding. Remember what a disaster I was trying to ride for the first time?" She teased.

Sammy thought back to that particular, eye-opening experience. "I thought you got an A+ for effort," Sammy mused with a smile. "Give it a few more lessons and you'll be a proper cowgirl in no time."

Yaz laughed. It made Sammy's heart flutter. "I know it's hard for us to find the time when we live so far away... But what do you say about going on a few nature runs with me from time to time? In return, you can give me horseback riding lessons."

Sammy dropped her empty bottle and squealed. "Ooo! That sounds perfect! There are tons of places around the farm with a more scenic view. Or, or-- We could go camping! I've only done it a few times, but I think we'd have tons of fun. We could roast marshmallows, tell spooky stories, cuddle by the campfire. Imagine hiking in the mountains! Going for a morning jog while overlooking a breathtaking view would be just the sight to get us up and going!"

Sammy continued to ramble on with her ideas, Yaz listening intently. There were so many things they had yet to experience together. Where would they go next?

[worshipper-status]

💙A General Guide to Taking Care of a Disabled Darling (From a Disabled Yandere)💙

Hiya everyone! I saw someone make a guide on this and wanted to add some more in depth detail as a disabled yandere so I can give you all the best advice on keeping and caring for your darling. Admittedly as someone who's disabled, nothing makes me want to be away from someone more than someone who is ableist so if you want to keep a darling with a disability it's best to be informed. I'm going to approach this as if you are in an active relationship with someone just because that's where a lot of my perspective comes from (as well as from the perspective of my personal disabilities) but if you all want any more advice please tell me! Anyways onto the list!

(Long post below)

1.) Research, research, research

If your darling tells you what specific conditions they deal with write it down. Remember it. Anything. And when you get a spare moment, I want you to pour yourself into research for that condition and generally how disabled people are treated. If you are an able-bodied yandere, you are not immune to ableism and that is the number one thing that will push your darling away. Learn everything you can about their condition. What may help one disability may hurt another. Also if you and your darling are on good terms don't be afraid to ask questions! Take note of what personally helps them. Good example, while hot water is known to help with joint pain and muscle aches it can be really bad for disabilities that cause light headedness and vertigo like POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) so knowing what you're dealing with can give you a leg up.

As a general note, try to avoid telling them to exercise, meditate, do yoga, go on a diet, etc. If that stuff could fix out conditions we already would have done it, and for certain conditions, it can make symptoms worse. Please listen to your darling on what they specifically need. Become an expert on every facet of them and their opinions on their disability. If you're reading this you're probably a yandere so it's not exactly like research is hard for us.

2.) Have supplies on hand

Being disabled and going anywhere usually requires some level of forethought, or effort. So try making it easier by having supplies on hand. Here's a list of stuff I keep on me at all times to aid with m disabilities when I'm out in the wild!

Pain meds of choice

Instant hot packs

Instant cold packs

Hot and cold pain cream (BIOFREEZE IS EXPENSIVE BUT IT WORKS SO WELL)

Electrolyte drink or drink mix with water

Compression items for different joints

Blood pressure reader of some kind (I use a fitbit tbh)

Headphones

Sunglasses (Sun is to bright, don't judge)

Fidget toys

My mobility aid

Now this is what I personally carry on myself. What you can carry for your darling is going to vary on who they are, where they stand in your life and what their disabilities are. (Note: If you know someone with POTS and they have a flare up, being able to provide an electrolyte drink during the episode may help get you on their good side, especially if they know you as someone they can rely on for that. Don't hold me to that advice all I know is I would probably marry someone if they did that for me lmao.)

Adjust to what they personally need. There's a lot of other items that could be useful to have on hand depending on what their disabilities are, such as different types of OTC meds you could grab, specific compression items, heart rate monitors, glucose monitors, vomit bags, incontinence products, if legal marijuana products, etc. It's all based on what they struggle with which is why step one is research. You can't build a medical supply kit if you don't know what you're trying to treat.

3.) Be their advocate

This is the me lecturing you about ableism section. Your darling whether physically or mentally disabled has to put up with a LOT of bullshit. Ableism is very deeply rooted in our society, so often you're gonna see your darling in certain situations. Strangers asking whats wrong with them, people claiming they don't have what they say they have, saying their faking for attention, saying they don't really need XYZ support item, etc. You need to learn to defend your darling the correct way.

It's going to vary from person to person, from situation to situation, but your best bet is shutting shit like that down. some stranger walks up to your wheelchair using yandere and asks what's wrong with them? Tell them your darlings medical history is none of their business. Someone says their lazy for using their supports? Stand up for them. Say they need these supports and being on a fair playing field with everyone else isn't lazy. At a doctor's appointment and your darling is AFAB and the doctor's trying to blow off their symptoms? Tell them what you've seen. Ask the doc what they would do if your darling wasn't AFAB. Tell them to mark lack of treatment in charts. Make the doctors cover their asses. You in these settings are your darling's biggest resource.

But also...

4.) Learn when to shut the fuck up. Don't put your foot in your mouth.

You (if you are an able bodied yandere, which is my target demographic with this) reading this, probably struggle a lot with being ableist and don't even realize. This is where listening to others is gonna win you a lot of brownie points. Sometimes, you need to advocate, sometimes, especially in disabled spaces with your darling, you need to learn to shut the fuck up and listen. It will usually benefit you greatly to not speak over your darling in these settings because it can give you a lot of useful info on how to deepen your relationship and also not be an ass to them. In the beginning, there's going to be times where you say hurtful shit. Move your pride to the side and apologize. You are not immune to having bigoted ideals. General rule of thumb, if your darling wants to speak first, let them, you can give input afterwards. And if they specifically tell you to shut up in a certain setting because you're talking over them, shut up.

