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brarphysiocare · 10 months

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Empowering Osteoarthritis Treatment with Natural Remedies and Lifestyle Changes.

Introduction

Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, affects millions of people worldwide. It is a degenerative joint disease that causes pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. While there is no cure for osteoarthritis, there are various treatment options available to manage symptoms and improve quality of life. In this blog, we will explore the empowering approach of using natural remedies and lifestyle changes for osteoarthritis treatment. We will also highlight the role of Brar’s Physio Care, a leading provider of osteoarthritis treatment in Mohali, in offering comprehensive care and specialized treatments.

Understanding Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of bones within joints wears down over time. This can lead to friction, inflammation, and damage to the joint structures. Commonly affected areas include the knees, hips, hands, and spine. Osteoarthritis can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, and a decreased range of motion, impacting daily activities and overall well-being.

Empowering Osteoarthritis Treatment

Natural Remedies

Herbal Supplements: Certain herbs and plant-based supplements have shown promise in reducing inflammation and easing osteoarthritis symptoms. Examples include turmeric, ginger, Boswellia, and devil’s claw. These natural remedies can be taken in capsule or powder form, or even incorporated into meals for added benefits.

Topical Applications: Topical creams, gels, and ointments containing ingredients like capsaicin, menthol, or arnica can provide temporary relief from pain and inflammation when applied directly to the affected joints.

Heat and Cold Therapy: Applying heat to the affected area can help relax muscles and improve blood flow, while cold therapy can reduce inflammation and numb the area, providing pain relief. Hot water bottles, heating pads, ice packs, and cold compresses can be used as part of a natural pain management regimen.

Lifestyle Changes

Exercise and Physical Activity: Regular exercise is essential for maintaining joint flexibility, strengthening muscles, and improving overall joint health. Low-impact activities like swimming, cycling, and walking are generally well-tolerated by individuals with osteoarthritis. Additionally, stretching exercises and gentle range-of-motion movements can help improve flexibility and reduce stiffness.

Weight Management: Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for individuals with osteoarthritis, as excess weight puts added stress on the joints. Losing weight through a combination of healthy eating and regular exercise can significantly reduce joint pain and improve mobility.

Joint Protection: Implementing strategies to protect the joints during daily activities can minimize stress and strain. This includes using assistive devices like braces or splints, avoiding repetitive movements, and practicing proper body mechanics when lifting or carrying objects.

Stress Management: Stress can exacerbate pain and inflammation in individuals with osteoarthritis. Incorporating stress-reducing techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques can help alleviate symptoms and improve overall well-being.

Brar’s Physio Care: Providing Expert Osteoarthritis Treatment in Mohali

When it comes to osteoarthritis treatment in Mohali, Brar’s Physio Care is a trusted provider of comprehensive care. Our team of experienced professionals understands the unique challenges faced by individuals with osteoarthritis and offers tailored treatment plans to address specific needs. We combine a range of modalities, including physiotherapy, pain management techniques, and patient education to empower individuals in managing their condition.

At Brar’s Physio Care, patients can expect a thorough assessment, personalized treatment programs, and ongoing support throughout our osteoarthritis journey. Our expert team utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to provide holistic care, incorporating various techniques such as manual therapy, therapeutic exercises, and assistive devices to improve joint function, reduce pain, and enhance overall mobility.

Moreover, Brar’s Physio Care understands the importance of patient education in empowering individuals with osteoarthritis. We strive to educate their patients about the condition, its management, and lifestyle modifications that can optimize our treatment outcomes. By empowering patients with knowledge and self-care strategies, Brar’s Physio Care enables individuals to actively participate in their own healing process and make informed decisions about their health.

In addition to their expertise in osteoarthritis treatment, we are dedicated to providing a compassionate and supportive environment for our patients. We prioritize building strong patient-provider relationships based on trust, empathy, and open communication. This approach ensures that patients feel heard, understood, and involved in their treatment journey.

Conclusion

Empowering osteoarthritis treatment with natural remedies and lifestyle changes can have a significant positive impact on managing symptoms, improving joint health, and enhancing overall well-being. By incorporating natural remedies such as herbal supplements, topical applications, and heat/cold therapy, individuals can complement their conventional treatment approach with holistic alternatives.

Similarly, making lifestyle changes like engaging in regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, protecting the joints, and managing stress can contribute to better management of osteoarthritis symptoms and improve the overall quality of life.

For those seeking osteoarthritis treatment in Mohali, Brar’s Physio Care is committed to providing exceptional care and support. With our comprehensive approach, expert knowledge, and patient-centered focus, they are dedicated to helping individuals with osteoarthritis live their lives to the fullest Contact us Now.

#Osteo Arthritis Treatment in Mohali

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lale-txt · 2 years

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✂️ One Piece characters and their recent search history (pt. 1/?) ➳ w/ Ace, Roger, Law, Shanks, Whitebeard, Sabo, Sanji & Kid

➳ pt. 2 w/ Marco, Doflamingo, Smoker, Nami, Zoro, Garp, Kaido & Killer

a/n: you know how intimate your recent search history can be, right? it's like a micro character study and i think that's beautiful.

Ace

“daddy issues help”

“does loving a bird make me furry”

“where to buy weed on Grand Line”

“i love my 1.600 brothers bumper sticker”

“restraining order against my father and his partners”

“chaps with flame pattern”

“WikiHow roll a weed”

“giant scam on Grand Line”

“can u smoke Basil”

Roger

“gentle parenting methods”

“my son hates me help”

“Grand Line polycule”

“Silvers Rayleigh OnlyFans”

“Monkey D. Garp OnlyFans”

“Road Poneglyphs scans leaked”

“dilf maid cafe application”

“cool patterns for trimming your bush”

Law

“AITA for misuse of devil fruit”

“hot topic new collection”

“best concealer against dark circles”

“alliance meaning”

“GoFundMe bread ban”

“is it gay to steal 100 hearts”

“lint roller giant pack polar bear hair”

“tattoo on ass cheek pain scale”

Shanks

“how not to pay child support”

“alimonies help when broke”

“am i a deadbeat test”

“how to change pirate crew name”

“shower how often”

“20-in-1 shower gel maxi pack”

“ugliest pants where to buy”

“fashion faux-pas Grand Line 2022”

“Dracule Mihawk book of poems release date”

Whitebeard

“how many sons too many”

“how to adopt son from your rival”

“son bites what do”

“sexy nurse uniforms”

“honk if you love dilfs bumper sticker”

“dilf to gilf when”

“lube big pack groupon”

“dick appointment urban dictionary”

“silly little meow meow meaning”

“why does date call me babygirl”

Sabo

“why capitalism bad”

“dragon claw skull kink”

“burgoisy”

“borgoysie”

“bourgeoisie spelling”

“hot [redacted]”

“how to [redacted]”

“[redacted]”

“how to apply becoming a dilf”

Sanji

“All Blue where”

“best feminist pick-up lines RESPECTFUL”

“zoro x reader smut”

“am i gay test”

“how to come out to your crewmates”

“cheese of the year”

“how to end nose bleed before it ends me”

“best playlist to kiss boys, girls, theys and gays to”

“bi disaster booty shorts”

Kid

“best kiss-proof lipstick in shade of my enemy's blood”

“diy glitter grenade kit”

“am i Florida man test”

“is it gay to brush your first mate’s hair”

“how to become pirate king”

“why do i need a plan b in life”

“how to become beauty influencer”

“cool names for a boat”

“list of cool one-armed redheads”

“breaking bones ASMR”

#eustass kid #sanji #revolutionary sabo #gol d. roger #portgas d. ace #whitebeard #shanks #trafalgar law #edward newgate #one piece headcanons #one piece imagine #one piece scenario #one piece writing

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cyberneticlagomorph · 2 years

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You go limp like a rag doll as your consciousness is shunted into cyberspace.

You're still vaguely aware of yourself and your surroundings, the heat of the stasis gel sinking into your bones.

The whir and hum of machinery.

Slowly

Slowly…

They fade away into the background until it's just you, just your thoughts loose in a sea of ones and zeroes.

You're met with the standard warning screen that comes with basically all video games of any persuasion, and you swiftly ignore it as is your habit.

The game loads in pretty much immediately afterwards, no dev logos or extra fluff or anything.

"Ursumbra Online" fades in, written in big bright bubble letters with different colored patches held on by stitching; the "online" bit is written in a more pixelated font on a piece of masking tape slapped (almost haphazardly) onto the bottom of "Ursumbra".

The title screen is unassuming, a cardboard and craft supplies collage like Yoshi's Crafted World.

Soft and childish.

It reminds you of Doki Doki Literature Club and Madoka Magica.

That specific brand of soft pastels and cuteness laid thin over something dark and vaguely traumatizing.

Like flower petals over a spike pit.

You're prompted to make a new account, and you do without hesitation.

Wait for the verification email, punch in the code.

Bing, bang, boom.

You're in.

A disclaimer pops up next and physically forces you to read it (see: scroll to the bottom as fast as you can) before you're allowed to progress any further.

It's charming the way the different sections of the UI drop down on colorful strings or pop up on popsicle sticks.

For a moment you think that there's no way this game could be tied to what's going on past sheer coincidence.

There's a meter at the top of your screen, detailing the process you must follow before you're allowed to enter the game.

The boring stuff is behind you already.

Account creation.

TOS agreements.

Disclaimers.

Sensory input calibration (that tickled).

Now comes the fun part, character creation.

You are presented with two choices, to make your own character completely from scratch.

Or to use an avatar created from biometric scan.

The game pitches the scan to you as "a way to show your true self in Ursumbra and make your play through truly unique and personal!"

… your play through would be unique and personal regardless of what avatar you chose, cuz that's how MMO games work.

Curiosity creeps into the back of your mind like smoke through an open window, and you feel some invisible string around your throat tug you towards the biometric option.

"If you don't like it, you can always make one from scratch." Says a slippery little voice in the back of your mind.

You click OK and the display turns black for a bit before cartoonish laser grids scan you up and down while goofy beeping noises play.

Your skull itches from the inside, and the entire program seems to rattle and buffer as a child's drawing pad drops down from up high on a piece of brightly colored string.

A red crayon rolls out of the gloom and floats up to meet the pad, slowly it scribbles and sketches and erases until it finally seems satisfied with what it's drawn.

On the paper is a black rabbit with big dark eyes, nubby little horns, sharp claws, and little fangs.

A devil's tail curls towards the edge of the paper.

A piece of cardboard pops out of the gloom, taped to a popsicle stick and smothered in stickers.

"Are you happy with this avatar?" It reads.

You press "ok" before you can really think about it and all the craft supplies drop into the void without a word.

A mirror appears next, rising out of the blackness and cradled in dozens of inky hands.

In the mirror is a shape.

White cotton fluff condensed into the vague shape of a teddy bear without skin.

Skeins of fabric drop from above and behind you like curtains on a stage.

Scissors and needles merrily dance around you, trailing ribbons and thread.

Snip snip.

Stitch stitch.

You watch as your fabric skin is cut and sewn around you.

A chest of buttons and bobs appears and two dark eyes fly from its clattering depths, smacking full force into your face where they stay.

You blink in surprise, batting huge feathery lashes that weren't in the original sketch.

Shiny sharp claws sprout from the tips of your paws.

A tail is pinned to your rear

And the tips of the scissors glide across your face to give you your mouth, somehow already toothy and grinning.

You know this is just a cutscene but… it makes you feel giddy.

Makes you feel NEW.

A silver pocket watch is tucked into the fluff of your chest, just before the last few stitches make you whole.

The process is complete.

You get a moment to check yourself out in the mirror before the floor drops out beneath you and plummet into the abyss.

The mirror waves a solemn goodbye as it shrinks into the distance.

#ic #action post #ask to tag

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mulderist · 4 years

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DEVIL AT MY DOORSTEP

Post-Orison Hurt/comfort || MSR, UST || Scully POV || Moderate violence || AO3 link

A/N: This fic was originally written way back in 2001 when I was in college. It was my first post-episode fic and I posted it to FF.net back in the day. I unearthed it 3 years ago and gave it some extremely heavy edits because it’s that ridiculous and dramatic (lol). I then nervously posted the revised version to AO3.

@today-in-fic

"If you want to pack some things we can get outta here," Mulder said as he walked into my bedroom. I pulled open a dresser drawer revealing my copy of the Holy Bible. I felt the strong weight of guilt in my hand as I lifted it out. Mulder noticed the book. "You can't judge yourself," he tried to reassure me. I walked over to my bed and carefully sat my beaten body down.

"Maybe I don't have to." I told him.

"The Bible allows for vengeance."

"But the law doesn't."

"The way I see it," Mulder began as he leaned toward me, "he didn't give you a choice. And my report will reflect that, in case you're worried. Donnie Pfaster would have surely killed again if given the chance."

"He was evil Mulder. I'm sure about that without a doubt. But there's one thing that I'm not sure of," I said softly.

"What's that?"

"Who was at work in me? Or what? What made me - what made me pull the trigger?"

"You mean if it was God?"

"I mean - what if it wasn't?" There was a beat of silence and I could sense that Mulder wanted to say something. Instead I felt his hand gently slide across my upper back. I looked up at him and could see the concern written on his face.

"I'll finish up out there," he said. Then he moved past me and back towards the bedroom door, pulling it behind him.

I slowly stood and went to my dresser to find some clothes. I tossed an outfit on the bed and stripped off my pajamas leaving them in a heap on the floor. As I absentmindedly packed an overnight bag I took a look around my bedroom. The bookcase I had pulled over on Pfaster to slow him down resulted in a disjointed cascade of books and broken trinkets. There were stains of crimson blood, more than likely my own, which dotted the once clean carpet. The thought that blood was shed in my bedroom made me swallow hard. I scanned over my bed to the wall where my mirror once hung. All that remained were jagged pieces of glass and the remnants of the frame. More pieces scattered the floor. I closed my eyes briefly attempting to block out the events that had occurred. Then a shudder shook me back into reality and I turned to leave my room.

The police had finally cleared out leaving an unsettling calm in the apartment. I was grateful Mulder took it upon himself to answer their questions. As I walked to the living room I could still smell a faint scent of lit matches combined with the dying fragrance of my candles, though they had been extinguished for some time now. I stopped after I crossed the thresh hold and looked down at the large burgundy stain on the rug. Very faint markings of a chalk outline could still be seen on the floor. I saw Mulder sitting on the end of my couch with his elbows on his knees, hands folded. He rose when he realized I was in the room. I said softly,

"Let's go."

Mulder nodded and followed me out the door, locking it behind us. Once we got outside he took my bag and popped the trunk to place it inside. I took my place in the passenger seat and winced slightly as I reached across to grab the seat belt. My eyelids felt like lead weights and I couldn't help but let them close as I leaned my head back against the headrest. I heard Mulder get in the car and start the engine. He tried to make conversation on the ride to his apartment but I think after a short while he realized I didn't want to talk just yet. He knew me well. The remainder of the drive was in silence. Even after Mulder parked the car we still said nothing. It wasn't until we had stepped inside his apartment that he uttered,

"I can put some coffee on." I glanced up at him and nodded with a heavy sigh.

"I think I want to take a shower."

"Sure," he replied, sounding slightly wounded, "It'll be ready once you're done."

Jesus, why are we doing this awkward small talk? He handed me my overnight bag and before I went down the hall I squeezed his hand. After I closed the bathroom door behind me I put my bag on the floor then turned on the water for the shower. As it warmed up I slowly shed my clothes and inspected myself to see if there were any injuries I might have missed. I turned slightly and saw the initial stages of bruising setting in on my upper back. My naked figure in the mirror was unsettling. I had never seen myself look so vulnerable. I turned away from the defeated reflection and pulled aside the shower curtain, stepping into the warm waterfall.

Steam began to swirl around in the tiny room, creating an eerie fog. The slight burn of the water began to relax me as it massaged my tired frame. I self-consciously crossed my arms over my breasts and placed my hands on my shoulders. I then ran a hand over my wet hair. "Ah, dammit," I hissed. My index finger found a remaining chip of glass hiding at the back of my head. A speck of blood oozed from where I was pricked. That's when I noticed my fingernails. There was a fine line of scarlet caked under them.

Blood.

Blood that was not mine. My hands showed traces of the struggle in my apartment. I flexed and tightened my right hand noticing how awkward and stiff the movement was. Sprain, edema, contusion, hematoma: bland clinical terms I knew all too well. I took the bar of soap off its dish and began working it into a lather. As the suds formed on my arms, I tried to wash away the gritty feeling, the sense of guilt, and the memory of Donnie Pfaster.

Pfaster. His cryptic face clawed its way to the surface though I tried desperately to suppress it. His was the face of pure evil, a vision of a demon that shook me to my core. When I took the case I tried to prove to myself that it didn't bother me. I had gone through the counseling sessions during and after Minneapolis. Bouts of anxiety would return every once and a while, flashes of terrible things usually triggered after a particularly difficult assignment. Subconsciously I knew I was kidding myself when I thought I had overcome what happened.

For a fleeting moment, time seemed to melt away as I stood there breathing in the heavy steam. Water pushed the soapy residue from my body and I saw a light red trail spiral down the drain. I closed my eyes for a moment but couldn't shake the chaos that happened in my apartment. Pfaster was in my home - the devil at my doorstep. I angrily grabbed a bottle of shampoo and squeezed some of it into my hand. As I massaged the gel into my hair the familiar scent wound around in the air and my mood softened. Then my thoughts turned to Mulder. He told me not to look any further and I followed his advice. I don't know how he ended up in my living room with his gun drawn, ready to do what I was shockingly more capable of doing. He always managed to find me – to save me. I was still in shock when he rushed over and held me close. I just stood there, motionless, letting my weapon slip from my fingers. Every time I ended up in his arms I had this overwhelming feeling that I'm safe and it's a sensation I never want to lose. As I rinsed my hair I did what I feared most.

I lost control.

The water felt tepid as it mixed with the scalding tears in my eyes. I brought my hands to my face as if to conceal the pain and anger from myself. Oh God I thought. Everything was rushing at me too fast; horrible sounds and smells returned shocking my senses. I lost the comforting warmth that had enveloped me. Stability failed and I placed my left hand against the cool tile wall. My knees softened and with a hand over my mouth, I tried to muffle my crying. My shoulders lurched as I sobbed and I moved my hip closer to the wall for support. Water raced down my bruised back. My arms slid across my stomach and I held on, trying to shield myself from the terrible thoughts flashing in my mind. I leaned a shoulder into the wall almost as if I expected it to open up and embrace me.

"Mulder…"

I didn't realize I had said it aloud. It's not the first time I've called out to him but it felt different as I stood in his shower. I needed to say his name. I needed to know he was on the other side of that door. I needed to allow myself this one fleeting moment of vulnerability and begin to accept the unacceptable. As my sobs slowed one was caught in my throat. I hated how I sounded when I was upset and more often than not tried desperately to express sorrow in silence. Over the roar of the water I exhaled deeply and wiped my eyes. My hands found their way to my shoulders once again and I breathed in the last few clouds of steam. Then I turned off the faucet, pushed aside the shower curtain and stepped out onto the waiting bathmat. I pulled a towel off the hook and gently dried off, finding comfort in that familiar scent once again.

I got dressed and combed my hair then walked out to Mulder's living room. There was a lone mug on the coffee table. I happened upon him lying down on the couch, eyes closed. I moved closer and noticed that his brow was furrowed. I touched his shoulder causing him to stir.

"Mmm, sorry I must have dozed off. Did the shower help? " he said while he sat upright and ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I think so. I feel a little more human." I joined him in the space he had cleared. He stretched then reached for the mug and took a long swallow. I leaned back against the couch.

"I can pour you a cup if you'd like," I heard him say. My fingers began to fiddle with a tender spot on my left hand.

"No thanks." I know Mulder could tell I had been crying, puffiness under the eyes was not easy to conceal. I could feel my cheeks flush and I licked my lips as I searched for something to say.

"I'm sorry, Mulder. I'm still having difficulty finding the words right now and I can't stand this awkward small talk."

He shook his head after swallowing a sip of coffee. "You know I can see it on your face. And this awkward small talk wouldn't be so awkward if you would just let me in. It's like I told you earlier, I've never seen something give you this much of a head trip before."

"I have to be able to accept this on my own terms, Mulder." That tasted bitter. "I've been trying to forget for five years. I just can't do this right now." I got off the couch and started to head for his bedroom. After pushing the door slightly behind me, I turned down the sheets and slowly crawled into the large bed. I gingerly placed my head upon Mulder's pillow and felt the smoothness against my skin. Every muscle in my body struggled to unwind. Before I closed my eyes I noticed a shadow move in front of the door.

"I'll be fine." I muttered under my breath.

The last thing I heard was the click from the door being closed.

I awoke in the dark to a stinging sensation in the side of my head. My mouth was sore and I could taste blood. There was a taunt strip of cloth tied tightly around my head causing my cheeks to hurt. My hands were bound behind my back and my bare feet were tied together. I weakly struggled to shift positions, fighting the pain in my temple. Once my eyes focused I slowly maneuvered myself near the light source coming from the crack underneath the door. Where the hell am I? I couldn't see anything in the room aside from the hardwood floor. I attempted to sit back up and tried to figure out how I got here. Adrenaline had kicked in now and I started thinking of a way to escape. Then I saw a shadow sweep across the floor. Suddenly the door pulled open. I shot back against a nearby wall in a lame attempt to protect myself. I looked at the figure in the doorway and it didn't look human. The figure bent down, grabbed my ankles, and dragged me on the floor out of the closet into the empty room. I writhed and twisted in its grip. A dim light from somewhere else in the dilapidated house illuminated the figure just enough so I could distinguish human hands as they removed the tie from my ankles. The man reached over and forcefully pulled me up by my shoulders to my feet. Our eyes met for a split second as I stood and in that moment I felt malevolence swarm over my body. His pushed me in front of him and a smile snaked across his lips.

His hand roughly clung to my bare shoulder as he shoved me down a hallway. Everything in the sparsely lit house looked the same, bare and unremarkable. There was a warm glow coming from one of the rooms on the left and he led me in that direction. It was a master bedroom. Once inside I was shoved towards the bathroom. I saw an oversized bathtub nestled in the back under a window. There was a double sink to the right and the white porcelain toilet resided next to it with a towel bar hanging low over the tank. Candles covered just about every surface to provide mood lighting for whatever diabolical plans he had in mind. He moved me over to the sink and untied my hands for a moment, only to tie them to the towel bar. I saw the horrible smirk form on his face as he stepped back to look at his work.

"It'll all be over soon." And with that he left the bathroom. My mind yelled at me to escape. I pulled violently at the bar, foolishly hoping that I could pull it off the wall and run. Then I leaned my head down to meet my hands and try to loosen the gag. As I feverishly worked I heard a thud from the other room. I stopped for just a second and listened and to my horror I saw the man pull Mulder's body into the doorway and toss him on the floor.

No!

"Mulder! What have you done to him?!" I yelled against the gag. The man lunged at me and struck me across the face. Then he snatched my jaw and pressed the flat side of a knife against my cheek.

"Don't worry Girly-Girl. I have plans for him too." I fought the tears welling in my eyes. He moved away from me and went toward the bathtub, reaching for the faucet to turn on the water. I tried to free my hands from the towel bar while he was distracted. My fingers squeezed together and with a tug I was loose then I quickly removed the cloth from around my mouth. I looked out into the other room and saw Mulder stir but just as I did Pfaster noticed I had gotten one step closer to escape and took measures to slow me down. With a flash of metal his knife came quickly across my right hand. I tried to grab it; tried to disarm him for even a moment. He caught my arm and plunged the blade in-between my ribs. I screamed. He attacked me again, this time hitting my upper arm. I took all the strength I could muster and kicked Pfaster in the gut sending him back towards the bathtub. I cried out over the roar of the water and fell to the floor just missing the edge of the sink. I started to crawl in a prone position to the door and out into the bedroom, blood soaking rapidly through my tank top. I had to get to Mulder. He was lying face down on the floor and I could tell he was injured or God knows what else.

"S-Scully.." he muttered as he lifted his head revealing a gash on his cheek. My injured hand reached out for his, finding his fingertips and holding as tight as I could.

"Mulder, please…" I pleaded. "I need you to get up. I can't –" Pfaster was on his feet now. He turned around sharply and quickly ran out to seize my leg. I kicked him in the shin but he still managed to pull me in his direction. I cried out for Mulder as I was dragged back into the bathroom. Pfaster brought my arms above my head and held them together while straddling me. My right arm went numb from the stab wounds and blood started to seep into the bathmat as my body was pressed onto the tile. I winced as he tightened his hold on me, pulling my injured arm more than needed.

"You know," he began once he caught his breath, "I didn't think I'd finally catch the one that got away. That red hair never left my mind. I wasn't going to stop until I found you." My lips moved as I tried to form words, but no sound escaped. He stood and yanked me up off the floor. I could barely fight against him and that's what frightened me the most. I was running out of time. Still with a grip on my shoulders he turned off the water to the bathtub.

"Let her go, Pfaster," said Mulder from the doorway, his voice sounded dark. Pfaster pressed a hand over my mouth before I could put a voice to my suffering. The taste on my lips was nauseating.

"You're not going to take her from me. Not again," said Pfaster. Then he brought his face close to me and smelt my hair making my skin crawl. Then he dropped me in the tub, holding me under. I kicked and thrashed as hard as I could but I was growing weaker. I heard Mulder yell.

Two shots rang out.

The frigid cold water sent a shockwave through my body and stung my wounds. It hurt to move. It hurt to think. I could feel my body shutting down. All of my energy started to fade and I physically couldn't struggle anymore. I couldn't move. My breath slowed as I stared at the ceiling. The lights from the remaining candles flickered back and forth across the walls.

My life started to slip away.

Then I saw Mulder's face above me as he climbed into the tub. He reached in and quickly picked me up from under my arms then shifted my weight so he could slide his right arm under my knees. As he lifted my limp wounded body out of the bathtub I closed my eyes and heard him say "I'm sorry, Scully. God I'm so sorry." He carried me out of the bathroom, leaving the body of Donnie Pfaster behind.

Mulder knelt down with me on the floor of the barren bedroom, holding me tight in his arms. I coughed and sputtered, expelling the bathwater. He pulled out his cell phone and I knew he was calling for an ambulance. "Yes this Agent Mulder with the FBI, I have an agent down!" He gave some more information then tossed the phone aside. One hand pressed firmly on my side, adding compression to the oozing stab wound. "Help is on the way. Just hang on." My eyelids fluttered and I said his name.

"Scully, talk to me. Come on."

"What happened to you?" I asked weakly.

"That bastard cold-cocked me once I made it upstairs. He must have already had you tied-up in the bathroom. God, I should have shot him as soon as I saw him."

"I can't Mulder…" I said with a shiver.

"No. No. You have to stay with me, Scully" he said with a wavering voice.

"I can't feel …I don't…I'm sorry," My words were nonsensical as I tried to focus on him. My fingers grazed his shirt before I lost consciousness.

Mulder began CPR.

His lips felt so warm against mine as he forced air into my mouth. I felt the wetness of his cheek as he leaned in to deliver each breath. I was so numb I barely felt the chest compressions. His hands were soaked in my blood. Desperation crossed Mulder's face after he gave two more sets of compressions and saw no change.

"Dammit Scully, come on! You can't leave me!" I heard him say as he pressed on my chest. His composure was gone as he tried frantically to revive me. Mulder choked out a sob as he clutched me to his chest. He rocked back and forth then let out a primal, gut-wrenching scream.

A siren was heard howling down the street. Red lights flashed in through the window and danced along the ceiling as the ambulance pulled up. The paramedics flung open the door to the house and called in inside. It didn't take them long to find us. They rushed in and took me from Mulder so they could begin their work. He slid back a little and sat with his head in his hands. The EMTs readied the defibrillator to restart my heart. One of the medics cut open my shirt and stuck pads on my bare chest to prepare me before using the paddles. Then a paramedic called,

"Clear!"