5.) Okay now for the fun stuff. Love languages!

With people who struggle with disabilities, they may express their love languages in different ways. Acts of service may carry more weight if your darling really struggles with tasks. Quality time may matter more if they're bed ridden and bored out of their mind. Here is a very general guide of love language actions for disabled darlings.

Acts of Service:

Cleaning their room for them

Doing the dishes

Taking out trash

Doing their laundry

Making doctor's appointments for them

Taking them to and from doctor's appointments

Refilling and picking up their prescriptions

Quality Time:

If they're in a pain flare, keep them company, even if it's just napping with them!

Watch shows with them if they're struggling with doing anything that requires a lot of movement.

Run errands with them, so they can have help with difficult tasks like carrying heavy objects, or talking to customer service representatives.

If they're unable to leave the house but able to move a little bit, suggest video games, board games, or some fun low energy activity together

Go to doctor's appointments with them. Like be in the physical room. You'd be surprised how much it helps if your darling wants the assistance.

Words of Affirmation:

ENCOURAGE THEM

SERIOUSLY BEING DISABLED IS SO FUCKING HARD

THEY GOT OUT OF BED TODAY? PRAISE THEM!

THEY DECIDED TO MAKE A MEAL INSTEAD OF EATING ONLY DORITOS? PRAISE THEM!

EVERYTHING THEY DO REQUIRES MORE EFFORT THAN THE NORMAL HUMAN YOU BETTER FUCKING BE PRAISING THEM FOR THAT SHIT

Physical Touch:

Okay, gonna get the caveat out of the way, some conditions will cause physical touch to be painful. Find out from your darling if that's the case. Otherwise...

Does your darling struggle with hygiene? Do they trust you enough to be naked in front of you? Shower together. Not even in a horny way, taking showers while disabled fucking sucks man. Having someone to help me wash myself helps a lot. Bonus points if shower chair is involved.

Massages. If your loved one needs a lot of creams or ointments, put them on for them, work them in carefully. If they're more pain treatments, a deeper massage may also help work those knots out. Just be careful and be gentle and slow. Listen to your darling. Pay attention to their responses. Whether they're leaning into or away from how hard you're kneading. Just communicate clearly for this. Don't hurt them on accident

Cuddles. I'm gonna be blunt. Sometimes, your darling will end up stuck in bed barely able to do anything. Cuddle them. Being stuck is so much less lonely that way. Also bonus points for nap time being a quality time thing.

Help them with "intimate" tasks they may struggle with. Showering together goes in this category but for a broader purpose, this category exists. Once again this has to have that layer of trust, but this is things like helping them get dressed, helping them feed themselves, helping them brush their teeth or manage their hair (PLEASE DO RESEARCH ON THEIR HAIR TYPE FOR THIS).

Receiving Gifts:

Help them pay for medical supplies if you can afford it. It doesn't need to be a power chair. If you want to just buy someone some ibuprofen, or a heating pad, or just like... some small item that may help them, I promise you it will matter. If they mention running low on a critical medical supply that's OTC and you have the money for, just buy it for them.

Buying them things that can keep them entertained in bed or inside the house is also a really nice thoughtful item.

STREAMING SERVICES!!! IF YOU CAN PAY FOR A SUBSCRIPTION OF THEIR CHOICE TO ANY STREAMING SERVICE THEY WANT. GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO BINGE WATCH WITH YOU WHILE STUCK IN BED.

This one is a little more tailored to me, but if your darling is like me and appreciates monthly subscription boxes with surprise items in them, consider a "spoonie" or "chronic illness" box. They are usually pretty surface level stuff but the items in them tend to be nice and veer in the self care category so it's an option to consider.

Don't give them "Get well soon cards" unless you know FOR CERTAIN that whatever is plaguing them right now can actually get well soon. Most disabilities you can't recover from. There is no "get well soon" for most of us. Don't give us a reminder of that.

Anyways! That's my list. Feel free to add onto this if you all have any other ideas. If you're ableist in my notes, I freely block and report so don't test me.

Have a nice day!

(I didn't proofread this, please cut me some slack if this is all over the place)

[livebloggingmydescentintomadness]

oh congrats! can you give some tips on building muscle when you dont actually have any weights? also how long does it take and do you need to eat so much protein? anything really. ive been wanting to build muscles on my legs though but i dont know how to start. i havent bc i feel my diet isnt too protein filled and idk how to go about it esp when i live at home and have to eat what they do so i feel trying to gain muscle would be too hard if i didnt have a set diet/protein plan

thanks! i'm really flattered to be asked for advice, but i'm afraid that the most salient advice i possess for gaining muscle is "be me", because it seems to be mostly through some kind of physiological quirk that allows me to gain absurd amounts of muscle absurdly quickly, with absurdly little effort.

i actually didn't realize HOW absurd my body is until i googled yesterday, because supposedly most people can only gain ~2lbs of muscle per month, or at most 5lbs with strict training, and here i was able to gain ~30lbs of muscle in just two months. and to be clear, i didn't follow any special regimen - my primary goals were to sleep better and increase my overall health, not to get ripped.