I cried out and woke with a start; my hands pushed me into an awkward upright position on the bed. Disoriented at first and head spinning, I started to piece together where I was. The layout of the room became more familiar as my senses came into focus with the morning light. My weight shifted to my left elbow and as I rubbed my eyes I heard the bedroom door open, Mulder said my name as he entered. I sat up and he joined me on the bed. The wave of tension broke and quickly I leaned forward to wrap my arms tightly around his neck.

"I had a bad dream," I said softly, feeling my lip start to tremble as I pulled him closer. I felt like a child that needed to be consoled.

"Tell me," he whispered.

"I was in a house, like when I was taken before." My throat felt dry causing my voice to falter. "Pfaster dragged me into a room lined with candles and was intent on finishing what he started. You were there too but you couldn't - There was so much blood, Mulder," I pulled away from him and drew in a breath to try and regain some sense of composure. "It all just felt so real. " I shook my head and ran a hand over my hair leaving it to rest behind my neck. We sat there for a moment, no words between us. At one point he tenderly kissed the top of my head. Finally he said,

"I was hesitant to tell you, but I heard that song as I was getting ready for bed last night."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah," he looked down and motioned to take my hand, "I tried to call you but you didn't pick up. I guess you could call it divine intervention."

"That was playing in my apartment. He was playing that damn song…" Mulder leaned in and embraced me.

This time I buried my head in his chest and unwillingly started to hear the opening notes of the song fade in once again. My eyes closed and my hands pressed harder against Mulder's back, pulling him closer.

With those phantom tones I was replaying what had happened mere hours ago. The panic of knowing Pfaster was in my home, the anger that drove each blow I threw at him, the fear when he had me pinned down and screaming out for help.

Don't let go.

The tempo sent me reeling back to Minneapolis. That house. That closet. The feel of the rope around my wrists. Falling down those stairs and feeling paralyzed by fear. What was going to happen to me? Would I ever see Mulder again?

Hold on to me.

The rhythm began to fade and I felt the mist in my eyes. I pushed back for a brief moment and looked at Mulder as he brushed away tear that found its way to my cheek.

"Stay with me," I whispered. He nodded and I moved over, allowing him to slip into bed alongside me.

"It's alright. I'm here." He kissed the nape of my neck knowing there wasn't much else he could do but hold me. And that's all I really wanted him to do. At that point I didn't care that I had broken down. I had never wanted him closer to me than in that moment.

I was so tired. My body ached and eventually my sobs began to subside. The air was no longer caught in my throat. I began to listen to the cadence of Mulder's breath and I wasn't sure if he was still awake. My inhale met with his. Once he noticed my breathing began to slow he slid his hand from under mine. Fingertips found a strand of hair and placed it behind my ear. I could feel the sunlight coming through the bedroom window.

"Thank you," I uttered, my voice raspy and heavy with exhaustion.

"Rest. I'm not going anywhere." I struggled to shift positions and turned over to face him. My hand found his cheek and I moved closer, sharing his breath. The hint of smile tugged at his mouth. Ever so slightly my lips parted and I felt warmth as his lips met mine. Soft and tender.

At last I was able to begin to forget.

#I wrote this #xf fanfic #fanfic anniversary #msr #hurt/comfort #xfiles

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rikalovesrice · 4 years

Text

Douxie x Reader #5 - Favorite

Douxie was wiping down some freshly washed coffee mugs when you walked in. He raised a hand, about to call your name in greeting, when he noticed a boy follow you in. Some stocky lad with a chiseled face and hair slicked back with so much gel one couldn’t tell what color it was. The pair of you found seats in the corner of the café, setting book bags in the chairs and laptops on the table. Douxie watched you say something to the guy before you headed towards the counter. You saw Douxie and immediately smiled.

“Hi you,” you said, leaning on the counter, hands curled around your face.

“(Name),” Douxie replied, preparing your usual. “Who’s that over there?”

You glanced back at the chap, who had just taken a selfie and was now busying himself with posting it to social media. You turned back to Douxie with a sigh.

“Trevor Braxton,” you say. “He’s my partner for my final English project.” You groaned and put your face in your hands before sliding them down your cheeks. “Jeez, I really hope we work well together because this is the biggest project of the year and I kinda need to pass this class to graduate.” You peeked at Douxie and hushed your voice. “...I probably won’t be able to go hunting with you guys for a while.”

Douxie shrugged, smiling softly. “No worries.” They’d miss your company, but at least you’d be completely out of harm’s way for once. “And I’m sure you’ll do fine.” He slid your freshly made drink over to you in your favorite mug, the dark blue one depicting the silhouettes of rooftops and chimneys beneath stars and a crescent moon. “One hazelnut latte with almond milk. On me as always.”

You took the warm mug in your hands, wafting the steam with a content sigh. You smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Douxie.”

“Of course.”

“Well, we better get started. I’ll uh...Be over here!” You made your way back over to Trevor Braxton, who welcomed you back with a fist bump. Once you settled in, the two of you got to discussing your chosen topics. Towards the end of the night, when Benoit’s was shutting things down and Trevor had gone, you only exchanged a few words with Douxie before retiring home to do more homework.

And for the next three days, you and Douxie barely had a chance to talk. You were up to your eyeballs in schoolwork and studying for your finals and researching for your stupid project, hoping Trevor would pull his weight. Meanwhile Douxie was feeling your absence, bummed that all your time was consumed at the local library instead of Arcane Books. Archie and Zoe missed you, too. Douxie knew it would be like this at least for the next two weeks, until finals were over. His heart sunk at the thought.

So tonight, Douxie was overjoyed to see you stumble into Benoit’s with an armful of books. Trevor was right behind you, wearing a fitted t-shirt, gym shorts, and white socks with his black slides. You unloaded more books and your laptops onto the coffee table in the middle of the café. Douxie returned your soft, relieved smile when you hurried over to him.

“Douxieeee,” you whined, going to lean your forehead against his chest.

“There you are,” Douxie said. He brought you into a hug and didn’t overlook how exhausted you were.

“Ugh, I’m so sorry.” You pulled away, sighing heavily. “I’m so swamped. But thankfully my sister’s just as busy so she’s leaving me alone. And Trevor...” You glanced back at him. “He hasn’t been so bad. He’s pretty chill actually. Smart, too.”

“No worries. And...that’s good to hear. About your sister and about...Trevor.”

Strange, though, that the smallest hint of it somehow didn’t feel good at all.

Throughout the shift Douxie would glance over at your table. You and Trevor would exchange a few words before burying yourselves back into your notes. Trevor had a book open in his lap and was studying it carefully. Wanting to check on you, and perhaps suggest taking a break, Douxie turned to make his way over to your table.

Only to see you laughing. Trevor Braxton was chuckling with you.

Normally Douxie loved it when you laughed. But right now, as endearing as it was, for some reason something felt...wrong. So wrong that it froze Douxie in place, leaving him staring, perplexed. Trevor said something else and you laughed again, this time a little harder. Trevor’s grin grew wider. The itching wrongness grew stronger. The whole thing wasn’t sitting right and urge to correct it, whatever that meant, churned throughout Douxie’s body. There was a passing thought, a fleeting feeling, that something was going to happen to you. Just as Douxie was about to move towards you, a customer called out.

“Uh Douglas, can I get another milkshake?”

Douxie whirled his head to the side, seeing a bunch of teenagers raising their empty glasses at him. He looked back at your table, where you and Trevor were now in casual conversation, before taking a deep breath, clearing his mind.

“Of course, right away.” Another quick glance back. Then he went back behind the counter, pouring milk and scooping ice cream into blenders. Douxie watched the ingredients spin rapidly, mixing and mushing together.

A whirring vortex.

Douxie heard you giggling.

Uneasy.

“I swear something’s not right,” Douxie said. “I just have a bad feeling about him.”

“Ok so...You think he could be something?” Zoe said.

Douxie held his hand over his mouth, speaking low into his phone.

“If he is, (Name) might be in danger. He’s always around her.”

“Caaause of her project or whatever?”

“Yes!”

“So...Let me get this straight. You have a bad feeling about this guy who’s always around (Name).”

“Yes.” Exasperated, Douxie walked about aimlessly, wandering towards the cafe’s restrooms.

There was a pause. Douxie frowned when Zoe chuckled.

“Um, Doux, are you sure you’re not just -”

“Zoe, I’m serious!” Douxie whispered harshly, holding his phone away from his face to glare at Zoe’s contact photo. “I don’t want to take any chances, especially if our friend might be in trouble.” Stopping near the men’s restroom, Douxie held his chin in thought. “He’s one of those obnoxiously handsome types. A vampire...? No, I’ve seen him in sunlight. So he can’t be an incubus either, thank God...” Now that was a thought that really made Douxie’s skin crawl and boil. “Oh! Or maybe he’s a -”

A bout of laughter came muffled through the restroom door.

“Alright Star Trev, you got this!” a very dude-ish voice exclaimed. “Any moment now and you’ll have her right where you want her.”

Douxie near dropped his phone, his blood going cold.

“Uh, Douxie?” Zoe said. “What -”

“Shhh!” Douxie clamped a hand over his phone and creeped closer to the restroom, carefully putting his ear just over the door. Trevor continued to chuckle to himself, an annoying, snot-nosed sound.

“Just a little longer,” Trevor said, voice getting lower. “And that heart’s gonna be yours. And it’ll be...delicious.” There’s was smack like the clapping of hands and another string of laughter. Douxie slowly backed away from the door, disgust and dread seizing him.

“A charmling,” he said, voice quivering. Charmlings. Simple creatures that resembled attractive humans, luring their victims in with their, well, charm, before literally ripping their hearts out to devour. All things considered, this was the most probable conclusion. So Douxie steeled himself, clenching a fist and glowering at the restroom door concealing an apparent monster that was targeting you.

“A charmling? Are you for real?” He forgot Zoe was still on the line. “I mean seriously, Douxie, are you sure you’re not just a little bit jea-”

“I’ll call you back.” Douxie hung up, shoving his phone into the pocket of his sweatshirt and turning tail to where you were. He had to let you know. One of his co-workers cocked an eyebrow at his rushing back into the dining room.

“Uh, Doux? You still have, like, fifteen minutes left of your break- “

“It’s fine!” Douxie quickly located you at your table, where you were studiously typing away on your laptop. Douxie walked briskly over. “(Name)!”

You looked up from your work and blushed, giving Douxie a smile for the pleasant interruption. Then you noticed how antsy he was.

“Douxie? What’s the matter?”

“It’s Trevor, (Name),” Douxie said quickly. “He’s- “

“What about me?”

Douxie whipped around. Speak of the devil, standing with his bulky arms crossed over the all-capitalized word ‘SPICY’ on his red t-shirt. Trevor’s narrowed eyes didn’t leave Douxie as he sat back down at the table, slipping what looked to be his phone into his pocket. The corner of Douxie’s mouth twitched when you looked at him with that kind, welcoming, precious look of yours but, oh, if only you knew...

“You were gone for a while,” you said. “Everything okay?”

“Wha?” Trevor noticed you and grinned. “Yeah, it’s all good. Just had to take care of something, you know?”

It only made Douxie’s eyes harden. Charmlings had to preen themselves periodically to maintain their striking human guise. Make sure claws and fangs and patches of non-human skin were well put away until it was time. That time wasn’t going to come, not if Douxie had an atom of anything to say about it.

“Uh, you got a problem, dude?” Trevor said, likely feeling the intensity of Douxie’s stare. You hadn’t noticed and just frowned at Trevor’s rude tone.

Douxie opened his mouth, stinging accusation on the tip of his tongue, but then he remembered where he was. It probably wasn’t the best idea to expose some good-looking guy as a flesh-ripping, heart-eating monster in front of the peacefully oblivious civilians of Arcadia chilling in the café.

Taking a deep breath through his nose, Douxie forced a smile.

“Of course not,” he said. “I uh...Just wanted to tell you you’re our one-hundredth customer tonight! So you get, uh...a free beverage of your choice.” Douxie’s thoughts bitterly added, Free because I’m paying for it...

Trevor silently glowered at Douxie for a few seconds before breaking out into excited chortling, rubbing his hands together.

“Hoho, sweet! Gimme a large Jungle Juice smoothie. Extra spinach.”

Douxie’s gnashed his teeth behind his lips in an attempt to keep from scowling. “Right away.”

His eyes flickered over to you. You had one brow raised in question, clearly sensing something was amiss. Unable to say much else, Douxie sighed and left the table. Text. He was going to text you, he was going to text you...

“Yeaaahh, ya boy’s gonna get us an A plus, (Name)!” Trevor’s voice was a distinct bark above the conversations buzzing around the dining room, grating on Douxie’s nerves. That fact that he’d said your name somehow made it worse.

A lot worse.

Co-workers were a bit perturbed to see an unusually grouchy Douxie glaring dark daggers across the room while dumping an entire bag of spinach into a blender.

They were being pelted by globs of acidic monster saliva but that didn’t stop Douxie from answering his phone as soon as it rang.

“(Name)!” Douxie exclaimed, yelling above monstrous gurgling and loud blasts of magic.

“D-Douxie?” you voice came through. “Okay, I...I don’t get it. Trevor is dangerous and trying to eat my heart?” An explosion, courtesy of Archie. “Um, what was that? Are you fighting something right now?”

“Well, uh, yes, but that’s not important - GAAHH!” Douxie whirled out of the way of a mouthful of teeth, the creature instead taking a chunk out of the pavement. The new hole in the ground was steaming, melting away. The creature, a poisonous and slimy mubok, twisted its serpentine body of sludge back towards him, its white drooping eyes glaring.

“Hey! Why are you on the phone right now?!” Zoe barked, throwing handfuls of lightning at the mubok.

“Just a second!” Douxie said. “Real quick, I have to tell (Name) about Trevor!”

The next blast of electric magic sent the mubok splatting against the alley wall. An exasperated Zoe faced Douxie with clenched fists.

“Are. You. Joking?!”

“No, I’m not! This is important-”

Yeah, now realizing the time, you shouldn’t have called. Not wanting to jeopardize the hunt tonight, you hurried to put the call on hold. “Doux, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay? I think you need to concentrate.”

“What? No, wait, (Name)-”

“I know, I’ll be careful, alright?” You couldn’t help but laugh softly over Douxie being so worried about you. Sometimes it was overbearing, but even then the giddiness bubbling inside you was there. “Tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay, okay, just whatever you do, don’t go anywhere alone with hi- OH FUZZBUCKETS!!!” Another explosion and what sounded like Archie yowling, and the call ended anyway.

You brought your phone away from your face and just stared at it, trying to process. To be honest, nothing surprised you much these days, what with finding out and knowing for a while now that wizards and trolls and whatever else existed. Heck, aliens were real at this point.

Now the guy who’s your partner for a project worth eighty percent of your grade might be trying to eat you.

As soon as Trevor excused himself from the table, Douxie made his way over to you, giving Trevor the side eye as they passed each other. The git was going towards the restroom.

Douxie pulled up a chair and sat next to you. After so long of being away from him, the warmth and comfort of Douxie’s closeness was almost overwhelming. Even panicked and suspicious, Douxie was so cute and amazing. But remembering the disturbing news, you shook away your reverie and set your books to the side.

“Okay so...about Trevor,” you began, leaning close and your tone hushed.

“Right,” Douxie said. He went on to explain what a charmling was. “Terrible things. I knew someone years ago who’d fallen victim to one. The poor guy was found with a gaping wound in his chest. His eyes were stolen, too, which was odd- “

“Umm, okay, thanks,” you muttered, shuddering. Douxie quickly backpedalled.

“Sorry!” He leaned his elbow on the table, bringing himself closer to you and darn it, you couldn’t help but blush. “We can take care of this tonight. Convince him to stay until closing and I’ll do him in.” Douxie cocked his head in confusion when you suddenly looked...sad. “What is it?”

“It’s just...Geez, it kinda sucks,” you said, shrugging. “I thought Trevor was a pretty cool guy. Surprisingly hilarious, too, and a solid partner. Are you sure he’s a charmling or whatever?”

Normally you wouldn’t doubt Douxie on secret monster matters but the thought of your ditzy but harmless enough classmate being sent to limbo was quite the bummer. But on the other hand, yeah, you kind of needed your heart to stay alive so...

Hearing you vouch for Trevor even in the slightest was making Douxie’s stomach coil. Something in him was urging him to consider your words, that maybe he was jumping the gun here, but Douxie couldn’t bring himself to stop and think this time. Too....bothered.

Trevor’s smug face crossed Douxie’s mind.

No, make that too annoyed.

“Believe me, I heard him clearly in the bathroom that day,” Douxie said. He nudged your arm. “Come on, I know a monster when I see one. Been doing this for centuries after all.”

Your shoulders slouched with a sighing chuckle. “True. I’ll figure something out. He may be book smart but otherwise Trevor’s a bit on the...dense side.”

“Works in our favor then.”

You noticed Trevor returning from the restroom and watched him closely. Trevor winked at you but his face soured at the sight of Douxie.

“What’re you doing here Mr. Emo Dude?”

“Hey, Trevor!” Okay, granted, you didn’t like the way Trevor talked to Douxie. Granted again, it made more sense now. Trevor could probably sense somehow that Douxie wasn’t normal himself.

Douxie met Trevor’s gaze evenly, drumming his fingers on the table and feigning pleasantries. You scolding the guy somehow made it easier. “I’m just talking with my friend. Haven’t been able to see her much these days, what with your project.”

Trevor snorted, plopping down into his chair. “Uh, alright man. We’re almost finished, though. I mean once we get our A plus I’ll be done with her, right (Name)?” Trevor lightly smacked your shoulder in what appeared to be jest, snickering at his own perceived hilarity. But you’d gone stiff and your heart began to race because with Trevor in a whole new context, that just didn’t sound good at all.

Then you felt Douxie’s familiar hand on your shoulder. He had his other hand behind his back balled into a fist.

“Good,” Douxie said shortly, still working a tight smile. “I’ll leave you two be then.” He gave your shoulder a squeeze before getting up, putting his chair back where he got it, and returning to work.

“Pfft, what a weirdo,” Trevor murmured.

“Uh, hey so...” You racked your brain, trying to come up with something, anything. Trevor was holding his phone and an idea came involving his latest obsession. “Did you know that Benoit’s has a special deal with the Granny’s Baking House app?”

Even though you’d been absent after hours for a while now, everyone still knew you as the girl who always stayed behind and waited for Douxie. Kind of odd that some dude was with you this time but whatever. As long as you didn’t make a mess.

You and Trevor had packed all your things away. Trevor was so engrossed in his phone that he didn’t notice you slip away, wringing your hands, and join Douxie near the counter.

“Okay, I want you to go outside, but don’t go far,” Douxie said, securing his charm bracelet around his forearm. He didn’t want you in here once they got started. “He’ll try to follow you...” Magic flashed over the surface of his bracelet, symbols flickering. “But that’ll be the end of it.”

“Got it.” You went back over to the table and gathered your things. “Well, I’m going to head home. Thanks again, Trevor.”

He glanced up from his phone. “Want me to walk you?”

“Eh, no it’s okay! I’ll be fine. And I wouldn’t want you to miss your big boost.”

“Pfft, bro, it’s cool,” he said, shrugging. “It’s, like, super late and dark outside. I don’t anything to happen to you, you know?”

Trevor flashed his pearly whites in a smile and you swallowed, chills rippling down your spine.

“...Right. Thanks.”

Getting his stuff, Trevor followed you to the door. You made sure to go first, and as soon as you were completely outside, the door slammed shut behind you. You spun around, gaping as the door and windows were outlined with Douxie’s blue magic. The door locked on its own and the lights inside died, plunging the café in partial darkness.

“What the heck?” Trevor pushed and pulled on the door but to no avail. You took a step back when Trevor looked at you, gritting his teeth, and tried ramming the glass. Still nothing.

“You’re not going anywhere, Star Trev.” Douxie emerged from the shadows, magic pulsing in his hands. “And you’re not laying a finger on (Name).”

“Dude what are you talking abou- AAIIIEEEEE!!!” A high-pitch scream, and Trevor was throwing himself out of the way of a blast of blue. He scrambled away and back onto his feet. “Yo, dude, what’s going on?!”

“Oh, don’t play dumb!” Douxie said. “You can’t fool me, charmling!” Douxie crossed his arms over his face then released, ropes of magic flinging out and wrapping around Trevor. He fell back onto the floor, writhing and whimpering. Strange that he wasn’t putting up much a fight...

“Go on, then!” Douxie said, his magic poised for another attack. “Reveal your true self!”

“Uh..uh..M-my name’s Trevor, I-I’m eighteen and I like puppies and I a-actually cheated on my math exam and I think emo guys are r-really cool and- Dude please don’t hurt me!!!” Trevor kept squirming, now shaking with melodramatic sobbing.

Alright, so things were starting to not add up but Douxie didn’t relent. “Me hurt you? You’re the one who wants to eat (Name)’s heart!”

“Huh?! Y-yo, I ain’t a cannibal man!” Trevor wailed. “I-I mean I bit my brother once b-but that was a long time ago but I wasn’t tryin’ to eat him!!”

Okay this...wasn’t supposed to happen. Douxie lowered his bracelet arm just a little bit, his hostility wavering.

“Then what was all that talk about a delicious heart?” He couldn’t relax just yet. “Didn’t you stay behind today to get (Name) alone?”

“What? Bro, (Name) told me if I stayed here until midnight I would get extra brownie points for Granny’s Baking House!” His terror suspended for a moment, Trevor struggled and somehow managed to fish his phone out of his pocket, showing to the screen to Douxie. Sure enough, a cartoonish grandma in a fluffy apron and a pair of pink oven mitts was smiling warmly back at him, a window full of pastries on display behind her. The screen then flickered to a picture of the same grandma clad in armor, brandishing a pie at a three-headed dragon.

“Brownie...points?”

Trevor rolled his eyes at the apparent amateur Douxie was. “Uh, yeah. If you get five hundred brownie points, Granny gives you a heart-shaped cake! It’s the strongest cake in the game, man! And it even comes with a real life recipe. All I need is, like, fifty more points!”

“Heart...shaped...cake...”

Oh, fuzzbuckets.

“Dude, why do you keep, like, repeating my words?” Trevor sighed, leaning his head back against the floor. “Yeah, but then (Name) was gonna walk home alone and like I wouldn’t be a gentleman if I didn’t go with her, ya know?” Then he reverted into a mocking tone. “Whatever, I bet this place wasn’t even going to give me that many brownies. Hardy-har-haaar!” And then he seemed to remember that he was still tied up. “U-uh, but for real, Emo Dude, I ain’t trying to steal your girl! L-like she’s cool but n-not really my type...”

Douxie felt his face go warm. “She’s not my girl, she’s my...” His smacked his hand against his forehead. “Ugh, blast it all...” How had it come to this?

With a wave of his hand, Douxie released Trevor from the binds. Trevor rose nervously to his feet. Douxie sagged his shoulders, feeling bad.

And really, really stupid.

“Well...This was clearly a misunderstanding. My apologies, Trevor.” Douxie willed the lights to turn back on and the doors to unlock. You hurried inside, having watched the whole thing.

“What’s going on?” you asked, looking back and forth between the two. “Is...everything good?”

“Yo, are you, like, a magician?” Trevor asked, awestruck as Douxie punched in a spell on his bracelet. “How’d you do all of that-”

“Interminus nocti slumberso.” A blue mist blew out of Douxie’s hands and onto Trevor’s face, instantly knocking him out cold onto the couch. You were about to protest, but then it didn’t take you long to figure out what must’ve happened. So you stayed silent, somewhere between relief, wanting to laugh, and wanting to give Douxie a hug (though, you were always down for the latter).

He and you listened to Trevor’s snoring for several seconds before looking at each other.

Looking at you standing beside him after so long, having nothing to do with schoolwork or Trevor, the void the last two weeks without you left was even more apparent.

Douxie was so glad to see you. To just be with you.

“I...messed up,” was all he could say, his eyes downcast.

You breathed a chuckle through your nose. “It’s okay. I’m quite glad my heart is safe and not at risk of being eaten by a monster.” You gestured to Trevor. “And that this guy will probably think it was all a dream.”

Douxie groaned, sinking down into the nearest chair and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“I don’t know what came over me,” he murmured. “Ah, fuzzbuckets....”

“What do you mean?”

“I just...I don’t know. I had such a bad feeling about him.” Douxie flicked a hand towards Trevor, who was now curled in a fetal position and murmuring something about pancakes. “And he was always around you so I figured you were in trouble somehow but...”

Your eyes widened and your heartbeat started to pick up. “Were you...upset? That he was always around me?”

Upset? Douxie stared back at you. He hadn’t known for the longest now what to call what he’d been feeling every time Trevor made you laugh. Every time you mentioned how smart and funny he was. Every time Douxie knew you were at the library with him. Every time he was right behind you coming into Benoit’s. All of a sudden for two weeks you’d been sparse in Douxie’s life, instead occupied with...someone else. Some other...

Douxie looked away, hiding his face. “I guess I was a little upset.” He sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair. “I mean, I’ve missed you, (Name), and seeing you with Trevor all the time and hardly being able to talk you was just...I suppose I felt...”

“...Jealous?” The word slipped before you realized it. Now that you had, your face went scarlet and your body felt fuzzy because could Douxie really feel jealous over you? Did he long for your attention like you longed for his? But then the surprised and contemplating look on Douxie’s face had you scrambling to recover because that just couldn’t be the case and so not that sort of jealousy.

“Uh, I-I mean...maybe not jealous. Some people just give off a vibe, you know? You don’t always click with everyone. Trevor didn’t seem to really like you either and -”

“(Name).” Douxie was smiling at you. Then he got up and threw an arm around your shoulders, leaning his cheek on top of your head. “No...I think you’re right. I guess...I didn’t want him to steal you away from m...from us.” He looked down at you. “You didn’t find him too charming, did you?”

How could Douxie ask you that when he was holding you and grinning at you like that? If only you could tell Douxie that no one compared to him in your eyes. That no one shined brighter than your beloved wizard.

“Not in the slightest,” you said, your cheeks pink. “I missed you...you guys like crazy, too.” You leaned your head against Douxie’s shoulder. “No one’s stealing me. You guys are my...” What were you saying? Think, think, think. “My favorites!” You looked up and smiled awkwardly. “You guys are my absolute favorites. And you’re my favorite b- er...guy...friend! My favorite, best guy friend ever.”

Douxie stared down at you for several seconds before bursting into a fit of laughter muffled into his fist. It put you in a trance because you rarely saw Douxie laugh but it was one of the greatest things in the world. It was so lovely you forgot to feel embarrassed.

“Well that’s good to hear,” Douxie said. His eyes went all gentle, so your insides turned to goo. “You’re also my favorite, (Name).” Douxie took in your soft, kind eyes gazing up at him. Your slightly parted lips. Your rosy cheeks. Every time without fail, it sent warmth like a candle blooming in his chest.

Precious.

“I passed everything!” you exclaimed as you burst through the doors of Arcane Books. You gave Douxie a walloping high-five and flopped across the counter, thoroughly done with school. “One more week and I’m graduating, can you believe it?”

“Congratulations,” Douxie said, ruffling you hair. He finished organizing a stack of books onto a shelf before joining you at a table. “How was Trevor today?”

You shrugged with a grin. “Himself. Going on about how eating too much spinach gives you ‘wicked dreams.’”

“We’ll let him have that one.” Douxie smiled. “It’s good to have you back, (Name).”

Douxie sitting across from you with a backdrop of bookshelves and gothic decorations. It filled your heart.

“Glad I can be back.” You stretched out across the table before folding your arms under you and closing your eyes. Unable to see Douxie’s face. How truly happy he was.

You were here with him.

You were with each other.

Favorites.