(i don't know what this physiological quirk is, but it's nothing new, i've just been more consistent with lifting recently. my mom still raves about how i picked up and carried around an enormous boom box when i was 16 months old, and how when i was 5 i got mad and pushed a chest of drawers taller than i was in front of my bedroom door. i'm absurdly muscle-bound even when completely sedentary. my old massage therapist, a former body builder/personal trainer, used to do a few resistance exercises with me to warm up my back, and he was always astonished by how strong i was. basically, my body dumped all its stats into muscle mass, to the detriment of literally everything else.)

anyway, with all the prefaced, i can give at least a few tips if you still want them, because yes, you can definitely do a lot without weights. there are plenty of effective bodyweight exercises, and if you're able to spend a little money, resistance bands are a great alternative to weights.

okay, so a few things: if you want lean, toned muscles, you do more reps with less weight, and if you want big bulky muscles, you do fewer reps with more weight. in terms of bodyweight exercises, like squats, this could mean just holding something heavy (like a jug of water or a backpack) while you do them.

next, proper form is absolutely crucial. especially if you're using any kind of weight, you need to research the proper form of any exercise you're going to do and then hold yourself correctly, as incorrect posture could negate the results you're looking for or even cause injuries. always be really careful with your neck and your back.

if you're using weights or resistance bands, do NOT rely on momentum to do your reps. you know how you see guys swinging their weights up when they're doing bicep curls? that might look impressive and get you more reps, but impressive and more isn't as useful as effective. the most effective way to build biceps, for example, is with isolated bicep curls (if you don't have a bench, sit and plant your elbow/tricep against your inner thigh), which will kick your entire ass if you're used to using momentum. move slowly, deliberately, focusing on the movement rather than how much you're lifting or how many reps you're doing.

also, don't underestimate the results of doing just a little, or starting with the bare minimum. one rep is better than zero reps. if you don't have the energy to push yourself, or if you hate winding up super sore, literally just do a couple, just get your muscles used to being used.

for building up your legs, i would suggest calf raises, squats, pliés, lunges, romanian dead lifts, glute bridges, or any variations of those that you feel comfortable doing. personally, i hate lunges so i just don't do them. if you hate doing a particular exercise, you're not going to do it, so find something else that you don't hate so much instead of trying to force yourself to do something you hate.

some other good bodyweight exercises are pushups (i do them against my bathroom countertop, and you can start just doing them against a wall if need be), crunches, reverse crunches, supermans, wall sits, chair dips, and doorframe rows. (and then there's dynamic exercises like jumping jacks and burpees, but i will not do jumping jacks for love or money, so fuck that.)

also don't overlook the benefits of yoga, if you have enough space and a mat or towel to use. look up strength building yoga routines and they will definitely kick your ass. a ballet leg workout would also do the trick.

on the nutrition side of things, i’m still working on figuring that out. i’m sure i’m not getting enough protein for the amount of muscle i have, but protein is a somewhat tricky thing, as it’s not all created equal. plant protein isn’t bad, but the issue with plant protein is that very few sources contain equal levels of amino acids, and you’re only going to absorb as much protein as the least amino acid in that source. so if the package says that it contains 20g of protein, that might be technically true, but if one of the amino acids in it is only 5g, then you’re only going to absorb 5g. (does that make sense? i’m not sure i’m explaining it clearly.)

the point is, if you want to get your protein through plant sources, you need a variety of foods, and you need to combine them. for example, you’ll get more complete protein by eating a combination of whole grains and legumes (like beans with brown rice, barley with lentils) than you’d get from legumes alone. good plant protein means eating whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, etc, not just eating protein bars made with soy protein isolate. that can definitely be difficult to do when you’re not the one doing the grocery shopping, or if you don’t have time to cook, or the money to buy healthy food.

animal proteins are more straightforward, but while i’m not at all vegan, i also just can’t do those low carb diets and eat meat all the time. it’s expensive, it’s time-consuming, and honestly i find it kind of gross. i try to use meat, dairy, and eggs in conjunction with plant proteins, rather than one or the other. plus, you can only absorb so much protein at once, so it’s better to try and get your sources consistently throughout the day rather than eating a big pile of chicken for dinner.

but all that said, you definitely shouldn’t be trying to exclude carbs and fat from your diet. your body is meant to run on carbs, fat, AND protein to function, and while making adjustments like less sugar and more protein might be helpful, you should never try to cut one category out altogether. personally, i think it’s better to just eat foods rather than try to cram myself full of isolated proteins.

anyway, i know that’s a whole lot of shit, and it’s kind of infuriating that i can put on muscle just from sneezing. but i also don’t think you have to dedicate all your time to gains in order to get some results, and doing a little is infinitely better than doing nothing. don’t freeze up because you can’t do everything all at once.

trying doing just one or two little things, and go from there. take care!

[artificialqueens]

don't make me wait another day, chapter two (kamasia) - holtzmanns, writworm42

chapter 2: keep fightin’ for it

read on ao3 | tumblr: holtzmanns, writworm42 | word count: 3251

AN:

Writ: sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, folks! As per usual it was a lot of fun to write, credits to Holtz for taking care of the gym portion on account of I am Gay and do not like to move. Thank you 3000 to beanierose for beta-ing so thoroughly! You’re great. Hope y’all enjoy!!

Holtz: Chapter two is here. Writing a gym fic with Writ, who has never been to a gym in their Life, is hysterical and fun. We hope you enjoy it. Bean is the bestest for betaing <3

“Don’t y’all dare say anything,” Asia huffs as she, Monet, and Monique head out of the gym. The other two women are already sporting shit-eating grins and giggling amongst themselves.