#HOLY FUZZBUCKETS GUYS THIS TOOK SO MUCH OUT OF ME TO WRITE #You know how difficult it is to write someone who's jealous over someone they don't know they've got the feels for yet??? IT'S HARD #Reader is sweet and endearing #that's why Douxie wuvs you #But alas #my Oblivious Doorknob Douxie headcanon still stands :'D #Trevor ended up being a discount Steve lol #Jungle Juice was an actual drink I learned how to make at my first job #made with spinach!#Zoe is never having it with Douxie I swear #Douxie x Reader #hisirdoux casperan #douxie #toa zoe #toa archie #tales of arcadia #toa wizards #slow burn #friendship jealousy's a thing but we got the feels here #hope Douxie didn't turn out super OC in this #I really considered how he would act and what he would say #rika writes #rika tries to write #myart #rika tries to draw #still fun tho

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voorheehees · 4 years

Text

the talisman

a little thing I wrote for my slasher oc :p

The neon lights of the city looked almost muted behind the tinted windows. Red, green, gold, and pink letters spelled ‘Poker’, ‘Lobster Dinner’, ‘Live Nudes’, ‘Dead Nudes’, ‘Girls Girls Girls’. It was beautiful. Jonas watched the lively strip from his top floor suite, like a king watching over his peasants. The view from the top of The Talisman Hotel & Casino could not be beat, depending on who you asked of course. Jonas kept one hand was clasped around a glass of scotch, the other tucked casually into his white pants pocket. He looked like a cliche pornstar, washed up, sleazy, but a decent enough frame to rake in a few bucks. His brown hair was forced back by a thick layer of gel, exposing a pale face with cold, blue eyes. If it wasn’t for the expensive suit and solid gold chain around his neck, one might assume he was nothing more than a busted used car salesman. But busted as he may have been, Jonas Deihl was no cheap bastard. The Talisman Hotel & Casino had been in his family for generations, passed down from father to son. Old, old money. And despite his reckless casanova reputation, Jonas was no fool when it came to running the family business. The Talisman was known for its luxury and top-of-the-line services, attracting all customers from celebrities to billionaires to wasted bachelorettes. It was a sinner’s eutopia. And most everyone knew the devil that ran it. Although the general opinion of Mr. Deihl was that he seemed like a bit of a sociopath, reeked of overpriced cologne, and overall came off as quite off at times, people could in no way deny his sickening charm or the thick wad of cash he kept generously in his breast pocket. And Jonas devoured the attention. It was a rare feat to see him roaming the bar or lobby without a model or drag queen or two wrapped around his arm, and a signature devious smile plastered on his face. He was like the poor man’s Hugh Hefner.

The shrill sound of a meow which could only be compared to the sound of a slow, painful death suddenly tore Jonas’ attention away from the Las Vegas cityscape. He turned to see a tortoiseshell cat sitting perched on the glass coffee table, her orange eyes glaring daggers directly into her master’s chest.

“What’s the matter Camile?” Jonas cooed, approaching the animal.

“Daddy not giving you enough attention?”

He set his glass down on the table and reached out to scratch Camile’s head. Without warning, she hissed loudly, whipping her paw around to sink a set of sharp claws into his hand. The man yelped as he ripped his hand away, unintentionally making the damage of the scratch worse. Camile seemed pleased with herself at the sight of blood dripping down his bejeweled fingers. Jonas swore under his breath and once again lifted his glass, making sure to take one last, large gulp of the liquid.

“Little bitch.” He grumbled.

The two of them had never particularly gotten along. Yet over time, Jonas had become very attached to Camile, thinking of her more as a baby than a pet, and she liked the free food, catnip, and designer collars. The man pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and pressed it to the wound. It seemed that sharp nails were his only kryptonite. The clear, small but deadly ones of sweet little Camile, and the colorful ones of desperate, panicked fingers attached to soft, trembling hands. He smiled at the thought of them, unconsciously tracing over the pink, fleshy scars on his collarbone. He remembered the woman who had put them there. It was three months ago. Her nails had been green with little gold hearts on each of the ring fingers. They looked cute, different. That’s why he had picked her. He liked the ones that stood out in some way, whether it be their nails, shoes, hair, anything really. He had an eye for unique pieces.

The images of past conquests dancing in his head reminded him of his latest one, whom he had so rudely left alone in the bathroom. He smiled to himself, tossing the bloodied handkerchief onto the coffee table.

He could hear muffled whimpers even before he reached the door handle. The sound was music to his ears, an itch to his groin. He opened the door like it was some game show reveal of his million dollar prize. Yet there was no car or all inclusive trip to Aruba waiting there for him. It was so much better.

The woman on the bathroom floor made the best attempt of a scream at the sight of him, which was unfortunately cloaked by the wash cloth stuffed deep in her mouth. Jonas grinned down at her, slowly removing each of his rings as she scooted her bound body towards the bathtub in a trivial effort to escape. He found it sort of amusing, in a sad kind of way. Her legs had been broken, and it took every fiber of his being to not burst into laughter at the sight of her struggle. She had just moved to the city with hopes of becoming a burlesque star. Jonas had smiled at her wide, eager eyes as she told him her plans at the downstairs bar, all the while mentally howling at how pathetic she was. It was no trouble to get this naive little princess up to his suite.

He slunk towards her before crouching down to her level. She winced as he removed her gag, gasping at the sudden sliver of freedom. Her two front teeth had a large gap, like Pattie Boyd. That’s why he had chosen her.

It was all such an incredible high to him. Better than any drug, liquor, or orgasm could ever give him. The fear in her eyes, the gore of her now useless legs, the thick stench of sweat and adrenaline that filled the windowless room. He got off on the power, the idea that for a short moment in time, he was God. He wiped the mix of tears and mascara from her cheek, hands hot and vile against her cold skin.

“Why’re you crying baby?” his voice attempted to carry out a sweet tone, which only sounded more bitter.

The woman’s lower lip quivered, her eyes frantically trying to avoid his own.

“Please don’t hurt me. Just let me go home.” she choked out.

Jonas smiled and sucked his teeth, seemingly drinking her words up slowly in contemplation. His ego felt swollen, not dissimilar to how the patrons of his casino must have felt when they won a jackpot or when they knew they were about to get lucky.

“Sorry beautiful,” he spoke finally, “I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”

She couldn’t even blink before the man pulled a knife from a holster around his ankle and plunged directly between her still wet eyes. A look of shock and hopelessness remained painted on her face as her body fell onto the tile floor with a thud. Jonas removed the knife and placed it back into the holster. His heart raced, his eyes were wild. It was pure ecstasy and he didn’t want it to end. He slowly rose to his feet, shifting his attention to the sink to wash away the crimson residue. His high was wearing off fast, and the self-loathing and restlessness began to creep back into his mind. He looked into the mirror. His eyes were baggy and dark, pristine white suit now riddled with blood. He looked like shit, to say the least. He splashed cold water onto his face and stripped down, leaving only his chain and weapon on his naked body. A red, silk robe hung on the back of the bathroom door which he slipped into. He felt drained, miserable even, crashing back down to his decrepit existence after such sheer moments of bliss. This was always the worst part of what he did, the aftermath. He plopped down onto the couch with a grunt and propped his feet up next to Camile who hadn’t left her spot on the coffee table. She used his legs as a bridge and climbed over his body to rest on the back of the sofa next to her owner’s sleepy head.

“Are you ready to be nice now?” Jonas asked her in a condescending tone.

She mewed in reply, glendly pawing at his hair. Jonas smiled and scratched her chin, his eyes becoming increasingly heavier. He let them close, already dreaming about his next great high.

#slasher oc #jonas deihl #my thots on him: chair make it electric #tw: violence #tw: murder #i haven't written in so l o n g idk what i'm doing tee hee

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nervously-spouting-poetry · 4 years

Note

Writing request... perhaps Demon Ethan and Lex making out/cuddling? I'm a ho for your Demon Ethan AU we all been knew 👀👀👀 thank you 🥰

HAPPY FUCKGIN BIRTHDAY BABEY! This one’s for YOU!! I can’t resist writing these two idiots... ever. Wrote the makeout session (despite having Zero experience), so you Better enjoy 3k words of bullshit.

From what little Lex had managed to put together about the reality of being in a relationship with a creature from the depths of hell, she was fairly certain there were worse demons she could’ve been snuggled up on the couch with.

Not that she would’ve snuggled up with any worse demons— she’d probably whip out the salt and the bible her mother kept somewhere under the liquor cabinet at warp fucking speed if any of them tried it— but the point still held steady as far as she was concerned.

Not that she was concerned about much at this point. It was Ethan’s doing, really.

Bastard.

It was like he was trying to be adorable on purpose, which just wasn’t fucking fair. Like. At all.

Wrapped up in a gentle embrace, from where she lay on her back, Lex couldn’t exactly see the demon in his entirety— but that didn’t exactly matter to her. After all, she could feel him all around her. To anybody else, it would’ve been terrifying— helpless with a demon’s chin on their shoulder and the feeling of breath on their neck— but Lex Foster was hardly anybody else.

After all, this was just Ethan.

With every breath he took, his chest rose and fell beneath her. His arms were slung casually around her middle from behind. His tail— god, that fucking stupid cartoon-devil tail— was wrapped neatly around her ankle, the end of it flicking contentedly back and forth, and when Lex shifted her weight, a sharp set of claws moved with the utmost caution across her ribs and brushed up against her hands.

A low noise resonated through the air. A growl.

A demon growling wasn’t normally something to be taken lightly. The noise was nothing short of bone chilling— a lingering threat that there was a monster that possessed unthinkable power keeping her pinned in place, reminding her that no matter what happened, she was still inevitably in the clutches of—

Oh, who the hell was she kidding?

Stretching slightly before settling back down, a snicker pulled from her in response to the disgruntled noise. “‘M not getting up,” she reassured as the wings she could see out of her peripheral vision threatened to fold over her. “Believe me, it’s been a long as hell day— I’m staying right the fuck here.”

“Good.”

The arms around her middle pulled her a little closer against him— close enough that the sensation of him breathing was even more noticeable— and those wings fluttering on the edges of her vision curled inward just enough to cover her legs.

“...you’re warm...” He added after a moment’s pause, his chin coming to rest on the crook of her neck.

Lex huffed in response. “You’re basically a human space heater,” she grumbled in mock annoyance, “so it’d be hard not to be—“

His grip on her tightened, turning her words into a startled yelp as he changed positions abruptly. The wings curled around her rustled momentarily, the tail practically knotted around her leg like some sort of anklet squeezing at her with a little more pressure.

“I ain’t human anymore! We’ve been over this.” There was an almost whining lilt in his voice when he spoke, though it was clearly playful in nature. “Last I checked, humans don’t have wings... or tails, or—“

There was a pause, followed by a grunt— his arms momentarily uncurling to brace himself against the cushions— before a pair of sharp, hardened points lightly butted against her back. “—those,” he finished.

Lex hummed softly in response. “Right,” she agreed, bringing her hand down to fiddle with his claws— how the fuck is he always so careful with these?— she found herself biting back a grin.

It was a struggle to keep her tone disinterested. Gaze fixed firmly on the dingy ceiling, Lex inclined her head to press her cheek against his.

“...which makes you inhumanly horny.”

An offended scoff wound up from his throat— his chest bouncing beneath her. “Hey,” he huffed, “not all the time—”

His protests were cut short by Lex flipping over abruptly— hands pressing down against the membranes of his wings under his arms.

And there he was.

There he was, with those blue-gray eyes fixated on her. With his hair falling messily across his forehead in a nest of curls that were usually styled back with what had to be six tins of hair gel. His pupils were rounded— large like those of a contented cat— and as he raised his eyebrows and shifted under where she’d unceremoniously pinned him, Lex raised a hand and flicked one of the short, sharp horns curling up from his skull.

“I don’t see you getting rid of those anytime soon,” she remarked, unable to keep a smug lilt out of her voice upon realizing that his cheeks had darkened despite the playful scowl on his face.

“I thought you said they were cute…”

Fuck.

Ducking her head to hide her blush, Lex gave a small cough. “I said they were annoying.” Again, she pressed her fingers against one of his horns— the one on the right— though this time, she curled her hand around it and lightly trailed her fingers down to the base of it, scratching lightly.

His breath hitched.

A moment of silence fell between them before she dragged her nails through his scalp, and instantaneously, it was broken by a low, thundering purr that made Lex snicker. As much as he was supposed to be some terrifying creature, it was pretty easy to turn him into putty— the easiest way coming in the form of scratching the base of his horns.

Her fingers fiddled with his curls.

“Because they turn you into a fucking lawnmower,” she finished, the familiar, vibrations that came with the noise enough to make her relax a little more against him— her ribcage buzzing in a way that made her feel warm all over.

When he spoke, his voice was a little slurred, purrs— demons fucking purr, god, he’s such a dork— interfering with his words, causing them to jumble together. “...a cute lawnmower though, right?” He asked, head tilting slightly.

In that moment, she knew her answer should’ve been a soft yes.

His hair was fluffed in a way that made her want nothing more than to play with it, his lips parted slightly in the wake of his question— sharp fangs adding a contrast to the softness of his expression— and when he blinked, his pupils seemed to expand even further.

A yes would’ve been the truth.

Humming softly, Lex carefully laid herself down on top of him, freeing up her other hand to lightly skirt along his jawline. “...I’ll think about it,” she murmured, unable to keep a teasing look from flitting across her face when he leaned his head against her hand and gave an offended noise.

“You’ll think about it?” He echoed, wings rustling as they slid into place over her back like a secondary embrace.

Maybe living blanket was a better term for what he was. The folds of his wings settled neatly over her— surrounding her in his hold as she cocked her head— face inches from his own. When he was this close, it was easy to pick out the little differences in his features from the ones he would’ve had if he were human.

His mouth extended a little more on either side to accommodate his fangs. His skin was fair despite the fact that logically, he should’ve looked like a fucking zombie, and when he swiped his tongue over his lips, the end of it was broken into two points.

She shifted her weight slightly. “Would you rather I just told you—”

“That I’m your favourite?” He finished for her, earning a sharp laugh in response. His crooked grin widened in return— and without a moment’s hesitation, he pulled Lex closer against himself. “Takin’ that as a yes.”

“It’s possible.”

His tail flicked, tickling the back of her leg in a way that made her instinctively bend her knee. “I ain’t hearin’ no, Lexie.”

She managed to hold her fake scowl for about three seconds. It was a futile attempt, really— with him looking up at her like that, that cocky look in his eyes turning soft when she lightly scratched the skin just under his ear, behind his jaw.

The rumbling from his chest grew louder, filling her head with a pleasant emptiness.

These were the moments where it was easy to fall in love all over agian— the moments that she stored away in the back of her mind and treasured there, pulling them out when shit went sideways. It was there with the memories of sitting on the roof of a weatherbeaten jalopy and staring up at the stars— the only good part of living on an island. It was there with memories of cigarette smoke and lazy mornings, there with stolen glances and tender kisses and promises of forever…

Looking down at his contented face as his eyes fluttered closed, Lex felt the warmth that had settled in her chest growing.

God, since when had she become such a fucking sap?

Yet another thing she could blame Ethan fucking Green for.

Pulling her hands off his head, Lex ignored the little groan of protest that tugged from his throat in favour of locking her fingers together on the back of his neck and leaning in slowly.

In the instant their lips connected, she couldn’t help but think that this was right. The kiss was gentle, a slow brush that changed to a press, then to a proper connection between them that left her shifting her grip to clutch the lapels of his jacket. She could feel his hands moving, claws lightly brushing against her sides and causing her to hum into the kiss even as she pulled away to breathe, breathing in the smell of worn leather and cheap cigarettes— the smell of home that had always been a part of him, right from the start.

His wings pressed a little tighter against her back. His chin angled upward, and although he didn’t say a word, the absolutely whipped expression on his face spoke volumes.

Lex didn’t resist.

Kissing Ethan was never like fireworks— not right away, anyway, no— it was more the lit fuse, slowly burning brighter and brighter until—

His tongue slipped into her mouth.

—sparks shot through the back of her mind.

The kiss deepened, turning hungrier— needier. Their noses bumped together. His fangs clacked against her teeth as she returned the favour, drawing a shaky breath from him as reward. Her hands roamed, slipping under his jacket and skirting hesitantly across the fabric of his shirt— his own moving to squeeze her shoulderblades. The two moved in tandem, falling into a rhythm— the warm feeling in the back of Lex’s mind changing from fireworks to a steady fire that made her lean farther into it, looking for more yet wanting nothing to change, wanting time to slow down or freeze entirely.

Her eyes fluttered closed.

She could almost believe time had stopped, if it weren’t for the steadily building ache in her lungs from lack of air reminding her that time was, in fact, creeping forward.

I need to breathe.

Pressing her hand against his chest, Lex moved to pull away, though before she could even take a breath in, the sound of a door swinging open caused them both to spring apart.

And then there was pain.

A yelp pried from her throat before she could help it— body jerking backward in an instant, hands coming free from under Ethan’s jacket to press against her lip.

It only worsened when he pulled away, their eyes snapping open at the same time and settling on each other in tandem, Lex’s pupils blown wide and Ethan’s thin, animal slits. The door went completely ignored by both of them— Ethan’s hand moving to concernedly touch Lex’s cheek.

“Shit, Lex, what—” He started, though before he could get another word out—

“Are you bleeding?” She interrupted, lowering one hand from her face to reach for his, though… something warm dripped down from her lip when she did.

Silence fell between them for a moment.

Lex’s eyes tracked to the blood dribbling from the corner of Ethan’s mouth, then down to her red-stained fingers.

...maybe there’s a reason he’s always so damn careful.

The thought barely had time to cross her mind before the wings that had been flipped up around her folded downward, the demon they belonged to attempting to sit up despite the fact that she still had him mostly pinned under her. “Shit, Lex, I’ll— I’ll get’cha a bandaid or somethin’ for that, I— I didn’t mean to—”

When he tried again to stand, Lex carefully slid off him, still keeping one hand on her face, flicking the other in an attempt to wave him off.

“It’s fine, Eth, it’s not that much blood— I don’t think you went all the way thr—”

“Blood?” Hannah’s voice cut into the conversation suddenly enough to make Lex freeze— halfway standing, in the act of following Ethan toward the bathroom— and turn her gaze to where her sister stood by the front door.

Right. The door.

How the fuck was she supposed to explain this?

She almost envied the fact that Ethan had managed to shoot off to rummage through their scant medical supplies. Opening and closing her mouth a few times, Lex tried to find her words to explain why the fuck Ethan had managed to bite her lip. “It— It’s fine, E just slipped a little, Banana,” she explained, “w-we were— we were just—”

“Kissing,” Hannah finished for her, bringing one hand up to press against the side of her head— fingers dipping under the side of the hat that never seemed to leave her. Her brows drew together, and for a second, a look of sage understanding crossed her face. “...Webby says accident.”

The spike of tension that Lex had felt left her in an instant.

She’s used to him now.

Nodding, giving a sheepish chuckle, she carefully sat back down with a sigh. “Yeah, totally an accident,” she agreed, looking up in time to see Ethan fiddling with a pack of bandages as Hannah settled next to her.

Her brow creased. “I dunno if a bandaid’ll—”

“It’ll stop you from bleedin’ all over th’ damn place.”

“I’m not bleeding all over the—”

Breezing past Hannah, Ethan shook his head and gave a little growl in the back of his throat, crouching in front of her. “Bullshit, you’re bleeding— fuck, I didn’t mean to do that.”

“Ethan.”

“I’m serious, I didn’t want to hurt you— god, maybe we should’a kept the fuckin’ contract.” His claws made quick work of the bandaid’s flimsy wrapping, pulling it off in a smooth motion— though pulling the little adhesive tabs off seemed to give him a little more trouble.

Lex couldn’t help but smile through the slight stinging. It was almost cute in a way, seeing him so worried— his tail thrashing to and fro in his panic.

What a fucking dork.

“Ethan,” she tried again, using her free hand to squeeze his knee, “don’t worry about it, it doesn’t hurt that bad, and it’s just a little scratch.”

Watching as he finally managed to pull off the tabs, Lex couldn’t stop a fond expression from settling on her face when his eyes met hers.

“Lemme see?”

“I can put on my own bandage, E…”

Even as she protested, Lex lowered her hand and tilted her head to allow him access to the split in her skin, a mock-annoyed huff rolling from her throat. His touch was feather-light on her face, though she couldn’t help a small wince when he settled the flimsy cotton pad against the scrape.

“Sorry—”

“Ethan, if you say sorry one more fucking time, I’m killing you again.” Sitting upright next to Hannah, she rolled her eyes and raised a hand to poke at the bandage. “You’re overreacting.”

Ethan’s nose wrinkled. “I’m not—”

“You are,” Hannah piped up from where she sat, swinging her legs.

“You totally are,” Lex seconded, playfully kicking him in the ankle when he stood and shot her a tired looking glare. The lashing of his tail didn’t slow, causing her to roll her eyes and offer her hand in an attempt to guide him to the couch. “C’mon. Looks like someone needs to simmer the hell down— Hannah, why don’t you pick a movie?”

“‘Kay!” Hannah chirped as Ethan sat down next to Lex, the three of them shifting to better sit side by side. It wasn’t the largest couch, and having a winged boyfriend did make it a bit of a tight squeeze, but it gave Lex an extra excuse to lean her shoulder against his.

Which she totally did.

While Hannah pulled the remote out from between the cushions, Lex took his hand in her own and gave it three quick squeezes. “‘M totally fine, Eth,” she promised, leaning her head into his neck and humming in contentment when he returned the gesture.

“...okay,” he grumbled, “though I should’a been more careful.”

“What happened to you being a bad boy? Demon straight from hell, remember?”

Leaning forward to allow his wing to settle behind her, Lex bit back a grin as Ethan rolled his eyes.

“Okay, fuck you, I can be a bad boy from hell and still respect you. That makes me way better than those fuckers that use it to like, hide their fragile masculinity.”

Lex snorted in response, opening her mouth to shoot something back— though she stopped when Hannah tapped her knee.

“...no kissing during it,” she instructed, sternly, her gaze flicking from her sister to the demon sitting beside her.

Lex’s face turned red. “Hannah—” She started, though she was cut off by Ethan’s lips grazing her cheek in a soft peck.

“Hey!”

“Movie ain’t started yet, Split!” Ethan defended, raising his hands in surrender. “She’s fair game until then!”

Like magic, that warm feeling was back, and even after the Netflix loading screen shifted to whatever Hannah had thrown on, it didn’t fade.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Ethan’s tail had snaked its way around her ankle. Or maybe it had something to do with the clawed fingers laced with her own. And sure, it might’ve had something to do with the sneaky pecks to her neck Ethan pressed to her skin— pulling away whenever Hannah turned to shoot him a dirty look.

Though in all honesty, Lex could pin the feeling on one thing completely.

One person.

Namely, one Ethan Green.

#lexthan #lex foster #ethan green #hannah foster #black friday #demon!ethan #god i'm soft wtf is this #they are just?? good.#anyway HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABEY!! hope this is what you were lookin' for!!#team starkid

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ladyreapermc · 5 years

Text

Enchanted (Tom Hiddleston x Reader)

Summary: You catch Tom’s eyes during the Olivier Awards and he’s enchanted.

Author’s notes: I’ve been meaning to expand my fandoms and @toomanystoriessolittletime got me hooked on Hiddles so you can either thank or complain with her because this is her fault lol. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Wordcount: 1898

Warnings: mentions of alcohol and some curse words. Other than that, this is pretty much fluff.

Tom felt his hands clammy and dried them on his slacks. No matter how many times he had done this: red carpets, premieres, awards, he still got nervous every time. Tonight felt a little worst then usual and he couldn’t pinpoint why. It was not his first time nominated for an Olivier. It wouldn’t even be his first win, but it had been a while and this play meant so much to him.

He looked out the window of his limo at the crowd gathered outside the Royal Albert Hall, bystanders pushing to get a glimpse of the celebrities being photographed and interviewed at the red carpet. The sight of them sped his heart and Tom combed his shaky fingers through his hair, before fixing his bow tie once more. It was time.

The car finally stopped and with one last fortifying breath Tom stepped out, being blinded for a moment as several cameras flashed at once; his hearing being drowned by people shouting. Luke nudged him gently, snapping Tom out of his daze and he smiled and waved, managing to do the usual red-carpet routine, but he went by a little faster than necessary, desperate for the reprieve of the theater.

He met up with Charlie and Zawe a few steps before the entrance and some of the tension Tom had been feeling started to ease off. He felt much more comfortable taking pictures with his co-stars. Soon enough, they were done with all the photocalls and interviews and Tom was finally able to walk into the elegantly decorated hall and take his seat. He fought the urge to loosen his tie, his breathing strangely rapid and shallow. He chose instead to pull out the slip of paper from his pocket.

He had made so many versions of this speech, throwing all of them away and almost deciding to not write one at all, to just wing it, until he finally settled for this version. Tom still felt it didn’t do this award justice, but it was too late.

Finally, the lights dimmed and Tom settled a little more comfortably on his seat to watch the host. As the night progressed, Tom managed to relax a little more and enjoy the event, but his nerves were still on edge, making his squirm on his seat every time someone mentioned Betrayal or his own name.

When it was finally time for the award of best actor, his heart hit his throat and he could barely breathe, excitement and terror clawing inside him, trying to decide which would come on top. The long pause before they finally announced his name felt like hours and Tom froze as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that he won.

It took Charlie shaking him lightly in congratulations to snap Tom out of his shock and he finally managed to stand up, his cheeks hurting at how wide he was smiling as he hugged his friends and moved to the stage with wobbly knees.

Tom greeted the presenters with a polite handshake as he received his award, the weight of it strange in his hands, but it helped to ground him to reality as he walked to the mic, the spotlights making perspiration bloom on his forehead and blinding him again.

As Tom tried to find a spot in the audience to fixate his eyes comfortably while he made his speech, he saw her and for a second, he was speechless. She was clapping and grinning, hair falling in beautiful curls over her bare shoulders and Tom didn’t know what it was exactly, but she took his breath away.

All he could do was stare until one of the presenters joked, encouraging him to speak and those words started him back to present. Feelings his cheeks burning, Tom looked away and laughed awkwardly. What was he doing?

“I’m a little overwhelmed, I’m sorry,” he managed with another embarrassed little laugh and the audience chuckled. He cleared his throat and finally started his speech.

Every once in a while, his gaze would stubbornly shift towards her again and it was enough to make him stutter and stumble over his words until he managed to drag his eyes away again, focusing on something else. At last, he said his final thank you and stepped away, before an usher brought him back to his seat.

For the rest of the night, Tom fought the urge to look behind him and search for her again. It wasn’t the time for that, even if all he wanted was to just go search for her. He never felt anything like this instantaneous attraction before, but it was hard to ignore. He kept himself under control, fortunately, and instead, Tom stayed until the end of the awards, before heading off for the afterparty.

As people came over the congratulate him, Tom still felt like it was a little surreal that he won. Even if everyone who spoke to him assured that they already knew he would win. He posed for a few pictures with his award before Luke took it away so Tom could enjoy his evening.

After another round of photos and shaking hands and seeing old friends, Tom finally managed to head to the bar, his bow tie unmade and hanging around his neck; the gel that had tamed his hair for the night long gone and his curls falling over his eyes, making him push them back every once in a while. And he was doing exactly that when he bumped into her, vision obscured by his hair, before Tom’s gaze landed on her and his heart stopped. She was even more beautiful up-close.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” she said, dabbing at his chest with a napkin and it was only then that he realized the contents of her glass were now sipping into his shirt.

“It was my fault, really,” Tom managed, his voice hoarse as he was unable to look away from her face. Her eyes snapped up at his face, widening almost comically as she stumbled back, nearly knocking on someone else, but he was quicker and steadied with a hand on her elbow.

“You’re Tom Hiddleston,” she said gaping and he chuckled quietly. “I spilled my drink on Tom Hiddleston on the day he won an Olivier. Oh my God!”

“It’s quite alright, I promise,” he reassured, finding her embarrassed babble quite charming. “How about I get you another drink? I am, after all, currently wearing yours.”

He could see the dilemma shining on her pretty eyes, most likely deliberating between hiding in embarrassment or accepting his offer. Tom really hoped she would choose the second. There was something about her that had him captivated and he wasn’t ready to part from her just yet.

“You don’t have to,” she assured, a flush of color spreading over her cheeks as she looked away from him. “I’m so sorry.”