“Say anything?” Monique gasps, putting a hand to her chest. “I don’t know what you mean. Monet baby, you know what she means?”

“Us? Say anything about how you didn’t want to come to the gym, then you enjoyed it the most of us? Girl, we would never.” Monet shakes her head, taking on her girlfriend’s shocked tone. Asia rolls her eyes.

“Hey Asia, what was her name again?” Monique asks innocently.

“Kamer-Bitch, what are you implying?” Asia does a double take, her hand on her hip as she stops in her tracks by Monique’s car.

“There’s no implication here, honey. Why, you thinking about something?”

“Oh, she’s thinking about something, girl. Starts with a K, ends in some big ol’ muscles wrapped around her-”

“Y’all want to be banned from the apartment? ‘Cause I can change the locks,” Asia interrupts them. She grabs the keys from Monique’s hand and unlocks the car door before sliding in, hoping that slamming the door behind her might shut out their snickering.

“Geez, someone’s touchy,” Monet teases.

“Just drive, bitch.”

If the other two notice that Asia’s leg is bouncing uncontrollably, or that her face feels hot enough to heat the car, they don’t say anything.

The rest of the ride passes without incident, all three of them soon finding about five other topics to bounce between as they joke and argue or just laugh and share stories. Realistically, the drive is only twenty minutes long, but when Asia’s with Monet and Monique, that’s ample time to work with. By the time they’ve moved from a debate about the best kind of Cheeto to stories about how they all got their asses whooped in church as kids, Asia’s long forgotten about the gym and the beautiful trainer that works there.

Well, almost.

Asia’s never had much trouble falling asleep. In fact, she sleeps like a baby most of the time, dropping off the minute she hits her pillow and slumbering so deeply she barely remembers her dreams by the time she wakes up in the morning.

Tonight is an entirely different story. Asia falls asleep fast enough; it’s when she starts to dream that the trouble begins.

She’s back in the gym, on the elliptical again. Only this time, it’s different - for one, Monique and Monet are nowhere to be found. The smell, too, is absent - at least the one she remembers.

Instead, there’s something else invading her senses, something flowery, a little spicy, like expensive perfume and Old Spice mixed together. She can swear she’s smelled it before, but she can’t figure out where.

“You almost done on that machine, baby?” A voice behind her makes Asia jump, and then suddenly, the gym is gone, and she’s back in her bedroom, and…

And Kameron is in front of her?

“Why don’t you lie down, sweetheart?” Kameron takes a step towards Asia, who’s powerless to do anything but oblige her, quickly crawling onto her bed and laying flat for Kameron to stand over. “There we go. You must be so tired, working out so hard.”

Asia swallows hard, but it does nothing to wet her suddenly-dry throat. She feels her heart begin to pound as Kameron crawls onto the bed after her, moving to straddle and box her in.

“Tell me, baby, are you as good as you look? Or am I gonna have to train you in that, too?”

Asia feels fingers brushing against her cheek, and she wants to reply, God, she wants to reply, but Kameron is looking at her and licking her lips and leaning in for a kiss, and-

Asia wakes up with a start, her heart pounding and her hand down her sleep shorts.

“Damn, you really can’t wait for Thursday, can you?” Monet grins when Asia emerges from her room fifteen minutes later, legs wobbly and shorts probably still not on quite right.

“Shut up.” Asia rolls her eyes, trudging over to the bathroom to wash her hands.

So maybe Asia has ulterior motives when she stops at the mall and buys new workout clothes before her second session with Kameron. Who can blame her? She knows she’s going to look like a sweaty mess by the end, but she wants to go in with something to work with, at least.

From the way that Kameron swallows hard when she sees her, eyes roaming over her tank and shorts that hug her ass perfectly, Asia knows she’s made the right decision.

Kameron recovers quickly though, as she leads Asia to the open floor area. She drums her fingers on her clipboard and it’s like a switch has been flipped, her face all business. “First, time for a warm-up. How do you feel about burpees?”

It turns out that Asia really, really, does not like burpees.

“Bitch,” Asia pants as she stands up on shaky legs, readying herself to crouch down for another burpee, “If I survive this warm-up, I’ll kill you.”

Kameron looks like she’s trying to hold back a laugh. “Twenty. There, was that so difficult?”

“Yes.” Asia bends over, hands on her knees as she tries to catch her breath. Her brow furrows when she looks up at the clock on the wall - it’s only been five minutes since they started, which is impossible, since it feels like she’s been doing burpees for ages.

“We’re not done the warm-up just yet. Time for some high knees.” Kameron grins at her when she lets out a groan.

“Demon. Actual demon.”

Things get better once they move onto the actual workout. Kameron grabs a twelve pound weight and passes it to Asia, who tries her best not to look like she’s going to drop it immediately, because damn is it heavy in her arms. She watches as Kameron then grabs a twenty five pound weight for herself, and has to resist the urge to gawk.

“How the hell are you gonna lift that?”

Kameron wordlessly lifts it above her head with one arm in a smooth motion, her arm not shaking or showing any strain. Asia feels her mouth go dry, unable to look away from how Kameron’s muscles flex as she brings her arm down.

“Ah. That’s how.”

“Tell me if this weight is too heavy for you, okay? We’ll go down if you need to. I want to push your muscles just enough, not too much that you end up injuring yourself.” Kameron’s voice is uncharacteristically soft and Asia can’t help but melt a little at the words, even though she’s not going to injure herself in the least, thank you very much.