“Like I said, it’s alright,” Tom smiled a little. “And I want to.”

Her lips twitched into a tiny, shy smile before she nodded and met his gaze. They stood together, just staring at each other’s eyes and Tom was relieved to notice he wasn’t the only one under this magnetic spell.

It wasn’t until someone bumped into them on their way to the bar, that Tom blinked and cleared his throat, remembering where he was. He sniffed at his collar as he took a step backward to the bar.

“Cranberry and vodka?”

Her laugh was delightfully rich and made his smile widen as she nodded once again, handing over her now empty glass.

“I’ll get us a table,” she announced, before turning on her heels and walking away from him. Tom resisted the urge to follow and instead spun around as well forcing his feet to move away from her.

“Thank you,” she said with a small smile as Tom settled the new drink in front of her. Once again, they just stared at each other and it almost felt like everything else had fallen away, leaving just the two of them. “I-uh really liked your speech. It was a well-deserved win.”

“Thank you,” Tom replied with a smile of his own. “I didn’t catch your name.”

She spoke it in a soft tone, her gaze lingering on him as he repeated it in an equally low voice, enjoying how it rolled off his tongue like it belonged there. Tom raised his glass to her.

“To unexpected meetings,” he said and her smile widened.

“But very pleasant ones,” she added, clinking her glass against his before bringing to her cherry red lips and Tom couldn’t look away as he mimicked her motions.

“Very pleasant indeed,” he said, setting his glass aside and letting out a long sigh.

For the first time that night, the tension he had been carrying finally seemed to be released and Tom actually felt like himself again.

They talked for the rest of the night, blissfully ignorant of the party happening around them. Tom learned that she was part of the costume design department on Andrew Scott’s play and that she almost hadn’t come to the awards at all.

“Why is that?” he asked curiously but secretly glad that she had.

“My date wasn’t feeling up to it,” she said, and his stomach sunk like it was full of lead. She had a date? “I’m glad I came, though,” she continued unaware of his inner turmoil. “Speaking of the devil…”

Her smile widened as she gestured at someone beyond his shoulder and Tom took a moment to slowly turn around, dread making his movements stilled and mechanic. He was greeted by the sight of a shorter, younger version of her, looking at them with a small smirk.

“You do remember I have a plane to catch in…” the newcomer looked down at her phone. “Five hours? Are you done flirting with Loki?”

“Lily!” she scolded, eyes wide, face red as she glanced at him. “I’m sorry. I…” she trailed off, pressing her lips together and wringing her hands nervously. “It was nice to meet you, Tom. Once again, I’m sorry about your suit.”

She lingered for a moment as Tom struggled to come up with something to say, but it was only when she took a couple of steps away from him that he managed to force his vocal cords to work.

“Dinner!” He exclaimed, startling a couple of people around them. She faced him again with a confused frown. “I mean, would you like to have dinner? With me.” Tom managed, letting out an awkward laugh. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually like this.”

“Shame,” she said her lips curling into an amused smile. “I think it’s cute and yes to dinner.”

“Really?” he croaked a little too surprised and she chuckled, moving closer to him again and taking the phone Tom was holding.

“Really,” she said quickly typed in something, before returning to him. “See you tomorrow night, Tom.”

With one last smile, she turned away from him, wrapping one arm around her sister’s shoulders and moving away from him. Tom followed them with his eyes until they disappeared from sight, before glancing down at his phone, the screen still showed the brand-new contact added. He smiled at her name, feeling like this might have been one of the best nights of his life.

xxx

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston fanfic #tom hiddleston imagine #tom hiddleston x you #tom hiddleston x reader #fanfic #fluff #oneshot

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magicallygrimmwiccan · 4 years

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Don’t Let Them See You Cry

AO3 Link

Summary: Ren would then put back on the mask of Joker, place a smirk upon his lips, and leave to face the world, with but a single mantra repeating in his head: Whatever you do, don’t let them see you cry. (Written for @badthingshappenbingo)

Smash Mansion was peaceful. Its occupants were out for the day, either enjoying the brilliant summer sun or partaking in matches. As such, it was the perfect building for any who needed to be alone for whatever reason. This is where Amamiya Ren, better known as Joker, found himself on this day, walking briskly through the empty halls towards his room, lower lip clenched between his teeth and hands curled tightly into fists in his pockets, eyes stinging relentlessly. Just a bit longer, he told himself. Just a bit more and I’ll be safe. No one disturbed him on his way, as there was no one to disturb him, and after what felt like an eternity, he found himself at his room. With shaking hands, he fished his keycard out of his pockets (so used to holding Devil Fruits and Beads and Relax Gels, but none of those were there anymore because he wasn’t really a Phantom Thief now- don’t think about it, just get inside, get to safety-) and opened his door, locking it behind him before making for the bed, finally letting the tears he’d been holding back flow from his eyes as he fell, sobbing, onto his bed. He curled into a ball, facing the door, instinctively bracing for an attack that could come at any moment.

Mon petit chou? What seems to be the matter? Arsène’s voice echoed in Ren’s head, full of nothing but concern and care.

“It’s nothing, Arsène. Just give me a minute,” Ren managed to get out, voice hiccuping as he curled further in on himself.

It is clearly something, mon chéri, Arsène shot back. Ren could practically feel his judgemental eyebrow raise. Tell me.

“I’m fine,” Ren insisted, swiping at his masked eyes with the heels of his hands. “I just need a minute.” Arsène fell silent at that, clearly understanding that pushing the issue would get him nowhere, and Ren let the silence swallow him whole, the tears staining his cheeks in warm, salty tracks. He sobbed into the silence, trying to disappear into his coat, into the safety and security of one of the only familiar things he had left around him. Arsène hummed French lullabies in his head in an attempt to soothe him, which only made Ren sob harder at the reminder that he only had one Persona left in this strange world.

Eventually, the tears dried up, and Ren uncurled from his ball, standing on legs as shaky as a newborn deer’s to inspect his appearance in the mirror. He winced at the messier than usual curls, the obvious tear tracks on his face, the blatant shiny redness of his eyes.

You look terrible, Arsène told him, voice flat.

“Way to make a guy feel better about himself,” Ren muttered, sarcasm dripping from his words with no real heat to accompany them. He swiped at his eyes one last time with his hands, knowing that it would do nothing, but it made him feel better.

I believe you have a match in an hour, mon chéri. You should clean up is what he meant, and Ren knew he was right, but wasn’t sure how to muster up the energy to do just that. Why not call in sick? I’m sure they would understand.

“Then they’d be worried, and I don’t want to bother any of them,” Ren muttered, forcing himself to straighten up and stride over to his closet. “I think I have a spare uniform in here somewhere…”

Mon petit lapin, you cannot hide from your problems forever, Arsène warned, and Ren had to bite his lip as he was reminded of Sojiro for just a moment. That same fatherly concern, that same warmth coming from someone who cared… it was a bit too much for Ren at the moment.

“Who’s hiding? Certainly not me,” is all Ren said, although both he and Arsène knew that it was a lie, an awful attempt to cover up wounds that had accumulated with no one to soothe and bandage them. He felt more than heard Arsène’s sigh, but the thief ultimately let it go, instead falling quiet as Ren removed his outfit, cleaned his face of salt, and replaced his uniform piece by piece until he almost looked normal. His hair was far more of a mess than usual, but Ren hoped that no one would notice. His eyes were also still red, but Ren sincerely hoped that no one would be able to get close enough to notice. With a final pause to straighten his coat, Ren turned and walked towards the door, ready to head out for his match and prove to something that he was okay and could function. On his way out, a photograph caught his eyes, and he turned to see a group shot, taken shortly after the completion of Okumura’s palace, he and his friends all smiling as they gathered close for the selfie Ann was taking. He swallowed back more tears and turned away, throwing back his shoulders and shaking his head.

“Get a grip, Ren,” he muttered to himself. “Don’t let them see you cry over something as stupid as loneliness.” With that, he put on his final mask, that of the cocky, confident Joker, and walked out to face the world, leaving his issues to fester alone in his bedroom, away from the prying eyes of anyone but himself and Arsène.

Later, much later, as he nursed a delicate cheekbone bruised by a ferocious punch, as he cursed at a twisted ankle caused by a movement just a second too slow, as he massaged his dominant hand in an attempt to soothe the cramped muscles, he would let the tears fall again as the loneliness consumed him. His Persona, the one connection he had to his world here, would emerge and curl around him, would whisper sweet nothings into his ear in a language he half understood, would take his sore hands within his own claws and attempt to make him relax. Ren would let the tears fall again, in the safety of his own room, in the hands of the one who knew him best, and would let all of his anxieties and sorrow spill from his lips to shatter the silence of the room. Arsène would simply listen and take all of these words, and, when Ren finally surrendered to the pull of sleep, too tired from the emotions flowing out of him to stay awake, Arsène would tuck those words deep into his heart and burn them there, determined to help the boy who slumbered under his hands. He would stroke a hand through those messy black curls, knowing it would never be the same as a warm hand of sunshine but hoping it would provide just a bit of comfort to his Trickster. He would stay and guard Ren’s sleeping form, and when Ren roused the next morning, still sore, he would show his care through pet names and small distractions. Ren would take these attempts to heart and smile, even if only for a moment, before reality came back to him. Ren would then put back on the mask of Joker, place a smirk upon his lips, and leave to face the world, with but a single mantra repeating in his head:

Whatever you do, don’t let them see you cry.

#badthingshappenbingo #persona 5 #super smash brothers ultimate #amamiya ren #arsene #hurt/comfort #angst #don't let them see you cry

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cherryblight · 4 years

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Closed starter for @shadowhelmed

Seated in the cafeteria, Varus inspects his nails, filing them to be practically claws yet again. After all when you have a style, you need to make sure to upkeep it. There was various makeup containers around him- Prosthetic gel, fake blood, liquid latex, different palettes, etc- he’d already finished lunch so he figured it might be fun to mess around with shit.

As the first year sits at the table, right across from him, Varus raises an eyebrow. It wasn’t often someone sat by him. Typically when someone did, it was Jayce teasing him. He didn’t really have many friends. Didn’t Kayn usually sit by Zed or whoever the fuck? Whatever, he isn’t going to question it. Any company is good company. He puts down the nail file, before opening a jar of prosthetic gel and slathering some on his arm.

“Hey Kayn"

He sighs, closing the jar and putting both the nail file and the jar back into his backpack, waiting for the gel to dry on his arm. The second year finally makes eye contact, giving him a small smile.

“Come to say hello, or are you still trying to find your devil cat again?”

#beware a man with nothing to lose #shadowhelmed #v : durandal god-weapon academy

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shishirgupta · 4 years

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8 Natural Ways to Get Relief from Arthritis Pain

Did you know? Nearly 180 million people in India have arthritis. And it is more common than diabetes, AIDS, and cancer.

If you are one of those arthritis patients, no one can tell better than you the experience of living with this life disturbing health condition. You have to go through sheer discomfort caused by joint pain and swelling, making you limits your mobility.

It also leads to physical weakness, tiredness, and trouble sleeping. All these symptoms affect your routine life and overall wellbeing.

While there are many medications to ease pain and stiffness from arthritis, there are many natural ways to manage the symptoms. This way, you can minimize the occurrence of the discomfort caused by arthritis. Here are some proven ways to deal with your arthritis naturally.

Do Exercise:

Doing exercise is one of the recommended ways to manage arthritis pain. But how it is possible to do exercise when arthritis pain stops yours from doing any physical activity?

Here you need to do only low impact workouts.

One of the key reasons for doing exercise is that it helps lose weight. Losing extra weight can minimize the burden on the joints, allowing them to heal and strengthen. Other benefits of doing the workout for arthritis are…

Increasing the body’s anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving abilities.

Releasing “happy hormones” such as endorphins to improve your mood and minimize the emotional effects of arthritis.

Improving your range of motion

Reducing the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes arthritis patients often face.

And even a light movement can work. The better workouts for arthritis patients are those who build strength and muscles around the joints, minimizing the risk of further damage. Some best low impact workouts for arthritis are yoga, walking and swimming.

But avoid intense workouts like running.

Try Acupuncture:

In acupuncture, the human body is believed to store energy life force known as Qi, which gets restricted or blocked to specific points across the body. Acupuncture aims to open up these blockages by inserting needles to let your energy flow across the body. Don’t worry.

Acupuncture needles don’t hurt as they create only tingling sensations.

While the science might not accept acupuncture as a general treatment, several studies have found that it can relieve pain associated with arthritis. Many patients who opt for acupuncture reported positive effects, including pain relief, improved sleep quality and tiredness.

Make sure to choose a reputed acupuncture specialist.

Perform Meditation:

Relaxation is important to cope with diseases like arthritis, as stress triggers an inflammatory reaction in the body. Deep breathing, meditation and relaxation techniques can be useful in this scenario. Meditation minimizes your inflammation levels which in turn decreases tension, reducing pain.

Moreover, mindfulness meditation can help people deal with chronic illness by improving emotional and mental health. It is a great tool to reduce anxiety, minimize depression and increase good sleep. All of these advantages can help people with arthritis improve their quality of life and make their condition less painful.

According to one study, even performing meditation for a few minutes a day can help decrease stress and pain response. While you can learn meditation with an experienced trainer, there are many meditation apps to practice this technique.

Get a Massage:

Massage therapy is a safe and relaxing way to manage arthritis pain. There are many techniques used by a “massage expert” to work over your tissues and muscles, leading to deep relaxation. Gentle massage also improves blood circulation across your tissues, joints and muscles. With improved blood flow, your joints can get essential nutrients and oxygen to heal. As an added bonus, massage releases several “feel good” hormones to improve mood and reduce anxiety.

Regular massage therapy can lead to wellness and less stress, which is essential for arthritis patients. Self-massage and massage equipment can also help you get deep relaxation.

Hot and Cold Therapy:

Arthritis patients can also use hot and cold therapy to manage their pain. These are simple yet effective ways to get relief from arthritis pain.

Hot therapy can warm up the sore muscles and joints. A hot water bottle or a heating pad can be used to warm up and relax stiff joints. Or you can take a warm bath or hot shower, especially in the morning when arthritis symptoms are active.