“I’m just fine with this. I’m strong. Ish.” Asia is. She’s capable of beating Monet in arm wrestling every single time that she challenges her, without fail. She can handle a measly weight. Asia hasn’t yet beat Monique, though. The girl is strangely built.  

Asia can see what a professional Kameron is as she takes her through a series of exercises with the weights and then around the gym, to the different machines until her legs feel like absolute jelly and her arms are weighed down. Kameron prefaces each one thoroughly with what area it’s supposed to target, and demonstrates before getting Asia to try. Kameron offers corrections with a gentle touch of her hand that nearly make Asia jump each time, despite the strain of her muscles and the sweat building on her brow. Asia almost wants to fuck up more just to get Kameron’s hands back on her, though the stupidity of the idea isn’t lost on her either.

Kameron leads her to the squat rack, leaning against it and facing her. “Saved my favourite for last.”

If Asia’s truthful, it may be her favourite, too. Not because she’s ever used a squat rack in her life, but because she’s thinking back to her last time at the gym when she had first seen Kameron, helping another client at the rack. And now here Asia is, Kameron now helping to train her . Asia gets to spend more time with her, flirt with her a little more, and sure, she has to do god-awful exercise at the same time, but she’s quite impressed by her own finessing abilities.

“Ever done a squat?”

“Ever done a-of course I’ve done a squat, who do you think I am?” Asia sputters. “Sure, I’ve been naturally blessed with this ass, but even perfection requires a tune-up sometimes.”

Asia pats her own butt and Kameron cracks up, her head tilting back when she laughs. Asia tries her best to ignore how adorable the sight is.

“How about a weighted squat?” Kameron pats the bar against the rack, and Asia tries not to let the trepidation show in her face. The plated weights for the bar look fucking huge, and Asia’s no Olympic level weight lifter by any means.

Asia crouches down to look at the number on one of the weights. “Fifty pounds? Jesus Christ. You think I’m the Hulk or something?”

“We’re definitely not starting with that one, don’t worry. If you squatted with it, you probably wouldn’t be able to come back up.” Asia’s ready to protest Kameron’s statement, about to interject that she’s not weak either, but Kameron continues. “That’s the kind of weight that you’ll be able to build up to eventually. Right now we’ll just start only with the weight of the bar.”

Asia purses her lips. “Will my ass look better?”

Kameron’s face flushes. “Since I’m working, and out of respect in general, I don’t think I can answer that-”

Asia grins. “Don’t worry. Already saw you looking. I know it looks great.”

Kameron’s face turns even more red as she stutters, and Asia can’t help but let out a snort. “Just teasing. Now are we going to squat or not?”

“Unbelievable.” Kameron shakes her head, grabbing the bar. “Truly unbelievable.”

The squats with the bar are more difficult than Asia anticipates, having to keep the position of the bar along her back in mind along with her form while she squats. She lets out a huff when her knees accidentally begin to turn in as she bends down.

“Here, let me help with positioning and spot you.” Kameron comes up behind her and suddenly Asia is very aware of her presence, and can feel her gaze along her back, assessing her form.

“Is it okay if I put my hands on your hips while you squat?” Kameron’s voice is soft in Asia’s ear, and she has to suppress the way that it makes her shiver. “Just to keep you straight.”

Asia wants to crack a pun about how she’s never been straight in her entire damn life, but the words die on her lips and she just nods. Kameron lets out a little hum, and her light touch along her hips is tantalizing, leaving Asia wanting to melt into her hands. As if they’re not in a gym, and she’s not Asia’s trainer, and as if it wouldn’t be incredibly inappropriate to just turn around and kiss Kameron right here and now.

Kameron’s voice is smooth in her ear behind her. “Okay, now I want you to squat slowly again, keeping your back straight and while looking forward.”

Asia does so, feeling the way Kameron’s hands keep her in line, keep her body from twisting. Kameron squats behind her so that she can continue to spot as Asia continues her reps, and it feels like the gym version of dirty dancing at the club, from how close behind she is, nearly pressed up to her. Asia’s not sure if the trembling in her legs is from the squats or from thinking about Kameron pressed up against her in other ways.

“You spot all of your clients like this?” Asia can’t help the quip as Kameron grabs the bar from her to put it back on the rack. If she’s going to feel flustered, she’s going to bring Kameron down with her too.

Kameron reacts just the way that Asia expects her to, letting out a throat clear that turns into a cough. Though the words out of her mouth that follow are not what Asia expects. “Just the ones who I think could really benefit from this type of…close support.”

Asia can feel her mouth falling open, unceremoniously closing it as her face heats up. Kameron winks, winks, at her. The gall. “You’re not the only one who can play at this game, y’know.”

Asia takes a sip of her water to distract herself from the way that Kameron is looking at her, eyes twinkling as she picks up her clipboard. Kameron runs her finger over the page and shrugs. “Looks like we’re all done for today.”

“Already?” Asia can’t hold back the note of disappointment in her voice. Sure, she’s exhausted and she’s never sweat so much in her life, but she’s having fun. And wants to put herself through it again to spend more time with Kameron.

“Already. You crushed it. Be proud.” Kameron’s grinning, and Asia can’t help but return the smile. “How are you feeling?”

Asia shrugs. “Honestly? Not bad. My muscles don’t even feel that sore.” It’s a lie, a complete lie from the way that she feels incredibly shaky on her feet, but she’s not going to tell Kameron that. Kameron, a gym goddess who probably could do the workout that Asia just did without even breaking a sweat.

“Yeah? Well that’s good to hear.” Kameron has a smirk on her face, as if she can see right through her. She writes something on the edge of the page on her clipboard, ripping the piece of paper off and holding it out to Asia. “Here’s my number. Text me how you feel in the morning.”