Cold therapy is equally useful when it comes to easing swelling and inflammation. You can use a gel ice pack on the inflamed joints. But don’t apply it on the bare skin. A cold pack can numb the area and minimize the sensation of pain. You can use both hot and cold therapies to find out which is best for you. You can use a hot or cold compress for 2-3 times a day for up to 20 minutes per session. However, the temperature shouldn’t be extreme as it can hurt the skin.

Take Care of Your Diet:

Diet can play an important role in arthritis symptoms management. According to one study, diet and workout can lower inflammation in arthritis. This study shows the relation between diet, inflammation and weight loss. People with arthritis can experience fewer inflammatory symptoms by controlling their weight via diet and workout.

Diet also leads to other benefits for arthritis. Like a workout, a proper diet can minimize your risk to develop chronic diseases that commonly develop with arthritis. A healthy diet also provides important nutrients to your bones, muscles and organs. A diet rich in omega-three fatty acids can minimize inflammation and disease activity.

Take Herbal Supplements:

Some herbal supplements have been found efficient to minimize joint pain. Some of these are ginkgo, stinging nettle, thunder god vine, and devil’s claw. Certain herbs are said to include anti-inflammatory properties that can help manage the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA).

Aloe vera is one of the popular herbs used as alternative medicine and is available in many forms such as powder, gels and pills. It is known for its healing power and anti-inflammatory properties. Cat’s claw is another anti-inflammatory herb that may minimize swelling in arthritis. It has been a traditional remedy to treat inflammation and boost the immune system.

Make sure to talk to your doctor before taking any supplement.

Use Oils:

Certain oils can help minimize inflammatory conditions associated with rheumatoid arthritis. For example, turmeric essential oil has been found useful in relieving the symptoms of arthritis. Thanks to its compound known as curcumin that checks the molecule responsible for triggering inflammation. Likewise, ginger oil is an effective remedy in minimizing joint pain and inflammation.

It is equipped with the chemicals that turn into anti-inflammatory agents to deal with the symptoms of arthritis.

Lavender is also useful oil. According to one study, a mix of 5% lavender and some amount of almond oil can help in pain relief in arthritis. Eucalyptus is rich in pain-relieving compounds and anti-inflammatory effects. When applied topically on the skin, it reduces muscles pain, soreness and swelling.

Myrrh oil has anti-rheumatic properties and reduces the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. It is often mixed with other essential oil such as frankincense for better results.

So these are some best ways to manage your arthritis pain naturally. What do you think? Let us know by commenting below!

#jointpain #jodrakshak #allianceherbal

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brarphysiocare · 1 year

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Empowering Osteoarthritis Treatment with Natural Remedies and Lifestyle Changes

Introduction

Understanding Osteoarthritis

Empowering Osteoarthritis Treatment

Natural Remedies

1. Herbal Supplements: Certain herbs and plant-based supplements have shown promise in reducing inflammation and easing osteoarthritis symptoms. Examples include turmeric, ginger, Boswellia, and devil’s claw. These natural remedies can be taken in capsule or powder form, or even incorporated into meals for added benefits.

2. Topical Applications: Topical creams, gels, and ointments containing ingredients like capsaicin, menthol, or arnica can provide temporary relief from pain and inflammation when applied directly to the affected joints.

3. Heat and Cold Therapy: Applying heat to the affected area can help relax muscles and improve blood flow, while cold therapy can reduce inflammation and numb the area, providing pain relief. Hot water bottles, heating pads, ice packs, and cold compresses can be used as part of a natural pain management regimen.

Lifestyle Changes

1. Exercise and Physical Activity: Regular exercise is essential for maintaining joint flexibility, strengthening muscles, and improving overall joint health. Low-impact activities like swimming, cycling, and walking are generally well-tolerated by individuals with

osteoarthritis

. Additionally, stretching exercises and gentle range-of-motion movements can help improve flexibility and reduce stiffness.

2. Weight Management: Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for individuals with osteoarthritis, as excess weight puts added stress on the joints. Losing weight through a combination of healthy eating and regular exercise can significantly reduce joint pain and improve mobility.

3. Joint Protection: Implementing strategies to protect the joints during daily activities can minimize stress and strain. This includes using assistive devices like braces or splints, avoiding repetitive movements, and practicing proper body mechanics when lifting or carrying objects.

4.Stress Management: Stress can exacerbate pain and inflammation in individuals with osteoarthritis. Incorporating stress-reducing techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques can help alleviate symptoms and improve overall well-being.

Brar’s Physio Care: Providing Expert Osteoarthritis Treatment in Mohali

Conclusion

#Osteo Arthritis Treatment in Mohali

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nimbanaturopathycentre · 4 years

Photo

Let’s start by understanding what Arthritis is. Arthritis is inflammation in the joints. This results in pain and stiffness in joints. It also decreases joint movement because of pain and stiffness. Mostly, Arthritis comes along with age and causes wear and tear in the joint’s bones. There are over 100 types of arthritis that prevail across the world.

Natural Treatment for arthritis –

Natural treatment mainly involves simple measures like heat and ice packs. These simple measures reduce stiffness. they also relieve the joint pain caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis –

is the most common long-term inflammatory disorder. It primarily causes pain in joints. It also results in swollen and stiff joints causing acute pain in joints.

Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis –

If the Arthritis is detected at an early stage, one can be given a temporary pain relief. This can be done with the help of disease-modifying and rheumatic drugs. But if it’s been longer, there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis.

Tips to Naturally Ease Arthritis PainApplication of heat and cold packs

The benefit of heat and cold packs goes hand in hand. The cold pack reduces pain sensation by reducing swelling. The heated pack eases down, the tensed muscles helping one relax, reducing pain. It also works as a pain relief for rheumatoid arthritis.

Try to relax

Relaxed mind helps in relaxing tensed muscles. A person with arthritis should take utmost care of stress and pressure trying to avoid them.

Make it a Habit to Exercise

Exercise makes you active and fit. For arthritis one should practice mild exercises and soft stretches only. One can also practice scant distance and slow walking. Your doctor can explain which exercises suit best in a given condition. You can also visit Nimba Care for more information about the same.

Way To Naturally Reduce Arthritis

Meditate – To reduce arthritis, it is very important to relax the body. Meditation helps reduce stress and relax the mind. Meditation is proven to be the most effective ways to relieve stress

Take Massages – Gently massaging the pain points can help in pain relief. Consult an experienced doctor for the same. Nimba Nature Cure also has experienced therapists. They are skilled to provide deep tissue massages.

Reduce Weight – Increased body weight can increase pressure on joints. Weight loss can reduce strain on the joint muscles. To do it right, take guidance from an expert. Be it a doctor or a therapist.

Consume More Turmeric – Consume more turmeric in the food or in milk. It has rich medicinal value. It reduces inflammation. This works as an add-on in reducing inflammation and pain.

Increase The Intake Of Herbal Supplements – Herbal Supplements are as important as Natural Supplements. Certain herbs such as Boswellia, Bromelain, Devil’s claw, Ginkgo, Stinging nettle, Thunder god vine can help relieve Arthritis pain.

Consume Diet Comprising Fatty acids – Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid. It reduces the intense arthritis pain. Fish oil supplements are natural. Their intake can benefit to ease pain.

Practise Acupuncture – Acupuncture heals many diseases including arthritis. It is a very old medical technique. It includes piercing needles in body parts to cure diseases. The World Health Organization has recommended it for arthritis patients.

Exercise Regularly – Regular exercise is very beneficial. It increases body flexibility. Mild exercise should be practised. Water aerobics and Swimming are also helpful.

Practice Hot-cold Therapy – We have already discussed this therapy. Besides that, patients should also take hot showers. They should also use electric blankets to apply on the joints. Ice gel packs serve the same purpose and can massage with that too. At Nimba, we also have a few therapies that work wonders on arthritis pain. Pay us a visit or call us to know more !

#arthritis #arthritis treatment #arthritis pain #natural treatment

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spacexmagicxandxsheepxbleats · 5 years

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Continued from here

The Titan’s obvious disgust was of no consequence to her and she was seemingly quick with a reply:

“...What better way to scare a Devil than to wear the skin of his fallen kin...?.....Yes, I’m ready......I carry all I need and if I’m missing something or find I need anything I make it.....”

Though she was quite a bit shorter than him she was able to keep pace rather well, considering Ulfar was nigh eye level with Sinner, perhaps a few inches shorter and Arlo not to far behind, the diminutive Warlock was used to keeping an easy trot in order to not fall behind....

His visor did draw her attention, as did his shortened gate, something she appreciated but didn’t find to necessary. She wouldn’t comment on ether however, not wanting disrupt the fact he was speaking, allowing the hollow eyes of her helm to bore through the vacant holes in the wolf hide...perhaps he’d notice her unspoken curiosity, perhaps he wouldn’t.

The fact was, she rather liked it when he talked so when the matter of Outlaw burbled to the surface she didn’t answer him immediately, indicating she’d partly zoned out to the tone of his voice as well as making a mental check list concerning his statement that they’d be facing a Baron and an untold number of his underlings...

When his question and Outlaw’s name finally filtered through her prep thoughts she gave her head a slight shake, scattering some rain drops as she murmured sheepishly for the momentary laps in concentration.

“...Er, sorry....I, was taking a mental inventory of what I’ve got...what we may need......”

The girl trailed a moment in her speaking as another thought filtered in, but she shelved it to finish his answer.

“He left out the Gate opposite this one, across the city...The Vanguard pulled Hunters from all teams on downtime for a mass scouting, most haven’t returned and Outlaw is one of them...So they sanctioned their respective teams to go searching.....”

A bitter disappointment crept into the thought of having to go find him, a not so subtle venom coating the other Exo’s name as it slipped from her lips as she spoke, showing that she’d rather the Hunter rot in the wilds than return.

“It was Arlo who spotted you first, not that your exactly hard to miss...for, you know, taller folk....”

Her strange humor seeped into the sentences, wanting to lighten things up a bit from discussing rank trash.

“So, knowing how much I love Outlaw he gave me a choice: Blitz across several city blocks and catch up with you to see if you’d accept my company or, go and likely pull his feet from the fire so to speak....”

The roll of her eyes was audible when the ‘L’ word gagged burbled from her throat, as was her gratitude for Arlo’s offered choice and Sinner’s consent for her to go with him. She wasn’t sure if the Titan noticed, but she seemed quite relieved, her elation at having escaped seeing the Hunter was scarcely kept in check but she managed as they drew closer to the gate, the arch way looming tall above even Sinner as they passed through, the brief cut in the rain and then its renewed fury lifted a weight from her... a weight she’d only ever identify as captivity with in the Cities Walls....

A soft string of words, archaic in nature whispered softly from her, as if she were greeting the wilds before them like an old friend or beloved family member as an obvious shudder rattled her frame, a bit of ‘dance’ skipping her steps, tinkling the hammered brass bells and other baubles that hung around her robes...looking a bit like a kid released to the park for some rough housing with friends and tussle with the yard bully....

Her gloved fingers brushed tree trunks and other plants alike as they wandered further from the City, her tension bled away with the wash of rain and her motions became even more relaxed and fluid...as if she were a different person, happier and more at peace somehow.

“.....Sometimes...I think about leaving, about slipping back into the trees and stones of the mountains....to be a shade among shadows again.......”

She had wound her way a head of him somehow, had wandered up the trunk of a fallen pine and stood on the tree to watch him approach at nearly eye level, considering him carefully as he drew closer.

“But...that would mean I’d never see you, or the others, again.....”

The gentle confession was made freely, a lightness to it that indicated she accepted what she was giving up in favor of what she’d gained. She had a relatively nice room to sleep in at Arlo’s home, the man’s wife was kind more than kind enough to her and Ulfar was the ‘big brother’ that evened the family out even if Outlaw was literally their black sheep.

But Sinner was something different. He was, really, the only other Guardian she’d interacted with other than in passing up until then.

Aside from the obvious ones, when ever she encountered another Risen before joining the City it was a death match, so one could imagine her isolation when she found herself in an entire C I T Y absolutely F U L L of other Risen who W E R E N T trying to kill or subjugate innocent civilians...Let alone that Sinner was an Exo, of all ‘races’.

After all, an Exo Warlord murdered her young charge.

An Exo Warlord nearly cost her her life.

And an Exo Hunter now threatens her every time he lays eyes on her.

No. Truth be told, she felt a certain fondness for his company. Something about the way he carried himself the first day they met and the way he continues to conduct himself in their interactions stood him out from the rest...

So when he drew closer to her impromptu perch she took a few more steps along the incline to bring herself to his level, practically eye to eye or skull to visor in this instance as she reached into the confines of her robes layers, drawing her hand back she held it out to him, her fingers closed in a fist around the glimmer of forged iron chain links.

“Þat kann ek it ellifta: ef ek skal til orrostu leiða langvini, und randir ek gel, en þeir með ríki fara heilir hildar til, heilir hildi frá, koma þeir heilir hvaðan...”

Ezra would wait, her hand still outstretched towards him, waiting for his own to be beneath her palm before dropping the necklace into his hand. The iron links were lightly oiled and clearly hand turned, from its center hung a rather well carved likeness of a large bear from bone, wreathing it on ether side were the claws of said animal...

“Þat kann ek it fimmta: ef ek sé af fári skotinn flein í folki vaða, fýgr-a hann svá stinnt, at ek stöðvig-a-k, ef ek hann sjónum of sék....”

She spoke softly but with purpose, if he asked she’d explain the meaning of the words, but for the time being she seemed satisfied with her obscure behavior in presenting the Titan with his gift, a gesture not made lightly, seeing as none of her teammates had received such things from her.

Translations ~

An eleventh I know, if needs I must lead To the fight my long-loved friends; I sing in the shields, and in strength they go Whole to the field of fight, Whole from the field of fight, And whole they come thence home. A fifth I know, If I see from afar An arrow fly 'gainst the folk; It flies not so swift That I stop it not, If ever my eyes behold it. - Derived from the Havamal 156-160 and 146-150

@sinner-the-stoic-titan

#[Tales of the Void] reply #historical #hope you don't mind it being moved to a separate thread lol #was meaning to do it earlier but forgot XD

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