Asia wiggles her eyebrows. “Giving me your number already, huh?”

“And to schedule another session.”

Asia is undeterred, grabbing the slip of paper from Kameron’s hand. “You’d best believe I will.”

“Good.” Kameron has a gleam in her eye again, charm exuding from her gaze, and Asia’s mesmerized by it. “I like clients with dedication.”

“I bet you do.”

When Asia wakes up the next morning, she feels like she’s been hit by a truck. An incredibly large truck, one that’s run her over several times and turned her muscles into absolute lead.

What on earth did Kameron do to her? Her muscles weren’t this sore the night before, during her hot shower when she got home from the gym.

She reaches out to grab her phone from her bedside table and has to hold back the urge to wince, the muscles of her arm tensing as she tries to move them.

A: Do you specialize in full body paralysis? Bc I think I’m fully there now. I can’t move AT ALL

K: LOL. So a good first workout then, huh?

A: I truly think I’m dead

K: Epsom salt bath and some Tylenol. You’ll thank me later.

A: How on earth do you do this gym shit all the time?

K: Your body gets used to it! Eventually, the pain starts feeling kinda like a reward for working hard.

K: I know how you’re going to read that first text. Don’t say anything.

Asia snorts at her phone. It’s true, she had been about to make a joke about Kameron liking a little bit of pain. She takes pity on her, though, replying with something a little less spicy.

A: If I’m still alive after a couple days of this pain, let’s talk about a second session.

K: Really? Yay! I’m so glad you had a good time at the first one. :)

Asia has to resist letting out an audible aww. She can almost picture Kameron on her phone, typing out the emoji with a grin on her face. The girl is too cute for her own good.

Asia crawls out of bed eventually, waddling her way to the kitchen because her thighs are screaming at her in pain. She lowers herself onto a chair by the kitchen table with a wince, rolling out her neck and shoulders.

Monet looks at her from where she’s leaning against the kitchen counter, sipping her coffee. “Why do you look like you’ve just been beat up or something?”

“Fully think Kameron killed me with that gym session.”

“Oh, she did now, did she?” Monet cocks an eyebrow, smirking as she takes another sip. “She whipped you good?”

“Don’t you start.” Asia points at Monet sternly, her glare accusatory.

“Nothing starting but the truth, girl.” Monet waves Asia away as she shuffles towards the coffee-maker, every move making her wince as a stabbing pain shoots through her quads with each step.

“Don’t you got to get to work?” Asia rolls her eyes. She tears her attention away from Monet, who’s giving some excuse about how it’s summer and school’s out, to stare at the machine in front of her, attempting to will her arms to reach up and grab the coffee pot.

They don’t.

“Let me get that for you.” Monet grins.

“I don’t need you to.”

“Sure you don’t.” Monet grabs a ‘PUSSYCAT’ mug from the cabinet above them and pours Asia some coffee, acting incredibly nonchalant, like there’s no innuendo for Asia to get. Asia grunts her thanks as she takes the cup and stifles a groan as she begins to struggle towards the kitchen table.

“You want fruit? Maybe an apple? Or some figs? We got some pretty fat figs in the fridge.”

“No, I’m-Bitch, shut up. ”

Monet looks like she’s about to say something else when Asia’s text alert pings, interrupting their bickering. Mercifully, Monet walks over to grab Asia’s phone from where she’d left it on the kitchen counter the night before, handing it over to her and rolling her eyes when Asia mouths a little thank you.

She casts a look down at her phone and almost swallows her tongue.

K: So? Did you try some Tylenol?

A: Not yet lol… can’t reach up for the cabinet

A: Do you pay this much attention to all your clients or just the pretty ones?

There’s no reply for a moment, and Asia’s heart drops, doubt seeding itself in her chest as regretful thoughts run through her mind. Was that too much? Was she misinterpreting Kameron’s vibe? Had she come on too strong, too quickly?

But then Kameron replies but nothing but a grinning devil emoji, and Asia’s worries are subdued momentarily.

“Oooh, flirting already? It’s not even 8 o’clock in the morning.”

“Who-Bitch, what are you doing looking at my phone?” Asia jumps at the sound of Monet behind her, leaning over her shoulder and peeking at the messages on-screen.

“So you gonna schedule another session?” Monet ignores the indignant question, a shit-eating grin on her face. Asia rolls her eyes and huffs.

“Duh? Obviously.”

“Ooh, she likes pain.” Monet smirks, barely dodging the swat Asia aims at her.

Still, even after Monet retreats, still cackling, Asia can’t suppress the butterflies that have risen in her stomach, surges of excitement making her feel almost as if she’s floating on air.

A: So do you have time for another session next week? Same day & time?

This time, Kameron gets back to her almost instantly.

K: Sure thing, honey.

[scripttorture]

Hi! So I'm writing a scifi story, and my character (about 30 years old, human male, in good physical health) is captured and held for maybe 6 days before his friends manage to rescue him. The capturers want to make the character's organization see them as strong and powerful by hurting the character (who is kind of a Hero), but they don't wanna kill him yet. Do you have any suggestions for possible tortures, or fo you need more information, I know I described the scenario quite badly

You haven’t describedthe scenario badly but it would be helpful for me to know what the cultures inyour story are based on. Generally the types of torture technique used dependon where (and when) you’re talking about. Different countries have different‘National Styles’ of torture. What’s realistic for one time and place isn’tnecessarily realistic for another.

 When I’m makingsuggestions for sci-fis I like to be able to make suggestions based on whatsort of cultures the writer is imagining. So for instance I’ve based questionsabout Klingons for Star Trek fanfics on real Russian practices because (as Iunderstand it) the Klingons were loosely based on Russian culture.

 I tend to suggest using‘clean’ (ie non-scarring) tortures in sci fi settings. This is because mostmodern torture is clean. But depending on how you’ve built up your world andhow the culture works that might not be the best way to go.

 I’m getting theimpression that your baddies want to humiliate this character and you haven’tgiven an indication of whether you want the character to have any scars orobvious, physical injuries.

 Six days is areasonably long period of time and gives you a lot of scope for differenttechniques and methods.

 So I think the mosthelpful thing I can do is give a quick little run down of when clean vsscarring techniques are more likely and make some suggestions for both. I’llsay when and where certain techniques were more common so if you have aparticular place in mind for the sci fi cultures you’re working with you’llhopefully be able to draw from at least some of my suggestions.

 Rejali makes a prettyconvincing case that the switch entirely to clean tortures in the modern erawas caused by international monitoring and the concerted effort of the humanrights movement to eradicate torture. Thereare other arguments which I discuss briefly in this Masterpost on cleantorture.

 The argument is that ifthere is a concerted effort to look for evidence of torture and negativeconsequences of it being proved then torturers change their practices, hidingwhat they’re doing. This means having a general cultural assumption thattorture (or at least some forms of torture) is wrong.

 The switch fromwhipping to clean tortures in European militaries came after change in publicopinion. It was no longer seen as acceptable to subject soldiers to‘humiliating’ punishments such as whipping which were also used on criminals.Stress positions, environmental exposure and forced exercise gradually took theplace of whipping.

 These culturescontinued to use scarring tortures in other contexts.

 Historically somecultures (including many European ones) have used scarring tortures aspunishments for certain forms of crime. The idea was to forever mark thecriminal with evidence of the crime, humiliating them and possibly ostracisingthem from the community as part of their punishment.

 Essentially you need tobe aware that scars can illicit sympathy as well as revulsion. They can lead toa public rejection of torture, or at least of visible torture.

 If there’s a chance yourtorturers or their organisation could lose credibility for obviously torturingtheir enemies then I’d suggest sticking to clean methods.

 If on the other handyou think the people who support the baddies will be encouraged by seeing someone like your character scarred, if they’dsee it as just and as a reasonablepunishment- then I think you should consider scarring techniques.

 Homophobia and racism may feed into how likely scarringtorture is. Historically a lot of cultures reserved clean tortures for womenand children not because they were ‘kinder’ but because there were socialpenalties for scarring women and children. Scars reduced their perceived value.

 If these bad guys seeyour character as the lowest of the low, as the most horrible form of non-personthey can imagine and other factorsthat would support scarring torture apply then I’d say scarring torture wouldbe almost certain.

 Let’s move on to somesuggestions.

 Generally torturers usemore than one technique. A typical regime would include 3-5 techniques(excluding things like the conditions of the cell and starvation which are alsotorture). So you should pick multiple techniques, I’d say up to a maximum ofseven.

 The torturers willprobably use as many techniques as possible as quickly as possible but over thesix day period the character would not be continuously tortured for the simplereason that he wouldn’t survive. Over longer periods of time torturersgenerally start to lose interest in particular victims, with the most concentratedindividual attacks usually occurring in the initial 2-3 day period. In yourcase I wouldn’t advise showing a noticeable loss of interest but perhapsinclude more periods of rest and recovery between torture sessions after thefirst 2-3 days.

 There are a few thingsthat are virtually ubiquitous in modern torture: sleep deprivation, starvationand beatings.

 Beatings can bescarring or clean. An open hand on a fleshy area or a rounded soft object willnot generally leave lasting marks or bruises. A closed fist or a harder objectwill bruise. An object with an edge ie a rectangular piece of wood or arectangular shaped whip, may break the skin and scar. Metal objects or objectswith metal studs will be scarring and in some contexts can be lethal.

 Most torture victimsare beaten. In fact beating probably constitutes most torture. It isn’t hightech, it isn’t complicated. It is, bluntly, kicking the shit out of someone.

 Moving on to morespecific ‘clean’ techniques-

 A lot of countries nowuse electricity, America and France in particular have both used electricaltorture for a very long time (the UK is one of the few countries that doesn’tgenerally use electricity). This mostly involves using stun guns, stun batonsand Tasers that are officially issued to the police and military. If electrical‘stun’ weapons are common in your sci fi world then it seems likely they’d beused to torture.

 These devices do not leave marks. Which makesprosecuting cases extremely difficult. They’re incredibly painful and they aredesigned to make the victim temporarily lose control of their major muscles.They can kill, both by causing heart attacks and by knocking victimsunconscious. If someone becomes unconscious while standing they aren’t able toprotect their head as they fall, which can result in fatal head injuries.

 Stress positions arecommon globally but which positions are used varies widely from country tocountry.

 The UK seems to favourpositions that don’t require restraints like ‘walling’ (standing with the armsoutstretched so that the body is leaning forward and the finger tips touch thewall in front, weight does not rest on the arms and a lot of strain is put onthe back of the legs).

 In India and Pakistanthe ‘murgha’ position is used. The victim bends forward so that their ears arebetween their knees. They then sometimes have to hold their ears.

 In the USA ‘standingcuffs’ seems to be favoured, which is a form of forced standing with thevictim’s hands cuffed above their head.

 All of these positions areextremely painful and can kill. The strain basically causes massive musculardamage which causes a build up of proteins in the bloodstream and can lead tokidney failure. 48 hours is the maximum ‘safe’ period someone can be kept in astress position, longer periods risk death. Victims are unable to use theirarms and legs normally immediately afterwards but recover with rest and time.

 Falaka is anothercommon one, which is used throughout the Middle East through to Pakistan andinto parts of northern Africa. It’s also used in some European countries,especially those that were once part of the Ottoman Empire.

Falaka is essentiallybeating the soles of the feet. It can be clean, scarring or lethal depending onthe implement used. Today soft rounded objects like hose pipes are used becausethey don’t leave external marks. The historical whips or wooden canes do leavescars, heavier wooden canes can break the bones of the feet and metal objectscan break the bones in the leg as well. Metal rods can be lethal.

 Redness and difficultywalking for around 24 hours afterwards would be normal even with clean methods.

 Dry choking ornear-drowning tortures are another globally common clean torture. These are basicallya form of suffocation, strangulation or near-drowning. They’re not used in theUK, or China but dry choking is common in India, South Africa and easternEurope (including Russia) and near-drowning is common in the USA and France.

 Dry choking ofteninvolves putting some sort of hood over the victim’s head. Plastic bags arecommonly used world wide but certain parts of eastern Europe have used gasmasks in the past. The air valves of the gas masks can be manipulated to cutoff air entirely, suffocating the victim and causing immense pain. The valvesare opened before the victim falls unconscious and the process is thenrepeated. A similar procedure might be possible with a space suit.

 Near-drowning can be assimple as holding someone’s head in a bucket. Waterboarding is slightly morecomplicated but not by much. It usually means putting a piece of cloth over thevictim’s mouth and nose and pouring a constant stream of liquid over it,cutting off air. As with dry choking the victim is periodically allowed tobreathe to prevent death.

 Any torture that cuts offthe air supply is incredibly risky. There’s very little difference time-wise between‘pain’, ‘unconscious’ and ‘permanent brain damage’ or death. This doesn’t meanthat torturers are ‘skilled’; it means that the procedure is incredibly riskyand may lead to a higher number of victims dying.

 Because torturers don’tpublish statistics I can’t say with certainty that victims subjected to chokingor near-drowning tortures are definitely more likely to die.

 That’s cleantechniques.

 Scarring techniqueshave often varied hugely globally and the further back you go historically theharder it can be to distinguish propaganda and exaggeration from fact. It’s alsoworth keeping in mind that many historical scarring tortures were intended tobe lethal.

 I’m going to try andstick to simpler and more widespread scarring tortures as a result.

 Burning with hot metalhas been used by a lot of disparate cultures at various times. I’m particularlyaware of use in Japan and Britain historically.

 The traditional pincersor tongs that tore flesh as well as burning would probably not be a practicaltorture in a sci fi setting. Open fires and metal tongs would probably not becommon place items and people do not use historical relics to torture.

 But metal can be heatedelectrically and I’m sure a lot of high tech equipment might contain heatedmetal parts which could be exposed. Cooking implements, such as an electricalstove or toaster could also be used.

 If you don’t want thecharacter to suffer from lasting mobility issues it’s best to avoid making theindividual burns too big (try to stick to a maximum of the size of thecharacter’s palm) and it’s also best to avoid the joints. Scarring on or aroundthe joints can shrink the skin there, reducing mobility. In the case of burningit can also damage nerves and tendons at the joint which are necessary fornormal motion.

 It’s also important toavoid the nose, mouth and anus if you want the character to survive. Burns tothe eyes will blind. Burns to the genitals are likely to result in completeloss of sensation and possibly amputation of parts of the genitals.

 Communities thatpractice consensual branding report that a burn which encloses an area of skin(ie a circular shape like O) causes death of the encircled skin. This isthought to be due to cutting off the blood supply by damaging capillaries. Sofar as I know it’s not dangerous to the character’s life, but it can result ingreater areas of visible, obvious damage.

 If you want to go downthis route I’d suggest looking through ScriptMedic’s tags on burns and burntreatment.

 Cutting was anotherglobally common scarring torture. It’s fairly self explanatory and I suspecteven a sci fi setting would still have knives. The same advice for burns scarsapplies here, scars can reduce mobility and it is best to avoid the joints.Attacks to the eyes can blind. Attacks to the nose and mouth are less likely tobe fatal but attacks to the anus will be. The genitals are a relatively commontarget and depending on the depth of the cut would not necessarily result inlong term loss of the genitals (infection is always a possibility).

 Removal of teeth andnails was also globally common. This was usually done with pliers, I’m sure asci fi society would have an equivalent common piece of equipment that could beused.

 So far as I know teethand nails, once torn out, do not grow back. This can cause difficulty eatingand difficulty with fine motion in the hands. Your society may have technologythat could rectify these problems but it might not.

 Now this ask has gotincredibly long. I’m hoping that I’ve provided enough suggestions that you canbuild up something to suit your world.

 Remember that it shouldbe practical and simple. If you don’t think your baddies would have easy access topliers don’t use pliers. If you don’t think they’d be able to find cabling orsticks for falaka don’t use falaka. If it requires a lot of effort torturerswill not use it.

 Andremember to include the long term effects on your character’s personality andmental health. Recovery is not the absence of symptoms, but learning tolive well with symptoms.

 Chose techniques youare comfortable writing about and good luck with your story. :)

Disclaimer